asked the Minister of State for Defence what was the total value of machine tools of foreign origin purchased by Royal Ordnance Factories and other Minister of Defence establishments in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

The total value of foreign machine tools purchased by the Ministry of Defence in each of the last three financial years is as follows:

				£
1969–70	…	…	…	446,000
1970–71	…	…	…	1,288,000
1971–72	…	…	…	566,000

The great majority of foreign purchases were tools for which there are no direct United Kingdom equivalents.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what will be the starting date for the construction of the Alder-shot Military Hospital.

It is hoped that construction will start in 1975–76.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will make arrangements to open to the public dockyard and other Ministry of Defence car parks in Portsmouth on Saturdays, Sundays and other public holidays to alleviate parking pressure in the centre of the city.

For security and other reasons, car parks within Defence establishments in Portsmouth cannot be made generally available to members of the public. Certain land west of Conway Street is scheduled for early development. We would be prepared to consider any application from the Portsmouth City Council for this site to be made available for weekendand bank holiday parking before development work commences.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what action he is taking in regard to the development of the Raglan Barracks site, Devonport, which has been in a state of dilapidation for 18 years.

The Department of the Environment is undertaking a feasibility study into the use of all or part of the Raglan Barracks site for married quarters for the Royal Navy and, in conjunction with my Department, is consulting the planning authorities. It is hoped that questions involving other uses of the site will be resolved soon and that construction work will start towards the end of 1973.

asked the Minister of State for Defence, in view of the fact that in recent months four children have been knocked down as they crossed roads between parked cars where they could not be seen by a driving motorist, if he will take urgent action to provide more car parking space off roads in the Keyham area of Devonport for the employees in Her Majesty's Dockyard.

Action is in hand to provide more parking spaces and we have drawn up plans to provide another 200 spaces in 1972–73 over and above the number which I forecast in answer to my hon. Friend on 28th January. Of the 400 spaces to be provided in this financial year, 250 are in the Keyham area and should ease the situation there. We hope also to provide 650 spaces at Weston Mill Lake by the end of 1973, which should further ease the problem.—[Vol. 829, c. 530–1.]

asked the Minister of State for Defence how much the forthcoming refit of the Royal Yacht "Britannia"will cost; and if he will make a statement.

The Royal Yacht "Britannia" completed building in January, 1954. Since then she has steamed nearly half a million miles, a quarter of this during the last three years, without a major refit or modernisation such as is normally given to other H.M. Ships every eight or nine years. Because of the increased usage in recent years, major work on the Royal Yacht has been deferred, but the time has now come when it is essential for her mechanical and electrical systems to be given a thorough overhaul and replacement where necessary and to modernise certain facilities which have fallen well below present day standards. It is therefore intended to give the Royal Yacht a refit during the period September, 1972, to June. 1973, at a cost of about £1·7 million at current prices.The main improvement which it is intended to carry out is the provision of modern accommodation for the crew whose living conditions have fallen well below those of other ships in the Fleet. The improvements will include conversion from hammocks to full bunk sleeping, the provision of dining halls, recreation spaces, air-conditioning and improved bathroom facilities.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will publish an up-to-date table showing the percentage of the gross national product spent on defence in each financial year from 1957–58 to date, and estimates for as far ahead as these are made.

The following is the information:

					Per cent.
1957–58	…	…	…	…	7·4
1958–59	…	…	…	…	7·1
1959–60	…	…	…	…	6·9
1960–61	…	…	…	…	6·9
1961–62	…	…	…	…	6·9
1962–63	…	…	…	…	6·8
1963–64	…	…	…	…	6·5
1964–65	…	…	…	…	6·5
1965–66	…	…	…	…	6·5
1966–67	…	…	…	…	6·4
1967–68	…	…	…	…	6·3
1968–69	…	…	…	…	6·0
1969–70	…	…	…	…	5·5
1970–71	…	…	…	…	5·7
1971–72	…	…	…	…	5·7
1972–73	…	…	…	…	5·5
It is not the practice to publish forecasts of GNP in future years.
Notes:
(1) The figures are of the Defence Budget on the United Kingdom definition, expressed as a rate of GNP at factor cost.
(2) The figures for 1971–72 and 1972–73 are estimated: those for earlier years are based on outturn.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of professors at British universities, indicating how many are men and how many are women, listing the figures for each university and comparing the most recent figures with those of a year ago.

