asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the rise in food prices in the last six months; and what were the comparable figures for each of the last five years.

The percentage changes in the Food Index between 18th May, 1971, and 16th November, 1971, and for the comparable periods of the previous five years, were as follows:

	Per cent.
mid-May 1971—mid-November 1971	+2·4
mid-May 1970—mid-November 1970	+1·0
mid-May 1969—mid-November 1969	+0·3
mid-May 1968—mid-November 1968	+0·2
mid-May 1967—mid-November 1967	-1·6
mid-May 1966—mid-November 1966	-1·2

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the rise in price of food between 25th December, 1970, and 25th December, 1971.

The Food Index figure for December, 1971, will not be available until 22nd January.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his policy for cereal market support during the transitional stage should Great Britain join the European Economic Community.

Market support during the transitional period will be secured through the common agricultural policy. Levies and intervention prices will be adjusted by six steps in five years to bring our market prices up to Community levels.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what derogations there are from the European Economic Community agricultural regulations concerning the import of feeding stuffs from countries outside the Community; and whether he will discuss with the Community the possibility of such a derogation in relation to Northern Ireland.

The E.E.C. agricultural regulations provide for two specific derogations in respect of imports of feeding-stuffs from outside the Community, as follows:(

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the approximate percentage increase in Common Market food prices since July, 1971.

Retail food prices for the Common Market as a whole are not available. The latest published information for individual countries relates to October, 1971, and the increases since July, 1971, are as set out below:

• Belgium—0·9 per cent.
• France—1·9 per cent.
• Germany—0·8 per cent.
• Italy—1·4 per cent. (up to September only)
• Netherlands—2·6 per cent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he is aware that the Common Market hygiene rules which will apply on Great Britain's entry into the Common Market, so far as poultry is concerned, will prevent poultry breeders from selling chickens and turkeys in their rough plucked state; how he estimates this will affect the sale of the 4 million turkeys and 50 million chickens sold undressed each year; and how this will affect Norfolk in particular;(2) whether he is aware of the concern felt by the British Poultry Federation on the ban of the sale of rough plucked turkeys and chickens on Great Britain's entry into the Common Market; what approaches he has received from the Association concerning this subject; and what steps he proposes to take.

The Government are in continuous touch with the poultry industry about the requirements of the common agricultural policy. The prohibition of the sale of uneviscerated poultry in the United Kingdom would not have to take effect until 1976, and in view of the changing nature of the poultry industry it is impossible at this stage to say what the effect would be. However, once we are in the Community we shall be able to ensure that the conditions of our industry are taken into account in the development of Community policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the agreement he has reached in Brussels that Great Britain will, when entering the European Economic Community, cease by 1976 to call British home produced wines by the latter name will apply to home-produced and privately-produced wines, sold or given away in Great Britain, to tonic wines and holy wines, such as those produced in Buckfastleigh; and how this agreement will be enforced.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 20th December. It is only in cases where the word "wine" in the name of a product would be incompatible with Community rules that it will have to be discontinued. The Community has yet to complete drafting and to bring into effect all the relevant regulations on nomenclature and description and, for this reason, the precise extent to which present British descriptions will be affected eventually is a matter for discussion and decision in the future. We shall, of course, be fully consulted by the Community. Community regulations will become part of our own law and will be subject to enforcement accordingly.—[Vol. 828, c. 248–9.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the negotiations which have been taking place in Brussels on the British demand that, on entry into the European Economic Community, British brewers will be able to continue to use the female hops for beer-making; and whether he will give a further pledge that he will not agree with the countries of the Six that on entry British beer will have to be made from the male hop.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member yesterday by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.—[Vol. 829, c. 28–29.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a revised estimate of entry on the cost of living as set out in paragraph 88 of the White Paper, The United Kingdom and the European Economic Community, Command Paper No. 4715, using as the basis the cost of living index figure in Great Britain as at 1st December, 1971, and comparable figures with the European Economic Community at that date.

No.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he intends to take, prior to Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, to encourage home food production and to limit imports; to what extent this will be on the basis of increasing prices paid to farmers for their commodities; what this will cost in the current year; and how this will affect the costs of Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community so far as food prices are concerned.

Agricultural production continues to expand, and entry to the E.E.C. will afford greater opportunities. Prices are a matter for determination after the annual review, but the hon. Member is aware that they are higher in the E.E.C.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the acreage for which applications have been made for grant-aiding the grubbing-up of apples and pears.

Applications received up to the end of 1971 under the new orchard grubbing scheme cover 3,346 acres of which approval has been given in respect of 3,055 acres. I must apologise for the fact that in quoting to my hon. Friend on 7th December the comparable figures up to the end of October, I inadvertently described them as relating to the number of applications instead of to the acreage involved.—[Vol. 827, c. 1109–10.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to publish the findings of the current policy review of Government forestry policy.

I cannot at present add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Mr. David Clark) and others on 16th November, 1971.—[Vol. 826, c. 203–4.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the increased number of applications for grant aid resulting from the 10 per cent. increase in capital grants made available at the last Price Review.

