asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received from the Secretary-General of the United Nations Organisation an invitation to offer views and suggestions relating to a world disarmament conference, in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 2853 (xxvi).

Yes; a reply is in preparation and will be returned as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has held with the Russian Government about the war in Vietnam, in his capacity as Chairman of the Geneva Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent initiatives by Her Majesty's Government to end the war in Vietnam.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, having regard to the Geneva Conference, he will make a further statement on Vietnam.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Minister of State told the House during the debate on 15th May. It was clear from the conversation my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary had with Mr. Gromyko in Berlin on 3rd June that the Russian position is unchanged.—[Vol. 837. c. 93–100.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he has received from the Liverpool Jewish community following the Russian Gov- ernment's refusal to allow Hester Conid Slepak to receive a Prayer Book; and what action he has taken in regard to making representations to the Russian Government;(2) what representations he has received from Liverpool Jewish organisations concerning the latest restrictions placed by the Russian Government on Jewish citizens; who apply for visas to the State of Israel; and what action he has taken with regard to making representations to the Russian Government.

We have received no representations from Liverpool Jewish organisations since December of last year either about Soviet Jews in general or about individuals.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make further representations to the Russian Government about the refusal to admit the prayer book addressed to Master Leonid Slepak; and if he will make a statement.

I regret the non-delivery of this prayer book, but I do not consider it an appropriate subject for representations to the Soviet Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussion he has had with the Government of the Republic of Ireland about the control of violence on the border.

We are in constant touch with the Government of the Republic about violence along the Border; and they are in no doubt of our views on the measures which should be taken to control it.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. (1) whether he will seek to initiate an aviation boycott of all countries knowingly harbouring organisations involved in hi-jacking aeroplanes and attacking passengers at airports;(2) whether he will seek to initiate a boycott of airports in the Lebanon and Egypt.

Action of the kind proposed would require an agreed international framework for joint action. We have supported initiatives in the International Civil Aviation Organisation to get effective international action against hi-jacking and will continue to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline the further economic aid which he intends to offer to Chile; and if he will make a statement.

I must refer the hon. Member to my answer on 13th April to my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast, North (Mr. Stratton Mills). I then set out in detail our technical assistance programme to Chile, which has expanded greatly since 1963. I hope to see it go on growing, but I am not at present considering further capital aid.—[Vol. 834, c. 232–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the World Development Movement about accepting the 0·7 per cent. of gross national product target for official aid, following the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development at Santiago; and what reply he has sent.

I have since received one letter from World Development Movement groups, and will put a copy of my reply in the Library of the House of Commons.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the value in money of the financial and other forms of aid that Her Majesty's Government have granted to the developing nations during each of the past four years; and what these figures are compared as percentages of the United Kingdom's gross national product.

I gave these figures in answer to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Crowder) on 5th June.—[Vol. 838, c. 17.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now make a statement on the Government's policy towards official governmental and inter governmental aid programmes following the relevant discussions at the third United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Santiago.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the aid aspects of the third United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade will, with permission, be answering general questions on UNCTAD III at the end of Question Time. We supported resolutions to give developing countries a greater say in international monetary reform; improved terms and conditions of bilateral aid; measures of special treatment for the least developed; increased and more flexible flows of multilateral aid; and supplementary finance to relieve unexpected falls in export earnings.We did not commit ourselves to a target of 0·7 per cent. of gross national product for official aid, but we promised to consider further increases in the official programme if it seems likely that we shall fall short of the 1 per cent. target in the middle of this decade.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a further statement on British aid to Bangladesh.

We have now promised £9 million for relief in Bangladesh and have committed about half of it. We are providing a wide range of items to restore communications, and are employing a Singapore firm to remove the damaged spans of the Hardinge and King George VI railway bridges. The firm will also survey some of the sunken vessels which are obstructing navigation in the rivers, so that they can be salvaged.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to give further aid to Indonesia.

A further £10 million of capital aid was committed at the recent meeting of the Inter Governmental Group for Indonesia in Amsterdam. £7 million of this is for project aid and £3 million for programme aid. I am also planning increased expenditure on technical assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution Her Majesty's Government are making towards the rebuilding of the Parliament buildings at Plymouth, Montserrat, recently destroyed by fire.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance will be given to Montserrat to erect a new Council Chamber following the recent fire disaster.

I have not yet offered a contribution, but I have told the Government of Montserrat that Her Majesty's Government are aware of the financial consequences of the fire last month.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what technical assistance he proposes to give to the Yemen Arab Republic.

I outlined the programme on 19th July last year. Five teachers of English are now working in the Republic, and other advisory visits have taken place. Preliminary work has been done for the soils and water survey, and we have offered help with animal health and agricultural engineering. We have also offered 25 places for training in this country.—[Vol 821, c. 222–23.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States Administration regarding the decision not to reimpose the ban on the import of Rhodesian chrome.

None. This was an act of the United States Congress against, I understand, the wishes of the United States Administration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further discussions he intends to undertake with the African National Council following publication of the Pearce Report.

I have no present plans to hold consultations with the African National Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further representations he has now received from Rhodesian Africans resident in Great Britain regarding the report of the Pearce Commission; and what reply he has sent.

