asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what level the United Kingdom's gold and foreign exchange reserves are now standing.

The latest published figure is for end-September; the total of the United Kingdom's official reserves at that date was £2,089 million, on the basis of official parities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total increases in yield resulting from the increases in purchase tax and the duties on tobacco, spirits, wine, beer and petrol, respectively, between October, 1964. and June, 1970; and what are his latest estimates of the reduction in the annual yields for each as a result of the measures introduced since June, 1970.

As regards the second part of the Question, the purchase tax reductions which were made in July were estimated to reduce the annual yield of the tax by about £235 million.The answer to the first part is as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much national savings have increased in the last 12 months compared to the period June, 1969, to June, 1970.

In the 12-month period June, 1969, to June, 1970, national savings decreased by £48 million. In the last 12 months they have increased by £471 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average annual rate of increase in the standard of living, as measured by real national product per head of the population, for the United Kingdom and for the member countries of the European Economic Community in the period 1964 to date.

The average annual percentage increases in the gross national product at constant market prices per head of the population, for the years 1964 to 1970, are as follows:

Italy	4·8
France	4·7
The Benelux Countries	4·0
West Germany	3·7
United Kingdom	1·8

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed list of figures giving the amount of money allocated and actually spent up to the latest available date by the Departments concerned in publicising all aspects of Great Britain's entry to the Common Market, the changes in free and cheap milk for school-children, increased retirement pensions, and the Industrial Relations Act.

The following is the information:

Subject	Money Allocated	Money spent and Committed
U.K. proposed Entry to E.E.C	£648,000	£461,000
Changes in Free and Cheap Milk for School-children	Nil	Nil
Increased Retirement Pensions	£630	£630
Industrial Relations Act	£290,000	£109,000

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the approximate cost to the national economy of bringing the length of the average paid holiday for employed persons in the United Kingdom into line with that in the European Economic Community countries.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him an 5th July, 1971.—[Vol. 820, c. 297.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations have been made on the subject of purchase tax-paid stocks held by retailers w hen value-added tax is introduced; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will issue, in appropriate form, assurances to traders that they will not lose sums paid in purchase tax on their stocks when the switch to value-added tax occurs in 1973.

We have received a number of representations that there should be relief in respect of purchase tax paid on such stocks. These are being studied, and an announcement will be made in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will include in his examination of value-added tax the need to introduce statutory price control on the introduction of the tax.

I do not accept that there is any such need. In any case, the effect on prices of the replacement of purchase tax and S.E.T. by a value-added tax will depend on the rates of the new tax which have not yet been decided.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps will now be taken to avoid the disruption of trade, due to purchase tax and revenue duties that will have already been paid on stocks of goods already on hand when value-added tax is introduced; and what account he has taken of the systems of relief operated by members of the European Economic Community to alleviate this problem.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Financial Secretary earlier today to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Mrs. Doris Fisher) and my hon. Friend the Member for Worcestershire, South (Sir G. Nabarro). We shall, of course, take the experience of other countries, where this is relevant, into account in reaching a decision.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider the introduction of a rate system of value-added tax with the minimum of administrative detail to avoid an increase in costs which would affect the level of services.

Yes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the impact on the British national economy of President Nixon's policy statement of 15th August, 1971.

It is impossible to give any precise estimates. The outcome will largely depend on how long the measures remain in force.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of recent experience, he intends to revert to a fixed parity for sterling.

Yes, provided that there is a realistic realignment of parities which will both restore stability of the exchange rate system and bring an early end of the recent restrictions on trade.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what arrangements Her Majesty's Customs and Excise make for the surveillance of unlicensed or private airfields;(2) what steps are taken by the Customs and Excise to ensure that unlicensed aerodromes are not used for illicit purposes.

Unlicensed or private airfields are subject to surveillance by Customs as required by circumstances.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make a statement on the prospect of future buildings to be sited in the Edinburgh area in order to carry out the work of the Inland Revenue.

Until the review of the P.A.Y.E. system has been completed I cannot make any statement on this matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce legislation ending the present rating system and replacing it by a local tax levied on all individuals in receipt of a taxable income; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's decisions on any changes in the present methods of financing local government will be announced when the consultations on the recently issued Green Paper "The Future Shape of Local Government Finance" (Cmnd. 4741) have been completed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters he has received to date from Members of Parliament conveying inquiries or criticisms concerning Centre 1, East Kilbride, on behalf of constituents; and how many he has received in particular from the hon. Member for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles.

Since June, 1970, Treasury Ministers have received about 440 letters of this nature, including 30 from the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue would be lost if retirement pensions were exempt from taxation as unemployment, sickness and social security benefits are; and by what number Inland Revenue personnel would be reduced as a result.

