asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent he took account of the estimate of Shelter Organisation, a copy of which is in his possession, that slum clearance will take 204 years, in formulating his own estimate that all slums in England and Wales can be cleared within 10 years.

All relevant information available was taken into account.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that my Question was asked in good faith but that it has since been ascertained from Shelter that this was a public relations exercise and more of a joke than a fact?

I am sure that any Question put down by my hon. Friend was asked in good faith. I thought that there was a public relations aspect to the Shelter campaign, but I am grateful to my hon. Friend for correcting me.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there may be many corporation houses in this country empty in a very short period of time for many reasons, not least among them that people are finding it hard to pay the rent, and that there is dual and sometimes treble occupancy taking place once again in some areas?

The rebate system which we are introducing under the Housing Finance Bill, the Second Reading of which was accepted the other day, will correct that position.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what requests he has received from the Chairman of the British Railways Board for greater financial aid and support, the absence of which would result in rail closures; what total subsidy is being given by the Government in 1971–72 and for what length of railway routes; what estimate he has made for 1972–73; and whether he will make a policy statement on rail closures.

None, Sir. Grant in 1971–72 will be about £58 million for unremunerative rail passenger services on 8,450 route miles. No estimate can yet be given for 1972–73.

In cases in which there is no social grant and British Rail announce their intentions to close, will my right hon. Friend consider selling or leasing these railway lines to appropriate private companies, under light railway orders, in order that the services may be continued? Would he espouse denationalization—more Thomas Cooks—and condemn more Giros, which are anathema to Tories like myself?

My hon. Friend will not expect me to follow him into Giro, but I will content myself today with saying that if he makes a proposal to me I will look at it most carefully.

Would the Minister give an assurance that at this time of high unemployment he will look with a favourable eye upon proposals to extend the uneconomic railway social grant and bring forward no proposals for closures of the lines in the North of Scotland particularly, both in view of their likely employment factor and of the need to develop the economies of those parts of the country?

I am aware of the considerations raised by the hon. Gentleman. I could not give quite the blanket undertaking for which he asks, but I assure him that the needs of the North of Scotland in particular are constantly borne in mind and treated with the utmost consideration.

Will the right hon. Gentleman take into account the views of all those Conservative Members who sought to harry the previous Labour Government on the need to preserve branch lines running through their constituencies?

I had no idea that any Conservative Members ever harried the previous Labour Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what applications he has now received from the British Railways Board for additional infrastructure grants for the London and south-east network; and if he will make a statement.

I regularly receive such applications. £40 million of infrastructure grant has already been committed this year to British Railways Board projects.

Following the announcement of the Borough Market project recently, it was also stated that train services in the South-East—in Kent in particular—would be subject to delay during the construction period. Can I have my right hon. Friend's assurance that the discomforture to passenger services will be minimal, since already both passengers and services are at breaking point?

I am very conscious of the discomfort endured by commuters day after day, which was one of the reasons which led the Government to back the Borough Market project. I assure my hon. Friend that the Chairman of the Railways Board is also sharply aware of these problems and will do his best to minimise the inevitable inconvenience.

But does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that priorities for expenditure are also a matter of responsibility to this House? Does he recall that when I asked him in correspondence what priority was being given to various schemes, he said that it was only schemes which were presented by the Railways Board which he could consider? When I asked the Board to inform me of the whole range of schemes it had in mind, it said that it was not prepared to let me have them. Would he look into this?

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman has grounds for discontent. If I can remove them, I will.

Commuter services generally have done very badly in recent years in respect of capital expenditure compared with inter-city services. Will my right hon. Friend look into that and see whether he can facilitate increased expenditure on these lines, which carry many millions of passengers?

I am not sure what my hon. and gallant Friend means by "recent years". I do not think that he can be referring to the last year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he now intends to introduce regulations to reduce lead emissions from petrol; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes further legislation to control motor vehicle exhaust pollution.

I will be making an announcement in the near future of what further controls over atmospheric pollution by motor vehicles I consider necessary. I am paying particularly close attention to the use of lead additives in fuel.

As lead in petrol is now recognised as a serious and growing health hazard in cities, would the Minister indicate whether he is considering the possibility of legislation to compel petroleum companies to make an effective reduction in lead content? Nothing else could be significant in reducing this pollution.

I must ask the hon. Lady to await my announcement over the total position. I am not certain whether the proposals I would make would need legislation or could be done by order. I ask the hon. Lady to wait until the final discussions are concluded.

