asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the future of the hospital medical social work service.

We are considering the issues involved. I understand the Working Party on Collaboration between Local Government and the National Health Service is at present examining the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration his Department has been giving to the effect on benefits for which he is responsible of proposals for a negative income tax; and whether he will publish a Green Paper setting out the results of his Department's studies into possible reforms of social security benefits and personal taxation.

On the first part of the Question I have nothing to add to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead (Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg) last Tuesday. As regards a Green Paper, I would draw my hon. Friend's attention to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Carter) on this subject on 23rd November, 1971.—[Vol. 829, c. 416; Vol. 826, c. 1122–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what discussion he proposes to have with representatives of old people's organisations, prior to the review of the State retirement pension.

I met representatives of the National Federation of Old Age Pensioners Associations in October, 1971, after the last uprating, and have no plans for further discussions at the moment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many appeals against refusal of constant attendance allowance were successful during November and December last.

From 3rd November to 4th January just over 2,000 people qualified for attendance allowance following a successful application for review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce legislation to extend the constant attendance allowance benefit to cover for families with babies where the mother has died in childbirth.

No. The attendance allowance is designed for people who need to be looked after because they are severely disabled physically or mentally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many constant attendance allowance grants have been made in respect of children with spina bifida; and how many applications for a constant attendance allowance have been refused with regard to cases of spina bifida since the introduction of the constant attendance allowance.

I regret that figures of awards of attendance allowance relating to particular causes of disability will not be available for some time.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for widening the criteria of eligibility for the constant attendance allowance under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now make a statement on the representations he has received from the Disabled Income Group about widening the scope of the attendance allowance.

I cannot add to my reply to Questions on Tuesday, 21st December, 1971.—[Vol. 828, c. 1284–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish the most recent figures for venereal disease for a period of 12 calendar months; and by how much known incidence of the disease has increased over the past five years.

Recent figures for the venereal diseases were published in the 1970 Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer. New cases at clinics in England in 1970 compared with five years earlier show decreases of 20 per cent. and 23 per cent. for syphilis and chancroid, respectively, and an increase of 49 per cent. for gonorrhoea. For the first three quarters of 1971 gonorrhoea shows an increase of 6·8 per cent. over the first three quarters of 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost to his Department of payments arising out of the coal miners' strike.

The total cost from the beginning of the dispute to 25th January was £1,021,958, excluding administrative costs which are not yet known.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give, for the latest and/or most convenient stated date, the actual amounts or estimated weekly amounts being paid to miners and their families in social security and supplementary benefits during the January, 1972, industrial dispute; and what this has cost in total to date.

During the week ending 25th January the average weekly payment for strikers wins £3·09 and for strikers' families £7·09. The total amount paid out from the beginning of the dispute to 25th January was £3,070 for strikers themselves and £1,018,888 for strikers' families—a total of £1,021,958.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what he regards as the optimum size of population for a regional hospital board; and if he will make a statement.

Population is only one factor; others originally taken into account in deciding regional boundaries included the desirability of associating each region with a university medical school, geographical considerations and lines of communication. These remain relevant.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average size in terms of population of regional hospital boards in England on 30th June. 1971.

Three million two hundred and ninety-two thousand.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish, and have distributed through the post offices, a comprehensive booklet listing all the benefits for which Her Majesty's Government are responsible to which people in need may he entitled.

Such a booklet would have to cover several Departments, would be bulky, and almost impossible to keep up to date. There is a wide range of leaflets available. As an example, my Department last year distributed 24 million copies of a combined leaflet to stimulate the take-up of family benefits. In addition, half a million copies of a short handbook "Family Benefits and Pensions have recently been distributed free to social and voluntary organisations, clergy, doctors and local authorities. My Department has greatly increased the production of free booklets and leaflets on social and welfare benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current purchasing power of the standard retirement pensions, at single and married couple rates, in relation to their purchasing power in June, 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the change in purchasing power of the National Insurance pension since June, 1970.

As measured by the General Index of Retail Prices up to December, 1971, the purchasing power of the standard rate retirement pension for a single person is 35p (6·2 per cent.) higher than in June, 1970, and that for a married couple 55p (6·0 per cent.) higher. For the 1¼ million pensioners over age 80 the age addition makes corresponding figures 60p (10·6 per cent.) for the single person and £1·05 (11·4 per cent.) for a married couple.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what changes he is contemplating in the investigatory procedure of complaints against hospital boards.

