asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations she has received, since the local elections in May, from education authorities about Government education policy; and what replies she has sent.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she has now obtained figures detailing numbers of children eating school meals since the increase in their cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what statistics are now available indicating the reduction in the number of school meals taken consequent on the recent price increases.

Insufficient returns from local education authorities have yet been received to make any general assessment. I shall make the information available when all the returns have been received and studied.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what she estimates would be the cost of supplying free milk and free meals in all State schools in England and Wales.

About £275 million a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many women have been removed from school meals employment in the county of Derbyshire as a result of the increase in school meals charges; and what are the numbers employed at the present date compared to a year previously.

Information of this kind is not collected by my Department. The hon. Member may wish to consult Derbyshire local education authority in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in deciding her policy in the light of the analysis being undertaken by her Department of the social causes and consequencies of schoolchildren stopping taking school meals, she will take into account the fact that on 13th May the Portsmouth Education Department announced that 1,000 schoolchildren had stopped taking meals in its area.

My Department is in process of collecting from all local education authorities returns of school meals take-up based on a census carried out last month at my request. The returns will provide no more than the usual statistical information on this subject, and my Department is not undertaking any analysis of the kind the hon. Member appears to have in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will now make a statement on the question of the withdrawal of children from sex education films and courses.

The evidence before me shows that the local education authorities are dealing with this matter in a sensible and responsible way. Therefore, I see no reason to intervene, unless the situation changes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice she has given to local authorities about vegetarian meals.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what she now expects the aggregate cost of student grants to amount to in each of the next three years.

Excluding fees and parental contributions, and based on the projections in Planning Paper No. 2, £110 million, £120 million and £135 million respectively. These figures relate to United Kingdom full-time students in Great Britain taking first degree or comparable courses, including teacher training courses.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was expended by each local education authority during each of the last five years on education maintenance allowances.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to his Question on 17th May.—[Vol. 817, c. 219.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she has approved proposals from the Teesside local education authority for the establishment of a special unit for autistic children in co-operation with the local society for autistic children.

My specific approval is not required except in relation to the plans for the building. Sketch plans were approved in April. I am glad to welcome this example of co-operation between a local education authority and a voluntary body.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she has studied the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association's report entitled "Schools Broadcasting Monitoring Project Covering Programmes Dealing with Ethical and Social and Personal Topics", a copy of which is in her possession; what communication thereon she has had with the Association and the British Broadcasting Corporation; what advice she intends to give local education authorities; and whether she will make a statement.

I have read the report with interest.I do not believe it would be right for the Department to exercise direct control over schools broadcasting as the report suggests.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will take steps to preserve the confidentiality of files on students' personal details maintained by the Universities Central Council on Admissions to universities.

The U.C.C.A. and the universities are themselves responsible for ensuring that such information remains confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further discussions she has had with the Inner London Education Authority regarding the proposed new primary school of St. Gabriel's Parish, Upper Holloway, N.19; and if she will make a statement.

None. I am awaiting the authority's proposals for the 1973–74 school building programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has now been made by the Government Meat Research Institute at Bristol University; and if he will make a statement.

The Institute is making steady progress in developing its research in accordance with the programme recommended by the Agricultural Research Council's Advisory Committee on Meat Research and accepted by the Council. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the Institute's latest annual report.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why she has advised local education authorities to withdraw all their mentally disturbed children from the Corsbie Hall School in Fife; and whether she intends such withdrawals to be permanent, or until such time as the school is brought up to minimum requirements as to premises and staff.

I reached this conclusion after considering a report by inspectors of the Scottish Education Department. If the situation at the school changes I should naturally be prepared to reconsider the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether public funds are being made available towards the purchase by the National Portrait Gallery of two miniatures of Sir Francis Drake by Nicholas Hilliard and Isaac Oliver (self-portrait), respectively.

Yes. An amount of £31,500 is being made available, and an advance of this sum will be made from the Contingencies Fund in the first instance. Parliamentary approval will be sought in due course.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the level of British troops to be maintained in Malta.

