asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much coal was imported into Great Britain during 1971.

4·2 million tons; the information is published in the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom for December, 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is now in a position to announce his decision on the review of the policy on imported foreign coal.

I have nothing to add to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) on 17th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much coal has been imported into Great Britain since June, 1970, from which countries, at what costs; and whether, under the existing rules and regulations of the European Coal and Steel Community, Great Britain will be able to import coal from any country.

The answer to the second part of the question is "Yes". Following is the other information:

IMPORTS OF COAL INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM JULY, 1970 TO DECEMBER, 1971 INCLUSIVE
	Thousand Tons	£ million (c.i.f.)
Total	4,248	40·2
of which
U.S.A.	2,296	21·2
Australia	1,521	13·0
Netherlands	162	1·8
West Germany	129	2·5
Poland	84	0·9
Irish Republic	24	0·2
Canada	19	0·2
Belgium	13	0·3

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he now expects to receive the report of the Vintner Committee, appraising reactor systems; and if he will make a statement.

The work is well advanced. It would be premature to make a statement now.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make arrangements for Export Credits Guarantee Department cover to be available to British manufacturers sub-contracting for European consortia.

This cover is, in principle, already available. E.C.G.D. needs, of course, to be satisfied on its usual underwriting criteria and to agree the terms involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action the Government are taking to encourage the British scrap metal industry.

The reclamation and disposal of scrap metal is essentially a commercial matter for the industries concerned with its recovery and use.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the adequacy of national coal supplies.

The fall in stocks during the four weeks of strike has been less than might have been expected due to economy and good weather. I am keeping the situation under review in case further measures are necessary to ensure that existing stocks are conserved and used more gradually for the duration of the strike.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to safeguard fuel supplies; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today in reply to a similar Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge (Mr. Lane).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will state the position to date in the local authority areas of Northumberland and Durham; and whether there are adequate supplies for the needs of the elderly, the sick, the disabled, the hospitals and parents with young children.

I am advised by the National Coal Board that there are sufficient stocks of coal in the Board's depots and collieries in the North-East with which to maintain supplies for the present to priority cases, but distribution depends upon the co-operation of mineworkers at supply points.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, in view of the shortage of coal generally and for the domestic consumer in particular due to the miner's strike, he will take steps to initiate a rationing scheme with extra allocations for the sick and disabled and retirement pensioners in particular.

When the strike began I announced that in order to minimise the risk of hardship for those domestic consumers specially dependent on coal, I had enlisted the help of the coal trade, the N.C.B., local authorities and the medical profession to ensure that in the distribution of available coal supplies, preference was given to cases of special need such as the aged, the sick and the disabled. In general, these arrangements are working satisfactorily.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what is his latest estimate of the price of each RB211 engine, currently being supplied by Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited to Lockheed Aviation.

For the 555 engines which the Government are committed to fund, the average price is expected to be about £500,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what correspondence he has received from Lockheed Aviation relating to the purchase price of the RB211 engine.

Since the conclusion last September of the new RB211 contract, I have received no correspondence from Lockheed about the price of the engine.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received regarding the development of an up-rated version of the RB211 engine by Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited; and what reply he has sent.

At the request of Lockheed, Rolls-Royce (1971) Ltd. are examining the costs of an up-rated RB211 and its market prospects but have not yet put forward a proposal for my consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what calculations have been made of the effect on the environment of the operation of the Concorde aircraft, in addition to aircraft now in use or projected for future service, when it is in full service; and what is his latest estimate of the number of Concorde aircraft that can then be expected to be in use.

I do not think it is profitable at this stage to speculate on the number of Concordes that will be sold. But all our studies indicate that even a very large number of Concordes would not have a harmful effect on the environment.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the annual consumption of oil of a Concorde aircraft in normal operation.

65,000–75,000 tons of fuel, depending upon the routes and frequency of operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of future trading prospects between Great Britain and Bangladesh.

