asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will break down the figure of £15,550 paid out in grants to persons other than public bodies as shown in the Income and Expenditure Report for the year ended 31st March, 1971, of the Countryside Commission for Scotland; and if he will further show for what purposes these grants were made.

The principal recipients were The National Trust for Scotland, for an information centre at Ben Lawers; the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the Scottish Wild Life Trust for facilities provided for the public at Loch Leven and the Loch of the Lowes respectively; and the Landmark Visitor Centre for outdoor facilities at Carrbridge.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total sum of money allocated to the Countryside Commission for Scotland for the year ended March, 1971; and how much was spent.

£195,000 was granted, and £170,747 was spent, including £3,497 from other receipts.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what he estimates to be the prospects for Scottish wool producers if Great Britain enters the European Economic Community.

The existing markets and opportunities for Scottish wool in the European Economic Community will not be affected by British membership of the Community. As an industrial rawmaterial wool from Britain and elsewhere already enters the European Economic Community free of duty, and production in the Community is not subject to the rules of the common agricultural policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is now in a position to report the outcome of his discussions in regard to future oil refining capacity in Scotland.

I am in close touch with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industryabout possible refinery sites. As regards Ayrshire, the county council, on behalf of the West Central Scotland Plan Steering Committee, has commissioned an investigation of four sites to determine their suitability for industrial uses including oil refining. I understand that this exercise is nearing completion.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on growth prospects for the Scottish economy in the light of forecasts made by his economic advisers.

The growth prospects for the Scottish economy have been improved by the Government's measures to stimulate economic activity both nationally and in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total cost of rent rebates in the Lanark shire County Council area for the financial year 1970–71.

Information in precisely this form is not available centrally, but I would refer the hon. Member to the 1971 Return of Rents of Houses Owned by Public Authorities in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the results of the latest inspection of the education facilities provided for handicapped children at the Corsbie Hall School in Fife.

As my right hon. Friend informed the hon. Member on 1st December, the last inspection took place on 2nd November, 1971. A further inspection will take place on 17th March.—[Vol. 827, c. 104–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he gives to parents who seek his guidance and help when they write protesting about the geographical allocation of their children to local authority primary and post-primary schools.

Representations from individual parents are normally referred to the appropriate education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of the prison system with regard to the treatment of young female detainees.

A new establishment for the treatment and training of females of all ages is under construction at Cornton Vale, near Stirling. This has been designed to provide a much wider range of training facilities for the younger inmates than is available in the present accommodation at Greenock.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent Scottish interests have been taken into account in the Government's review of regional policy.

Fully.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what actions he pro poses to take to halt the increase in the numbers of people leaving Scotland.

The estimated net migration figure for the year to June, 1971, was only marginally higher than the figure for the previous year which was the lowest in the past 20 years.Net emigration from Scotland has fallen by 50 per cent. in the last five years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations of the Cullingworth Report relating to housing in rural areas of Scotland.

The main recommendations in the report were implemented by the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1969. Consultations are continuing about further steps.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Scottish fisher men about the damage to fish resources caused by beam trawling; and if he will make a statement.

The only representation seeking a ban on beam trawling has been the one passed to me by my hon. Friend. I do not think there is adequate evidence at the moment to justify, in waters off Scotland, an extension of the present ban on trawling within three miles of the coast.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many home helps are employed by Scottish local authorities at the most recent date for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures in each of the past five years.

The information is as follows:

Numbers of Home Helps employed by Local Authorities in Scotland (full-time equivalent)
1965	…	…	…	…	4,642
1966	…	…	…	…	4,817
1967	…	…	…	…	4,892
1968	…	…	…	…	5,008
1969	…	…	…	…	5,095
1970	…	…	…	…	5,413

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will cause the Scottish Development Department to initiate a study on the feasibility of setting up a development corporation for Scotland, or areas of Scotland, to stimulate industrial activity by public investment.

Feasibility is not in question. The idea of an agency charged with the task of promoting industrial development in Scotland has been widely discussed for some time in relation to its possible rôle, scope, nature and effectiveness.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what rep resentations he has received from Aberdeen Education Authority regarding his proposal to authorise capital expenditure for only one half of the new Linksfield Academy; and what reply he has sent.

In reply to the authority's request for a meeting, my right hon. Friend has suggested a discussion with his Department in the first instance on the understanding that I would meet a deputation later if that were desired.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will be in a position to announce the result of the discussions between his Department and the Highlands and Islands Development regarding the future development of the Island of Raasay.

