asked the Minister for the Civil Service what sections of Government Departments have been moved to the North-West Region in each year since 1970; and how many jobs were involved in each move.

Information is not available in precisely this form, but between April, 1970 and the end of 1971 the following work was dispersed from the London area to the North-West Region:

Department and Location	Jobs
Charity Commission, Liverpool	98
Ministry of Defence (Procurement Executive), Liverpool	43
Department of Employment, Runcorn	460
Inland Revenue, Manchester	560
TOTAL	1,161

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether it is the practice of Government Departments to insist on the production of witness summonses before allowing civil servants to attend courts as witnesses; and if he will make a statement.

Where a civil servant applies for special leave to attend a court as a witness, which does not count against his annual leave allowance, it is for the employing Department to be satisfied that he should be absent from his normal duty. It is left to the dis- cretion of local management to decide whether to insist on the production of a witness summons for this purpose.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will arrange for an increase in the number of naval vessels to be built in the near future.

I have nothing to add to the remarks on the future ship-ordering programme made by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy during the Royal Navy debate on 10th April.—[Vol. 835, c. 865.]

asked the Minister of State for Defence on what basis naval orders are placed in United Kingdom shipyards; whether tenders were invited for the total placings; and whether any special financial help was included to enable the tenders to be allocated on the basis of previous practice of the lowest tender obtaining the contract.

Naval orders are generally placed on the basis of the most advantageous tender, taking all factors, including price, into account. For the recent accelerated shipbuilding programme, orders were confined to development and intermediate areas. Nevertheless most of the orders were placed on the basis of earlier competitions, specially updated. No special financial help was given to any firm to enable it to benefit from that ordering programme.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will publish all the details concerning the death of Corporal Elliott of the Ulster Defence Regiment and in particular the nature of his wounds.

The circumstances in which Corporal Elliott's body was recovered were described by my right hon. Friend in answer to a Question on 25th April from my hon. Friend, the Member for Armagh (Mr. Maginnis). I understand that an inquest will be held, but reports at present available to me indicate only that the body had a number of gunshot wounds.—[Vol. 835, c. 629–70.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many primary school classes in Ashton-under-Lyne, Droylesden and Mossley have above 30 and above 40 pupils; and what proportion these figures constitute of the whole.

The Department's statistics are not analysed by districts or divisions within a local education authority area. Such information can sometimes be obtained from the authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will begin to collect statistics for unemployed workers in a way that will enable him to distinguish which of them are citizens of Eire, in particular in relation to unemployed construction workers.

No. My right hon. Friend considers that the detailed information about the employment position of workers born in Eire which is available from censuses of population is sufficient for my Department's purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether he will seek to arrange a meeting with the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress to discuss the possibility of introducing a national system whereby all workers will be compelled to work overtime and on their normal rest days on instructions of their employers;(2) whether, at the next meeting of the National Economic Development Council he attends, he will raise the question of making it the universal practice that all workers have to work overtime and on their normal rest days when requested to do so by their employers.

No

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in order to reduce pollution and to make use of municipal waste, whether he will assess the feasibility of a process developed by a petroleum company, details of which have been supplied to him, under which one ton of municipal waste is convertible into about one barrel of low-sulphur fuel oil, natural gas, metallic substances, glass and charcoal; and if he will make a statement.

Research and development work on the pyrolysis of house refuse is being undertaken in a number of countries. In this country the Department of Trade and Industry's Warren Spring Laboratory is investigating this method of treatment of refuse and is keeping my Department's Standing Committee on Research into Refuse informed of progress.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how frequently checks are made on the sulphur dioxide levels at Bessacarr, Doncaster; at what hours of the day or night these checks are made; and how the peak periods of pollution compare with the peaks prior to the establishment of the Coalite plant;(2) what are the arrangements for monitoring pollution of the air in the vicinity of the Coalite plant at Rossington, Doncaster.

Continuous measurements are being made of smoke and sulphur dioxide at several sites within a two-mile radius of the works including one at Bessacarr. These monitor the average emissions of these pollutants over each 24-hour period but it is as yet too early for meaningful comparisons to be drawn between the situation before and that since the plant started working.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will state when he will decide on the application from the Staffordshire Potteries Water Board for increased supplies of water.

No such application is before the Secretary of State.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent he consulted the fishing industry before approving a loan for alterations at Aberdeen Harbour; and if he will make a statement.

