asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the level of food price increases between the end of February, 1971, and the end of February, 1972.

The Food Index results for February, 1972, will not be available until 25th March.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the increase in food prices as a result of the miners' strike.

Any immediate effect was very small and quickly righted itself. In the longer term, however, the increase in coal and other fuel prices which the settlement will necessitate are bound to have an effect on food costs.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take the necessary action to ensure a further reduction in the price of the various foods which can be reduced or increased or affected by action taken within his ministerial responsibilities.

I shall continue to keep the interests of consumers very much in mind in reaching decisions affecting food prices, but I have no specific further proposals under consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will define horticultural producer organisations, and indicate the size and scope of these bodies in European Economic Community countries.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the definition in Article 1 of Regulation 159/66/E.E.C. Producer organisations so defined vary greatly in size and the percentage of domestic production they market varies from over 90 per cent. in the Netherlands to an estimated 20 per cent. in Italy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the fact that health regulations are used as a means of obstructing trade in horticultural produce within the European Economic Community countries, if he will seek to raise this matter with the Community.

My hon. Friend will appreciate that it is not unusual for those engaged in international trade to be critical of import controls on the grounds of plant health. My Department is always ready to take up with the authorities concerned specific cases where, prima facie, there is improper use of such controls.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to phase out the bacon stabiliser subsidy during the transitional period of British entry into the European Economic Community.

The detailed arrangements for pigmeat, including bacon, to apply during the transitional period of entry into the E.E.C. are among the matters which we shall be discussing with the European Commission and our prospective Community partners during the course of this year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, following his discussions with the European Economic Community Commission, he is satisfied that the British hop-growing industry will be permitted to continue growing seeded hops under the European Economic Community regulations, and that these regulations will neither spoil the traditional quality of British beer nor pose unreasonable economic difficulties for British hop growers; and if he will make a statement.

A draft E.E.C. regulation which might affect the marketing of seeded hops is under consideration by the Community, and we have their specific assurance that we shall be fully consulted about its application to the United Kingdom before a decision is reached. We shall of course take our own brewers and hop-growers into consultation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussion she has had with representatives of the Common Market regarding their latest proposals for increases in farm prices; and when, and at what level, the discussions took place.

Senior officials from my Department explained our views on these proposals to the Commission on 3rd March and I have discussed the subject informally with individual Ministers on various occasions, most recently in Paris on 9th March.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy towards the proposed increases in common agricultural prices in the European Economic Community.

The Government believe that it is in our interests—and indeed those of the enlarged Community—to restrain increases in the common agricultural prices and therefore to get a better balance between the needs of the consumer and of the farmer. In so far as there are to be increases, we would prefer them on livestock rather than cereals.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking in connection with the representations he has received with regard to the land drainage and sea defence functions of river authorities.

My right hon. Friend is now considering those representations and hopes to make an announcement soon.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received from the British fishing industry about the Icelandic proposals for enlarging their fishery limits; and what has been his reply.

I have been keeping in close touch with the industry and met representatives last week to discuss the situation arising from our decision to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many private slaughterhouses in Great Britain have hygiene standards acceptable to the United States of America for the importation of meat to that country.

No private or public slaughterhouse in Great Britain complies with U.S.A. requirements, but exports of uncooked meat from this country are in any case prohibited by the United States for animal health reasons.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the world's whaling catch is imported into the United Kingdom; and for what purposes.

Imports of whale products into this country represent about 7 per cent. to 10 per cent. of the production of whale products by countries who are members of the International Whaling Commission. They are used in animal feeding stuffs, food manufacture, and in industrial applications. More detailed information is as follows:

FIGURES FOR THE YEAR 1970
	Whale-meal	Whale Oil	Sperm Oil
	Tons	Tons	Tons
*Production of IWC members	157,253	64,651	130,127
†UK imports	19,201	1,523	14,114
	Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.
Proportion	12·21	2·36	10·85
Uses	mainly animal foodstuffs	mainly food manufacturing	Industrial lubricants etc.
Sources:
* Provisional issue of International Whaling Statistics LXVII (Bureau of International Whaling Statistics, Sandefjord, 1971).
† Annual Statement of Trade of the UK (HM Customs and Excise).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will communicate with manufacturers of confectionery suggesting that the reduction in the price of sugar, from which they have benefited, should be passed on to the consumer.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Mr. Charles Morrison) on 8th March.—[Vol. 832, c. 359–360.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what change he is contemplating to the present grant and loan scheme to the deep-sea fishing industry.