The board has proposed certain developments on Raasay, including a hotel on the site of Raasay House. I am considering the board's proposals, but I must first be satisfied that Inverness County Council will be able to improve the ferry service.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the report of the Scottish Sub-Committee of the Federation of British Cremation Authorities on Death Certification, which has been submitted to him; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received a letter from the Scottish Sub-Committee of the Federation of British Cremation Authorities recommending that the relevant recommendations of the Brodrick Committee on Death Certification and Coroners should apply in Scotland. That report deals only with the situation in England and Wales but its implications for Scotland are being carefully studied.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish details in the Official Report of the subsidies paid from central Government resources to public transport in Scotland during 1971;(2) if he will publish in the Official Report details of the subsidies paid from central Government and public corporation resources towards the maintenance of public transport in the area covered by the Highlands and Islands Development Board.

Details of the assistance for which I am responsible are published annually in the Appropriation Accounts. Information relating to 1970–71, the latest year for which figures are available, is set out below, together with the amounts applicable to the area of the Highlands and Islands Development Board. These figures do not include grants for unremunerative rail services or other grants for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is responsible.

	Scotland	Highlands and Islands Development Board Area
	£	£
Infrastructure Grants	55,466	Nil
Bus and Ferry Services Grants	59,494	59,308
Transport Services in the Highlands and Islands	947,352	947,352
Piers and Harbours: Grants	169,790	169,790
Piers and Harbours: Loans	777	777
	1,232,879	1,177,227

In addition the Highlands and Islands Development Board has since November, 1965, given help to a number of small local ferries, amounting in all to approximately £6,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the acreage of land presently taken up by the public and private sectors of housing in Scotland at the present time; and if he will estimate how many acres will be taken up by each sector in each of the next two years.

I do not have centrally all the information needed to make these estimates. I am urging local planning authorities to ensure that enough land is zoned in good time for both public and private housing, so that development is not held up for lack of sites.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how much money is raised each year by local authorities which provide a waste paper recovery service in Scotland; what estimate he has made of the maximum amount obtainable from participation by all local authorities; and if he will make a statement;(2) how many local authorities in Scotland provide a waste paper recovery service.

This information is not held centrally, but a survey in 1969 showed that about 30 Scottish local authorities then collected about 22,000 tons of paper and cardboard. I have made no estimate of the kind mentioned. The extent to which local authorities collect waste paper depends mainly on the demand for it and on the price obtainable, which vary from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will produce a cheap popular edition of the Scottish Economic Bulletin, with a view to making its contents more widely known in Scotland.

The Scottish Economic Bulletin, published twice a year, is designed to provide the broad background to changes in the Scottish economy.While views about the Bulletin are welcomed as an aid to improving its content and coverage, its present form currently priced 30p, is considered to contain the minimum amount of material required adequately to illustrate and review the latest economic trends.Publication of the two editions to date, the latest at the end of last month, received wide publicity in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to the Northern Ireland Rural Improvement Campaign (Countryside Improvement Scheme); and whether he will consider introducing a similar scheme in Scotland.

I know about the Rural Improvement Campaign in Northern Ireland. In Scotland a number of schemes, taken together, achieve the same purpose of using improvement works to provide employment. These include the major public worksprogrammes, and also the provision of generous grants to local authorities both for the rehabilitation or reclamation of derelict land and for providing new facilities for the public in the countryside.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing how many divorces were granted by the Scottish courts in each of the last three years to February, 1972, how many prosecutions took place as a result of husbands failing to obey court orders for maintenance in the same three-year period, and how many of the divorce cases referred to were assisted by legal aid.

Failure to obey a court order for maintenance is not a criminal offence in Scotland and the question of prosecutions does not therefore arise. Information about divorces and legal aid is not readily available for the periods mentioned in the Question, but the figures for the three most recent complete years are:

(1) NUMBER OF DIVORCES GRANTED
1969	…	…	4,215
1970	…	…	4,589
1971	…	…	4,785

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities have now indicated to him that they are opposed to the introduction of the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Bill.

Sixteen.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in his official capacity, how many estates he has in the crofting counties; how many crofts he owns; how many crofting families work these crofts; and how many schemes have been submitted to him as landowner by crofters in the last five years for the development of part of their crofts for commercial recreational purposes connected with the tourist industry.

There are 67 smallholding estates in the crofting counties in the ownership of the Secretary of State and on these there are 1,698 crofts. The number of crofting families cannot be given precisely but would not be much less than the number of crofts. A crofter is not obliged to submit to his landlord proposals for use of a part of his croft for non-agricultural development as a subsidiary occupation. I am aware, however, that tenants do on occasion operate caravan sites.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the present and projected power stations in Scotland; if he will show against each the basic fuel used and, where appropriate, the consumption of fuel used or expected to be used; and if he will also show against each the present or expected cost of producing a given unit of electricity.

I am asking the Chairmen of the Scottish electricity boards to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will institute an inquiry into the effectiveness of marriage guidance councils in Scotland, in view of the grants paid from public funds, and submit proposals for improving the effectiveness.