With my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, I have set up a committee, under the chairmanship of Mr. Michael Davies, Q.C., which is reviewing procedures for handling hospital complaints. We shall consider what changes may be necessary in the light of the committee's recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will put into general use by the National Health Service the type of pill boxes that have child resistant openings.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave on 5th July and 17th December, 1971 to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Ogden) and the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, North-West (Mr. Greville Janner). I have nothing further to add at present.—[Vol. 820, c. 283–6; Vol. 828, c. 222.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what representations he has received from the bodies representing ophthalmic and dispensing opticians and the Joint Optical Consultative Committee on the Common Market regarding the draft directives for European Economic Community opticians; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will make a statement in regard to the safeguards and guarantees required by the optical profession arising from discussions on the European Economic Community draft directives relating to opticians.

I have received representations from bodies representing the optical profession to the effect that some draft directives under consideration by the European Economic Community would in their present form be unsuitable for application in the United Kingdom and that they could undermine the present conditions of practice both of ophthalmic and of dispensing opticians. I recognise that there are substantial difficulties here and I have been able to assure the representatives of the profession that the United Kingdom will be given the opportunity of proper consultation under the arrangements which have been agreed with the Community for the interim period before we become full members of the Community in January, 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that the effects of new drugs on driving ability are investigated before clearance is given.

A product licence for a new medicinal product is granted after obtaining advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines. In considering applications the committee takes into account all aspects of safety including the possible effect on the central nervous system.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of pupil midwives in the National Health Service have State Registered Nurse qualifications.

Ninety per cent. of pupil midwives entering training in the year ended 31st March, 1971, whether in the National Health Service or outside it, had the qualification of State Registered Nurse or Registered Sick Children's Nurse. Figures for pupil midwives in the National Health Service are not available separately.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he now proposes to take concerning the sale of child-care preparations containing hexachlorophane; and if he will make a statement.

I cannot yet add to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member on 25th January. We expect to receive a report from the Committee on Safety of Medicines shortly.—[Vol. 829, c. 372–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, having regard to recent fatalities caused by drinking Paraquat from Coca Cola and other similar bottles, what special instructions he is giving public health authorities on the use and storage of Paraquat, for which there is no known cure when drunk by human beings.

I am advised that the substance to which my hon. Friend refers is used primarily for agricultural and horticultural purposes and I would refer him to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Ipswich (Mr. Money) by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food on Tuesday, 7th December last.—[Vol. 827, c. 261.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the minimum pocket money allowance for elderly persons in local authority homes.

£1·20 per week.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is now in a position to announce the result of the review of the invalid vehicle service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now announce the outcome of his Departmental review on the mobility of the disabled.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to do so before very long.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will undertake in future to produce the annual report required by Section 22 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act in a form more readily understood by the layman; and if he will seek to provide illustrations where possible for the guidance of the disabled, their representative organisations, and everyone else directly concerned with aiding the disabled.

We will bear in mind the interest of lay readers, so far as this is consonant with scientific precision, but illustration is difficult, not least because of the changing character of equipment during a research programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local authorities have conducted a sample survey of the number of chronically sick and disabled in their areas.

My right hon. Friend has asked local authorities to report to him in the spring on their progress in implementing Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act. Until these reports are received I cannot say which authorities have carried out sample surveys.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he advised local authorities to complete the questionnaire of the National Association for Mental Health which was used to produce Mind Report Number Four.

No. This was an independent survey.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take further steps to assist widows and deserted wives unable to enter full-time work because of their responsibilities to their children.

The position of both these groups is at present being considered by the Finer Committee on one-parent families.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to maintain and improve the standards of medicines available to patients within the Bath clinical area, as a result of the local government and health services reorganisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if it is his intention that residents of West Wiltshire should continue to be served by the Bath clinical area following reorganisation of the National Health Service;(2) if he will make a statement on the financial arrangements he intends to make in respect of the continued provision of services by the Bath clinical area for residents of West Wiltshire at present using it, following reorganisation of the National Health Service;(3) if he will make a statement on the future of the Bath clinical area, following reorganisation of the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the future of the Bath clinical area, with special reference to the needs of West Wiltshire.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the earliest date on which he anticipates he will be able to make a statement on his decision for the future of the Bath clinical area.

