asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will provide for Radio Durham to be allocated extra power so that the programme can be heard in every part of the county; and if he will make a statement.

No. Neither the B.B.C. nor any listener has asked me to authorise an increase in power, but, even so, no such increase could be considered outside the total frequency plan for local radio.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what charge is made to the Department of Health and Social Security for stocking and issuing explanatory leaflets relating to claims for welfare benefits and exemption from health charges.

This is not a matter for my Department. The information can be obtained direct from the Post Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what in formation he has about the prevalence of accidents caused by liner containers overturning; and what work is being done to reduce the danger to other road users from this source.

Statistics of accidents involving containers are not available, but it is estimated that less than 0·1 per cent. of all injury accidents involve insecurely loaded lorries. There are already regulations requiring loads to be properly secured, and these will be supplemented by a Code of Practice on Safe Loading to be issued in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to permit a longer time for excavation of the Baynard's Castle site.

There is, I understand, no intention to build on the excavated site until the results of the recent archaeological survey and the practice abilities of preserving valuable features have been fully considered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the Midland link part of the M6 to be open to traffic.

Work is still in progress on the final section of the motorway between Great Barr and Castle Bromwich, and I cannot yet give a firm date, but I hope that it will be opened before the end of next month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he received the communication from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, dated 28th March, enclosing a document on London's housing needs from the London Council of Social Service; whether he will publish the statements contained in this document and the reply he sent to the hon. Member; and whether he will make a statement.

This letter was received on 29th March, 1972. I am arranging for the corerspondence to be published in the Official Report. I have nothing to add to the statements contained in the reply to the hon. Member.Following is the correspondence:From the: London Council of Social Service.To the: Secretary of State for Social Services. Secretary of State for the Environment.LONDON'S HOUSING NEEDSThe housing shortage in Greater London is critical and is causing deep misery and distress to many.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, whether he will now sanction the building of a new civic centre for the London Borough of Newham.

I have nothing further to add to the reply given to the hon. Member on 2nd February.—[Vol. 830, c 121.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now make a statement on the discussions he has had with the European Economic Community on the Directive No. C/105/14, dated 15th August, 1970 and agreed to on 31st January, 1972 concerning the harmonisation of insurance premiums and standards and the abolition of the Green Card System.

As I have previously informed the hon. Member, this draft Directive, which has still to be issued by the Council of Ministers, does not deal with insurance premiums. Nor does it affect the liabilities which are currently compulsorily insurable in the United Kingdom. Discussions have been confined to matters of timing and drafting.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government hopes to take a decision on the siting of the runways at Maplin.

I am today publishing a consultation document, which examines the implications of a range of possible sites for the runways. This document takes full account of the latest available information and forecasts. No decision will be taken until there has been opportunity for the local authorities and other bodies concerned, and for the public at large, to study this document. I am asking for any comments to be sent to me quickly, with a view to a final decision in June.The document will have a wide circulation. I have sent copies individually to my hon. Friend and to other Members with constituencies in the area, and copies are available in the Vote Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in view of the deadlock now reached over the pay negotiations with the British Railways Board and the trade unions, if he will now take the initiative and call both sides together with a view to avoiding disruption of rail services, on which the economy depends and in the interests of the nation as a whole; and if he will make a statement.

No. I understand that negotiations are still continuing with the board.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many shel- tered workshops there are in Scotland; and what proposals he now has for increasing the number.

Twenty-seven. It is proposed over the next three years to build one new factory, substantially extend another, and replace three more.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a special study of the long-term unemployment situation in Cornwall.

Since my Department already has a considerable amount of information about employment and unemployment in Cornwall, my right hon. Friend does not consider that a special study, which would involve appreciable administrative expense, would be justified. The economic and organisational measures we have introduced to encourage sustained growth and industrial investment, especially in the development areas, should improve the employment prospects of Cornwall and other parts of the country.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimated weekly household income for Cornwall, the South-West, and Great Britain, respectively.

Average weekly household income in 1970 was £35·55 for Great Britain, and £33·20 for the South-West region. A corresponding figure for Cornwall cannot be given, as information for each county is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the relationship of the Hunterston Development Company with the proposed Industrial Development Board.

