asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what price reductions have now taken place because of his proposals for selective employment tax; and what change in the level of price increases has taken place since 31st March, 1971.

A number of price reductions have been announced by retailers and others in anticipation of the July cut in S.E.T., but it is not possible to make any quantitative assessment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek to initiate international discussions about means of introducing greater flexibility into the international monetary system.

This is already being studied in the International Monetary Fund.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of families with at least one child under school-leaving age pay income tax, and how long he estimates it would take to identify and locate the remainder for the purpose of extending the payment of family allowances to the first child.

About 90 per cent. of families with at least one child under school-leaving age pay income tax.Any question of extending the payment of family allowances to the first child would, of course, be for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost of administration of stamp duties.

Approximately £1·8 million, which is equivalent to 1·52 per cent. of net receipts, for the year ended 31st March, 1970.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, in equivalent terms, was the amount of direct taxation raised per head of population in the United Kingdom and in each of the countries of the European Economic Community in the last complete year for which figures are available.

Following is the information:

TAXES ON INCOME PER HEAD OF POPULATION FOR 1969
		Including social security contributions	Excluding social security contributions
		£	£
Belgium	…	201	106
France	…	247	79
West Germany	…	227	113
Italy	…	114	43
Netherlands	…	258	128
Luxembourg	…	195*	102*
United Kingdom	…	154	113
* The 1968 figure—1969 not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer from information available to him from international sources, how many industrialised nations have a higher top rate of direct taxation than the United Kingdom.

One.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of continuing currency control regulations between Great Britain and Rhodesia.

It is not possible to give a useful estimate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many occupational pension schemes have been approved for tax purposes which give automatic post-retirement increases in entitlement to benefit of 2½ per cent. per annum; how many have been approved with automatic increment provisions which may give larger increases; and how many beneficiaries stand to gain by such provisions in each case.

We have no information on these points.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider allowing a husband's maintenance arrears to be recorded on his P.45.

No. I am afraid that it is not practicable to use the P.A.Y.E. system either to collect maintenance payments or to pass on information about them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to improve further the new currency, he will now either introduce a larger new 50p piece or have a hole bored in the centre of the existing one, or adopt both of the above courses.

No; my impression is that the coin has proved acceptable to the public.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the central reserves of the sterling area is currently held in dollars.

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the official reserves of overseas sterling area countries. It is not known what proportion of these is held in dollars, but the proportion held in the form of non-sterling assets at end-December, 1970, was 57 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek to devote the whole of the next meeting of the National Economic Development Council to a discussion of the prospects for an incomes policy in the present economic climate.

Arrangements have been made for the Council to discuss general economic matters at its meeting in July. Prices and incomes will no doubt be within the scope of this discussion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why, having regard to his policy of considering wage inflation to be the main reason for higher prices and higher unemployment, he will not introduce legislation to place a top limit upon incomes.

Because it would not have the required effect.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will inquire into the reliability of the records kept by the Premium Bonds department to ensure that only eligible bond numbers are included in the prize draw.

No. I am satisfied that the records are as reliable as they can be and no useful purpose would be served by further inquiry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons in the United Kingdom had a net income in excess of £10,000 at the latest available date.

Five hundred for 1968–69, assuming that the hon. Member means net income after tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to increase public and private investment in Scotland; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness to date of these policies.

The Government's policies for strengthening the national economy aim to re-establish conditions within which firms can plan for rising investment in the United Kingdom as a whole, including Scotland. In the field of regional policy, we have reformed and extended the incentives available to new and expanding industry and are ensuring that regional development needs are reflected within the various public expenditure programmes. Such polocies take time to show their effects, and it is much too soon to assess their progress.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total number of personal income tax assessments issued annually; and what percentage this represents of the total individual taxpayers.

In 1970–71 the Inland Revenue issued 7½ million notices of income tax assessment to individuals. This is about 37½ per cent. of the number of individual taxpayers but some people will have received more than one assessment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many personal income taax assessments were issued before 5th July in the last year for which this information is available; and what percentage this represents of the total assessments issued.

No precise information is available about the number of personal income tax assessments issued before 5th July, but very few in any case would relate to the immediately preceding income tax year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect on the total yield of taxation which would occur in the first full year following the introduction of a 10 per cent. value-added tax in replacement of purchase tax.

This would depend on the coverage of the value-added tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the additional staff required to deal with the new unified tax system in 1973–74 and subsequent years.