I do not see any need for a special inquiry, but my Department will shortly be meeting the Scottish Marriage Guidance Council to discuss the future development of its work, which I am anxious to encourage.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the yearly outlay in grants and loans by the Highlands and Islands Development Board to the latest convenient date.

The figures are as follows:

Financial Year	Grants	Loans	Total
	£	£	£
1965–66	—	59,500	59,500
1966–67	73,168	510,938	584,106
1967–68	253,807	886,318	1,140,125
1968–69	561,384	1,041,138	1,602,522
1969–70	575,517	1,087,848	1,663,365
1970–71	481,649	721,034	1,202,683
1971–72 (up to 31st January, 1972)	574,633	770,129	1,344,762
	2,520,158	5,076,905	7,597,063

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what records are available as to the quantities of cyanide used industrially in Scotland; what steps are taken to ensure that waste material is disposed of safely; and if he will make a statement.

No comprehensive records are kept. Advice on methods of disposal is available from local authorities, to whom I sent guidance in April, 1971. The Deposit of Poisonous Waste Bill applies to Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many general practitioners in Glasgow now have access to maternity beds in the teaching hospitals under the scheme approved by the Western Regional Hospital Board; if he is satisfied with the working of this scheme as it affects the regional board, the general practitioners, and the consultants involved; and if he will make a statement.

35 at five hospitals. The scheme has been in full operation only since September last year and it is too early yet to form a judgement on its success. However, I welcome this evidence of increasing co-operation between the hospital and general practitioner services.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to control increases in the prices of such goods and services as are within his responsibility.

Charges within my responsibility are kept under constant review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will produce a White Paper on the effects of the discovery of oil off the Scottish coast, in the light of the recent conference at Aviemore on the subject.

I do not think a White Paper would be appropriate. The Aviemore Conference was a highly commendable initiative by the Scottish Council which helped to set the North Sea developments in their international context.

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

The total numbers of prescription charge season tickets issued in Scotland between November, 1968, and December, 1971, were 15,557, giving exemption from charges for six months, and 17,167, giving exemption for 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek to establish a further education college for physically handicapped young people.

Some physically handicapped young people already attend further education colleges. The numbers involved would not make a separate college practicable. But the current review of the needs of physically handicapped children in secondary education by the McCann Committee will provide the information on which further consideration can be given to the special needs of this group.

asked the Secretary of Stale for Scotland what estimate has been made of the total number of socially and mentally handicapped children in Scotland deemed to be in need of special educational facilities; and what research is being done on the problem.

No estimate is available because separate facilities are not provided for such a category. Successive attempts to estimate the number of maladjusted children of school age have failed to find any generally acceptable ways of measuring the incidence and I am not aware of any current research on this particular problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many local authorities, either separately or jointly, have plans for the building of special schools for socially and mentally handicapped children; how many such schools now exist; and how many pupils attend them.

Education authorities have plans to build 20 new schools for mentally handicapped children and eight for maladjusted children. There are at present 188 special schools for the mentally handicapped and eight for the maladjusted: the total number of pupils attending these schools is approximately 10,000. Some of the children at both kinds of school will be from socially deprived backgrounds.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the private school for handicapped children at Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, was last inspected; what were the results of the inspection; which local authorities in Scotland have children at the school; and how many there are from each such authority.

The last inspection took place on 8th March, and I am advised that standards are satisfactory but that fire precautions need to be improved. The other information asked for is as follows:

Number of Children Placed by Scottish Local Authorities in Monken Hadley School, Newton Stewart.
Aberdeen	…	…	…	…	1
Edinburgh	…	…	…	…	4
Glasgow	…	…	…	…	14
East Lothian	…	…	…	…	1
Lanarkshire	…	…	…	…	3
Renfrewshire		…	…	…	4
Stirling	…	…	…	…	1
West Lothian	…	…	…	…	1

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names and addresses of all private fee-paying schools for socially or mentally handicapped children in Scotland, the number of pupils at each school, the fees paid by the local authorities sending children to such schools, and which of these institutions is registered as efficient.

The available information about the independent schools which make provision for mentally handicapped and other children is listed below. Social handicap is not a recognised category for special education. I do not seek to obtain information about the fees paid by local authorities sending children to these schools.

Name of School	Pupil Places
Aberdeenshire
Linn Moor Home for Children, Peterculter (Registered)	40
The Camphill Rudolf Steiner Schools, Murtle House, Bieldside (Registered)	250
East Lothian
Algrade Residential Occupational Training Centre, Children's Village, Humbie (Registered)	30
Fife
Corsbie Hall School, Thornton, Fife (Provisionally Registered)	50
Peebles
Garvald School, Dolphinton, West Linton (Registered)	45
Perth and Kinross
Ochil Tower School, Auchterarder, Wigtownshire (Registered)	17
Wigtownshire
Merton Hall School, Newton Stewart (Provisionally Registered)	20
Monken Hadley School, Corsbie, Newton Stewart Wigtownshire (Provisionally Registered)	30

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the estimate of £8,000 as the gross annual receipts from admission charges to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is based on the recorded number of visitors in 1968, 1969, and 1970; and what is the estimate on the basis of the recorded number of visitors in 1971.