When the National Health Service is reorganised, the new area health authorities will have the same boundaries as the new counties. I shall announce regional health authority boundaries when I have completed local consultations. The reorganisation is designed to enable the development of medical services in the area to be maintained and improved. The new boundaries will not affect the use of Bath hospital services by Wiltshire or Somerset people, or links between general practitioners and the Bath hospitals. Regional financial allocations are at present adjusted to take account of services provided by one region to residents of another, and similar adjustments will be made in the reorganised Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware of the increasing practice by cigarette manufacturers of promoting sports tournaments to associate in the public mind the habit of smoking with sports and games and so to increase their sales: and what action he is taking.

I am aware of the practice and will bear it in mind in a month or so when I am reviewing with the tobacco manufacturers the whole working of the voluntary agreement and the code of practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many retired 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 Greater London at the latest convenient date.

As my right hon. Friend told the right hon. Member for Lanark (Mrs. Hart) on 18th January statistics about rent allowances are collected nationally by sampling. They cannot therefore be provided for local office areas. In November, 1971, local offices in the Greater London Council area were paying supplementary benefit rent allowances to 237,000 retirement pensioners and to 94,000 others.—[Vol. 829. c. 124]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is yet able to announce the appointment of a Health Service ombudsman.

Not yet.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what structure of hospital administration will be required under the proposed new Humberside County.

As proposed in the consultative document on National Health Service reorganisation, area health authorities, responsible for a unified health service will be established for the same areas as the new non-metropolitan counties. The detailed management struc- ture of the new authorities is one of the subjects of the management study announced in the Document.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is now his policy regarding dispensing by medical practitioners.

The National Health Service Act, 1946, envisages that dispensing will normally be carried out by pharmacists; but it provides that a general medical practitioner may dispense medicines in limited circumstances specified in regulations. The medical and pharmaceutical professions have been considering whether to seek amendments to the regulations but have not so far reached agreement. The matter has now been referred to my Department and is under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many trained technicians in cytology are employed in the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board's area; and how many he estimates would be required to allow every woman at risk to be screened once in every three years.

There were 37·1 whole time equivalent technicians at 30th June, 1971. If all women in the area aged 35 and over (those known to be most at risk) were to be screened ever three years it is estimated that about 55 whole-time equivalent technicians would be required. Present policy it, however, to re-screen such women every five years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will reconsider the decision to close the casualty department of Huntingdon County Hospital.

The department at this hospital is at present open only in the daytime but I understand that the 24-hour service will be resumed as soon as the staffing position allows.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what increase in building projects for training centres and sheltered workshops for the mentally handicapped have been included in public work schemes submitted by local authorities to encourage employment in the regions.

Five schemes of a total estimated value of £0·33 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many extra schemes for hostels, group homes or other categories of residential accommodation for the mentally handicapped he has included in capital schemes by local authorities to encourage employment in the regions.

Five schemes of a total estimated value of £0·35 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many bad debts resulted from private practice in hospitals in each of the years from 1968 to the present.

Records of small bills which remain unpaid are not kept centrally. Those over £100 amounted in England to:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek powers to enable public health inspectors to take proceedings to ensure the closure of restaurants which are found to be dirty or unhygienic.

No. Restaurants and other catering premises are subject to the comprehensive requirements of the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations, 1970 (Statutory Instrument No. 1172/1970). Local authorities have the power to take proceedings against a person and to seek a heavy penalty for each offence if, in their view, he has failed to comply with any of the requirements of the regulations. In addition, Section 14 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, empowers local authorities to ask the courts to disqualify a caterer who is convicted of a breach of the Food Hygiene Regulations. These provisions already provide local authorities with adequate powers to deal with any catering premises that their public health inspectors may find in the course of their enforcement work to be dirty or unhygienic.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the trials of the OL66 Medresco hearing aid have now been completed; how many will be available during 1972; and if he will make a statement.

A defect discovered during scientific tests of the prototypes delayed the start of field trials and they are still in progress. It is too early to say what the provision in 1972 is likely to be.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to amend the Family Income Supplement Act so that amounts paid in respect of a person's superannuation contributions do not count as income.

