asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a further statement about regulations governing peaceful picketing.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave today to Questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) and Nottingham, South (Mr. Fowler) and my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Nelson and Colne (Mr. Waddington).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to issue new rules for immigration officers following the drafts laid before the House last year.

Later this Session.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent consultations he has had with Islington Borough Council regarding the building of staff quarters at Holloway Prison.

The council's comments on the staff quarters were received at the end of December. The design is being modified to take account of these.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been held in Brixton Prison in the last three years for periods of more than six months whilst awaiting trial; and what was the longest period for which anyone was held.

There are 19 unconvicted prisoners now at Brixton who have been there more than six months. One prisoner now on trial was first received into custody on 24th July, 1970. I am seeking further information and shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now authorise payment of the under-manning allowance, presently being paid to police forces in the City of London, the Metropolis, Glasgow, Liverpool and Bootle, to the Birmingham Police Force.

No recommendation is before my right hon. Friend at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the Race Relations Act, 1968, Section 6 to allow firms to advertise for Scottish chartered accountants without interference from the Race Relations Board.

The Race Relations Board takes the view that the advertisements that the hon. Member has in mind are not unlawful under the Race Relations Act, 1968. No amendment is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that the Judge's Rules require that an arrested person should have access to a legal adviser, and of the fact that information on the breach of this rule is not readily available in the Home Office, whether he will immediately put in hand an investigation of the extent of the breach of this rule in the Metropolitan Police area.

On present information my right hon. Friend sees no need for the investigation proposed by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what appeal procedures are available in the police service in cases involving the withdrawal of positive vetting clearance; and if he will make a statement.

The procedure which has been adopted in the police service corresponds to that followed in the Civil Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, having now had over three months to study the book by David Yallop concerning Derek Bentley, entitled To Encourage the Others, a copy of which is in his possession, he will now recommend the grant to him of a posthumous pardon in the light of the facts set out in the book and the representations made to him by hon. Members.

My right hon. Friend has not yet completed his study of this case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters he received in January from women complaining of their inability to obtain the alimony granted to them by court order.

Eight.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the discussions between the Commission of Human Rights and Her Majesty's Government regarding the 31 United Kingdom passport holders from East Africa whose cases were recently considered by the Commission; and what steps Her Majesty's Government intend to take to secure a settlement with the persons concerned.

Discussions between the European Commission of Human Rights and parties are of a confidential nature. At this stage I can only say that the discussions continue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were charged with murder, and how many were found guilty of murder, in England and Wales in 1971; and by what percentage these figures exceed or are less than the comparable figures in the year before capital punishment was abolished.

Statistics for 1971 are still not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many persons were convicted of possession of cannabis during 1971; how many of these received sentences of imprisonment; and how many were sentences of more than six months;(2) what were the ages and sex of those convicted of possession of cannabis in 1971; and whether he will publish a table in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

The statistics of drug offences in 1971 will not be available until later this year. I shall write to the hon. Member when I have this information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been referred to the Race Relations Board; and what is the percentage of cases where discrimination was proved.

From 26th November, 1968, to the end of last year the Board dealt with 3,423 cases. 1,287 cases were outside the scope of the Act or were withdrawn. An opinion that discrimination had occurred was formed in 25·8 per cent. of the remainder.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now grant maximum limit rent allowance to single members of the police force who are either purchasing their own home or are tenants of a house, regardless of their years of service

This is a matter in the first instance for the Police Council

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of prisoners now contained within Her Majesty's Prisons; and, in the context of prison building, what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who are likely to be detained in 1974.

The answer to the first part of the Question is 38,294 in England and Wales on 31st January, and to the second about 47,000 on the basis that the general trends of recent years are likely to continue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters he has received on capital punishment since 2nd February; and what replies he has sent.

Fourteen in the three weeks beginning 2nd February. Replies to recent letters on this subject have outlined the history of recent Parliamentary consideration of the matter and have indicated that the Government see no advantage in re-opening the question at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to enable committal proceedings in magistrates' courts to be reported unless objection is taken by or on behalf of the accused.

My right hon. Friend has no such legislation in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek powers to require disused and unguarded airfields in Great Britain to be rendered unserviceable for landing aircraft by plouging up or other methods.

My right hon. Friend is not persuaded that such powers are necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the situation in Northern Ireland so far as his responsibility is concerned.

