asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now consider restoring diplomatic relations with Albania.

We are considering this, and I should be glad if we were able to find a way round the obstacles which have prevented the restoration of diplomatic relations with Albania for so long.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about his discussions with the Secretary General of the United Nations concerning the occupation of Namibia by South Africa and the assistance to be given to the Ovambo strikers.

Neither subject was discussed in these terms. At their meeting on 11th April, which covered a wide range of subjects, the Secretary-General told my right hon. Friend about the steps which he has taken in accordance with the terms of Security Council Resolution 309. The substance of their exchanges must for obvious reasons remain confidential.

asked the Secretary of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will keep open the possibility of a visit by himself, or by the Minister for Overseas Development, to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, if it appears likely that such a visit will facilitate agreement on some of the major issues at the conference.

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade attended the opening days of the Conference, and my noble Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will go there from 3rd to 10 May. These visits ensure that the views and influence of Her Majesty's Government are adequately expressed and exerted.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Maltese Government protesting about the sending of unsolicited Malta Government lottery tickets to Great Britain through the post.

I am prepared to draw complaints about this to the attention of the Maltese authorities

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he proposes to take to protect British churchmen serving in South Africa from further perscution by the South African Government.

Our representatives abroad give what protection they properly can to all British subjects, whatever their calling, as the need arises; and they have done so in several recent cases in South Africa.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what authority a special commission of the United Nations was sent to Portguese Guinea without the leave of the sovereign-Government thereof; and what attitude was taken by Her Majesty's Government.

This visit arose from a decision made by the United Nations' Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples ("Committee of 24") of which the United Kingdom is not a member. The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 2795 (XXVI), inter alia, noted the Committee of 24's proposal with satisfaction. The United Kingdom voted against this resolution.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what protests the Co-Chairmen of the Geneva Conference have received from the Government of Vietnam against the latest aggression by North Vietnam; what replies have been made; and what action taken.

We received a Note from the Government of Vietnam on 6th April, drawing the attention of the Co-Chairmen to the situation in South Vietnam following the North Vietnamese invasion. The Vietnamese Government asked us to pass a copy to the Russian Co-Chairman, with whom they do not have diplomatic relations. This we attempted to do, but the Russians declined to accept the Note. At the same time, we told the Russians that in our view the Geneva Conference should now be recalled. They have since told us that they do not consider this practicable.We have ourselves replied to the Vietnamese Note in sympathetic terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations on behalf of Her Majesty's Government to the Egyptian Government to allow an extension of the Tutankhamun Exhibition to enable a longer period of time to be allocated specifically to school parties from the north of England.

The agreement between Her Majesty's Government and the Egyptian Government covering the Exhibition provides that it shall remain open until 30th September. If experience shows that the present level of interest is maintained and the organisers decide that this period could usefully be extended, I should be pleased to ask the Egyptian Government on their behalf to permit such an extension.The question of the allocation of time for viewing to any particular group is a matter for decision by the organisers.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consult Parliament before committing the United Kingdom to implementation of the second and third stages of the European Economic Community economic and monetary union.

No specific proposals have yet been made about the second and third stages of movement towards economic and monetary integration in the European Communities. The nature and form of what is agreed will determine consequent action.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now make representations to the régime in Rhodesia about the case of the Tangwena people.

No. I do not think such representations are called for at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what help Her Majesty's Government intends to give to the Sudanese Government towards the restoration of normal conditions in the Southern Sudan in terms of health, educational and developmental aid.

The Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed this with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 11th April. Consideration is now being given to the possibility of aid towards restoring normal conditions in the Southern Sudan in the light of Her Majesty's Government's other commitments to the development world.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government is considering the provision of aid and assistance to help rehabilitate the Southern Sudan following the recent agreement between the Sudanese Government and the South.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to a written Question from the hon. Member for Smethwick (Mr. Faulds).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he proposes to take on Recommendation 668 (1972) of the Assembly of the Council of Europe requesting member States to set-up and finance a European Freedom from Hunger Fund, in particular for training agricultural experts to be put at the disposal of the developing countries and to establish a European Food Reserve for immediate relief in event of disasters in developing countries.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to a similar Question from the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Coleman) on 18th April.—[Vol. 835. c. 65–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will seek to co-ordinate their efforts with those of the other member States of the Council of Europe in the framework of the Food and Agriculture Organisation World Food Programme for promoting the over-hauling of the world prices of raw materials, particularly of agricultural products in relation to payment for the exports of developing countries.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to a similar Question from the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Coleman) on 17th April.—[Vol. 835, c. 77–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the price to be paid for the assets of Rolls-Royce Limited, taken over by Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited.

I have nothing to add to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Rost) on 17th April.—[Vol. 835. c. 6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the United Kingdom's energy requirements is met by coal, oil, gas, nuclear power and hydro-electric power, respectively, at the last available date, twelve months previously and five years previously.