No. The general principle of the Family Income Supplement Scheme is that entitlement is based on gross earnings, and I do not think it would be right to make an exception for these particular deductions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce legislation enabling low-income families in which the wife is the bread-winner and the husband looks after home and children to be eligible for family income supplement.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Newark (Mr. Bishop) on 21st October, 1971, on this subject.—[Vol. 823, c. 195.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families in the greater London area, borough by borough, are in receipt of the family income supplement; and what was the total number of applications received to the latest convenient date.

I regret that information of this kind is at present available only for departmental regions. We are examining the possibility of obtaining it for smaller areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to increase the number of hospital beds available to the population of England and Wales up to the levels of provision in Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, from details available to him from international sources.

The need for hospital beds depends on very many factors, notably on the relationship between the functions of the hospital service and those of the supporting health and welfare services. The relationship in England and Wales differs from that in many of the countries mentioned, and it would be wrong for our planning to be guided by simple statistical comparisons.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why a retirement pensioner who has paid full contribution, but lives overseas, is refused increases in pension made after his departure from the United Kingdom.

Pension increases are related to social policies and economic conditions in this country and are financed from the contributions and taxes of persons living here. It has been the policy of successive Governments that increases should not be paid to pensioners living in other countries, unless those countries have agreed under reciprocal arrangements to pay their pension increases here. We already have arrangements of this kind with 18 countries and about one-third of all retirement pensioners living abroad benefit from them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons at present unemployed in the Northern Region are in receipt of supplementary benefit; and what was the corresponding figures 12 months ago.

In November, 1971, the latest date for which information is available, 41,500 persons in the Northern Region were registered as unemployed and receiving supplementary benefit. The corresponding figure for November, 1970, was 28,400.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in the greater London area, borough by borough, are having home helps; and if he is satisfied that the proposed facilities are sufficient.

I am confident that local authorities are fully aware of their duties under Section 13 of the Health Services and Public Health Act. The latest available figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total cost to public funds of supplementary benefits paid to strikers and their families, respectively, and also of payments made on resumption of work, in the industrial dispute at Chrysler, Linwood.

The amount paid up to 25th January was £19,655—wholly for strikers' dependants. The strike is still in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to extend the right of oral hearings in appeal cases heard by the National Insurance Commissioner, in particular to give an automatic right when medical evidence from different practitioners conflicts.

No. The decision whether or not to grant an application for an oral hearing is one for the National Insurance Commissioners who consider the record of the case and the reasons put forward for oral hearing before deciding. The request is considered judicially by the commissioners and we consider it right that the decision should rest with them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will improve the methods of advising hospitals, doctors and local authorities of the technical means by which handicapped persons' communication and environmental problems can be overcome; if he will consider holding a symposium on this subject for all interested parties; and if he will make a statement;(2) what records are kept of specific individual environmental and communication problems solved for the physically handicapped; how such information is stored and distributed to hospitals, doctors and local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Useful information is at present collected and published in a variety of ways by a large number of agencies including my Department, but I doubt whether it would be practicable to set up a central repository of information about all facilities for the physically handicapped. An investigation into needs in the field of equipment is, however, in progress including examination of practical measures, and we expect to receive a report shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give for the latest and most convenient stated date the total annual or weekly costs in all forms of unemployment and social security benefits including supplementaries; and if, as a means of reducing these amounts and assisting in reducing unemployment figures, he will reduce the retirement age by five years on a voluntary basis and increase all retirement pensions by £1 per week.

During December, 1971, the weekly cost of unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit paid to people registering for work was about £7·9 million. For the reasons given in my letter to the hon. Member of 25th October, 1971, the changes he suggests would be very costly and of doubtful effectiveness in reducing unemployment. It is not proposed therefore to adopt them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what extent, when calculating the entitlement of patients in National Health Service hospitals to supplementary and other benefits, he takes into account cash benefits accruing to these patients from private insurance schemes.

Up to £1 a week of the income for such schemes qualifies to be disregarded in assessing supplementary benefit; the remainder is normally taken into account as it is received. National insurance benefits are completely unaffected.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the Nutrition Advisory Committee have yet produced any interim report in their investigation of the effect of changes in milk and school meals provision in 1971 on the health and welfare of children; and, in particular, if they have discovered any changes in the intake of calcium or riboflavin.