I have nothing to add at this stage to the various statements I have made in recent weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of the security standards recommended in the Radcliffe Report, Command Paper No. 1681, 1962, are applicable to the police service.

Those relating to physical and personnel security which are not by their nature applicable only to Government Departments, the Armed Forces, or industry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the reasons for the delay in publishing the report of the Parker Committee presented to the Prime Minister on 31st January.

No undue delay has occurred.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action Her Majesty's Government proposes that the civilian population should take in the event of a nuclear attack on the United Kingdom.

Arrangements have been made to issue advice, at a time judged to be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much inflammable material is stored at West Thurrock and Purfleet; and what risk there is of explosion there.

The only information available in the Home Office relates to petroleum installations licensed under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928. A total of 567,500 water tons of petroleum spirit and 498,940 water tons of other inflammable petroleum products is stored at the three major petroleum installations in West Thurrock and Purfleet. An explosion can occur if petroleum spirit vapour, in certain concentrations in air, becomes ignited, but the licensing conditions for petroleum installations are designed to reduce such risks to a minimum.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the membership of the committees which are to advise him on the initial electoral arrangements for the new counties and metropolitan districts in England and the new countries and districts in Wales.

I am appointing two advisory committees, one sitting in London and one in Cardiff. The following have accepted invitations to serve:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve the prison and Borstal after-care services; and whether he is aware of the important work that can be done through voluntary activity in this field.

Persons released from custody are supervised or assisted by probation officers, whose number is being steadily increased. I am well aware of the importance of voluntary activity in this field and I am anxious to give it further encouragement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will review the current law with regard to sentencing in the case of first offenders in relation to offences of possession of cannabis.

The law was fully reviewed during the passage of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will recommend the appointment of a Royal Commission into the incidence of cannabis and tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, and their effects upon society, with a view to recommendations on educational and legal action in these fields.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he will not obtain from chief constables, and publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT, for the longest convenient stated period of time, the number of occasions when a person known to be mentally normal has confessed to the police to one, two and three murder attempts, giving times, dates and details, where no action has been taken by the police, including interviewing the person or persons who have made the confession.

Because the time and cost involved would not be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the number of letters with dates of receipt which he has received from Mr. G. E. Hobson, of Hale, Cheshire, and Members of Parliament, regarding allegations of irregularities against the Lancashire Police and the Chief Constable; and what action he has taken, or proposes to take, in connection with them.

Mr. Hobson first wrote to the Home Office on 5th June, 1969. He has written on more than 20 occasions since. Nine hon. Members have written to Home Office Ministers about the case. It has been exhaustively investigated on behalf of the Lancashire Police Authority and there is no action for my right hon. Friend to take.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the investigations conducted by the Metropolitan Police into the affairs of Hartley Baird Limited included the possible contravention of the Exchange Control Acts by the directors of this company; and with what results.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that the answer to the first part of the Question is "No".

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a fully detailed statement for the Metropolitan Police area, giving for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the number of occasions when persons with no previous criminal records or charges, have, on arrest, been handcuffed, finger-printed, and remanded in custody without the granting of bail; and in each of these cases what the charge was, and what happened at the subsequent prosecution.

I do not think the value of the information would justify the work involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the period during the present miners' dispute and for any other stated period, details of cases where strikers have, in the Metropolitan Police area, been arrested, handcuffed, finger printed, and remanded in custody without bail; what subsequent charges were preferred; and with what results on prosecution.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that no such cases have come to his notice during the dispute. I do not think the value of information relating to any other period would justify the work involved in obtaining it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he will not seek powers to enable him to take over responsibility for the security of race courses.

Because the safeguarding of private property and pursuits is primarily the responsibility of the interests concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number and the proportion of those unemployed in Sunderland who have been unemployed for more than a year.

At 10th January, the latest date for which information is available, out of 8,476 people who were registered as wholly unemployed in the area covered by the Sunderland and Southwick Employment Exchanges, 2,252—26·6 per cent. of the total—had been registered for more than 52 weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the main occupational groups of those at present unemployed in Sunderland; and what are the numbers unemployed in each of those groups.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young persons were unemployed in Monmouthshire, and how many vacancies existed, at the latest available date.

Provisional figures for February, 1972, show that there were 922 unemployed young people and 126 unfilled vacancies in the county of Monmouthshire. The vacancy statistics relate only to notified vacancies remaining unfilled and do not purport to measure the total demand.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many males are unemployed in the county of Monmouthshire; and how many male vacancies existed at the latest available date.