The most recent figures from the University Grants Committee are those for 31st December, 1970, but these show only the total number of professors at each university in Great

University or College	Men	Women	31st December, 1969 Total	31st December, 1970 Total
Aston	30	—	30	36
Bath	23	—	23	23
Birmingham	126	1	127	133
Bradford	30	—	30	39
Bristol	86	1	87	90
Brunel	16	—	16	21
Cambridge	128	3	131	127
City	20	—	20	22
Durham	45	—	45	46
East Anglia	33	—	33	33
Essex	25	1	26	23
Exeter	40	—	40	42
Hull	37	—	37	37
Keele	23	—	23	24
Kent	26	1	27	29
Lancaster	34	1	35	36
Leeds	99	—	99	110
Leicester	41	—	41	42
Liverpool	93	—	93	99
London Graduate School of Business Studies	8	—	8	10
London University	785	22	807	831
Loughborough	26	—	26	29
Manchester School of Business Studies	4	—	4	5
Manchester	134	—	134	142
University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology	32	—	32	32
Newcastle	92	1	93	128
Nottingham	67	2	69	71
Oxford	114	4	118	125
Reading	73	—	73	61
Salford	21	—	21	24
Sheffield	82	—	82	85
Southampton	67	—	67	73
Surrey	23	—	23	23
Sussex	56	1	57	60
Warwick	27	—	27	33
York	22	2	24	28
Aberystwyth U.C.	33	—	33	37
Bangor U.C.	36	—	36	36
Cardiff U.C.	42	—	42	46
St. David's, Lampeter	6	—	6	8
Swansea U.C.	36	—	36	38
Welsh National School of Medicine	14	—	14	21
University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology	15	—	15	19
Aberdeen	56	1	57	61
Dundee	41	—	41	44
Edinburgh	128	2	130	139
Glasgow	119	—	119	120
Heriot-Watt	20	—	20	17
St. Andrews	38	—	38	38
Stirling	14	1	15	21
Strathclyde	51	—	51	60
Total Great Britain	3,237	44	3,281	3,482

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total number of first appointments

In maintained schools—excluding nursery and special schools—about 34,100 and 36,000 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations she has received from the Inner London Education Authority about teacher quotas in London; and what reply she has sent.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations she has received about unemployment among young teachers leaving colleges of education this summer; and whether she will make a statement.

NUMBERS REGISTERED AS WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED AT 8TH MAY, 1972 IN THE BIRMINGHAM TRAVEL-TO-WOEK AREA ANALYSED BY AGE, SEX AND LENGTH OF TIME ON THE REGISTER
Duration of registered unemployment in weeks				Men aged 18 and over	Boys aged under 18	Women aged 18 and over	Girls aged under 18	Total all ages
One or less	…	…	…	1,067	153	244	80	1,544
Over 1, up to 2	…	…	…	964	142	238	78	1,422
Over 2, up to 3	…	…	…	847	115	218	49	1,229
Over 3, up to 4	…	…	…	730	99	230	25	1,084
Over 4, up to 5	…	…	…	931	74	214	34	1,253
Over 5, up to 8	…	…	…	1,455	138	387	49	2,029
Over 8	…	…	…	17,708	342	1,914	112	20,076
Total	…	…	…	23,702	1,063	3,445	427	28,637

The numbers of men and women aged 18 and over registered as wholly unemployed, and the numbers of unfilled vacancies for men and women, are analysed by occupation at quarterly in-

NUMBERS OF MEN AND WOMEN REGISTERED AS WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED, AND OF NOTIFIED VACANCIES FOR MEN AND WOMEN REMAINING UNFILLED, AT MARCH, 1972, IN THE BIRMINGHAM TRAVEL-TO-WORK AREA
	Wholly unemployed		Unfilled vacancies
	Men	Women	Men	Women
Certain occupations generally regarded as skilled in engineering construction, vehicle building woodworking and printing	4,657	59	263	15
Labouring and analogous occupations	12,064	677	55	42
All other occupations	9,046	2,623	1,061	1,079
Total, all occupations	25,767	3,359	1,379	1,136
The vacancy statistics relate only to notified vacancies remaining unfilled and do not purport to measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the report of the committee that was set up in 1969 under the chairman-

A few inquiries have been received, mainly from students completing training. Teachers who will go where the jobs are should be able to find posts.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT a breakdown of current unemployment in Birmingham according to length of unemployment,age, sex, skill or profession, and unfilled vacancies in each category.