The number of applications for capital grants in the United Kingdom has increased, as follows:

1969	73,000
1970	113,000
1971 (first 11 months only)	137,000

The rate of grant will have played a part in this, but so will other factors, for example, easier and cheaper credit, lower taxation, and psychological factors, such as improved confidence, and the effect of these is impossible to identify precisely.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will so present the statistics in the 1972 Farm Price Review that they may be compared as far as possible on a like-with-like basis both with previous annual reviews and also with current European Economic Community statistics.

It is not proposed to make any basic changes in the statistics in this year's Annual Review White Paper. They will remain comparable with those used in previous reviews. It is proposed to make a thorough study of the need for a revision of statistics in the light of E.E.C. entry in the course of this year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what variation he intends to make in respect of milk prices as laid down at present by the Milk (Great Britain) Order, 1971.

None immediately.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has come to a decision regarding the range of ex-refinery sugar prices to be fixed for 1972; and if he will make a statement detailing the reasons for increases in the price of raw sugar since 1970.

I hope to make an announcement shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the Government's negotiations for a new Commonwealth Sugar Agreement; to what extent he anticipates an increase on the present £43·50 per ton; to what extent he estimates a rise in the retail price of sugar; and whether, on entry into the European Economic Community, the present system of negotiating and settling prices will alter.

The new Commonwealth sugar price announced on 16th December is £50 per ton, with an additional payment for developing countries varying from £7 to £11 per ton. This is equivalent to an increase of roughly one-third of a new penny per pound averaged over total United Kingdom consumption.The new price will apply until the end of 1974 when the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement will be replaced by arrangements to be agreed between the enlarged Community and the Commonwealth countries concerned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give an assurance that the enhanced rates of capital grants announced in the 1970 review will not terminate on 18th March, 1972.

No. I cannot anticipate the outcome of talks now in progress with the farmers' unions on this subject.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated level of the dairy herd in 1972.

At the June, 1971, Census there were 3,234,000 dairy cows in the United Kingdom. The level in 1972 is not expected to be significantly different, as it will inevitably take more than a year for the present revival of confidence in the industry to bring about an expansion of the herd.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in view of the fact that there is no shortage of high quality British lambs, whether he will resist requests to remove the lamb import levy.

The second stage of the import duty on mutton and lamb came into operation on 1st January, 1972, as planned. The third stage is due to follow on 1st July, 1972.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the powers he has to regulate the extraction rate of flour; what is the present rate authorised by him; and what outside advice he takes before exercising any such powers.

Powers exist under the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, to control the composition of food.The Bread and Flour Regulations, 1963, specify that certain nutrients must be present in flour at levels equivalent to an extraction rate of approximately 80–85 per cent.Before making regulations advice is obtained as appropriate, from the Food Standards Committee, the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee and the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how far he now estimates the wild mink population has spread; and what means of controlling these predators he recommends.

Although wild mink have been reported in 41 counties of England and Wales they are not numerous anywhere. The majority appear to be in Southern England, the Pennines and West Wales. Recommended control is by humane trapping.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will bring forward the date when all tractors will be fitted with safety cabs or frames.

The present timetable was determined by the previous Administration after extensive consultation with all interested organisations. No new circumstances have emerged to justify advancing the operative date of 1st September, 1977.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what additional steps he proposes to take to combat the increasing spread of wild rabbits in this country.

As my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Welsh Office informed the hon. and learned Member on 16th December, the clearance of rabbits is the proper responsibility of the occupier of the land.—[Vol. 828, c. 184.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is the number of slaughterhouses that have facilities for tricinoscopic examination for pigs;(2) what is the number of slaughterhouses that have adequate showers for workers;(3) what is the number of slaughterhouses that have fittings to allow supervision of entries and exits;(4) what is the number of slaughterhouses that have washbasins that are foot operated;(5) what is the number of slaughterhouses that still have wooden chopping blocks;(6) what is the number of slaughterhouses which have water of 82 deg. centigrade for sterilisation of equipment;(7) what is the number of slaughterhouses which have adequate refrigerated premises;(8) what is the number of slaughterhouses which have separate accommodation for fats and hides, respectively;(9) what is the number of slaughterhouses which have facilities for disinfection of vehicles;(10) what is the number of slaughterhouses which have separate accommodation for veterinary surgeons;(11) what is the number of slaughterhouses which have a separate casualty slaughterhall;(12) what is the number of slaughterhouses which have separate pig slaughter facilities;

I regret that the detailed information requested is not available in respect of all slaughterhouses. Wooden chopping blocks are widely used in Great Britain, but they may not be used in slaughterhouses exporting to E.E.C. countries. Trichinoscopic examination can be required at the discretion of the importing country, but there is little call for it at the moment: only Italy asks for it. No slaughterhouse has such equipment.All of the 54 slaughterhouses in Great Britain which have been approved for export in general have the necessary equipment or are in the course of providing it, and there are many of our other larger slaughterhouses which either already have or easily could provide a number of these facilities, but in particular the separation of pig slaughter often presents difficulty. It is usually expensive and in some cases impracticable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to give encouragement and help to bring slaughterhouses in the United Kingdom up to European Economic Community export standard.

We have no evidence that the provision of export facilities at slaughterhouses is at present inadequate to meet the needs of the trade. We intend, however, to keep the position under review, particularly in relation to the new situation which will arise within an enlarged E.E.C.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to adapt the various statistical series produced by his Department so as to harmonise with those produced within the European Economic Community; which main series are likely to be affected; and how it will remain possible to compare future with past British series.