Does my right hon. Friend take seriously the report in the Evening Standard yesterday about the alarming increase of lead in the atmosphere? Following from that, would he expedite legislation in this matter, because increasingly our overseas motor markets, such as United States and, perhaps, in future, Europe, will demand that engines are able to cope with low octane ratings?

As my hon. Friend probably knows, the Chief Medical Officer has stated that it is important that lead content in the atmosphere does not increase. I am well aware of this advice and I shall be taking the appropriate action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he hopes to announce the decision on objections to the Teesside Parkway which was the subject of a public inquiry at Middlesbrough earlier this year.

My right hon. Friend has today approved Teesside County Borough Council's compulsory purchase order for land for the Parkway as recommended by the inspector following the public inquiry.

I genuinely thank the Minister for that reply, particularly because a great deal of advance work is waiting on this decision, for which application will be made to his Department and which I hope will receive similar expedition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will sponsor a national tree planting year in 1973, following his promise to consider this suggestion in reply to a supplementary Question by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Handsworth, on 28th July. 1971.

I very much wish to encourage amenity tree planting, particularly in view of the losses from Dutch elm disease. I am considering what form of local or national campaigns would be of the greatest assistance, including the possibility of a tree planting year in 1973.

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that reply. The purpose of the exercise is to plant trees where they are needed in towns and cities. Under my modest plan there would be no cost to local planning authorities other than the cost of earmarking and preparing the land in towns and cities for the planting of trees donated by families, individuals, organisations, trade unions and other societies.

I congratulate my hon. Friend on the campaign he has launched. Cities which have already encouraged similar tree-planting campaigns in urban areas have achieved considerable success and have made a considerable impact upon the quality of the environment.

Will the Secretary of State have discussions with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in an effort to persuade him to allow some financial help to the Forestry Commission for environmental planning?

The Forestry Commission plays a considerable rôle in helping with the landscaping of motorways, which is now of a very high order. I am sure that my right hon. Friend will take note of the hon. Gentleman's remarks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities which have designated general improvement areas; and if he will give details of the number of areas per local authority and the number of householders involved.

Yes, Sir. As the Answer contains a large number of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. The indications are that considerable progress has been made in this respect. I suggest that it would be advantageous to draw to the attention of local authorities the considerable powers that exist under Section 75 of the 1969 Act and that, particularly in general improvement areas, greater impetus be given by the Government to local authorities to take these steps.

I note what my hon. Friend says and agree with him. Two hundred and thirty-six general improvement areas have now been declared. In the past 10 months, 123 have been declared, compared with 113 in the previous 14 months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining the safeguards he will guarantee for the voluntary housing movement in his housing revenue proposals.

The provisions in the Housing Finance Bill will in total considerably increase the amount of money available to the voluntary housing movement. There are also provisions to mitigate special financial difficulties which may occur for individual associations.

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. I hope that he will note that there is still some anxiety that it will become more difficult to start a new housing association. We all accept that large and substantial associations are needed, but we should not try to stop the formation of new housing associations.

I note what my hon. Friend says. During the passage of the Housing Finance Bill I am sure that we shall have an opportunity to discuss the matter, and either my right hon. Friend or I will be able to outline in detail the safeguards for housing associations.

The Under-Secretary keeps giving very reassuring answers on this point, but is he aware that, as the hon. Member for Epping (Mr. Tebbit) said, many sections of the voluntary housing movement have expressed the greatest possible anxiety about the effects of the new Bill, particularly the newer and younger societies? Will the hon. Gentleman underline what he has just said and state categorically that when we discuss this matter in Committee he will take these anxieties into account?

I have told the right hon. Gentleman on a previous occasion that varying views have been expressed by the voluntary housing movement about these proposals. I am anxious to reach the point at which we can discuss the proposals in detail in Committee, and I am sure that at that stage we shall be able to allay some of the anxieties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will investigate the Shelter Organisation's recommendation in Shelter Paper No. 2, a copy of which is in his possession, that local authorities should maintain a housing register containing details of all properties within each local authority's boundaries.

I read this paper with interest but do not believe that a housing register would be the best answer to the problems outlined.

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Does he agree that 200,000 houses a year are still becoming unfit? This suggestion by Shelter might be a contribution to tackling this problem and anticipating houses becoming unfit.

I will certainly consider again what my hon. Friend says. There are immense practical difficulties about a housing register. As regards the other suggestions made in the Shelter Paper, local authorities largely have the powers. I hope that the new slum clearance subsidy will be a considerable help to local authorities in dealing with their slum problems.