I expect the Industrial Development Executive and the Scottish Industrial Development Board to take a close interest in all industrial opportunities in Scotland. The studies which the Hunterston Development Company is undertaking will clearly deserve attention in this context.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is proposing to take to prevent the import into this country of large quantities of foreign cartridges which bear neither indication of origin nor observe British rules of proof regarding safety warnings.

I do not consider that the import ban suggested would be an appropriate or effective safety measure. The country of origin is not necessarily a reliable indication of quality and safety.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the date when the British Steel Corporation expects, with his authority, to put up for sale, or allow public participation in, a substantial part of its brick-producing interests, the companies involved and the location and capacity of every plant and works which it is intended shall remain with the corporation, with the same details.

The British Steel Corporation has already announced its intentions, and the negotiations are for it to conduct. As this is a matter of management, I have accordingly invited the chairman to write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the date when the National Coal Board expects, with his authority, to put up for sale, or invite public participation in, the brick-making facilities and provide a detailed list of the board's works and of the capacity of the separate plants.

The board does not need my right hon. Friend's authority for any such transaction. As the remainder of the question is a matter for the board, I have asked the chairman to let my hon. Friend have the details for which he asks.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take proceedings against Higheat Installations Limited, of 746 Finchley Road, Golders Green, London, NW11 7TH, for breach of the Trade Descriptions Act, in the light of the information supplied to him by the hon. Member for Wells.

No, because it is for the local weights and measures authority—which is under a statutory duty to enforce the Act—to consider the information in question and to decide whether there is evidence of an offence. If it considers that the law has been broken, it has to decide what action would be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made by the European Commission in the direction of setting up machinery for the formulation of European companies to reach across national frontiers.

The Commission of the European Communities submitted a proposed statute for the European company to the Council in June, 1970. The proposal was sent by the Council to the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee for their opinions. The Commission stated on 14th February, 1972, that, as soon as these opinions were known, it would examine its proposal with a view to making such amendments as might seem desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what modifications the European Economic Community Commission contemplates in the interpretation of Articles 85 and 86 of the Rome Treaties, in the light of the German Federal Cartel Office's recent decision over fibres.

I have no knowledge of any modifications which the Commission may be contemplating in the light of the decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when it is proposed to float off the chemical division of the British Steel Corporation; and which companies will be involved.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member on 13th March. I understand that discussions on the future status of the Corporation's chemicals division are still proceeding.—[Vol. 833, c. 16.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken in the United Kingdom to make use of direct reduction methods through the use of natural gas to obviate the use of the conventional blast furnace.

I am aware that various parties are interested in the exploitation of direct reduction processes for iron ore using natural gas. My understanding is that, so far, they have been mainly concerned with elucidating the economics of the process in United Kingdom conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set up a development corporation with independent finances and powers to initiate industrial growth in Wales.

No. The measures announced in the White Paper on Industrial and Regional Development will apply to the modernisation and expansion of industry in Wales, as to all parts of the country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the proportion of Canadian wheat in British bread, the price of which will be raised under the levy system by £32 million a year, to what extent he estimates this additional cost will raise the cost of bread in this country.

Any increase in the import cost of Canadian wheat following entry to the E.E.C. will depend on a number of factors, including the extent to which technical developments reduce the usage of hard wheats in bread production. It is estimated that entry into the E.E.C. will raise retail bread prices over the transitional period by about the average for food prices generally.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to create an international organisation for the production of coffee along the lines of the suggested agreement between coffee-producers set out in the booklet entitled, Coffee, the Rules of Neo-Colonialisaition, published by the Haselmere Group, a copy of which has been sent to him.

No, I believe that the arrangements proposed would be less satisfactory, for coffee producers as well as for the world economy, than those already obtaining under the present International Coffee Agreement.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will deduct the cost from the date of the refusal of the final offer made by Her Majesty's Government of disengaging British force and equipment from Malta from the sum agreed to be paid to Mr. Mintoff.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will establish an official inquiry into the origins, causes and consequences of the sit-in by students at Portsmouth Polytechnic; and whether she will make a statement.

No. This is a matter for the governing body of the Polytechnic and the local education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children are entitled to maintenance grants; how many are receiving them; and what was the average amount of the grant per pupil over the last year.

As I explained in my reply to the Question by the hon. Member on 20th January, the Department does not normally collect information about maintenance allowances. The information now requested is not available in the Department.—[Vol. 829, c. 239.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in view of her recent decision concerning the reorganisation of schools in Huddersfield, she will make a statement concerning the future of King James's Grammar School.