I have nothing to add to the answer being given to my hon. Friend today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will accept the loss of the proposed excise duty involved in levying a low rate of tax on liquefied petroleum gas, when it is conclusively proved that its use is desirable on environmental grounds.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to announce soon what the rate of duty will be. I do not think there is any conflict between taxation policy and environmental considerations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied with the efforts of all Government Departments to create, via public expenditure, the maximum number of employment opportunities; and if he will make a statement.

The general policies of my right hon. Friend, including the announced tax cuts of £1,400 million per year, the relaxation of hire-purchase terms controls and the relaxation of credit, have provided the major reflationary action required to stimulate employment. In addition, over £650 million has been added to the public expenditure programmes in the short term, mainly to provide extra stimulation to employment in the development and intermediate areas. If further action becomes necessary it will be taken.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement on the progress of the Treasury's studies of negative income tax.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend said on 23rd November on this subject.—[Vol. 826, c. 1122–3.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is his intention that the relief of food from value-added tax shall be a permanent and not a temporary feature of his policy.

My right hon. Friend has no further statement to make on V.A.T. and food at this time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of his plans for the introduction of value-added tax.

Discussions between Customs and Excise and trade and professional associations are progressing satisfactorily.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will issue a White Paper on the financial obligations now placed upon nationalised industries.

No. I provided details of nationalised industries' financial targets in my reply to the hon. Member on 12th November. The British Transport Docks Board's new objective was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 29th November. Discussions with chairmen of the nationalised industries on the financial implications of price restraint, anticipated in my right hon. Friend's statement on 19th July, are continuing.—[Vol. 825, c. 287–88; Vol. 827, c. 29; Vol. 821, c. 1037–38.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish statistics relating to the distribution of personal income on incomes below the income tax level.

Estimates for 1968–69 are available in Inland Revenue Statistics 1971 but they do not include cases where the income is below the tax deduction card limit.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an up-to-date table for 1969–70 to show amounts of Members' expenses allowed

NUMBER OF MEMBERS
					1969–1970		1970–1971
					Before	After	Before	After
Expenses Allowed (£)					Before deducting Secretarial	After deducting Secretarial	Before deducting Secretarial	After deducting Secretarial
0– 99	…	…	…	…	1	2	1	1
100– 199	…	…	…	…	—	2	—	1
200– 299	…	…	…	…	1	1	—	2
300– 399	…	…	…	…	3	4	—	2
400– 499	…	…	…	…	2	10	1	3
500– 599	…	…	…	…	7	12	1	7
600– 699	…	…	…	…	7	9	3	3
700– 799	…	…	…	…	9	12	1	5
800– 899	…	…	…	…	9	16	4	7
900– 999	…	…	…	…	11	22	1	9
1,000–1,099	…	…	…	…	14	24	5	5
1,100–1,199	…	…	…	…	17	23	2	9
1,200–1,299	…	…	…	…	21	21	4	5
1,300–1,399	…	…	…	…	25	29	8	9
1,400–1,499	…	…	…	…	27	33	9	8
1,500–1,599	…	…	…	…	20	19	8	5
1,600–1,699	…	…	…	…	34	29	7	8
1,700–1,799	…	…	…	…	21	20	6	4
1,800–1,899	…	…	…	…	18	17	9	4
1,900–1,999	…	…	…	…	25	11	7	2
2,000–2,099	…	…	…	…	22	12	5	2
2,100–2,199	…	…	…	…	17	7	8	3
2,200–2,299	…	…	…	…	12	13	4	5
2,300–2,399	…	…	…	…	9	11	4	—
2,400–2,499	…	…	…	…	10	11	1	1
2,500–2,599	…	…	…	…	17	8	2	2
2,600–2,699	…	…	…	…	5	6	2	2
2,700–2,799	…	…	…	…	12	6	6	—
2,800–2,899	…	…	…	…	6	4	1	1
2,900–2,999	…	…	…	…	6	9	1	—
3,000–3,099	…	…	…	…	4	6	2	—
3,100–3,199	…	…	…	…	8	8	1	—
3,200–3,299	…	…	…	…	4	2	—	—
3,300–3,399	…	…	…	…	11	1	1	—
3,400–3,499	…	…	…	…	3	—	—	—
3,500–3,599	…	…	…	…	2	—	—	—
TOTALS	…	…	…	…	420	420	115	115
The table includes only those cases where final figures are available. Ministers have not been included.
[Vol. 818, c. 211–12.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to prevent the transfer of funds from Great Britain to finance the purchase of arms by terrorist organisations.

Specific application to remit funds to non-sterling area countries for income tax purposes against their remuneration as Members of Parliament, together with such comparable figures for 1970–71 as can at present be obtained.

The table below brings up to date the 1969–70 figures published on 27th May, 1971:for the purpose described would not fall within the categories of transfers for which exchange control consent is given.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed list giving the names of peers who hold full or part-time appointments where Treasury moneys are paid, on a payment of expense basis; whether he will list the appointments held and the amount of moneys paid including expenses in each instance; and whether these peers are also entitled to claim additionally the £8·50p tax-free allowance when attending the House of Lords.

