asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the percentage increase over the last year in the price of butter, margarine and cheese.

The average increases in retail prices between 17th March, 1970 and 16th March, 1971, the latest date for which figures collected by the Department of Employment for the purposes of the General Index of Retail Prices are available, were:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what impact he estimates the Community regulations on meat are likely to have if the United Kingdom joins the European Economic Community on the latest known terms.

The detailed impact of the Community regulations on livestock and meat are being studied. In general, however, a greater proportion of producers' returns will come from the market, and I foresee good prospects for efficient producers.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what is the present strength of the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve in Northern Ireland; and how many resignations have taken place from its membership since the formation of the Ulster Defence Regiment.

At 31st March, 1971 the strength of the TAVR in Northern Ireland was 3,134. Separate statistics of resignations are not maintained, but the total outflow in the period from 1st January, 1970 was 1,292.

asked the Minister of State for Defence (1) under what circumstances an Army patrol was attacked by gun-fire on the Armagh-Monaghan border of Northern Ireland early on Tuesday, 11th May; what sort of gun was used; how many shots were fired; what damage was done; what number of soldiers was involved; whether they returned the fire; and what arrests were made;(2) what was the result of the Army search which took place after the attack on the Army patrol at the Armagh-Monaghan border early on Tuesday, 11th May; what number of guns and what amount of ammunition and explosives were discovered; and what arrests were made.

At 2 a.m. on 11th May two Army landrovers were fired on from a ditch near a customs post at Cullaville on the Armagh-Monaghan border. An automatic weapon was used and approximately 12 shots were fired. One of the landrovers was hit, but the only damage was a burst tyre. Eight soldiers were involved, none of whom was hurt. There was no opportunity to return fire but immediately after the attack a search was made, and a road block erected. A further search of the area was made in daylight. No weapons, ammunition, or explosives were found, and no arrests were made.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will make a statement about the bombing of an Army Bailey bridge spanning the LisburnAldergrove Road at Dundrod in the early hours of Sunday, 9th May, 1971.

At 1.30 a.m. on Sunday, 9th May the Army Bailey bridge spanning the Lisburn-Aldergrove Road at Dundrod was damaged by two explosive charges. The damage rendered the bridge temporarily impassable to traffic, but repairs were completed by the Army by 12.30 p.m. on 9th May.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will end the present duty-free tobacco facilities in Her Majesty's ships and make an appropriate financial allowance to all ranks in lieu thereof.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend on 7th April to the hon. Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) to which I have nothing to add at present.—[Vol. 815, c. 211–2.]

asked the Minister of State for Defence what representations he has made to the Government of India as a result of the report of his accidents investigation department into the near-miss between two aircraft over the Wembley and Harrow area on 9th January, 1970, following the failure of the commander of an Air India super-constellation to obey instructions to maintain height and the fact that the report describes his standard of flying as less than satisfactory.

The visiting aircraft identified in the report was a Super-Constellation of the Indian Air Force. The report has been drawn to the attention of the Indian Air Force authorities, from whom suitable assurances have been received about remedial measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many qualified restorers were on the staff of the museums in England and Wales on 1st January, 1971.

Ten in the national institutions in England for which my right hon. Friend has responsibility. In addition there were a further 12 restorers at various stages of training. I understand that there are no restorers on the staff of the National Museum of Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will take steps to set up a National Museum Training School.

No. The needs of the many institutions are so varied that they could not be met by a single training school.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what examination she has made of the work of the Young Volunteer Force Foundation; and if she will make a statement.

During the past year members of Her Majesty's Inspectorate have been reviewing the work of the Foundation and copies of their report have just been sent to the Trustees.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will appoint a standing committee to review the sale of works of art from public collections, and from collections which are maintained for and regularly exhibited to the public.

No. The subject was carefully reviewed by the Committee of Enquiry into the Sale of Works of Art by Public Bodies in 1964. The rise in the value of works of art has directed attention to the priorities in the field of arts. My noble Friend the Paymaster-General is discussing the problems involved with the Reviewing Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in her discussions on the allocation of the additional expenditure on student grants, she will give priority to the need to provide additional grants to students who marry during their period of study but who at present are limited to a single person's allowance.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration her Department, and bodies for which she is responsible, are giving to the setting up of marine parks or aquatic reserves below low water mark.

I recognise the importance of underwater conservation and the situation is under consideration by the Natural Environment Research Council. However, the complex scientific, legal and practical problems inherent in the establishment of sub-littoral nature reserves have not yet been resolved.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement about redundancies reported to him from factories in Loughton and his Department's efforts to find alternative employment for those put out of work.

