asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he deprives immigrants wishing to return home of financial assistance to which they are entitled under Section 29 of the Immigration Act, where the average weekly earnings of the family exceed the appropriate supplementary benefit level by £2.

Section 29 of the Immigration Act, 1971, authorised the giving of assistance but did not confer any entitlement. The Government's intention is to assist only those who lack the means to finance their departure themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the consultations with the trade on the Maxwell Stamp Report on the London taxicab trade to be conducted; if he intends to introduce early legislation implementing the Report when they are so concluded; and if he will make a statement.

A first round of informal consultation with the London taxicab trade has been completed. Consultation with other interested bodies is still in progress, and I cannot say when it will be finished. It is still too early to say when it may be possible to introduce legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the price of taxi fares in the Metropolis on the most recent date, taking the price immediately before decimalisation as 100.

For an average journey of 2½ miles, about 120.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now make a statement on the policy of his Department towards the arrival in Great British of British citizens from East Africa who have travelled via India.

:As my right hon. Friend said in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Selwyn Gummer) on 3rd May, the Government have reviewed the position of United Kingdom passport holders in India and have decided to make a limited issue of special vouchers for settlement in this country.—[Vol. 836, c. 160.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will intiate a survey of houses owned by the Metropolitan Police with a view to releasing to the local housing authorities all properties in excess of requirements.

A review of Metropolitan Police quarters is already in progress. Those quarters no longer required are being disposed of under standard procedures, which include advising local authorities of surplus properties not required by Government Departments. Negotiations are in progress with some local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that the identity of witnesses is not disclosed when children are called upon to give evidence against persons accused of crimes of violence.

The law already contains provisions protecting child witnesses from newspaper publicity. My right hon. Friend is aware of a case that has caused concern to the hon. Member, and he will keep the position under review; but, on the information at present before him, he is not persuaded that wider safeguards are called for.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the progress being made in the implementation of the Fire Precautions Act; and if he will make a statement.

:The Order applying the Act to hotels and boarding-houses came into effect only on 1st June, and it is too soon to judge progress. My right hon. Friend is awaiting the advice of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council on the classes of premises to which the Act should next be applied.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are at present in Holloway prison; and how many of these are awaiting deportation orders.

323 on 16th June. Deportation orders had been made against two. Five had been recommended for deportation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to review the financial expenditure of the Prison Department.

The wide range of prison expenditure in England and Wales is regularly reviewed as part of the annual preparation of programmes of public expenditure, and of parliamentary Estimates; and particular elements are examined outside the annual exercise as occasion demands.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give the number of the staff in his Department who will be affected by the Boyle proposals to increase salaries by 20 per cent. to 25 per cent.; what salaries they now receive; and to what extent these will be raised on the implementation of the Boyle Report.

I would refer the hon. Member to the report of the Top Salaries Review Body (Cmnd. 5001) which was published on 23rd June, and to the Prime Minister's reply of 23rd June to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, East (Mr. William Clark). There are 24 staff at Under Secretary level and above in my Department whose pay is affected by the recommendations of the Review Body.—[Vol. 839, c. 183.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what compensation is paid to the next of kin of members of the police forces of the United Kingdom killed in the execution of their duty;(2) what insurances against death or injury whilst on duty are provided for members of the police forces of the United Kingdom.

Payments in respect of death or injury whilst on duty are made in accordance with the Police Pensions Regulations, 1971 in Great Britain. Similar arrangements apply in Northern Ireland. Regulations will soon be laid before Parliament making improved provisions as from 1st April, 1972. There is no recognised general scheme for insurance cover.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested and charged in Great Britain with offences arising either directly from, or in assisting before or after, the commission of violent crime by the Irish Republican Army since August, 1969, in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, respectively; and how many convictions have been obtained.

Four men were convicted in 1971 for an armed raid in this category carried out in London.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take so that magistrates are enabled to implement their decisions regarding offenders in children's courts.

I am not aware that the decisions of juvenile courts are not being implemented but I am aware that certain concern has been expressed as to the manner of their implementation. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind I shall be glad to look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been charged with loitering with intent and assaulting a police officer, respectively, in the Metropolitan Police area in 1972; how many were convicted; how many of each were coloured persons according to police records; and what are the figures in each case for N Division.