It is too early as yet to make any estimate of the future trading prospects between this country and Bangladesh. I am hopeful that shipments of raw jute will be resumed shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he intends to give similar undertakings and support to the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders official liquidator, as given in respect of the four ships for the Irish Shipping Company, to enable the Liquidator to place orders for the building of oil rigs in the Clydebank yards.

The Official Liquidator has stated that he could not take on new long-term work such as the building of an oil rig unless in the knowledge that such a contract would be taken over by a successor company.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the current position of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders and the new Govan Shipbuilders.

I have nothing to add to my statement of 17th January apart from the information given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland during the debate on 31st January.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to encourage additional employment in existing premises and in non-manufacturing industry in the North-East Development Area.

Under the Local Employment Acts firms can receive loans to help expand employment in existing premises and building grants for extending or adapting premises. In the service sector, this assistance is available only for projects which bring substantial additional employment into the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now publish a White Paper outlining energy requirements and the contribution each energy industry will make in the total.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) on 17th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance has been given by his Department to ensure that steel piping used to construct the pipeline to pipe North Sea oil to Grangemouth is to be manufactured by British firms.

This is a commercial matter between the British Steel Corporation and the British Petroleum Company though because of its importance we keep in touch with the two parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his Department's policy towards overseas applications for membership of British research associations.

The policy of the Department is to encourage those research associations to which it pays grant to seek overseas members and provided that the subscription negotiated is at a satisfactory level, the Department approves such applications.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in view of continuing high unemployment, he will take further steps to encourage extra capital investment in the nationalised industries under his sponsorship.

Since the statement of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 23rd November extra capital investment by the British Steel Corporation and the gas and electricity industries, amounting to some £30 million, has been approved or is under active consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what way the Trade Descriptions Act is administered in respect of the sale of bread to the consumer.

The provisions of the Trade Descriptions Act against false trade descriptions extend to all goods. But certain terms used to describe bread cannot be false trade descriptions if employed in accordance with regulations under the Food and Drugs Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek powers to compel those responsible for deceptive advertising to spend a sum of money at least equal to that involved in that advertising on disseminating through the same media statements indicating precisely the ways in which they had been attempting to mislead the public.

No. I am aware of the "corrective advertising" which is being demanded in certain cases in the United States of America. But in the United Kingdom our effective criminal law is supplemented by a wide-ranging system of voluntary control which can promptly eliminate unwarranted advertising claims.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, following the suicide of Mrs. Ann Hemmingway at Coventry several weeks ago due to an inflated electricity bill, submitted by the East Midlands Electricity Board, and his subsequent undertaking to discuss with the Electricity Council and other interested bodies the practice of submitting estimated accounts, what has been the outcome of his talks; and whether he will make a statement on his future policy.

My hon. Friend the Minister for Industry has discussed the boards' billing and collection procedures with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Electricity Council. They told him that the industry was reviewing its procedures in the light of the unhappy death of Mrs. Hemmingway and of the recent report of the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries on Relations with the Public. These procedures are matters for the boards to settle in consultation with their consultative councils but I shall be kept informed of any changes resulting from the industry's review.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on the future of the Economic Development Committee for motor manufacturing.

The future of this E.D.C. is being considered by the parties concerned. An announcement will be made in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from steel users in Scotland about the present European Economic Community system of price determination for steel; and if he will make a statement.

One. Adaptation to the Community pricing system is a matter for iron and steel producers. I understand that the British Steel Corporation will be making its intentions known in April.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on Rolls-Royce.

I have nothing to add to the full account given in the White Paper on Rolls-Royce Limited and the RB211 aero-engine (Cmnd. 4860).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has for the sale of the motor manufacturing side of Rolls-Royce.

The motor car division of Rolls-Royce has been transferred to a new company, Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd. The disposal of this company is a matter for the Receiver and Joint Liquidators of Rolls-Royce Ltd.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry at what date he expects the responsibilities of the Receiver regarding Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited to be terminated.