I have received no representations from Rhodesian Africans in Britain since the Pearce Report was published.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States Administration about its embargo on imports from Hong Kong of man-made fibre knit fabrics.

Her Majesty's Embassy in Washington discussed this question with representatives of the United States Government on 1st May and since then has joined with a delegation from Hong Kong in detailed discussions on the matter. Some progress has been made and the discussions are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now seek further consultations with the United States Government following upon the visit of President Nixon to Russia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with the United States Secretary of State since the latter's visit to Moscow.

The United States Secretary of State briefed NATO Foreign Ministers on President Nixon's visit at their meeting in Bonn last week when there was an opportunity for a full discussion. Mr. Rogers similarly briefed Ministers attending the subsequent meeting of the Central Treaty Organisation in London. I was present on both occasions and I do not think that any further consultation is necessary at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the present condition of the British mission in Hanoi; and if he will make a statement.

Both the Consul-General and the Vice-Consul are in good health and continue to perform their duties.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he will make a further approach to the Government of South Africa asking for a reply to Her Majesty's Government's official approach to them regarding the withdrawing from Mr. Mark Douglas-Home of his visa exemption and residence permit.

The embassy has in fact already made a further informal approach. We must now await the reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's response to requests for aid and assistance as a result of the Wankie Colliery disaster.

All Members of this House will have been shocked to hear of the major Wankie Colliery disaster in which 430 miners lost their lives, including some citizens of the United Kingdom.I sent a personal message on 6th June to Mr. Smith expressing the deep sympathy of the people and Government of the United Kingdom for the families and friends of all those involved in the disaster, and I asked if we could help in some way with the relief of distress among the families concerned. I received a reply on 8th June informing me that our condolences had been conveyed to the families of the victims and that a relief fund had been set up to alleviate distress among those families.Her Majesty's Government have decided to give £25,000 to this fund for this purpose. Supplementary provision for this expenditure will be requested from Parliament in due course, and meanwhile an advance is being sought from the Contingencies Fund to cover the disbursement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given to the extent to which the disparity between the European Community's officially recorded imports of 6,422 tons of tobacco from Mozambique in 1970 and Mozambique's officially recorded export of 1,600 tons of tobacco to all destinations in the same year represented imports from Rhodesia, and to which failure to align British trading practice with that of the European Community will create distortions of trade.

Her Majesty's Government are aware that the reports of the Committee established in pursuance of Security Council Resolution 253 (1968) do mention certain discrepancies in the recorded trade figures of this kind. It is not, however, for Her Majesty's Government to investigate or assess the significance of such discrepancies. As regards the second part of the Question, I am not aware that any problem will arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in view of the increase since 1970 of crimes of violence in Hong Kong by 50 per cent., what steps he is taking to reduce their incidence.

All concerned share the hon. Member's anxiety about the rapid increase in violent crime, and are determined to combat this by every possible means. I am obtaining details of the measures taken and proposed and will write to him giving these.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in view of the fact that Hong Kong with 80,000 narcotic addicts possesses the highest number in the world, if he will consider appointing a Commissioner for Narcotics.

Without accepting that Hong Kong possesses the highest number of narcotic addicts in the world, I am glad to be able to say that the Governor is already considering such an appointment and hopes to be able to make an announcement before the end of this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has for strengthening and increasing the links with the Commonwealth.

The strengthening and extension of Commonwealth links is a matter for Commonwealth countries jointly. Britain is playing her full part in the many forward-looking intra-Commonwealth organisations, conferences and other activities which foster these links.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations about Commonwealth relations he has received from Commonwealth countries since the completion of the negotiations for Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community.

Her Majesty's Government have maintained close contact with all Commonwealth countries over matters related to the enlargement of the European Economic Community affecting their interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the names and number of Commonwealth territories which have not yet attained self-rule, giving the respective populations; and what initiatives Her Majesty's Government has taken towards the granting of independence to these territories.

The following table gives the names and populations of the overseas Dependent Territories for which Britain is responsible and which have not yet attained independence.

Territory	Population as at December, 1971
Bahamas	168,000
Bermuda	51,000
British Honduras	120,000
British Indian Ocean Territory	No permanent population
British Solomon Islands Protectorate	161,000
British Virgin Islands	10,500
Cayman Islands	10,650
Falkland Islands and Dependencies	2,098
Gibraltar	28,965
Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony	55,000
Hong Kong	4,045,300
Montserrat	12,302
New Hebrides*	78,000
Pitcairn Islands Group	85
St. Helena and Dependencies (i.e. Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha)	4,700
Seychelles	50,000
Turks and Caicos Islands	5,700
* The New Hebrides is a Condominium jointly administered with the French Government.

The six Associated States listed below exercise full responsibility for all aspects of their internal affairs while Her Majesty's Government retain responsibility for their external affairs and defence. Under their respective constitutions each Associated State has the right to proceed to full independence unilaterally subject only to the observance of certain procedures.