It is too soon to give figures for 1972. Some figures can be obtained for 1971 and I shall write to the hon. Member when I have them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have been appointed as blood group serologists for the South Wales area to test blood samples under Part 3 of the Family Law Reform Act, 1969;(2) how many people have been appointed as blood group serologists for the Mid-Wales area to test blood samples under Part 3 of the Family Law Reform Act, 1969;(3) how many people have been appointed as blood group serologists for the North Wales area to test blood samples under Part 3 of the Family Law Reform Act, 1969.

Appointments of serologists for the purposes of the Act were not made on a regional basis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will change the Police Retirement Regulations so that war service undertaken by police officers immediately before they joined the police force shall count as time towards pensions.

The rules for the counting of war service for purposes of police pensions have been re-examined from time to time under successive goverments. While any further views which might be expressed on this question in Committee E of the Police Council would be considered, the difficulties are such that I can see little prospect of a change in the present rules.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from chief constables as to their practice regarding the disclosure of details of tests made on individuals concerning the alcohol content of their blood.

I am not aware of any need to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recommendations of the Gardiner Committee on criminal records, a copy of which has been sent to him, which was established by Justice, the Howard League for Penal Reform and the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, which were published on 23rd February, 1972, having the support of the three organisations.

My right hon. Friend is still considering the proposals in this report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and how many women were convicted in 1961 and in 1971 of offences arising from the sale of drugs to children or young people.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet received the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions following his submission to him of a report by the police on alleged leaks of confidential information from Government Departments to commercial interests.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has now received a report by the police on their investigation of these allegations. He will in due course advise the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis what action should be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to require that newspapers and other news media does not publish essential data and material before a coroner's inquest.

No. I do not think that this is a matter for legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what insurances against death or injury whilst on duty are provided for members of the fire services of the United Kingdom;(2) what compensation is paid by the Government for those members of the fire fighting services killed due to the execution of their duties.

Payments in Great Britain in respect of death or injury whilst on duty are made by fire authorities in accordance with Orders made under the Fire Services Act, 1947. There are similar provisions in Northern Ireland. Orders incorporating improvements as from 1st April, 1972 will soon be laid before Parliament. There is no recognised general scheme for insurance cover.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give the costs on the basis of the normal hourly rates of pay involved in having one commander, three chief superintendents, three inspectors, six sergeants, 60 constables, three coaches, and motor cyclists at Chobham Farm, Stratford, E.15, on Friday, 16th June, for the stated time in which these Metropolitan police were engaged in this area.

£575.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he will not arrange to meet ex-Detective Chief Superintendent Kenneth Drury to discuss with him all matters pertaining to the trial of Patrick Murphy for the murder of Reginald Stevens, the sub-postmaster at Luton.

Because my right hon. Friend has no reason to think that any useful purpose would be served by such an interview.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to investigate the illegal entry into this country by Miss Karen Kwiatowski; and what plans he has to tighten up immigration controls at Immingham.

My right hon. Friend has already received a full report. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the Question by the hon. Member for Ormskirk (Mr. Soref).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has had with institutions of the European Economic Community concerning uniformity of police practice.

No such consultations have been required. But discussions have taken place between Governments about arrangements, including police arrangements, for dealing with the drug problem and there is frequent contact on that and other matters between the police service here and police in the Community countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the effect of recent increases in meat prices on the cost of school meals; and what action she proposes to take on the matter.

Meat costs represent a minor proportion of total school meals costs and the purchasing arrangements of local education authorities vary. It is not therefore possible to estimate the total effect of recent price movements on the cost of school meals.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the percentage subsidy in the actual cost of school meals in June, 1970, and at the latest date for which figures are available.

:This information is not available for particular months. In 1970–71, the latest year for which costs are available, the average subsidy was 43 per cent. It is estimated that the comparable figure for 1971–72 was 33 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what requests have been made to her, and what are her plans for action thereon, for increasing the number of secondary school places in the East Midlands generally and in the Kettering and Corby areas of the Northants Local Education Authority in particular.

All local education authorities submitted proposals to my right hon. Friend during the winter for major school building projects to start in 1974–75. The programmes announced in April and May included 6,060 new secondary places in the East Midlands, of which 390 will be in the Kettering Divisional Area.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will amend the Awards Regulations so that in assessing the parental contribution to student grants account may be taken of a drop in the family income arising from the father's retirement from Her Majesty's Forces.