At 14th February, the provisional number of males registered as wholly unemployed in the county of Monmouthshire was 8,351. In addition, 1,023 temporarily stopped male workers were registered as unemployed. At 9th

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of persons made redundant as a direct result of mergers and/or take-overs during each of the years since 1961 for which figures are available.

I regret that I am not able to give the estimates required.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of male and female job vacancies for young people in each county of Scotland in January; and if he will show against those figures the number of young male and female people wholly unemployed.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will establish special interdepartmental machinery to study the pattern of wage and salary increases throughout the country in relation to local authority rent increases.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what efforts he is making to end the industrial dispute at the Autolifts and Engineering Works at Hare Law, Stanley, County Durham.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he can now give a more precise date for when he expects to receive the report of the inquiry of the Robens Committee into safety and health at work than about the the middle of 1972.

No.

My Department's officers are closely in touch with the parties and are ready to give any assistance acceptable to them both. The union officials are endeavouring to secure a resumption of work so that negotiations can be resumed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish figures showing the annual average percentage rates of male unemployment for the United Kingdom, and for each region within the United Kingdom, over the period 1955 to 1971.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will extend the scope of the Robens Inquiry into the safety and health of those at work to lorry drivers who transport goods outside factories and to the health hazards of those who live in the vicinity of factories where toxic substances are used or manufactured.

The safety and health of transport workers, including lorry drivers, while directly engaged on transport operations was deliberately excluded from the terms of reference of the Robens Committee. This was because these matters necessarily have to be considered in a broader context, for example of the safety of other road users, and the safe design and operation of vehicles, Apart from this, the safety and health of transport workers in the course of their employment is within the Committee's terms of reference.As regards the second part of the Question, consideration of health hazards to the general public caused by the use or manufacture of toxic substances is within the Committee's terms of reference, which do not, however, extend to general environmental pollution.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many projected redundancies have been brought to his attention in the Greater Manchester area for the year 1972; and what action he is taking to provide new employment opportunities.

Not all redundancies are notified to my Department, but notifications of redundancies involving 6,335 people have so far been recorded as due to occur in the Manchester travel-to-work area in the year 1972. Employment prospects in Manchester will benefit from an upturn in the national economy which the Government's massive measures will achieve.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms, factories and other places of employment closed down in the Greater Manchester area in 1971.

I do not have comprehensive figures but, on the basis of information held by my Department, I estimate

At 14th February, the provisional number of males registered as wholly unemployed in the area covered by the Newport and Newport Docks Employment Exchanges was 2,676. In addition, 376 temporarily stopped male workers were registered as unemployed. At 9th February, 92 notified vacancies for males remained unfilled.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure for unemployment in the Manchester area and the North West; and how this com- pares with 12 and 24 months previous.

Following is the information:that the number of establishments of all kinds and sizes in the Manchester travel-to-work area in which workpeople were employed and which closed down during 1971 was of the order of 400.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he proposes to make an announcement about the siting of a new Government training centre in South Monmouthshire.

An announcement will be made as soon as a suitable site has been acquired.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations for additional financial assistance he has received from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents; and what reply he has sent.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will seek to amend the Charities Act, 1960, so as to include the National Museum of Wales and the Wallace Collection in the list of exempt charities.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total of expenditure proposed in the Supplementary Estimates, House of Commons Paper 97, in respect of additional staff in museums required in connection with the introduction of admission charges; and what is the total included in the Estimates as appropriations in aid in respect of revenue from charges.

Expenditure of £23,215 is included in the Supplementary Estimates for 1971–72 in respect of additional staff in connection with the introduction of general admission charges for the national museums and galleries. No provision is included for revenue from charges in 1971–72.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average number of pupils per class in primary, junior, and secondary schools in the Inner London Education Authority area.

In January, 1971, per registered class 31·9 in primary and 31·6 in junior schools; and per teaching group 20·7 in secondary schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the number of teachers in training in Wales in 1970 and 1971; what is the number proposed for 1973; and if she will make a statement.

There were 6,315 and 6,292 students in training in Colleges of Education in Wales in 1970 and 1971 respectively. For 1972–73 and subsequent years the agreed target is 6,400. In addition about 850 places each year are provided in University Departments of Education and the Art Teacher Training Centre in Cardiff.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many classes in the Manchester area in primary schools have above 30 and above 40 pupils, respectively; and what proportion these constitute the total;(2) how many secondary school classes in the Manchester area have above 30 pupils and above 35 pupils, respectively; and what proportion these constitute of the whole.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what new school buildings will be completed in the Manchester area in each of the next three years according to current plans.