We have decided to replace the infantry battalion, stationed in Malta, at the end of its normal tour of duty later this year. The replacement unit will be a Royal Marine Commando Group.

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many drill halls there were available to the Territorial Army in October, 1964; how many are now available to the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve; and what has happened to those no longer available.

About 1,300 drill halls were available to the Territorial Army in October, 1964. About 450 remain in use. Of the 750 which have been disposed of since October, 1964, 540 were sold, and the remainder were either returned to their owners or transferred to the Regular Forces or to other Government Departments. The future of the balance of about 100 is still under consideration.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the incident in which a Spanish trawler uplifted North Atlantic Treaty Organisation electronic equipment during the recent air-sea exercise.

Last month an R.A.F. aircraft was exercising with an R.N. submarine in the Atlantic and was dropping sonobuoys. A Spanish trawler which was in the area appeared to assume that the sonobuoys had been accidentally lost and picked them up. The submarine surfaced but was unable to persuade the trawler to hand the sonobuoys over. They were subsequently handed to the Spanish authorities, which have returned them.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances an Army explosives expert was called to examine Roden Street Royal Ulster Constabulary Station, Belfast, after it had been damaged by an explosion on the night of 5th June; what were the findings of his investigations; what searches resulted; and what arrests were made.

Shortly before 10.30 p.m. on 5th June an explosion at Roden Street R.U.C. Station removed the front door, blew a large hole in the wall, broke several windows and blew off two metal shutters. The device was in a bag attached to a window adjacent to the front door. An Army ammunition technical officer carried out an examination of the site of the explosion. His findings were that 5 to 10 lb. of gelignite were used and that detonation was by means of a safety fuse.I understand that no arrests have so far been made in connection with this incident.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances an Army expert was called to examine a factory in Mylewater Street, Belfast, on Monday night, 7th June, after it had been damaged by an explosion; what were the findings of his investigations; what searches resulted; and what arrests were made.

Shortly before 10.30 p.m. on 7th June an explosive device was thrown at the door of a transformer station in Mylewater Street. The door of the station was blown off. but the transformer remained operational. The findings of the Army ammunition technical officer's examination of the site were that between 5 and 10 lb. of explosive had been used.I understand that no arrests have so far been made in connection with this incident.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances an Army expert was called to examine a shop in Smithfield, Belfast, after it had been damaged by an explosion on Monday night, 7th June; what were the findings of his investigations; what searches resulted; and what arrests were made.

At approximately 10 p.m. on 7th June an explosion blew the doors and windows out of a clothing shop in Smithfield Market. An Army ammunition technical officer examined the site of the explosion and concluded that between one and two pounds of explosive was used.I understand that no arrests have so far been made in connection with this incident.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances an Army explosives expert was called to an electricity transformer situated in Dunbar Street-Talbot Street, Belfast, to examine the results of an explosion which took place on Saturday, 5th June; what were the findings of his investigations; what searches resulted; and what arrests were made.

Shortly before 8 p.m. on 5th June an explosion blew in the doors and slightly damaged the equipment of a transformer at the junction of Dunbar Street and Talbot Street. The station remained operational. An Army ammunition technical officer examined the site of the explosion and concluded that between two and five pounds of explosive had been used.I understand that no arrests have so far been made in connection with this incident.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances an Army explosives expert was called to examine the results of an explosion at a wine store on Albert Bridge Road, Belfast, early on Sunday, 6th June; what were the findings of his investigations; what searches resulted; and what arrests were made.

Shortly after I a.m. on 6th June a small charge exploded at the premises of a wine shop in Albert Bridge Road. A panel was blown out of the door. An Army ammunition technical officer examined the site of the explosion and concluded that a charge of approximately half a pound of explosive had been used.I understand that no arrests have so far been made in connection with this incident.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances an Army explosives expert was called to examine the results of an explosion in Whiterock Road, Belfast, early on Sunday, 6th June; what were the findings of his investigations; what searches resulted; and what arrests were made.