No, the cost of providing this information would be disproportionate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give for the latest and most conveniently stated 12-monthly period the cost to the Treasury of the £6·50p per day tax-free allowance paid to Members of the House of Lords; and to what extent he estimates this will rise when it is increased to £8·50p per day.

As I have repeatedly made clear to the hon. Member, there is no daily tax-free allowance paid to Members of the House of Lords. The cost of reimbursement of expenses incurred by peers, within a maximum of £6·50 for each day of attendance in the year ended 31st December, 1971, was £195,420. It is estimated that the expenditure for 1972 will show an increase of about £60,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on his most recent discussions with the Finance Ministers of the Six Common Market countries.

My right hon. Friend joined the E.E.C. Finance Ministers present in Washington in their consultations before and during the Group of Ten Meeting on 17th–18th December last. These discussions contributed to the satisfactory agreement which was reached by the Group of Ten as a whole.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes will require to be made in the estimates of Great Britain's net contributions to the finances of the European Economic Community as set out in the White Paper, entitled "The United Kingdom and the European Communities", in consequence of changes in the exchange rate of international currencies since the publication of the White Paper.

It is not yet possible to say.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed table of figures giving the worth of post-war credits on a basis of the £ sterling having a purchasing value of 20 shillings at the time of the introduction of the scheme and allowing for its depreciation to date; what a person who had £100 deducted at that time would have to receive to maintain the same purchasing, value; and to what extent the 2½ per cent. interest has compensated for the fall in value of these credits.

Post-war credits were created in respect of income tax for the five financial years from 1941–42 to 1945–46. By 31st December, 1971, the amount still outstanding for repayment was estimated at £137 million, excluding interest. Taking each £1 of credit as having a purchasing value of 100 new pence at the time it was created, the present purchasing value of the outstanding amount is estimated at £45 million as shown in the following table:

Financial year	Nominal value £ million	Present purchasing value £ million
1941–42	27	8
1942–43	32	10
1943–44	9	3
1944–45	37	13
1945–46	32	11

In order to maintain the same purchasing value, a person who had accumulated £100 of post-war credits by 1946 would need to receive £275 in November, 1971. The 2½ per cent. interest added since October, 1959, will amount to £38 on each £100 of the repayments to be made from April onwards. The estimate of the fall in purchasing value of the pound is based on changes in the Consumer Price Index between 1946 and 1970 and in the General Index of Retail Prices from 1970 to November, 1971, the latest month for which figures are available, with rough estimates for the years 1941 to 1945.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will amend leaflet F11 headed, Dental and Optical Charges: How to claim exemption or help, so as to delete the provision that where a man and wife are living together this form should be completed by the husband; and if he will make a statement.

Help given with National Health Service dental and optical charges is in the form of payments of supplementary benefit under Section 6 of the Ministry of Social Security Act, 1966. Under that Act the requirements and resources of a man and wife living together have to be aggregated and the man only is entitled to claim benefit. The form cannot therefore be amended as requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will appoint a working party to look into the question of keeping married geriatric patients together at the same hospital.

No. The need rarely arises, and where it does I would expect hospital authorities to do their best to make satisfactory arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will recommend to cigarette manufacuring companies which promote tennis and other sports tournaments that they should display a statement, visible to all spectators, that cigarette smoking may be a health hazard.

I will be reviewing with the tobacco manufacturers the whole working of the voluntary agreement and the Code of Practice in a month or two and will bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what advice he has received from the interdepartmental committee on smoking and health hazards concerning the promotion of cigarette sales by the sponsorship of sporting events; and what action he proposes to take;(2) what action he proposes to take on the recommendations of the interdepartmental committee which has examined the problem of health hazards created by cigarette smoking.

I have at present nothing to add to the replies which I gave to the hon. Member on 23rd November and 16th December, 1971.—[Vol. 826, c. 319;Vol. 828, c. 178.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what differences in, respectively, the total number of families eligible for the family income supplement and the total annual cost of this benefit he estimates will occur as a result of the recent upgrading of this benefit.

This would depend on the movement of earnings over the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much has been spent in each of the last four years by each local authority in England and Wales on family planning services.

Information is not available for 1967–68. The following are the figures for the last three years:

FAMILY PLANNING—NET EXPENDITURE BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN ENGLAND AND WALES*
	1968–69	1969–70	1970–71
	£	£	£
County Councils
Bedford	6,381	10,910	13,270
Berks	134	606	2,346
Buckingham	485	778	2,327
Cambridge and Isle of Ely	475	749	3,686
Cheshire	5,843	12,266	8,317
Cornwall	1,804	3,090	5,284
Cumberland	220	167	1,300
Derby	1,017	1,426	5,561
Devon	1,833	2,403	3,931
Dorset	1,511	1,776	3,081
Durham	2,073	1,038	839
Essex	—	12,454	15,729
Gloucester	193	1,000	1,102
Hampshire	1,063	3,027	5,291
Hereford	1,210	1,108	1,373
Hertford	533	2,667	5,413
Huntingdon and Soke of Peterborough	—	316	1,158
Kent	500	2,072	4.900