The new unified tax will require about 250 additional staff in 1973–74, the year of its introduction. In subsequent years it will lead progressively to an ultimate net saving of about 1,200.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements he has made with building societies consequent upon the tax changes proposed in 1973–74; and if he will make a statement.

It would be premature to attempt to conclude at this stage revised arrangements appropriate to the proposed unified tax structure. I do not envisage, however, that the changes proposed will materially affect the form of previous arrangements.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the different methods by which the equivalent revenue in 1973–74 at 1971–72 prices would be raised under the proposed unified tax system, assuming various levels of exemption for investment income as envisaged under Clause 22(1)(b) of the Finance Bill.

The starting point and rate for investment income surcharge will, as my right hon. Friend stated in his Budget speech, be fixed in the 1973 Budget. I cannot discuss possible schemes or their yields at this stage.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost to the Exchequer of exempting from tax aviation fuel for private flying and light aircraft clubs.

Assuming such an exemption to be practicable, probably between £½ million and £1½ million per year, depending on its scope.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of his official engagements for Saturday, 5th June, 1971.

Yes, None.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed list of particulars giving the dates when he received communications, and from whom, on the closing of the Royal Mint at Tower Hill and its transference to Wales; what has been the saving in costs to date of this change; whether he will make a statement on the current output and production of all types of coins, including those for export; and how these compare with previous years.

On the first part of the hon. Member's Question, "No". On the second part, meaningful comparisons cannot yet be made. On the third part, current production for export is about the same as the average of the last three years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what so far has been the cost to public funds of the move of part of the Royal Mint from Tower Hill to Llantrisant; and what would be the cost of phase two of this move if it were to be carried out.

Phase I has cost £3·7 million. The provisional estimate for Phase II, assuming it includes blank-making, is £4·9 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much underpaid tax was owing on 5th April, 1971, from persons who were over 65 years of age on that day and were no longer employed in gainful employment; and how many taxpayers are involved.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total of United Kingdom foreign earnings for the year 1970–71; what this represents per head of population; and how these figures compare with Italy, France, Germany and the United States of America, from information available from international sources.

The total of exports and invisible credits for the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States were respectively £12·3, £18·0, and £26·5 thousand million in 1970 on a comparable basis or £221, £307, and £130 per head of population. Figures for these countries for 1971 and figures on a com- parable basis for Italy and France are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total investment by residents of Wales, Scotland and England, respectively, in savings bonds, premium bonds and ordinary savings banks; how these figures compare with the proportion of the population of the United Kingdom which lives in each of these areas; and if he will give as much equivalent information for Northern Ireland as falls within his responsibility.

I regret that the information asked for is not available. The records of investment in savings bonds and premium bonds, and balances in the accounts of the National Savings Bank, are not maintained on the basis of the present residence of the saver.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of excise duty charged on Scotch malt whisky and Scotch grain whisky, respectively, and what was the volume of each produced and the volume of each exported, in each of the last two complete years.

In 1970 excise duty of about £2·4 million was paid on malt whisky, 57 million proof gallons of malt whisky were produced in Scotland, and exports of malt whisky were 2·2 million proof gallons. The corresponding figures for grain whisky were £0·5 million, 86½ million proof gallons and 0·5 million proof gallons, respectively. In addition, duty of £195·5 million was paid on other excise mature spirits, most of which was blended whisy, and 59·7 million proof gallons of blended whisky were exported. No information is available on the quantities of malt and grain whiskies in blended whisky.In 1969 excise duty of £174 million was paid on mature spirits, 55 million proof gallons of malt whisky and 76½ million proof gallons of grain whisky were produced in Scotland, and exports of whisky were 52·4 million proof gallons. The duty payments on mature spirits and the quantities of exported whisky cannot be allocated to malt and grain whiskies and other spirits for years before 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue a circular to all pharmacists advising them to require persons presenting E.C.10 forms for a drug known to be liable to abuse and signed by a doctor not known in the area of presentation to seek a fresh prescription from a local doctor.

No. Adequate safeguards are provided by regulation 15 of the Dangerous Drugs Regulations, 1964, and, in respect of drugs not covered by the regulations, by the advice to pharmacists recently reissued by the Pharmaceutical Society.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the last review of Section 5 hospital pay beds was completed; what was the precentage of under-occupancy which was revealed at that time, the present number of beds so designated, and the under-occupancy by paying patients in the last year; and if he will make a statement.