Shortly before 12.45 a.m. on 6th June an explosive charge with pieces of metal intended to produce a shrapnel effect was aimed at an Army mobile patrol at the junction of Glenalina Road and Whiterock Road. An Army ammunition technical officer examined the site of the explosion and concluded that approximately five pounds of explosive had been used and that the device had been electrically detonated.I understand that no arrests have so far been made in connection with this incident.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances the Army visited Christian Place, Belfast, early on Tuesday, 8th June; what explosive device they found; what searches resulted and what arrests were made.

Shortly after midnight on 8th June two Army patrols were sent to investigate a wounding incident in Christian Place. It is thought that a man was disturbed when the two patrols arrived, and a parcel containing over 10 lbs. of gelignite, together with batteries, leads, and detonators, was found dumped in the road. The device did not explode. The man has not yet been traced.

asked the Minister of State for Defence in view of the explosions at two Royal Ulster Constabulary stations in Belfast recently, one of which resulted in the death of an Army sergeant, what steps he now proposes to take to give Royal Ulster Constabulary stations adequate Army guards and maximum security.

I would refer to the statement by my noble Friend on 26th May.—[Vol. 818, c. 380.]

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances an Army explosive expert was called to examine a customs post on the Londonderry-Letten Kenny Road, Killea, Northern Ireland, after it had been damaged by an explosion on 29th May; what were the findings of his investigations; what searches resulted; and what arrests were made.

At 1 a.m. on 29th May an Army patrol sent to investigate an anonymous threat arrived shortly before an explosion occurred at this customs post, causing extensive damage.An Army ammunition technical officer examined the site of the explosion and concluded that two charges had been used, one inside and one outside the building. The total quantity of explosive material was some 10 to 15 lbs. of high explosive. No one was found in the area, and I understand that no arrests have so far been made in connection with this incident.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which Army Land Rovers and their crews were besieged for five hours by Republicans in Newry, Northern Ireland, on Monday, 24th May, the tyres of these vehicles deflated, Eire tricolours placed on their bonnets, and their crews forced to drive them back to the centre of Newry by a crowd numbering about 500.

On the evening of 24th May military personnel who had been making a routine search of a canal bank behind a football pitch near Newry were hampered from returning to the town by a crowd of football spectators. There was some interference with the military Land Rovers, and the crowd, which at one stage numbered about 500, accompanied three of the Land Rovers into the town where additional military personnel had to intervene to allow the Land Rovers to proceed normally.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances an Army explosive expert was called to examine an automatic telephone exchange at Mayobridge Newry, Hilltown Road, Northern Ireland, after it had been damaged by an explosion on 24th May; what were the findings of his investigations; what searches resulted; and what arrests were made.

At approximately 1.15 p.m. on 24th May an explosion damaged the new telephone exchange at Mayobridge. An Army ammunition technical officer examined the site of the explosion and concluded that some 2 to 5 lb. of high explosive had been used.I understand that no arrests have so far been made in connection with this incident.

asked the Minister of State for Defence by what authority members of the Parachute Regiment were instructed to perform their display at the inspection of the Duke of Atholl's private army, the Atholl Highlanders; what was the cost to public funds; and if he will make a statement.

This was a private engagement entered into by the regiment. The display involved no cost to public funds.

asked the Minister of State for Defence why it has been found necessary to hire a privately-owned fast patrol boat for training purposes for the second time in a year; and if he will make a statement.

The fast patrol boat "Tenacity" was hired from Vosper Thorneycroft for two months earlier this year to enable the Royal Navy to meet the planned ships' work-up and training programme at Portland while the fast training boat H.M.S. "Cutlass" was undergoing repairs. The opportunity was also taken to evaluate the vessel under operational conditions.In the light of experience with the fast training boats it has been found necessary to strengthen the hulls, and they are, or will be, undergoing modification. In order to maintain the planned training programme while these modifications are being carried out, we are considering hiring "Tenacity" again.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why, in view of the Government's policy of wage and salary restraint, he appointed Mr. Len Neal as Chairman of the Commission for Industrial Relations at a salary of £15,000 per annum, as against the £11,500 per annum paid to the present holder of this position.