I did not consult the fishing industry before approving the loan for authorised works in the commercial part of the harbour.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now publish the Cruickshank Report on the construction programme of his Department; and whether he will make a statement.

I have not yet completed my consideration of the outcome of Mr. Cruickshank's inquiry into the constructional activities of that part of DOE which was formerly the Ministry of Public Building and Works. An announcement about the future organisation and management of these activities will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the current supply and availability of bricks.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock (Mr. Cormack) on 25th April.—[Vol. 835, c. 256.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress was made in the Northern Economic Planning Region last year in reclaiming derelict land; and what proposals he has for further work of this nature in the region.

About 1,400 acres of derelict land were reclaimed in the Northern Region in 1971. This is almost twice the highest annual figure previously achieved. I congratulate the local authorities concerned on this splendid result. I expect that by this time next year over 6,000 acres altogether will have been cleared in the region.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now give a planned date for the opening of the remaining stretch of the M6 motorway between Great Barr and Castle Bromwich, Birmingham.

Yes, 24th May.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Pearce Commission report on Rhodesia and the Government's proposals in connection with same will be available before the Whitsun parliamentary recess.

I hope so but, as I told the House on 24th of April, I shall need time to consider the report before it is published or before I make a statement.—[Vol. 835, c. 1038.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what arrangements he has made for the translation of current legislation of the European Economic Community as soon as it is issued; and what steps he has taken to enable Members of Parliament to have access to it;(2) if he will make available in the Vote Office and Library of the House of Commons full texts in English of all European Economic Community regulations, directives and decisions issued since November, 1971.

Further texts, in the pre-accession series of English texts of Community secondary legislation, of instruments made since 10th November, 1971, will be published shortly in batches as they become available and made available to hon. Members through the Vote Office and placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made with the Community Development Project; and if he will make a statement.

Six local projects have been started and arrangements for setting up a further six have been agreed with the local authorities concerned. The project as a whole continues to have my full support and those who are engaged on the work locally can look to the Home Office for any help, servicing, or guidance.Within the general framework which has already been established I am arranging for more devolution of responsibility from the centre in order to encourage local initiative. Professor Greve and his research team, acting as consultants, will assess the results of the projects and their implications for central and local government policies.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are now the functions and duties of the Governor of Northern Ireland; and under what authority he continues to conduct investitures.

The Governor continues to be Her Majesty's representative in Northern Ireland. He presents medals and insignia on behalf of and by command of Her Majesty.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many soldiers, police and civilians were murdered, and how many persons were killed by the British Army in Northern Ireland in the course of their duty in the 21 days preceding the suspension of the Stormont Parliament on 29th March and how many during the 21 days succeeding the 29th March.

In the 21 days preceding 30th March the following lost their lives as a result of terrorist activity:

Armed Forces	…	…	…	4
RUC	…	…	…	3
UDR	…	…	…	Nil
Civilians	…	…	…	13

Three people were killed by the Army and four terrorists were killed by their own actions, making a total of 27 deaths for the period.Comparable figures for the 21 days from 30th March are:

Armed Forces	…	…	…	6
RUC	…	…	…	Nil
UDR	…	…	…	1
Civilians	…	…	…	6

Two people were killed by the Army and three terrorists were killed by their own actions, making a total of 18 deaths for the period.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of an explosion which occurred at Scotch Street in the City of Armagh on Friday, 7th April, 1972, his estimate of the damage caused to property, the amount of gelignite used, and the number of casualties.

At 12.44 p.m. on 7th April a 30–50 lb. bomb exploded in a car at Scotch Street, Armagh, causing extensive damage. A civilian and one soldier suffered minor injuries.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of an explosion which occurred at Armagh Rural Council offices, Newry, County Down, on Thursday, 13th April, 1972, his estimate of the damage caused, the amount of gelignite used, and the number of casualties.

At 10.03 a.m. on Thursday, 13th April, a charge of 5–10 lb. explosives caused superficial damage to council offices in Daisy Hill, Newry. A security guard was shot in the legs by one of the terrorists who placed the bomb.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons living in the Creggan and Bogside areas of Londonderry are in receipt of unemployment pay, of family income supplement and of supplementary benefits; and what is the total weekly sum being paid out.

