asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to protect fishing grounds in those areas of the Irish Sea for which he is responsible and to conserve fish stocks there.

I am at present reviewing the situation to see whether any further conservation measures are desirable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied that the compensatory amounts to be paid by the European Community by way of subsidies on imports of eggs in shell and of poultry meat into the United Kingdom during the transitional period will be based on a correct feed formula; and what action he proposes to take.

It is our firm intention during forthcoming talks with the Community to ensure that the compensatory amounts should not exceed the actual differences in feed costs between this country and the rest of the enlarged Community.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he is aware that in most of the Common Market countries during the second half of 1971 food prices in general rose by large amounts and, in particular, beef steak rose in Germany by 4½p to 97½p per lb., in Holland to 85½ per lb., in Belgium to 84p per lb. and in France to 81p per lb.; as there are to be further increases of between 5 per cent. to 8 per cent. to meet higher farm costs, how these price increases will affect Great Britain on entry into the European Economic Community; and whether he will make a statement;(2) whether he is aware that the price of pork rose by up to 5p per lb. during the second half of 1971 in the Common Market countries, necessitating the consumer in France paying 55p per lb. for pork chops; and to what extent these higher prices and those proposed of between 5 per cent. and 8 per cent. will affect the price of this commodity to the British housewife on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community.

I gave figures for the increases in food prices generally in the Common Market countries in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Faversham (Mr. Moate) on 18th January. As to individual commodities, some prices have increased by larger amounts but I should point out that short-term comparisons can be affected by seasonal and other factors. As to the last part of the Questions, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner).—[Vol. 829, c. 102.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies his Department has conducted in the outlying areas of the Common Market on the workings of the Common Market agricultural intervention price system.

My Department is studying the working of the system in the existing member countries, and will take account of their experience, as well as the views of the interests concerned in all parts of the United Kingdom, in determining how best to apply the system here.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what communication he has had with the Northumberland Fisheries Organisation arising from the fisheries agreement with the European Economic Community and the decision to operate a six-mile limit on the Northumberland coast from Coquet Island to Berwick; and if he will make a statement.

A number of hon. Members have sent me letters received by them from the Northumberland Sea Fisheries Committee covering one from the Northumberland Fishermen's Association. A reply will be sent shortly, of which I shall send the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he can now give concerning the future of statutory marketing boards, including particularly the Hops Marketing Board, following acceptance of the Common Agriculture Policy of the European Economic Community, and the signing of the Treaty of Accession on 22nd January, 1972.

I expect the essential marketing functions of the Hops

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what amendments will be required to current plant health regulations in order to bring about the free movement of agricultural produce in the European Economic Community.

Free movement of agricultural produce does not imply the removal of necessary plant health restrictions. Nor does existing E.E.C. legislation require amendment of our plant health import controls.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food now that the Treaty of Accession to the Rome

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT receipts from the Agricultural Fund of the European Economic Community according to country in a form similar to that contained in Command Paper No. 4289.

The information is as follows:Treaty has been signed, why he is unable to state the estimated Exchequer cost of the special help which is to be given to the horticultural, agricultural and fruit industries by way of compensation to offset the adverse effects to these industries on Great Britain joining the European Economic Community; and whether he will make a statement.

Discussions with representatives of horticultural producers have not yet been concluded.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent, under the present rules and regulations of the European Economic Community, Great Britain will, on entry into the European Economic Community, have to adopt the European Economic Community Council directive relating to inter-Community trade in fresh meat; and to what extent the Slaughterhouses (Hygiene) Regulations, the Slaughter of Animals (Prevention of Cruelty) Regulations and the Meat Inspection Regulations will have to be amended.

Meat exported to other Member States will be subject to the Directive. No amendment of our domestic regulations is needed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the housewife will benefit by a reduction in the price of bacon following the fall in the wholesale value.

The relationship between retail and wholesale prices for bacon is complex but some decreases in retail prices of certain cuts of bacon have already been noted.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the United Kingdom market for bacon he intends should be supplied from British sources.