The Awards Regulations already provide for the contribution to be reassessed when the parental income over the period of a financial year is likely to be reduced by at least one-fifth.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, whether she will support the European Economic Community Commission's proposal for a European science foundation.

:This proposal is one of a number which were received from the Commission only on 20th June. It will require study.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she has taken to help the East Midlands and the Corby and Kettering areas of Northampton shire in particular to improve their pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools.

The staffing of primary schools is a matter for the local education authorities, who can now take advantage of the improving supply of teachers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will publish in the Official Report a detailed list of the Secondary Legislation of the Rules, Regulations and Decisions of the European Economic Community which will affect her Department and its ministerial responsibilities: in what way each such piece of legislation will affect her Departmental activities; and to what extent she has met, or intends to meet, persons concerned to discuss the effects of such legislation on matters falling within her ministerial responsibilities.

The Treaty of Rome does not refer to education as such. No secondary legislation has been enacted by the European Economic Communities which will directly affect my Department or my ministerial responsibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will give the number of the staff in her Department who will be affected by the Boyle proposals to increase salaries by 20 per cent. to 25 per cent.; what salaries they now receive; and to what extent these will be raised on the implementation of the Boyle Report.

I would refer the hon. Member to the report of the Top Salaries Review Body (Cmnd. 5001) which was published on 23rd June, and to the Prime Minister's reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, East (Mr. William Clark) on 23rd June. There are 28 staff at Under-Secretary level and above in my Department whose pay is affected by the recommendations of the Review Body.—[Vol. 839, c. 183.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will give for the latest most convenient stated date the number of male and female registered blind workers employed in her Department; and whether she will take whatever action may be open to her to increase this number as and when convenient and suitable vacancies become available.

Five men and one woman on 23rd June. In consultation with the Civil Service Department we are actively considering what further action can be taken to increase the numbers of registered disabled people—including blind persons—we employ.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to improve and expedite his present methods of collating statistics pertaining to the number of children killed and injured due to contact with dangerous substances in the home.

The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, for which my right hon. Friend is responsible, collects and collates these statistics. Every effort is made to expedite them, and I am sending detailed information for 1970 to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what dates the information gathered in the 1971 census will be published with particular reference to its classification under parliamentary constituencies.

I expect the parliamentary constituency tables from the census to be published in the first half of next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions without sterilisation were performed in 1971 in England and Wales by vacuum aspiration or by dilatation and curettage before 13 weeks' gestation; and of these, how many deaths were attributed to the operation and how many to other causes.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled regarding the severely disabled who are unable to drive; if he will meet representatives from the Joint Committee; and if he will make a statement.

The Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled has expressed its disappointment that the changes my right hon. Friend announced on 21st February did not help those disabled persons who are unable to drive, but it has accepted that this is one of the questions to be considered by Lady Sharp. No doubt the Joint Committee's evidence to Lady Sharp will inter alia address itself to this problem, and in these circumstances it would not be helpful for us to meet its representatives at this stage.—[Vol. 831, c. 213–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of male average earnings in manufacturing industry was the single person's and married couple's basic National Insurance retirement pension, respectively, in each year from 1950 to 1971.

The information is given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has received the report on single women with dependants and the attendance allowance from the National Council for the Single Woman and her Dependants; and if he will make a statement.

I have received the Report and studied it. I have already told the National Council why I do not consider it practicable to adopt its suggestion for phasing the extension of the attendance allowance otherwise than by age groups.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many units for the young chronic sick are in use in the Manchester Hospital Board region and in the counties of Cumberland and Westmorland lying in the Newcastle Hospital Board region; how many will be provided in new hospitals or buildings now approved; and where each is located.

The information is as follows:Manchester Hospital RegionThere are no existing special units; new 26-bed units are planned to be built at:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking to improve the treatment of migraine through fundamental and clinical research and community surveys aimed at eliciting its causes; and if he will make a statement.

We are very willing to support suitable research into the causes and treatment of migraine. We have had discussions with the representatives of the Migraine Trust and have invited them to submit proposals for research.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will seek to ascertain and publish, for each county borough and administrative county in England and Wales, the average number of hours service given under the Home Help Service per recipient per week.