Two redundancies have been notified to my Department in Loughton this year, involving 135 employees, of whom less than a third are still registered as unemployed. We are continuing to do all we can to find them other jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many males

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider making representations to the Football

At 5th April, 1971, there were 2,035 persons—1,408 men, 143 boys, 432 women and 52 girls—registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Coatbridge Employment Exchange and 1,606 persons—1,124 men, 77 boys, 362 women and 43 girls—on the registers in the area covered by the Airdrie Employment Exchange. The figures for boys and girls are only parts of the total numbers of boys and girls registered at the Airdrie Careers Office which covers wholly or in part the Coatbridge, Airdrie, Kirkintilloch, Parkhead and Springburn Employment Exchange areas.The numbers of men and women registered as wholly unemployed at the Coat-bridge and Airdrie Employment Exchanges, and all of the boys and girls registered as wholly unemployed at the Airdrie Careers Office, are analysed according to the length of their current spell of registered unemployment.League, concerning the question of the provision of access and suitable accommodation to disabled spectators at Football League grounds.

I understand from the Football League that suitable accommodation with safe access for disabled spectators is already available at most Football League grounds. For structural reasons this is not possible at all grounds.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he agreed with the Six that, at the end of the transitional period, Her Majesty's Government would pay to the Community Budget 90 per cent. of the United Kingdom food levies, 90 per cent. of the United Kingdom customs duties and up to one per cent. of the yield of the United Kingdom value-added tax.

I would refer to my right hon. and learned Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster's statement on 16th December and to his reply following it to the hon. Member for Heywood and Royton (Mr. Barnett). Her Majesty's Government accept the Community's financial system, subject only to the negotiation of acceptable transitional arrangements.—[Vol. 808, c. 1354–6; 1362.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the following categories of East African Asians will be acceptable as Community workers in the event of Great Britain entering the European Economic Community, namely, British passport holders resident in the United Kingdom and British passport holders resident in other parts of the world.

The categories of British nationals who will be able to benefit from the provisions of the Treaty of Rome and Community legislation on freedom of movement of labour are being clarified in discussions with the Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in giving diplomatic support to British companies in their efforts to obtain compensation for assets expropriated in a number of African countries in recent years.

Negotiations have been completed or are in train between the Government concerned and some companies affected. Appropriate diplomatic support will continue to be given to all United Kingdom commercial interests which have suffered expropriation until proper compensation has been agreed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at how many road junctions in the Metropolitan Police area are police officers still employed in directing traffic; if he will give a list of them; and what is the total number of officers so employed.

The nine junctions listed below are manned throughout the day by 10 police officers in each of two shifts: I am sending my hon. Friend particulars of 91 other junctions which are regularly manned during peak traffic times by a total of 160 police officers and traffic wardens.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists were prosecuted for excessive emission of exhaust smoke in 1968, 1969 and 1970; and if he will give comparable figures for lorry-owners.

Separate figures for private and commercial vehicles are not readily available. The total numbers of prosecutions in England and Wales for unlawful emission of smoke and other substances from vehicles were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what response he has received from local authorities to his request for proposals for more housebuilding schemes, to alleviate unemployment amongst building trade workers.

I have made no request to local authorities to build houses purely in order to reduce unemployment. I am, however, encouraging all authorities who have outstanding housing needs to build as quickly as possible to meet those needs. There is no financial restriction by my Department on applications of this sort. I have also just launched a campaign of publicity for more improvement of older houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make public the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board's report on the use of private beds at Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry.

The Board sent me a number of documents. One of these, a report to its Planning Committee, was made public on 4th March, and I am sending the hon. Member a copy. Further details and correspondence were supplied to me on 29th March and I am also sending the hon. Member copies of all these and placing copies in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total estimated cost and what are the total estimated on-site costs of the new Bristol Maternity Hospital.

The total estimated cost is £2,385,000 comprising £1,879,000 for building and engineering and £506,000 for fees and equipment. It is estimated that roughly £200,000 can be attributed to the physical difficulties of the site.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the original estimate and what is the current estimate of, respectively, the total cost and the on-site costs of the new Casualty and Outpatient Department at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

The original estimate of cost prior to tender in 1966 was £4,238,000, comprising £3,348,000 for building and engineering work and £890,000 for fees and equipment. The current estimate is £5,496,000, comprising £4,155,000 for building and engineering and £1,341,000 for fees and equipment. These figures do not include some additional expenditure currently under consideration.Corresponding figures for the cost of the work attributable to the physical difficulties of the site cannot be calculated precisely; they are estimated at about £360,000 in 1966 and about £680,000 now.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he proposes to make the report on Scientology available to the senior officers of the Church of Scientology before he takes action on it.

I have not yet reached any decision on the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in assessing the market potential of short take-off and landing and vertical take-off and landing projects, he will take steps to urge the International Air Transport Association to seek to assess the cost per year of non-productive flying due to air traffic congestion, the loss of earnings due to non-effective flying hours and the time and money lost through surface traffic congestion between airports and city centres.