The figures are as follows:

		Percentage share of total energy consumption in the United Kingdom
		1971	1970	1965
Coal	…	42·9	47·1	62·2
Petroleum	…	45·6	44·4	34·6
Natural Gas	…	8·0	4·9	0·4
Nuclear Electricity	…	3·0	2·8	2·0
Hydro Electricity	…	0·5	0·8	0·8
		100·0	100·0	100·0

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the United Kingdom's total electricity generation in the public sector is derived from coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power, respectively, at the last available date.

:The available information is published in Table 59 of the Central Statistical Office Monthly Digest of Statistics, a copy of which is held in the Library of the House. This does not analyse electricity generation by kind of fuel but shows the quantity in terms of coal or coal equivalent of each kind of fuel used for generation. The percentage shares in 1971for the United Kingdom are as follows:

Percentage share of primary fuel demand by the public electricity supply system
Coal	…	67·5
Oil	…	22·6
Natural gas	…	1·0
Nuclear electricity	…	7·4
Hydro electricity	…	1·5
		100·0

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what industries other than the manufacturers of pet foods import whale products.

Sperm whale products are imported into the United Kingdom for use in the manufacture and preparation of high-pressure lubricants, cutting oils, leather tanning oils, textile lubricating oils, and in the making of fatty alcohols for the chemical industry. They are also extensively used in Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The by-products of whales. other than sperm whales, are employed as human and cattle food and as fertilisers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement concerning the estimated rate of growth of the total demand for fuel and the likely demand for coal within the total.

I do not think it would be helpful to attempt to give precise estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he can now state what changes there will be in the structure and control of the coalmining industry if Great Britain joins the European Communities; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the White Paper (Cmnd. 4715) published in July last year, and what my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said in the debate on the Second Reading of the European Communities Bill on 16th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when his Department will begin to prepare the small firm business community for the changes which will come on accession to the Treaty of Rome, in view of the additional strain which will be placed on the management resources of small firms; and if he will make a statement as to the manner in which his Department will act in Wales in relation to those matters;(2) if he will make a progress statement on the impact of entry into the European Economic Community on small firms in Wales, bearing in mind paragraph 9.34, page 107, of the Bolton Report.

A great deal is already being done to help all British firms, large and small, in Wales and elsewhere. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State told the House on 28th February, in answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. John Hannam), our study of the effects on small firms is well under way and we expect to decide by the summer whether special steps are needed to supplement what is already being done.Our evidence supports the CBI conclusion, to which my right hon. Friend then referred, that those small firms which adjust their production and organisation appropriately should do well.—[Vol. 832, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the present level of coal stocks; whether he is satisfied with the amount; and if he will make a statement.

:The Department issues a Weekly Statistical Statement containing information on coal stocks. This is available in the Library of the House. Distributed stocks have recovered rapidly since the miners' strike and I am glad to say that they are close to normal levels for the time of year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has for increasing employment in the Manchester area over the next 12 months.

With the production of capital goods important in the area's employment structure, Manchester is particularly well placed to benefit from the general stimulus to investment arising from the Budget proposals and new regional policies, while intermediate area benefits will increase the attractiveness of the area to new industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in consideration of the Bolton Report, he will now state in what form he will make available to small firms in Wales access to economies in large-scale marketing.

Such economies are by definition not available to individual small firms and the Committee made no recommendation on this point. Many types of arrangement are open to small firms to organise for themselves. It cannot be excluded that a particular arrangement might involve restrictions registrable under the Restrictive Trade Practices legislation but I understand that if so the Registrar does his best to give an informal indication of the position.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in order to increase industrial investment and enable Welsh small firms to seize the opportunities of economies of scale in production, marketing and other functions, he will consider, in terms of paragraph 12.68 of the Bolton Report, the provision of venture capital.

I am certainly concerned that small firms in Wales should invest and grow. But, as the hon. Member is aware, the Bolton Committee considered that encouraging the flow of venture capital by subsidy would be hazardous in its effects and unjustified.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many industrialists have made inquiries in relation to factories to be erected on the industrial estate at Morriston, Swansea; and, as a result of those inquiries, how many factories will be erected on that industrial estate.

The attention of 25 suitable industrialists inquiring for space has been specifically directed to the Morriston site and nine have visited the area. No firm projects have so far emerged.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress is being made in finding a tenant for the factory on the Morriston industrial estate, Swansea.

The factory has been brought to the attention of 23 suitable industrialists and of these four have visited the premises. The factory is now complete and available and this should make it more attractive to industrialists seeking space.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on how the United Kingdom Patent Office will be affected by negotiations now in progress for the establishment of a European Patent Office.