	1968–69	1969–70	1970–71
	£	£	£
County Councils
Lancashire	1,039	1,608	9,480
Leicester	1,000	2,500	2,500
Lincoln. Parts of Holland	50	1,191	2,216
Lincoln, Parts of Kesteven	819	1,029	1,216
Lincoln, Parts of Lindsey	4,521	6,732	9,339
Norfolk	675	831	976
Northampton	1,050	2,860	2,281
Northumberland	2,613	5,573	8,323
Nottingham	1,419	2,097	3,367
Oxford	1,352	1,483	11,944
Rutland	100	105	108
Salop	591	2,501	2,590
Scilly, Isle of	—	—	—
Somerset	1,500	2,000	5,759
Stafford	2,566	3,118	3,960
Suffolk, East	250	250	450
Suffolk, West	401	3,244	2,692
Surrey	1,703	6,988	5,160
Sussex, East	4,117	6,030	7,441
Sussex, West	7,522	9,236	34,730
Warwick	947	2,218	1,874
Westmorland	400	741	1,158
Wight, Isle of	100	120	140
Wiltshire	6,599	4,424	6,257
Worcester	3,974	3,180	8,848
Yorks, East Riding	1,561	3,964	5,186
Yorks, North Riding	6,482	7,457	12,217
Yorks, West Riding	2,231	5,645	21,077

County Boroughs
Barnsley	250	250	250
Barrow-in-Furness	301	317	300
Bath	479	370	673
Birkenhead	462	—	277
Birmingham	11,273	15,242	25,109
Blackburn	—	—	81
Blackpool	515	632	1,440
Bolton	—	314	211
Bootle	—	—	795
Bournemouth	391	431	638
Bradford	412	753	1,086
Brighton	175	804	1,679
Bristol	4.691	5,376	10,535
Burnley	28	85	41
Burton upon Trent	250	267	399
Bury	—	84	2
Canterbury	150	32	135
Carlisle	—	77	—
Chester	250	244	368
Coventry	1,328	681	1,476
Darlington	100	342	601
Derby	—	170	313
Dewsbury	642	467	775
Doncaster	434	503	724
Dudley	50	51	154
Eastbourne	525	407	624
Exeter	350	350	848
Gateshead	394	131	259
Gloucester	59	167	431
Great Yarmouth	271	110	48
Grimsby	264	446	3,399
Halifax	670	670	670
Hartlepool	541	1,132	1,428

	1968–69	1969–70	1970–71
	£	£	£
County Boroughs
Hastings	300	320	550
Huddersfield	140	675	600
Ipswich	10.954	5,926	8,267
Kingston-upon-Hull	17,317	16,016	13,813
Leeds	3,073	2,665	3,186
Leicester	3,621	3,974	4,000
Lincoln	594	2,045	2,885
Liverpool	12,328	13,091	17,965
Luton	2,230	2,697	3,607
Manchester	4,739	9,224	10,173
Newcastle upon Tyne	1.561	1,927	2,102
Northampton	393	343	548
Norwich	2,690	2,052	2,174
Nottingham	253	388	447
Oldham.	418	328	401
Oxford	6,286	1,436	10,046
Plymouth	3,624	4,168	4,744
Portsmouth	558	2,377	4,453
Preston	—	—	—
Reading	147	1,764	2,946
Rochdale	468	25	745
Rotherham	975	3,180	3,861
St. Helens	1,177	866	1,280
Salford	70	30	1,030
Sheffield	8,150	9,050	12,062
Solihull	2,232	2,935	2,649
Southampton	9,772	2,921	3,359
Southend-on-Sea	203	534	753
Southport	1,250	1,342	1,388
South Shields	138	—	699
Stockport	—	230	504
Stoke-on-Trent	558	1,178	1,782
Sunderland	50	50	805
Teesside	5,720	9,616	13,735
Torbay	—	200	250
Tynemouth	75	150	150
Wakefield	—	240	240
Wallasey	61	57	186
Walsall	1,000	1,400	2,325
Warley	—	1,100	1,174
Warrington	146	732	893
West Bromwich	2,379	4,000	6,133
Wigan	100	—	131
Wolverhampton	1,750	2,808	2,784
Worcester	258	496	424
York	1,307	1,625	2,164

London Borough Councils
Barking	390	1,734	2,075
Barnet	445	8,102	17,669
Bexley	1,368	2,902	2,760
Brent	2,292	2,677	8,368
Bromley	—	244	724
Camden	8,142	23,345	32,533
Croydon	550	744	1,141
Ealing	1,750	4,286	5,455
Enfield	2,379	2,789	3,345
Greenwich	10,961	9,786	18,712
Hackney	9,069	7,700	17,552
Hammersmith	5,129	10,522	17,157
Haringey	1,818	2,011	18,0.30
Harrow	211	386	1,900
Havering	2,297	2,403	3,121
Hillingdon	1,648	1,755	2,109
Hounslow	1,597	6,957	8,800
Islington	7,435	7,806	22,542