No. Fresh proposals are a matter for the local education authority in the first instance. As the hon. Member knows, my right hon. Friend has explained to the authority her reasons for not approving their proposal to change the school into a sixth-form college.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is yet in a position to announce her intentions on the introduction of a Public Lending Right Bill.

No. My noble Friend the Paymaster-General has now received the Report of the Working Party which has been considering the practical implications of introducing a Public Lending Right scheme by amendment of the Copyright Act; in the light of this he will consider whether such an amendment would be practical and worthwhile. The Report will be published as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost, for the most recent year available, of criminal legal aid provided in the courts, above magistrates' courts; what proportion of this money was spent on payments for legal administration and administration expenses, respectively; and how much money was paid in contribution orders by legally aided persons.

In the financial year 1970–71 the gross cost of legal aid in the higher courts in England and Wales was £5,353,699. Separate figures for administrative costs are not available. The estimated receipts attributable to contribution orders made in the higher courts were about £67,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will recommend the granting of an interim pay award to instructors in occupational centres pending the publication of the report dealing with training and salary.

The salaries of instructors in education authority occupational centres is entirely a matter for the National Joint Industrial Council for Local Authorities Services (Scottish Council). The Committee on the Training of Occupational Centre Instructors has not been invited to consider the salaries of instructors as part of its remit.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects publication of the report dealing with the training of instructors in occupational centres.

I expect to receive the report early in the summer; publication will follow as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing how many local authorities which were due to reply by 31st March to his circular on the reorganisation of local government have replied, how many have failed to reply, how many have indicated agreement, and how many have indicated disagreement, respectively.

Many of the authorities which were invited to comment on my Department's draft proposals by 31st March have sent helpful and constructive replies; but it would be misleading to give precise figures since a number of the replies received in the Department have been of an interim character.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will take immediate steps to inspect all those private fee-paying schools which make provision for mentally-handicapped and other children and which are now only provisionally registered;(2) if he will make immediate arrangements for the inspection of those private schools, catering for handicapped children, which are still only provisionally registered.

There are only three special schools which are provisionally registered, and these were visited on 8th, 9th and 17th March, respectively. I do not consider that further inspection is called for in the immediate future.

asked the Sectary of State for Scotland if he will ascertain the scale of fees charged per child per annum at each independent school providing education for handicapped children.

As I have explained to the hon. Member, I do not seek information about the fees paid by local authorities which send children to these schools, but I understand that the fees charged for a residential place range from £700 to just over £1,000 per annum.

asked the Secreary of State for Scotland to what extent, on the basis of information from his inspectors, corporal punishment is used in independent schools for handicapped children; and what evidence he has of the use of the cane or the tawse in these establishments.

I understand that corporal punishment is used in only two independent special schools, both of which have places for difficult children with behaviour problems as well as for handicapped children. In neither is it employed frequently; the tawse is used, but not the cane.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many independent schools for the care of handicapped children have been de-registered or not registered at all since the commencement of the operation of the Education (Scotland) Act 1962.

No registered or provisionally registered independent school for handicapped children has been ordered to be struck off the Register of Independent Schools, and there has been no occasion on which provisional registration has been refused.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the dates on which independent fee-paying schools providing facilities for handicapped children have been officially inspected in each of the last five years.

A table showing dates of inspections is given below:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the qualifications of the teaching staff, and their ability to assess the needs of each child, at the private schools for handicapped children in Fife and at Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire.

Most of the teachers, including the head teachers, at these schools are trained teachers; and I am satisfied with their ability to assess the educational needs of the children.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new houses in the public sector were completed in 1971; how many were under construction at the end of that year as compared with the figures for the end of each of the previous five years; and how many were begun in the first quarter of 1972.

