asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a Green Paper containing proposals for the reform of personal taxation and social benefits; and what arrangements he will make for consultations on the subject.

I am very well aware of my hon. Friend's interest in this matter, but I have no statement to make at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek establish how much, as a result of all the main budgetary and welfare measures taken by the Government in this last year, namely, the National Insurance Act of July, 1970, the Budgets of October, 1970 and March, 1971, the Family Income Supplement Act 1970, the National Insurance Act and the Social Security Act of June, 1971, has been gained or lost by those earning, respectively, less than £1,000, £1,001–£2,000, £2,001–£5,000, and over £5,000 a year.

The information needed to estimate the aggregate effect of these measures upon specified income groups as a whole is not available. But married couples with children have gained significantly from these measures, particularly those with incomes below £1,000 per annum.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances recipients of disablement benefit and special hardship allowance suffer deduction of tax from those benefits.

These payments are not taxable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances recipients of unemployment benefit who also receive disablement benefit or special hardship allowance have the latter two benefits assessed as income for income tax purposes; and if he will introduce legislation to end such assessment.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "None", and the second part of the Question therefore does not arise.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will include legislation in his next Budget to exempt from taxation the income, both earned and unearned, of all people of State retirement age not in excess of £1,500 per annum, exclusive of the State pension.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the rise in the index of retail prices expressed at an annual rate, since the Confederation of British Industry initiative became operative in July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the latest trend in cost inflation as indicated by increases notified to him in manufacturers' costs during the past four weeks.

The index of retail prices rose at an annual rate of 3·1 per cent. between July and October. On the subject of costs, information about the last four weeks is not available but there have been welcome signs of a slowing down in the rate of increase in manufacturers' costs in recent months.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total invested in National Savings in the first half of 1971–72: and how this compares with previous years.

The increase in the amount invested in National Savings in the first half of 1971–72 was £242 million and this was by far the best result recorded in the comparable period for at least 20 years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the current account surplus on the balance of payments during the first half of 1971 is attributable to the net earnings on the invisible account.

I would refer my hon. Friend to Table B on page VII of the September issue of Economic Trends, which gives an "invisible balance" for the first two quarters of

				Purchase tax		Import duty
				Receipts	Change from previous year	Receipts	Change from previous year
Year ending 31st March—
1964	…	…	…	54·2	+21·8	35·5	+1·5
1965	…	…	…	58·7	+4·5	32·9	-2·6
1966	…	…	…	61·3	+2·6	32·7	-0·2
1967	…	…	…	69·0	+7·7	33·1	+0·4
1968	…	…	…	74·2	+5·2	35·1	+2·0
1969	…	…	…	93·5	+19·3	33·2	-1·9
1970	…	…	…	124·7	+31·2	33·3	+0·1
1971	…	…	…	145·1	+20·4	34·0	+0·7

Notes

1. The charge of purchase tax commenced on 8th May, 1962, in relation to confectionery, soft drinks and ice cream; it was extended on 27th May, 1969, to potato crisps, salted nuts and similar products and to prepared pet foods.

2. The import duty figures are estimated receipts of duty paid on imported goods classified in Chapters 1 to 4, 7 to 11 and 16 to 21 of the Customs and Excise Tariff—which are mainly human foodstuffs and cover most human foodstuffs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times, and on what dates between October 1964 and the present, the rates of purchase tax and the duties on tobacco, spirits, wine, beer and petrol, respectively, were increased; and what would now be the difference in yield of these taxes if they were levied at 1964 rates.

Since October, 1964, the rates of purchase tax, tobacco duty and beer duty have been increased three times; spirits duty four times, wine duty five, and road fuel duty six times. All thes increases took place before June, 1970.If the current consumption of goods liable to these taxes were charged at the rates in force before October, 1964, the total revenue would be less by some £1,420 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the revenue derived from purchase tax on food and import duties on food changed each year between 1964 and 1971.