The Receiver of Rolls-Royce Limited has no responsibility for Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited. He has a contractual relationship with that company in respect of the price payable for the assets it has acquired from him.I cannot forecast when this contractual relationship will be discharged.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT full details of the aid and support given to Rolls-Royce; and to what extent, on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, such aid and subsidies will be permitted to continue.

The following are details of aid given to Rolls-Royce from 1945 to 1971 in connection with their aero-engine work. There is explicit provision in the Treaty of Rome under which aid of this kind can continue.EXPENDITURE COMMITTEE: TRADE AND INDUSTRY SUB-COMMITTEEPUBLIC MONEYS MADE AVAILABLE TO ROLLS-ROYCE LTD. OTHER THAN DIRECT EXPENDITURE ON MILITARY AERO-ENGINES1. From 1945 up to February, 1971 some £228m. was made available to Rolls-Royce, or to companies which subsequently merged with Rolls-Royce, for civil aero-engines, as follows:

Type	Date of Expenditure	Government Contribution £m.
Proteus	1945–55	19·3
Dart	1945–53	5·6
Eland	1951-	10·9
Tyne	1956–60	4·0
Orion	1957–60	4·8
Avon RA29	1958-	8·5
Spey	1962–70	10·0
Trent	1967–69	2·0
RB178	1966–67	1·3
RB207	1967–68	1·6
RB211	1968–71	47·1
Olympus 593	1962–71	112·4

2. Other payments which have been made to Rolls-Royce Ltd., the Receiver, or Rolls-Royce (1971) Ltd. are:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will exercise his powers under the Weights and Measures Act, 1963, so as to require toothpaste to be sold in prescribed quantities.

I appreciate the difficulties caused to consumers by the variety of units in which toothpaste may be marked, and am in touch with the industry about rationalising its practice. It is proposed to include the proposals put forward by my hon. Friend in discussions with the industry, as the Weights and Measures Act requires before exercising powers under it.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will now cease the use of his Department's grants to the machine tool industry for the purchase of imported machine tools.

No. The only grants currently made to the machine tool industry are investment grants, and the investment grant scheme is being brought to an end. It would be contrary to our international obligations to discriminate against imported tools.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take steps to introduce a grants system designed to shorten the replacement cycle for machine tools.

The Government have introduced a massive series of measures designed to stimulate the economy and encourage investment and orders for machine tools should pick up as the economy expands at a higher rate.

asked the Secretary of Stale for Trade and Industry whether he will state, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the total amount of machine tools imported into Great Britain; at what costs; what grants the Government have made to the machine tool industry; from which countries have these tools been imported; and to what exent, on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community this policy will be permitted under existing rules and regulations of the Community so far as imports from countries outside of the Six in preference to those within will be permitted.

Information on the amount, value and country of consignment for origin of imported machine tools is published in Table III of the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom machine tool imports for the year 1971 totalled 589,241 cwt. valued at £48·9 million with exports amounting to £97·3 million.The only grants currently made to the machine tool industry and to manufacturing industry generally are investment grants, which are being phased out.Our tariffs will by 1978 be aligned with the Common External Tariff of the E.E.C. for imports from outside the E.E.C. and abolished for those from within.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress he has now made in his review of regional development incentives.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Marylebone (Mr. Kenneth Baker) on 17th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the number of miners employed and the average wages earned in the collieries of West Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands in the last year for which figures are available.

The numbers of miners employed at the end of 1970 were West Germany, 189,400; Belgium, 33,900; France, 94,500; and Netherlands, 11,600 (Energy Statistics of the European Community).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress he has made in evaluating proposals for a quiet short take-off and landing airliner and other new civil airliner designs submitted to him, with a view to supporting prototype construction.

The technical, economic and environmental implications of various ways of providing quiet short-haul operations are being evaluated, including short take-off and landing aircraft.Contracts are being prepared for exploratory engineering studies in industry in support of these investigations.No decisions can yet be made on prototype construction.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is satisfied that the re-alignment of air traffic routes to and from Heathrow is working satisfactorily following the relocation of the Epsom Beacon at Wisley; and if he will make a statement.