None.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increase in the price of home-produced butter per pound will follow from the increase in the guaranteed price of milk announced in the Farm Price Review.

None.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why his Welfare Standing Committee has rejected the recommendations of the Brambell Report with regard to freedom of movement of livestock.

The Advisory Committee's advice is confidential but a report explaining the issues and arguments upon which it was based was published in September, 1970.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on further advance payments on cereals from the 1971 harvest,

Deficiency payments do not of course become due until after the end of the cereal year, when average market prices for the whole year can be calculated. It has nevertheless been the practice for many years to pay in advance round about the turn of the year and I would not normally go beyond this. However, I recognise that this has been a somewhat exceptional season, and in the circumstances I am prepared to depart from the normal practice and make a second advance payment, which will put a further £21·3 million in growers' hands. Payment will be made after Easter and will be at the following rates:

			£ per acre
Wheat	…	…	3·00
Barley	…	…	2·00
Oats and Mixed Corn	…	…	2·00

It will not be necessary for growers to put in a further claim for this second payment—but I strongly advise all growers to check that they remembered to make their original claim in the first place, because there is not long to go before the closing date of 31st March.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the capital injection into Northern Ireland agriculture consequent upon the Price Review.

The net value to Northern Ireland farmers of the measures taken following the 1972 Annual Review is of the order of £5½ million to £6 million. This will provide a substantial cash injection to encourage further investment and greater production.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain how and why on Friday, 10th March, details of his decision to postpone a ½p a pound duty due to be imposed in July on imported lamb were announced to the Press; and why this information was not announced in the House of Commons.

No, an investigation is not necessary. My Department put out a notice on Saturday, 11th March, in order to coincide with a statement being made in Wellington on the same day by the New Zealand Minister of Agriculture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is now able to give further details of the costs involved in compensating horticulturists, farmers and others in having to grub-up their apple orchards and taking other action to carry out the conditions for Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community.

No.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what on average he estimates farm profits per acre have been or will be in 1964, 1970, and 1972 respectively.

A sample of accounts for England and Wales shows that average net income per acre on full-time farms was £11·50 in 1964–65 and £13·60 in 1970–71. I cannot forecast net incomes for 1972–73, but they should benefit from the recent determinations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has now received asking for the exemption of the living theatre from value-added tax.

We have received over 80 representations from theatrical associations, theatre managements, local dramatic societies, and other interested parties, asking for relief.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now propose that interest paid by houseboat owners on mortgages and loans to purchase houseboats be allowed against income for tax purposes.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will support the Italian Government's request in the European Economic Community that the implementation of a value-added tax shall not be imposed until January, 1973.

The date of introduction of V.A.T. in Italy is a matter between the Italian Government and the E.E.C. Commission and Council of Ministers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what level of unemployment it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to recognise as, for all practical purposes, full employment.

There can be no single, simple definition of full employment—it has too many dimensions. What I can say is that the policy of this Government is to reduce the present level of unemployment, by effective regional policies by stimulating demand and output and by containing inflation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in his forthcoming Budget he will consider giving tax incentives to all persons and organisations that install fire defence precautions in their properties.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what approaches he has received from the Central Fire Liaison Panel regarding financial incentives for fire defence; and whether he will make a statement.

The panel has submitted a memorandum in which it argues that there should be a system of cash grants for investment in fire protection systems. Its views have been noted.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he will list the provisions of statutes and regulations which limit the rights of British citizens to open and hold numbered accounts in foreign banks;(2) what actions he has taken to a certain from the Swiss banks the numbered accounts of British citizens; with what results; and at what costs.

Under the Exchange Control Act, 1947, United Kingdom residents are required to offer for sale to an authorised dealer any foreign currency which they are entitled to sell, unless they have Treasury consent to retain it, and they therefore require such consent in order to hold foreign currency on bank accounts here and abroad.It is a duty of the Treasury under the Exchange Control Act to take steps to secure compliance with and detect evasion of the provisions of that Act. It is not usual to give details of such investigations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give details of the duties and salary of Mr. Stanley Little, head of the Treasury's Exchange Control Enforcement Branch; what recent visits and activities he has had in connection with investigations into numbered accounts held by British citizens in Switzerland; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Little is the Senior Enforcement Officer in the Treasury responsible for investigation of suspected exchange control offences. His salary is £2,988 per annum. It is not usual to give details of investigations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will initiate discussions with the Swiss Government to ascertain to what extent they will, on request from Her Majesty's Government or the Inland Revenue Department, supply details of numbered banking accounts held by British citizens.