I agree that local authorities have the powers, but does not the Question ask by implication that the Minister should encourage local authorities to act? Should not effective housing advisory centres take this suggestion aboard as a central part of their activity? The idea is to have a central register, particularly in areas of stress.

That is a sensible idea. The hon. Gentleman will be pleased that great progress is being made with the creation of housing aid centres, which can provide a very useful service in this and many other matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will consider applying the 80 per cent. grant for restoration of derelict land to all areas whether development, intermediate or not.

No, Sir. The Government intend to maintaitn the present differential rates of 85 per cent. grant in the development areas, 75 per cent. in the intermediate and derelict land clearance areas and 50 per cent. elsewhere.

Does my hon. Friend accept that that is a very disappointing reply to the people of Bolton and many parts of Lancashire which are not development areas and not intermediate areas but which have a large amount of dereliction? Is not one dark Satanic mill as bad as another, whether it is in a development area or not?

No. We must give preferential treatment to the development areas. This acknowledges their considerable economic problem. The response from local authorities in the derelict land areas to the 75 per cent. grant is encouraging.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that when this general subject was last raised in the House the Secretary of State for the Environment implied that those of us who wished these differentials to be extended to the greater Manchester area did not care about areas of high unemployment? Does the hon. Gentleman realise that Manchester is an area not only of very bad problems of this nature but also of high unemployment? To deal with both of these problems, will the hon. Gentleman now extend these grants and facilities to the Manchester area?

The 75 per cent. grant applies to a very broad band right across from East to West in the North and the Midlands. At 75 per cent. it is a very generous grant and local authorities in the poorer areas, by means of the rate support grant, bring it up to about 85 per cent.

Is there not a lack of logic in the way my hon. Friend is approaching this? Do not the special areas have extra inducements to attract industry from elsewhere? In this case, the dereliction is fixed. The dereliction does not move from these areas, so the aid that is given should run equally all along the band.

The development areas have economic problems which the others do not. We must maintain this differential.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied with the rate of progress in the reclamation of derelict land; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities in the priority areas are making encouraging progress. The estimated gross expenditure on schemes approved for grant in England during the first six months of the current financial year was £3·3 million. This is more than the amount approved during the whole of 1969–70.

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that despite the generous Exchequer grant, far too many local authorities are not taking advantage of it? Will he consider killing two birds with one stone by increasing the grant to 100 per cent. in areas of high unemployment, so speeding up reclamation and at the same time creating sorely needed jobs?

If the hon. Gentleman can give me the names of any local authorities which are not responding, I shall be happy to look into the matter. I think it would defeat the object if we were to increase the grant to 100 per cent. In fact, although the poorer areas receive 80 per cent., with rate support grant it already runs up to 95 per cent.

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that the Hunt Committee emphasised that not only investment incentives but environmental criteria militated against industrial areas adjacent to intermediate and development areas? Will he look again at the question of providing better rates for the improvement of derelict land for industrial regions such as wool textile districts which face a serious problem in this matter?

We are looking into the problems of the textile areas now to see whether an adjustment can be made in the description of "derelict land" in those areas.

Will the hon. Gentle-reconsider having a 100 per cent. grant, particularly in respect of the special development areas, in which we have a massive unemployment problem? Is he aware that the 15 per cent. that remains for local authorities to find is often the breaking point—particularly in view of his right hon. Friend's generous offer of another £130 million of loan sanction to encourage local authorities to go deeper and deeper into debt?

The figures show that the grants are having their effect at the percentages at which they now stand. The amount cleared in 1969 was 2,500 acres and by 1970 it had gone up to over 3,500 acres, which means that local authorities are responding.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the date of the opening of the public inquiry into the proposed development of the A66 from Penrith to West Cumberland.

I have now arranged for the inquiry to be opened in Penrith on Tuesday, 25th January, 1972.

I welcome that reply. Why has it taken so long to arrange for this inquiry, bearing in mind the importance of this project to West Cumberland? Will the hon. Gentleman confirm that there have been no objections to the section of the road west of Cockermouth? If that is so, why has not the go-ahead been given for this part of the road, not only to speed the project but also to provide much-needed employment in Cumberland this winter?

I do not think that there has been any substantial delay. The Press announcement of an inquiry was made in September by my right hon. Friend. It was necessary to carry out the statutory procedures and to collect all the objections. We have fixed the inquiry as soon as it can possibly be managed. The inquiry must make its results known and my right hon. Friend must consider them before we can start work on the road.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the meetings which have taken place between his Department and groups desirous of developing facilities at Foulness.