:The negotiations now in progress for the establishment of a European Patent Office should not have any immediate effect upon the operations of the United Kingdom Patent Office. It is expected that a diplomatic conference for the conclusion of a European Patent Convention will be held in the autumn of 1973 and that after ratification of the Convention by a sufficient number of States, a European Patent Office will be set up. It is not possible to foresee when the European Patent Office would open; but it is expected that the operation of the European Patent Office would result in a progressive reduction in the number of patent applications filed in the United Kingdom Patent Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations his Department has made to the Brewers Society to honour its promise to relax the tie on public house tenants for the sales of beer, wine and spirits.

The Society's recommendation to its members about the choice of drinks in tied houses related to non-beer products. The Department has taken up with the Society and its members concerned the few cases where it has been alleged that the recommendation was not being complied with.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he will take to stop the trend of mergers and take-overs involving breweries and the outlets for their products, in view of the fact that they are causing movements of false share values and increasing uncertainty in the industry.

I shall continue to consider carefully whether or not to refer to the Monopolies Commission any proposed merger that falls within the scope of the Monopolies and Mergers Act, 1965.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the countries with which the United Kingdom has reciprocal trade agreements which provide for the import of footwear.

:The United Kingdom has no trade agreements which provide for the import of footwear. However, quotas have been established for rubber footwear imported from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland, and for leather, plastic and rubber footwear imported from China.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what steps have been taken by the Companies Registry to implement the Welsh Language Act; and whether he will make a statement;(2) whether he will make a statement on the refusal of the Companies Register to accept Welsh as an official language in matters of company registration.

My right hon. Friend has not exercised his powers under Section 2 of the Welsh Language Act, 1967, to prescribe Welsh versions of documents used for the purposes of the Companies Acts, 1948 to 1967. However, the Registrar of Companies will accept Welsh versions of memoranda and articles of association for filing provded that they are accompanied by a certified English translation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies have been refused registration on the grounds that they wished to have the full title of their company in Welsh.

None. However the name of the company, if limited, must end in the word "limited", as required by Section 2(1)(a) of the Companies Act, 1948.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many companies based in Wales have been refused registration because they wished to state that their registered office was in fact based in Wales and were ordered to state that the registered office was based in England;(2) what steps he proposes to take to enable Welsh companies to be able to state that their registered office is situated in Wales.

The Registrar of Companies will accept for registration a memorandum which states that the registered office of a company is to be situated in England, in England or Wales or in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when, precisely, the Department's recent survey of applicants for family income supplement was carried out; what was the total size of the sample; which attributes of those sampled were analysed; and if he will publish the findings.

The sample size and the date of the survey carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys were given in my reply to the hon. Member on 27th March.In reply to another Question from the hon. Member on 24th January, my right hon. Friend said that we were considering whether the results of the survey should be published.I am writing to the hon. Member, in reply to a letter he recently addressed to an officer of my Department, giving him the main findings derived from it. The survey dealt with the eligibility of families, whether or not they had claimed, their reasons for not claiming if entitled, and their knowledge of the scheme; it was not designed to estimate the numbers eligible, and the sample was too small to provide the detailed information requested. This information is however available in statistics, based on awards, compiled by the Department. I am arranging for copies of the relevant tables to be sent to the hon. Member.—[Vol. 834. c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) in the Department's recent survey of applicants for family income supplement, how many in absolute numbers of the successful claimants were single-parent families and how many two-parent families; and in each case how many had respectively, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and 10 or more children;

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply today to his other Question on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list all the benefits in cash or in kind for which his Department is wholly or partly responsible, which are subject to a means test, together with as much information as is available on the estimated number of people currently entitled to them and the number of people who have claimed their entitlement to the latest available date.

In reply to the first part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a similar Question from the hon. Member for Cornwall, North (Mr. Pardoe) on 24th November. Latest figures on successful claims in relation to the benefits referred to in the first part of that reply are as follows:

Supplementary Benefits:
Recipients of Regular Weekly Allowances
Recipents as at 21st March, 1972 (excluding dependants)	2,967,000
Expectant mothers and young children in receipt of free welfare milk and vitamins (estimate of the position at October, 1971)	290,000
Recipients of Single Payment to meet immediate need
During period 22nd September, 1971, to 21st March, 1972	2,277,000

Other Means-Tested Benefits to persons not in receipt of Supplementary Benefit
Estimated number of persons in receipt of free welfare milk and vitamins at 21st March, 1972	77,000
Successful awards during the period 22nd September, 1971, to 21st March, 1972:
Prescription charges	33,000
Dental charges	66,000
Optical charges	92,000
Hospital fares	11,000
Family Income Supplement
Current awards	65,000
In addition an estimated 10,000 awards are in the process of being made. Certain supplementary benefit beneficiaries also benefit under the Family Income Supplements Act.
Expectant mothers and young children in receipt of free welfare milk and vitamins (estimated current awards)	56,000

—[Vol. 826, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to close the cottage hospitals at Chippenham or Malmesbury.