I have noted the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the new financial arrangements agreed on by the Whitley Council for remunerating nurses taking further qualifications following the State registered nurse examination.

The agreement operates from 1st April and provides for a State registered nurse undertaking further training to be paid a training allowance equal to the current salary she would have had as a staff nurse in a general hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on improved conditions for registered fever nurses who wish to continue their employment in the nursing profession but are unable to spare the time to take further training.

A registered fever nurse who is unable to work in an infectious diseases hospital and is unable to take further training can take a nursing post in another type of hospital at the enrolled nurse rate of pay This is in accordance with an agreement of the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council and it would be for the Whitley Council to consider any improvement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to publish his first table showing the average tar and nicotine content in various brands of cigarettes.

I am actively considering the question of tar and nicotine.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are being taken to prevent vandal ism to the Oulton Hall Mental Hospital and grounds when relinquished by the Leeds Regional Hospital Board in a few weeks' time; and who is to occupy thte buildings after they have become vacant.

A caretaker will be installed or contractors specialising in the security of property appointed. The subsequent occupier of the buildings is not known but arrangements have been made to offer the property to other Government Departments and local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the names of the universities who have and have not health centres within the precincts at which treatment is given under the National Health Service; and what action he intends to take to remedy this defect.

There are no statutory health centres provided by local health authorities under Section 21 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, within university precincts. I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science that universities are responsible for their own arrangements for the welfare of students and that, while details of these are not available in her Department, most universities provide facilities at which students can obtain treatment under the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will instruct the Supplementary Benefits Commission to discontinue the practice of making special administrative arrangements to suit the convenience of recipients of supplementary benefits arising out of strikes.

Where special administrative arrangements are adopted, the sole purpose is to avoid disruption of normal work in local offices.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he yet has details of the administrative costs involved in making supplementary benefits payments to those involved in the miners' strike to suit the convenience of recipients.

I hope to have this information very soon and I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many geriatric beds were provided by Leicester No. 1 and No. 2 Hospital Management Committees on 1st January, 1972; and what are the numbers planned for 1st January, 1973, and 1st January, 1974, respectively;(2) how many additional geriatric beds were originally planned to be provided at the Leicester General Hospital; and what is the number now proposed;(3) what is the estimated ratio of geriatric beds provided or to be provided by Leicester Nos. 1 and 2 Hospital Management Committees per thousand elderly people living in the areas covered by such committees on 1st January, 1972, 1973 and 1974, respectively.

At 1st January, 1972, there were 876 geriatric beds in the two groups representing 9·4 beds per 1,000 elderly population. There is no change in the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board's plan to provide 240 additional beds by 1974 at Leicester General Hospital to replace the service at Hillcrest Hospital. On this basis the board envisages there will be 889 geriatric beds at 31st March, 1973 (9·2 per 1,000 elderly) and 869 at 31st March, 1974 (9·0 per 1,000 elderly) following the proposed closure of Hill-crest Hospital. The board plans to provide extra geriatric beds by 1976 to bring the ratio in the area up to 10 per 1,000entirely.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Service how many private consultations have taken place at Mansfield and District General Hospital during the past five years, and in what specialities; and how this compares with other hospitals of comparable size.

The figures for this hospital are given in the table below. Consultants in a variety of specialties use rooms at the hospital on a rental basis for private consultations. An effective comparison with other hospitals of similar size could not be made without a disproportionate amount of work.

Private Consultations at Mansfiel0d and District General Hospital
1967	…	…	…	…	4,968
1968	…	…	…	…	4,970
1969	…	…	…	…	4,715
1970	…	…	…	…	5,270
1971	…	…	…	…	6,193

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to receive a report from his Departmental Committee on Diet and Health; whether this report will be issued as a White Paper; and when it will be published.

I am not sure which committee my hon. Friend has in mind but I assume he is referring to the Chief Medical Officer's Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy and its Panel on Diet in Relation to Cardio-vascular and Cerebrovascular Disease. This is a complex subject and at this stage I cannot say when the panel is likely to report or give any forecast about publication.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the gross and net amounts realised by the sale of Bishops' Knoll, Bristol; what were the nature and amount of the expenses involved in this sale; and where the net amount is at present held.