It is not possible to forecast completion dates for school building projects. But the following projects in Manchester are either under construction or are expected to start in the present financial year.

• Mount Carmel R.C. Infants.
• St. Chad's R.C. Primary.
• Cheetham Crumpsall Comprehensive.
• Webster Street County Primary
• St. Stephen's C. of E. Primary.
• Corpus Christi R.C. Primary.
• St. Wilfred's C. of E. Primary, Newton Heath.
• Ten Acres E.S.N. School, Newton Heath

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what school buildings in the Manchester area are considered unsatisfactory by her; and what action is being taken.

The only recent information available to the Department comprises a list of schools built before 1903 provided by the local education authority. 39 schools in this category require replacement or major improvement and action is being taken as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will visit Lily Lane School, Manchester, to discuss the communication from children sent to her by the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley.

I have no present plans to visit this school and cannot trace having received any communication about it from the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many nursery schools, primary schools, secondary modern schools, comprehensive schools, sixth form colleges, colleges of education, and university colleges, respectively, he visited in Wales in 1971.

One nursery, one primary and one special school; two comprehensive schools and one university college.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what opportunities were made available to his Department to give evidence to the James Committee on teacher training.

The Secretary for Welsh Education and the Chief Inspector (Wales) both accepted invitations to give oral evidence to the committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many play groups are in existence in Carmarthen-shire.

Thirteen.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what conferences of the teachers' professional organisations he visited in 1971.

I addressed the Welsh Conference of the National Association of Schoolmasters at Cardiff on 2nd October.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what conferences of teachers' professional organisations he has arranged to visit in 1972; and if he will make a statement.

I plan to address the 31st National Biennial Conference of the Association for Special Education in Cardiff on 25th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total extraction of water from Lake Vyrnwy by the Liverpool Corporation in the last year for which figures are available.

The quantity of water extracted from Lake Vyrnwy by Liverpool Corporation during the year ended 31st December, 1970. amounted to 81,838 megalitres. Of this total, 523 megalitres were supplied to consumers in North Wales. For information, 4·546 megalitres equals 1 million gallons.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now appoint an ombudsman with special responsibilities for the Health Service.

I would refer the hon. Member the statement my right hon. Friend made on 22nd February.—[Vol. 831, c. 1104–14.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what support he will give to the creation of a day hospital at Honiton.

All hospital Boards are encouraged to establish geriatric day hospital services. I understand the South-Western Regional Board has recently decided in principle to establish a geriatric day hospital at Honiton and is now considering when a place can be found for it in the Board's programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the Health Education Council intends to start its

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many health centres are likely to be completed in Wales by the end of 1972.

Forty-three. Of these, 33 are already operating.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of suicide were recorded in England and Wales in each year since 1968; what are the figures for the Northern Region; and if he will make a statement.

The numbers are as follows:televised publicity for contraception; and at what cost to the Department.

The Health Education Council is considering the possibility of mounting a limited and experimental campaign using television and other media to draw attention to the availability of family planning services in a selected area of the country. Before launching such a campaign, the Health Education Council will be consulting medical officers of health, family doctors and National Health Service authorities. It is anticipated that the campaign will be run in the latter half of this year and that its cost will be in the region of £50,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average waiting time for a vasectomy operation under the National Health Service in Dorking; and what it is for this operation for private patients.

Dorking patients may be referred to a number of hospitals in the area. An average waiting time for National Health Service patients is not readily available but waiting times vary very considerably between different hospitals and clinics. Waiting time for private patients depends on individual arrangements made between the patient and the surgeon.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people have purchased prescription charge season tickets since they were introduced.

Information in this form is not available; but the total numbers of prescription charge season tickets issued in England between November, 1968, and December, 1971, were 169,000 giving exemption from charges for six months and 226,000 giving exemption for 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table of local authorities, in rank order according to the rate in the £ they raise for expenditure on social services; and if he will include in the table the population of each local authority, their net expenditure on social services, and the proportion of their total budget spent on social services.