Antigua	74,000	Provisional estimates for 1970
Dominica	70,000
Grenada	95,000
St. Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla	51,000
St. Lucia	101,000
St. Vincent	90,000

The policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the future of the remaining Dependent Territories has been stated on a number of occasions. Our guiding principle is to respond to the wishes of the peoples concerned. It is not our intention to delay independence for those territories which want it, nor is it our intention to impose it on those which do not.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent he has agreed to a further extension of the territorial scope of the Commonwealth Development Corporation's activities.

Approval has been given for the corporation to undertake activities in the Republic of Zaire, subject to consultation with my Department as to the scale and content of its intended investment programme in that country.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the recent visit to China of the Undersecretary of State.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Dodds-Parker).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Spanish Government about the nature of the treatment meted out by the Barcelona police to Scottish football supporters recently, details of which have been supplied to him; and if he will make a statement.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now undertake further discussions with the Government of Tanzania on schemes for re-settling Africans on European-owned farms.

The Tanzanian Government have recently inquired whether Her Majesty's Government would be prepared to take part in such a scheme. We are considering this but there are complicated issues involved and I cannot say when a decision will be reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline the issues involved in the dispute between the Iraq Petroleum Company Limited and the Iraq Government which led to the nationalisation of the Kirkak oilfields, pipelines and installations.

Her Majesty's Government are following closely developments in this dispute, which involves many complex issues. The dispute is, however, one between the Iraq Government and the Iraq Petroleum Company, and it would not therefore be helpful for me to go into details about the outstanding issues at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Iraq Petroleum Company refinery in Lebanon is likely to be affected by the nationalisation proposals.

The refinery in the Lebanon is not covered by the nationalisation decrees recently made in Iraq and Syria.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he will take to ensure that nationalisation of petroleum interests is illegal under international law unless first the Governments of the nationalising country have paid adequate compensation for assets already sequestrated.

To be regarded as legitimate in international law an act of nationalisation must not be arbitrary or discriminatory in its effects.It must be for a public purpose related to the internal needs of the taking State; and it must be followed by the payment of prompt, adequate and effective compensation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give an estimate of the value of the assets of the Iraq Petroleum Company Limited which were recently request rated in Iraq and in addition the value of assets nationalised by the Iraq Government in recent years through the forfeiture of a major part of the company's concessions.

I am unable to give a precise estimate of the net book value of the Iraq Petroleum Company's assets in Iraq, which are considerable. It must, of course, be recognised that the value of the company as a going concern is very much higher. The book value of the company's assets expropriated in 1961 was relatively small but its appropriated rights to explore for, and produce, oil were very valuable.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which Governments Her Majesty's Government were in touch following the recent indiscriminate violence at Lod Airport; at what level representations were made; what was the nature of the representations made in each case; and what was their outcome.

As I said in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury and Radcliffe (Mr. Fidler) on 6th June, we have been in touch with the other Governments directly concerned. It would not, however, be appropriate for me to reveal the details of confidential discussions, the purpose of which is to seek to eliminate the possibility of further tragedies of this kind.—[Vol. 838, c. 77–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will raise at the Security Council as a threat to world peace the killing of unarmed civilians at Lod airport by hired assassins.

As I told my hon. Friend the Member for Bury and Radcliffe (Mr. Fidler) on 6th June, we deplore acts of indiscriminate violence such as that which occurred at Lydda airport. We have been in touch with certain Governments in the area and have made our views known. We take the view, however, that it is for the Government primarily concerned to decide whether to raise this question in the Security Council.—[Vol. 838, c. 77–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions are taking place between Her Majesty's Government and the European Economic Community over a commercial agreement with South Africa; and if he will make a statement.

No discussions about a commercial agreement with South Africa are taking place between Her Majesty's Government and the European Economic Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish figures showing the extent of United Kingdom direct investment overseas since 1945, both public and private, and also estimates of how much the capital values of this investment have grown overseas, together with estimates of the amounts which have been returned to the United Kingdom.

Information available has been published as follows. Figures for direct overseas investment and for dividend remittances to the United Kingdom by overseas subsidiaries and associates, in both cases excluding oil companies, for 1958–66 are shown in United Kingdom Balance of Payments, 1968—the "Pink Book"—and for 1967–71 in Business Monitor M4, Overseas Transactions, April, 1972. The book value of net assets of direct overseas investments—excluding oil, banking and insurance companies—at the end of the years 1960 and 1961 is shown in the Board of Trade Journal, 26th January, 1968, and for 1962–68 in the issue of 23rd September, 1970. Provisional figures for the value of net assets at the end of 1969, 1970 and 1971 are £6,100 million, £6,415 million and £6,885 million respectively. The latter figure is nearly 2⅓ times the estimated level at the end of 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the estimated value of United Kingdom exports to Rhodesia lost since the commencement of sanctions.

As I explained in answer to a Question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Preston, North (Miss Holt) on 5th June, no reliable estimate can be made. Our exports to Rhodesia were nearly £32 million in 1965 and are now negligible.—[Vol. 838, c. 12.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a progress report of the five advanced gas-cooled reactor stations now being built; what was the original estimated cost for each power station; and what is the present estimated cost for the completion of each station.