The information is as follows: £275,000 gross, £267,830 net with £7,170 for professional fees. The net proceeds are held in my Department pending payment into the Consolidated Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representation he has received following his announcement concerning invalid cars; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Eccles (Mr. Carter-Jones) on 14th March, 1972.—[Vol. 833, c. 59–60.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will implement without delay the recommendations of the Tunbridge Committee relating to training and the provision of integrated departments;(2) whether, in view of the Tunbridge Committee's comment on the low salaries of members of the remedial professions, he will provide a new structure which is sufficiently attractive to compete with comparable professions and attract recruits necessary for sustaining the remedial professions.

As my hon. Friend will know, it was agreed that this committee should submit a brief statement of its views covering the whole field over which its deliberations had ranged. As a result, its statement covers some matters which are not for me. Much of what is said in respect of training falls within the competence of the Council for the Professions Supplementary to Medicine, while matters relating to pay and career structure fall within the purview of the Whitley Council. For my part, I am proposing in the first instance to call a conference with the professions in the near future to discuss ways in which we can make progress on other matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain to what extent the National Health Service is understaffed and under financed, thereby causing delays in patients having to wait for beds for in-patient treatment and operations; and what action he proposes to take to change this situation.

The requirements of the National Health Service for staff and finance are kept continually under review and there have under the present Administration been substantial injections of additional resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on his discussions with the Director of Task Force held on 16th March to discuss the report by the force on the "Old and Cold in Islington."

The Chairman of the Supplementary Benefits Commission, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-secretary of State, and I held a useful preliminary discussion with a deputation which included my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Northwich (Sir J. Foster) the hon. Member for Islington, East (Mr. John D. Grant), representatives of Task Force and others. The Chairman and I intend to consider possible next steps and have invited the deputation to meet us again in two months' time for a further discussion.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the sample survey of incomes which was intended as a follow-up of the 1971 Census of Population will take place; and if he will make a statement.

The survey will begin tomorrow, 22nd March. It will be carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys and the General Register Office, Scotland, but, unlike the census, participation in it will be entirey voluntary.The survey will seek information on all main sources of income and will provide statistics on household and personal incomes which can be related to other data already collected in the census. The statistics are much needed as background information in the development of policies for many of the social and economic problems that face us.The survey will be entirely confidential. No information relating to any person or household will be passed to anyone outside the census organisation and the information collected will be used only to produce anonymous statistics from which no one can be identified.The questionnaires have been so designed that no names and addresses will appear on the completed form, merely an identification number known only to a very limited number of the staff of the census offices. The procedures have also been designed so that no person need show his completed form to any other person in the household.Questionnaires will be sent to all persons aged 15 and over in one per cent. of households—about 180,000—and to 1 per cent. of persons aged15 and over usually resident in institutions such as hotels and boarding houses. Members of the sample will be selected at random.The survey will be carried out in two stages. The first batch of questionnaires will be posted tomorrow and the remainder in June. Respondents are being asked to return their completed forms by post to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys or General Register Office, Scotland. Each stage will be followed by a small number of voluntary interviews designed to identify difficulties met with in filling in the forms and to assess the quality of the replies.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland and I will be sending letters to everyone chosen in the sample, explaining the need for the information and also the voluntary and confidential nature of the enquiry.Although this is a voluntary inquiry, the importance of the information to be collected is such that my right hon. Friend and I hope that everyone selected in the sample will take part.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has specifically to protect low-paid workers of all industrial categories if prices rise on British entry to the European Economic Community.

The increased economic growth which our entry will encourage offers the best opportunity for improving the living standards of all employees, including the low-paid.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will", in his forthcoming meetings with trade union leaders, discuss the question of low pay in particular industries.

There is no set agenda for the talks which the Government are having with the T.U.C. and the C.B.I. and I cannot say which particular questions will be raised at future meetings.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many additional staff have been recruited by his Department to operate the Industrial Relations Act; and what estimate he has made of the total annual costs involved.

There has been an increase of 157 staff in my Department, at an estimated annual cost of £623,000 to deal with matters arising from the Industrial Relations Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the number of notified redundancies occurring in Scotland for each month since June, 1970, until the latest convenient date.