The estimate of gross annual income to the Gallery of Modern Art given in answer to the hon. Member's question on 6th March, 1972, was based broadly on average attendance figures over the years 1968, 1969 and 1970. On the basis of the recorded numbers of visitors in 1971 alone the gross annual receipts to the G.M.A. might be of the order of £5,000.—[Vol. 832, c. 235.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the gross annual receipts from admission charges to the national galleries of Scotland and the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland on the basis of the recorded number of visitors in 1971.

On the basis of the recorded number of visitors in 1971—which were markedly different from those of previous years—the gross annual receipts from visitors to the National Gallery of Scotland at the Mound might be of the order of £26,000 and from visitors to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, which occupy the same building, of the order of £5,400.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state for the National Gallery of Scotland, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, respectively, the recorded number of visitors in 1971, the gross annual receipts based on 1971 admission figures, and the cost of collection of charges, including equipment and staff, and the proportion the cost of collection bears to the amount collected.

Following is the information: Since there is as yet no practical experience of the operation of the charging scheme and since the method of recording

	(1)	(2)	(3)			(4)
	Recorded number of visitors in 1971	Estimated gross annual receipts based on column 1	Staff	Cost of collection Equipment Amortisation of capital cost	Running cost	Cost of collection (column 3 expressed as percentage of column 2).
		£	£	£	£	Per cent
National Gallery of Scotland	240,746	26,000	2,300†	130	140	c. 10
Scottish National portrait Gallery*	56,850	5,400	2,300†	70	70	c. 45
National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland*
Scottish National Gallery of modern Art	93,812	5,000	1,150†	70	140	c. 27
Total	391,408	36,400	6,900†	270	350	c. 21
* The National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery occupy the same building in Queen Street.
† Two additional members of staff will be employed at both the Mound and Queen Street buildings, and one additional member of staff at the Gallery of Modern Art. One further additional member of staff will be employed at an annual cost of £1,150 on clerical duties partly arising from the administration of the scheme of charges in the three buildings of the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. His salary has been included in the total staff cost but not allocated to any of the buildings.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether, in view of the increasing unemployment in the Easington constituency, he will provide Government establishments in, or transfer some to, the new town of Peterlee to alleviate the position.

As I said to the hon. Member on 10th December, as part of the current dispersal review the Government are considering a wide range of possible locations for work which might be dispersed from London, but it would be wrong to make promises about any particular place at this stage.—[Vol. 827, c. 432.]

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what sections of Government Departments he expects to move to Scotland in the next two years.

Progress will continue during the next two years on the dispersal of National Savings Bank work to Glasgow. Some Inland Revenue London P.A.Y.E. work will also be dispersed from London to Edinburgh by 1974, and the Forestry Commission head-

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what proposals he has to expedite early retirement from the Civil Service.

The new arrangements for premature retirement on grounds of limited efficiency, which I announced on 12th May, 1971, will come into effect later this month under the terms of the Superannuation Act, 1972.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what estimate he has made for reduction of the Civil Service up to 31st December, 1972.

I would ask my hon. Friend to await the publication of Departmental Estimates later this month.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how soon he expects to secure an overall reduction in the total number of non-industrial civil servants.

The total size of the Civil Service depends on the requirements of individual departments. We shall reduce the size of some departments but others will require increases to provide essential services to the community.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service to what extent in creased productivity was taken into account in his approval of the recent 7· per cent. increase in salaries of certain civil servants

The central pay increase for the Civil Service announced on 3rd February did not take increased productivity into account in a specific or quantified way.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what special instructions were issued to the staff of Government Departments in regard to the handling of confidential information about miners' income tax rebates and social security benefits during the recent dispute.

There has been no occasion for any special advice from this Office to the Departments concerned which, I understand, have followed their established procedures for the safeguarding of confidential personal information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what he estimates to be the annual total gain or loss accruing to each of the regions as a result of Government policies of regional incentives and controls as exercised in each of the last five years; and what breakdown by item of policy he can provide within each of these totals.

Departments monitor changes in the economies of the regions but it is not practicable to relate changes to particular policy measures in the manner suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning his proposal to place the canals under regional water authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received and from what bodies, disagreeing with the proposal contained in the document "Reorganisation of Water and Sewage Services" (Circular 92/71) that the British Waterways Beard should be wound up and its responsibilities transferred to regional water authorities.