I draw the hon. Member's attention to the information on domestic help services contained in the annual digest "Local Health Services Statistics", published by the Society of County Treasurers and the Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants, and available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in cases where a woman believed to be cohabiting is allowed to receive supplementary benefit for a further four weeks and lodges an appeal against the withdrawal of benefit before the end of four weeks, payment of benefit will continue pending the hearing of her appeal.

One of the advantages of the new four weeks payment is to give time for an appeal against the finding of cohabitation, if made promptly, to be heard before benefit is due to cease. It is not, however, proposed to extend the period of payment if for any reason an appeal has not been heard after the four weeks in question.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if widowed mothers whose National Insurance benefit is withdrawn on the grounds that they are cohabiting will in future be informed of the possibility of obtaining supplementary benefit to meet their children's needs for four weeks.

Where supplementary benefit is being paid with the national insurance benefit, this possibility of entitlement is automatically considered when the widow's entitlement to supplementary benefit ceases. Where supplementary benefit is not being paid, arrangements have been made for the widow to be advised of possible entitlement for the children when the national insurance benefit is withdrawn.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary beneficiaries were assisted, in the last year for which information is available, by exceptional needs grants for, respectively, clothing and footwear, bedding and household expenses, removal expenses, redecorations, starting work, fares, fuel debts and rent arrears, clearance of hire purchase debts, funeral expenses and emergencies; and in each case what was the total annual expenditure and the average annual expenditure per beneficiary.

In the 12 months ending April, 1972, 649,000 exceptional needs grants were made to supplementary benefit recipients, at a total cost of £5,632,000. I regret that information on the nature of of the grants is not available and could not be obtained without inordinate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons on supplementary benefit were assisted, in the last year for which information is available, by discretionary grants over and above the long-term addition concerning, respectively, special diets, extra heating, laundry costs, and other special expenses; and in each case what was the total annual expenditure and the average weekly expenditure per beneficiary.

I regret that information in the form requested is not available and could not be obtained for the reason given in my reply to the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. R. C. Mitchell) on 13th June.At November, 1971, 358,000 recipients of supplementary benefit had exceptional circumstances additions over and above the long-term addition. The average weekly addition was 33p. These figures are based on a statistical sample.—[Vol. 838, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will cause siderosis, chronic bronchitis and emphysema affecting electric arcwelders to be recognised as industrial diseases.

I refer the hon. Member to my replies to the hon. Members for Paddington, North (Mr. Latham) and Southampton, Itchen (Mr.R. C. Mitchell) on 23rd May.—[Vol. 837, c. 823–9, 331–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement concerning the Government's policies relating to industrial diseases consequent upon the decision of Cartwright v. G. K. N. Sankey, decided in Birmingham in May, 1972.

I have studied the decision, and I am satisfied that there are no grounds for changing the provisions of the Industrial Injuries Act which have to be satisfied before a disease can be prescribed as an industrial disease.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the assistance approved for the year to 31st March, 1972, under the Local Employment Acts on factory building, loans, grants, operational grants, building grants, and plant and machinery grants, respectively.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a breakdown of the total assistance approved under the Local Employment Acts in the year to 31st March, 1972 between the different development areas and intermediate areas.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a breakdown for the year to 31st March, 1972, between the different development areas and intermediate areas of the additional employment expected to arise from assistance under the Local Employment Acts.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a breakdown of the total expenditure under the Local Employment Acts in the year to 31st March, 1972, between the different development areas and intermediate areas.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the expenditure for the year to 31st March, 1972, under the Local Employment Acts on factory building, loans, grants, operational grants, building grants and plant and machinery grants, respectively.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to amend the Trade Descriptions Act so as to stop the practice of manufacturers placing inflated recommendated prices on their goods, thus permitting retailers to evade the law and make bogus special offers.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade gave to the hon. Member for Govan (Mr. Rankin) on 19th June.—[Vol. 839, c 12.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the advance factories built but without tenants allocated to them; and how long each factory has been empty.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the effects of the floating of the £ sterling and the consequences for the machine tool industry of Great Britain's competitive position overseas on the viability of Messrs. Herbert-Ingersoll at Daventry in which Government money is invested.