None. The future of these hospitals is a matter for consideration in the first place by the South Western Regional Hospital Board, which at present has no proposals to close them or change their use.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the results of the current research on family planning will be available; and when he expects to complete his review of policy.

I now have some provisional results from the research which my Department initiated into family planning services and attitudes to them. The main studies will not be available in draft until the latter half of this year, but my review of policy will be completed during this summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children under the age of five years have been treated in hospitals for aspirin poisoning during each of the years from 1951 to 1971, inclusive; and how many of such children died as a result of that poisoning.

Following is the information which is available on a comparable basis:

DEATHS, AND ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF HOSPITAL IN-PATIENT SPELLS, OF CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE YEARS: ASPIRIN AND SALICYLATE POISONING*; ENGLAND AND WALES
Year			Spells in hospital†	Deaths
1951	…	…	..	8
1952	…	…	..	9
1953	…	…	..	4
1954	…	…	..	3
1955	…	…	..	4
1956	…	…	..	1
1957	…	…	..	6
1958	…	…	750	8
1959	…	…	1,060	6
1960	…	…	1,280	12
1961	…	…	1,780	8
1962	…	…	1,970	8
1963	…	…	3,200	6
1964	…	…	4,430	13
1965	…	…	4,870	8
1966	…	…	4,680	2
1967	…	…	5,560	6
1968	…	…	5,760	9
1969	…	…	6,850	4
1970	…	…	..	5
1971	…	…	..	4
				(provisional)
* International Classification of Diseases: N965.1.
† Estimated total based on 10 per cent. sample (Hospital In-Patient Inquiry).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement regarding the transfer of further psychogeriatric patients from St. Clement's Hospital, Ipswich, to St. Audrey's Hospital, Melton.

I understand that 57 patients have been transferred but that plans for further transfers have been suspended. My Department has arranged to discuss this with officers of the regional hospital board in connection with its plans for the reorganisation of its services for the mentally ill.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce legislation specifically to ban false or misleading advertisements for vitality pills or similar products.

No. The publication of false or misleading advertisements for drugs and medicines is already an offence in certain circumstances under the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, and the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968. These general powers will be further strengthened when Section 93 of the Medicines Act,1968 is brought into force.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the number of registered disabled people in the following age groups, 1 to 14, 15 to 21, 22 to 30, 31 to 40, 41 to 50, and over 50 years of age in the London Borough of Wandsworth;(2) what is the number of registered disabled people living in the London Borough of Wandsworth.

At 31st December, 1970. 2,894 people were on Wandsworth's register of handicapped persons (general classes^*). The only figures collected centrally show the following age breakdown

Under 16	…	…	52
16–29 years	…	…	98
30–49 years	…	…	233
50–64 years	…	…	622
65 and over	…	…	1,889

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

About 14,900, of which some 2,200 related to contributory benefits work.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many single persons received help from the Carlisle Social Security Office during the past 12 months.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons and families were dealt with at the Carlisle Social Security Office during the past 12 months.

There were 63,990 occasions on which individuals were dealt with at the office, 47,705 of which related to contributory benefit matters. The number who were accompanied by dependants is not known.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of patients resident in geriatric wards of hospitals in the London Borough of Wandsworth.

On 14th April, 1972, 595 in National Health Service hospitals, and 20 at National Health Service expense in

		Under 2 months	2–4 months	4–12 months	Over 12 months
General Surgery	…	351	111	105	17
General Medicine	…	5	—	—	—
Ear, Nose and Throat (T and A)	…	119	110	46	1
Ear, Nose and Throat (Other)	…	72	71	56	29
Gynaecology	…	169	88	55	—
Ophthalmology	…	48	14	7	17
Orthopaedics	…	52	15	17	12
Dental	…	56	17	—	—
Paediatrics	…	1	—	—	—
Chest Diseases	…	4	—	—	—
Dermatology	…	16	5	4	1
Total	…	893	431	290	77
Percentages	…	53	26	17	4

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are being taken to reduce the waiting lists for hospital admissions in the Carlisle area.

The redevelopment of the Cumberland Royal Infirmary, now in progress, is expected to reduce waiting lists. Meanwhile, the situation is reviewed regularly and beds reallocated where this can provide an interim remedy.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the group of hospitals covering the Carlisle area is adequately staffed with consultants; and if he will make a statement.

This group has 37 consultants; in terms of whole-time equivalents, this is 17·6 for each 100,000 population in the group's area. This is slightly higher than the national average of 16·5. The regional hospital board envisages expansion of the medical staffing as new accommodation now under construction at the Cumberland Royal Infirmary comes into use in 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average waiting time in Carlisle for hospital beds for the various specialties for which figures are available.