The following table shows information from the count made on 8th May:tervals and the latest figures are for 13th March. The following table shows information for certain broad occupational groups:ship of Mr. Bristow, Q.C. to examine the definition of dock work and changes in the definition of disputed cases.

This committee was an unofficial committee representing London port employers and trade unions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the figures showing males and females wholly unemployed in each county and city in Scotland at June, 1972, with details of unfilled vacancies; and how this compares with June, 1970.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state, for each pay settlement in the public sector awarded since the Wilberforce settlement of the miners' claim, the date of the settlement, the number of employees in-

Agreement			Approximate number of workers involved	Estimated percentage increase in earnings resulting from settlement	Operative date
British Railways Board
Conciliation Grades	…	…	148,000	13·1	5th June, 1972*
and Clerical Grades	…	…	52,000	13·6 in a full year
* Lump sum payment covering period from 1st May, 1972.—[Vol. 839, c. 160–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in Wales do not employ their statutory quota of disabled persons.

The number of firms in Wales which did not satisfy their quota obligation under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts was 964 as at 31st May, 1971, which is the latest date for which such information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will consult with local authorities with a view to establishing a system to ensure the confidentiality of information regarding mortgages, rent and rate rebates, health, housing, education and welfare data.

I do not think this is necessary. It is a matter for the local authorities themselves, who are long accustomed to dealing with personal and confidential information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will extend the Great Model of Westminster to include all the buildings surrounding Parliament Square and Broad Sanctuary and add to the model such other buildings or proposed buildings in the surrounding area of Whitehall and volved and the percentage increase of the award.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Doncaster (Mr. Harold Walker) on 22nd June, 1972. The following settlement should be added to that reply:Queen Anne's Gate that have or may have major significance in the making of a comprehensive plan for the future of the area as a whole.

The model is being extended, though it may not cover the whole area which my hon. Friend has in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what qualifications his Department have established or are considering establishing, for the appointment of Housing Commissioners under the Housing Finance Bill;(2) what guidelines he has drawn up for the conduct and carrying out of responsibilities by the proposed Housing Commissioners under the Housing Finance Bill.

I trust that it will not be necessary to appoint Housing Commissioners to remedy default under the Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the 10 8th Annual Report on Alkali, &c, Works, 1971 will be published.

It will be some weeks before this report can be printed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the numbers of post-1919 dwellings whose rents have been registered under the Rents Acts. 1965 and 1968 in each housing authority area in the East Midlands Region.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what decision he has reached regarding the letter from Birmingham Corporation Housing Director dated 27th April regarding the criteria for estimating new rents for council houses in the city and also the new rents proposed in the letter; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member on 7th June—[Vol. 838, c. 89.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the average rent for post-1919 dwellings in the East Midlands Region registered in the years since the Rent Act, 1965 came into force;(2) what is his Department's estimate of the number of post-1919 dwellings in the East Midlands Region whose rents have been registered under the Rents Act 1965 and 1968;(3) if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the numbers of post-1919 dwellings whose rents have been registered under the Rent Acts, 1965 and 1968 in each of the London boroughs;(4) what is the average rent for post-1919 dwellings in Greater London registered in each of the years since the Rent Act, 1965 came into force;(5) what is the average rent for post-1919 dwellings in England registered in each of the years since the Rent Act, 1965 came into force;(6) what is his Department's estimate of the number of post-1919 dwellings in Greater London whose rents have been registered under the Rent Acts, 1965 and 1968;(7) what is his Department's estimate of the number of post-1919 dwellings in England whose rents have been registered under the Rent Acts 1965 and 1968.