Exempting National Insurance retirement pensions from tax would cost about £175 million; the Inland Revenue staff saving would be about 600.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is now his revised forecast of the net borrowing requirement in the current financial year.

It is not customary to publish such forecasts during the course of the financial year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest estimates of the effect of his fiscal measures on regional economic growth.

An increase of national output of at least 4 per cent. to 41 per cent., up to mid-1972, which will benefit all parts of the country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what modifications he intends to make in exchange control regulations, in view of recent changes in the position of certain currencies; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has no further changes to propose at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give further consideration to making it a requirement that any return required by the Income Tax Act, 1952, shall, if made by a married man who wife is living with him, and similarly for a common-law wife, be countersigned by such wife, providing the General Commissioners shall have power to waive the requirement.

I know the hon. Member's interest in this matter but I think he is aware of the difficulties.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish indices of income inequality for the United Kingdom as expressed by before tax and after tax Gini concentration ratios for the years 1945, 1951, 1964, 1970 and 1971, estimated, or for related fiscal years if more convenient.

I gave estimates for the years 1961–69 on 11th May in reply to the Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon). It is not possible to give figures for years before 1961; for 1970 and 1971 the information required is not yet available.—[Vol. 817, c. 67–8.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now introduce legislation to induce building societies to cut the rates charged on home loans, having regard to the present high level of the societies' cash reserves, the recent cut in corporation tax, the recent reduction in their outgoings on selective employment tax and the recent agreement by the Treasury to cut their composite income tax rate liability.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Golding) and Bebington (Mr. Cockeram).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate, as a result of all Government policies so far announced, of the total amount of redistribution of income from the poorest quarter of the population to the richest quarter.

There are no means of determining to what extent any one quarter gains at the expense of another. However, the social service benefits which are the most potent instruments of redistribution have been substantially increased for those with the lowest incomes and I do not accept that the poorest quarter is worse off as the Question implies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, of the total taxation cuts so far introduced on the proposal of the Government, how much is estimated to have accrued to those with incomes over £5,000 a year and how much to those with incomes under £1,000 a year; and how many taxpayers fall into each of these categories.

It is not possible to provide accurate estimates; many of the changes do not directly affect individuals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider revising the allowance made to taxable persons in receipt of an allowance in respect of an aged relative dependent upon them, to bring them into line with the altered value of money, which was recognised in the recent increase in retirement pensions.

I have noted the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now publish his findings on the study of three-wheeled transport for the disabled.

A review of all aspects of the invalid vehicle service is well advanced and I hope the conclusions will by announced before long.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services where in Yorkshire and Humberside he has ordered locally based surveys in finding the cause of the deaths in infancy.

My right hon. Friend has not called for any special surveys in these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the names of the local medical committees which have advised their members voluntarily to ban the prescribing of amphetamines.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when, and in what form, he will announce his policy on the new practice of inducing abortions as an out-patient technique.

The method used to terminate a pregnancy is a matter for the operating doctor.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what circumstances the names and addresses of former nurses were disclosed from the records of the 1971 Census; and to whom access to such records was granted.

They were not. The survey to which the Question refers was conducted entirely by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys itself.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if lie will call for an investigation into the use of human beings as guinea pigs, and without their knowledge, in medical experiments at two London hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mrs. Oppenheim) on 19th October. Without specific evidence that the consent of patients under recognised ethical procedures had not been obtained to the use of experimental techniques or substances, I would not feel justified in initiating an inquiry.—[Vol. 823, c. 96–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will re-publish the figures showing the amount spent by each of the appropriate local authorities per hundred registered disabled people, as originally published in 15th March, 1971, after calculating the figures for 1968–69 and 1969–70 on the same basis as for previous years.

Figures for all the years were calculated on the same basis, namely by dividing net expenditure on welfare services for the handicapped (general classes) under Section 29 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, by the number of persons registered. However, a new expenditure heading "Welfare Services for the Elderly" was introduced in 196869 and some authorities, including Oxford County Borough, appear to have brought to account under that heading expenditure which they had previously included under the handicapped. It would not be possible to re-analyse the figures without obtaining information from each authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received a report from the Royal College of Nursing on today's nursing standards; what action he intends to take; and if he will make a statement.

I have seen the Annual Report of the Royal College of Nursing. The problems it mentions are being considered by the Committee on Nursing under the Chairmanship of Professor Asa Briggs; the Royal College have given evidence to the Committee and I await their report with interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what numerical criteria his Department employs in deciding the desirable or acceptable number of persons constituting a catchment area for a new district general hospital.