No, but I am confident that the sub-committee of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy which is currently formulating proposals on monitoring the nutritional state of children will take into account the effects of possible changes in the intake of calcium and riboflavin.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions have been done on Rhesus-negative mothers; and how many of the mothers received auto-immune globulin as a prophylactic measure against developing anti-bodies.

I regret that this information is not available. Anti-D immuno globulin is available for Rhesus-negative mothers undergoing abortions in National Health Service hospitals and approved nursing homes. The latter have given my right hon. Friend an assurance that they made arrangements for obtaining this material.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services after how many of the 528 legal operations for termination of pregnancy performed after the 24th week of gestation during the first three years' operation of the Abortion Act 1967, live births were registered according to law.

When a live birth is registered, no information about the method of delivery is obtained. The information requested is therefore not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation for the purpose of subjecting surgical procedures to similar criteria to those applied in the case of new drugs.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware that many patients in psychiatric hospitals do not receive an allowance of any part of their sickness benefit or pension as pocket money; if he is satisfied that the provisions of Section 133 of the Mental Health Act, 1959, are being properly applied in this respect; and what study he has made of the National Association for Mental Health's statement, a copy of which is in his possession, that all patients should receive an allowance on grounds of human dignity.

I am not aware of any general problem in regard to patients in receipt of national insurance benefits but if the hon. Member has any particular case in mind and will send me the details, I should be glad to look into it. Section 133 of the Mental Health Act, 1959, authorises payments to patients in psychiatric hospitals in respect of occasional personal expenses which they would not otherwise be able to meet; the majority of these patients receive an allowance. I have recently reminded hospital authorities of the basis on which payments should be made and provided fresh guidance on the issue and use of patients' moneys. I have not received any statement from the National Association for Mental Health on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many registered dentists were legally entitled to practise their profession in each year from 1961 to 1971; and, during that period, how many were under contract to National Health Service executive councils.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with his Department's publicity explaining the reasons why the supply of orange juice for young babies was withdrawn on 31st December, 1971; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. In his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. John Hannam) on 16th December, 1970, my right hon. Friend referred to the withdrawal of welfare orange juice from the welfare foods service and the reasons for doing so. These reasons were repeated by the Chief Medical Officer of my Department in his annual report for 1970 published in October, 1971.Local authorities, at whose clinics and distribution centres welfare orange juice was available, were notified in February, 1971, of the proposed withdrawal and their attention was drawn to my right hon. Friend's statement. In December, 1971, local authorities were reminded of the imminent withdrawal of orange juice and their attention was drawn to the availability of a leaflet for mothers describing the new vitamin A, D and C preparation for children which takes the place of both cod liver oil and orange juice.—[Vol. 808, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nursing mothers are obtaining National Dried Milk free of charge.

I regret this information is not available. Under the Welfare Food Order, 1971, free milk tokens are issued to certain expectant mothers and children under five years and one month and these can be used for either liquid milk or National Dried Milk. A nursing mother, whilst she is suckling her child, may consume free welfare milk supplied in respect of her child. No figures are collected on the number of persons who choose to take National Dried Milk; the number of 20-ounce packs supplied in England free of charge in the quarter ended 25th September, 1971, was over 58,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the price at which National Dried Milk is sold; and how this compares with the principal proprietary brands of dried milk for babies.

National Dried Milk is available, under the Welfare Food Order, 1971, at child health clinics and welfare food distribution centres only for expectant mothers and children under school age. Those who are not entitled to a free supply can buy it at the present price of 20p for a 20-ounce pack, which is a little over half the cost of the recommended retail prices for the main proprietary brands.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the estimated size in terms of population of the south-western region, if the County of Wiltshire was included in that region under the Government's scheme for reorganisation of the National Health Service.

If the region comprised the proposed counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, it would have a population of about 3½ million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what was the waiting list for geriatric beds on 31st December or the latest available date in the area provided for by the Southampton Group Hospital Management Committee;(2) how many geriatric beds there are in hospitals under the control of the Southampton Group Hospital Management Committee.

Seventy at 31st December, 1971; 330.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to amend the regulations to allow a person in receipt of injury benefit to receive 100 per cent. of his average weekly earnings instead of 85 per cent. of gross earnings as at present.