I wrote to my hon. Friend on 24th January saying that investigations were being made; these are continuing and I will inform him when the result of the investigations are known and have been evaluated.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what efforts have been made by his Department to find a suitable industrial tenant for the advance factory at Stane, Shotts, Lanarkshire.

We are continuing to do all we can to attract a suitable undertaking, but an occupier has not yet been found. This factory is included in extensive publicity and we have drawn it to the attention of all suitable inquirers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals for capital investment in the steel industry in Wales have been put to him by the British Steel Corporation; and if he will make a statement.

Of the £265 million (1971 Survey Prices) investment approved for 1972–73, about a third is in Wales and Monmouth. Part is expenditure on projects already announced; the Corporation's intentions as regards possible new projects within the general programme are for it to make public.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many letters he has received regarding the lapsing of the requirement that imported foreign goods had to be marked with their country of origin.

Since 1st January, 1971, we have received 575 letters expressing varying views about origin marking in one context or another.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards British participation in the post-Apollo programme for a space shuttle.

The Government are examining the merits of participation in this programme. We are continuing discussions with our European Space Conference partners and, jointly with them, with the U.S. authorities preparatory to a decision by the European Space Conference later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it is his intention to meet representatives of the Electricity Council and of the trade unions in the electricity supply industry.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today in reply to a similar Question from the hon. Member for Wandsworth, Central (Mr. Thomas Cox).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what standards his Department applies before issuing import licences for such items as babies' rubber teats; whether his attention has been drawn to a dangerously designed rubber teat which had been imported from a foreign country; and what was the nature of his reply.

I can see no justification for controlling such imports in the absence of controls on their manufacture and sale in the United Kingdom, on which the hon. Member is asking a separate question of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria he uses to determine, when considering industrial development certificates for projects tied to the London area, whether they are liable to create an undue additional demand for labour.

The demand in terms of numbers and skills expected to arise from the proposed development and the employment situation both actual and prospective in the area including the demand for labour by other proposed developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in the light of increased unemployment in the West Midlands, if he will now give consideration to the issue of industrial development certificates for the area.

The level of unemployment is already one of the factors taken into account in considering industrial development certificate applications. In 1971, 206 certificates for a total of 5½ million square feet were issued in the West Midlands Region.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many industrial development certificates have been issued in South-West Durham since 1st July, 1971; for what area of factory space; and for what number of jobs.

Three, for an area totalling 56,000 square feet, estimated by the applicants to provide 60 jobs when the projects are complete and fully manned.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress he is making in his investigation of fees charged by house agents for buying and selling a house.

I am making no general investigation of the level of fees charged. But I should be glad to look into any evidence that house agents are not complying with the Order forbidding restrictive agreements on fees.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide the British Airports Authority with adequate finance to meet the air traffic demands of their airports.

The Bill before Parliament to increase the statutory limit on the Authority's total borrowing from £70 million to £125 million should enable it to finance necessary developments to their existing airports for at least the next five years.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he intends to implement the recommendation of the Bolton Report as to the desirability of small firms taking a greater share of Government contracts.

The Bolton Committee recommended that we should promote policies designed to maximise competitive participation by small firms in suitable Government contracts. We are considering how best to give effect to the recommendation in consultation with the Treasury and the major contracting departments.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he intends to set up a special division within the Department with special re- sponsibilities for small firms in accordance with the recommendation of the Bolton Committee.

My right hon. Friend announced his acceptance of this recommendation in the House on 3rd November, 1971, and asked me to take responsibility for small firms. The division came into operation shortly afterwards.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the cost incurred in the last four months in preparing the answers to Parliamentary Questions referring to the Companies Acts and the related legislation.

At the most cautious estimate, the direct cost of the work was £2,400; furthermore, this takes no account of the consequential costs of delay, and indeed occasional disruption, of other work.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list his powers to reclaim public grants made to create new employment in cases resulting from mergers where plant and buildings are not utilised in the manner proposed in the grant application.