Comments, questions and suggestions have been received from a number of organisations and individuals. Consultations are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals are under consideration for relaxing restrictions on freight movement within the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission recently urged the Council of Ministers to decide on several proposals which would make for freer freight movement. The United Kingdom's support for a liberal policy is well known.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses and flats in England and Wales have been sold to sitting tenants.

The information available to the Department on the sale of coucil dwellings in England and Wales is published quarterly in Housing Statistics: Great Britain, copies of which are in the Library. Issue No. 23 (Table 57) of November, 1971, gave annual figures for 1960–70 and the first half of 1971. The total number of sales during last year is now known to be 16,851. This compares with 6,231 in 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many licences on what routes he has currently granted to operators transporting freight directly and indirectly, respectively, from Northern Ireland to the Continent.

The table shows the number of permits allocated to Northern Ireland operators in:

		1971	1972
France	…	44	143
Germany	…	11	14
Italy	…	23	Under Review

Details of journeys between Northern Ireland and the Continent by operators authorised in Great Britain are not readily available.In the absence of direct roll-on/roll-off ferries between Northern Ireland and the Continent, all such traffic must be indirect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of his responsibility for granting licences, he will call for a report on the potential expansion of freight transporting facilities directly between Northern Ireland and the Continent.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of employment likely to occur in development areas from the Government contribution to the cost of building the Thames flood barrage.

The Greater London Council is not due to complete the design or the barrier until the middle of 1973. It is not possible to give the estimate asked for at a time when no contract has been placed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to end the practice whereby local authorities may purchase property under compulsory purchase orders for nominal prices and then resell the land at full market price.

I do not know to what practice the hon. Member is referring.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce his decision arising from the public inquiry held on 21st December, 1971, into the use of premises at West Parade, Leadgate, Consett, as a transport depot.

My hon. Friend is considering the Inspector's report and hopes to issue his decision by Easter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will draw to the attention of those responsible for the review of the compensation code that the sum being assessed as market value for houses subject to compulsory purchase in Northampton is rather less than half the average cost of purchasing a similar house in an area which, prior to the compulsory purchase order, was of similar character; and whether he will instruct them to rectify this position.

All aspects of compensation for houses subject to compulsory acquisition are being examined in our review. The assessment of compensation in Northampton is a matter for negotiation between the council and the owners concerned, or their professional advisers. In case of dispute the matter can be referred to the Lands Tribunal for a decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the result of the inquiry into the development of Luton Airport to be published.

I have been asked to reply.The Inspector has not yet submitted his report. My decision will be given as soon as possible after I have received and considered it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in view of his decision to provide a southbound four-lane carriageway on the M1 between Berrygrove and Breakspears, what plans he has to move the existing bridge supports, central reservation and crash barriers which will otherwise constitute dangerous hazards between lanes in which vehicles will be travelling in the same direction.

The detailed planning and design work for this project will include a thorough examination of the best means of converting the present motorway for use by northbound traffic. Road safety will be a most important factor to be considered in the design process.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report details of his programme for the lighting of the M6 motorway.

Details are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated starting date for the construction of the Denton relief road section of the M67.

Early 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on which sections of motorways particularly liable to fog overhead lighting has been installed; and what plans he has for further installation on fog-prone sections.

Lighting on motorways has not previously been installed specifically in areas prone to fog. As a result of my right hon. Friend's meeting with police and motoring organisations, my right hon. Friend is at present considering the case for lighting those sections of motorway where fog can be a hazard. He hopes to make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans there are for the improvement of the A57 at its junction with the B6167 at Gorton; and what is the estimated date of improvement.

This part of the A57 is a principal road for which Manchester City Council is the highway authority. I understand that it hopes to start work on an improvement of this junction by the end of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make an announcement about the construction of Phase III of the Guide Lane (Audenshaw) Improvement (A6017).

Lancashire County Council is the highway authority responsible for this scheme. It was included in the principal road preparation list on 28th January. It is now for the county council to design the scheme to the point where it can be considered for a place in the programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has undertaken into the toxicity and ill-health-causing properties of diesel fumes; what conclusions have been reached; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends that the proposed legislation on diesel exhaust emissions shall be related to a nuisance factor on account of the visibility of such emissions, or as a safeguard to health.

The Medical Research Council has carried out extensive research, but while diesel fumes are a nuisance, no effects on health have been detected. New regulations to reduce emissions of diesel smoke will shortly be laid before the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish details of the latest research on the possibility of diesel fumes as a contributory cause to cancer.

Studies by the Medical Research Council of conditions in bus garages and road tunnels have produced no evidence that diesel fumes contribute to the incidence of cancer. Further work to check that conclusion is now in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement regarding the threat to wild life in the River Orwell from seepage of waste diesel oil dumped at Sproughton.