This limitation to the earnings-related supplement, which applies equally to other short-term benefits, is designed to ensure that benefit does not exceed normal take-home pay and my right hon. Friend has no proposals to change it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will simplify the procedure surrounding the provision of free milk for pre-school children in establishments registered under the Nursery and Child Minders Act.

No. The application and claims procedure are kept as simple as possible consistent with my right hon. Friend's duties to ensure the welfare of the children and to safeguard public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people have been convicted during the years 1960 to 1970 for making false sickness benefit claims.

The number of convictions following prosecution for making false claims to sickness benefit is in each of the years 1960–70 as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what inquiries he has carried out to establish why the chances of the poor dying earlier than the rich have increased by 43 per cent.

I presume the hon. Member is referring to the figure of 143 given in the recently published Registrar General's Occupational Mortality Supplement as the Standardised Mortality Rate for males in Social Class V. This is the ratio of mortality of men in this social class to that of all men in the country after adjustment for age differences in the population at risk; it does not represent any increase over a period of years but the position at a particular time (1959–1963).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many executive officers and clerical officers, respectively, were employed by the Supplementary Benefits Commission in July, 1970, and at successive three-month intervals thereafter.

Due to the advanced programme of integration of contributory benefit and supplementary benefit local offices it is no longer possible separately to identify the staff engaged specifically on either type of work, and to provide a reliable estimate of apportionment would involve an inordinate amount of work. The numbers of executive officers and clerical officers employed in my Department on social security work, other than on central administration, on the dates mentioned were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the cost to public funds of supplementary benefits paid to those involved in the British Leyland strike at Bathgate, and their families, respectively, and also of any payments made after resumption of work.

The amount paid up to 25th January was £6,329, wholly to strikers' dependants. The strike is still in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the cost to public funds of supplementary benefits paid to all those involved in industrial disputes in Scotland, and their families, since 1st January, 1972.

The cost of supplementary benefit paid to strikers and their dependants during larger strikes in Scotland from 1st January to 25th January was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what decision he has reached on the application for a grant which the Disabled Living Foundation recently made to him.

I have approved payment of a grant of £25,000 for the coming financial year in respect of the foundation's aids centre, information service and clothing exhibition. This is in recognition of the valuable work being done by the foundation in these fields. For the present financial year I have approved a grant of £4,000 for the information service, which is in addition to the grant of £2,500 for the clothing exhibition already made.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will arrange to display in the Upper Waiting Hall an exhibition showing the proposed Thames Flood Barrier.

An exhibition provided by the Greater London Council and the Essex and Kent River Authorities has been arranged.It may been seen in the Upper Waiting Hall from 7th to 11th February.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial or other assistance his Department has given to the Republic of Ireland during the last six months; and for what purposes.

Under the terms of the side agreement to the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement concerning Store Cattle and Carcase Meat, the United Kingdom Government makes payments to the Government of the Irish Republic equivalent to the average sum payable under the United Kingdom fatstock guarantees on up to 25,000 tons of carcase beef and up to 5.500 tons of carcase lamb imported from the Republic in any fatstock year. During the past six months £350,000 has been paid under these arrangements.

asked the Minster of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to reintroduce the provisions of the Agriculture (Improvement of Roads) Act, 1955.

No. An extensive programme of improvements was carried out under the 1955 Act, and the remaining work does not seem to justify the reintroduction of these special grants.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now convene a conference, including trade unionists and employers, to discuss the problems of unemployment.

My right hon. Friend meets representatives of the Confederatiton of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress at the regular meetings of the National Economic Development Council, where a wide range of economic problems is discussed. The next meeting of the Council is on 2nd February.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the action he has taken

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the figures of expenditure on agriculture, fisheries and forestry, on the same basis as those in Table 2.5 of Command Paper No. 4829, Public Expenditure to 1975–76.

Because the total amount of expenditure appears in the Table referred to, I assume that the hon. Member is referring to expenditure in Wales. Because it is not possible to identify expenditure in Wales on the implementation of price guarantees, which forms part of the expenditure on agricultural support, I cannot provide information on the same basis as the table referred to in the Question. Comparable figures of expenditure up to 1973–74 by my Department and the Forestry Commission are available for other items in the table, and the following may be helpful:to comply with Government policy, announced during the Common Market negotiations, that there would be an orderly and gradual run-down of the sterling balances.