	1968–69	1969–70	1970–71
	£	£	£
London Borough Councils
Kensington and Chelsea	6,225	9,601	10,517
Kingston upon Thames	—	721	896
Lambeth	2,194	11,330	17,054
Lewisham	17,399	15,731	28,127
Merton	8,093	12,035	10,209
Newham	253	709	2,102
Redbridge	320	542	674
Richmond upon Thames	2,393	2,842	3,599
Southwark	12,017	20,800	24,036
Sutton	1,581	2,402	3,846
Tower Hamlets	4,398	4,798	5,715
Waltham Forest	847	1,084	376
Wandsworth	—	—	18,446
Westminster	8,337	11,652	11,146
City of London	150	1,380	1,433
WALES
County Councils
Anglesey	1,023	1,360	1,711
Brecon	1,334	1,071	1,082
Caernarvon	2,953	3,453	4,650
Cardigan	1,039	1,189	1,696
Carmarthen	150	165	2,120
Denbighs	1,713	2,026	2,835
Flint	2,183	2,845	4,397
Glamorgan	4,633	11,376	18,490
Merioneth	732	1,004	1,477
Monmouth	36	13,762	17,560
Montgomery	614	1,270	1,484
Pembroke	2,328	2,500	2,900
Radnor	147	192	174
County Boroughs
Cardiff	6,125	5,897	8,919
Merthyr Tydfil	50	185	421
Newport (Mon.)	—	—	1,116
Swansea	443	1,031	1,209
* The figures for different authorities, and figures for different years for the same authority, are not necessarily comparable, for such reasons as variations in charging policy and in the method of provision of the service; whether by direct administration or through a voluntary agency.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many of the 1,770 disabled persons who have been supplied with powered indoor chairs in England will be able to use the electrically-powered wheelchairs, attendant controlled, which were on issue to 107 National Health Service patients and war pensioners at 31st December, 1970;(2) if, since according to the Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report for 1970, there were 107 outdoor powered chairs, attendant controlled, issued to National Health Service patients and war pensioners in England in December, 1970, he will now make these more widely available, thus increasing the mobility of the disabled.

About 300 attendant-controlled outdoor powered chairs have now been issued, some of them to holders of indoor powered chairs. Production difficulties, now being overcome, have recently delayed issues but the intention is to provide them promptly to patients who have to be pushed by a regular attendant who is physically unable to do so without power assistance, having regard to the weight of the patient and the local terrain. I will willingly look into any case which is causing difficulty.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many disabled people have applied for exemption under Section 7(c) of the Finance Act, 1971; and how many have been granted exemption.

Records are not kept of applications for certificates relating to the medical requirements. I am not involved in the non-medical aspects also governing qualification or in the issue of licences, and have no information about numbers ultimately exempted by the licensing authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue to all general practitioners a note of criteria used in granting constant attendance allowances.

The medical requirements for attendance allowance are fully set out in the Department's leaflets NI 181 for adults and NI 182 for children. Copies of the leaflets were sent in May, 1971, to all general practitioners with a letter from Lord Amulree, Chairman of the Attendance Allowance Board

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects the Lane Committee to make its report.

In the first part of 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the hon. Member for Manchester, Ardwick, can expect a reply to his letter, dated 25th October, 1971, with regard to his constituent, Mr. Patrick Farrell.

The hon. Member also wrote on 25th October in identical terms to the Chairman of the Supplementary Benefits Commission who replied to him on 9th December. I have nothing to add to his letter but I am sorry that the hon. Member was not so informed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate has been made of the cost of bringing British welfare services up to the level of those in the Common Market countries.

None. There is no standard level of welfare service provision in the Common Market countries, and no basis on which valid comparisons of the overall level of provision in the United Kingdom and the Common Market countries can be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what fresh instructions he plans to send to social security officers in view of the coal miners' strike; and if he is satisfied that existing staff will be able to cope with all new applications.

The staff already have instructions for dealing with supplementary benefit claims received from miners on strike, and special centres are being opened to handle such claims. These arrangements will be kept under close review and further instructions will be issued if necessary.

asked the Secretary, of State for Social Services in the recent public expenditure proposals set out in Command Paper No. 4829 what is the

						Fires	Deaths	Injuries	Cost of Repairs
									£
1969 (10 months)			…	…	…	101	7	2	125,902
1970	…	…	…	…	…	122	8	11	290,711
1971	…	…	…	…	…	126	9	15	798,276
(Comparable figures for the years before 1969 are not available.)

I regret that the information cannot be separately identified.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will end the practice adopted by his local offices in omitting to have their telephone number included on their headed notepaper, in order to save time and expense to persons who wish to telephone these offices.

Generally the telephone numbers of local social security offices are printed or typed on their note paper. I am sorry that this practice was not observed in recent correspondence with the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many retirement pensioners and how many others were in receipt of supplementary benefit rent allowances in the areas of each Department of Health and Social Security office in Lanarkshire at the latest convenient date.

I regret that this information is not available; statistics are collected nationally by sampling and cannot be reliably interpreted for areas smaller than Regions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many fires occurred in National Health Service establishments in England and Wales during 1971; how many people were killed or injured in consequence; how much damage was caused; and how 1971 compared in these respects with the previous five years.

The information reported to my Department is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors were appointed to consultant posts in the National Health Service during 1971; how many opted for part-time contracts by speciality; and how these figures compare with 1970.