District general hospitals now being built are in the main planned to serve populations ranging from 150,000 to 250,000 or more depending on the availability of other hospital facilities in the area, the size of site available for building, and such variable factors as density of population, transport facilities and probable availability of staff for a new hospital.Advice on the size of district general hospitals was contained in the report of a Committee of the Central Health Services Council on the Functions of the District General Hospital.My Department is also conducting operational research studies on the size of district general hospitals, the results of which are awaited. I intend to issue further guidance to hospital authorities in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he is satisfied that adequate warnings are given to insured persons when arrears accrue in their various contributions; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will give an assurance that, in cases of minor considerations, he will give persons an opportunity to bring their national insurance contributions up to date to obviate the need for reducing benefits.

My Department sends a notice of the deficiency to any insured person for whom a flat-rate contribution is not recorded as paid or credited for every week of a contribution year. The reminder explains that there are time limits within which contributions must be paid if they are to count for benefits and gives ample notice to enable the contributions to be paid in time to count for any benefit which may depend on them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what discretion officials of his Department are allowed to exercise in not penalising persons who have omitted to pay a small number of national insurance contributions when such persons can show a record of otherwise regular payments.

None. Such discretion would not be appropriate to a contributory scheme. The conditions for benefit must be applied equally to all claimants. The absence of a small number of contributions would not necessarily affect entitlement to a particular benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to establish an appeals procedure for cases where, because of minor deficiencies in contributions, persons suffer a reduction in benefits.

Any question arising out of a person's record of contributions can be referred for a formal decision to be given on behalf of the Secretary of State; from that decision there is a right of appeal on a question of law to the High Court.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make provision for persons who are sick or unemployed, and therefore unable to maintain regular national insurance contributions because of consequent financial embarrassment, to be credited with contributions during the course of that sickness or unemployment.

Such provision already exists, subject to the production of evidence of incapacity or unemployment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons were denied unemployment and sickness benefit respectively because of an inadequate contribution record in the period September, 1966 to September, 1971.

Sickness benefit claimants who are not entitled to benefit because of deficiencies in the number of contributions paid or credited are recorded on the last day of each statistical year, and for the period in question the available figures are:

Statistical year ending	Total number of claims	Number not entitled to flat-rate sickness benefit because of contribution deficiency
3rd June, 1967	965,360	21,980
1st June, 1968	1,000,720	24,660
31st May, 1969	980,540	23,520
30th May, 1970	999,280	24,540

Records have not been kept since 1967 of the number of claims to flat-rate unemployment benefit which are disallowed because of contribution deficiencies, but the number of such claims in the twelve months from September, 1966 to August, 1967 was 160,531 out of a total of 3,325,000 new claims in the same period.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that an adequate record is made of National Insurance and graduated pension contributions respectively; and if he will make a statement.

I am satisfied that the records of national insurance flat-rate and graduated contributions maintained by my Department are adequate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what sum, in assessing supplementary pensions, is regarded as adequate for a single person to spend on food, and on cooking and heating, respectively.

Supplementary pensions are assessed on the basis of the amounts (known as "scale rates") laid down for normal requirements under the Ministry of Social Security Act. The scale rates are intended to provide for all normal living expenses, including food, cooking and heating. Since individual needs and preferences vary it is not possible to apportion an element of the scale rate to any single item of expenditure. When a person needs a special diet or extra heating the Supplementary Benefits Commission make special payments to cover the additional expense.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when he received the report of the Advisory Committee on Industrial Deafness; and what action he has taken on that report;(2) what estimate he has made of the number of men and women totally or partially deaf by reason of their present or previous employment;(3) if he will introduce legislation to prescribe deafness caused by the nature of employment as an industrial disease.

The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council have not yet reported on their inquiry into whether there are degrees of hearing loss attributable to exposure to noise in the course of employment which satisfy the requirements of Section 56(2) of the Industrial Injuries Act. I understand that their studies of the many complex problems involved are continuing. No doubt the Council's studies involve estimating the number of work people whose deafness may be due to noise at work. The question of prescription will be considered when the Council's report is received.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware of the shortage of dentists in the Huddersfield area; if he will show the number of patients each dentist has, and how this compares with the national average; and if he will make a statement.

The ratio of dentists practising in the General Dental Service to population in the area of the Huddersfield Executive Council was 1:4,477 at 30th September, 1970, compared with a ratio of 1:4,413 for England and 1:4,495 for England and Wales. Other areas are less fortunate and our first aim must be to find means of improving dental services in these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware of the growing practice of dentists not to accept National Health Service patients but to deal only, or mainly, with private patients; and what action he proposes to take.