Because the functions and responsibilities of the Commission are being substantially increased under the Industrial Relations Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment at what stage during the transitional period following entry into the European Economic Community he will appoint British representatives to the European Economic Community's Standing Committee on Employment; and whether these representatives will take part in that committee's work to obtain a better status for working women, more effective industrial training methods and improved manpower statistics.

It is not possible at this stage in the negotiations over our application to enter the Community to state when it would be appropriate for representatives of the United Kingdom to be appointed to this Committee or what their participation might involve.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men from the Bishop Auckland constituency have been trained at the Darlington Training Centre and at the Brandon Training Centre, respectively; and what percentage of these men are now in the employment for which they were trained.

Twenty-one at Darlington and five at Brandon. So far 21 (81 per cent.) have been placed in their training trades. I regret that the number still so employed is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs have been lost by plant and factory closures in the Bishop Auckland constituency during the last 12 months.

Information about the number of jobs lost by plant and factory closures is not available, but redundancies notified to my Department in the 12 months ending 31st May arising from closures in the Bishop Auckland constituency involved 18 people.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service paid out of the British Government grant, reside in countries of origin; what is the staff situation in the United Kingdom, and what is the future of this organisation.

The service employs 35 full-time staff in the United Kingdom and none overseas. The work of the service will continue under the Immigration Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have been reported to the Metropolitan Police in which children have been assaulted or molested on school premises in the Metropolitan Police area since 1st January, 1971; and how many such incidents took place in the area of "N" Division.

From 1st January to 31st March, 1971, 35 indictable offences against the person committed on school premises against juveniles aged from 5 to 16 years were reported to the Metropolitan Police: three of them occurred in "N" Division.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what grounds he decided to accept a six-mile limit as sufficient to safeguard fishing interests if the United Kingdom enters the Common Market.

The fishing grounds within the six-mile limit, notably the areas behind straight base-lines such as the Minches and Cardigan Bay, are recognised as being of very great importance. We consider our proposal a safe and reasonable approach given that members of the Six who fish in northwest European waters already have extensive but varying treaty rights to fish in important stretches of the 6–12 mile belt. There is a map available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further assistance he is considering to the Inter-American Development Bank.

Her Majesty's Government entered into an agreement with the Bank to establish a further Trust Fund, called "The United Kingdom Development Fund for Latin America", which will be financed in the first instance by a loan of £2 million. The terms on which these funds will be made available will be 25 years' amortization, four years' grace and 3 per cent. interest. Loans from the fund may be used for payments for goods and services originating in the United Kingdom or in such other countries as are members of, or significant contributors to, the Bank. The Inter-American Development Bank will propose projects for the use of the funds; Her Majesty's Government retain the right to reject any project they consider unsuitable.A supplementary estimate in respect of the first tranche of £2 million will be presented to Parliament in due course. Any necessary disbursements from the loan will meanwhile be financed by advances from the Contingency Fund.

asked the Prime Minister if he will state the total initial costs incurred in the reorganisation of Government Departments; and if he is satisfied with the way the reorganisation has been carried out.

It is not possible to estimate precisely the direct costs of the reorganisation, because in many cases these are indistinguishable from normal departmental running costs. But they will not have been large, and will in any case be far outweighed by the benefits. The answer to the second part of the Question is "Yes".

asked the Prime Minister if the public speech of the Secretary of State for Employment in Aberdeen on Friday, 14th May, on competition in industry represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister what reply he has sent to the 3,000 people who have written to him about blood sports since 18th June.

The nature of the reply depends on the content of the letter.

asked the Prime Minister when he proposes to implement the recommendations of the Report of the Select Committee on Science and Technology dealing with the population of the United Kingdom.