Grants to provide employment are made under the Local Employment Acts, 1960–71, and conditions for the repayment of grant in specified circumstances may be imposed in relation to grants made under Sections 3 and 4 of the Local Employment Act, 1960, and Section 1 of the Local Employment Act, 1963.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a general direction to gas and electricity boards that in the case of retirement pensioners or physically handicapped consumers in no circumstances shall a supply be terminated unless the chief welfare officer of the local authority has been informed and has acknowledged notice of the Board's intention.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, in view of the danger caused to sick persons living alone when their electricity supply is disconnected as a result of non-payment of accounts, he will give a general direction to the electricity authorities to the effect that there must be a visit from an official of the area board before such disconnection.

The gas and electricity boards cannot know the circumstances of individual consumers unless these are brought to the attention of a responsible official of the board concerned. There is already good liaison between gas and electricity boards and the welfare authorities, and discussions are going on to ensure that close contact is maintained about the problems of elderly, sick or handicapped consumers to avoid hardship.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what efforts his Department have been making to assist Rubery, Owen Limited, Darlaston, to obtain overseas orders, particularly from governments.

The full range of the official export services are available to Rubery, Owen Limited and the group has made, and is making, use of them.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is now proposing to take to prevent private computer training companies advertising in such a way as to suggest they can provide jobs that are not available, following the investigation by the Manchester Weights and Measures Department of the evidence submitted to him by the hon. Member for Heywood and Royton, details of which have been sent to him.

Statements about such matters which do not amount to offences against the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968, may nevertheless be contrary to the British Advertising Code of Practice, and if the hon. Member wishes I will draw the details he has sent me to the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total expenditure from public funds on research and development work on the suppression of aircraft engine noise in each of the past five years; and what funds are allocated for this purpose in each of the next three years.

Some of the most important advances in this field are to be expected from the work now in progress directed at reduction of noise in the Olympus 593 engine for Concorde and development of the RB211 and M45H engines; it is not, however, possible to isolate expenditure specifically directed towards noise reductions within the total spending on these projects. In addition, expenditure on research and development work in this field has averaged approximately £1 million per annum over the years 1970–72 and increased from £0·5 million to £1·3 million between 1967–68 and 1969–70. Precise funding for the next few years is not yet determined but is not expected to fall below current levels.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, owing to the closing down of the Aldon Engineering Works and the Priestley's factory which has increased the unemployment rate in the Dearne Valley constituency and the surrounding areas, he will now take steps to encourage new industries into that part of South Yorkshire.

The Department will continue to do what it can to bring the Dearne Valley and surrounding areas with intermediate area status to the attention of suitable firms wishing to expand.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his Department's latest policy on European co-operation in the shipbuilding industry.

Our policy is to co-operate fully in the work undertaken in this field in O.E.C.D.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent by his Department overseas encouraging visitors to Great Britain in each of the years 1967 to 1971 inclusive.

The British Travel Association and since 1st January, 1970, the British Tourist Authority have had the primary responsibility for encouraging overseas visitors to come to Britain. The bulk of their total income has been applied to this purpose and it is estimated that some 45 per cent. has been spent directly overseas. The Government's grant-in-aid has increased from £2·8 million in 1967–68 to £3·5 million in 1972–73.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms are currently making use of the computerised export intelligence service; and what is the estimated nett cost of providing this service in the first and second years of its existence.

At the end of January, 1972, there were 5,230 subscribers to the Export Intelligence Service, of whom 5,152 were firms and 78 were trade associations and chambers of commerce. The nett United Kingdom costs directly attributable to the running of the E.I.S. are estimated at £435,000 in 1970—on an annual return basis—and £461,000 in 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has yet completed his review of regional policy; and whether he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the answer given to my hon. Friend on 17th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on the general study of regional policy which is now being carried out.