The Central Electricity Generating Board's four advanced gas-cooled reactor stations—the fifth is being constructed by the South of Scotland Electricity Board—are at varying statges of construction. Investigations into the potential corrosion problem, referred to in the reply given to the hon. Member for Islington, East (Mr. John D. Grant) on 28th February, are still in progress. Until these investigations have been taken further, the CEGB is unable to advise me what, if any, commissioning delays and extra costs might be involved.—[Vol. 832, c. 11.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has examined the joint recommendations from the Chambers of Shipping and the Shipbuilders and Repairers National Association designed to protect the future prospects of these bodies; and whether a Bill based on these recommendations complementary to the Industry Bill will be forthcoming without delay.

I am glad that the Chamber of Shipping and the Shipbuilders and Repairers National Association have been able to co-operate in considering the problems of their respective industries. Their proposals are under urgent consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he is taking to reduce waiting periods for courses at Government training centres within daily travelling distance of Woolwich.

288 additional training places will be made available at the Poplar, Waddon and Medway centres as soon as possible to provide a total of nearly 1,250 places.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will estimate the number of full-time male workers in England and Wales taking home £20 a week or less.

No. The information available to my Department on pay relates to earnings before any statutory or voluntary deductions are made.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in view of the fact that under professional training facilities of his Department's handbook there is the assumption that such training can be given without special provision and that this does not apply to disabled professionals receiving training, he will review policy on this subject; and if he will make a statement.

Most disabled people being trained for the professions are able to follow normal courses with individual adaptation as necessary. Special provisions for blind people are made in conjunction with the Royal National Institute for the Blind and my Department would be glad to consider similar arrangements for other groups unable to be trained by normal methods.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to limit the number of posts held by Communists in the trade union movement.

No. My right hon. Friend does not think that direct discrimination against any political party would be either desirable or effective. The Industrial Relations Act contains various safeguards which should make it much more difficult for persons or groups to obtain positions of power within trade unions against the express wishes of the membership, but in the last resort it is the responsibility of members themselves to determine who should represent them.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to ensure that those premises not registered to date under the Shops and Offices Act but which constitute a fire hazard are inspected; and who is responsible for such inspection.

Premises may be inspected whether or not the occupier has complied with his obligation to register. The responsibility for enforcement of the fire provisions of the Act lies generally with the fire authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now review the existing arrangements for publishing information about the escape from custody of dangerous or potentially dangerous prisoners.

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Clark Hutchison) on Thursday, 8th June. I am satisfied that the arrangements, outlined there, are adequate. Steps have already been taken to ensure, so far as is possible, that misinterpretation of standing instructions does not occur.—[Vol. 838, c. 144–45.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount of commercial office floor space in Scotland at the latest date for which information is available.

This information is held by the local valuation authorities and is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why all general practitioners may not see the proposed revised terms of service before the forthcoming conference of representatives of local medical committees.

I said in my reply on 23rd May to my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale (Mr. Bray) that authority was given to the General Medical Services Committee of the British Medical Association to circulate the draft terms of service to local medical committees, and a statement to this effect was included in the Committee's Annual Report which was circulated to all members in April. The question of circulating the draft to all general practitioners did not arise; and since the conference starts on 14th June and this item will, I understand, be discussed that afternoon, it would not now be practicable in any case.—[Vol. 837, c. 328.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the forthcoming conference of representatives of local medical committees may consider amendments to the proposed revised terms of service for general practitioners.

The conference arrangements are not my responsibility, but I understand that the usual procedure for these occasions will be followed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has obtained as to the size of the battered baby problem from his Department's contacts with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and local authorities.

In the nature of the problem, no precise figures are available from these or other sources. The most recent estimate, in the British Paediatric Association's publication, "Paediatrics in the Seventies", suggests that a least 2,000 children are affected each year, of whom 200 may die and 600 may be seriously damaged.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his attention has been called to a warning, recently issued by Japanese scientists, to the fact that the use of certain brands of carbonless copying paper containing polychlorinated biphenyls cause skin diseases, liver diseases and the breakdown of female sex hormones; and whether he proposes to take steps to prevent the use of such copying paper in this country.

The toxicological significance of polychlorinated biphenyls—known as PCBs—derives from their property to accumulate in human body fat like other organo-chlorine compounds where they probably remain for considerable lengths of time. However, PCBs have been in use now for about 40 years and so far there has been no evidence to indicate that the levels now known to be in the environment contribute a hazard to human health.There is at the moment considerable interest in environmental pollution by PCBs of which carbonless copying paper has been a known source in some countries abroad, but I understand that carbonless copying paper of this type is not now being manufactured in this country nor imported. The possible hazard to health arising from the use of carbonless copying paper containing PCBs is only one aspect of the problem of environmental pollution by PCB and cannot really be separated from that arising from other uses of PCBs, all of which will be investigated in the light of research on the effects of PCB which is currently being carried out in this country and elsewhere. In addition, we are already monitoring for PCB residues in food; and so far the levels detected have been very low.I understand that the supply of PCBs is voluntarily restricted by the only manufacturer in this country to uses which do not involve any escape of PCB to the environment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to ban the sale of hypodermic syringes by mail order firms.

I do not think that this would be helpful.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has made for improved pension benefits arising from the White Paper, "Strategy for Pensions", Command Paper No. 4755, for Civil Service, local government employees, and teachers; and what percentage of salary it is proposed they pay, respectively.

