asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances the Cistercian Abbey, Pontglenane, Northern Ireland, was searched by the Army on Friday and Saturday, 19th and 20th November; and if he will make a statement.

After two monks from the Abbey of Our Lady of Bethlehem, Portglenone, were found accompanying two escaped prisoners, troops searched the grounds and outbuildings of the Abbey with the R.U.C., but did not search the abbey itself. The search was conducted to ensure that neither any other escaped prisoners nor any illegal arms, etc., were there. Nothing of security significance was discovered.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances an ambulance carrying a wounded terrorist evaded the Army in the Mayard area of Turf Lodge, Belfast, on Tuesday, 23rd November, and subsequently at Forkhill, County Armagh; and if he will make a statement.

At about 5.30 p.m. troops observed an ambulance in the Ballymurphy area. Approximately two hours later, troops at Forkhill observed an ambulance turning left in the direction of Newry. No attempt was made in either case to stop the ambulance. I have no evidence that these incidents were connected or that they involved a wounded terrorist.

asked the Minister of State for Defence (1) what number of youths of 17 years of age and under have been arrested by the Army in Northern Ireland during the past six months;(2) how many women have been arrested by the security forces in Northern Ireland during the last six months, and in what districts these arrests took place.

I regret that it is impracticable without disproportionate effort to provide all the information in the precise form required by the hon. Member; and in particular to give figures by districts.Between 1st June and 25th November the Army arrested the following with a view to their being charged with specific offences of a security nature:

Youths under the age of 18	231
Women and girls	16

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many people from the Irish Republic took part in a riot in Strabane on the night of Tuesday, 23rd November; what action the Army took; what numbers of rubber bullets were fired; what amount of CS gas was used; and what arrests were made.

The information I have received is that about 20 to 30 youths took part in the riot. It is not known how many—if any—of these came from the Irish Republic. Nine CS cartridges and three rubber bullets were fired and the crowd dispersed across the border. No arrests were made at the time.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what action the Army took in the Duncairn/New Lodge Road area of Belfast on the night of Tuesday, 23rd November, when they were attacked by a stone throwing mob; what number of rubber bullets were fired; and with what effect; and what arrests were made.

Between 10.30 p.m. and midnight troops, operating jointly with the Royal Ulster Constabulary, dispersed a number of crowds in the area. During the period three baton rounds were fired. No arrests were made by the Army at the time.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances a soldier was shot by an Irish Republican Army sniper on Tuesday, 23rd November, in Belfast; what was the extent of his injuries; if the fire was returned and with what effect; and what arrests were made.

At about 1.15 p.m. a single high-velocity shot was fired from the area of Colin Street at the observation post in Howard Street. A sentry was hit in the side; he was admitted to hospital but his condition was not serious. Fire was not returned and no arrests were made by the Army at the time.

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many shots were fired at an Army helicopter by the Irish Republican Army in Londonderry on Tuesday, 23rd November; with what result; what action the Army took; and what arrests were made.

At about 2.15 p.m., 16 shots were fired at the helicopter, but it was not hit. The gunman was not seen and therefore fire was not returned. No arrests were made by the Army at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what was the number of people registered as unemployed at the Bedford Employment Exchange at the most recent date for which figures are available; and what was the percentage thereof who are executives;(2) how many people were registered as unemployed in the Bedford Parliamentary Division on the latest date for which figures are available.

At 8th November there were provisionally 1,347 people—1,035 men, 231 women and 81 boys and girls—registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Bedford Employment Exchange which includes the Bedford constituency. The number of unemployed executives included in these figures is unknown, but at 24th November there were 107 men and 10 women registered as unemployed at the Bedford Employment Exchange who were also on the Professional and Executive Register held at Luton.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men and women who are unlikely to obtain work except under sheltered conditions were unemployed in Birkenhead, Merseyside and nationally on the latest available date; and how many such persons were at that date employed under sheltered conditions.

On 11th October the numbers registered as unemployed and unlikely to obtain work, except under sheltered conditions were:

Birkenhead	52 men	1 woman
Merseyside	246 men	22 women
Great Britain	10,342 men	1,442 women

The corresponding numbers of people then in sheltered employment were:

Merseyside	393
Great Britain	12,883

There is no sheltered employment in Birkenhead but it is provided in Wallasey—for the Wirral generally—both by Remploy Limited and a voluntary body.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed persons there were in the administrative, professional and technical categories, respectively, in Nottinghamshire for each month from November 1970 to date; and what action he proposes to reduce the number.