The information is as follows:Wine duty—7.4.65, 21.7.66, 20.3.68, 23.11.68, 16.4.69.Beer duty—7.4.65. 21.7.66, 23.11.68Oil duty—11.11.64, 21.7.66, 11.4.67, 19.3.68, 22.11.68, 15.4.69.If estimated current consumption were to be taxed at the rates in force before October, 1964, the annual yields of the individual taxes would be less by approximately the following amounts:

	£ million
Purchase tax	355
Tobacco	260
Spirits	130
Wine	40
Beer	125
Road fuel	510
Total	1,420

These figures are not, however, accurate indications of the changes in yield due to higher tax rates, since no reliable estimates can be made of the higher level of consumption which would have prevailed if tax rates had been unchanged since 1964. The figure for purchase tax assumes that all items now subject to the tax were liable in 1964.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the new arrangements for the control of credit which are now in operation.

No. But the transition to the new system has progressed satisfactorily and the new arrangements have got off to a good start.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the overall percentage rise in company profits in the United Kingdom in the first half of 1971.

Between the second half of 1970 and the first half of 1971, gross trading profits of companies—before providing for depreciation and stock appreciation—are estimated to have risen by around 10 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider including a Clause in next year's Finance Bill to provide that the starting point of estate duty is increased in equal steps over the next five years to not less than £25,000.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider seeking to amend the law on estate duty so that the duty is paid where the estate comprises shares on the amount finally realised and not on the value at the date of death.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he proposes, in advance of the 1972 Budget, to introduce legislation to exclude the value of the matrimonial home in the calculation of estate duty.

No, but I would remind my hon. Friend that my right hon. Friend has already promised to con- sider before the next Budget the burden of estate duty on a surviving spouse.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the official reserves have risen since June, 1970.

Converted at par, the end-month figures show an increase between June, 1970, and October, 1971, of £1,008 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will seek to discuss with the joint-stock banks and the Committee of London Clearing Banks in the near future the possible establishment of formal schemes of bank mortgage finance for house purchase.

No. This is a matter best left to the banks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further steps he proposes to supplement his July measures to reduce the number who are unemployed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further action he intends taking to reduce unemployment.

I would refer the hon. Members to what my right hon. Friend said in the debate on unemployment this afternoon.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the interest of increasing employment in the Northern Region, he will ask the nationalised industries to submit plans for improvement schemes for immediate implementation for which loans foreshadowed for nationalised industries in capital expenditure will be forthcoming.

I would refer my hon. Friend to what my right hon. Friend said in the debate on unemployment this afternoon.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to exempt the servicing, rehabilitation courses, dispensing and purchase of hearing aids from value-added tax.

My right hon. Friend is not yet ready to announce details of the coverage of value-added tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will undertake to keep free from the imposition of value-added tax all moneys charged for admission to sporting events.

I will take note of the hon. Member's views.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received the communication from the hon. Member for West Ham, North together with information on the effects of the imposition of a value-added tax; and whether, in view of this information, he will now drop his proposals to introduce this type of tax.

I am anxious to help the hon. Member and if he will supply more details of the communication in question I will write to him.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in connection with his consideration of value-added tax, he will consider excluding from the tax payments for rent, rates, house purchase and mortgage repayments.

My right hon. Friend is considering all aspects of the coverage of value-added tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the payment of value-added tax on subscriptions to employers associations and trade unions; and what reply he has sent.

My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on this subject. In reply he has made it clear that the points made will be taken into account when the time comes to decide this question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to pub- lish a White Paper on value-added tax; and if this will give details of the number of different rates to be applied.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sudbury and Woodbridge (Mr. Stainton) on 19th November.—[Vol. 826, c. 235.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the changes in the timetable originally envisaged for the introduction of the value-added tax, he will consider publishing a White Paper shortly giving as much detailed information as possible, to facilitate the smooth introduction of the new measure.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sudbury and Woodbridge (Mr. Stainton) on 19th November.—[Vol. 826, c. 235.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will obtain from the countries of the European Economic Community details of the various ways in which they operate the value-added tax and publish this information in the OFFICIAL REPORT; and in particular to what extent the operation of the three-tier system of 18 per cent. standard-rate, the reduced rate of 6 per cent. and the top rate of 25 per cent. would affect Great Britain's merchandise if operated on the same basis in this country.