Dentists providing general dental services under the National Health Service are free to practise privately and to accept or refuse people who request treatment as National Health Service patients. Nevertheless, the number of courses of dental treatment provided under the general dental service has increased steadily since 1948. The trend is still continuing, and there is no evidence to suggest that fewer patients are being accepted for treatment.If, however, a dentist agrees to accept someone as a National Health Service patient his agreement covers only the one course of treatment and in no way implies that he will be prepared to accept the patient again when he next needs treatment. Anyone who has difficulty in obtaining general dental service treatment should seek the help of the Executive Council for his area.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what would be the estimated cost to his Department for providing, on a voluntary basis, influenza vaccination free for all school children under the Schools Medical Service;(2) if he will give consideration to an influenza vaccination programme available under the National Health Service.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises my right hon. Friend on these matters, has again considered vaccination against influenza and has confirmed its previous advice that general vaccination could not be expected to control the spread of influenza. The vaccination of the population generally or of all school children is therefore not justified. Vaccination of children in primary, secondary and special schools in England would cost at least £4 million for vaccine; consequential additional costs might also be incurred.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what statistics are being collected regarding employment followed by those whose claim for family income supplement has been granted.

The statistics of awards of family income supplement which my Department collects are being analysed on a sample basis to produce details of hours of work, earings of head of family and some 20 occupational groupings.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he will not investigate and issue a report on the use of hospital facilities by consultants for their private patients in London teaching hospitals as requested on 13th July by the hon. Member for Willesden, West.

Because I see no need for such an investigation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement about the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board's refusal to hold an independently-chaired inquiry into private practice in its area.

No. I am aware of the Board's reasons for reaching their decision and am in complete agreement with it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the National Health Service records of individual patients registered with general practitioners are kept fully up to date; and if he will make a statement.

The record of each patient's registration with a general practitioner is held by the Executive Council. Every effort is made to keep such records up to date, although difficulties can arise where the population is especially mobile, as in large cities.As regards the information recorded by the doctor himself, it is within his discretion how much clinical detail to record concerning individual consultations but he has a general obligation under his terms of service within the National Health Service to maintain records of his patients' illnesses and of his treatment of them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount received from the sale of prescription charge pre-payment certificates in the last year to a convenient date; and what percentage of the total cost of the pharmaceutical services in the National Health Service this represents.

£442,000 in the 12 months ended 31st August, 1971; this represents about ¼ per cent. of the gross cost of the National Health Service pharmaceutical services in England for the same period.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what extent the increase in unemployment since last year and the payment of unemployment benefits, etc. has necessitated an increase in the numbers of administrative staffs at social security offices; and at what annual costs.

The increase in supplementary benefits work in social security offices caused by the rise in the number of unemployed has, since last year, resulted in an increase in staff of about 500. The cost of this build-up has been approximately £550,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he has received the Communication from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, regarding increasing retirement pensions, reducing the retirement age, increasing production, and reducing unemployment; and what was the nature of his reply;(2) what, at the latest convenient date, were the weekly, monthly or annual payments being made in unemployment and supplementary benefits; and to what extent an increase of £1 per week to retirement pensioners and one, two, three, four and five-year reductions in the age for claiming retirement pensions would reduce unemployment and reduce the outflow of unemployment insurance benefits and the costs of administration.

The average weekly amount of benefit including supplementary benefit paid to people registering for work during the months of July, August and September was £5·6 million.For the reasons which I have explained in my reply to the hon. Member's letter it is impossible to predict the effect which the changes he suggests would have on the numbers of unemployed. But if retirement pensions were increased by £1 a week and the pension age for men were reduced by five years, the extra cost could be of the order of £1,200 million a year (£23 million a week), assuming that the present pattern of actual retirement were maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of hospitals in which nurses are working 12-hour shifts.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is proposing to take on the National Board for Prices and Incomes Report in 1968 which recommended three-shift systems for nurses; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for local management, but my Department reminds hospital authorities that they should introduce this system wherever local conditions permit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total take-up of free prescriptions as a percentage of those eligible.

Many people who are eligible do not need any prescriptions and no reliable estimate can be made of the number of people who during any period both need prescriptions and are eligible for remission of charges. But well over half of all National Health Service prescriptions are dispensed without charge.From this and all the available indications I am confident that the vast majority of the 23 million people in Great Britain who are exempt on grounds of age or because an exemption document has been issued to them know about their entitlement and declare it when they get a prescription form. This includes Supplementary Benefit order book holders, the recipients of Family Income Supplement and war pensioners under 65, all of whom are sent their exemption certificates automatically; people with specified medical conditions; and pregnant women and nursing mothers. Only about two-thirds of pregnant women submit the applications for exemption which are sent to them; but they do not normally need frequent prescriptions and some may be covered by the overlapping exemptions on financial grounds.I am concentrating my efforts on the minority of people who need to apply for help on grounds of income; in the six months ended 21st September, 1971 about 60,000 exemption certificates were issued to people who applied for them on these grounds, compared with about 8,000 in the previous six months.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has yet made any representations on prohibited food colouring in the European Economic Community; and what would be the colour of British fresh pork sausages under the existing directives of the European Economic Community.