My right hon. Friend regrets that to answer the first part of the Question would require a disproportionate amount of time and effort. The total amount of benefit of all kinds paid to claimants in the Creggan and Bogside areas of Londonderry is estimated to be about 50,000 each week.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the effect which the new political initiatives in Northern Ireland have had on the level of terrorist activity.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Down, North (Mr. Kilfedder) on 24th April.—[Vol. 835, c. 216.]

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications how

	January, 1971			January, 1972*
	Pupils	Registered Teachers†	PTR	Pupils	Registered Teachers†	PTR
All secondary schools	314,316	19,470	16·1	324,369	20,683	15·7
Non-denominational schools	252,073	16,077	15·7	260,378	17,072	15·3
Roman Catholic schools	62,243	3,393	18·3	63,991	3,611	17·7
* Provisional.
† Including visiting teachers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement about the social work building programme.

I have increased the investment allocations for the social work building programme to £6·2

According to published information the Post Office has a share in four such cables. These are matters for the Post Office and I am asking it to supply my hon. Friend with the financial detail for which he asks.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will consider abolishing television licences, in view of the cost of administration.

No. The television licence system is expected to produce in the current financial year £122 million for payment to the BBC at a cost of £ million.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish, in relation to schools under education authority management, the latest number of qualified teachers and of pupils in all secondary schools, in non-denominational secondary schools and in Roman Catholic secondary schools, and the pupil/teacher ratios; and if he will give the previous comparable figures.

The information is given below. Tables showing the figures for each education authority area are being placed in the library.million in 1972–73 and £4·8 million in 1973–74—including £3·2 million for projects under the additional works programme to be spent mainly in the first of these years; these figures compare with allocations of £2·5 million for 1970–71 and £30 million for 1971–72. Local authorities are being notified of their projects in the programme and have been asked to put forward further proposals for inclusion in the programme for 1974–75. The following table shows the numbers of projects of different types

			Normal Building Programme		Additional Works Programme
Type of Project			Number of projects	Estimated number of places to be provided	Number of projects	Estimated number of places to be provided
Old people's homes	…	…	53	1,598	11	404
Children's Homes	…	…	19	327	7	90
Occupational centres for mentally handicapped	…	…	9	910	7	170
Day centres for mentally handicapped children	…	…	5	115	3	90
Hostels for mentally handicapped	…	…	7	85	5	67
Other projects	…	…	16	—	30	—

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions have been notified as being carried out in England on women whose normal place of residence was given as Northern Ireland for each of the following periods, 27th April to 31st December, 1968, and the whole of 1969. 1970 and 1971.

Available figures are as follows:

LEGALLY INDUCED ABORTIONS PERFORMED IN ENGLAND ON WOMEN WHOSE NORMAL PLACE OF RESIDENCE WAS GIVEN AS NORTHERN IRELAND
1968 (27th April to 31st December)	36
1969	96
1970	199
1971 (1st January to 30th September)	479
	(provisional)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to amend the rules under which an unemployed man who takes on a private course of training at his own expense is no longer entitled to benefit.

Unemployment benefit is not payable for any day on which the claimant, whatever the reason, cannot be deemed to be available for work. The decision is for the independent adjudicating authorities on the facts of the individual case, but I am writing to my hon. Friend to explain the general position.

asked the Secretary of Stats for Social Services if he will

About £40 million, as indicated in paragraph 258 of "Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped" (Cmnd. 4683).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the exact amount of money to be allocated under his aid programme announced in November, 1971, by the South-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, to the following hospitals in the London Borough of Wands worth, namely, St. Benedicts, Tooting Bee and Springfield.

The amounts are:

				£
St. Benedict's	…	…	…	4,000
Tooting Bec	…	…	…	30,000
Springfield	…	…	…	40,000

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now ban the use of amphetamines by National Health Service doctors who work in slimming clinics, in the light of the evidence taken by the General Medical Council that one Harley Street clinic used five million unit doses in 1970, amounting to one-seventh of the total of this drug used in that year by the National Health Service.

Amphetamines have a use, albeit a restricted one, in medicine. A ban would be harmful to patients who genuinely need these drugs for effective therapy, and we prefer to rely on the voluntary restraints which the medical profession is applying to their use. The clinic referred to was not operating under the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the cost to the National Health Service of five million unit doses of the drug amphetamine.

The net ingredient cost of five million amphetamine sulphate tablets, 5mg, is £4,500.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in full the report of the meeting of the Advisory Group on Lead, held in December, 1971, under the chairmanship of the Government's Chief Medical Adviser.