Meetings have been held with the Thames Aeroport Group and the Thames Estuary Development Company to find out more about their proposals. The discussions have been exploratory and imply no Government commitment to these organisations or to the ideas which they put forward.

While thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask him to give an unequivocal assurance that the Government will not support port development at Foulness with adjacent industrial development which would militate against the expansion of port development in other parts of the United Kingdom?

No. I cannot give that assurance. We are, however, studying the full regional planning aspects of the varying types of development that could take place at Foulness, and until we have completed our inquiries, which are taking into consideration all the environmental and planning aspects, we cannot announce what form our decision will take.

Is my right hon. Friend prepared to meet some of the people who believe that they can still house-train aeroplanes and make them decent to live with near to our big cities, thus obviating the need for the expensive pouring of concrete over large areas of the east coast of the country?

I am always pleased to meet my hon. Friend.

This is a serious matter. Will the Minister bear in mind that opposition to Foulness—not only local opposition but that from informed quarters—is still very strong indeed? While recognising that he is in the midst of the planning stage, may we have an assurance that when this planning stage in his Department is concluded, he will be willing to have a last reconsideration of whether the case for Foulness still stands, and will he let the House have a final opportunity of discussing the issue?

No, Sir. The case for Foulness certainly stands. The factors have not altered since we debated the subject and there is no doubt of the need for a third London Airport. The site chosen is, I am sure, the best site in environmental and regional terms.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the lack of public access to the moors in the Peak District National Park in the vicinity of Meltham.

I have received rep-representations about the lack of public access in the vicinity of Meltham from four local organisations and two individuals.

Is the Minister aware that for centuries the public have had access to these moors within the National Park but now find that in this age of increasing leisure, by means of fences and signs they are being prohibited from having access? Will the hon. Gentleman consider making an access order for this piece of moorland?

It is difficult for me to talk about the merits of this case because it may go to my right hon. Friend on appeal. The Peak District National Park Planning Board expects shortly to advertise and to submit to my right hon. Friend under the statutory procedures a map showing the extent of public access in the National Park, and my right hon. Friend will consider any representations that may be made about that map. I suggest to the hon. Gentleman that that is the stage at which representations should be made.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this stretch of land is some of the best walking country in these islands and that it would be a tragedy if it were to be enclosed, thus stopping literally thousands of people from enjoying these areas, for the benefit of a comparatively few who want to poop off guns?

I trust that the hon. Gentleman will forgive me if I do not answer the case on its merits. My right hon. Friend is in a quasi judicial capacity, although he gave an undertaking when answering Questions recently that he would consider this overall question of access to parks. He has considered it with the N.F.U. and the Country Landowners' Association, and the Countryside Commission is considering the results of that consultation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures for house building in the public sector; and how they compare with a similar period for 1970.

In Great Britain 104,134 permanent dwellings were started in the public sector in the period January to September, 1971, and 116,310 were completed. This compares with 117,897 starts and 131,634 completions in the same period last year.

Is the Minister aware that these figures are a total disgrace and look very sad indeed against the claim we used to hear about the Conservatives clearing the slums within ten years? Is the right hon. Gentleman proud of the boast he made in Manchester in the summer of 1969, when he urged local authorities to abandon council house building? Is he aware that 225,000 construction workers are on the dole and that when the new Housing Finance Bill has been in operation for two or three years even these figures will look like paradise?

The hon. Gentleman should beware of overstating his case. The figures which will be published at the end of the week will, I think, show a welcome rise in public sector building resulting from the understanding by local authorities of the White Paper and the Bill.

Whatever next week's figures may show, is it not a fact that these figures are serious enough without there being any need to overstate them? Is it not the case that there are over 100,000 unemployed construction workers? In the light of that, is it not remarkable that the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, when detailing his plans for increases in public expenditure, made no mention of council house building? Will the right hon. Gentleman press on the Chancellor that as part of this programme of increased public expenditure there should be an emergency programme for increasing council house building?

I am sure the right hon. Gentleman appreciates that there was uncertainty in the minds of many local authorities until the publication of the White Paper on the reform of housing finance and the publication of the Bill. The figures which will be published at the end of this week will, I am sure, show a welcome increase in public sector building, and this in itself is encouraging.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that hon. Gentlemen opposite table a similar Question every month—[interruption.]—or certainly at regular intervals, in an effort to prove that private enterprise housing does not clear slums just as effectively as council house building? Is it not better to build houses where they are wanted rather than according to dogmatic beliefs?