Much information has been obtained about V.A.T. procedures in the E.E.C. Member States, but owing to the complexity of the detail, its analysis and publication in the OFFICIAL REPORT would involve a disproportionate expenditure of resources without greatly clarifying the United Kingdom issues. For it is not possible to estimate the effect of the tax on the hypothetical basis suggested.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table of figures showing to what extent the operation of the value-added tax in Great Britain on the same basis as that now operating in each of the countries of the European Economic Community would increase or reduce the prices of admission into all forms of sport and entertainment; and how it would affect house repair bills, a three piece suite, a hotel bill, a used car, and a child's crib.

No; it would require a disproportionate expenditure of resources to prepare estimates on the lines requested of the hypothetical changes envisaged in the Question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement showing how the introduction of value-added tax in Great Britain will have to be aligned with the operation of the value-added tax in the countries of the European Economic Community in the event of Great Britain's entry into the Community; and whether in the event of Great Britain signing the Treaty of Rome, Parliament would be able to refuse to accept both the principle and the operation of the value-added tax.

The member States of the E.E.C. have agreed to adopt the value added tax system of turnover taxation, but they remain free to determine their own rates and coverage. As members of the E.E.C. we would, of course, be able to play a full part in any decisions on harmonisation. The Government have decided to introduce a value added tax in this country on its merits, independently of the requirement to adopt the value added tax system that membership of the E.E.C. would bring.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the concern felt by the representatives of all types of sport, and the entertainment industry over the application of the value-added tax; if he will give an assurance that whether or not Great Britain enters the European Economic Community this tax will not be imposed.

Decisions on the coverage of the value-added tax will be announced in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether before seeking to introduce the value-added tax he will arrange to meet and discuss with representatives of the following sporting interests in this country, namely, athletics, boxing, cricket, association football, greyhound-racing, golf, horse-racing, motor sport, rugby league, rugby union, show-jumping, speedway, swimming and tennis, in view of the fact that theese interests are concerned that such a tax would damage these sports.

Consultations have been taking place with a large number of trade and professional associations on the subject of the value-added tax, on the basis of the Green Paper published at the time of my right hon. Friend's Budget last March. As my right hon. Friend made clear to the House in his speech in the debate on the Address, the inclusion of the V.A.T. legislation in the Finance Bill will allow time for further consultations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it remains his objective to secure a reduction of the rate of increase in the money supply, quarter by quarter, during the course of the current financial year.

As my hon. Friend will know, my right hon. Friend is now planning for a higher rate of growth of output between the first halves of 1971 and 1972 than he envisaged in the Budget, and this naturally has implications for the quarterly path of money supply.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the present policy of subjecting war widows' pensions to taxation.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the yield from redundancy payments during each of the last two years, on the basis that these payments were treated for income tax purposes as earned income.

On the basis of the figures of redundancy payments given today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment, up to £20 million for the year ended 30th September, 1970, and about £25 million for the year ended 30th September, 1971.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has of the extent to which extra tax reliefs provided by the Government since the 1970 election have been channelled into investment.

It is impossible to measure the precise impact upon private investment of the several tax reductions made by this Government, but they represent a significant contribution to industrial profitability and liquidity and have facilitated investment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost to the Exchequer in the last financial year of age allowance, age exemption and age relief.