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the personal social services. I regret that the information requested in the first part of the Question is not available in my Department; and past expenditure on the personal social services will not be known until the accounts for 1971–72 are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many owner-occupiers in the last year for which information is available were refused a supplementary benefit housing allowance on the grounds that they were neither paying rent nor mortgage interest; and what are estimated, in such cases, to be their average annual costs of housing repair or upkeep.

None. If an owner-occupier pays no mortgage interest or ground rent, he is still entitled to an addition in respect of "net rent" as defined in the Ministry of Social Security Act 1966, which includes in particular rates and a reasonable allowance towards necessary expenditure on repairs or insurance.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue a leaflet setting out the regulations relating to the payment of supplementary benefits to strikers or their families and to workers affected by strikes though not on strike themselves.

A number of unofficial leaflets have been circulating recently purporting to explain the entitlement of strikers and their families to supplementary benefit. I understand that in view of this, the Supplementary Benefits Commission is considering whether further information should be made public about the exercise of their discretionary powers when claims for benefit are received during strikes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the hon. Member for Willesden, West may expect to receive an answer to his letters requesting an interview, when he would be accompanied by the hon. Member for Willesden, East, to discuss matters which affect the London Borough of Brent, for which he is responsible.

The hon. Member for Willesden, West, will now know that my secretary has been in touch with his and has arranged a meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the applications he has received from each of the national parks applying for an Article Four Direction Order in the last 12 months; and what reply he has sent to each.

Only two such applications have been received. One relating to land in the North Yorkshire Moors Park was approved. I have declined to approve the other relating to land in Dartmoor National Park.I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the letter conveying that decision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the value of road construction work in progress in the third and fourth quarters of 1971; and how this compares with the first quarter of 1970.

Details are not available in the form requested. The most appropriate available information is of the Department's expenditure on motorways, trunk roads and principal roads. For the periods concerned, the following are the figures:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many motorway and major trunk road schemes are currently awaiting his final decision.

Eight.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations about financial assistance he has received from the Greater London Council in connection with its recent Green Paper on the provision of free public transport; what reply he has sent; and whether he will make a statement.

I have received no representations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the criteria applied to decide whether new roundabouts should be provided at road junctions on trunk and principal roads; and in what circumstances it is considered appropriate to provide flyovers or underpasses.

The type of junction to be adopted is determined by overall consideration of traffic flow, safety, land use, cost and environmental aspects. Advice on this complex matter is given in the H.M.S.O. publications "Layout of Roads in Rural Areas" and "Roads in Urban Areas".

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in how many cases plans for improvement of road junctions on trunk and principal roads provide for the construction of new roundabouts and for the construction of flyovers and underpasses.

This information is not readily available and it would be very costly and time consuming to assemble.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will agree to meet a deputation consisting of the Members of Parliament, trade union and employers' representatives to discuss a number of problems concerning the application of the Port of London Authority under Section 9 of the Harbours Act, 1964, before taking any irretrievable action in connection with this application.

I shall of course consider the representations already made to me by the hon. Member and others, along with the advice I shall be receiving from the National Ports Council. I do not at the moment consider that a deputation would serve any useful purpose.

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Neasden.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if he will seek to make arrangements, if Great Britain enters the European Economic Community, for the Secretary of State for Scotland to be a member of the Council of Ministers.

We can have only one representative in the Council of Ministers, who will be my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. But my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and his officials will take a full part in preparatory discussions in this country before policy issues of interest to Scotland are considered in the Council of Ministers.

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with co-ordination between the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Security on the operation of the Human Tissue Act; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. My right hon. Friends are in close touch about the effect of this Act on their respective fields of responsibility.

asked the Prime Minister why he had discussions with the National Union of Mineworkers and the Coal Board on 18th and 19th February; and if he will make a statement on their outcome.

For the reasons, and with the result, described in the statement which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment made in the House last Monday.

asked the Prime Minister on how many occasions other than Friday and Saturday, 18th and 19th February, 1972, in the last 20 months he has personally intervened in attempted settlements of industrial disputes separately from and in addition to the Minister directly responsible for employment and labour problems.

On no other occasion have I participated personally in discussions with the parties to an industrial dispute. But industrial relations policy is regularly the subject of discussion by Ministers collectively.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, as a result of the recently announced increase in the statutory minimum wage of agricultural workers, he proposes to raise the present minimum income requirement for grant on buildings under the Farm Capital Grant Scheme.