The proposals in the White Paper are of general application to the whole community, and there is none specific to the groups mentioned. Within the State basic scheme they will pay the same contributions and receive the same range of benefits as any other employees. An important aim of the Government's proposals is to encourage the development of good occupational pension schemes, but the policy and management of the occupational schemes covering these particular groups do not come within my responsibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many, and what percentage of, applications for constant attendance allowance by parents of disabled children have been rejected; how many and what percentage of such rejections were on the ground that the child sleeps at night; and how many and what percentage of such rejections were on the ground that the child was continent;(2) by how much, and by what percentage, he estimates that the annual cost of constant attendance allowances would be increased, were such allowance now available to all parents whose applications have been rejected because their children sleep at night or because their children are continent;(3) how many, and what percentage of, reviews against refusals to grant constant attendance allowances to parents of disabled children have resulted in such refusals being overruled;(4) how many appeals against decisions of review boards by parents of disabled children have been heard by the National Insurance Commissioner; and how many, and what percentage, of such appeals have been successful.

Up to 23rd May, the latest date for which figures are available, it is estimated that about 8,300 claims for attendance allowance in respect of disabled children had been rejected at the initial stage, representing about 30 per cent. of such claims dealt with up to that date. Of the 8,300 nearly 1,500 had been allowed on review. This figure represented about 60 per cent, of the applications for review which had been dealt with by that date. No appeals relating to children have yet been heard by the National Insurance Commissioner.Proposals for the extension of the attendance allowance to those disabled people, including children, who need help by day or at night, as opposed to by day and at night, are included in the National Insurance Bill now before Parliament and will increase the annual cost of the allowance by about £45 million, that is by about 200 per cent., when they have been fully implemented. The other information requested by the hon. and learned Gentleman is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he proposes to set up some area health boards on an experimental basis; what are the number and localities chosen; if they will have a constitution on the basis of the suggestions contained in his Consultative Document; what plans he has to monitor these experiments; and if he will make a statement.

I do not propose to establish any experimental area health authorities or boards. For my proposals on National Health Service reorganisation generally, I would ask the hon. Member to await the White Paper I shall be issuing during the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware that considerable numbers of people cannot obtain a job because they Jack mobility, but cannot obtain a Ministry vehicle until they get a job; if he will review his Department's policy on this subject; and if he will make a statement.

The inquiry being conducted by Lady Sharp, the terms of reference which my right hon. Friend announced in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Peters field (Miss Quennell) on 26th April, will consider this aspect of the service.—[Vol. 835, c. 319–20.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce regulations to exempt the chronically sick and disabled from all dental charges.

No; anyone who would suffer hardship through having to pay charges is already entitled to receive help.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will review the health and hygiene regulations governing hospital catering, with a view to permitting regular inspection by public health inspectors; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the working party on food hygiene set up by the General Council of the Association of Public Health Inspectors, he will now allow hospital kitchens to be open to inspection by public health inspectors and ensure that Crown exemption shall be discontinued; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has read the report of the Association of Public Health Inspectors regarding hospital catering facilities; if he will now reconsider his policy on this subject; if he will take steps to permit public health inspectors to visit hospital kitchens and dining rooms; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has already urged hospital authorities to enlist the assistance of the public health department of the local authority in ensuring satisfactory standards of food hygiene. We have been reviewing the advice and will be sending a reminder.I have no information to suggest that these arrangements are not working satisfactorily; and before considering whether there is need to revoke Crown immunity, a letter has been sent to the Association of Public Health Inspectors for any specific information on instances of lack of co-operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce a system for training and registering catering workers to ensure complete hygiene in cafes and restaurant establishments; and if he will make a statement.

Training schemes are already available. The Industrial Training Act, 1964, for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment is responsible, provides for the training of workers and the Hotel and Catering Industry Training Board includes food hygiene in its curricula and training material. Colleges of advanced technology, bodies such as the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene and the Royal Society of Health and the local authorities have courses for food handlers. Efficient management too is involved, particularly in training on the job.The big turnover in catering workers would militate against registration. Moreover the provisions of the Food Hygiene Regulations when vigorously employed already give the local enforcing authorities adequate powers for ensuring that catering workers maintain good standards of food hygiene.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements he proposes to introduce to make wheelchairs available to those who need them without first having to be examined by a hospital consultant.

I have been considering what steps might be taken to facilitate supply of wheelchairs in such cases and am arranging for the future that the recommendation of any National Health Service medical practitioner, including local authority doctors, will suffice. I have accordingly made the necessary arrangements for this change to come into effect on 1st September.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to create better opportunities for women doctors to combine medical practice with their domestic commitments.

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales and I will shortly be introducing a new scheme to help women doctors who so wish to maintain a continuing professional link while they are bringing up their families. This scheme will make it possible for any doctor under 55 years of age, who cannot practise because of domestic commitments, but intends to resume a full medical career in the National Health Service when these commitments lighten, to do a small number of specially arranged clinical sessions and attend some postgraduate medical education sessions each year. Members of the scheme will receive an annual retainer of £50 to help cover their expenses.The scheme, which will be known as the Women Doctor's Retainer Scheme, will come into operation on 1st September. In the meantime, hospital authorities are being provided with information about the scheme, and leaflets and application forms will be made available through them in good time before 1st September.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why, in view of the shortage of supplies of meat and the increased exports to France and the countries of the European Economic Community due to the higher prices paid in those countries, he has taken action to reduce the supplies of meat from the Commonwealth countries; whether this is being done to assist Great Britain's entry into the Common Market; and whether he will make a statement.

Imports of beef and veal and mutton and lamb from Commonwealth countries are expected to be similar in the first half of this year compared with the first half of 1971.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that Part 39, Sugar Regulation 225/72/EEC of 31st January, 1972, was published in English translation and made available to Members of Parliament on 27th May, 1972; and whether he will explain how and in what way this will affect those engaged in this industry and the British consumer.

This regulation concerns the price to be paid for sugar beet when the Community increases the minimum price of beet, and hence the intervention price of sugar, between one sugar season and the next, and does not impose a levy equal to the increase on stocks of sugar held by sugar manufacturers at the date of the increase. It provides that the consequent rise in the value of the stocks in these circumstances shall, unless the sugar is being carried forward under the provisions of Article 32 of Regulation 1009/67, be passed on to the beet growers through a retrospective supplementary payment. The Regulation has no effect on the consumer.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what period of notice he was given of the European Economic Community's suspension of its import duties on beef.

The United Kingdom learned of the Community's proposed action on 25th May and the suspension of duties came into effect on 5th June.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the effect on bread prices in the United Kingdom of British entry to the Common Market.

It is estimated that the effect of membership of the EEC on bread prices in the United Kingdom will be broadly the same as the average for all foodstuffs, namely, an increase of about 2 per cent. each year over a period of about six years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware of the concern felt by cereal growers at the lack of information about the new arrangements for cereals which will come into operation on 1st February, 1973; and if he will make an early statement to clarify the position, to enable growers to assess the value of their crops and to prevent difficulties in cereal mar- keting in the period between the commencement of harvesting to February, 1973.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 9th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Mr. Charles Morrison). Discussions are proceeding on those matters which are subject to decisions taken by the institutions of the Community. I am aware of the concern felt by cereals growers and an announcement will be made as soon as these negotiations are concluded.—[Vol. 836, c. 321–4.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the recent outbreak of duck plague and indicate what measures may be taken by the public to limit the ravages of this disease.

Duck Plague—Duck Virus Enteritis—had been diagnosed in collections of wild and ornamental duck having access to open water in Hertford shire, Lincolnshire and Cambridge shire. It is assumed that the disease has been introduced by migratory birds. No cases have so far been reported in commercial flocks.Overseas experience is that the course of the disease is unpredictable. It can cause heavy mortality especially in ducks which have access to open water between January and July. However, it does not appear to spread rapidly among domestic flocks in different areas if adequate preventive measures are undertaken.Duck owners are advised to adopt strict security and hygiene measures. Where practicable they should prevent contact between their flocks and wild ducks. The disease can be prevented by vaccination. Full scale prophylactic vaccination of healthy flocks is not considered necessary under present circumstances. The vaccine can be used to contain an outbreak and there may be circumstances where the destruction of ailing birds and the immediate vaccination of healthy stock could be undertaken My Department has facilitated the importation of vaccine from overseas and this is being held on behalf of the commercial duck industry by the Animal Health Trust at Newmarket. A leaflet setting out symptoms, disease spread and preventive measures is available from Animal Health and Divisional Offices of my Department.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that the ban on the export of animals for slaughter more than 62½ miles from port of entry is being observed by buyers from European Economic Community countries; and if he will make a statement.

Generally speaking, yes. My right hon. Friend received reports in February, 1972, and on 11th May, 1972, that this requirement under the Balfour assurances was not being observed for some consignments of sheep for immediate slaughter in Belgium. We are in touch with the Belgian Government on this matter. There was another report in October, 1970, involving calves which was confirmed by the Belgian Government and on which they took appropriate action.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider taking steps to ensure that subsidies paid on animals which are exported for slaughter are repaid to the Exchequer by the exporter.

My right hon. Friend does not consider such action to be either practical or desirable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is now the policy of the Government about the use of vaccination in the case of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease.

Contingency plans for ring vaccination against the disease are held in constant readiness, as recommended by the Northumberland Committee, and would be implemented only when, after a careful veterinary assessment of the outbreak, there were reasons for believing that there may be rapid or extensive spread of the disease. Ring vaccination would supplement our slaughter policy, which continues to be the primary means of eradicating the disease when it occurs.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will introduce legislation making it necessary for those wishing to acquire a dog to purchase a licence in advance.

Dog licensing arrangements are being reviewed, and the hon. Member's suggestion will be borne in mind.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further consultation his Department has now had with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Assocation on the provisions of the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill; what has been the outcome of this consultation; and if he will make a statement.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the sire licensing provisions in the Bill. When I met representatives of the Royal College and the Association on 11th April, they asked for certain statutory changes to enable the profession to provide owners with an effective certification service under the new arrangements for bull licensing. I agreed to all of these changes and notice of the necessary amendments to the Bill was given on 4th May.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many calves are being retained for beef compared to three years ago.