The advisory group did not issue a formal report. However my Department's Chief Medical Officer is intending to publish a paper on the health implications of environmental lead in one of the leading medical journals and this will include an account of the group's findings. I will send my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the infant mortality rates in Biddulph urban district in 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, and 1970.

Figures are as follows:

BIDDULPH URBAN DISTRICT
Deaths under 1 year of age, per 1,000 live births
Year				Rate
1940	…	…	…	57
1945	…	…	…	38
1950	…	…	…	52
1955	…	…	…	60
1960	…	…	…	47
1965	…	…	…	23
1970	…	…	…	18

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is aware that the City of Sheffield is the only city within the United Kingdom to participate in the forthcoming International Trade Fair in Sweden; and what assistance his Department is giving to its efforts.

I am aware of the promotion organised by the City of Sheffield at the Swedish Trade Fair at Gothenburg. I applaud its initiative and wish the city and the firms taking part every success in this venture. There has been full consultation and close collaboration throughout between the organisers and the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Office of the Department of Trade and Industry, together with the Commercial Department of the Consulate General in Gothenburg. The services of my Department have been made fully available to the participants.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new natural gas terminals will come into operation in 1972.

I am informed that the Gas Council expects that the natural gas terminal being constructed at Theddlethorpe in Lincolnshire to receive gas from the Viking field will come into operation later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many premises in the United Kingdom have now been connected to natural gas.

This is a matter for the gas industry, and my hon. Friend should approach the Chairman of the Gas Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the manufacturer's estimate of the payload of Concorde when it goes into service between Paris and New York and London and New York.

The manufacturers are confident that the target pay-load on entry into service of 20,000 lb. between Paris and New York in summer conditions, which is equivalent to about 24,000 lb. between London and New York, will be achieved. Concorde's actual payload will depend on the individual airline's policy towards such aspects as optional equipment, seat layout and operating procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many days' reserves of oil are stored in the United Kingdom at any one time.

Substantial stocks of oil are held in the country but it would not be in the national interest to provide detailed information.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many days' reserves of natural gas are stored in the United Kingdom at any one time.

This is a matter for the gas industry, and my hon. Friend should approach the Chairman of the Gas Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications for industrial development certificates have been refused in the Cheadle rural district, Staffordshire, in each of the past 10 years.

None.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the yield of a 10 per cent. value added tax on the distribution costs borne by the food industry; and what effect this burden will have on the cost of food to the consumer.

VAT paid on the distribution costs of the food industry will be reclaimable in the case of zero-rated foods and deductible from the tax charge on other foods and will therefore not affect the cost of food to the consumer. Moreover the food distribution industry now bears a significant amount of selective employment tax which is to be abolished.Food producers and distributors with taxable sales of less than £5,000 per annum who would otherwise be exempt from the tax may obtain repayment of tax on their purchases under the arrangements for discretionary registration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the yield from purchase tax on pet foods for the fiscal year ended April, 1971:

(2) what was the yield from purchase tax on nuts for the fiscal year ended April, 1971.

(3) what was the yield from purchase tax on potato crisps for the fiscal year ended April, 1971;

(4) what was the yield from purchase tax on soft drinks for the fiscal year ended April, 1971;

(5) what was the yield from purchase tax on ice cream for the fiscal year ended April, 1971.

Following is the information:

Goods		Purchase tax receipts for year ended 3lst March, 1971
		million
Prepared pet foods	…	15·3
Potato crisps, salted nuts, etc.	…	10·3
Soft drinks	…	36·9
Ice cream	…	11·8

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the inspectors employed by the Welsh Office to conduct public inquiries in Wales car speak Welsh.

Four are Welsh speaking.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will insure that Welsh speaking inspectors are appointed to conduct public inquiries in matters affecting large sections of a community in areas where the majority of the population is Welsh speaking.

I will continue to bear this consideration in mind in the appointment of inspectors.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will consider making special provision for the care and treatment of spina bifida cases in the proposed Crumos Hospital, Merthyr, in view of the high incidence of spina bifida in the Heads of the Valley authorities.

The Welsh Hospital Board, in accordance with the medical advice it has received, plans to continue the treatment of cases of spina bifida in South-East Wales at the specialist unit at the Cardiff Royal Infirmary where a continuing research programme into this disease is being carried on.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many primary schoolchildren in Cardiganshire at the last convenient date received free school milk on medical grounds.

Twenty-one at present.