The numbers of redundancies recorded by my Department as being due to occur in the past 20 months in Scotland are as follows:

Month				Numbers becoming Redundant
1970
July	…	…	…	2,400
August	…	…	…	2,900
September	…	…	…	3,700
October	…	…	…	4,300
November	…	…	…	3,900
December	…	…	…	2,900
1971
January	…	…	…	4,100
February	…	…	…	3,600
March	…	…	…	7,200
April	…	…	…	3,300
May	…	…	…	3,000
June	…	…	…	3,400
July	…	…	…	3,600
August	…	…	…	2,300
September	…	…	…	3,200
October	…	…	…	3,600
November	…	…	…	2,000
December	…	…	…	3,500
1972
January	…	…	…	2,600
				(provisional)
February	…	…	…	2, 000
				(provisional)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons in the Oldham employment area have been unable to be accepted for retraining in Government training centres in the past year; and how many of them are disabled persons.

Seventy-nine persons during the 12 months ended 29th February, 1972 including five disabled persons.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men from the Hamilton constituency are presently on waiting lists for entry to Government industrial retraining centres; and what is the average length of waiting time for entry.

On 17th March there were 35 men from the Hamilton constituency accepted for training and awaiting allocation to a Government training centre; a further 34 applicants were awaiting an interview with a trade selection panel. Waiting periods from the date of acceptance for training vary by trade from three months to over 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applicants from South Ayrshire are presently on the waiting list for entry to the Irvine Industrial Retraining Centre; and how many applicants fall into the age groups 20–25, 26–30, 31–40, 41–45,45–50 and 51–60 years, respectively.

One hundred and forty-one applicants from South Ayrshire were awaiting allocation to Irvine Government Training Centre on 20th March. Following is the information concerning age groups:

Age Groups				Numbers of Applicants
20–25	…	…	…	53
26–30	…	…	…	23
31–40	…	…	…	38
41–45	…	…	…	5
46–50	…	…	…	5
51–60	…	…	…	7

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is aware that 10 men and no women serve as members of the National Dock Labour Board; whether he intends that women should be given an equal opportunity to serve when new appointments are made; and what action he proposes.

Appointments to the National Dock Labour Board are governed by a statutory procedure. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman are appointed by me after consultation with the National Joint Council for the Port Transport Industry. In making these appointments, I shall continue the Government's policy of choosing the man or woman best qualified for the appointment irrespective of any other considerations. The eight industrial members are appointed by me on the nomination of the National Joint Council to represent dock employers and dock workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people over 45 years of age in the Oldham employment area received redundancy payments in the years 1970 and 1971; and how many remained unemployed for more than six months.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what notification he has received from the British Steel Corporation in Wales of its intention to reduce provision of apprentice places.

My right hon. Friend has no knowledge of any intention on the part of the British Steel Corporation in Wales to cut back on its apprentice recruitment in Wales this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to be able to announce his decision in the matter of the inclusion of the whole of Flintshire in the Welsh Development Area.

I have at present nothing to add to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Industry gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang) on 13th March.—[Vol. 832, c. 2–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is aware that there is empty factory space available in Catrine, which lies in an area of high unemployment; and if he will make a statement on the action his Department is taking to find a suitable prospective tenant.

I am aware that a former textile mill is empty in Catrine and that the owners are anxious to find an occupier. While this is of course primarily a matter for the owners, the Department's office for Scotland has included the premises in its register of available private premises, and has drawn them to the attention of a number of inquirers seeking factory space.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the proportion of shirts sold in the United Kingdom in 1972 which will be imported; and if he will indicate the source of manufacture.

No estimate is available of the proportion of shirts sold in the United Kingdom which may be imported in 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of shirts sold in the United Kingdom in 1971 were imported; and if he will indicate the approximate proportions coming from each country involved.

It is estimated that imports accounted for a little over one quarter of the value of sales of shirts in the United Kingdom in 1971. The proportion would be higher if related to the number of shirts, because imports tend to be of the cheaper types of shirts.The proportions of imports supplied from different sources were:

PROPORTION OF TOTAL IMPORTS BY VALUE*
					Per cent.
Hong Kong	…	…	…	…	49
Portugal	…	…	…	…	26
Irish Republic	…	…	…	…	10
Taiwan	…	…	…	…	3
Other countries	…	…	…	…	12
Total	…	…	…	…	100
*Excluding knitted cotton shirts.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to assist the Lancashire textile industry to compete for markets within the European Economic Community after 1st January, 1973.

It is for the industry to prepare itself to meet the new opportunities. Both management and union leaders have expressed confidence in the industry's ability to compete successfully within the Community, and I share their confidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make an order under Section 8 of the 1968 Trade Descriptions Act, requiring imported textiles to bear an indication of their country of origin.

I am still considering applications for origin marking orders in respect of various textile goods. The first priority, however, is to deal with potentially deceptive marking on the lines envisaged in the Bill introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, South-East (Mr. Peel).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what major improvements have been made at Aberdeen airport over each of the last ten years, and at what cost per improvement; and what are the improvements and costs over the same period for, respectively, Edinburgh and Inverness.

I regret that the information is not immediately available. I will give a further reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is aware that north-south communication with the port of Newhaven is only provided by two narrow, inadequate roads on the east and west side of the Ouse Valley, and of the concern of Newhaven Urban District Council about this matter; and if he will give an assurance that finance will be forthcoming for the improvement of one of these routes as soon as the necessary plans are agreed.

Schemes for the Newhaven area were submitted by East Sussex County Council as candidates for the principal road preparation list, on which an announcement will be made soon.

					1st Quarter £m.	2nd Quarter £m.	3rd Quarter £m.	4th Quarter £m.	Total £m.
1966–67	…	…	…	…	27·9	37·4	34·5	33·0	132·8
1967–68	…	…	…	…	36·0	50·3	41·4	54·0	181·7
1968–69	…	…	…	…	48·7	46·4	49·4	52·7	197·2
1969–70	…	…	…	…	46·8	66·7	73·8	58·8	246·1
1970–71	…	…	…	…	71·3	95·0	79·1	65·4	310·8
1971–72	…	…	…	…	70·9	76·1	74·6	55·0	276·6
								(estimate)	(estimate)
It is expected that expenditure in 1972–73 will be well over £300 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association about the need to improve road communications with the south and east coast ports; what assurances he has given; and if he will make a statement.

None. My officials have received representations from the Road Haulage Association about the priorities to be accorded to a number of schemes now in preparation. It is too early to say what priority will be attached to all of these schemes, but it is our policy to give general priority to those providing access to the major ports.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish details of road works in progress both in figures for new orders, and for workload at current and constant prices for each quarter in the years 1966 to the last available date.

Figures for the value of new orders obtained by contractors are published in the Department's Monthly Bulletin of Construction Statistics. The most appropriate figures for workload are for Departmental expenditure on motorways, trunk roads and principal roads. These figures are not available at constant prices. The quarterly figures at current prices are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the names and addresses of the people serving on the Nottingham shire rent assessment panels in their respective lay, professional and legal capacities, at the present time.

The following is a list of the names of persons currently serving on the East Midland Rent Assessment Panel; it is not Departmental practice to disclose private addresses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the names of the present rent assessment committees in Carlisle and Cumberland, respectively, together with their backgrounds and qualifications.

Rent assessment committees in Carlisle and Cumberland are drawn from the Northern Rent Assessment Panel on an ad hoc basis. Northern Rent Assessment Panel members' names are set out below. The occupations of lay members on the list are shown as at the time of their appointments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is yet in a position to announce the names of the new rent assessment committees for Carlisle and Cumberland under the Housing Finance Bill.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the names and addresses of the people serving on the rent assessment panel serving Newcastle-under-Lyme in their respective lay, professional and legal capacities at the present time.

The following is a list of the members of the West Midland Rent Assessment Panel. It is not Departmental practice to disclose private addresses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, during his preparations for new legislation to plug gaps in the laws against pollution, he considered the advantages of a Clean Land Act which would impose a statutory duty on local authorities to restore their derelict sites, and on private landowners to keep their property up to amenity standards.

I share the hon. Member's desire for higher environmental standards. But the imposition of new mandatory requirements on public authorities and private landowners is not the most effective way of achieving them. It is better to secure that local authorities have every support and encouragement in making full use of the existing powers. They are responding well to the generous grants for derelict land reclamation and for the special environmental assistance scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the length of the Wadworth to Hatfield section of the M18 motorway;(2) what alterations are proposed to be made to the A638 road bridge over the railway at Cantley, Doncaster, consequent upon the making of the M18 motorway through Doncaster;(3) how many houses in the Borough of Doncaster will be affected by the making of the Wadworth-Hatfield section of the Ml8 motorway.