The Government will announce their conclusions on the Select Committee's recommendations as soon as possible.

asked the Prime Minister what progress has been made in carrying out the reappraisal of the prospects of economic and social development in Northern Ireland agreed at his meeting with the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland on 1st April.

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced the terms of reference for the review in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast, South (Mr. Pounder) on 28th May. The names of the people to carry out the review will be announced shortly.—[Vol. 818, c. 255.]

asked the Prime Minister whether he will prepare and publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT, as soon as it can be ready, a detailed list of State and Government appointments, including civil servants, together with the positions held, where the persons concerned receive more in salary than that now received by a Minister of State and the names and positions held by these persons, with their salaries, as on 1st July, 1971.

To provide the information in the form requested by the hon. Member would involve a disproportionate expenditure of time and money. So far as the Civil Service is concerned, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Civil Service Department on 17th March. Following is a list of publications that provide much of this information:

asked the Prime Minister if he will place a copy of his public speech in Aberdeen on 15th May on economic policy in the House of Commons Library.

I did so on 17th May.

asked the Prime Minister what steps he has taken to implement his undertaking to consider the arrangements for keeping the Government of Northern Ireland closely in touch with the negotiations for the accession of the United Kingdom to the European Economic Community.

There is close contact between Northern Ireland and United Kingdom Departments on all matters relating to our application to join the European Communities. Northern Ireland is represented at the negotiations when matters of particular concern to the province are under consideration.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now include the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales in the British team of negotiators at Brussels.

No, but representatives of Departments not included in the negotiating delegation are available to take part in the negotiations as required.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the annual consumption of sugar in the United Kingdom; what is the amount of home production; and what is the size of the current beet sugar surplus in the European Economic Community.

Consumption of sugar in the United Kingdom in 1970 was 2·66 million tons and the latest provisional figure for production from the 1970 beet crop is 892,000 tons. It is estimated that production of sugar from beet in the European Economic Community in 1970–71 will exceed requirements for human consumption by about 425,000 tons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now make a statement about the future of the Sports Council.

The Government have decided to seek from Her Majesty the Queen a Royal Charter for the establishment of an independent Sports Council with executive powers. Her Majesty will also be asked to approve the grant of Royal Charters to new independent Sports Councils for Scotland and Wales which will replace the existing advisory bodies. This decision has been taken after careful consideration of all the factors and representations made.It is the Government's intention to foster the development of sport in all its aspects, to stimulate the provision of more and better facilities, and to ensure that these, and those which already exist, shall be used to their fullest capacity. The Sports Council has a leading part to play in this; but it is not enough for the Sports Council merely to advise. Accordingly, the Government have decided to enhance the Council's status, give it independence and extend its role, so that it may be enabled to take positive action to further this policy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can now state on what date he proposes that the Decimal Currency Board should be wound up.

The Decimal Currency Board considers that its remaining tasks can be completed within the next few months and has formally recommended that arrangements should be made to wind up the Board on 30th September.We have accepted this recommendation, and, accordingly, an Order has been laid before both Houses of Parliament today under Section 6 of the Decimal Currency Act, 1967, providing for winding-up and dissolution of the Board on 30th September, 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry at what stage during the transitional period following entry into the European Economic Community the United Kingdom will grant the duty-free access to the exports of manufactured and semi-manufactured goods of 91 underdeveloped countries that will be granted by the present members of the European Economic Community from 1st July, 1971, onwards.

This is a question that we shall need in due course to discuss with the Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many industrial development certificates were issued for the Bishop Auckland constituency in the last 12 months; and for what number of jobs.

In the period from 1st May, 1970, to 30th April, 1971, nine industrial development certificates were issued in the area served by the Barnard Castle employment exchange and the Bishop Auckland group of employment exchanges, which most nearly corresponds to the Bishop Auckland constituency. The additional employment estimated by the applicants for the certificates to arise from these projects when fully manned was 720.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new jobs have been created in the Bishop Auckland constituency by the opening of new plant and factories during the last 12 months.

I regret that the information is not available.