Autumn, 1967. In 1965, the last full year before the review began, there were 5,616 pay beds, and the percentage occupancy by private patients was 52 per cent. In 1969, the latest year for which occupancy figures are available, it was 60 per cent. The total number of pay beds authorised in England is now 4,429.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects the review of the vehicle service for disabled drivers to be completed.

The review is proceeding as fast as possible and I am hopeful that it may be completed by the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many geriatric patients are in the Hartlepool group of hospitals; how many are Hartlepool residents; and how many have been in hospital for less than one year, between one year and three years, and over three years, respectively.

112; 100; 76, 22 and 14 respectively. The 12 patients not resident in Hartlepool County Borough come from the two rural districts served by the hospital group.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when Committee E of the professional and technical B Whitley Council which was to report by July, 1971, is going to hold its first meeting.

This is a standing committee of the Whitley Council and I understand that its next meeting is on 4th June.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposes to introduce allowances for the congenitally disabled and those unfit for work before the age of earning.

The supplementary benefits scheme covers all persons over 16 in need, including those whose disabilities prevent them from entering employment. In addition, the new attendance allowance payable from 6th December will provide help for the very severely disabled without any conditions as to contributions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in view of the fact that trained nurses within the National Health Service are being offered salaries of at least £3,700 per annum for a five-day week, with double pay on public holidays, by representatives from American hospitals, if he will take steps to review the salaries of nurses with a view to discouraging a loss of nurses from the National Health Service to the United States of America.

No. Nurses' salaries are a matter for the Whitley Council, and revised scales of pay were introduced as recently as 1st April, 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what date he received a communication from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, containing correspondence relating to neglect upon the part of a London hospital; what was the nature of his reply; and whether he will expedite action on this matter.

12th May; I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as my inquiries into the matter have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, following the action taken by the British Medical Association to encourage doctors to agree to donate voluntarily human organs for transplantation, he will state the plans he has to launch an appeal for similar action by the general public.

I have no such plans at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether it is his policy to impose levies on imported meat so that the higher prices resulting for the consumer will enable him to cut Exchequer subsidies.

I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's statement to the House on 17th March, 1971.—[Vol. 813, c. 1421–40.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the exact nature of the understanding on pig meat with the European Economic Community; how long it is scheduled to last; and how it is to be enforced.

The Community has formally recognised the value of continued stability for pigmeat, the importance of the United Kingdom bacon market in an enlarged Community and the need to keep the situation under review during the transitional period and afterwards.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what import levies, quotas and veterinary regulations apply in each of the European Economic Community countries to imports of mutton and lamb from the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Supplies of mutton and lamb imported into each of the European Economic Community countries from third countries are not subject to Community import levies or quotas, but the Community applies a common external tariff of 20 per cent. Individual countries impose various border taxes and regulations, including quantitative restrictions. France allows imports of fresh and chilled mutton and lamb when the weighted average wholesale price for fresh meat in Paris exceeds a specified level over a certain time, and there is a total embargo on frozen meats, which in effect excludes New Zealand mutton and lamb. In the case of Germany imports of lamb from third countries are subject to a 2,500 ton quota, and there is an embargo on imports of mutton. As regards veterinary import requirements, European Economic Community directive No. 64/433, as amended, stipulates that requirements imposed on non-member countries shall not be less stringent than those laid down in the directive for intra-community trade.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he now expects, should the United Kingdom enter the European Economic Community, to protect the United Kingdom producers of winter cauliflower, spring flowers (narcissi), early potatoes and spring cabbage against dumping, transport and other subsidies from other Member countries, and from countries outside the Community; and whether the protection against subsidies of this nature to encourage the export of surpluses from the European Economic Community would be greater for United Kingdom producers inside or outside the European Economic Community.

We expect that measures would be available to us, as members of the Community, to counteract distortion of competition, within the Community or from outside, which should not be any less effective than our present arrangements in securing fair treatment for United Kingdom producers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the rise in the food price index over the last two years and how this compares with food prices rises in the European Economic Community.

Following is the information. The annual average percentage increases over the previous year's levels are shown below:

		1969	1970
United Kingdom	…	6·3	6·9
Belgium	…	4·7	3·5
France	…	6·2	6·2
Germany	…	0·9	2·6
Italy	…	2·9	4·4*
Luxembourg	…	3·1	5·4
Netherlands	…	5·2	4·4
* This figure relates of the first 11 months of 1970 only.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what notification his Department has received of the number of chain stores and/or individual shops that have announced they will cut prices, or have cut prices, 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 food and drink prices of the cut in selective employment tax.