It is not possible at this stage to make any assessment of the consequences for individual industries of the decision to float the £sterling on a temporary basis. In respect of Herbert-Ingersoll Ltd. it is for the Receiver to take into account the various factors including the floating of the £ sterling.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new manufacturing firms have informed him of their decision to operate in Wales since June, 1970; what is the estimated employment expected from these announcements; and if he will list the regions from which these firms have come.

We know of at least 70 firms originating outside the Principality or entirely new to manufacturing that have decided to locate new projects in Wales since June, 1970. Over half came from the Midlands and the South-East and the remainder from other parts of Great Britain and from overseas. The firms concerned estimate that these projects will eventually employ 8,350 when fully manned.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the report will be issued on the effect of the interim gravimetric dust standard introduced into coal mines in March, 1970; and if he will make a statement.

Because pneumoconiosis is slow to develop, the effects on the incidence of the disease of any new measures for its control are not apparent for many years. I am particularly concerned to secure further improvement in the control of the disease.The National Joint Pneumoconiosis Committee will be reviewing the experience of the last two years at a meeting I am calling. Meanwhile the hon. Member will be glad to know that the National Coal Board has succeeded in obtaining a significant overall improvement in dust conditions in the coal mines since the introduction of gravimetric sampling.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has now completed his consideration of re- ferring the proposed merger of the Rank Organisation and Watneys to the Monopolies Commission.

The Rank Organisation announced on 8th June that it was not proceeding with the proposed bid for Watney Mann.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what provisions of the European Economic Community Treaty and regulations affect the beer supply tied house system in Great Britain; and what steps he proposes in relation to this system prior to entering the European Economic Community.

Articles 85 to 90 of the Treaty of Rome deal with competition. The current inquiry by the European Commission to competition in the brewing industry in existing Member States is being conducted under Council Regulation 17. It would be inappropriate to consider whether action on the tied house system in Great Britain is required until the Erroll Committee has reported.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will investigate the extent of the changeover from tenanted public houses to managed houses by the major brewers, thereby further establishing the tie in all their products in managed houses, and inform the Erroll Committee of his findings; and if he will make a statement.

No. It is open to the Erroll Committee to make its own investigation of this matter if it regards it as relevant to its inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will institute an inquiry into the practices being adopted by the major brewers where trading arrangements between them are being established to exclude independent suppliers of drinks and other products, and submit his findings to the Erroll Committee.

No. If there are any such arrangements or agreements that fall within the scope of the restrictive trade practices legislation, this is a matter for the Registrar of Restrictive Trading Agreements.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what respects he disagrees with the proposal of the European Economic Community Commission for a community policy on scientific research and technological development.

This proposal has only just been received and is now being closely studied.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his policy is towards the European Economic Community Commission's proposal for a European committee on research and development.

This proposal has only just been received and is now being closely studied.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has put to the European Economic Community Commission for the future of Euratom in general, and the joint research centre in particular.

At this time, informal discussions are taking place between members of the Community and my officials on these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what work is being done in the United Kingdom on the direct underground gasification of coal.

Ten years experimental work had shown by 1959 that the commercial prospects did not justify further expenditure. The prospects have not improved since that date, and now no further work is being undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what work is being done in the United Kingdom on the conversion of coal into oil.

Research and development work on the conversion of coal into oil is being carried out in countries where the ratio of coal to oil prices is more favourable to such processes than in the United Kingdom. The progress of the work in this field is kept under review by the scientists of the National Coal Board and the Department, but at the moment no further work is being undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he can now state where the proposed European Patent Office will be sited.

It was agreed by a unanimous vote, save for ourselves and one other country who abstained, that the office should be at Munich.Agreement was however reached that the European Patent Office could arrange with the United Kingdom Patent Office that a substantial proportion of applications for European patents would be dealt with at the United Kingdom office over the ensuing 15 years.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the national expenditure on coal research; and what proportion of this is spent on research into uses of coal other than as a fuel.

The national expenditure on research and development on the production and utilisation of coal for the current financial year is approximately £5¼ million. To try to obtain further uses of coal, about £750,000 of this amount is being spent on research into the use of coal in new processes or by-products of carbonisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the figures for the past five years, both absolutely and as a percentage, of those graduates completing their first degrees who were still unemployed at the end of the year in which they graduated; how many were classified as in temporary work; and what were the individual percentage figures for the Universities and Polytechnic Colleges.