I would refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Marylebone (Mr. Kenneth Baker) on 17th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reply he has given to the request of the British Scrap Federation for an extension of the open general licence system for export of compressed new steel and cast iron.

An open general export licence for cast iron scrap has been issued, operative from 3rd February, 1972. A decision on whether to remove the existing export controls on compressed unused steel sheet and sheet cuttings will be made in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the latest bid by the Beecham Group Limited to take over the Glaxo Group Limited, particularly in view of the anti-trust suits in which Beecham's are currently involved in the United States of America.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his earlier Question today.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has now completed his investigation into pyramid selling and similar practices; and whether he will make a statement.

A number of companies engaged in pyramid selling are being considered under the Section 109 procedure. In one case a petition for winding up has been presented. I am actively considering whether further protection for the public is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he has taken as a result of the estimate made by the Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures for Kent, a copy of which has been sent to him, that as many as 50 per cent. of used cars sold in Great Britain have false mileages on the speedometers.

The falsification of odometer readings is generally held to contravene the Trade Descriptions Act, and local weights and measures authorities have shown themselves active in their duty of enforcement.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to extend to existing industries with expansion potential, in the special development areas, similar or the same benefits granted now to new and incoming industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received that the special incentives available to firms coming into special development areas should be extended to existing firms within these areas; and what reply he has given.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to make the special development area incentives, at present only available to incoming firms, also available to local industries contemplating expansion.

I would refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friend to my reply, given earlier today to similar Questions by the hon. Members for Motherwell (Mr. Lawson) and Glasgow, Central (Mr. Tom McMillan).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the agreement made with the oil producing countries in relation to new pricing arrangements.

I am glad that the oil producing states in the Persian Gulf and the international oil companies were able to reach a settlement on the problems arising from the recent currency revaluations. This settlement, whose details have already been made public by the negotiating parties, supplements the Tehran Price Agreement of February, 1971, and is effective from 20th January until the end of 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consult again with the Secretary of State for Scotland about the decision to refuse planning permission for an oil terminal and oil refinery at Hunterston, following the recent representations made to him by the delegation from the Scottish Council, Development and Industry.

I am in close touch with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland about possible refinery sites in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what request he has received from the British Steel Corporation for permission to invest in a major steelworks in the Marseilles-Fos area.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what immediate disadvantages he expects to accrue to Japanese exporters to the United Kingdom arising from the signing of the Treaty of Accession to the Treaty of Rome.

The signing of the Treaty of Accession does no more than commit the United Kingdom to adopt the negotiated terms of entry over a period commencing 1st January, 1973; however, once the United Kingdom has entered the E.E.C., the balance of advantage or disadvantage will depend on the outcome of negotiations between the Commission and Japan for a Common Community Treaty to replace existing bilateral commercial arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will issue a general direction to the State air lines that they should cease the practice whereby their staff are able to claim, in addition to a 90 per cent. reduction in all air fares for themselves, similar reductions for all members of their families.

No. This is a matter for the airlines' commercial judgment.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of investment grants paid to eligible undertakings in the whole of Scotland in 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70 and thereafter.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Annual Reports on Investment Grants laid before Parliament by the Department for each financial year from 1967–68 to 1970–71, copies of which are in the Library. A similar Report for 1971–72 will be laid in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will name the airlines which have so far indicated to his Department their willingness to make the projected Foulness Airport their main operational base in the United Kingdom.

It would not be practicable to ask airlines for this information so far in advance of the airport's availability.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further action has been taken by his Department following another breach of his Department's security, by two reporters on a journalism course, to eliminate the leak of confidential and other information from his Department.

A full inquiry was made into this incident.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the volume and value of timber imports in 1971, expressing the figures as a percentage of total United Kingdom consumption, and showing how 1971 compares with the period 1965 to 1970, inclusive.