A number of the leading food retailers made immediate price reductions following the announcement of the cut in selective employment tax; other firms have said that they will be able to defer impending price increases or to make price reductions later in the year, once the tax cut has come into effect. While it is not possible to estimate the overall effect on prices, it is clear that this tax reduction has eased the inflationary pressures in the distributive trades and provided a useful stimulus to competition.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the different sites, within the United Kingdom shelf areas, that have been approved by his Department as dumping grounds for domestic and trade wastes.

There is no specific list of sites. The area chosen for dumping in each case depends on where the waste originates, its composition and quantity, and the degree of dilution and dispersion required.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will amend the Brucellosis Eradication Scheme so that, when the proportion of reactors in a herd is about 60 per cent. or over, the whole herd is automatically slaughtered;(2) what estimate he has made, in connection with the Brucellosis Eradication Scheme, of the proportion of reactors in a herd which would make it more prudent to slaughter the whole herd, as opposed to slaughtering only the reactors.

A decision on whether or not an individual herd should be killed off will depend on the veterinary assessment of the disease situation in the herd. The proportion of reactors at a single test, though important, is only one of the factors which will be taken into account. It would not be practicable therefore to fix any level at which wholesale slaughtering would become mandatory.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he will not publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of his official engagements for Saturday, 5th June, 1971.

Because it is not the practice to do so.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions have taken place with the Eire Government in the last four weeks about the effects of its subsidy to their dead-meat plants on trade within the United Kingdom.

Views have been exchanged about the revised arrangements introduced by the Government of the Irish Republic related to their carcase beef export subsidy in 1971–72. Her Majesty's Government will watch the operation of the revised arrangements closely, and will review the situation in the autumn.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of winter cauliflower and spring flowers (narcissi) sold in wholesale markets in the United Kingdom, came from Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the rest of the United Kingdom, countries of the European Economic Community, and other countries, in December, January, February, March and April in 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1971, respectively.

I regret that information is not available in the form requested.

Home produced cut flowers	January	February	March	April	December
1960:
Daffodils, per dozen blooms	2s. 8d	2s.4d.	1s. 3d.	1s. 0½d.	2s. 11d.
1965:
Narcissi, per dozen blooms	1s. 8d.	2s. 1d.	1s. 11d.	9d.	—
Daffodils, per dozen blooms	2s. 2d.	2s. 2d.	2s. 3d.	10d.	3s. 3d.
1970:
Narcissi, per 10 blooms	2s. 2d.	1s. 10d.	1s. 9d.	9d.	1s. 10d.
Soleil d'Or, per 10 blooms	2s. 10d.	—	—	—	—
Daffodils, grown outdoor, per 10 blooms	—	1s. 5d	1s. 2d.	6d.	—
Daffodils, grown under glass, per 10 blooms	2s. 2d.	1s. 10d.	1s. 9d.	1s. 2d.	2s. 0d.
1971:
Mainland Soleil d'Or, per 10 blooms	—	£0·100	£0·067	£0·034	—
	—	(2s. 0d.)	(1s. 4d.)	(8½d.)	—
Isles of Stilly, Soleil d'Or, per 10 blooms	1s. 6d.	£0·078	—	—	—
	(£0·075)	(1s. 7d.)	—	—	—
Daffodils, grown outdoor, per 10 blooms	2s. 1d.	£0·060	£0·035	£0·036	—
	(£0·104)	(1s. 2½d.)	(8½d.)	(8½d.)	—
Daffodils, grown under glass, per 10 blooms	1s. 11d.	£0·098	£0·076	—	—
	(£0·096)	(1s. H½d.)	(1s. 6½d.)	—	—

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the estimated acreage of winter cauli-

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what special tariffs exist which benefit early species of narcissi, like Soleil d'Or, produced in the Isles of Stilly; and how this tariff compared with average prices for such narcissi in wholesale markets in 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1971, respectively;(2) what was the tariff on imports of spring cut flowers (narcissi) and narcissi bulbs, and how this compared with the average wholesale price for each commodity in the United Kingdom in 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1971, respectively.