Separate figures for post-1919 dwellings are not readily available but for dwellings of all ages the Department's estimates of numbers for which rents have been registered and the aver- age rent registered for each year are as follows:

TABLE 1
ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF DWELLINGS (ALL AGES) FOR WHICH RENTS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE RENT ACTS 1965 AND (FIRST REGISTRATIONS)—PERIOD 3RD JANUARY, 1966 TO 31ST DECEMBER, 1971 INCLUSIVE.
LONDON BOROUGHS
City of London	106
Westminster	7,039
Camden	4,675
Islington	3,249
Hackney	3,875
Tower Hamlets	1,821
Greenwich	2,816
Lewisham	3,298
Southwark	3,974
Lambeth	5,439
Wandsworth	3,683
Hammersmith	3,396
Kensington and Chelsea	4,483
Waltham Forest	4,590
Redbridge	1,618
Havering	939
Barking	432
Newham	1,880
Bexley	1,031
Bromley	2,406
Sutton	1,353
Croydon	2,568
Merton	1,849
Richmond upon Thames	2,019
Kingston upon Thames	1,338
Hounslow	1,230
Hillingdon	1,878
Brent	3,678
Ealing	4,094
Harrow	2,008
Barnet	4,556
Haringey	3,177
Enfield	1,716
London Total	92,214
Greater London Rent Assessment Panel Area	92,214
East Midland Rent Assessment Panel Area	25,295
England	274,484

TABLE 2
AVERAGE REGISTERED RENT £P.A.
		1966	1967	1968
Greater London RAP	…	235	256	259
East Midland RAP	…	116	117	112
England	…	190	206	200
		1969	1970	1971
Greater London RAP	…	266	295	322
East Midland RAP	…	123	133	150
England	…	203	219	226

These rents are based on computer analyses of regulated tenancies for which rents have been registered for the first time and where conditions of tenancy and state of buildings at time of registration were comparable with those obtaining previously.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what surveys he has had made of the volume of road traffic expected to use the new Covent Garden Market.

None. This is a matter for the Greater London Council as traffic authority for London.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now lift the ban on the use of Trafalgar Square for demonstrations concerning Northern Ireland.

No, but I am keeping it under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the findings of the public inquiry into the railway accident at Morpeth, Northumberland, on 7th May, 1969.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will seek further powers to control the parking of motor coaches in central London during the night hours.

No. The Greater London Council already has adequate powers to regulate street parking.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why matters of pollution to land arising from agriculture were outside the scope of his working party on pollution.

The scope of the working party's reports which assessed public opinion before the Stockholm conference was entirely a matter for the chairman of each.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the cost of the rejected plans, and how many plans have been prepared for consideration, to ensure that the A1 from Newcastle-on-Tyne should avoid passing through Gosforth on its way to Edinburgh.

The information is not readily available but I will write to my hon. Friend shortly.

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

We have already promised £9 million for relief in Bangladesh. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is today informing the Government of Bangladesh that we are now able to promise a further £3million. We shall be discussing with that Government how this new contribution should be spent.We have also signed loan agreements for £4·8 million to assist economic development in Bangladesh.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a British Minister last visited the Faroes in an official Capacity.

The last visit to the Faroes by a British Minister in an official capacity was that of Lord Hughes, then Under-Secretary at the Scottish Office, in June-July, 1966.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the circumstances in which Mr. Edson Sithole was refused a United Kingdom passport; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Sithole's request for a concessionary United Kingdom passport was refused since the purpose of his proposed travel did not fall within any of the categories for which such passports are normally granted to Rhodesians. These categories were estab- lished by the previous Government and described by the then Attorney-General in his speech in this House on 17th June. 1968.—[Vol. 766, c. 737–40.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the action taken to protect the health of the British Pitcairn islanders in view of the forthcoming French nuclear test in the area.

As in previous years we have informed the French Government of the Royal Air Force team on Pitcairn sent to conduct health monitoring throughout the period of the French nuclear test programme. The French Government are aware of our concern for the wellbeing of the islanders. The Governor of Pitcairn has informed the inhabitants that Her Majesty's Government have taken all necessary precautions to protect their safety and health and that no danger is expected.As one of the parties to the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963 which prohibits nuclear tests in the atmosphere, Her Majesty's Government maintain the hope that those countries which have not done so will eventually decide to accede to the Treaty.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society the United Kingdom is piloting, or is otherwise assisting.