I want the United Kingdom bacon industry to supply as large a proportion of our market as it can competitively at reasonable prices and with due regard to our international obligations and the need to reduce the charge on public funds.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the bacon industry.

Discussions are taking place today with representatives of overseas countries about bacon supplies for 1972–73 under the Bacon Market Sharing Understanding. I will make a statement on the outcome as soon as possible. On the subject of domestic support to the bacon curing industry, I have nothing to add to my reply to my hon. Friend, the Member for Arundel and Shoreham (Mr. Luce) on 21st January.—[Vol. 829, c. 269–70.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement indicating what proposals he has for improving the standard of public hygiene in private slaughterhouses.

The regulations governing hygiene in all slaughterhouses already prescribe standards adequate to safeguard public health: they are however at present under review for possible improvement in detail.

asked the Minister of Agrculture, Fisheries and Food if he will offer for sale the Government shareholding in the British Sugar Corporation.

No.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the processing capacity of the British Sugar Corporation on a tonnage basis in each of the next five years.

The British Sugar Corporation assures me that it will be able to increase capacity substantially over this period, but precise annual figures are not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what progress he is making in his inquiry into the distribution costs of milk and the 20 per cent. additional charge made by retailers of cartoned milk which under the Milk (Great Britain) Order, 1971, should retail at 5½p a pint;(2) if he will institute proceedings against milk retailers who impose an unreasonable charge under the Milk (Great Britain) Order, 1971, in excess of the 5½lp a pint at which ordinary pasteurised milk should be sold.

Discussions have been held with the National Grocers' Federation and the Dairy Trade Federation and I am considering their views. I would certainly institute proceedings if in my view an additional charge was manifestly unreasonable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the British fishing industry on the effects of any extension of the existing fishing limits by Iceland; and if he will make a statement.

I have been in close touch with the industry, but the object of discussions has been to explore ways of solving the problem created by the proposed extension of limits rather than with the consequences that would result from failure to find a solution.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect has the pollution of the Bristol Channel had on the fish life in that area; and if his Department will take samples of fish there in the interest of consumers.

There is no evidence that commercial species of fish have been endangered by pollution in the Bristol Channel. Nevertheless, my Department is continuing to monitor for the presence of persistent and potentially toxic residues.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in view of the increase in the number of grey squirrels in the countryside, if he will consider taking steps to reintroduce a grant per tail for their destruction.

No. The control of pests is the responsibility of the occupier of the land, as stated in the White Paper "Proposed Changes in the Work of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food" (Cmnd. 4564).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will end the agricultural subsidies paid to the Republic of Ireland.

No. The payments relating to carcase meat which are made to the Irish Republic under the side agreement to the Anglo Irish Free Trade Area Agreement are part of the balance of the agreement as a whole. We could Iceland (Fishing Limits) not unilaterally withdraw from part of it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to introduce legislation to abolish guaranteed prices for the major farm commodities.

Enabling powers are contained in the European Communities Bill to remove commodities by order made by Statutory Instrument from the list of guaranteed products in Schedule I to the Agriculture Act, 1957.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will request the Forestry Commission to plant a minimum percentage of hardwoods in all future plantations.

Practically all the land the commission acquires is in the uplands and very little of it is suitable for hardwoods. For this reason an arbitrary percentage would not be practicable, but my hon. Friend will be glad to know that in the management of its existing plantations the commission is laying increasing emphasis on the maintenance of hardwoods as an essential feature of the landscape.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what transition period is proposed for the change to eviscerated poultry meat; and what estimate he has made of the effect on consumer prices.

Under the terms of the E.E.C.'s directive, the prohibition on the sale of uneviscerated poultry would not have to take effect in the United Kingdom until 1976. It is impossible at this stage to say what effect on consumer prices there would be.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in the light of the negotiated arrangements for inshore fishing within the European Economic Community, he will specify the conservation measures he proposes to take for the protection of whelk fishermen against the damage caused to their gear by intensive trawling.

I have received representations on behalf of both whelk fishermen and trawlermen, and am concerned about the risk of damage to whelk fishing gear. I have arranged for consultation to take place before reaching a decision.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is now in a position to report to the House on the problem of their relationship with the Monopolies Commission, which the National Farmers' Union has referred to him.