The tariff rates which have remained unchanged over the period in question are:

Cut Flowers:
Narcissus (other than polyanthus types, but including daffodil):
	Per cwt.
	£
1st December to the last day of February	15·8665
1st March to 30th April	12·6000
1st May to 30th November	9·3300
Narcissus (polyanthus types):
Whole year	3·2665
Bulbs:
Dry, narcissus:
	Per cent.
Whole year	10

Wholesale prices are not collected for narcissus bulbs and are not available in terms of weight for cut flowers. The following are the available monthly average wholesale prices:flower, early potatoes and spring flowers (narcissi), in Cornwall and the Isles of Stilly, the rest of the United Kingdom and the countries of the European Economic Community in 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1971, respectively.

The following figures give the best information that is available. It is not however possible

WINTER CAULIFLOWER
Acres
					Crop years
					1960–61	1965–66	1970–71
Cornwall	…	…	…	…	6,762	6,967	6,341
Isles of Scilly	…	…	…	…
Rest of England and Wales			…	…	13,957	11,696	11,383
					Calendar years
					1960	1965	1970
Belgium	…	…	…	…	2,470	2,470	Not available
France	…	…	…	…	49,400	56,810	Not available
Germany	…	…	…	…	9,880	9,880	9,880
Italy	…	…	…	…	88,920	91,390	Not available
Netherlands	…	…	…	…	9,880	4.940	Not available
Notes:
(1) Figures of winter cauliflower plantings in the United Kingdom are not available. Plantings in Northern Ireland and Scotland are however small.
(2) The figures of plantings in European Economic Community countries cannot be related specifically to winter cauliflowers.

EARLY POTATOES
					1960	1965	1970
Cornwall	…	…	…	…	4,576	4,066	3,988
Isles of Scilly	…	…	…	…	34	44	100
Rest of the United Kingdom			…	…	123,011	101,718	63,389
Belgium	…	…	…	…	17,290	12,350	9,880
France	…	…	…	…	133,380	106,210	96,330
Germany	…	…	…	…	158,080	123,500	91,390
Italy	…	…	…	…	54,340	59,280	69,160
Netherlands	…	…	…	…	24,700	17,290	19,760
Note: From June, 1969 early potatoes were defined in the united Kingdom, for statistical purposes, as those crops it was intended to harvest on or before 31st July of the year in which planted. Before then, they had been defined by variety.

NARCISSI
					Crop years
					1960–61	1965–66	1970–71
Cornwall	…	…	…	…	953	847	859
Isles of Scilly	…	…	…	…	605	570	688
Rest of England and Wales			…	…	5,765	6,639	7,820
Netherlands	…	…	…	…	Not available	3,268	3,512
Notes:
(1) The figures for Cornwall, Isles of Scilly and the rest of England and Wales cover narcissi grown in the open for cut flowers and for sale as bulbs. Figures are not available for the United Kingdom as a whole.
(2) The information available does not show separate figures of plantings of narcissi in the European Economic Community countries, except for the Netherlands.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the prevailing tariff on imports of winter cauliflower, and how this compares with the average price in wholesale markets in the United Kingdom in 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1971, respectively.

The tariff on imported winter cauliflower for the years 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1971 has been:

	Per cwt.
1sr March to 30th June	40p (8/0d.)
1st July to last day of February	30p (6/0d.)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the estimated average price in wholesale markets in Germany, France and the Netherlands for winter cauliflower, early potatoes and spring flowers (narcissi), and narcissi bulbs in 1969, 1970 and 1971, from information available from international sources.

The following is the information available about market prices. The figures are taken from separate national publications and it is not known to what extent they are comparable with one another or with pub-

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what variation in average wholesale prices existed in the United Kingdom markets between French cauliflower and the same product derived from Cornwall in 1970 and 1971.

CORNISH per dozen head
		January	February	March	April	November	December
1970	…	13s. 5d.	14s. 10d.	15s. 8d.	13s. 1d.	10s. 10d.	11s. 0d.
		(£0·671)	(£0·742)	(£0·783)	(£0·654)	(£0·542)	(£0·550)
1971	…	14s. 4d.	£0·546	£0·725	£0·583	—	—
		(£0·717)	(10s. 11d.)	(14s. 6d.)	(11s. 8d.)

FRENCH per dozen head
1970	…	19s. 11d.	20s. 8d.	23s. 9d.	17s. 0d.	—	16s. 10d.
		(£0·996)	(£1·033)	(£1·188)	(£0·850)		(£0·842)
1971	…	22s. 8d.	£0·766	£1·011	£0·747	—	—
		(£1·133)	(15s. 4d.)	(20s. 2d.)	(14s. 11d.)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the estimated costs of transporting, in bulk, winter cauliflower, spring cabbage and early potatoes between northern France and Covent Garden, compared with the comparable costs of transporting similar commodities between West Cornwall and Covent Garden.