The United Kingdom is co-piloting a French-led project on the environment and regional planning and a project on advanced health care delivery systems. It is also involved with the work being undertaken on road safety.The United Kingdom is piloting a new project on waste water treatment and, as pilot country for a project on job satisfaction, has commissioned and presented a report entitled "The Quality of Working Life".

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now introduce legislation to enable grants to be paid for the provision of adequate fire escape facilities in small hotels and boarding houses.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the revenue from value added tax on repairs and maintenance to churches and listed buildings.

The information on which an estimate could be based is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will compensate for the imposition of value added tax on beer by a corresponding reduction in excise duties on beer, so that consumer prices are not affected.

As my right hon. Friend indicated in his Budget Statement, he cannot decide upon the appropriate level of the beer duty for 1973–4 until he has made an assessment of the general economic and financial situation nearer the time. He will, of course, then take full account of the effects of the application of value added tax to beer.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the gross amount of taxation paid to public authorities in 1971, including taxes on income, taxes on expenditure, local authority rates, national insurance contributions, and taxes on capital; and what was the proportion of gross domestic product at factor cost which this amount represented.

The gross amount of taxation paid to public authorities in 1971, as recorded for national accounts purposes, was £20,143 million. This includes all taxes on income, expenditure and capital, together with national insurance contributions, national health contributions and Redundancy Fund contributions. It represents 42·4 per cent, of gross domestic product at factor cost.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for each year since 1964, what has been the total public expenditure, including interest, on the National Debt, as a percentage of the gross national product.

Public expenditure, including debt interest,expressed as a percentage of gross national product at factor cost has been as follows:

					Per cent.
1964	…	…	…	…	43·5
1965	…	…	…	…	45·0
1966	…	…	…	…	46·2
1967	…	…	…	…	50·1
1968	…	…	…	…	51·7
1969	…	…	…	…	50·6
1970	…	…	…	…	50·5
1971	…	…	…	…	50·4

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he intends that beer should be subject to both value added tax and excise duty.

I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's Budget Statement.—[Vol. 833, c. 1343–90.]

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the explosion at the Europa Hotel, Belfast, on 9th June; and what information he has as to how the explosive substance was smuggled into the hotel.

At 1.06 p.m., 1.07 p.m. and 1.11 p.m. warning telephone calls were received that there was a bomb in the Europa Hotel. The hotel and surrounding premises were evacuated. At 2 p.m. a bomb estimated to contain between 20 and 40 lbs. of explosives went off in the ladies' cloakroom on the first floor of the hotel, causing extensive damage to that floor and breaking glass in surrounding property. No injuries were reported. Investigations as to how the explosive was smuggled into the hotel are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the explosion at Everton Bar, Crumlin Road, Belfast, on 9th June.

At 10.9 a.m. and 10.15 a.m. telephone calls were received that a bomb has been placed at the Everton Bar, Crumlin Road, Belfast. The area was immediately evacuated and at 10.52 a.m. a car bomb estimated to contain 250 lbs. of explosive went off, causing extensive damage to the bar and damaging numerous surrounding premises. No injuries were reported although several people were treated for shock. The vehicle used had been hijacked earlier in the Ardoyne area.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the sale of sweepstake tickets in Northern Ireland to raise funds for the Irish Republican Army, which are issued by the Irish Republican Clubs of America and Canada, selling at 12p each, and which depict on the ticket an Irish Republican Army gunman holding a rifle, waving an Eire tricolour and stamping on the Union Jack while buildings blaze in the background; and what action he proposes.

The police are aware that these tickets are being sold in Northern Ireland. One person has recently been charged with promoting an illegal organisation in this way.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many lorries and cars have been hijacked, destroyed or interfered with at the Northern Ireland border with Southern Ireland since 24th March; and what steps he is taking to prevent this.

During the period 24th March to 15th June, 1972, four lorries, five cars, one Land Rover, one private bus and two vans were hijacked, destroyed or interfered with at the Northern Ireland border with the Irish Republic. The security forces act to prevent these occurrences whenever possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to be able to publish the full results of the 1971 Census in Northern Ireland.

It is hoped that the first of the seven county reports will be published in November and that the remaining county reports will follow at intervals of four weeks.The national reports on the main census topics will be published by the spring of 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prosecutions have been brought or are pending against residents of the Tunnel area of Portadown arising out of disturbances in or near that area.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prosecutions have been brought or are pending against non-residents of the Tunnel area of Portadown arising out of disturbances in or near that area.

Eleven.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total number of additional jobs created by the Highlands and Islands Development Board since its inception to date; what has been the cumulative total of expenditure of public funds by the board to date; and what is the ratio between the two.

The total expenditure by the Highlands and Islands Development Board to 31st March, 1972 is £13,825,057 financed from grants-in-aid totalling £11,671,700, and revenue mainly in the form of repayment of capital loans and interest, totalling £2,153.357.

The Highlands and Islands Development Board has represented to me that its capacity to offer special incentives, particularly its special grant, should remain unimpaired. These representations are being fully taken into account in the discussions which are currently taking place about collaboration between the Board and the Scottish Industrial Development Office of the Department of Trade and Industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he can now state the date on which he will give his decision on the proposals of the Crofters' Commission for croft ownership by existing occupiers.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang) on 21st June.—[Vol. 839, c. 103.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the advantages of Esperanto as an international language; and if he will encourage Scottish education authorities to include the subject in the curriculum of all primary schools.

I am aware of the claims made for Esperanto as an international language but it is for education authorities to decide whether it should be taught in their schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Girvan Action Committee about local government reform; and what replies he has sent.

Girvan Action Committee suggested that the burgh should be transferred from the proposed South West region to the proposed West region. It has been informed that, after careful consideraion of all the views expressed, I have decided that the boundary proposed in the Government's White Paper should be adhered to in the re-organisation Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many cases during the years 1969, 1970 and 1971 he has exercised his discretion under Article 65 of the Royal Warrant to backdate increases in war disablement pensions, prior to the dates the applicants made their first successful appeal to the Pensions Appeal Tribunal.

The number of successful assessment appeals in 1969, 1970 and 1971 was 287, 306 and 444 respectively, of which only about 20 per cent. were not made in due time. The information re quested about these cases is not readily available but my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State exercises his discretion under Article 65 to backdate an increase in pension prior to the date of appeal for an out of time appeal in the exceptional circumstances where the pensioner has been prevented by physical or mental incapacity from making his appeal earlier, or where there has been Departmental error or misdirection. Where an appeal is made in due time—that is, within three months of the notification of an interim assessment award, or within 12 months of a final award—payment of any in crease is backdated to the commencement of that award.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services at the latest available date, how many persons were in receipt of disablement pension on the basis of having contracted one of the prescribed industrial diseases, both in total and in the case of each of these diseases, respectively.

At 30th September, 1970, the latest date for which figures are available 50,760 persons were in receipt of disablement pension for prescribed diseases, 42,700 for pneumoconiosis, 3,430 for byssinosis and 4,630 for the other diseases. Figures for individual prescribed diseases other than pneumoconiosis and byssinosis are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further action he proposes to take to curtail the prescription of new drugs indiscriminately which may provide symptomatic relief but inhibit the diagnosis of the underlying disease.

None. The decision which drug to prescribe for a particular patient is a matter for the professional judgment of the doctor concerned; but my Department's regional medical officers are in regular touch with general practitioners about prescribing matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a study of the use of Fenfluramine and Diethylpropion by general medical practitioners and its efficacy to reducing weight.

No. I do not consider that the action called for is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what salary a clerical officer of 15 years seniority, working in London for the Department of Social Services, receives; and what is the amount of supplementary allowance paid to a man with a wife and four children under the age of 11 years and paying a rent of £6 a week inclusive of rates, assuming he has no other income.