No representations have been made to my right hon. Friend by the National Farmers' Union about its relationship with the Monopolies Commission.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present position with regard to the spread of Warfarin resistant rats; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Oswestry (Mr. Biffen) on 17th December, 1971.—[Vol. 828, c. 199.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether in the light of the statement by the Director-General of the National Farmers Union that there were too many bodies, associations, organisations, and committees whose cost was ultimately borne by the farmer, he is undertaking a review of bodies in which Government finance is involved; and if he will make a statement.

The bodies for which I am responsible were critically reviewed in 1970 and some are now being looked at again. About 400 bodies have been, or are being, abolished. My intention is to retain only those which have a useful function.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what he is doing to implement the proposal of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution that some economic inducement should be given to farmers to use manure from intensive farming.

I have nothing to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland gave to the hon. Member on 27th October last.—[Vol. 823, c. 345.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for agricultural expansion right across the board.

I would ask the hon. Member to await the determinations to be made following the 1972 Annual Review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that the price of bread has risen by large amounts on several occasions and that during this period firms in the bread business have increased their profits substantially; whether he will seek powers to enable him to investigate whether there has been profiteering and to prevent it.

Since the Government took office the major plant bakers have made general increases in bread prices on only two occasions, by one old penny per loaf in November, 1970, and by half a new penny per loaf in December, 1971. There was on average a slight reduction when prices were decimalised. I propose to continue to rely on competition to keep price increases to the minimum.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will exempt war widows' pension from the payment of income tax.

No. I am afraid that I could not justify such an exemption as my hon. Friend suggests.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in respect of the companies, boards or other bodies in which Her Majesty's Government holds shares, in so far as can be done without disproportionate time and effort, the size of the holding, the length of time held, and whether or not dividends are received for the holding.

The great majority of Government shareholdings are in the form of equity for which in general there is no maturity date. Moreover there is no overall timetable for disposing of these holdings, so that it is not generally possible to give an indication of the length of time for which the Government will continue to own the shares. Otherwise, following is the information:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in his Budget he will consider the removal of the fuel tax on all public service vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion, but I cannot anticipate the Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the income tax liability of a married man with two children aged under 11 years earning £1,560 a year, and the income tax liability of similarly circumstanced men who also have a mortgage of £1,000, £2,000. £3,000 and £4,000 respectively, all paying a rate of 8 per cent. interest;(2) what is the current code number under Pay As You Earn for a married man with two children earning £1,560 a year, and the code number for similarly circumstanced men making repayments on a mortgage of £2,000, £3,000 and £4.000, respectively, all paying a rate of 8 per cent. interest.

I assume the hon. Member means a mortgage paid off steadily in which case the figures will depend upon the total period of the mortgage and when it was taken out. For such a 20-year mortgage, the following table gives figures for its first and last years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of companies that are not subject to corporation tax because of their non-profit status.

This information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his estimate of the total profits or surpluses of companies having non-profit status;(2) how much has been charged as entertainment expenses in the accounts of non-profit companies in the most recent convenient period;(3) how much has been charged as motor and travelling expenses in the accounts of non-profit companies in the most recent convenient period.

The information asked for is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of employees in non-profit companies.

This information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of employees of non-profit companies for whom forms P11D are submitted.

Companies which do not carry on a trade or an investment business are not required to submit forms P11D.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the loss of revenue arising from permitting liquefield petroleum gas to remain untaxed; and what is the basis for his calculations of such figures.

No precise estimate can be made. At the current rate of usage on roads the loss might be under £1 million. But in the absence of a tax this figure would have tended to increase rapidly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what investigation he has carried out of the adequacy of the assessment on individual employees in respect of personal benefits; and if he will make a statement.

The Inland Revenue is well aware of the variety of benefits which are provided by employers. Tax inspectors are given detailed guidance on the taxability of many kinds of benefit that have come to the notice of the Inland Revenue and they seek to include in assessments on employees the value of benefits (other than certain luncheon vouchers) which are, in law, taxable as emoluments. I do not think a special investigation is required.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the percentage variation in the purchasing value of the £ sterling since February, 1971.