These matters are not the direct concern of the International Air Transport Association, since such studies are more likely to depend on local conditions. However, the costs of both air and surface congestion are factors which would necessarily be taken into account in assessing the market potential of short and vertical take off and landing projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to ensure that all the interests concerned in the development, marketing and use of short take-off and landing/vertical take-off and landing projects are consulted before producing a national programme for planned short take-off and landing/vertical take-off and landing development.

A very wide range of problems relating to vertical and short take-off and landing—V/STOL—aircraft are being studied by the Transport Air- craft Requirements Committee. This is a consultative body, with representations at management level from B.O.A.C., B.E.A., the independent airlines, the air-craft manufacturing industry, the Air Registration Board and Government Departments. The purpose of the studies is to identify the principal difficulties to be resolved before any major V/STOL project commitment is undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessments he has made of the cost of non-productive flying due to air traffic congestion, loss of earnings due to non-effective flying hours and time and money lost through surface traffic congestion between airports and city centres.

No specific studies on these subjects have been under-taken but the factors mentioned are normally taken into account as components of other studies as, indeed, they were included in those of the Commission on the Third London Airport (Papers and Proceedings, Vol. VII, part Chapter 11, paragraph 29, and annex H to Chapter 13).Surface traffic congestion is, of course a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and it may be helpful to mention the Report of a Study of Rail Links with Heathrow Airport published by H.M.S.O. last year. Paragraphs 4.5.3 onwards especially refer to this topic.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the Board of Trade Journal the European Commission directives or suggested directives concerning aerosol containers, agricultural machinery and tractors, containers of reinforced plastic, cosmetics, cranes, hoists and lifts, dangerous substances, electrical apparatus and equipment, fertilisers, glass, non-electrical appliances, household cleaning products, instruments and equipment for measuring and weighing, materials and objects in contact with foodstuffs, motor vehicles, mopeds, gas pipelines, oil pipelines, precious metals, pressure vessels, scaffolding, textiles, and welding and metal cutting equipment.

No. Directives approved by the Council of Ministers and proposed Directives submitted to it by the Commission are published in the official journal of the European Communities which is already available through the Stationery Office. The Department has arrangements for bringing these Directives and drafts to the attention of the British interests most closely involved and for consulting them about their contents.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what notification his Department has received of the number of chain stores and/or individual shops that have announced they will cut prices, other than those of food and drink, following the announcement that selective employment tax will be cut by 50 per cent. from July; what items are concerned; and what estimate he has made of the effect on prices of goods, other than food and drink, of the cut in selective employment tax.

There are no formal arrangements for the notification of price reductions but I am aware of a considerable number that have been reported in the Press. They have been implemented by many companies and cover a wide range of products and services including furniture, shoes, clothing and hotel charges as well as food and drinks. Other firms have announced their intention to hold prices that would otherwise have been increased.It is not possible to estimate the effect of the cut in S.E.T. on the prices of individual products or groups of products.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take steps to avoid the invalidation of patent applications arising from the effects of the postal strike.

Facilities were provided at the Patent Office for the continued filing during the postal strike of new patent applications and for preserving all priority rights. I am not aware that any further steps are necessary for the purposes mentioned by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make an official visit to North-East Derbyshire as soon as possible, and state the reasons

The 20 companies with the largest operations in Scotland cannot readily be identified. A list is given below of the largest industrial and commercial companies registered in Scotland, in terms of their total number of employees in the United Kingdom.for his decision whether or not to make the visit.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so, because of his heavy programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has now completed his study of that section of the Crowther Report dealing with the terms control; and if he will make a statement.

I cannot add to what the Chancellor said in his Budget statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new jobs are in the pipeline to be created in Scotland at present; and how this compares with the situation in June, 1970.

Projects in authorised new industrial buildings and in industrial buildings taken over by manufacturing industry known to the Department at 30th April this year were estimated to provide some 40,900 jobs in the next four years. A comparable estimate at June, 1970, for the then succeeding four years would have been some 39,400 jobs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements he is making for bringing to an end the decimal currency change-over period.

The Decimal Currency Board are seeking the views of representative organisations on the possibility of bringing the change-over period to an end on 31st August next. In the light of the replies, the Board will make a recommendation to me.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the decision of the countries of the European Economic Community to float the German Mark and to allow other countries of the Six to do likewise; to what extent this will affect Great Britain's application to join the European Economic Community; and whether he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend said in the House on 11th May.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received to exempt patient hoists and stairlifts from purchase tax; and if he will make a statement.

Detailed proposals have been put forward by the Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise are examining them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to make it obligatory to display the amount of tax paid on all beer at the point of sale.

No.