Information in the form requested is not available, but the following table gives the numbers of patients who, at the end of February, 1972, had waited for the times stated:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in the McKinsey Inquiry into the National Health Service; and what has been its cost to date.

A study is being conducted by a steering committee under the chairmanship of my Department's Permanent Secretary into what the management arrangements should be in the reorganised Health Service. McKinsey and Company is taking part in the study.A programme of field-testing of working hypotheses is being carried out for the steering committee. The committee is expected to be in a position to make recommendations to me by the end of July.Over the first eight months of its engagement, from July, 1971, to February, 1972, the cost of employing McKinsey and Company averaged £6,548 per month.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what would be the cost to the taxpayer of the abolition of the charges under Sections 212 and 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960;(2) what was the cost to the National Health Service in each of the last three financial years of collecting payments under Section 212 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960;(3) what was the total cost to the National Health Service in each of the last three financial years of collecting payments under Sections 212 and 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960;(4) what was the revenue collected in each of the last three financial years under Section 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960;(5) what was the total revenue collected in each of the last three financial years under Sections 212 and 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960, for treatment given under the National Health Service to persons injured in road accidents;(6) what was the cost to the National Health Service in each of the last three financial years of collecting payments under Section 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960;(7) what was the revenue collected in each of the last three financial years under Section 212 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960;(8) what relationship the yield from charges made under Sections 212 and 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960, bears to the cost of collection.

The amounts collected by National Health Service hospitals in England in the last three financial years under Sections 212 and 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960, are as follows:

			£
1968–69	…	…	579,000
1969–70	…	…	709,000
1970–71	…	…	842,000

separate figures for amounts collected under Sections 212 and 213 of the Act are not available. This income would be lost if these charges were abolished, offset by a saving in the administrative costs of collecting the charges; but information on these costs is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate expense.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the proportion of time expended by National Health Service staff in the collection of payments under Sections 212 and 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960;(2) how many staff are employed by the National Health Service in collecting payments under Sections 212 and 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960.

This information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will specify the present circumstances in which a charge is made for National Health Service treatment apart from treatment under Sections 212 and 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960.

Charges may be made under the National Health Service for the following services:

supply of drugs, medicines, and appliances:

dental services and supply of dentures:

supply of glasses and contact lenses;

services to hospital patients who undertake to pay charges for accommodation:

family planning services;

chiropody services;

vaccination against yellow fever;

and certain other services given by local health authorities.

There are wide exceptions and exemptions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will now take steps to abolish the motorists' liability for charges made for hospital treatment under Section 212 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960;(2) if he will now take steps to abolish the motorists' liability for charges made for emergency treatment under Section 213 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to make it incumbent upon a local authority to co-opt on to its social service committee a representative of the voluntary organisations concerned with the welfare of the disabled.

I have been asked to reply. No. as my right hon. Friend indicated, in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford (Mr. Woodhouse) on 26th January, local authorities are themselves competent to settle the final composition of committees dealing with matters in which the chronically sick or disabled have an interest.—[Vol. 829, c. 436.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the urban aid programme, originally restricted to stress areas, has been extended to other areas; and what effect this will have on grants to stress areas.

:The number of local authorities aided has increased since the start of the programme; but approvals continue as before to be concentrated on areas of special social need, which may constitute only a small part of a local authority's total area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities have applied for grants under the urban aid programme; what is the total amount of these applications; and how much has been granted.

212 local authorities in England and Wales have applied for grants towards projects totalling about £54 million under the urban programme. 159 authorities have received grants on expenditure totalling some £20 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing those constituencies with more than 80,000 electors on the basis of the present boundaries and also after redistribution using the 1972 Register.

For the information relating to constituencies after redistribution, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Eye (Sir H. Harrison) on 18th April. Information relating to present constituencies is not readily available.—[Vol. 835, c. 80–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to make it illegal to breed dogs for their skins.

I have been asked to reply.No. My right hon. Friend does not believe that legislation would be justified, and we have no knowledge of anyone in this country breeding dogs for their skins.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the terms and conditions of his Department's loan to Aberdeen Harbour Board.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will alter the direction sign on M4 indicating the junction with A423 to show that the latter road leads to Henley-on-Thames.

Not at present, but my right hon. Friend will reconsider this when sign-posting on M4 is reviewed on completion of the Winnersh Interchange south of Reading.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of recent fatal accidents, he will expedite the installation of crash barriers on the central reservation of the M1motorway in Leicestershire; and when he expects such barriers to be installed.