The East Suffolk and Norfolk River Authority tells me that two incidents were reported to it on Friday, 10th March. The first involved about 10 gallons of waste oil, illegally dumped on a tip at Valley Farm, Sproughton belonging to Samford Rural District Council. A small amount had seeped into a pond about 3½ miles from River Orwell, but which is connected to the river by a brook. Emergency action was taken by the Samford Rural District Council. The river authority has received varying reports about the effect on wild life, but the only casualty so far discovered is one duck. In view of the emergency action taken by the council, there is no great pollution problem to the pond or the stream but the police are trying to trace the culprits. The second involved a report that oil had been found on the River Orwel opposite number 2 transit shed, Cliff Quay at Ipswich Dock. It was found to be coke dust blown from coke during delivery. This would have no harmful effect on wild life.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to provide that lorry drivers, in view of their consciousness of the need for physical fitness in the interests of reduction in the number of accidents, may have facilities made available free of charge for regular medical examinations and eyesight tests.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he can now give a firm date for the opening of the remaining stretch of the M6 motorway between Great Barr and Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, including the Aston Expressway.

Not yet, but I hope before the end of May. It is for the City of Birmingham to decide when it can open the Aston Expressway.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, what action he is taking to support the "Keep Your Distance" Campaign of the Royal Automobile Club; if, in view of recent multiple crashes, he will intensify his Department's efforts in this direction; and if he will make a statement.

I welcome this initiative, which accords with my consultations with all organisations concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the total sum not exceeding £6 million to be spent over the next four years on a programme for the improvement of Great Britain's cultural relations with Europe will be spent in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Spain and Portugal.

It is impossible to be precise at this early stage about the allocation of this money, as much will depend on the response of individual countries and organisations. The Government's approach will be flexible, and it is our intention, while concentrating on Community countries, not to exclude other countries, particularly those which are members of the Council of Europe.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will indicate the paragraphs of the White Paper on the United Kingdom and the European Communities, Command Paper No. 4715, which now need alteration in order to bring it up to date; and indicate briefly the nature of the alteration.

The statement of policy set out in Part One of Cmnd. 4715 remains entirely valid. Part Two should now be read in conjunction with Cmnd. 4862–1 and II.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what approach he has received from the Government of the Khmer Republic, directly or through the United Nations, with regard to the preservation of the ruins at Angkor; and what reply he has sent.

In June last year the Khmer Government asked us to support their proposal that the area of the Angkor temples should be demilitarised under international control. More recently they appealed to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation for protection of the area and sent us a copy of the text. We have been in touch with the Khmer Government and other interested parties and, as we told the Khmers last summer, we are ready to do anything we can to help save these splendid historic monuments.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what amount and percentage of gross national product is given by Great Britain in overseas aid; and if he will state the similar estimated amounts for the next three years.

1970 is the last year for which firm figures are available. Disbursements that year from the official aid programme, net of loan repayments, were £186·2 million. Other official flows of £2·7 million brought total official flows to £188·9 million or 0·37 per cent. of G.N.P.Proposed expenditures on official aid for the financial years 1972–73 to 1975–76 were announced in Cmnd. 4829. In £ million, net of loan repayments and at 1971 prices, these will be:

1972-73	…	…	…	231·9
1973–74	…	…	…	243·0
1974–75	…	…	…	265·0
1975–76	…	…	…	289·0

I cannot forecast what percentage of G.N.P. these figures will represent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will prohibit the import of whale and whale products to assist in the preservation of the species.

I have been asked to reply.I am advised that the most effective form of conserving whale species is the control over hunting them exercised by the International Whaling Commission. whose work we fully support.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many letters he has received about the Lundin or Protecta system of pig breeding.

477.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he can now announce details of arrangements to preserve the market for potatoes used in the manufacture of potato granules.

Following discussion with the Potato Marketing Board and the other interests concerned, the Government have announced in the Annual Review White Paper published today that they are introducing arrangements for making supplies from the 1972 potato crop available for potato granule manufacture at special prices, so as to retain this outlet for the home crop. These supplies will be purchased by the board, either directly from growers or through merchants, as part of the overall arrangements for providing guaranteed prices and assured markets to producers during the 1972–73 crop year, and will be made available to granule manufacturers at prices intended to be comparable with those paid by granule manufacturers in other parts of the world. Similar arrangements will apply in Northern Ireland. It is expected that these arrangements will effect a saving in the cost of the potato guarantee arrangements for the 1972 crop.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the retail price of butter and cheese in June, 1970, and in February, 1972; and what were the quantities of both commodities produced in the United Kingdom at both dates.