Stock or Security									Increase	Decrease
									£m	£m
3%Savings Bonds, 1960–70			…	…	…	…	…	…	—	758
6½% Treasury Stock, 1971			…	…	…	…	…	…	—	566
4% Victory Bonds		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	—	7
6¾% Treasury Stock, 1974			…	…	…	…	…	…	300	—
6½% Exchequer Stock, 1976			…	…	…	…	…	…	600	—
6½% Treasury Loan, 1976			…	…	…	…	…	…	600	—
8½% Treasury Loan, 1984–86			…	…	…	…	…	…	600	—
4% Funding Loan, 1960–90			…	…	…	…	…	…	—	16
9% Treasury Loan, 1994			…	…	…	…	…	…	500	—
9% Treasury Loan, 1992–96			…	…	…	…	…	…	600	—
4% Consolidated Loan			…	…	…	…	…	…	—	1
3½% Conversion Loan			…	…	…	…	…	…	—	20
Terminable Annuities due to the National Debt Commissioners								…	—	75
National Savings Certificates			…	…	…	…	…	…	80 (net)	—
Defence Bonds	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	—	55
National Development Bonds			…	…	…	…	…	…	—	161
British Savings Bonds		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	167 (net)	—
Premium Savings Bonds			…	…	…	…	…	…	70 (net)	—
National Savings Stamps and Gift Tokens					…	…	…	…	2 (net)	—
Save As You Earn		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	26 (net)	—
Tax Reserve Certificates			…	…	…	…	…	…	12 (net)	—
Treasury Bills	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	—	534 (net)
Ways and Means Advances			…	…	…	…	…	…	154 (net)	—
I.M.F.—Interest free notes			…	…	…	…	…	…	—	207 (net)
I.D.A.—Interest free notes			…	…	…	…	…	…	—	2
Bank of England—Interest free notes (Gold Deposits)							…	…	—	5
Government of Pakistan—Pension Annuities						…	…	…	—	5
United States of America—Government Loan under Financial Agreement of 6th December, 1945					…	…	…	…	—	31
E.C.A. Loans under Agreements with the Export-Import Bank of America	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	—	5
M.S.A. Loan under Agreement with the Export-Import Bank of America	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	—	1
Lines of Credit under Agreements with the Export-Import Bank of America	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	—	31 (net)
Government of Canada—Loan under Financial Agreement of 6th March, 1946		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	—	8
Debt created on the Liquidation of the European Payments Union Government of the Federal Republic of Germany							…	…	—	18
									3,711	2,506
Net increase £1,205 million.

About £20 million for 1970–71.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will specify how the additional £1,186 million incurred in the National Debt between June, 1970 and June, 1971, is made up, detailing the total interest charges incurred and capital transfers; how much of the National Debt has accrued since the end of World War II; and in particular to what extent payments for or in reference to the nationalised industries have increased the National Debt since 1945.

The net increase in the National Debt between the end of June. 1970 and the end of June, 1971, amounted to £1,205 million. The principal items contributing to this change are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the discussions he has held with British Rail on its new equipment financing scheme and the tax avoidance arrangements incorporated therein.

My right hon. Friend has held no such discussions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many public corporations have sought his advice on tax avoidance schemes relating to equipment financing; and if he will make a statement;(2) to what extent he is prepared to give advice to companies and individuals on tax avoidance schemes; and if he will make a statement.

The Inland Revenue does not give advice on tax avoidance schemes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the possible tax loss to the Exchequer over the next ten years of the adoption by public corporations of the new equipment financing scheme of British Rail on all purchases.

The figures for which the hon. Member asks are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the total cost of reducing the retiring age for industrial workers from 65 years to 60 years; and what would be the cost if such reduction were to be spread over a five-year period.

I regret that the information sought is not available. I would, however, draw attention to the estimate provided by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services in an answer to the hon. Member for Oldham, East (Mr. Lamond) on 25th October in respect of the cost of reducing the national insurance pensionable age for males to 60 years. If the reduction then in question was spread over a five-year period the cost would increase from about £150 million in the first year to about £750 million in the fifth year.—[Vol. 823, c. 273.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to publish the annual White Paper on public expenditure.