The figures asked for in the first two parts of the hon. Member's Question are published in the Housing Return for Scotland, 31st

TABLE A
PROVISIONAL STATISTICS OF CHILDREN REPORTED TO REPORTER, 15TH APRIL, 1971 TO 31ST DECEMBER, 1971
Number of Reports to Reporter classified by alleged grounds and action taken after initial investigation
Action taken by the Reporter after the initial investigation	Alleged Grounds of Referral*								All Grounds	All Grounds as percentage of Total
	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
Referred to Hearing	292	115	140	45	2	483	4,859	12	5,948	51·5
Referred to Social Work Department	24	13	35	1	3	35	603	—	714	6·2
Police Warning	1	—	—	—	—	—	1,140	1	1,142	9·9
Juvenile Liaison Officer Scheme	—	—	—	—	—	—	111	—	111	1·0
Other Action	8	1	1	—	—	6	418	—	434	3·6
No Action:
Current Supervision Requirement†	—	—	—	—	—	5	293	1	299	2·6
Referral on other Grounds†	1	—	—	1	—	5	42	—	49	0·4
Other	29	7	31	3	—	80	2,705	—	2,855	24·7
Total	355	136	207	50	5	614	10,171	14	11,552	100
Boys	188	28	107	19	—	414	9,343	7	10,106	87·5
Girls	167	108	100	31	5	200	828	7	1,446	12·5
* Definitions of Alleged Grounds:			A. Beyond control of parent.
			B. Exposed to moral danger.
			C. Impairment to health.
			D. Schedule 1 offences
			E. Female in same household as incest.
			F. Failure to attend school regularly.
			G. Commission of offence.
			H. Transferred from England.
† These are cases where no action was taken by the reporter because the child concerned was already under a supervision requirement or had been referred to the reporter for other reasons.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the work of the children's panels.

The system of children's hearings has, in general, been working well during its first year. I should like to pay a warm tribute to all those who have contributed to this successful beginning, and, in particular, to the panel members who have given so much of their time to this important public service. I have recently appointed about 400 panel members in addition to the 850 appointed initially.The provisional statistics for 1971 are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement on the position of Glasgow's selective schools.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Perth and East Perthshire (Mr. MacArthur).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to extend registration with the General Teaching Council to further education teachers.

Yes; I have agreed in principle to extend registration to the further education sector, but the effective date of this has yet to be decided.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will invite the Scottish Economic Planning Council to review the position of the steel industry in Scotland.

The steel industry in Scotland is a subject of frequent discussion in the Scottish Economic Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to improve the recruitment of social workers.

I am assisting teaching institutions to expand their courses for social workers, and the number of students completing courses in 1972 is expected to be double the figure for 1970. A further substantial increase in numbers of students is planned for the next few years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will invite the Scottish Economic Planning Council to consider the benefits which would accrue to Scotland from the dispersal of Government offices.

The benefits which could accrue to Scotland from the dispersal of Government offices have been discussed in general terms in the Scottish Economic Council. The Council is, of course, aware of the Government's current dispersal review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the report of the findings of the latest inspection of Corsbie Hall School in Fife; and whether the inspection included an examination of the accounts.

The report contains information and advice which I have to take into account in exercising my statutory duty to decide whether to grant final registration, and it must remain confidential. Inspection of independent schools does not include examination of the accounts.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the boys currently at the Corsbie Hall School in Fife were sent there by Scottish local education authorities, English local education authorities, and how many by other organisations or local government departments in England and Scotland, respectively.

At the close of the spring term, the position was that 35 boys had been placed by Scottish education authorities; four by an English education authority; 11 by Scottish social work departments; and four by English social services departments.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he has taken to site offices and staffs in Scotland to deal with matters resultant upon Great Britain's entry into the Common Market; and how many new jobs have resulted from these activities at the latest convenient stated date.

So far as my own Departments are concerned, I foresee the need for about 50 additional posts over the next few years, all of them in Scotland, to deal with work arising from United Kingdom membership of the European Communities. As regards other bodies, I shall seek to ensure that, in all appropriate cases, jobs which it is practicable to perform in Scotland are located there.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement regarding the responsibilities of his ministerial team within the Scottish Office.

My noble Friend the Minister of State will act in general as deputy to the Secretary of State, working mainly in Scotland, with oversight of all my Departments and with responsibility for Scottish business in the House of Lords. In addition, he will. like his predecessor, undertake specific assignments from time to time. Initially, he will be concentrating on questions of regional development, on which he will work in close consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industrial Development at the Department of Trade and Industry.The functions of the Under-Secretary of State for Development will continue unchanged, as will those of the other two Under-Secretaries of State.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a breakdown of the total of £56 million he estimates as being spent on medical research, into the departments responsible and the recipients.