A clerical officer of 15 years seniority would, with minor exceptions, receive £1,664 per annum (£31·88 a week) in Inner London and £1,579 (£30·25 a week) in Outer London. The supplementary benefit requirements of a married couple with four children aged between 5 and 11 years and a rent addition of £6 amount to £23·45 a week.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further representations he has received from the National Association for the Welfare of Children in Hospital on the living conditions of mentally and physically handicapped children in long-stay hospitals; what reply he has sent; what further action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a further letter from the Association dated 12th June; I will send the hon. Member a copy of my reply, which I hope to send shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will examine the possibility of employing male nurses for the home visiting of the elderly who are in need of home nursing facilities in order to relieve the current shortage of district nurses.

There is no bar in the district nursing service to the employment of men, who currently form some 4·7 per cent. of total home nursing strength in England.

PERCENTAGES*
	1962		1963		1964		1965
	Food Per cent.	Raw Materials Per cent.	Food Per cent.	Raw Materials Per cent.	Food Per cent.	Raw Materials Per cent.	Food Per cent.	Raw Materials Per cent.
January	32	22	30	22	30	20	28	20
February	33	19	32	19	30	18	27	20
March	34	19	33	18	29	17	28	19
April	33	19	32	18	28	19	30	20
May	34	20	31	19	29	19	26	18
June	32	20	32	20	27	19	27	20
July	30	20	32	20	28	19	25	20
August	29	21	30	22	26	20	27	20
September	28	20	28	21	27	18	27	20
October	29	20	29	20	25	19	26	18
November	29	20	31	20	28	19	29	18
December	32	21	31	23	27	21	27	19

	1966		1967		1968		1969
	Food Per cent.	Raw Materials Per cent.	Food Per cent.	Raw Materials Per cent.	Food Per cent.	Raw Materials Per cent.	Food Per cent.	Raw Materials Per cent.
January	26	18	24	16	24	15	23	16
February	27	18	28	14	23	15	22	15
March	27	17	27	15	23	14	23	14
April	26	17	26	15	23	15	23	14
May	27	17	26	16	22	15	20	14
June	27	18	26	16	21	16	21	15
July	25	18	25	17	20	16	20	15
August	26	20	24	18	20	17	19	17
September	26	18	24	16	20	16	21	15
October	27	18	21	15	22	15	19	15
November	30	19	25	15	21	14	21	14
December	24	16	25	16	22	16	21	15

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why he has not collected details of the number of occasions on which firms have had to repay part of an investment grant because of a removal of plant and machinery, within the stipulated period, from an area where a high rate of grant was payable to an area of lower rate; and if he will now begin to collect this information for the future for each of the economic planning regions.

The value of the information would not appear to justify the labour entailed.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of United Kingdom imports per month in value terms was accounted for by food and raw materials for each year over the past decade to the latest available date.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the imports of lime oil and lime juice, respectively, country by country, into the United Kingdom in the first five months

KILOGRAMMES
	January/ April, 1967	January/ April, 1968	January/ April, 1969	January/ April, 1970	January/ April, 1971	January/ April, 1972
Jamaica	4,909	6,118	6,453	4,663	3,079	5,033
Mexico	1,810	540	542	9,253	894	4,679
Trinidad and Tobago	2,746	2,568	—	1,746	1,769	2,175
Dominica, Grenada St. Lucia, St. Vincent	1,614	1,702	4,132	3,476	5,186	1,151
Cuba	501	2,000	—	600	1,200	1,000
Guatemala	—	—	—	—	—	907
U.S.A.	1,535	4,178	735	1,632	11,123	139
Ghana	607	651	1,789	3,662	933	—
Guyana	378	593	298	—	56	—
Bahamas	—	—	680	1,270	454	—
Other Countries	554	115	1,054	19	377	475
World Total	14,655	18,466	15,685	26,321	25,071	15,559

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the exports of live sheep to Belgium and France from the United Kingdom in the first five months of 1972 and in the corre-

								Thousands
			January/ April, 1967	January/ April, 1968	January/ April, 1969	January/ April, 1970	January/ April, 1971	January/ April, 1972
Belgium	…	…	12	—	96	70	12	740
France	…	…	—	—	0	4	0
0=Less than 500.
—=Nil.