Figures are available only for university graduates. Of those graduating with first degrees in

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has received the report of the inquiry into the Rio Tinto Zinc smelter at Avonmouth; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, I have just received the report and am giving careful consideration to its recommendations. I hope to publish it during July.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been notified as redundant in Wales since June, 1970 to date; and how many establishments are involved.

During the period 1st June, 1970, to 23rd June, 1972, 592 notifications of redundancies, involving 32,200 people, were received by my Department in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is aware of the decision of Newton Chambers and Company to close its Ipswich subsidiary Ransomes and Rapier with the resultant loss of 700 jobs, and consequential increase in the unemployed in the Ipswich travel-to-work area by 26 per cent. on the Department's April, 1972 unemployment register; what discussions have taken place between the companies and his Department as to the implications of this move; whether he is satisfied that management is behaving within the code of practice as regards the decision and its implementation; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement regarding the actions of the management of Newton Chambers and Company in its proposal to close Ransomes and Rapier, in the light of the Code of Industrial Practice.

Yes, the Code of Industrial Relations Practice says that, before the final decision to make any substantial reduction in the work-force is taken, management should normally consult employees or the representatives. The Code however recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances which make this impossible. The firm has offered full co-operation with my officers in finding alternative employment for the redundant workers, and I have every reason to believe that employee representatives will be fully consulted over the details of the implementation of the redundancy

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement on preparations for the inquiry into the effects of value added tax on children's shoes.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to make a further statement shortly to announce the names of those who have agreed to serve on the committee of inquiry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost to the Exchequer of placing the whole burden of the educational services upon the Exchequer and of the resultant savings to the total of rates.

On the basis of relevant expenditure agreed with representatives of the local authorities, expenditure by local authorities on education and school meals and milk during the current year will amount to £2,541 million in Great Britain. The cost of transferring this to central government Votes and the resultant savings to the local rates would depend on what adjustments were made to the rate support grants.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average rate of inflation during the last two years; and what was the corresponding figure for the previous two years.

The average annual rate of increase in the general index of retail prices was 8¼ per cent. and 6 per cent. respectively.

asked the Prime Minister what information he has about the present whereabouts of the prayer-book bearing his signature, sent to Moscow for Master Leonid Slepak, by the All-Party Parliamentary Committee for the Release of Soviet Jewry.

I have no information about its present whereabouts.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the public speech which he made to the Press Association annual luncheon on 14th June on the question of prices and incomes.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to a Question from the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. Duffy).

asked the Prime Minister what reply he has sent to the communications he has received from Sir William McEwan Younger concerning the exploitation of North Sea oil.

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the speech on this subject which Sir William McEwan Younger made to the Leith Chamber of Commerce on 13th June. I would refer him to the answer I gave to a supplementary question from the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang) on 20th June.—[Vol. 839, c. 234.]

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on his discussions at the working dinner party with heads of nationalised industries, and the decisions on price restraint and co-operation with the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress.

I welcomed this opportunity to exchange views with the chairman on a variety of current issues of economic and industrial policy. On the second part of my hon. Friend's Question, I understand the CBI, which is well aware of the Government's hope that it will be able to extend its price restraint scheme, will be taking a decision on this matter next month. I welcome the current discussions between the CBI and the TUC on ways of improving industrial relations.

asked the Attorney-General how much of the country is now covered by land registration procedures; and, at present rates of progress, how long it will take for the whole country to be covered.

Registration of title in England and Wales is now compulsory in areas comprising approximately 23 million people, that is almost half the total population. It is not yet practicable to estimate when compulsory registration will cover the whole of England and Wales.But as I indicated when answering a Question by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Kinsey) on 29th March, 1972, Her Majesty's Government are anxious to expedite the extension of compulsory registration and the proposed reorganisation of the Land Registry which I then announced will help to achieve this object.—[Vol. 834, c. 104.]

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will list in one table the dates when all those covered by the Boyle Report on salaries for the higher paid state servants last received a salary increase; what increases were given to each grade; and what changes there have been in the expenses allowances to these individuals.

Yes. The table shows the dates when each group covered by the Boyle Report last received a salary increase together with the cash amount of the increase given. These increases were the final stages of the awards recommended in 1969 by the appropriate bodies advising on the pay of these groups, and the resultant salaries represented those thought to be correct at 1969 levels. In the case of the most senior

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he