The latest available information, for the years ended 30th September, is given below.The number of paid medical consultant appointments in:

	1971 (Provisional)	1970
Total	453	465
Whole-time	239	205
Part-time	36	35
Maximum Part-time	178	225
Maximum Part-time appointments by Specialties:—
General Medicine	19	26
Nuclear Medicine	—	1
Physical Medicine and Rheumatology	2	2
Diseases of the Chest	1	—
Cardiology	—	2
Venereal Diseases	1	—
Nephrology	1	—
Geriatrics	1	—
Ophthalmology	10	16
Neurology	3	4
Clinical Neurophysiology	1	1
Paediatrics	2	2
Paediatric Surgery	—	1
General Surgery	29	35
Ear, Nose and Throat	8	16
Traumatic and Orthopaedic Surgery	23	22
Urology	4	7
Plastic Surgery	3	3
Neurosurgery	—	1
Anaesthetics	35	37
Radiotherapy	1	3
Radiology	5	6
Gynaecology and Obstetrics	20	21
General Pathology	—	2
Chemical Pathology	1	—
Haematology	2	2
Morbid Anatomy	1	—
Medical Microbiology	—	1
Mental Illness	4	10
Mental Illness, Children	1	4

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the expenditure on computers by the National Health Service in 1971, and how this compares with the previous five years.

Taking together expenditure on equipment, accommodation, and development and running costs, the estimated expenditure for the National Health Service in England for the financial year 1971–72 is £5·2 million. This excludes (1) any costs incurred by Local Authorities on computer installations partially used for local health authority services, and (2) the cost of Departmental computers partially used for services for health authorities.Figures on the same basis for the previous four financial years are:

	£ million
1967–68	0·89
1968–69	1·83
1969–70	2·57
1970–71	4·16

These figures are mainly derived from a review of National Health Service computing in England undertaken last year by my Department.Figures for 1966–67 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the number of persons suffering from chronic kidney disease who have been refused haemodialysis within the National Health Service during the last two years;(2) what is the total number of sufferers from renal disease for whom home dialysis facilities would be available, if they were suitable for such treatment, at the present time; and how this breaks down, by region;(3) what is the total number of patients for whom the National Health Service could provide haemodialysis;(4) if he will appoint a committee of inquiry to look into the inadequacy and maldistribution of facilities for haemodialysis within the National Health Service.

I am not aware of any source of clinical statistics showing the proportion of patients for whom dialysis is judged to be the appropriate form of treatment. The hon. Member has other Questions on the numbers so treated; whether existing equipment could be used for a greater number depends on clinical factors in the individual cases, and again I can give no figures. As regards development of services, I do not think an enquiry is called for. Hospital authorities must and do decide what proportion of their resources can be devoted to the provision of haemodialysis having regard to the competing claims of other parts of the hospital service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many kidney disease suffers are currently provided with facilities for home dialysis; and how this figure breaks down, by region;(2) how many places are available in National Health Service hospitals in England and Wales for sufferers from chronic renal disease to receive haemodialysis; and what is the breakdown of these figures, by region.

The latest available figures about numbers under treatment and hospital places are as follows:

Region	Hospital Places	Numbers of Patients on Home Dialysis (September, 1971)
Newcastle	38	41
Leeds	24	46
Sheffield	15	39
East Anglia	12	2
North West Metropolitan	41	72
North East Metropolitan	22	59
South East Metropolitan	28	72
South West Metropolitan	35	57
Oxford	6	59
South Western	24	45
Birmingham	32	49
Manchester	13	40
Liverpool	6	28
Wessex	10	24
Total	306	633

In the hospital places there were 434 patients on dialysis. In addition some 200 patients have kidney transplants each year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will inquire into the reasons why National Health Service hospital authorities refuse haemodialysis to sufferers from chronic kidney disease if they have been previously given this treatment at the National Kidney Centre;(2) if he will either rescind the Ministry of Health Circular of 25th January 1967, H/A 190/14, which advised National Health Service hospital authorities not to send patients for treatment to the National Kidney Centre, a non-profit making trust, or issue an amendment stating that this should not apply in such cases as that of Mr. Zahoor Ahmed where the authority is unwilling or unable to provide treatment itself, and that the advice in the circular should not be interpreted as meaning that former patients of the National Kidney Trust should be barred from subsequent treatment for chronic kidney disease within the National Health Service;(3) why National Health Service hospital authorities have been advised not to send patients suffering from chronic kidney disease and needing haemodialysis to the National Kidney Centre, a nonprofit making trust, even where they could not provide such treatment themselves because of inadequate facilities, and where the patient's life might therefore be at risk.

Expert medical advice has consistently been that treatment for chronic renal failure, whether in hospital or at home, should be based on hospitals with full supporting facilities. The National Kidney Centre is not such a hospital, and it would therefore be inconsistent with the advice received to arrange for National Health Service patients to be maintained by the Centre. Former patients of the Centre are not debarred from subsequent treatment under the National Health Service: it is for the clinicians to whom they are referred in the National Health Service to consider on the merits of the case whether to accept them for treatment. This is a clinical matter in which I cannot intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the arrangements for informing persons suffering from chronic renal disease and in need of haemodialysis of the hospital authorities which have facilities available when none is available within the hospital region where the patient resides; and if he will inform Mr. Zahoor Ahmed, about whom the hon. Member for Doncaster has been in correspondence, of the authorities who can provide the treatment which he receives.