There is considerable variation in transport rates, depending for example, on the volume of business. Based on the latest available information from both road and rail haulage interests, present charges from West Cornwall to Covent Garden for spring cabbage are estimated to fall mainly within the range £11–£15 per ton; for winter cauliflower between £7 and £10 per ton; and for early potatoes between £5 and £8 per ton. I have no comparable figures on the transport of similar commodities from Northern France.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much

Per cwt.
Home Produced		Jan.		Feb.		March		April		May		June		July		Nov.		Dec.
		s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
1960—
Spring Cabbage:
Quality 1	…	33	4	42	5	46	11	50	1	53	10	42	5	33	0	27	10	29	0
Quality 2	…	22	0	33	10	35	2	37	4	41	8	32	7	27	0	22	7	22	10
1965—
Spring Cabbage	…	42	0	51	5	74	8	42	11	23	8	22	8	—		—		—
Spring Greens	…	40	6	47	3	66	0	32	11	21	0	21	6	—		33	11	36	3
1970—
Spring Cabbage	…	—		—		—		—		30	10	31	3	27	10	—		—
Spring Greens	…	36	7	50	0	86	9	61	0	28	9	23	11	35	1	32	2	31	3

Monthly average prices for French and Cornish cauli-flower sold at the main wholesale markets in England and Wales in 1970 and 1971 were:winter cauliflower, spring flowers (narcissi) and narcissi bulbs were exported from the United Kingdom in 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1971, respectively.

None of these items is separately identified in the United Kingdom export statistics.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the prevailing tariffs on spring cabbage, and how this compared with the average price prevailing in wholesale markets in the United Kingdom in 1960, 1965 and 1970, respectively.

The tariff on imported spring cabbage is 10 per cent. over the whole year, and it has remained unchanged over the period in question. Available information on monthly average prices at the main wholesale markets in England and Wales is as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of early potatoes sold in wholesale markets in the United Kingdom came from Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the rest of the United Kingdom, countries of the European Economic Community, and other countries, in April, May, June and July in 1960, 1965 and 1970, respectively.

I regret that the information asked for is not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the tariff on imports of early potatoes; how this compared with the average price in wholesale markets in the United Kingdom in 1960, 1965 and 1970, respectively.

The tariff on new potatoes is a variable one: since December, 1953, the rates per ton have been:

			£
16th May-30th June	…	…	9·33
July and August	…	…	2·00
Rest of the year	…	…	1·00
Commonwealth supplies are free of duty.

Figures are not available for the overall average price of early potatoes sold in wholesale markets in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what quantities of early potatoes were exported from the United Kingdom in 1960, 1965 and 1970, respectively.

Early potatoes are not separately distinguished in the trade statistics, but the quantity exported is thought to be very small.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the members of the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Committee were unanimous in their support for the use of sow stalls.

The recommendations of the Advisory Committee are confidential to Ministers, and I am not prepared to disclose them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what inquiries his Department have undertaken to determine the level of discomforts suffered by sows raised in normal conditions of husbandry which are removed when they spend their whole breeding life in sow stalls;(2) what inquiries his Department have undertaken to measure the extent to which there is fighting and cannibalism among sows raised under well regulated systems of husbandry other than by sow stalls in factory farms.

My Department has not undertaken inquiries of this particular kind, but the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Committee is at present considering the need for studies on the welfare of sows kept under different systems. In the meantime, the welfare code for pigs contains recommendations designed to safeguard the welfare of sows, whether kept in stalls or otherwise.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library copies of the reports by the Farm Animals Welfare Advisory Committee and the State Veterinary Service on the use of sow stalls.

The Reports by the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Committee and the State Veterinary Service which contains sections on sow stalls were placed in the Library on 29th September, 1970.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what terms of reference he gave the Farm Animals Welfare Advisory Committee and the State Veterinary Service when requiring them to investigate the use of sow stalls and the welfare of the sows confined in them.

The State Veterinary Service was instructed to report on the practical operation of the livestock welfare codes in the field. The Advisory Committee was asked to consider that Report, to advise on any necessary changes in the codes and to re-examine the points about which concern had been expressed in the debate in the House on 20th October, 1969.—[Vol. 788, c. 906–8.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will state the extent of eradication of brucellosis in Northern Ireland to date; and whether he will give publicity to this area as a source of brucellosis-free stock.