No. To do so would mean that the installation of central reserve safety barriers on more heavily trafficked motorways would be delayed. The section of M1in Leicestershire is programmed to be equipped with barriers in 1973–74.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether the figure of 20 per cent., as the average cost attributable to the value of the curtilage of the average house, is accurate in so far as Dorset is concerned; what evidence he has as to the rising value of land in that county; and what steps he proposes to take in order to reduce the value of land in that county;(2) what proportion of the cost of building a house in Dorset is now on average attributable to the cost of the land on which it is built;(3) what estimate he has of the increase in the price of building land in rural areas in south-west England.

The figure of 20 per cent., as the proportion of land costs in the price of houses, is a very approximate national figure and no separate details are available for Dorset. The average price per plot of private sector housing land in southern England (excluding London) was 26 per cent. higher in 1971 compared with 1970. Separate figures are not available for Dorset or for rural areas in south-west England.The problem of the rise in the price of land is a general one and is of course related directly to the supply and demand. Ministers have already taken steps to stimulate the supply, and my right hon. Friend will make a further statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will initiate an immediate departmental inquiry into the fire on the M32 Bristol Parkway;(2) what steps he is taking to alleviate the additional congestion which the closure of the M32 motorway will bring to the M4;(3) when he expects the M32 motor way to be reopened following the fire on the southbound carriageway.

As a result of stored polysterene for use in construction, catching fire M32 was closed completely for three hours and the southbound carriageway for six days. Only the southbound slip road from M32 at Muller Road (where the fire occurred) remains closed and it may be some weeks before it can safely be re-opened. No congestion has resulted on M4. An inquiry would be for Bristol City Council to arrange as highway authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the height above sea level of the lowest part of the Wadworth to Hatfield section of the M18 motorway, and where this will occur.

14 feet above sea level in the West Moor area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will specify the percentage increases granted to railway workers during each of the past six years.

The information is as follows:—

Year		Month of Settlement	Percentage Increase
1966	…	—	None
1967	…	March	3½ per cent.
1968	…	August	6 per cent.
1969	…	August	5¼ per cent.
1970	…	May and August	11 per cent. (8 per cent.+3 per cent. respectively)
1971	…	May	9½ per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much land was available for building development in the county borough of Ipswich at the latest date for which figures are available.

This information is not held in the Department and I suggest my hon. Friend should inquire of the County Borough Council who I understand will be able to give him the information he requires. My right hon. Friend however is at present considering what further information it would be desirable and practicable to seek on this subject from local planning authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will announce, before receiving the Report of the Water Resources Board on the merits of estuarial and inland water storage in northern England, his decision following the public inquiry on the Barrow (Arnside) Link Road held in December, 1970.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with his Department's experiments in serial contracting; and whether he will make a statement.

An experiment has been completed comparing serial with normal tendering on a number of buildings.No saving in cost was demonstrated and experience with regard to speed of construction was mixed, proving quicker for the standard buildings but slower for those individually designed. The conclusion is that serial tendering is unlikely to be of widespread application but there may be circumstances in which it will prove of advantage, where projects of similar type, size and construction have to be constructed within a limited geographical area and time scale.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table summarising the various codes of practice of member States of the European Economic Community concerning compensation for road improvements and motorway construction; and what steps have been taken within the Community to harmonise these codes.

The information is not available, and would in any case be likely to be too complex for summary in the OFFICIAL REPORT. No steps have been taken to harmonise codes of practice within the Community.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he can now say when he intends to publish his conclusions concerning a revised code of compensation for road improvements and motorway construction.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Rye (Mr. Bryant Godman Irvine) on 26th January.—[Vol. 829, c. 453.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of planning applications for residential development in the year 1971, the number passed without conditions or variations, the number passed with conditions or variations, and the number refused.

The figures for 1971 are not yet available. The number of applications granted and refused will be published in Statistics for Town and Country Planning, but the returns received from local authorities do not show the numbers granted conditionally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the anticipated population of the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County Council area on its formation; and what will be the population of the proposed Manchester Metropolitan District Council.

:At the time of the 1971 Census the population of the proposed Greater Manchester Metropolitan County was 2,771,000 and that of Metropolitan District (e) (Manchester) was 542,000. I do not expect these figures to have changed materially by the time the new areas are established.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) by how much the population of Lancashire fell between 1961 and 1971;and what were the equivalent figures for the city of Manchester;(2) what he estimates will be the population of Manchester in 1981; and what percentage decline that figure will represent over the population in 1961 and 1971.

The Registrar-General's provisional figures for the 1971 census indicate that between 1961 and 1971 the population of Lancashire increased by about 2,500, while that of Manchester County Borough fell by about 114,000. The Registrar-General is reassessing population trends in the light of these results, and I regret that I cannot yet give my hon. Friend an up-to-date estimate of the population of Manchester in 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what has been the recent response by the Manchester City Council to his request that land surplus to requirements should be sold to private developers; and whether he will make a statement;(2) what action has been taken by the Manchester City Council since May, 1971 to implement Circular 10/70 on land availability for housing; and what representations he has received from the council advising him of progress in that regard.