The Exchange of Letters with the Community on Monetary Questions (published in Cmnd. 4862) states that we are prepared to envisage an orderly and gradual run-down of official sterling balances after our accession to the European Economic Community. Meanwhile the Government's policies are being managed with a view to stabilising these balances.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total of sterling balances held in London by citizens of Malta.

It would be contrary to accepted practice to disclose details of individual sterling holdings in London.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the effective rates of income tax for the fourth quarter of 1968, 1969 and 1970 and the estimated rate for 1971.

I regret that figures are not available in the form asked for.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give consideration to an automatic annual review of all personal and children's allowance deductible from income tax, with a view to seeking to safeguard these benefits from the inroads of inflation.

My right hon. Friend reviews the level of the income tax personal allowances before each Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the weekly gain or loss to married couples with, respectively, one, two, three, four, five, and six or more children on the abolition of both family allowances and child tax allowances and their replacement by a child endowment tax-free cash benefit of £1·75 per week for each child including the first.

The answer depends on the ages of the children and the income of the parents. The table below assumes that:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from chemists about their concern over double taxation when value-added tax is imposed on goods on which purchase tax will already have been paid; and what reply he has sent.

A number of representations on this subject have been received from retail chemists through hon. Members. In reply it has been pointed out that this question presents difficult issues which are still being considered. My right hon. Friend will refer to the matter in his Budget Statement in March.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make available in the Vote Office papers on the value-added tax prepared for discussion with interested bodies.

No. These papers were prepared as part of the process of consultation which began with the publication of the Green Paper. Following discussions with interested associations a number of them have become obsolescent or obsolete and it would be misleading to give them a wider circulation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the action so far taken by his Department to publicise the proposals in the Finance Act, 1971, regarding the taxing of uncertificated sub-contractors in the construction industry; and what further action he proposes to take prior to the introduction of the scheme in April.

I recognise the importance of making this scheme widely known. There has been an extensive advertising campaign in national, local, and trade newspaper and journals, and there will be further advertising in the coming weeks. Also, within the next week or two the Inland Revenue will complete the distribution of explanatory pamphlets and other information about the scheme to every company, partnership and individual known to the Inland Revenue to be engaged in construction work. Copies of these pamphlets, one of which is written for contractors and one for sub-contractors, are also available free at all offices of inspectors and collectors of taxes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to abolish the purchase tax levied on undergarments for incontinent patients in private nursing homes so as to bring them into line with the costs of such equipment in state hospitals.

Certain enuresis appliances and the disposable incontinence pads are exempt from tax but the tax applies to garments which are only modified versions of ordinary underwear. There are difficulties about extending relief to the latter when purchased by members of the public or by private nursing homes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will arrange to chair a meeting of the National Economic Development Council in order to initiate a discussion on policies for incomes.

My right hon. Friend normally takes the chair at meetings of the council, where a wide range of economic questions including incomes and prices are discussed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the civil servants and commissioners in the service of the European Economic Community receive their salaries tax free; to what extent British civil servants, Ministers and others, on taking up appointments with the European Economic Community if Great Britain joins the Common Market, will be entitled to receive their salaries tax free; and whether this practice will be universally applied to all British civil servants and others performing similar work in Great Britain.

No. Members, officials and other servants of the Commission of the European Communities are subject to tax imposed by the Communities, on their salaries or other emoluments from the Communities. They are in consequence exempt from national taxes on such income. Their position in this respect is similar to that of the officials of the United Nations and the Specialised Agencies of the United Nations.British civil servants and persons who become paid members, officials or servants of the Commission will similarly be subject to Community tax, and exempt from United Kingdom tax, on their emoluments from the Communities. Other British civil servants will continue to be liable to United Kingdom tax.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has accepted the invitation to attend the Scottish Assembly on Unemployment organised by the Scottish Trades Union Congress on 14th February.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) on 27th January.—[Vol. 829, c. 521.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will arrange for teachers organisations to be directly represented on the Departmental Consultative Committee on the Curriculum.

No. Members of the committee will continue to be selected as individuals for the personal contribution they can make to its work.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish figures showing the number of houses built, by respective agencies, in each planning region of Scotland in 1971; and if he will

The following table gives numbers of house completions, by planing region and by agency, for all the years for which figures are readily available.