We have been discussing this directive with the Community as part of the process of evamining the E.E.C.'s existing legislation. Some useful progress has been made. I expect a satisfactory agreement on colours which may be safely permitted in foods including fresh pork sausages. These would certainly not change after we joined the E.E.C. in any way detrimental to the consumer.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations have been made by him on the proposed directive on sugar confectionery presented by the Commission to the Council of the European Economic Community on 30th June, 1971; and what the results of these representations.

This is a very recent draft on which we shall formulate a view when we have completed discussions with interested parties in this country. If the Community is inclined to proceed with the directive, we shall expect to be fully consulted.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present statutory basis for fixing the minimum natural fat content and safety standards for bottled milk, and what changes he expects in the legal basis for these minimum standards and associated changes in the grades of milk available to the public, should the United Kingdom join the European Economic Community.

There is no minimum standard for the butterfat content of ordinary whole milk in England and Wales. The Sale of Milk Regulations, 1939, lay down, however, that if milk contains less than 3 per cent. butterfat it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that the milk is not genuine because butterfat has been abstracted or water added. Under the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, the standardisation of milk composition is not allowed. Hygiene and safety standards on dairy farms and in processing dairies are laid down in the Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations, 1959, and the Milk (Special Designation) Regulations, 1963, as amended.The European Economic Community's regulation sets, subject to some possible regional derogations, a minimum butterfat standard of 3·5 per cent., for whole milk. Provided that this standard is complied with, butterfat composition may be, but is not required to be, standardised at this level. The grades of milk are raw milk, for which no butterfat standard is set; whole milk, which must be heat-treated and of 3·5 per cent. butterfat or more; half-skimmed milk, which must be heat-treated and of between 1·5 per cent. and 1·8 per cent. butterfat; and skimmed milk, which must be heat-treated and of 0·3 per cent. butterfat or less. We are discussing this regulation with the European Economic Community. The Community does not yet have regulations setting detailed requirements on hygiene and safety standards on dairy farms and in processing dairies, but certain drafts are being considered.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the proposed directive on sugar confectionery presented by the Commission to the Council of the European Economic Community on 30th June, 1971 would be binding on home sales in this country if Great Britain enters the Common Market.

No. No proposal is binding on any member State until it has been adopted by the Council of the European Economic Community.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to protect the manufacturers of malic acid and its derivatives in Great Britain, in view of the proposed directive on sugar confectionery presented by the Commission to the Council of the European Economic Community on 30th June, 1971.

Points on this draft directive requiring discussion with the Community will be determined in the light of the views of the industry, with which I am in close consultation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the concern felt by the horticultural industry in general, and by the growers of cauliflowers in particular, over the adverse effects upon this type of British industry on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, what further action he has now taken, or intends taking, to offset the effects on this industry if Great Britain enters the European Economic Community.

I do not accept that the horticultural industry in general would be adversely affected by United Kingdom accession to the European Economic Community. The special transitional arrangements agreed for horticulture will assist our producers, including growers of cauliflowers, to adapt to the new conditions. I would however refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 28th July about special help in particular cases of difficulty.—[Vol. 822, c. 120.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give an upper and lower estimate of the likely import of cereals into the United Kingdom over the next year, stating the current import price per ton for wheat and barley with and without the import levy, respectively, and if he will estimate income from such levies over the next year.

It is impossible to forecast imports of cereals over the next year because they vary too much from year to year.Nearly all imported cereals are brought forward: prices published in October for November shipment have been £25·25—£32·35 for milling wheat and £19·90—£22·00 for feed barley: levies for these two commodities have been in the range of £5·25—£5·50 and £5·00—£5·25 respectively.Since receipts from levies depend on world prices and on the volume of imports, which can each vary greatly over a 12-month period, it is not practicable to estimate what these will be.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if malic acid and its derivatives are still considered safe food additives in Group A by his Department.

I have received no advice from the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee or from the Pharmacology Sub-Committee that they wish to change the recommendation they made in 1968 that malic acid and its sodium, potassium and calcium salts should, subject to suitable specifications of purity, be permitted for use in food.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what decision he has come to regarding recommendations numbers 3, 20, 21, 26, 68 and 76 of the Northumberland Committee report on foot-and-mouth disease.