:The City Council have kept our Regional Office in touch with their proposals in response to Circular 10/70. The council decided last November that before they made land available for sale, they would extend the conditions of entry to the housing list. I understand that there has been a large response to this action, and it is still too soon for the council to assess how much land they will need for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now able to announce the date when work will commence on the construction of the Liskeard Bypass.

It is now expected that work on the by-pass will start in the autumn of 1973.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the loss to the revenue if the first £200, the first £250, the first £300 and the first £400 of taxable income were charged at 15 per cent.; and what would be the loss if they were charged at 20 per cent.

The estimated loss to the revenue for a full year would be of the following order.

Reduced Rate band	200	250	300	400
		£ million
Cost:
with rate of 15 percent.	940	1,140	1,330	1,670
with rate of 20 percent.	740	900	1,050	1,320

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has now received asking that zero rating of value-added tax be applied to the living theatre; and what replies he has sent.

My right hon. Friend has received a considerable number of representations on this subject from theatrical associations, theatre managements and local dramatic societies asking for relief from VAT. In reply, it has been explained that my right hon. Friend has not felt able to propose any specific relief for admissions to the theatre, but that many small theatrical societies could be exempt as small businesses.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the value to the economy derived from the export and re export of works of art and antiques.

The total value of works of art and antiques exported and re-exported in 1971 was about £56 million.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the higest and lowest weekly average market prices for cattle received by

CATTLE—UNITED KINGDOM
			Average Market Price: Highest				Average Market Price: Lowest
Scheme Year			Week Commencing			Per Live Cwt.	Week Commencing			Per Live Cwt.
1965–66	…	…	March 21st	…	…	£9·45	November 1st	…	…	£8·22
1966–67	…	…	May 23rd	…	…	£9·84	November 14th	…	…	£6·44
1967–68	…	…	March 25th	…	…	£10·36	July 24th	…	…	£6·35
1968–69	…	…	May 27th	…	…	£10·53	October 7th	…	…	£8·51
1969–70	…	…	June 2nd	…	…	£11·24	November 17th	…	…	£8·79
1970–71	…	…	March 22nd	…	…	£12·99	November 9th	…	…	£8·96
1971–72	…	…	February 28th	…	…	£13·71	October 18th	…	…	£11·36

Scheme Year			Average Return: Highest				Average Return: Lowest
			Week Commencing			Per Live Cwt.	Week Commencing			Per Live Cwt.
1965–66	…	…	March 21st	…	…	£9·45	November 1st	…	…	£8·22
1966–67	…	…	May 23rd	…	…	£9·91	October 31st	…	…	£8·39
1967–68	…	…	March 25th	…	…	£10·38	August 28th	…	…	£8·68
1968–69	…	…	May 20th	…	…	£10·98	October 7th	…	…	£9·51
1969–70	…	…	June 2nd	…	…	£11·60	October 27th	…	…	£10·10
1970–71	…	…	March 22nd	…	…	£12·99	September 28th	…	…	£10·57
1971–72	…	…	February 8th	…	…	£13·71	September 27th	…	…	£11·66

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, from information available from international sources, what was the average producer return from cattle expressed in £ sterling per live hundredweight in the European Economic Community during the year ended 30th June, 1971; and how this compares with the average return in the United Kingdom market.

Direct comparisons are not possible because of differences in qualities and definitions, but the following figures for the year ending 31st March, 1971, give some indication of the relative price levels in the EEC and the United Kingdom:

	£ per live cwt.
	1970–71 (July-June)
EEC
Average market price for cattle:
Good quality	15·31–17·49
Medium quality	12·16–14·67
	1970–71 (April-March)
United Kingdom
Average total return for fat cattle (including unit subsidy)	11·64
Source:
EEC: Prix Agricoles 1971 Nr 12.
United Kingdom: Annual Review and Determination of Guarantees 1972, Cmnd. 4928.

The information is as follows:

asked the Lord President of the Council whether an hon. Member may take up residence within the Palace of Westminster and so qualify for the London living allowance; and whether he will arrange for the catering subcommittee to levy a charge for board and lodging in such cases.

No. The terms of entitlement to the supplementary London allowance are as set out in the Resolution passed by the House on 20th December, 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, from information available from international sources, by how much the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools in the European Economic Community increased or decreased between 1959–60 and in the most recent year for which statistics are available; and how this compares with the increase or decrease in the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools in England and Wales for the same period.