My hon. Friend has put the matter into perspective.

May I follow my right hon. Friend the Member for Grimsby (Mr. Crosland) in asking the right hon. Gentleman, in the light of the figures he has just given and of the army of 125,000 building workers who are unemployed, now to request local authorities to launch a crash programme of house building? I admit that it takes time to plan a house, but could they not be asked to bring forward their existing programmes by six months?

As I ventured to tell the House at the conclusion of the Second Reading debate on the Housing Finance Bill, I have written to all local authorities asking them to let me have the latest estimates of their slum problems and of how they can possibly bring forward their necessary action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to complete his review of the statutory penalties for all pollution offences.

Soon, Sir.

I thank my right hon. Friend for that encouraging reply. Will he press ahead with his encouragement and ensure that the penalties are really tough and are a genuine deterrent?

Most serious offences will be liable to trial on indictment and in such cases the courts can often impose fines without limit or terms of imprisonment. Maximum fines on summary conviction will be increased substantially. The new scales will, I am sure, provide real deterrence to offenders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish a Green Paper with proposals for amending the law on compensation.

I do not think a Green Paper would be the most appropriate way to announce our intentions when we have completed our review.

Will my hon. Friend reconsider that reply? We all realise how complex the issue is and how full his hands and those of his colleagues are at the moment, but there is great public impatience. Could he try to publish proposals before Easter, in whatever form?

We have already consulted very widely—perhaps too widely for speed in making our decisions. I think that it is right that we should publish our decisions quite definitely, and then there will be plenty of scope for discussing them.

Despite the good work done by the Labour Government's legislation for giving compensation in these cases, there are certain anomalies in that one house which is the subject of such an order may get full compensation while the house next door may get only site value. Would it not be more equitable to assess this on a sliding scale so that there is not a sharp division between the house that gets full compensation and the one that gets nothing?

That is the sort of thing we have considered in the review, and I ask the hon. Gentleman to await the results.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations his Department has had with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on methods of international co-operation on environmental control matters; and what is his policy towards the purpose and form of international agreements in this field.

My Department is represented in several groups arranged by O.E.C.D. to pool information and ideas about protection of the environment and in particular the economics of control of pollution. I strongly favour international agreements where a part of the environment common to several countries is involved or where sources of pollution, such as vehicles, are articles of international trade.

While recognising the worldwide desirability of standards, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he does not agree that it would be more rewarding to concentrate the United Kingdom efforts nearer home in Europe rather than widely on the international scene?

Yes, Sir. I am much in favour of trying to get regional agreements on pollution, particularly pollution of the North Sea, river pollution and so on, and I think that we can make more speedy progress on a regional basis.

In view of the great success of the Council of Europe's European Conservation Year two years ago, will the right hon. Gentleman consider, in view of what he said, working more closely with the Council of Europe, which, after all, is limited to this part of the world?

We work with a number of European bodies. I am anxious to avoid unnecessary duplication, and I think that we can do so while continuing such co-operation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what reduction in casualty figures for children has occurred since the introduction of the Green Cross Code.

In the period May to August child pedestrian casualties fell by 1,070 or 7·3 per cent. compared with last year. This was achieved at a time when the general trend is upwards.

In view of the many sincere doubts and reservations expressed at the time of the introduction of the Green Cross Code, would my right hon. Friend consider giving these figures the widest possible publicity?

I am grateful for my hon. Friend's help in doing just that. I should like on his behalf and, I am sure, on behalf of the House, to say a word of appreciation to all those who put this code into effect. It produced some quite striking results.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the result of Government encoragement of the voluntary use of seat belts.

After the recent publicity campaign in the north-east the proportion of front seat car occupants wearing seat belts was about 28 per cent.—double the level before the campaign.

Will my hon. Friend give an assurance that the Government are not intent on bringing in legislation to make this compulsory? Could we be assured that they will continue their campaign to get the voluntary wearing of seat belts, in order to reduce the number of deaths in car crashes?

I am sure that my right hon. Friend would always prefer to persuade rather than compel.

In view of the great loss of life avoided by the wearing of seat belts, will the hon. Gentleman suggest to all Members of the House of Commons that they should set a good example by wearing seat belts whenever they take their cars on the road?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has held with the bus industry regarding his proposals for the modification of the bus licensing system.

I have had useful discussions with both sides of the industry.