The average retail price of butter and cheese was:

	16th June, 1970 p per lb.	18th January, 1972 p per lb.
Butter (New Zealand)	16·7	29·8
Cheese (Cheddar)	18·3	29·1

United Kingdom production of butter and cheese was—

			1970	1971
			'000 tons	'000 tons
Butter	…	…	63	65
Cheese	…	…	128	154

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances an Ulster Defence Regiment member foiled an Irish Republican Army terrorist attempt on his life by the use of a shotgun at his Belfast home on Tuesday, 7th March; and if he will not issue arms to the members of the Ulster Defence Regiment in Belfast for their own personal protection.

Shortly before 11 p.m. on 6th March an off-duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment found two men lurking at the rear of his house. He grappled with them and then fired three shots in their direction; the men ran off. On the second part of the Question, I have nothing to add to the reply I gave on 10th February to my hon. Friend, the Member for Down, North (Mr. Kilfedder).—[Vol. 830, c. 413.]

asked the Minister of Slats for Defence under what circumstances the Army was called to the Belfast Co-operative store in York Street on Tuesday, 7th March, after an Irish Republican Army bomb explosion; what injuries resulted; what size of bomb was used; how it was detonated; and what arrests were made.

At about 3.45 a.m. a bomb exploded in the Cooperative store, causing no injuries but starting a fire in the store. Army ammunition technical officers were unable to assess the weight of the bomb or its means of detonation. However, in a subsequent search of the store they found and defused a 100 lb. bomb fitted with a timing device. No arrests were made by the Army at the time.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances the Army was called to an Irish Republican Army terrorist bomb explosion near the A.B.C. Belfast cinema on Monday, 6th March; what injuries resulted; what size was the bomb; how it was detonated; and what arrests were made.

At about 3.20 p.m. a bomb exploded in a van in the car park at the A.B.C. Cinema; 56 civilians suffered minor injuries, including shock and cuts, and the cinema and eight nearby cars were extensively damaged. Army ammunition technical officers estimated that the bomb had contained 40 to 60 lbs. of explosive, but they were unable to determine how it had been detonated. No arrests were made by the Army at the time.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances men of the King's Own Scottish Borderers were ambushed at the White-rock Road, Belfast by Irish Republican Army terrorists on Tuesday, 7th March; how many shots were fired at the troops; what sort of weapons were used; whether the Army returned the fire and with what results; and what arrests were made.

The troops were deployed in White rock Road in the vicinity of a bus which had been hijacked earlier. They were fired upon at 11.50 a.m. with 30 to 40 low-velocity automatic shots and again five minutes later with 10 high-velocity shots. The gunmen did not present clear targets and so the troops did not return fire and no arrests were made at the time.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what searches the Army have made in St. Joseph's Training College, Belfast and with what results.

I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many arms and how much ammunition has been stolen from the Army in Northern Ireland since 1st August, 1969, to the latest convenient date; and what has been recovered.

The number of weapons stolen and not recovered is 28, though investigations in progress may lead to further recoveries. Of 403 rounds of ammunition stolen, 47 have been positively identified as having been recovered; the very much larger quantities of ammunition seized as a result of arms searches may include others of the stolen rounds although it is not possible, in the absence of unique markings on loose rounds, to establish this.

asked the Minister of State for Defence under what circumstances the City of Londonderry was attacked by Irish Republican Army terrorist bombs on Wednesday, 8th March; how many bombs were planted; where they were planted; what size these bombs were; how they were detonated; what injuries resulted: and what arrests were made.

The information is as follows:A bomb estimated to have contained 10 to 15 lbs. of explosive and fitted with safety fuse exploded in the Thompson and Edwards Tyre factory. It caused severe structural damage but no casualties.A bomb estimated to have contained 80 to 100 lbs. of explosive and fitted with a timing device exploded in a car outside the post office in Customs House Street. It caused superficial damage to several buildings, but no casualties.A bomb estimated to have contained 15 to 20 lbs. of explosive and fitted with safety fuse exploded in the Alexander Motor Company, Great James Street. It caused severe structural damage but no casualties.A bomb estimated to have contained 80 to 100 lbs. of explosive and fitted with a timing device exploded in a car in Castle Street. It caused extensive damage to nearby shops but no casualties.Army ammunition technical officers defused a 25 lb. bomb fitted with safety fuse which had been placed in the Lucas factory.Army ammunition technical officers defused a 25 lb. bomb fitted with safety fuse which had been placed in the Sun Alliance Insurance Company.No arrests were made by the Army at the time of these incidents.

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many civilians are employed by his Department in the county of Lanarkshire; and how this compares with the previous five years.

The number of civilian staff employed by the Ministry of Defence in the county of Lanarkshire at 1st January, 1972, was 835. For the preceding five years it was approximately:

1st January, 1967	…	…	…	955
1st January, 1968	…	…	…	1,035
1st January, 1969	…	…	…	950
1st January, 1970	…	…	…	880
1st January, 1971	…	…	…	855

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if her Department gave evidence to the James Committee on Teacher Education; in what form it was given; and if she will place a copy of any such evidence, not given in confidence, in the Library of the House of Commons.