These recommendations present various difficulties, and are still being considered.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on his Department's national survey in which evidence is produced to show that housewives are having to spend £2·32p per head on food; and why this figure has risen by 13p over the previous quarter.

Most of the increase of 13p in the average expenditure on food per person per week was due to price increases, many of them due to normal seasonal factors, but there was also some improvement in the standard of food purchased.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, if he is satisfied with the recent trend in the level of wage settlements of which he has been notified; and if he will make a statement.

I am satisfied that the upward trend of pay settlements which took place between 1969 and 1970 has been reversed this year. But the level of settlements remains much too high in relation to the growth of national productivity.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were unemployed in Great Britain at the most recent date for which figures are available; what percentage of the total population this figure represents; and if he has available from European Economic Community sources the comparable figures for Italy.

At 11th October there were provisionally 886,563 people registered as unemployed in Great Britain, 3·9 per cent. of the estimated total number of employees.Strictly comparable figures for Italy are not available, but information published by the International Labour Office shows that in April, 1971, there were 566,000 persons unemployed in Italy, representing 2·9 per cent. of the labour force.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what further steps he proposes to take to end the abuse of self-employment in engineering industry and in design offices and whereby the safeguards of the Shops, Offices and Railway Premises Acts and other legislation ensuring the protection of employees may be evaded.

Premises in which workers are self-employed are excluded from the provisions of the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act, 1963, but I am not aware of any abuse of this exclusion. Any changes in the scope of safety and health legislation must await the report of the Robens Committee on Safety and Health at Work.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration he has given to the proposal that unem- ployed young people should be recruited to a special Government work group; and if he will make a statement.

Proposals put forward by the National Association of Youth Clubs for special work groups of young unemployed people are being carefully considered in consultation with other interested Departments, but I am not in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment in which industries is deafness caused by the nature of the industrial environment; and what representations he has made to reduce the adverse conditions which lead to deafness.

Information in the form requested is not available, but the annual report of H.M. Chief Inspector of Factories for 1969 showed that few industries are without noise problems. In reply to the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Golding) on 12th January, 1971.—[Vol. 809, c. 12.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT all the representatives he has appointed to visit Mr. Ian Smith.

I appointed Lord Goodman to be my principal representative with the support of Sir Philip Adams. They have been and are assisted by other officials, as is necessary from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now make an official protest to the Czechoslovakian Government, complaining about guns and arms being made available by an official State body to the Irish Republican Army for use in Northern Ireland.

As I said in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Antrim, North (Rev. Ian Paisley) on 20th October, we are in touch with the Government of Czechoslovakia. I hope shortly to be in a position to consider whether a further statement to the House would be advisable.—[Vol. 823, c. 137–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the recent familiarisation visit by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to Tanzania, with special reference to his meetings with representatives of the East African community at Arusha.

In the time available, my hon. and noble Friend was not able to visit the headquarters of the East African Community, but in Dar-es-Salaam, as in Nairobi and Kampala, he was able to have useful and cordial discussions with the Governments of the three member states of that Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give the total costs to public funds of the recent visit to this country of Emperor Hirohito of Japan.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave in the House yesterday on this subject.—[Vol. 823, c. 246.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what statutory authority Her Majesty's Government issued free of charge at public expense copies of the White Paper on the European Economic Community to recognised political parties; and what similar action has been taken since June, 1971.

No copies of the White Paper, Cmnd. 4715, were made available to political parties free of charge. Twelve free copies were, exceptionally, made available to each Member of the House.The precedents for the issue of the short version of the White Paper were fully explained by my right hon. Friend

the Lord President of the Council in his statement on 19th July. I gave up to date figures for the number and cost of copies of the short version of the White Paper supplied to political parties at their request, in answer to the hon. Member for Hackney, Central (Mr. Clinton Davis) on 20th October.—[Vol. 821, c. 1050–2; Vol. 823, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the amortisation of the interest-free loans made between 1924 and 1945 to voluntary organisations for the establishment in Australia of farm schools for the reception and upbringing of British children.

It has been accepted that the purpose for which the loans were made under the provisions of the Empire Settlements Acts has long since been justified by the numbers of British children who have passed through the schools. As a gesture of appreciation to the societies concerned and following discussions with the interested Departments, I have come to the conclusion that it would be right to convert the loans into grants.The total sum involved is £49,700, and the approval of the House will be sought by means of token provision in a Supplementary Estimate.

asked the Prime Minister what reply he gave to the North-West Industrial Development Association concerning their document, Industrial and Environmental Problems of the North-West region, a copy of which they sent him.

I shall be discussing it with them on Friday.

asked the Prime Minister what plans he has for an official visit to North-East Lancashire.