Will my right hon. Friend remember in these consultations that many bus operators are not represented by the organisations he has consulted and that many of them have great sympathy with the modifications he is proposing?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his observation. I have seen one or two of the independent operators, outside the associations, who have expressed views similar to those he has just put.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will amend the Use Classes Order so that planning permission would be required for a change of use from a shop to a restaurant or café.

Representations to this effiect have been considered and discussions have taken place with interested organisations; we hope soon to reach conclusions which will be incorporated in an order.

Does my hon. Friend appreciate that the discussions on this subject have been going on for a very long time, under both the previous Government and this Government? Can he give an undertaking that a decision will be reached by the end of this year?

I hope it will. I appreciate that the discussions have been going on for a long time. The matter is tied up with the revisions of the General Development Order, and we do not want to make piecemeal announcements about these reforms.

I support what has been said by the hon. Member for Chelsea (Mr. Worsley). The discussions have been interminable. Will the hon. Gentleman make a decision rapidly, otherwise I shall have more chop suey shops than bus shelters in my constituency?

I would not say that the discussions have been interminable. We have had consultations with the local authority associations and with the trade, and I hope that we shall come to a decision soon.

I do not dissent from the thought underlying this Question, but will my hon. Friend make it clear that the mere amendment of the Use Classes Order would not automatically make an application for planning permission obligatory, which, following a long line of decisions in the Court of Appeal, would be a matter of fact and degree in the circumstances of each case.

I am grateful to my right hon. and learned Friend. What he said merely shows how many consultations one must have on these difficult problems.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of fatal and serious injuries to motor cyclists during the past year has involved moped riders.

About one-tenth.

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind the serious nature of the statistics he has just given and consider whether any further regulation is necessary to ensure that those who are relatively inexperienced—that is, moped riders—do not constitute a continuing and growing danger?

Yes, Sir. Mopeds generally are less dangerous for their riders than are motor cycles, but my hon. Friend knows that the Secretary of State's proposals will include the compulsory wearing of helmets by both motor cycle and moped riders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will take steps to increase the measures of enforceability which exist with regard to the security of loads carried by transport vehicles in Great Britain.

I am having a Code of Practice on Safe Loading prepared in consultation with industry.

That is a very helpful reply. Is my right hon. Friend aware that a mother and child who were constitutents of mine were recently killed as a result of a lorry shedding its load on their car? Can he say how many instances of minor or major load shedding by road transport vehicles were reported in the last 12 months and how many of them resulted in death, injury, serious damage or delay? Is he further aware that it is practically impossible to embark on a journey of more than a few miles in this country without observing an insecure load?

I am well aware of the serious problem to which my hon. Friend referred. I am also aware of the miserable accident to which she drew attention. I think that about 350 accidents have taken place in the last year in which insecure loading played some part. While I cannot give my hon. Friend all the information for which she asked, I can assure her that this matter is not taken lightly.

In his consideration of this serious problem, will my right hon. Friend apply his mind to the question of nuisance caused by lorries carrying rubbish or loads of sand which are not properly covered so that all the muck and rubbish blows on to following cars?

Yes, certainly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will seek to increase the limit on which grant is payable for environmental improvements in a general improvement area above £100 per dwelling.

We have no firm evidence at present that the existing limit is inadequate, but I am keeping this matter under constant review.

Is the Minister aware that, now that we have experience of the working of the grant, there is widespread feeling that to be effective it must be increased quite substantially?

I have heard a number of views expressed in the same sense as that expressed by the hon. Gentleman. If he has any firm evidence for what he said, I should be pleased to receive it.

Will my right hon. Friend always bear in mind that during the war the North-East Coast, because it was thought that we should be bombed to bits, was deprived of new industries and housing? The problem in the area is partly due to the fact that during the war we had to endure a very difficult time, in the national interest. Therefore, will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that, when we put forward proposals, we do so in the light of the sacrifices which had to be made in our area in the interests of national security and protection?

I always bear in mind anything that my hon. Friend says. I shall particularly bear in mind what she said today.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give rather more urgent thought to this matter than he seemed to indicate to my hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (Mr. Blenkinsop)? The grant of £100 is now worth, in real terms, about £80 compared with the time when it was originally fixed. Will the Minister urgently consider increasing the grant considerably in selected housing priority areas and areas of high unemployment?

As the hon. Gentleman knows, we have increased the Government contribution to the grant in the development areas. However, if the hon. Gentleman, with his vast experience of housing matters, would let me have any evidence he may have concerning areas in which an increase would be helpful, I shall be grateful to receive it.