Seven officers of the Department and five members of Her Majesty's Inspectorate were, on various occasions, interviewed informally and in confidence by the committee, which was also furnished by the Department with confidential memoranda on such topics as it requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is yet able to make an announcement regarding the future of the Austerfield Primary School.

My right hon. Friend hopes to give a decision within the next few weeks on the West Riding local education authority's proposal to cease to maintain the Austerfield County Primary School, and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provision is made for secondary education for blind and partially blind children in Staffordshire.

Blind and partially sighted children of secondary school age are sent by the Staffordshire local education authority to special schools run by voluntary bodies or other authorities. Twelve of the 14 children concerned attend schools in the West Midlands.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further action she proposes to take to implement the recommendations of the Report of the Advisory Committee on Handicapped Children, especially regarding screening for reading ability, the giving of individual instruction, the provision of remedial centres and remedial specialists and to assist slow learners generally.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the Question by the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 10th February.—[Vol. 830, c. 1549.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will have talks with the education authorities in the Doncaster travel-to-work area with a view to making more full-time courses available for unemployed teenagers; and if she will make additional funds available for this purpose.

The College of Art and the College of Technology in Doncaster are already running courses for unemployed young people in construction, engineering, vehicle maintenance and catering, on behalf of certain industrial training boards and the Department of Employment. In addition, the local education authority offered to mount courses in secretarial work, building and electrical engineering but there was no response from the young people concerned. I have no powers to assist a local education authority with expenditure incurred in this way.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what research is undertaken in the United Kingdom into the study of the human foetus during pregnancy;(2) if she is satisfied with the existing research into the study of the human foetus during pragnancy; and if she will make a statement.

The Medical Research Council is supporting relevant studies both in their own research establishments and through the award of long-term programme and project grants to university departments and other centres. The council is concerned not only with work on the development of the normal foetus but also with methods for detecting foetal abnormality by techniques such as amiocentesis, on which they recently set up a working party to advise them. Studies being undertaken include work on the chromosomal and biochemical constitution of the developing foetus in utero aimed at the detection of abnormal pregnancies and coupled with their avoidance through genetic counselling.In order to stimulate further work in this general area of obstetrics and gynaecology, the council has agreed to set up a new unit in reproductive biology and have awarded a new long-term grant to develop and strengthen research training facilities in an established department of obstetrics.Other studies on human foetal development are in progress under the auspices of the health departments, the hospital authorities and in university departments with support from U.G.C. funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will state the number of visitors to each of the under noted institutions for 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971, respectively, namely, the British Museum, the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the

						(Thousands)
			1968	1969	1970	1971
British Museum:
Bloomsbury	…	…	1,833	2,051	2,261	2,579
Burlington Gardens	…	…	—	—	—	101
Science Museum	…	…	2,170	2,126	2,121	1,942
Victoria and Albert Museim	…	…	1,294	1,263	1,473	1,786
Bethnal Green Museum	…	…	136	151	202	132
Imperial War Museum	…	…	650	622	597	557
London Museum:
Museum	…	…	225	284	289	309
State Apartments	…	…	141	149	162	204
National Gallery	…	…	1,497	1,553	1,750	1,859
National Maritime Museum:
Museum	…	…	699	719	797	1,076
Old Royal Observatory	…	…	361	402	509	515
National Portrait Gallery	…	…	335	323	714	513
Tate Gallery	…	…	999	933	935	936
Wallace Collection	…	…	144	150	156	153
British Museum (Natural History)	…	…	1,331	1,368	1,489	1,510
Geological Museum	…	…	434	502	407	345
Royal Scottish Museum	…	…	538	589	575	534
National Museum of Wales	…	…	285	436	455	383
Totals	…	…	13,102	13,621	14,892	15,434

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if she will now revise the figures as to the estimated annual gross receipts from admission charges in view of the recorded number of visitors to the National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in 1971;(2) if the estimated gross annual receipts from admission charges to each of the national museums and galleries have been calculated on the recorded number of visitors for any particular year or years, and for which year or years;(3) what is her estimate of the gross annual receipts from admission charges to each of the national museums and galleries on the basis of the recorded number of visitors to each museum and gallery in 1971.

The figures of attendance at the museums and galleries have in the past been maintained on a

The attendances recorded are shown in the following table:voluntary basis and there has been no accounting requirement for accurate records. The estimate of income from charges has been calculated on a broader basis than the figures reported for any particular year, and there is therefore no occasion to recalculate them as a result of the latest returns from individual institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the new school building projects either under construction or expected to start in the present financial year within the city of Birmingham.