On 25th November.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total of loans paid by the National Loans Fund to the nationalised industries and the other public corporations, respectively, listed in Cmnd. 4635, March 1971, in the year 1970–71.

The net total of loans paid in the year ended 31st March, 1971, from the National Loans Fund to the nationalised industries was £707 million, and to other public corporations £150 million. Details of transactions on the National Loans Fund for the year were published in the London Gazette of 2nd April, 1971.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will seek powers for housewives to be granted a shopping expense allowance for income tax purposes.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give for the latest date the internal purchasing value of the £ sterling, and show how this compares with June, 1970.

Taking the internal purchasing power of the £ sterling to be 100p, in mid-June, 1970, its purchasing power in mid-October, 1971, the latest date for which information is available, is estimated at 89½p.This comparison is based on the movement in the General Index of Retail Prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent Great Britain's entry into the Common Market will necessitate the adoption of the taxation policy of the countries of the Six on cars and vehicles; and to what extent these policies differ from existing British forms of taxation.

The existing policies of the Six for the taxation of cars and commercial vehicles are not uniform. Draft proposals for harmonisation of the taxation of commercial vehicles have been published by the Commission, but these are subject to further discussion. No proposals exist for harmonising the taxation of cars.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will institute a committee of inquiry or a working party to make recommendations on the desirability of separating the specialty of obstetrics from that of gynaecology, to advise on practical measures to this end, and to consider associated organisational matters.

The recognition of specialties is primarily a matter for the medical profession, in particular the Royal Colleges and similar bodies. It would not be appropriate for me to set up the type of inquiry suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he can yet make an announcement on the appointment of a health service Ombudsman.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the number of general practitioners and the average number of patients on the lists in Sunderland for the latest available date.

78 and 2,837 respectively. There are in addition two doctors practising as assistants.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give an approximate date for the start of the New Whittington Hospital, N.19, the estimated cost, and the approximate date for its completeion.

The North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board hopes to start rebuilding this hospital within the next year or two; it currently estimates the cost of the whole project at about £9 million. The date of completion cannot at present be forecast.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has received notification of change of use for the Bootle General Hospital; what future proposals he has for the hospital: and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the Liverpool Regional Hospital Board is consulting local interests on the future of Bootle Hospital. It is too soon to say what this will be.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now give notice of his intention to propose an increase in the State retirement pension, to take effect as from the beginning of the next financial year; and arrange that the pension will be reviewed annually rather than biennially.

No. Our policy on reviews was set out in the White Paper "Strategy for Pensions"—(Cmnd. 4755.)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements are made for the appointment of members of local appeal tribunals; and who is consulted before appointments are made.

Chairmen of National Insurance local tribunals are appointed by the Lord Chancellor or Lord President of the Court of Session as appropriate. The members are nominated by local employers' associations and trades unions and appointed by me.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what details he has received of the number of hospital units which have either been closed, or are to be closed in England and Wales, and the new purpose to which the above buildings are to be put; and if he will make a statement.

From 1st January, 1961, to 30th June, 1971, 316 recommendations for closure or change of use of hospital units were approved. Of the 83 recommendations approved during 1970 and the first half of 1971 alternative hospital use was planned in 23 cases: in the others, disposal outside the Hospital Service was envisaged. Particulars of alternative use before 1970 are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is aware that only one free copy of the Supplementary Benefits Handbook is available to Members, and that other copies have to be paid for at 32½p per copy; and if he will make copies of this handbook available free to Members so that they can advise their constituents as to their rights, and available to all citizens either free or at the lowest possible charge.

This is a comprehensive handbook for those who give advice to claimants and beneficiaries over the whole field of supplementary benefits. Whilst a number of free copies have been issued, including one to each hon. Member, it is designed for this purpose as a sale publication; its price covers only production costs. At the same time anyone who wishes to refer to the handbook may do in any of the Department's local offices, and there are millions of free leaflets available about individual benefits. With information available on this scale we do not think a more extensive issue of free copies to hon. Members would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what number of psychiatric long-stay beds have been taken down or changed to alternative uses for the years 1960 to 1970, respectively, and what proportion this represents of the total number of psychiatric long-stay beds in the National Health Service for each of the years involved.