The internal purchasing power of the £ fell by 6·5 per cent. between February, 1971, and December, 1971, the latest date for which information is available. This estimate is based on the movement in the General Index of Retail prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to announce the issue of a crown piece in 1973 to commemorate the silver wedding anniversary of Her Majesty.

I am pleased to say that Her Majesty the Queen has approved a proposal to issue a commemorative crown piece with a face value of 25 new pence. The design and preparations for minting will take some time and details of the issue will be made known in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the proof sterling coinage sets have been sold by the Royal Mint, to the latest convenient date; and if he will break the figures down into home and North American sales.

Up to 4th February orders had been received for about 58,000 sets, all from home purchasers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the cost to date of the scheme whereby farmers who buy new farm machinery before August, 1972, get 80 per cent. of the cost from Government sources; and if he will make a statement on his estimate of the effect of this scheme on the British farm implement industry.

This information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer from which persons and organisations he has received approaches regarding the exemption of petrol sales from the value-added tax; and whether in view of the need for reducing prices and costs of production, he will announce a separate decision that the value-added tax shall not apply to petrol, and in the meantime reduce tax on this commodity.

None. As to the second part of the Question, the hon. Member must await the Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT his estimate for the current fiscal year of the amount of revenue he expects to receive from bookmakers and the Horse-race Totalisator Board in duty and other forms of taxation, and how these figures compare with the previous year.

Such estimates have not been made, but the available information on actual receipts in the first nine months of the current financial year and of the previous financial year is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will carry out a study of problems in improving the kidney transplant service.

Such problems are under continuous study.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the Adolescent Unit proposed for Salterley Grange is to be opened.

The condition of the buildings has deteriorated while Salterley Grange has been empty and the Regional Hospital Board has set up a Working Party to consider the comparative costs of renovation and conversion as against purpose built accommodation. The Working Party is expected to complete its report in a few weeks' time.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications from severely disabled people for the constant attendance allowance have now been accepted.

Up to 1st February, about 68,000 claims from severely disabled people for the new attendance allowance had been successful.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what instructions on medical requirements have been issued by him as to the degree of severity of disability and the frequency of attention which must be proved for the granting of attendance allowance for a handicapped child.

None. The medical requirements for children are set out in Section 4(2) of the National Insurance (Old Persons' and Widows' Pensions and Attendance Allowance) Act, 1970, and Regulation 7(4) of the National Insurance (Attendance Allowance) Regulations, 1971 (Statutory Instrument 1971 No. 621). The application of these statutory provisions in any individual case is a matter for the Attendance Allowance Board set up under the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the number of attendance allowances granted is being limited in any way by regard to a finite sum of money nationally available for that purpose.

No. We estimated that up to 50.000 people including 10,000 children would qualify for the attendance allowance. Up to 1st February, about 68,000 people had been awarded the allowance; this figure included 16,500 awards for severely disabled children. Many claims are still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give further consideration to the simplification and clarification of the review and appeal procedures open to applicants for the constant attendance allowance.

Up to 25th January, 12,000 people had applied to the Attendance Allowance Board for a review and, of 7,500 applications dealt with, 5,600 had been successful. I think this shows that the procedures work satisfactorily, but the letter advising people of their entitlement to apply for a review has been revised to emphasise this right, and the revised version should be in use next week.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will instruct the Supplementary Benefits Commission to inform local education authorities when a family is in receipt of family income supplement or other benefits which would entitle the children to free school meals.

No. Recipients of family income supplements and supplementary benefits are advised that they are automatically entitled to free school meals for their children and are encouraged to apply for them if they have not already done so. It is for the parents to decide whether they wish to take advantage of the benefits available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, as part of his review of complaints procedure in the National Health Service, he will extend the present six-week time limit on complaints against doctors.

Under the statutory provisions for dealing with them, complaints made against general medical practitioners more than six weeks after the event complained of can already, subject to certain conditions, be investigated. I will however keep the hon. Member's specific point in mind in the course of my review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce legislation to end the annual rental charge for talking book machines for the blind.