In March, June, September and December, an analysis is made of the occupations for which wholly unemployed men and women aged 18 years and over are registered for employment. The analysis identifies those registered for administrative, professional and technical occupations but does not provide information for these three categories separately.The following table shows the available information:

Wholly unemployed men and women registered at employment exchanges in Nottinghamshire for employment in administrative, professional and technical occupations
	Men	Women
December, 1970	447	83
March, 1971	499	95
June, 1971	599	70
September, 1971	626	144

Employment prospects for administrative, professional and technical workers in Nottinghamshire will be improved by the many measures the Government have taken to stimulate the national economy. All the facilities of my Department's employment services will continue to be available to help those who are looking for new jobs. Professional and executive staff aged 40 years and over who have been unemployed for at least 13 weeks may take advantage of an extension of my Department's vocational training scheme whereby they can attend suitable short courses with employers or at colleges of further education at Government expense.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers of unemployed registered at employment exchanges covering the Hampstead parliamentary constituency on 1st November, 1970, and 1st November, 1971, and the numbers of vacancies available at these employment exchanges on those dates.

In the area covered by the St. Marylebone and Camden Town Employment Exchanges, which includes the Hampstead constituency, at November, 1971 there were 4,320 people registered as unemployed of whom 4,315 were wholly unemployed. At that date 1,529 notified vacancies remained unfilled. At November, 1970 the corresponding figures were 3,768, 3,765 and 2,456.The vacancy statistics relate only to notified vacancies remaining unfilled and do not purport to measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total number of unfilled places within higher education as a whole in England and Wales on degree courses in the sciences and technology.

This information is not available for higher education as a whole. I shall write to my hon. Friend giving him what information I can.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many reports of violence on school premises she has received since June, 1970, from local education authorities, teachers' organisations and individuals.

I appreciate that this is a matter of concern, particularly in the light of certain recently reported incidents in schools. I do not receive reports of violence on school premises as a matter of course, because discipline in schools is a matter for teachers, governors and local education authorities. Since June, 1970, my Department has received directly one complaint from a group of parents and two individual complaints.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the consultations she will be having in respect of the future financing of student unions will be concerned with the policy contained in her consultative document or solely with the means of implementing the policy described in that document.

As the document itself makes clear, the consultations will be concerned with the merits of the proposals put forward.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the increase or decrease in the total number of children on the schools rolls for the London Borough of Brent in each of the last four years.

The increase in the total number of pupils in maintained primary and secondary schools in Brent in the last four years was as follows:

January	Full-time Pupils	Increase
1967	36,396
1968	38,046	1,650
1969	39,392	1,346
1970	40,615	1,223
1971	41,777	1,162

In January, 1970, there was also one part-time pupil and in January, 1971, there were 40 part-time pupils.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he proposes to make to the proposal of the Confederation of British Industry that the Government should encourage further spending by local authorities, in addition to its decision to authorise additional expenditure of £162 million between now and March, 1973.

If further schemes satisfying the conditions of the special infrastructure works programme are proposed by local authorities in development and intermediate areas I would be prepared to consider them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council dwellings in Nottingham were completed in the periods April to September, 1970 and 1971, respectively; and how many dwellings were started in these two periods.

The hon. Member should seek this information from the local authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has received from the Road Research Laboratory concerning improvements of the arrangements to use salt on the roads during the winter months which might reduce the extent to which this causes corrosion of motor vehicles.

None. The Road Research Laboratory is currently examining the use of an anti-corrosive inhibitor to reduce the corrosive effect of rock salt commonly used as a de-icing agent on highways. The results of this investigation will be published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the level of unemployment in the Newport, Monmouthshire, employment exchange area, he will authorise those schemes for work at Newport Docks submitted to him for approval by the British Transport Docks Board.

No such schemes are awaiting my approval.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many level crossings there are on A roads, and how many there are on B roads, in England and Wales.

There are about 530 level crossings on A roads and about 470 on B roads in England. Level crossings in Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales but I understand that these figures are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many arrests were made by the army in West Belfast on Monday, 22nd and Tuesday, 23rd November; and what arms and ammunition were found.

I have been asked to reply.Between 8 a.m., 22nd November, and 8 a.m., 24th November, the Army arrested 37 people in West Belfast and found a variety of items, including the following:

2	rifles.
6	pistols and revolvers.
19	rounds of ammunition.
1	grenade.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations have been made to him on behalf of the 35,000 people who attended the Nationwide Festival of Light at Trafalgar Square on 27th September last, asking for the strengthening of the obscenity laws; what reply he has sent; and what action he proposes to take.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave yesterday to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton).—[Vol. 826, c. 421–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to implement the recommendations of the report by Sir Charles Cunningham into the work of the fire service.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions by the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, North-West (Mr. Greville Janner) on 24th November.—[Vol. 826, c. 407.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will obtain from the Northern Ireland Government, and publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT, the numbers of persons who are currently held under the Internment Act in Northern Ireland, and who are serving prison sentences for acts of terrorism including shooting, possession of firearms and explosives.

The following information has been provided by the Government of Northern Ireland:—The number of persons held at present under Regulations 10, 11 and 12 of the Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act, (Northern Ireland) 1971, are as follows:

Regulation 10 (i.e. persons held for questioning)	78
Regulation 11 (persons held in detention)	144
Regulation 12 (persons held in internment)	317
Total	539

The total number of persons at present in Northern Ireland prisons convicted of, or charged with acts of terrorism varying from riotous behaviour to murder is 377, of whom about 100 are on remand.The numbers of persons convicted of the more serious offences are as follows:

Murder	3
Possession of firearms	31
Possession of explosive substances	72
Possession of petrol bombs	27
Arson	12
	145

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will obtain from the Northern Ireland Government, and publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT, their estimate of the damage to property caused by terrorist activities in Northern Ireland since August, 1969; and how many people have been put out of work by these activities.

The following information has been provided by the Government of Northern Ireland:The amounts paid by the Northern Ireland Ministry of Home Affairs to local authorities in respect of malicious damage to property are as follows:

	£
Year ended 31st March, 1970	1,638,220
Year ended 31st March, 1971	2,753,662
1st April, 1971 to 31st October, 1971	1,451,251
Total	5,843,133

To date, approximately 18,000 claims have been lodged with the courts in Northern Ireland in respect of property damage. The total sum paid out as shown above represents settlement of approximately 6,500 claims. On this basis, it is estimated that the cost of meeting the outstanding claims as at this date is likely to be about £10 million.The Northern Ireland Ministry of Commerce states that as a result of bomb damage five firms employing a total of 289 persons have ceased production and are unlikely to resume business. A further nine firms employing a total of 294 persons are at present out of production but are planning to start again.In addition a number of other firms have suffered interruptions to production. It is impossible to quantify how much unemployment of a short or long term has resulted from these temporary closures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will obtain from the Northern Ireland Government, and publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT, the figures of killings and woundings of men, women and children in Northern Ireland as a result or terrorist activities since August, 1969.

The following information has been provided by the Government of Northern Ireland:The total number of deaths directly attributable to the disorders in Northern Ireland from 1st August, 1969, to 24th November, 1971, is 160.This is made up as follows:

Men	144
Women	9
Children under 16 years	7

Since 27th June, 1970. 1,632 persons have received treatment in hospitals and been sent home. A further 816 have been admitted and treated in hospital for more than 24 hours.The number of persons treated at hospitals for injuries attributable to civil disorders during the period 5th October, 1968, to 26th June, 1970, was approximately 1,685.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the grounds on which local authorities can refuse to exercise their powers to sell copies of the electoral register, other than the satisfaction of electoral requirements and whether he will make a statement.

Regulation 22 of the Representation of the People Regulations, 1969, requires the registration officer to sell copies to anyone, so long as sufficient copies are available after allowing for the number which may be required for the purposes of any election It is for the registration officer to determine that number.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all courts have now introduced the system of paying maintenance to deserted wives by cheque.

My right hon. Friend has asked clerks to justices in England and Wales to arrange for maintenance to be paid by post as a normal practice. It will, however, take some time for them all to make the necessary accounting and staff changes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of immigrants from East Africa for whom permits to enter this country have been allocated, who have indicated that they propose to reside in the London Borough of Brent; and what is his estimate of the number of children in these families of school age.

I regret that this in formation is not available.

asked the Lord President of the Council when he now expects copies of the English translation of the European Economic Community regulations to be available to hon. Members in the Vote Office.

English texts of Community instruments binding on the United Kingdom following our entry into the European Economic Community will be made available to the House before the introduction of the relevant legislation.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will give an assurance that all the rules, regulations and edicts which Great Britain will have to implement on entry into the Common Market will be available in the form of authenticated and agreed English translations for the supply of one copy of each to every Member of Parliament before Her Majesty's Government' sign any treaty, form of accession, or paper with the European Economic Community.

English texts of Community instruments which will be binding on the United Kingdom on accession will be available in adequate quantity in the usual way before the legislation is presented. There will be an index to enable hon. Members to select instruments of special interest to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the present position of plans to transfer the headquarters of the Forestry Commission to Scotland.

The Forestry Commission had decided, with the approval of the Government, to move its headquarters to Edinburgh. Planning will proceed on the basis of completing the move during the summer of 1975.

asked the Lord Advocate what arrangements are being made for the public inquiry into the circumstances of the deaths caused by the explosion at Clarkston on 21st October.

A public inquiry under the Fatal Accidents Inquiry (Scotland) Act, 1895, and the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry (Scotland) Act, 1906, is to be held on my instructions on 17th January next in the Town Hall, Paisley. The Sheriff Principal of Renfrew and Argyll, Mr. W. R. Grieve. Q.C., will preside, and the Solicitor-General for Scotland, Mr. D. W. R. Brand, Q.C., will lead the evidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what additional geriatric hospital provision will be allocated to Rochester and Chatham from the further sum of £118 million allocated by him on 22nd November.