The estimate of £56 million which relates to the year 1971–72, comprised:

	£ million
Medical Research Council	23½
The Health Departments	9½
Ministry of Defence	1¼
Other Departments (chiefly Overseas Development Administration and the General Register Offices)	½
University Grants Committee	21

The recipients are too many and varied to be detailed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were dealt with at the Rugby social security office during the past 12 months.

There were 30,637 calls, 23,962 of which related to contributory benefit matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people received visits in Rugby from social security officers during the last 12 months.

About 7,800 of which over 3,000 related to contributory benefits work.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will appoint to the Rugby social security office an officer capable of taking decisions without reference to Coventry.

We are satisfied that the present office at Rugby is providing an efficient and economic service, and we have no proposals for making any changes at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many towns with a population of more than 50,000 have had their social security offices reduced to caller status;(2) how many social security offices have been reduced to caller status during the past five years.

During the past five years the policy of creating all-purpose local offices has resulted in the closure of 181 offices (including six serving populations of more than 50,000) which have been replaced by caller offices where all types of inquiries are dealt with and claims received.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many towns and cities in England and Wales have social security offices of their own with full facilities for dealing with cases.

357 have one or more offices through which the full range of social security services may be obtained.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the qualifications held by existing maxillofacial technicians; and what are their average earnings.

The qualifications normally required are a recognised apprenticeship in dental technology followed by eight years' relevant experience in approved laboratories; or five years combined with the City and Guilds Dental Technician's Certificate; or three years combined with an Advanced Certificate. Information about earnings is not centrally available but the salary scale operative from 1st April, 1971, is £1,212–£1,587 excluding allowances and emergency duty payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make an estimate of the number of persons in Great Britain at a recent date who have divorced and then remarried, and what proportion this was of the total British population aged between 20 and 94 years, inclusive.

It has been estimated that of the married persons in the home population of Great Britain in 1970 something of the order of one million were remarried following an earlier divorce, equivalent to some 3 per cent. of the population aged 20 years or more.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report the calculations which lead him to conclude that the combined value of free depreciation and cash grants in development areas is worth about three times as much on a discounted basis to a development area firm which is profitable than to one which is unprofitable.

Assuming corporation tax at 40 per cent., a profitable firm in a development area will recover for each £100 of investment in:

(a) plant and machinery only

£40 in first year allowances

£20 in regional development grants

£60 Total

(b) plant/buildings in the ratio of 4: 1

£35·5 in first year and writing down allowances (rounded)

£20 in regional development grants

£55·5 Total

The unprofitable firm will recover only the £20 in regional development grants in both examples.If these recoveries are discounted at 10 per cent. per annum—on the basis of an interval of 21 months between investment and payment of tax and six months between investment and receipt of grant—the ratios of recovery for a profitable firm to those for an unprofitable firm are 2·8 in (

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether, as a means of combating inflation and encouraging savings, he will introduce a system whereby interest which is left in the Post Office for the 12 months following payment is receivable on a tax-free basis up to a predetermined figure of gross savings or interest receipts;(2) whether, as a means of combating inflation and encouraging savings, he will introduce a system whereby all National Savings can enjoy the interest payable on savings tax-free if such interest is left in the savings account for at least 12 months after payment, up to a predetermined figure of gross savings or interest receipts.

As my right hon. Friend stated in his Budget speech, it is not proposed to make any further changes affecting National Savings at this time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his proposals regarding exemption from estate duty will extend to the National Art-Collections Fund.

I understand that the National Art-Collections Fund is a charity, which will qualify for estate duty relief under Clause 112 of the Finance Bill on property up to £50,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his proposals regarding exemption from estate duty will extend to the Soane Museum, the Dulwich Gallery, the Kenwood Bequest and the Thomas Coram Foundation Gallery.

I understand that these four bodies are charities which will qualify under Clause 112 of the Finance Bill for the new estate duty relief on property up to £50,000. If, when the Bill becomes law, any one of them claims that it is within Schedule 25, so as to qualify for estate duty relief without limit, the claim will be considered.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect of the proposed Budget measures on the level of unemployment in Scotland over the next 12 months.

The Budget proposals, together with the measures announced on 22nd March by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, should improve employment prospects in Scotland and in the development areas generally.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rôle his Department is performing in respect of the European Economic Community proposals for economic and monetary union.

The Treasury, in consultation, where appropriate, with other Government Departments, is the Department chiefly concerned with these matters, and is represented at relevant meetings of Community institutions and working groups.