I am sure I can leave it to the industry in Northern Ireland to take full advantage of its virtual brucella-free status in supplying replacements for the eradication programme in the rest of the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what trend in wage increases is indicated by wage settlements in the past four weeks.

Most settlements notified show some downward trend but some do not conform with the aim of reducing settlements to more reasonable levels, and in some cases increases have been too frequently made.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how the cost-of-living index in London compares with other parts of Great Britain.

No separate cost of living index is compiled for London or any other sub-division of the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, following the recent National Economic Development Council meeting, he will now invite the Trades Union Congress General Council to visit 10, Downing Street to discuss increased productivity in British industry.

Discussions on productivity with the Trades Union Congress and with the Confederation of British Industry will continue at future meetings of the National Economic Development Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the percentage rates of unemployment for males in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in the month of April in each year from 1960 to 1971, inclusive.

Following is the information:

Percentage rates of unemployment for males in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area
April, 1960	…	…	…	3·3
April, 1961	…	…	…	2·4
April, 1962	…	…	…	2·8
April, 1963	…	…	…	3·6
April, 1964	…	…	…	2·8
April, 1965	…	…	…	2·3
April, 1966	…	…	…	2·0
April, 1967	…	…	…	2·7
April, 1968	…	…	…	3·3
April, 1969	…	…	…	4·1
April, 1970	…	…	…	5·3
April, 1971	…	…	…	7·0

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men who last worked in coalmining were registered as unemployed in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in the month of April in each year for which statistics are available from 1960 to 1971, inclusive.

Following is the information from April, 1966:

Men (aged 18 and over) registered as unemployed in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area who last worked in the coalmining industry
April, 1966	…	…	…	102
April, 1967	…	…	…	91
April, 1968	…	…	…	128
April, 1969	…	…	…	303
April, 1970	…	…	…	435
April, 1971	…	…	…	477

Information for earlier years is no longer available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many adult males were registered as unemployed in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area in the month of April in each year from 1960 to 1971, inclusive; how many unfilled vacancies for adult males there were; and what was the ratio of unemployed to vacancies for each month.

The following table shows for the Edinburgh travel-to-work

NUMBERS OF MEN (AGED 18 AND OVER) REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED, AND NOTIFIED VACANCIES FOR MEN REMAINING UNFILLED, IN THE EDINBURGH TRAVEL-TO-WORK AREA
				Total numbers of men registered as unemployed	Numbers of men registered as wholly unemployed, that is, excluding those temporarily stopped	Notified vacancies for men remaining unfilled	Unfilled vacancies per 100 wholly unemployed men
April, 1960	…	…	…	4,888	4,707	513	10·9
April, 1961	…	…	…	3,494	3,350	698	20·8
April, 1962	…	…	…	4,151	3,864	477	12·3
April, 1963	…	…	…	5,352	5,095	447	8·8
April, 1964	…	…	…	4,084	3,956	536	13·5
April, 1965	…	…	…	3,273	3,158	645	20·4
April, 1966	…	…	…	2,926	2,803	859	30·6
April, 1967	…	…	…	3,962	3,900	918	23·5
April, 1968	…	…	…	4,900	4,879	898	18·4
April, 1969	…	…	…	5,738	5,664	960	16·9
April, 1970	…	…	…	7,349	7,305	698	9·6
April, 1971	…	…	…	9,548	9,534	529	5·5
The vacancy statistics relate only to notified vacancies remaining unfilled and do not purport to measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of all firms which declared redundancies in travel-to-work areas throughout the County of Monmouthshire in the last two quarters of 1970 and the first quarter of 1971, specifying the numbers involved in each case.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 22nd March, when I pointed out that information supplied by individual employers is usually provided for official use only and that I would not be justified in publishing it. However, the following redundancies were recorded by my Department in travel-to-work areas in Monmouthshire during the last two quarters of 1970 and the first quarter of 1971:

Period	Number of Firms Notifying Redundancies	Number of Work-People Involved
1st July to 30th September, 1970	8	627
1st October to 31st December, 1970	7	871
1st January to 31st March, 1971	26	1,327

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the salary increase by £5,000 per annum to £30,000 per annum of the retiring chairman of Vickers conforms with the Government policy on wages and salaries.