The following table based on information contained in the UNESCO Year Book 1970 gives the latest available figure of number of pupils per teacher at the first level of education in each of the six EEC countries, compared with England and Wales in 1968–69, and also the percentage change since 1960:

	Latest available figures	Pupil/teacher ratio	Percentage change since 1960
			per cent.
West Germany	1968	27	-7
France	1968	24*	-33
Italy	1968	22	-4
Netherlands	1968	31†	-9
Belgium	1967	21‡	+9
Luxembourg	1967	23	-12
All Common Market Countries	1967–68	26	-9
England and Wales	1968║	23§	-2
* Public education only.
†Based on full-time teaching staff only.
‡Including special education.
§Including an element for all-age schools.
║1968 figures used for comparability with EEC countries.

The education systems of the various countries have salient differences which can affect the comparability of these figures and care should, therefore, be exercised in any use made of them. Similarly, the basis of the figures is not always constant from year to year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the rates bill at the latest available date is accounted for, in England and Wales, by expenditure on education.

In 1969–70 the figure was 55 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, and to what extent, she proposes to vary, with the coming into force of value-added tax in April, 1973, the scales of admission charges which the trustees of the national museums and galleries are being required to impose.

The planned rates of admission charges will not be changed with the introduction of VAT.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the recommended criteria for the provision of car parking spaces in new school building projects; whether these vary as between the various types of school; and when changes were last made in these recommendations.

:The present criteria were introduced in 1963 and cover all types of new school building. A cost limit for each project is arrived at by allowing car spaces costing £60 each at a scale of one for each head teacher, one for every additional three teachers and one visitor's space for every 25 teachers

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the categories of married women students who are to benefit from the grant increases recently announced.

:Women students who are married to other students, or who live away from home while studying, or whose husbands are incapacitated and dependent on them.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the qualifications, powers and policies of inspectors who are appointed to enforce safety-at-work legislation; and if he will make a statement.

Broadly speaking, yes. But my right hon. Friend recognises that there may be room for changes in this field and he is looking forward to the Report of the Committee on Safety and Health under the Chairmanship of Lord Robens.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the results of the hundred special surveys which have taken place since 1971 into fraud prevention in connection with those in receipt of unemployment pay.

:The nature and scope of each special survey is decided locally and detailed information about their results could not be assembled without undue expenditure of staff time. The surveys to which my hon. Friend refers were based in some cases on particular occupations and in others on particular industries, firms or areas. In some cases the information obtained from the surveys led to prosecution. In 1971, the number of prosecutions in unemployment benefit cases was 1,342.

NUMBERS OF YOUNG PERSONS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED, AND OF NOTIFIED VACANCIES REMAINING UNFILLED, AT MARCH, 1972, AT CAREERS OFFICES
				Registered Unemployed		Unfilled Vacancies
				Boys	Girls	Boys	Girls
Airdrie	…	…	…	441	201	6	9
Alexandria	…	…	…	91	78	—	2
Barrhead	…	…	…	32	7	4	12
Bellshill	…	…	…	212	105	—	2
Clydebank	…	…	…	118	65	—	2
Dalry	…	…	…	7	6	—	—
Dumbarton	…	…	…	71	52	8	11
East Kilbride	…	…	…	46	35	9	12
Glasgow Careers	…	…	…	3	3	4	6
Glasgow City	…	…	…	78	31	13	87
Glasgow South Side	…	…	…	396	139	9	31
Govan	…	…	…	216	139	9	22
Greenock	…	…	…	181	153	1	4
Hamilton	…	…	…	143	125	6	6
Hillington	…	…	…	17	5	—	4
Irvine	…	…	…	41	17	3	25
Johnstone	…	…	…	50	38	3	3
Kilsyth	…	…	…	36	28	1	11
Kilwinning	…	…	…	11	5	—	—
Kirkintilloch	…	…	…	64	22	3	9
Maryhill	…	…	…	152	91	3	—
Motherwell	…	…	…	250	171	1	10
Paisley	…	…	…	196	81	4	12
Parkhead	…	…	…	674	294	10	11
Partick	…	…	…	241	132	13	9
Port Glasgow	…	…	…	61	46	1	13
Renfrew	…	…	…	18	25	—	5
Rutherglen	…	…	…	91	31	4	10
Saltcoats	…	…	…	89	63	1	2
Springburn	…	…	…	380	182	—	5
Ayr*	…	…	…	112	75	8	14
Cumnock*	…	…	…	26	28	1	2
Kilbirnie*	…	…	…	21	23	2	1
Kilmarnock*	…	…	…	74	51	6	7
Largs*	…	…	…	9	1	1	—
Newmilns*	…	…	…	4	9	2	1
Troon*	…	…	…	7	2	—	—
* In Ayrshire but not in the Special Development Areas.
The Vacancy statistics relate only to notified vacancies remaining unfilled and do not purport to measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour.