asked the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the Welsh Economic Council concerning the future of the steel industry in Wales.

In all my discussions on economic and employment questions with the council and its chairman, the importance to Wales of the steel industry has been fully recognised.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what further new hospitals are planned for Wales as a result of the additional public expenditure announced for the Principality.

None, since the Welsh Hospital Board will use these additional funds to improve facilities at existing hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has now decided to seek powers to extend the 75 per cent. home improvement grants beyond 23rd June, 1973, so that builders may plan their labour requirements accordingly and to assist the long-term need for housing modernisation in Wales.

My right hon. Friends and I are keeping a close watch on the effects of the Housing Act, 1971, on the building industry and on the progress of house modernisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to pay an official visit to Merthyr Tydfil.

I have at present no plans to do so, but I am always very pleased to visit the Valley communities whenever I can.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satis- field with the opportunities for the training of veterinary surgeons for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of a particular problem in Wales due to lack of training facilities for veterinary surgeons, but the committee of inquiry into the veterinary profession was set up specifically to examine the rôle and educational needs of the profession. The committee is not expected to report for some time yet.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now consider calling a conference of local authorities and bus associations in Wales with a view to obtaining agreement on a uniform system of concessionary fares for retirement pensioners.

No. Concessionary fares are matters for the discretion of local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will request the Welsh Economic Council to make a study of the situation of low-income families in Wales.

No. The Government's policies are already directed to the relief of poverty.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many older council houses in Wales need substantial improvement, such as the provision of bathrooms and indoor water closets; and how many have been improved and modernised within the past five years.

The 1968 Welsh House Condition Survey indicated that 25,500 of the houses in Wales rented from local authorities lacked one or more of the standard amenities. In the last five years 3,978 local authority-owned houses have been completely improved and modernised, and in addition 4,148 houses have attracted standard contribution for the installation of missing basic amenities. The amenities most commonly missing are wash-hand basins and internal W.C.s.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what regulation issued by his Department concerning load lines covers vessels using the River Humber; and what are the limits placed upon them;(2) if he will introduce regulations to ensure that all river craft using the River Humber between the Apex Light and the mouth comply with Board of Trade rules concerning load lines.

As I informed the hon. Member on 2nd March, the provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Load Lines) Act, 1967, and of the rules made there under apply only to vessels which go to sea. With regard to the River Humber, this means in summer to seaward of a line drawn from Patrington Church to Cleethorpes Pier and in winter of a line from Paull to New Holland. There is no proposal at present to change these limits.—[Vol. 832, c. 172–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what extent, under the present rules and regulations of the European Economic Community, the British ball and roller bearing industry will be assisted or adversely affected on the free entry into Great Britain from the enlarged Community of such products, so far as import restriction and tariffs are concerned.

Free entry into this country of ball and roller bearings from the enlarged Community will be accompanied by a removal of the tariffs against our exports to the Community. The effect of entry into the Community will depend on the extent to which managements in the industry take advantage of the wider market opportunities presented.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what, for the latest and most convenient stated date, was the total number of foreign cars imported into Great Britain; from which countries and at what total costs; what import duty was paid on them; and to what extent, on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, such imports will be likely to increase.

Information is given in the December, 1971, issue of the Overseas Trade Statistics, which shows that, in 1971, 284,000 cars, valued at £173 million, were imported, mostly from E.E.C. countries. The amount of duty paid in 1971 is not yet available. Membership of the E.E.C. will stimulate trade between the United Kingdom and the Six in most goods, including cars.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give assistance to enable the United Sulphuric Acid Plant at Widnes to remain in production in order to prevent British industry from depending on foreign supplies of sulphur and sulphuric acid.

No, the closure of the plant at Widnes was a matter for the commercial judgment of the company itself.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the factors in an area which lead him to deem it to be suffering from industrial obsolescence in the sense in which that phrase is used in paragraph 29 of his White Paper, "Industrial and Regional Development" (Command Paper No. 4942).

In assessing the extent of industrial obsolescence in any area, I am concerned with all the factors affecting industrial vitality, both present and potential.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will set out in the Official Report, by travel-to-work area, the criteria upon which he based his decision to designate the new intermediate areas as announced on 22nd March, 1972.

No. The criteria are set out in Section 1 of the Local Employment Act, 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new factories have commenced production in the areas covered by the Mexborough and district and the Wombwell employment exchanges during each of the past 10 years.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of official aid to developing countries was tied to purchases of British goods and services in 1971; and what was the corresponding figure in each of the previous five years.

The 1971 figure is not yet available, but the figure for 1970, on the basis explained in our memorandum to the Development Assistance Committee, was 64 per cent. The figures for previous years are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what special incentives are given by the Government to British private investment in the developing countries; and what measures he proposes to introduce to increase these incentives.

The measures which are at present in force or are being prepared are set out in Cmnd. 4656, published in April, 1971.The Overseas Investment and Export Guarantees Bill, at present before Parliament, is designed to give the Government authority to proceed with the Investment Insurance and Pre-Investment Studies Schemes described in the Command Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give, for the latest and most convenient stated date, the number of rules, regulations, directives and laws of the European Economic Community which Great Britain will have to implement on entry into the European Economic Community; and how many of these are readily available in agreed English translations for Members of Parliament and the general public.

The pre-accession series of English texts of the secondary legislation of the European Communities, showing how the secondary legislation as it stood on 10th November, 1971, would apply to the United Kingdom on enlargement of the Communities, was published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office on 13th January this year. The number of instruments in this series is approximately 1,500.Her Majesty's Stationery Office will shortly publish, under arrangements providing for the publication of Community secondary legislation made during the interim period prior to accession, the first group of further pre-accession English texts of Community instruments made since 10th November, 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent, on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, he now estimates a rise or fall in the number of staff employed in his Department; how many will be moved to and stationed in countries of the enlarged Community; and to what extent he estimates a reduction or increase in office accommodation needed in Great Britain.

I do not anticipate any significant change in the overall size of the Diplomatic Service as a result of Britain's accession to the European Communities. About 30 additional staff will be required for the strengthening of our delegation in Brussels and of our embassies in some other European capitals. This small increase is expected to be offset by other staffing changes already in prospect which are unconnected with European developments. There will be no change in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's requirement for office accommodation in London.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will arrange to discuss with the representatives of the Israeli Government the effects on Anglo-Israeli trade if Great Britain enters the Common Market; and to what extent, during his recent discussions with the Prime Minister of Israel, the subject to discussed.

Talks at the official level were held in London on 1st March between the Israel Government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. We remain in touch with the Government of Israel on this subject. It was raised briefly by the Foreign Minister of Israel during the recent visit to Israel of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will seek to arrange with the owners for an extended exhibition of the Tutankhamen treasures to be situated in a northern location, in view of the fact that satisfactory arrangements cannot be made to permit northern visitors and school parties to visit the exhibition.

No. The arrangements under which the exhibits were made available to the United Kingdom by the Egyptian authorities provide that they should be shown in the British Museum. The exhibition will remain open to all visitors, from whatever part of the country, for the whole of the summer. In addition, as many school-children as possible are being given special opportunities for seeing the exhibits on Monday mornings.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what requests were made to her Department by the James Committee on Teacher Training and Education for statistics to show forward projections of teacher supply; what statistics were provided; and if she will publish them in the Official Report.

As I informed the hon. Member in my reply to his Question on 24th March, 1972, evidence given by the Department to the James Committee must remain confidential.—[Vol. 833, c. 376–7.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce legislation to make it an offence to manufacture pet foods which include whale meat.

No case for legislation has been established, bearing in mind that two of the firms which produce a large part of the pet food manufactured in this country have indicated that they propose to cease using whale meat as soon as practicable. Two other firms which account for most of the remaining production do not use whale meat.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the difficulty that would be experienced in maintaining and promoting the training of apprentices under a voluntary levy scheme, and asking that such a levy should be compulsory; and if he will make a statement.

The proposals in "Training for the Future" envisage the phasing out of statutory levy and grant schemes unless there is a clear consensus in favour of a levy in the industry in question. It is, however, proposed that selective grants, financed from the Exchequer, might, in such a situation, be required for training activities such as initial off-the-job training of apprentices. About half the representations which my Department has so far received have expressed the need for adequate grant support for apprentice training.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the training of young people between 16 and 18 years of age, supplementary to the information on older cate-

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to implement all the International Labour Organisation recommendations regarding monitoring against toxic substances at work as well as compelling employers to enforce International Labour Organisation standards of protection against pollution for employees in all industries; and if he will make a statement.

Legislation is not required to give effect to recommendations. Standards of protection against pollution of the factory environment are, however, among the matters dealt with in the Factories Act and the regulations made under it. Most of the I.L.O. con- gories contained in "Training for the Future".

Most initial training of young people will continue to be the responsibility of employers. About 1,000 young people aged 16 to 18 were being trained under the Government's vocational training scheme on 29th February, 1972. The Government are considering what future provision should be made for those in special need such as the disabled and the unemployed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men, women and juveniles were unemployed nationally and in the Nuneaton employment exchange area on the nearest convenient date to 18th June, 1970; and what are the corresponding figures for the latest convenient date.

Following is the information:ventions and recommendations with a bearing on pollution of the working environment have been ratified or accepted by the United Kingdom either in whole or in part. Where they have not been fully accepted it is normally only because of differences of methods of achieving the same basic objectives. Information on maximum allowable concentrations on the lines suggested in paragraph 5(1) of recommendations (No. 97) concerning the protection of the Health of Workers in Places of Employment, are published by H.M. Factory Inspectorate as a technical data note. There is no general legislation about monitoring but firms are encouraged to carry out such tests and in addition the Inspectorate carries out estimations as required.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will seek to have talks with the English Football Association about its future position in the Football International Federation Association as a result of the decision of Mr. Justice Foster in Cooke v. The Football Association Limited.

This is, in the first instance, a matter for the Football Association. I hope to be seeing its representatives shortly, and I expect that they will tell me what they have in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the eligible local authorities in the North-West Region which have submitted special environmental assistance schemes to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

The local authorities are as follows:Royton Urban District Council.Warrington Rural District Council.Whitworth Urban District Council.Stalybridge Metropolitan Borough Council.Blackburn County Borough Council.Turton Urban District Council.Longridge Urban District Council.Southport County Borough Council.Tyldesley Urban District Council.Preston County Borough Council.Rishton Urban District Council.Blackpool County Borough Council.Barrow County Borough Council.New Mills Urban District Council.Bolton County Borough Council.Oldham County Borough Council.Winsford Urban District Council.Aspull Urban District Council.vCrosby Metropolitan Borough Council.Atherton Urban District Council.Worsley Urban District Council.Rochdale County Borough Council.Padiham Urban District Council.Wallasey County Borough Council.Wigan County Borough Council.So far, 91 schemes have been approved for grant in the region, and a further 122 are under consideration. Other local authorities are known to be finalising their programmes, and the regional office expects to receive many more applications in the very near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in the light of his latest principal road preparation list, how long he estimates it will take him to reach a decision after the submission by the Berkshire County Council of plans for the completion of phase two of the section of the A329 Maidenhead Western Relief Road; and whether the road will qualify for a 75 per cent. grant from the Government.

The timing depends on the complexities of the scheme. Under present arrangements 75 per cent. of the cost of an approved scheme is met by the central Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give an assurance that he does not propose to make any amendments to Section 1 of the British Nationality Act, 1948, in view of the recent secession of Pakistan from the British Commonwealth;(2) if he will give an assurance that the legal rights at present enjoyed by citizens of Pakistan as Commonwealth citizens will not be altered by any legislation pending.

I cannot at present add to my right hon. Friend's reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Wilkinson) on 3rd February—[Vol. 830, c. 186.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that Joseph Sewell is known to have had assets of between £50,000 to £250,000; and whether he will therefore cause an investigation to be made to ascertain how and why he was granted legal aid.

As the time in which Sewell may apply for leave to appeal has not yet expired, it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this stage on the matter raised by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce the necessary legislation to enable a judge to order the payment of all legal costs of any trial where a person is found guilty, where after legal aid has been granted it can be subsequently shown that the convicted person has assets which were not revealed at the commencement of the criminal proceedings.

The existing legislation enables the court at the conclusion of the trial to order the defendant to pay the costs of the prosecution or to make a contribution towards the costs of his legal aid. My right hon. Friend has no proposals for further legislation in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give the total costs to public funds of all aspects connected with the Kray twins arrest and trial; and to what extent those found guilty were granted legal aid and made contributions towards the legal costs.

In the proceedings referred to by the hon. Member there were 28 defendants, including Reginald and Ronald Kray, and six indictments. The total ascertainable costs to public funds of the committal proceedings, trials and appeals was £152,771 15s. 7d. All 28 defendants were granted legal aid. A contribution order for £374 was made against one defendant and was paid.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions in magistrates' courts in each police authority area in Wales have been held entirely in English, or partly in Welsh and partly in English with the use of an interpreter, where the defence has asked for the case to be heard entirely in Welsh, during the past 12 months.

The chief constables concerned tell me that, according to their records, no case was heard entirely in English in the circumstances described; and that the number of cases heard partly in English and partly in Welsh was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report his estimate of the number of children fitted with gas-powered arms in each of the limb fitting centres in England and Wales during 1971; what was the average quantity of gas equivalent supplied to them in terms of gram cylinders of gas per week, and the number of cylinders so used per day; and if he will make a statement.

Two children were fitted with gas-powered arms for the first time during 1971, one at Roehampton Limb Fitting Centre and one at Chailey Heritage Hospital. At the end of the year 20 patients under 18 years of age were using these arms—12 at Roehampton, six at Chailey Heritage and two at Mary Marlborough Lodge, Oxford—and the total amount of gas supplied to them average 2,800 grams per week. As various sizes of cylinder were in use at different periods of the year, an expression of gas consumption in terms of numbers of cylinders used per day would not be meaningful.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the number of limb deficient children aged 14 years or less, resident in England and Wales, the number of such children who were supplied with one or more new artificial arms in 1971, the number supplied in each limb fitting centre, and the number of such limbs which were gas-powered; and if he will make a statement.

Information about the supply of prostheses to arm-deficient children in 1971 is being assembled and I will write to the hon. Member when it is available. It will not however be possible without disproportionate effort to provide figures other than for children up to18 years of age.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many men, women and children and young people under 18 years of age are known to suffer from agoraphobia;

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what research into agoraphobia are at present being carried out by, or with the financial support of, his Department.

None; but studies in agoraphobia form a significant part of the programme of research of the Medical Research Council's Unit in Epidemiological Studies in Edinburgh and the council is supporting other research programmes in phobic disorders which include agoraphobia.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will appoint a panel of specialists with knowledge of tropical diseases to assist in the assessment of entitlement of all war disability pensions.

The services of specialists in tropical diseases are already available to the Department when required in connection with claims for war disablement pensions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultant gynaecologists use the facilities of the North Staffordshire Maternity Unit for private patients; and how many private patients have been treated there in the last year.

There are three consultant gynaecologists working at the North Staffordshire Hospital Centre, all of whom may admit private patients there. One private maternity patient and 177 private gynaecological patients were admitted to the City General Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent, during the last 12 months, and 127 private gynaecological patients were admitted to the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary during the same period.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many epidural anaesthetisations were performed on National Health and private patients, respectively, in the last 12 months.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultant anaesthetists were engaged full time and how many part time at the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary.

Five whole-time and eight part-time, including six on maximum part-time contracts, in the North Staffordshire Group as a whole; most of them have duties at the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, but separate figures for the infirmary are not readily available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will provide for the payment of an additional sum of interest to those holders of post-war credits, whose names fall into a late alphabetical category, who are not to be paid out in full until September, 1972.

No. Thirty-eight per cent. is approximately the interest payable under the present law to the end of September, and in the interests of simplicity it is proposed that it should apply to all post-war credits repaid as a result of the present general release.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the size of the National Debt upon which an interest charge of £1,596 million was provided in 1971–72; and what was the size of the National Debt in 1960, 1965, 1970, together with the interest charges made in each of these years.

The provisional out-turn figure of £1,596 million for interest payable on the National Debt in 1971–72 is based on a provisional out-turn of the size of the National Debt at 31st March, 1972, of £34,131 million. The size of the National Debt outstanding and interest paid in earlier years is as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that disabled people often have to be accompanied to work by an employee or relative; if he will consider payment to the disabled person's helper in the same way as secretarial allowances are given for tax purposes; and if he will make a statement.

While I share the hon. Member's concern for disabled workers, I am afraid that I could not justify excepting them from the general tax rule that expenditure incurred in travelling to and from work is not an allowable expense.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated yield from the value-added tax for the year 1973–74 on the basis that the following goods and services are added to the proposed zero-rated category; namely, goods supplied by establishments located in the development areas, services supplied by establishments in the development areas, goods supplied by establishments located in Wales, and services supplied by establishments located in Wales.

Such variations in rates of value-added tax would not seem to be practical, and no estimates have been made of the effects on net revenue receipts of such hypothetical variations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons are likely to benefit from the proposal to introduce for 1973–74 a unified personal tax structure.

On the basis of the rates of tax and allowances proposed in the Budget, virtually all taxpayers will benefit.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies are likely to benefit from the abatement proposals for small companies proposed for 1973–74.

I would refer the hon. Member to what my right hon. Friend said in his Budget speech on 21st March.—[Vol. 833, c. 1361.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many taxpayers in the year 1970–71 were charge-able to tax in respect of unearned income;(2) how many taxpayers in the year 1970–71 were in receipt of unearned income of less than £500, £1,000, £1,500 and £2,000, respectively.

For 1969–70, the latest year for which figures are available, about 4½2 million individuals with investment income paid tax. Of these, about 3·6 million had investment income of less than £500, about 4 million had less than £1,000, about 4·2 million had less than £1,500 and about 4·3 million had less than £2,000. About 16 million individuals who were liable to tax had no investment income. These figures count married couples as one unit