My right hon. Friend's decision on the route of this section of the M18 will be announced very shortly and it would be inappropriate to give this information before then.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authorities and other appropriate bodies who have submitted their views on the proposals outlined in the Green Paper, "Future Shape of Local Government Finance".

The following local authorities and other organisations have submitted comments on the Green Paper "The Future Shape of Local Government Finance":

• Greater London Council.
• London Borough of Bexley.
• London Borough of Hammersmith.
• London Borough of Merton.
• Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely County Council.
• Gloucestershire County Council.
• Somerset County Council.
• Barrow-in-Furness County Borough Council.
• Bournemouth County Borough Council.
• Bury County Borough Council.
• Cardiff County Borough Council.
• Manchester County Borough Council.
• Southend-on-Sea County Borough Council.
• Wallasey County Borough Council.
• Batley Borough Council.
• Cambridge Borough Council.
• Lytham-St. Anne's Borough Council.
• Mansfield Borough Council.
• Ramsgate Borough Council.
• Rugby Borough Council.
• Slough Borough Council.
• Warwick Borough Council.
• Widnes Borough Council.
• Weston-Super-Mare Borough Council.
• Winchester Borough Council.
• Chesham Urban District Council.
• Cheshunt Urban District Council.
• Egham Urban District Council.
• Epping Urban District Council.
• Frinton Urban District Council.
• Ilkley Urban District Council.
• Kirby Urban District Council.
• Leatherhead Urban District Council.
• Mountain Ash Urban District Council.
• Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Urban District Council.
• Northfleet Urban District Council.
• Queensbury and Shelf Urban District Council.
• Woking Urban District Council.
• Amesbury Rural District Council.
• Atherstone Rural District Council.
• Depwade Rural District Council.
• Lexden and Wistree Rural District Council.
• Mere and Tisbury Rural District Council.
• Meriden Rural District Council.
• Spalding Rural District Council.
• Stokesley Rural District Council.
• Warwick Rural District Council.
• Ferring Parish Council.
• Association of British Chambers of Commerce.
• Association of Municipal Corporations.
• Bradford Chamber of Trade.
• Bridgwater Division Conservative Association.
• Bournemouth Flat Residents Association.
• Confederation of British Industry.
• Co-operative Union.
• County Councils Association.
• Cornwall Local Valuation Panel.
• Dartford Ratepayers and Residents Association.
• Economic Planning Council—Northern Region.
• Economic Planning Council—South East Region.
• Economic Planning Council—Yorkshire and Humberside Region.
• Federation of Residents Associations in County of Kent.
• Faculty of Architects and Surveyors.
• Gainsborough Constituency Liberal Association.
• Hexham Division Conservative Association.
• Incorporated Society of Valuers and Auctioneers.
• Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants.
• London Boroughs Association.
• Long Thornton and Tamworth Residents Association.
• Lovedean, Cowplain and Waterlooville Ratepayers Association.
• Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• Manchester and District Owner-Occupiers Association.
• National Federation of Residents and Owner Occupiers Council.
• National and Local Government Officers Association.
• National Association of Property Owners.
• National Federation of Women's Institutes.
• National Union of Small Shopkeepers.
• New-Milton, Barton and District Ratepayers and Residents Association.
• Northumberland Urban District Councils Association.
• Purbrook and Widley Ratepayers Association.
• Rating and Valuation Association.
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
• Rural District Councils Association.
• Sale, Urmston and Stretford Owner Occupiers Association.
• Sevenoaks Town Labour Party.
• Trades Union Congress.
• Urban District Councils Association.
• United Committee for the Taxation of Land Values Ltd.
• Warwickshire Association of Financial Officers.
• Woking Flats Association.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had on the proposals outlined in the Green Paper, "Future Shape of Local Government Finance."

Consultations with representatives of all the local authority associations and the Greater London Council on the wide range of issues outlined in the Green Paper "The Future Shape of Local Government Finance" began last September and are still continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make available a copy of the directive of the European Economic Community governing a compulsory car insurance scheme and the abolition of the Green Card system.

A copy is available in the Library of the Official Journal of the Commission for 15th August, 1970, which contains the text of this draft Directive in French. If the hon. Member wishes to raise any particular point, perhaps he would write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list in detail the objections made by Her Majesty's Government to the draft European Economic Community legislation on car insurance.

We are seeking clarification of certain points, mainly on timing and drafting.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest state of his negotiations with the Government of Denmark over fishing for salmon in the high seas off Greenland.