The Department's records do not distinguish long-stay psychiatric beds. The table below relates to the average daily number of available beds in England and Wales for mental illness, child psychiatry, and chronic sick under psychiatric supervision.

	Number of beds	Reduction in number	Percentage reduction
1960	153,195	—	—
1961	150,688	2,507	1·64
1962	147,913	2,775	1·84
1963	146,253	1,660	1·12
1964	145,048	1,205	0·82
1965	143,258	1,790	1·23
1966	140,682	2,576	1·80
1967	138,785	1,897	1·35
1968	136,311	2,474	1·78
1969	133,617	2,694	1·98
1970	130,538	3,079	2·30
1960–70	—	22,657	14·80

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to maintain central records of the fees paid by the National Health Service to agencies supplying qualified doctors, nurses, and auxiliary staff; and if he will make estimates of the comparable cost to the service on the basis that staff were directly available.

No: we expect hospital authorities to have regard to relative costs in using nursing agencies and I do not think the work involved in centralising records would be justified. In many cases there is little difference in cost between agency and directly employed nurses of similar grade when account is taken of the paid sick leave, holiday and superannuation provisions for the latter. Very few agency nursing auxiliaries are employed by hospitals, and as regards doctors I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 28th October.—[Vol. 823, c. 457–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in his regular review of all major companies supplying drugs, what was found to be the least net profit as a percentage of selling price, and what to be the highest.

The information is not available. We examine the overall profitability of the National Health Service business of the companies, and not the profits on a drug's selling price.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in his discussions with the drug industry, how many admissions have been made that excessive profits were made.

None, but most major companies have made price reductions, sometimes on their own initiative and sometimes after negotiation with the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his discussions with the drug industry on profit margins included foreign firms; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I have no statement to make.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many copies of leaflets WS1, PN1 and PN2 are required annually by his Department; and what is the annual cost;

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of separate explanatory leaflets, claim forms, etc., issued by his Department in connection with benefits made available through his Department;

The figures are tabulated below, except where an annual usage figure is not available. In these cases the last order is given.what is the total annual requirement of such leaflets and claim forms; and what is the total annual cost.

The number of separate claim forms is 93. The total annual requirement is estimated at 85 million at an annual cost of approximately £85,000. The number of explanatory leaflets is 50, 10 of which carry a claim form. The estimated annual requirement of 38 of these is approximately 15 million at an approximate annual cost of £66,000. Annual figures are not available for the 12 other leaflets, either because they have not yet been in use for a year, or because they were prepared for a single specific purpose. The print order for these leaflets totals approximately 26 million at an approximate cost of £36,000. These figures should be viewed in conjunction with the 17 million benefits and allowances paid each week at a cost of about £4,400 million a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will take steps to reach a further agreement with the tobacco industry that temporary streamers advertising cigarettes and displayed only at football matches or other sports events at the time of being televised by either the British Broadcasting Corporation or the Independent Television Authority shall be banned;(2) if his agreement with the tobacco industry concerning the advertising of cigarettes includes advertising by direct mailing; and if he will now conduct an inquiry into the extent of the use of this medium and examine its content.

The full scope of the agreement with the tobacco manufacturers, which is due for review in the New Year, was set out in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds. North-West (Sir D. Kaberry) on 24th June, 1971. I am in touch with the B.B.C. and I.T.A. about smoking and television, and the Government will before long be considering the whole problem of smoking and health in the light of an interdepartmental examination of all the implications.—[Vol. 819, c. 340–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from nurses organisations on the subject of working hours in hospitals.