This is a matter for the responsible clinician. it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in regard to the arrangements required for the treatment of Mr. Zahoor Ahmed since this is for his present medical advisers.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much he estimates has been saved to National Health Service funds from the refusal of National Health Service hospital authorities to provide haemodialysis for Mr. Zahoor Ahmed, about whom the hon. Member for Doncaster has been in correspondence with him.

Since resources would have been utilised to the benefit of other patients the question of any saving does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for negligence have been made against hospitals and the medical profession generally in the past 10 years; and how many have been successful.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently in receipt of exceptionally severe disablement allowance; and what is the annual cost of this allowance.

Approximately 1,400 exceptionally severe disablement allowances are in payment at a total annual cost, at current rates, of nearly £300,000. Just over half of these allowances are payable to those severely disabled as the result of industrial injury and the remainder to those severely disabled by war service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for exceptionally severe disablement allowances were made last year; and how many were granted.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the maximum periods of time during which a patient can institute proceedings alleging wrongful treatment by a hospital or member of the medical profession.

I am advised that the periods are those set out in the Limitation Acts, 1939, 1954 and 1963.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many shops in Great Britain are permitted by his Department to dispense medicines under the National Health Service.

On 31st December, 1970, latest date for which figures are available, the number of retail pharmacies in Great Britain at which medicines could be dispensed under the National Health Service was 12,283.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services whether he will give for the latest most convenient stated date the annual, and/or weekly, payments being made for unemployment and supplementary benefits; how these figures compare with June, 1970; and how many were drawing these benefits at the stated dates.

During November, 1971, about £4·9 million a week for unemployment benefit and about £2·6 million a week for supplementary benefit to an estimated 770,000 persons. During June, 1970, the figures were £2·4 million a week for unemployment benefit and £1·3 million a week for supplementary benefit to an estimated 470,000 persons.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is yet able to make an announcement on the appointment of a Health Service Ombudsman.

I cannot yet add to my answer of 9th December.—[Vol. 827. c. 370.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the rise in price of maternity clothes and of clothing and equipment for babies, he will now take steps to raise the maternity grant.

The level of the grant is reviewed from time to time but I have no statement to make about it at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many residential homes specially for the elderly mentally infirm are currently provided by each local authority in England and Wales.

Reliable current information about individual authorities is not available, but a census in March, 1970 showed that 52 homes were reserved for elderly mentally infirm residents. Most such residents are accommodated with other elderly people.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will, when assessing total income for family income supplement and other social security purposes, exclude occupational obligatory contributions to superannuation schemes.

Income for the purposes of the family income supplements scheme consists of gross earnings before deductions. This fact is taken into account when fixing the prescribed amounts which determine the levels of income below which families of different sizes can qualify for family income supplement. Where entitlement to a benefit depends on net income—as, for example, in the case of exemption from prescription charges or free welfare foods—superannuation contributions are deducted from the gross earnings.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to ban the importation of all types of whale products.

No. The most effective form of control is the control of hunting of whales exercised by the International Whaling Commission whose work we fully support.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in view of the financial position of many newspapers in this country and the need to preserve a wide range of papers, if he will seek powers to provide financial aid to the newspaper industry, as has been done by the French Government.

No. The initiative in tackling the newspaper industry's problems must come from the industry itself.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what stage has been reached in his international discussions on the Concorde supersonic air corridors; and if he will make a statement.

As regards supersonic flight over land I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Putney (Mr. Hugh Jenkins) on 17th January. Tentative air traffic routes have been developed internationally for Concorde operations over the North Atlantic and cover, in particular, the approaches to Europe. An I.C.A.O. North Atlantic regional meeting is planned to take place about one year before Concorde enters commercial service with the object of finalising these arrangements.—[Vol. 829, c. 3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration has been given to the joint maintenance and engineering of the British and French Concorde aircraft; what discussions on this matter have taken place with other airlines; and if he will make a statement.

The airlines, in consultation with the manufacturers, are considering the possibilities of sharing Concorde maintenance.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what communications have passed between him and the British Overseas Airways Corporation since Her Majesty's Government decided on the financial backing of Concorde production aircraft relating in particular to British Overseas Airways Corporation options on Concorde now being made firm orders.

My Department is in touch with B.O.A.C. Negotiations for the purchase of the aircraft are for the airlines to conduct with the manufacturers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will increase the British Overseas Airways Corporation's borrowing powers and allow the extension of public dividend capital in a manner that will allow the British Overseas Airways Corporation to use it for the initial purchase and operations of Concorde aircraft.

The borrowing limits of the Airways Board are set out in Section 46 of the Civil Aviation Act, 1971. No change is presently envisaged. The Act empowers me to issue to the board fresh public dividend capital within the limits in Section 46. No decision to do so has been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to encourage the development of the hybrid cycle or stratified charge spark ignition engine for motor vehicles in view of the low fuel consumption and pollution levels which these are likely to achieve.

Discussions on this subject are already in progress between the Department and the industrial interests concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which countries have informed his Department that Concorde or supersonic aircraft will not be allowed to fly supersonically over their countries.