The South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board has received a share of the £45 million which I said in my statement on 22nd November would go to the hospital service and it will be for the board to select schemes for this extra money.—[Vol. 826, c. 957–64.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what research he is undertaking into the extent to which the incidence of tuberculosis among the British-born population has been affected by immigration.

No research of this kind is being undertaken or sponsored by my Department. A constant surveillance is maintained by local health authorities and there are no indications of a general health hazard arising from the higher rates of tuberculosis experienced by some recently arrived immigrant communities. Records of medical officers of health in areas where the immigrant population has increased most rapidly in recent years suggest that the incidence of tuberculosis among the indigenous population in these areas continues to fall slowly in step with the rate for the country as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will circularise all local medical committees to ascertain their attitude on a voluntary ban on the prescribing of amphetamines by their members.

The voluntary acceptance of restraints on the prescribing of amphetamines is a professional matter on which the initiative is being taken by the medical profession itself. In my view this is the most effective way of handling the matter. The British Medical Association recently arranged a conference on the subject at which I was present: but I do not think that it would help if I intervened in the way proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total annual payment in respect of war widows' pensions.

About £47 million at current rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the dentists who provide full dentures on a National Health basis and who have surgeries within the London Borough of Wandsworth.

I have asked the Inner London Executive Council to let me have such a list, and will send the hon. Member a copy as soon as I receive it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in his negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry on the cost of drugs to the National Health Service, he will seek to prevent the use of erotic pictures in journals and other promotional material sent mainly to doctors, in the light of the example sent to him by the hon. Member for Willesden, West.

These negotiations would not be appropriate for such a purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the effect in reducing unemployment in the Easington constituency of the measures announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 27th October, 1970.

It is not possible to single out the effects of individual measures.

asked the Secretary of State For Trade and Industry what is the percentage increase in imports or raw materials in October, 1971, compared with October, 1970 and what is the percentage increase of manufactured imports in the same months.

Raw materials (Sections 2 and 4 of the Overseas Trade Statistics), minus 20 per cent.: manufactured goods (Sections 5 to 8). plus 9 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to compel aircraft to be fitted with an independent reserve electric supply.

The British Civil Airworthiness Requirements already require that where electrical services are necessary for maintaining controlled flight and/or effecting a safe landing, such duplicate or emergency electricity supplies as will ensure the continued operation of these services in the event of any failure of any section of the electricity supply system shall be provided.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements are being made for payment of claims for investment grant in respect of expenditure incurred by industry since 31st March, 1971.

In implementation of the Government's decision to accelerate payment of grant claims for expenditure incurred April to September. 1971 will be accepted by investment gram offices as from 1st January, 1972. Claims for this period, after they have been dealt with in the appropriate office, will also be payable as from that same date.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to fly in the British Concorde aircraft.

I hope to do so on 10th December, together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.The Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Mr. David Price). proposes to make a flight on 30th November, together with my hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has received that the amusement trades industry has been adversely affected by the introduction of the gaming machine licence duty in 1969.

Representations against the gaming machine licence duty were received from interested persons and trade associations in the pre-Budget and Finance Bill period this year. The yield of the duty has, however, shown no sign of declining.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates is the proportion of gaming machines that has been converted to 1p since decimalisation: what proportion has been converted to 2p; and what steps he is taking to obtain such information on a regular basis.

The operation and yield of the gaming machine licence duty are kept under continuous review, but detailed information on machine conversions is unlikely to be available except perhaps from trade sources.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much purchase tax has been collected in respect of gaming and amusement machines during 1970–71, and during each of the five years prior to 1970–71.

This information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on exempting from a value-added tax system equipment designed for and used by the disabled that is now either exempt from, or not subject to, purchase tax; and if he will make a statement.

Representations have been received from a number of interested organisations. My right hon. Friend is not yet ready to announce detailed decisions on the coverage of the value added tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates has been the cost to the amusement trades industry of conversion to decimalisation; and whether any claims for compensation have been allowed.

Information about machine conversion costs is not available.No claims for compensation have been allowed.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he intends to modify the proposals set out in his consultative document, National Health Service Reorganisation in Wales, following his revised proposals for local government reorganisation.

In accordance with the principle that area health authorities should be coterminous with the new counties so as to facilitate close collaboration with the county councils, I now propose that there shall be three separate area health authorities covering respectively the areas of West, Mid and South Glamorgan. The administrative boundaries of the area health authorities will not of course impede the movement of patients to hospitals in other areas as appropriate.The proposal for a South Glamorgan Area Health Authority makes it unnecessary to proceed with the proposed special teaching district committee which was to have been set up to cover part of the East Glamorgan area. I am considering instead how the constitution of the South Glamorgan Area Health Authority should be adapted to give appropriate recognition to the teaching function.