There are two strong indications of the increasing numbers of calves being retained for beef production in the United Kingdom. Certifications for payment of calf subsidy at stage A rose by 348,872 to 2,763,624 in the year ended April, 1972, compared with2,414,752 in the year ended April, 1969. Calf slaughterings fell by 275,319 to 201,506 head in the year ended April, 1972, compared with 476,825 head in the year ended April, 1969.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the sugar refining activities of the British Sugar Corporation in the light of the recent report of the Public Accounts Committee.

A Treasury Minute in reply to the Report of the Public Accounts Committee will be presented to Parliament in due course.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will undertake not to reimpose a levy on meat imports as long as prices to the consumer are at or above their present levels.

The United Kingdom tariff on imports of fresh, chilled and frozen beef and veal from non-preferential area suppliers was suspended from 6th June until 15th July, following the suspension of the European Economic Community's tariff on cattle and beef. The aim was to help moderate recent rises in United Kingdom beef prices. Before the period of suspension expires the question of extending the period will be reviewed, taking account of the circumstances at the time.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on his discussions with Signor Scarascia Mugnozza, the head of the Common Market Commission, on matters connected with the Common Market.

Signor Scarascia Mugnozza is a Vice-President of the Commission with special responsibility for agriculture. The primary purpose of his visit was to see something of our industry and especially our hill farming. We took the opportunity to have a general exchange of views on the common agricultural policy and its implementation in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many persons employed as civil servants in June, 1970, are currently doing similar work but are no longer regarded as civil servants.

Since June, 1970, the following legislative changes have affected the numbers of staff counted as civil servants:

asked the Minister for the Civil Service to what extent Great Britain will be affected by Part 3, Regulation 489/72/Euratom of the secondary legislation of the European Economic Community dated 7th March, 1972.

The Regulation adjusts an annual allowance paid to staff of the Joint Nuclear Research Centre employed in the Netherlands, and any British staff serving there will benefit.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will give, for the latest most convenient stated period of time, the costs involved in printing the rules and regulations, etc., of the secondary legislation of the European Economic Community, and give separate figures for the costs in publishing corrections to the original lists.

The cost of printing and publishing that part of the Secondary Legislation of the European Economic Community which has been put on sale up to 9th June was £122,675, and the cost of the volume of corrections was £2,352.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service when he hopes to introduce the changes in the Civil Service pension scheme which have been recently proposed.

The Report of the Civil Service Joint Superannuation Review Committee, a Whitley Committee representing both management and staff, was published in February. The Government welcomed the Report and the National Staff side endorsed it on 1st June. It will now be put into effect. The necessary amending scheme will be laid before Parliament in accordance with Section 2(11) of the Superannuation Act, 1972, as soon as possible. In general the operative date for the new scheme will be 1st June, 1972, though, as earlier agreed with the National Staff Side, certain changes will benefit those whose pensions began on or after 1st March, 1972, the date on which the Superannuation Act received the Royal Assent. Full details will be available in all Government departments.For administrative reasons, it will be several months before certain aspects of the new scheme, particularly those involving options open to the staff, can be brought fully into operation, but when introduced they will be applied to staff who may have retired in the interim.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if the public statement recently made by Major-General Ronald Buck land and Brigadiers' Frank Kits on and Brian Watkins were made with his authority; and if he will dismiss them from the Army as an example to others.

The statements attributed in a recent article in The Timesto Major-General Buck land and Brigadier Watkins were not made with my authority. If the Question refers to Brigadier Kitson's book "Low Intensity Operations", published last year, this book represented the author's personal views; official permission was, however, given for the book's publication.The answer to the second part of the Question is, "No".

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will make a progress report on the consultations between her Department and the other relevant authorities concerning the essential building developments of Portsmouth Polytechnic with special reference to the immediate needs of the Social Work Department.

At a recent meeting my officials discussed with representatives of the authority and the polytechnic, in the context of the preparation of a long-term development plan, proposals for the building projects they wish to start in 1974–75. The projects include a new humanities and social science block, a staff-student amenities block, and provision for 500 resident students. The authority was encouraged to proceed with the necessary preliminary planning so that a decision could be reached this autumn, in the light of the progress made by then, whether it would be practicable to include the projects in the Department's design list.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether she will issue a circular requesting heads of schools to report upon the number and percentage of children in their schools who suffer from deformities of the feet;(2) what percentage of children of school age suffer from deformities of the feet.

Information is provided about orthopaedic defects of the feet in the annual returns from local education authorities of medical inspection and treatment of pupils attending maintained primary and secondary schools. Just under 1 per cent. of children given medical inspections during 1970 were found to have orthopaedic defects of the feet requiring treatment and 2 per cent, had defects requiring observation.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether she will issue a circular requesting schools to launch an information campaign concerning the dangers of children's feet becoming permanently crippled through the wearing of ill-fitting shoes;(2) whether she will issue a circular requesting heads of schools to warn parents of children at those schools of the danger of children becoming permanently crippled by ill-fitting shoes and further as to the need for the fit of their children's shoes to be checked at least once every three months.