Imports represented about four-fifths of consumption by volume in 1965 falling to about three-quarters in 1971. Figures of consumption by value are not available. Following is the other information:—

IMPORTS OF TIMBER (SITC(R) DIVISION 24 LESS CORK)
	Million cubic metres*	£ million c.i.f.
1965	11·3	219
1966	10·0	193
1967	10·1	191
1968	10·9	230
1969	9·5	217
1970	9·7	237
1971	9·5	244
*Approximate conversion factors are used to bring some categories of timber to the common unit.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will exercise his powers under the Weights and Measures Act, 1963, so as to require cooking oil to be sold in prescribed quantities.

The Weights and Measures Act, 1963, requires liquid cooking oil when prepacked to be marked with an indication of quantity either by net weight or capacity. A draft E.E.C. directive which would affect this industry's choice of sizes is currently under discussion in Brussels and I would prefer to postpone action until this has come into effect.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the loans made in 1971 between 1st April and 31st December by the Shipbuilding Industry Board under Section 4 of the Shipbuilding Industry Act, 1967.

Between 1st April and 31st December, 1971, the S.I.B. made the following loans under Section 4 of the Shipbuilding Industry Act, 1967:—

Borrowing Company	Amount of Loan
	£
Lithgows (1969) Ltd.	971,396
Scotts' Shipbuilding Co. (1969) Ltd.	700,000
Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd.	814,000
Cochrane & Sons Ltd.	200,000
Drypool Engineering & Dry Dock Co. Ltd.	134,000
Ryton Marine Ltd.	99,950
Charles D. Holmes & Co. Ltd.	85,244
	3,004,590

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the outstanding liabilities vested in him as a result of the dissolution of the Shipbuilding Industry Board.

Apart from one or two minor accounts which may remain to be paid there are no liabilities arising from the dissolution of the S.I.B. but I have succeeded to the rights of the S.I.B. in

Million tons

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

Imports

…

…

0·8

1·2

1·5

0·6

0·9

1·6

2·1

2·2

2·2

2·0

Exports

…

…

2·9

3·2

3·5

3·5

3·3

3·7

4·1

3·7

3·8

4·7

The figures cover ingots and other primary forms; bars, rods, angles, shapes and sections; universals, plates and sheets; hoop and strip; certain rails and railway track material; tubes, pipes and fittings; castings and forgings, unworked; and railway locomotive axles, tyres and wheels.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much steel has been imported into Great Britain since June, 1970, from which countries; at what costs; and whether, under the existing rules and regulations of the European Coal and Steel Community,

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in view of the information contained in the White Paper on Rolls-Royce, whether he will consider seeking powers to nationalise the whole aircraft industry.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the amount, in tons, of imported steel for each of the past ten years and the comparative figures for exports of steel.

Following is the information:Great Britain will be able to import steel from any country.

I am writing to the hon. Member about the first part of the Question because the information is not readily available in the form requested. After accession the United Kingdom will remain free to import steel from any country.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he is now able to make a statement of his investigations into the alleged irregularities and fraudulent activities on the part of the past and present directors of the International Investors Group and the Real Estate Fund of America;(2) to what extent the investigations as undertaken by the police into alleged irregularities and possible fraud upon the part of the directors and management of the International Investors Group and the Real Estate Fund of America includes or included the period prior to July, 1969 and the directors of these Companies at that time; and whether he will make a statement.

Inquiries are still in progress and I am not in a position to make any statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will instruct the Hong Kong police to take action to eliminate the demanding of protection money from small tradesmen in the Colony.

The Royal Hong Kong Police Force attaches great importance to the elimination of the practice of demanding protection money in any circumstances. This is a continuing task in which it has the full support of the Governor and myself.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will increase the rate of pay in the Hong Kong police force as a measure to reduce the prevalence of bribery.

The Hong Kong Government has recently approved a substantial increase in the rate of pay for the rank and file of the police force. Increases for more senior officers are under consideration. The Government's purpose is to improve recruitment, and it is hoped that as a result of the increases in pay the force will be in a better position to combat all forms of crime, including corruption.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those members of the United Nations Organisation who are two years or more in arrears with their mandatory contributions at the latest convenient date.