Negotiations are conducted through the International Commission for the North West Atlantic Fisheries. I welcome the agreement which I understand has now been reached between Denmark and the United States on the limitation of fishing for salmon off Greenland. At the Commission's meeting in May we hope to have this agreement embodied in a formal recommendation acceptable to all member states.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many objections from the public and how many objections from public bodies he has received to the proposal of the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board to construct four tower pylons near Boleskine as part of the new line to connect the Foyers Power Station to the transmission system at Torbreck.

I have received six objections from individuals and none from public bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons who committed murder in Scotland between 1961 and 1971 are still in detention; and what relation these figures bear to the number of convictions in those years.

In the period between 1st January, 1961, and 31st December, 1971, in Scotland there were 197 persons sentenced to life imprisonment or detention during Her Majesty's Pleasure for murder; of that number 189 are still serving their sentences.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, because of the numbers waiting to be admitted, he will take steps to expand the Colony for Epileptics at Bridge of Weir; and if he will make a statement.

Any question of expansion would be for consideration in the first place by the Quarrier's Homes, which is a voluntary organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many section V beds were available for patients in Lanarkshire hospitals at the nearest convenient date; and how this compares with the period 1965 to 1970.

Since 1968, three private patients may be accommodated at any one time at the Victoria Auxiliary Infirmary, Philipshill. From 1965 to 1968, the number was four at Philipshill and four at Hairmyres Hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent contacts his Department has had with industrial interests in Germany about the possibility of German investment in Scottish industry.

The staff of the Committee for European Investment in Scotland, which I set up in co-operation with the Scottish Council, Development and Industry and to which I pay a substantial grant, is in active contact with German industrial interests about investment possibilities in Scotland, and my Department does not seek to duplicate this work.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the total value of subsidies from all central Government sources which were paid to private landowners and their tenants in 1971 or to the nearest available date; and if he will show how this compares with each year during the period 1945 to 1970.

Information in this form is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many consultants are engaged in the hospitals serving Lanarkshire; if he will list them by speciality; and how many are on full-time or part-time contracts.

Seventy-four consultants are wholly employed in hospitals serving Lanarkshire. Their specialties and the nature of their contracts are as follows:

	Whole-time	Maximum Part-time	Total
Anaesthetics	7		7
Clinical Chemistry	1		1
Microbiology	1		1
Pathology	4		4
General Medicine	6	2	8
Physical Medicine	1		1
Dermatology		1	1
Geriatric Medicine	4		4
Infectious Diseases	2		2
Paediatric Medicine	2		2
Respiratory Diseases	2		2
Obstetrics and Gynaecology	7		7
Psychiatry	7		7
Mental Deficiency	2		2
Child Psychiatry	1		1
Radiodiagnosis	6		6
General Surgery	8		8
ENT Surgery	1		1
Ophthalmology	1	1	2
Orthopaedic Surgery	5	1	6
Thoracic Surgery	1		1
Totals	69	5	74

Lanarkshire hospitals are also assisted by Glasgow consultants in Anaesthetics, Orthopaedic Surgery, Urology, Venereal Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Ophthalmology, Thoracic Surgery, Neurology, Radiotherapy and Dentistry.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many consultants employed in Lanarkshire hospitals are in receipt of merit awards; and what is the annual expenditure involved.

Information about the number of consultants holding distinction awards who are employed by the Western Regional Hospital Board, which covers Lanarkshire, is given in "Scottish Health Statistics" published each year by my Department. To give a more detailed breakdown could involve a breach of the practice not to identify consultants who are in receipt of awards.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many successful applicants for the Teachers' Special Recruitment Scheme originally came from Lanarkshire; and of these how many took up a teaching career in that county.

No analysis is available of Special Recruitment Scheme students by area of origin or by area of appointment.

asked the Lord President of the Council what is his estimate of the number of rooms in the Commons part of the Palace of Westminster which will become vacant in the event of the winning entry of the New Parliamentary Building competition being proceeded with in its present proposed form; and whether he will give a list of the rooms to be vacated, together with their present use and location.

It is too early to make such an estimate.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will give the date when the Government sent to Members of the House of Peers a circular offering training in the learning of French and German if financial assistance is offered; whether such an offer is to be made to Members of the House of Commons; who will meet the costs, and on what basis; and for what purpose this offer is being made.