No. The charge is a matter for the Royal National Institute for the Blind and St. Dunstan's which jointly administer the talking book service for the blind.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the aggregate cost to date to public funds of supplementary benefits paid to those involved in the miners' strike, and their families, respectively, and of any payments made after resumption of work.

From the beginning of the strike until 1st February, £23,831 was paid for strikers and £1,929,411 for dependants, a total of £1,953,242.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total annual sum transmitted for social security benefits to citizens of the Irish Republic to the nearest convenient year.

About 17,000 British national insurance retirement pensions, widows' pensions and industrial disablement pensions are being paid to persons in the Irish Republic. These pensions are derived from British insurance. It is not possible to say how many of the pensioners are citizens of the Irish Republic. For the year ended 31st March, 1971, the cost of these pensions (mainly retirement pensions) was about £3·3 million. There were also nearly 6,000 persons drawing British war pen- sions in the Republic at a cost of £1·9 million. Other social security benefits are not normally paid outside Great Britain, but in respect of the same year adjusting payments of £330,000 were made to the Republic under the terms of a reciprocal agreement. These payments were related to the extent to which insurance in one country was used to give entitlement to benefit (mainly sickness benefit) under the legislation of the other country.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has for reducing delays in the hearing of test cases under the grade or class provisions of the National Insurance Act, 1965.

None. Claims are dealt with as soon as practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Service if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the number of applications, refusals, and acceptances for admission under Section 4 and Section 60 Orders, respectively, to each of the hospitals at Shenley, Naps-bury, Horton and Springfield for each of the years 1961 to 1971.

The information requested is not available apart from the numbers of patients accepted for admission under Section 60 of the Mental Health Act. 1959. These are:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to which local authorities a circular was sent requesting their medical officers to inquire into the lead content of the blood of persons living in the vicinity of factories where lead is processed or used extensively; how many replies he has received; and what further action he is taking.

A circular letter by the Chief Medical Officer of my Department was sent to all medical officers of health in England on 21st December, 1971. I am sending the hon. Member a copy. At the same time medical staff from the Department contacted the medical officers of health of the 17 areas containing major lead works to discuss the possible problems in their vicinity and to offer advice and assistance. The surveys in these areas, which will take some time to complete, will show whether additional measures to reduce emissions are necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the report of the National Innovations Centre, a copy of which is in his posses-

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Mrs. Knight) on 4th February.—[Vol. 830, c. 223.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the staff-to-population ratio of community nursing services in all county boroughs of England and Wales.

The information as at 30th September, 1971, is as follows:—

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many epileptics he estimates there are in England and Wales; and what arrangements there are for financial help to them.

I accept the estimates made in the report "People with Epilepsy", published for my Department in 1969, that in England and Wales there may be up to 300,000 sufferers from epilepsy. People with epilepsy are covered by the general arrangements for social security benefits; thus those who are incapacitated for work have the same entitlement to sickness and invalidity

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate from information available to him the number and proportion of households in the western sub-division of the South-West who are eligible for family income supplement; and how many have so far claimed their entitlement.

Because of the smallness of the samples on which estimates of the numbers of families eligible for family income supplement are based, it is not not possible to make such estimates on a regional basis. As to the available statistics of beneficiaries in the South-West I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Mudd) on 2nd February.—[Vol. 830, c. 141.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list for the years 1961, 1966 and 1971, or the most recent year for which statistics are available, the total population of England and Wales; and what proportion of these figures for each year lived in cities or conurbations exceeding 1 million people, cities and towns with a population between 100.000 and 1 million and between 50,000 and 99,000, and towns and villages with a population between 10,000 and 49,000, and less than 10,000.

The only information readily available is that published in the 1971 Preliminary Report on the Census. classifying the population of Local Authorities in England and Wales as follows. Fully comparable figures are not available for 1966.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to separate the patients who are 64 years of age and under from geriatric patients in the North Staffordshire hospitals.