None at present, but the economic situation in the area will no doubt be covered in discussions which I shall be having in Manchester on Friday with representatives of the North-West Economic Planning Council, the North-West Industrial Development Association and the British Textile Employers' Association.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now make arrangements to meet Mr. Ian Smith.

As I explained in the reply I gave on 19th October to questions from my hon. Friends the Members for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) and Worcestershire, South (Sir G. Nabarro), I have no plans for a meeting with Mr. Smith.—[Vol. 823, c. 544.]

asked the Prime Minister upon what aspects of the negotiations with Mr. Smith it is his policy to answer Questions.

Questions on the exploratory discussions with the Rhodesians are for my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, to whom Lord Goodman and the officials concerned report.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Departments of Employment and Trade and Industry in servicing the Coventry and Nuneaton areas with a view to increasing employment opportunities; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. There is close co-ordination between the two Departments, both through the respective Regional Offices and at Headquarters.

asked the Prime Minister what representations he has received from the Leader of the Liverpool City Council about unemployment in Liverpool; what reply he gave; and if he will make a statement.

On 14th October I held an informal meeting at Brighton with a number of city leaders, including the Leader of the Liverpool City Council. We discussed several matters of mutual interest to the Government and to local authorities, including the Government's measures designed to reduce unemployment through increased investment in infrastructure, such as the £160 million public works programme.

asked the Prime Minister what Departments are examining the Report he received from the North-East Development Council with proposals to help unemployment; and when action, proposal by proposal, is to be taken.

The Memorandum which the Council sent me earlier this month contained suggestions which fall within the spheres of responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Employment, for the Environment and for Trade and Industry. We greatly welcome the Council's advice on these matters and will take it into account in the future development of policy. It is not, however, yet possible to say which of the specific suggestions could be adopted or when action related to them might occur.

asked the Prime Minister how soon he expects to announce his proposals for the ending of sex discrimination; and if he will make a statement.

I informed the House on 6th July, in reply to a Question from the hon. Lady the Member for Halifax (Dr. Summerskill), of a number of measures taken by the Government to this end. In addition, legislation is to be introduced to provide in England and Wales for the exercise by husband and wife of equal rights of guardianship over their children; and Government Departments are discussing with the Staff Side of the National Whitley Council details of the report published last week on the employment of women in the non-industrial Home Civil Service. Progress continues to be made in examining the many other detailed aspects of this subject: and I have asked my right lion. Friend the Home Secretary to assume a co-ordinating responsibility.—[Vol. 820, c. 1122–3.]

asked the Prime Minister by what means he consulted the people before he invited the House to decide on the question of British accession to the European Communities.

It is the long-established tradition in this country that decisions on questions of this kind should be taken by the elected representatives of the people in Parliament.

asked the Attorney-General in how many other instances than the case of Oleg Lyalin since 1945 charges have been withdrawn against a defendant in a court in Great Britain because no guarantee of his safety could be given.

I know of no other cases in which the circumstances attending the case of Mr. Oleg Lyalin were present. In a considerable number of cases charges have been withdrawn because of the state of health of the defendant.

asked the Attorney-General how many persons are at present awaiting trial on charges for offences against Section 1 of the Official Secrets Acts, 1911–20; and how many persons stood trial for such offences in 1969, 1970, and the first nine months of 1971, respectively.

Five persons are at present awaiting trial on charges under Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act, 1911. The numbers of persons who stood trial during the earlier periods are:

1969	nil
1970	1
1971 (first nine months)	1

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if, in his consideration of the recently published report of the committee set up with the aim of making it easier for women to combine a Civil Service career with domestic responsibilities, he will consult not only the staff side of the Civil Service National Whitley Council, but also representatives of other organisations.

We should welcome the views on the report from any organisations which wish to put them forward, and we will take them into account in our consideration of it.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service (1) what criteria he uses to guide him in deciding upon the dispersal of Government Departments to the regions;(2) if, because of the level of unemployment, he will allocate a high priority to the Skelmersdale New Town in his policy of dispersing Government Departments to the regions; and if he will make a statement;(3) when he expects to complete his review on the dispersal of Government Departments; how many Government Departments have been dispersed during the last 12 months; to what areas they were sent; and what was the total numbers of jobs created thereby in the areas concerned.