We have received representations from one organisation about implementation of the recommendation of the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the introduction of straight shift systems in hospitals. We also received an approach from the Staff Side of the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council about the possibility of bringing forward the operative date of 1st January, 1972, agreed by the Whitley Council for the reduction of weekly hours from 42 to 40.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the effect of nurses hours on the amount of wastage in the profession.

None of the published surveys of student nurse wastage identify hours of duty as a significant cause of wastage. In so far as it may be a contributing factor the introduction of a 40 hour week from January next should help overcome it. Qualified staff who are unable to work the full hours have opportunities of part-time employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the amount spent by each of the appropriate local authorities in rank order per registered disabled person for 1970–71.

Figures of total expenditure by local authorities on services for disabled persons are not available; and practice with regard to registration varies from one authority to another, since registration is not a condition of the provision of a service. It is therefore not possible to provide any figures of expenditure per registered disabled person without inviting misleading comparisons, and this I am not prepared to do.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number per thousand of registered physically handicapped persons, in rank order for each local authority for 1970–71.

Since registration is no measure either of services provided or of the incidence of handicap, and the practice of local authorities with regard to registration therefore varies widely, the publication of the figures as requested is liable to be misleading and I should not be justified in giving them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will establish a committee to discover why some disabled people are reluctant to approach the local authority for help, and the reasons for their reluctance.

The recent national survey of the handicapped revealed the main reasons why handicapped people do not seek help from the local authority, and we see no need for a further study.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will send to those local authorities which have not yet taken any action to implement Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970, a copy of the Which? report on handicapped people, a copy of which is in his possession, which showed that many handicapped people not on local authority registers needed a number of aids and services which they were not getting and did not know about, and that those who were registered were on the whole getting the aids and services they needed.

My right hon. Friend has already sent to every local authority concerned copies of the national survey report on the handicapped and impaired which draws attention to these points.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will request local authorities to inform him before Christmas of the action they have taken to implement Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act during the three months which will have elapsed since they received Circular 45/71, which gives advice on implementation.

My right hon. Friend proposes to ask local authorities to report to him on the progress they have made by next spring. We would not consider it realistic to ask for an earlier report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will inform the House as well as local authorities of the form and timing of the progress reports he wishes to receive from local authorities on the general development of services for the handicapped.

My right hon. Friend proposes shortly to issue a circular requesting information and he will place a copy of it in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to identify those local authorities which are not increasing their expenditure on services for handicapped people in line with the increased Government provision for this purpose; and if he will take action to encourage them to increase their expenditure.

The Government agreed to increased expenditure by local authorities on services for handicapped people when determining rate support grant for the current period. But the grant is distributed as a block grant and it is not therefore possible to say whether an individual authority is increasing its expenditure on any particular service in line with the increased provision which has been made overall. Authorities are well aware of our wish that they should develop their services for handicapped people as resources permit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what response he has had from local authorities to his request, made in May of this year, that they should search for the 8,200 very severely or severely handicapped people who live alone.

We shall be asking authorities for information about these and other groups of handicapped people as part of their reports on progress under Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will ensure that the booklet on services for the handicapped now being prepared by the Department lists all the major provisions that local authorities are both entitled and required to make to assist handicapped people.

The booklet will give information about all the major kinds of help for which the individual handicapped person can apply.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will amend Question 9 on the application form for attendance allowance so as to encourage applicants to give full details of the attention and supervision they need from other people.

This question was designed to give people the opportunity to set down, without compulsion or embarrassment, any information about their need for attention or supervision which might help the Attendance Allowance Board in reaching a decision. If the hon. Member will let me know of any difficulty or misunderstanding caused by it I will of course pass the information on to the board.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will request the Attendance Board to ask for a second medical opinion before they reject an application for attendance allowance.

It is for the board to decide what medical evidence they require to determine claims, but I will pass on the hon. Member's suggestion to it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children under the age of five years in the Leicester area were admitted to hospital or treated in casualty wards for poisoning during each of the months from January to October, 1971, inclusive.