Yes. It has been decided to raise the minimum annual income figure, which a farm business should be capable of yielding after improvement, from the present figure of £880 given in paragraph 7 of the Ministry's leaflet CG1 to £960. This increase will apply to applications received on and after 1st March, 1972. It is understood that a similar increase will be applied in Scotland from the same date. In Northern Ireland the minimum will continue to be equivalent to the statutory minimum agricultural wage in that country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of the review of Fisheries Research and Development Organisation.

On 17th December, 1970, I informed the House that my right hon. Friends and I who are concerned with the matter had initiated a review of the organisation of Government-aided fishery research and development. In the light of this review we have reached the conclusion that certain changes of organisation are desirable.First, it is proposed from 1st April next, to transfer responsibility for the Torry Research Station, whose main function is the study of fish as a food, from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to me. In assuming this responsibility I shall maintain the closest association with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry so that their interests are fully taken into account.Second, the interests of the Government and the industry as "customers" for fisheries research and development are to be brought together and exercised through a Fisheries Research and Development Board. The Board's primary task will be to advise both Fisheries Ministers on the objectives of fisheries research and development to agree the programmes needed to meet these objectives (including priorities within them) and the necessary financial resources, and to monitor progress. The Board will be representative of the Government Departments concerned, and of the Natural Environment Research Council; and I hope that the industry, too, will agree to be represented.Third, it is intended to appoint a Controller of Fisheries Research and Development whose task it will be to supervise the research and development programmes of the various laboratories and stations and to ensure that they are met in the most efficient and economic way possible. The Controller will be one of the present Directors of Government Fisheries Laboratories; he will be responsible for the work of the laboratories and will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and myself jointly.The Controller of Fisheries Research and Development will be supported by a management group of directors of the Government Fisheries Laboratories, of which he will be a chairman. The chief function of the group will be to control and ensure co-ordination of the work of the laboratories and stations and to eliminate the possibility of unnecessary duplication.I am confident that these measures will do much to ensure that the needs of Government and industry alike as customers for research and development in the fisheries area will be identified, understood and carried out with efficiency and economy.No immediate change is contemplated in the White Fish Authority's responsibilities for research and development. But my right hon. Friend and I have the future of the Authority under consideration and will inform the House of our conclusions soon.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Presbyterian Church in Strabane, Northern Ireland, about the state of security in that town; and what steps he is now going to take to ensure the immediate restoration of law and order.

I have received no such representations from the Presbyterian Church in Strabane, although I am aware of the level of violence and unrest in the town. The Army increased its presence there in December. Efforts against the terrorists, who are the source of the trouble, have been increased; the difficulty is that this is one of the areas where much of the terrorist activity is mounted from across the border.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances Sergeant-Major Connell was shot in the head by an Irish Republican Army sniper in Londonderry on Saturday, 19th February; what sort of gun was used; whether the fire was returned; what part of the city the sniper used for his attack; and what arrest was made.

At about 2.40 p.m. a single shot was fired from the Bogside area at an Army observation post on top of a tall office building. Sergeant-Major Connell was hit, the bullet passing through his head, and he is very seriously ill. The weapon used is believed to have been a high-velocity rifle, although the bullet has not been recovered. No fire was returned and no arrest was made by the Army at the time.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances the Army was called to examine a wrecked car near the Castlereagh Road, Belfast, on Monday, 21st February; and what was the result of their examination.

At about 3.15 p.m. troops were called when an explosion wrecked a car 100 yards east of the Castlereagh roundabout. The car was found to have been stolen and its four occupants had been killed. The explosion had been caused by an estimated 15 to 20 lbs. of explosive, inside the car. During a search of the wreckage, two pistols were found.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances the Army returned fire on Sunday, 20th February in the City of Londonderry; and with what result.

During the day, there were 17 incidents of single or automatic shots being fired at troops in Londonderry. Soldiers fired at ten incidents, the most serious of which occurred at about 5.30 p.m. and lasted for about 15 minutes. On that occasion, troops deployed in the Great James Street and William Street areas, during a period of rioting in William Street, came under fire from the Clarendon Street/Princes Street junction and from St. James Street. Thirty single shots and several bursts of automatic fire were directed at the troops, but no casualties were sustained. The troops returned fire from eight points, and two terrorists are believed to have been hit.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the purpose of the British nuclear deterrent.

The primary purpose of Britain's nuclear armoury is to contribute to N.A.T.O.'s deterrent posture. Our nuclear weapons also provide the final deterrent to aggression against this country.