No. Advice about care of the feet was included in the "Handbook of Health Education" produced by my Department in 1968 and circulated widely to local education authorities and to schools. This stressed the importance of well-fitting shoes which allow children's feet to develop without cramping or distortion.Schools nurses and health visitors give advice for children with foot defects along with their guidance on foot health and on the importance of well-fitting shoes which is given as part of normal health education individually or to groups of parents and children.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many boys and how many girls applied for entry to United Kingdom medical schools during the last year; and what proportions of each sex were accepted.

Within the scheme run by the Universities Central Council on Admissions, the figures for entry for the year 1970–71 were as follows:

	Boys	Girls
Applications	6,329	2,642
	per cent.	per cent.
Proportion accepted	29·3	33·3
The source of this information is the UCCA 9th Report, 1970–71. These figures include all home and overseas students except those whose applications were limited to Aberdeen and/or Glasgow Universities. Figures of applications in this latter category are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the road casualty figures for the A50 in Staffordshire for each of the past ten years.

Following are the figures for 1969–71:

	1969	1970	1971
Killed	9	10	10
Seriously injured	91	131	98
Slightly injured	294	303	279
Total	394	444	387

Figures for earlier years are not immediately available, but I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many private houses were built in the borough of Brig house, the borough of Spenborough and the Heckmondwike urban district during each of the past three years.

The numbers of completions of private dwellings reported in the years 1969, 1970 and 1971 appear in Local Housing Statistics Nos. 13, 17 and 21, copies of which are in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what reduction there has been of accidents where motorways are fully lit.

As it will take a little time to compile this information, I shall write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he proposes to take to restrict lorries of 30 tons and over from driving through villages and towns where alternative routes are available.

Local authorities have wide powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Act, 1967, to restrict classes of vehicles from using their roads.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current level of nitrate in drinking water in Great Britain.

Water for supply is drawn from many sources. The nitrate level varies from source to source and from time to time. If the hon. Member has a particular supply in mind and sends me details, I will write to him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the West Riding of Yorkshire is now covered by smoke control orders.

11·32 per cent, of the West Riding is covered by confirmed smoke control orders. My hon. Friend will appreciate that the need varies. Of the so-called "black" areas of the county, 57 per cent. are covered by confirmed orders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the procedures used for examining the account of expenditure and receipts in respect of the sale of tickets for Trooping the Colour and the cost of erecting the stands; and in what public document the account is presented.

My Department's sole responsibility in this matter is with the provision of the stands on repayment, not with the tickets. The erection of the stands is controlled and accounted for as a repayment service under Class VI Environmental Services, Vote 5 Subhead N and the relevant staff charges are credited to Class VI, Vote 1, Subhead Z.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals have been made by the European Economic Community for a common transport policy; and if he will make available to hon. Members an English translation of the relevant draft regulations, directives or decisions.

Community measures already adopted are available in Part 13 of the European Communities Secondary Legislation published by HMSO on 13th January, 1972. The Community has in addition published a number of draft instruments dealing with various aspects of transport policy. If the hon. Member can specify which of these is of particular interest to him I will see whether a departmental working translation is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total amount of money to be allocated to improve existing housing conditions of prison officers and their families at prisons in the London area during the next 12 months.

About £175,000 is expected to be spent in the current financial year on the maintenance and renovation of existing staff quarters at Brixton, Pentonville, Wands worth and Wormwood Scrubs prisons. These four establishments are among those recognised as having priority for the purchase of new quarters, but the expenditure will depend on the number of suitable houses which become available. Provision has also been made for the construction of the eight 4-bedroom houses to which the hon. Member's Question on 23rd March. 1972, referred.—[Vol. 833, c. 1656–57.]

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the total number of shots fired at the security forces in Northern Ireland from Friday, 26th May, to Sunday, 4th June; and what deaths and injuries they caused.

It is not possible to say how many shots were fired at the security forces during the period; but from 7.0 a.m. on 26th May until 7.0 a.m. on 5th June there were 131 shooting incidents involving the security forces. One soldier was killed. Six soldiers and two members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary were wounded.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the total number of shots fired by the security forces in Northern Ireland at the Irish Republican Army terrorists from Friday, 26th May, to Sunday, 4th June; and with what results.

In the period from 7.0 a.m. on 26th May until 7.0 a.m. on 5th June the security forces fired 265 rounds at terrorists. Twelve persons are thought to have been killed or wounded.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the number of shooting and bombing incidents in Northern Ireland during May, 1972.

The security forces were shot at 671 times, including 48 incidents in which automatic gunfire was directed at them. They returned fire on 217 occasions and initiated fire on 157 occasions. There were 395 reported incidents of gunfire in which the security forces were not involved. Ninety-four explosions occurred and 34 explosive devices were rendered harmless.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will appoint additional judges and magistrates to deal with the volume of work in the Northern Ireland courts.

The matter of appointing additional county court judges and resident magistrates is kept under constant review. The number of permanent county court judges was increased from five to seven last year. The number of permanent resident magistrates was increased from 13 to 14 in February of this year. In addition, there are at present two deputy resident magistrates and a third is expected to be appointed in the near future.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telcommunications how many people in Wales in his estimate will still not be able to receive ultra high frequency 625 line transmission by the end of 1975 and 1980, respectively.