As at 1st January, 1972, the following 12 Members were two or more years in arrears:

• Bolivia
• Bulgaria
• Burundi
• China
• Dominican Republic
• Equador
• Guinea
• Haiti
• Nicaragua
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Uruguay

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current financial situation of the United Nations Organisation.

At the end of 1971, the current deficit of the United Nations, taking into account surplus balances owed to certain Member States, was of the order of $70 million. In addition, there is outstanding the unamortised portion of the United Nations bond issue amounting to around $113 million. The deficit arises largely from the refusal of certain Member States to pay their assessed share towards the Middle East and Congo peacekeeping operations and towards the annual cost of servicing the bond issue. Unpaid contributions to the United Nations regular budget totalled $61·4 million at 31st December, 1971. A Special Committee of 15 has been set up to examine the financial situation of the United Nations and the United Kingdom is a member.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the proposals being put by Her Majesty's Government to the Commonwealth Sanctions Committee concerning the contingency planning for co-ordinated action in the event of either a positive or a negative report by the Pearce Commission at present in Rhodesia.

No such proposals are being put.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the annual cost to Great Britain of underwriting the Cambodian currency.

We have agreed to make a contribution of £200,000 to an Exchange Support Fund of approximately U.S. $35 million. The Fund is to be established on 1st March and will continue to 31st December, 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he intends to make to the Eire Government in view of the statement made in New York by Dr. Hillery, Eire's Foreign Minister on 2nd February that Eire may move to get British troops out of Northern Ireland.

I would refer my hon. Friend to what my right hon. Friend told the House on 3rd February and to his warning to the Government of the Irish Republic that if they were to maintain the attitude reflected in Dr. Hillery's speeches in New York, they could do the most serious and lasting damage to the relationship between the two countries. —[Vol. 830, c. 692–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the members of the United Nations Organisation which are currently contributing finance to the United Nations Force in Cyprus; and the amount of the annual contribution of each.

According to information received from the United Nations Secretariat, members of the United Nations and of its Specialised Agencies who made financial pledges in support of the United Nations Force in Cyprus for the period of its last six-month mandate (from 16th June to 15th December, 1971), are listed below, together with the amount of each pledge:

	U.S.$
Australia	50,000
Austria	80,000
Belgium	54,230
Cyprus	74,994
Denmark	120,000
Federal Republic of Germany	500,000
Guyana	2,547
Greece	4,000
Iran	4,000
Italy	183,000
Jamaica	2,000
Lebanon	300
Norway	124,277
Sweden	180,000
Switzerland	104,167
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	1,500,000
United States of America	2,400,000
Total:	5,780,515

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on his Department's discussions with Mr. Smirnovsky, the Ambassador of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, on Friday, 28th January, 1972.

Mr. Smirnovsky called on Sir Denis Greenhill, the Permanent Under-Secretary, and discussed questions concerning Europe in the light of the Warsaw Pact communiqué of 26th January and the speech made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in Brussels on 22nd January.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why he is unable to obtain figures of the number of employees in the Diplomatic Service receiving grants towards educational fees and the number of pupils in respect of whom they are paid.

As a consequence of regular transfers of officers between posts abroad and between London and overseas the number of members of the Diplomatic Service receiving educational grants and of the children in respect of which they are paid is not constant. About 960 officers are usually in receipt of boarding school allowances in respect of some 1,670 children. Again, because they, too, constantly change, no record is kept in London of the exact numbers of officers overseas drawing grants in respect of pupils being educated in local schools—these figures could be obtained only by an inquiry to all overseas posts. There are, however, at present 613 officers overseas who are accompanied by children of school age and 880 children of that age. A substantial proportion of these will be attending fee-paying schools with fees reimbursed in whole or in part from public funds, but in some countries they will attend State schools and some will make other arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to arrange for the European Economic Community Commissioner who is responsible for regional development to visit Wales so that he may be more fully acquainted with the Welsh economic and social problems which will be affected by Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community.