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer to a number of hon. Members on 14th July describing progress on the review of dispersal possibilities and setting out the two main criteria to be used when the question of dispersal locations is considered. Skelmersdale New Town will be considered along with other places as the review proceeds. Information about Civil Service work dispersed from the London area

Department				Location				Jobs
Charity Commission	…	…	…	Liverpool	…	…	…	94
Civil Service Department	…	…	…	Basingstoke	…	…	…	447
Customs and Excise	…	…	…	Southend	…	…	…	1
Ministry of Defence	…	…	…	Carlisle	…	…	…	71
				Harrogate	…	…	…	132
				Quedgeley	…	…	…	5
Ministry of Defence (Aviation Supply)	…	…	…	Liverpool	…	…	…	24
				Farnborough	…	…	…	17
				Bedford	…	…	…	7
Department of Education and Science	…	…	…	Darlington	…	…	…	220
Department of Employment	…	…	…	Runcorn	…	…	…	215
Home Office	…	…	…	Redhill	…	…	…	8
				Manchester	…	…	…	2
				Corby	…	…	…	76
Inland Revenue	…	…	…	Edinburgh	…	…	…	641
				Manchester	…	…	…	468
Land Registry	…	…	…	Plymouth	…	…	…	44
Department for National Savings	…	…	…	Glasgow	…	…	…	762
				Durham	…	…	…	71
Paymaster General's Office	…	…	…	Crawley	…	…	…	44
Royal Mint	…	…	…	Llantrisant	…	…	…	21
Department of Trade and Industry	…	…	…	Newport	…	…	…	115
				Total	…	…	…	3,485

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what units of the Special Air Service Regiment have been stationed in Northern Ireland since October, 1968; where they were stationed and for how long; and how many are serving there now.

No Special Air Service unit has been or is stationed in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what troops are at present stationed at Hollywood Barracks, Belfast; and what are their functions and duties.

The 1st Batallion, The Parachute Regiment. They are contributing to the Army's general task of assisting the civil power in the maintenance of law and order.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence which members of which units of the Special Air Service Regiment were serving at Hollywood Barracks, Belfast, from 9th to 18th August, 1971.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what reply has been sent to the personal telegram despatched on 20th September, 1971, by the chairman of the Worcestershire Education Committee about her delay in giving approval to the proposed scheme for the reorganisation of education in Redditch as published on 4th December, 1970; and when the reply was sent;(2) what reply has been sent to the letter dated 29th September, 1971, from the County Education Officer for Worcestershire about her delay in giving approval to the proposed scheme for the reorganisation of education in Redditch as published on 4th December, 1970; and when the reply was sent.

My right hon. Friend replied personally on 21st October deeply apologising for the delays. The proposals were approved on 18th October.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the amount currently being spent per head of population on further education in Wales and in England, respectively.

The last year for which firm information is available is 1969–70, when the net amounts were £4·66 in Wales and £5·67 in England.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will be able to announce the procedural adjustments that he expects will be required in respect of domestic policy for rail, road, and inland waterway transport in the event of having to comply with Regulations 1191–2/69 and 1107–8/70 of the Commission of the European Economic Community.

Not for some time. Transitional periods of up to a year after Accession have been agreed with the Community in order to allow time for discussions with the industries concerned and with the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish such information as is available from the Organisation for Economic Ca-operation and Development and other international sources regarding the interest rates charged for house purchase transactions in the countries of the European Economic Community.

Information about interest rates charged for house purchase transactions in the European Economic Community is published in the O.E.C.D. Financial Statistics for 1971, Volume 3 and Supplement 2B, copies of which are available in the library. These are not strictly comparable with each other or with rates in this country because of wide variations in Government subsidies, taxation, and in other lending conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be able to reply to the letter dated 13th October on heavy commercial traffic through villages sent to him by the Clerk of the Church with Chapel Brampton Parish Council, Northamptonshire.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the reply which has been sent today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is proposing to take to meet the water shortage in the area of the West Pennine Water Board; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Marks) yesterday.—[Vol. 823, c. 256.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial support is given by his Department directly or indirectly in running courses provided by the Local Government Industrial Training Board for directors of social services at a cost of £215 per person excluding travel and accommodation, and in supporting the Local Government Industrial Training Board; if he will give a breakdown of the costs of this £215 course; and if he will make a statement.

The Local Government Training Board is a voluntary body financed by levy on member local authorities. The expenditure ranks for Rate Support Grant purposes but otherwise the courses in question received no financial aid from Government Departments. Charges for its courses are a matter for the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is aware of the 50 per cent. increase in traffic in New Hey Road, and the even greater increase in traffic in Lindley Moor Road, Huddersfield, since the opening of the M62; and what action he proposes to take to ease the position.

Lindley Moor Road, Huddersfield, was strengthend in anticipation of extra flows of traffic from the M62, but it is acknowledged that new problems have been created in the centre of Huddersfield. The County Borough Council, the highway authority, have recently carried out a traffic origin and destination survey, and the matter will be further considered in the light of their findings.