The Board has already reduced substantially the number of patients under age 65 who occupy accommodation normally used by the elderly. Following the commissioning last July the 27-bed unit for younger chronic sick at the Fanny Deakin Memorial Hospital, the number has fallen from 75 at 30th June, 1971, to 40 in January, 1972. The Board will continue to do its best to reduce the figure so far as is practicable having regard to the resources of finance and manpower which can be made available for hospital services throughout the Region. In the meantime it is the practice in North Staffordshire hospitals to keep such patients in separate groups.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he has received the communication dated 28th January, 1972, from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, giving details of the health risks in cafés and restaurants and the inadequacy of present legislation to deal with the problem; and what action he proposes to take to deal with this problem;(2) whether he is aware that the existing legislation regarding health hazards in cafés and restaurants is such that the legal process involved in closing such premises on grounds of danger to health can take one year, and at the end of that time the owner can continue in business by appointing someone else as a nominal proprietor; and whether he will introduce legislation to change this situation.

Yes, and I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Wood Green (Mrs. Joyce Butler) on 1st February. I am satisfied that the existing statutory powers, when vigorously exercised, are effective.The time taken to deal with cases must depend on the speed with which enforcing authorities and the Courts can proceed. Disqualification under Section 14 of the Food and Drugs Act is not limited to the original owner.—[Vol. 830, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he now expects to make his statement on the invalid vehicle scheme; and if he will take into account the example submitted to him by the hon. Member for Heywood and Royton whereby his Department refused to pay the full car conversion costs of £135·50 but instead were prepared to provide an invalid car at approximately four times the cost.

I hope to make an announcement before very long. The car conversion grant arrangements are being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the breakdown of the increase in the expenditure programme for the health and personal social services already planned prior to 22nd November, 1971; and what is the breakdown of this increase as presently planned.

Expenditure planned for health and personal social services in Great Britain before and after my announcements on 22nd November, 1971, of the Government's injection of an additional £118 million was as follows:

asked the Secretary of Sate for Social Services what has been the aggregate cost to date to public funds of supplementary benefits paid to those involved in the Linwood and Bathgate strikes, and their families, respectively, and of any payments made after resumption of work.

The amount paid, up to 1st February in the dispute at Chrysler, Linwood, was £39,647 wholly to strikers' dependants. Work has been resumed but details of payments since the date of resumption are not yet available.The amount paid, up to 1st February in the dispute at British Leyland, Bath- gate, was £16,893, wholly to strikers' dependants. This dispute is still in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what use he has made of his powers to regulate the scale of new building in the vicinity of Parliament Square, particularly in relation to the site of Queen Anne's Mansions.

The local planning authorities have the primary responsibility for controlling new development near Parliament Square. Outline planning permission was given by Westminster City Council in April, 1969, for the redevelopment of Queen Anne's Mansions for Government offices; detailed plans have not yet been submitted to the council for approval.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the extent of the accommodation in Whitehall vacated by his Department on the occasion of its removal to Marsham Street; which Department occupies that accommodation and where it came from; and which Department now occupies their previous accommodation.

74,000 sq. ft. of which 73,000 sq. ft. is in the Government Offices, Great George Street. This move, together with that of the Civil Service Department to the Old Admiralty Building, will enable the occupation of Great George Street to be rationalised. The principal future occupants for the next few years will be the Treasury, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Central Statistical Office. Some of the staff concerned are already in the building; others will be moved from buildings on the Parliamentary Building site and elsewhere which are due for demolition, or to be converted to other uses. Some buildings vacated as a result of the reorganisation will be reallocated to meet new demands.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he proposes to take to ensure that Whitehall Court and the Church Commissioners Buildings are given the protection of legislation covering the listing and preservation of buildings of architectural importance.

These buildings are already statutorily listed under the Town and Country Planning Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will use his powers to prevent any new development involving the buildings in Great George Street opposite the Treasury until he announces a comprehensive plan for the Whitehall and Parliament Square area.

I can assure my hon. Friend that any decisions on the future of the Broad Sanctuary site will take account of the Government's intentions for the Whitehall and Parliament Square area as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list expenditure since the war on the cleaning and improvement, internal and external, of public buildings in Whitehall and Parliament Square, including rebuilding; and what he plans for the immediate future.