asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what reply she has made to the representatives of the Sunderland Council of Churches about the provision of a fully comprehensive system of secondary education in Sunderland.

:The Department has written to the Council explaining that later this month my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State will be meeting a deputation from the Sunderland local education authority to discuss this question.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities in England and Wales have adopted a middle school system entailing transfer from primary school of children of nine years of age; and if she will re-examine this method of secondary education.

At 1st January, 1971, the latest date for which information is available, 13 authorities operated 9–13 middle school schemes in the whole or a part of their area I consider on their merits all proposals submitted to me under Section 13 of the Education Act, 1944, as amended.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of secondary schools are now comprehensive in their organisation.

About 25 per cent. of maintained secondary schools in England.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the report of the Committee on Non-Vocational Adult Education is now expected to be published.

On present information, I do not expect to receive the report until the end of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will introduce legislation to ensure the continuation of free dental and optical treatment for sixth-form pupils who are transferred to colleges of further education.

I assume that my hon. Friend is concerned about the supply of dentures and spectacles. Legislation to amend the National Health Service Act would be for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services to consider. Local education authorities, however, have powers to make special arrangements to meet these students' needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is her latest estimate of the cost of implementing the James Report, in its current form.

Depending upon the extent to which the recommendations are implemented and the size of the teaching force at the time, I expect the figures to be upwards of £50 million annual recurrent expenditure and £30 million capital expenditure plus further sums which cannot yet be estimated.The report itself, however, envisages that its proposals would be implemented in large measure by a redeployment of existing resources; to that extent the net additional public expenditure would be less than the estimates quoted above.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will state the latest estimated extra cost of school building this year due to increased building costs.

About £36 million in 1972–73.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent in the last year by her Department on direct grant and public schools.

The figure was £7,600,000 on direct grant schools; no payments are made by my Department to independent schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make a statement on her consideration of ways of providing protection against the awarding of degrees without insistence on the acquisition of academic qualification.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make a statement about her consideration of means of protection against the sale of degrees.

There would be difficulties over legislation, but I am considerating whether there are alternative means of protection against such activities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether pending the survey report she will provide interim guidance for local education authorities on the provision of more effective advice on careers for school leavers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice she will now give to local education authorities about careers advice, following her study of career guidance.

I do not expect to receive the survey report before Easter 1973. No interim report will be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in her study of career guidance provided at schools, what consultation she has had with the Department of Employment.

Consultation has taken place at every stage of the survey so far.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is satisfied with the present quinquennial system of financing university education; and if she will make a statement.

The present system has long been regarded as giving the universities the great advantage of a firm basis for planning over a five-year period. If the University Grants Committee, which advises me on university finance, were to propose a change in the system, I would be ready to consider it.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent proposals have been made to her by the Advisory Committee on Handicapped Children for increasing the pro vision for their education; and if she will make a statement.

Increasing provision for the education of handicapped children is being made through building programmes with 4,800 school places authorised to start in 1970–71, 5,300 in 1971–72, and 6,600 in 1972–73.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will revise the ruling on minimum education qualifications for music teachers so that the experienced performer may continue to help pupils to master the use of musical instruments.

An experienced performer may already teach in schools as an instructor if no qualified teacher help is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make available additional expenditure to facilitate the merging of local education authorities that will be brought about as a result of the proposed reorganisation of local government.

Exchequer assistance to local authorities in respect of education and other services is given by means of rate support grants the amount of which are determined following negotiations between the local authority associations and Government Departments over the estimated level of relevant expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what requests have been made to her for provision of public funds for nursery classes in Bournemouth; and what sums she intends to provide.

The resources being made available for additional nursery provision under the urban programme are being concentrated in areas of acute social need, and therefore Bournemouth has not submitted any proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is her latest estimate of the cost of introducing universal nursery school education in England and Wales.

:The provision of nursery education in England and Wales by 1981 on the scale suggested in the Plowden Report would cost at 1972 prices at least £100 million in capital expenditure and would add about £50 million in current expenditure to that expected on present trends.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will initiate discussions with the Portsmouth City Council to consider how nursery school facilities can be extended, particularly in neighbourhoods such as Somers town, Landport, Portsea, Hilsea, Wymering, Highbury, Paulsgrove and other areas where the need is great; and whether she will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has recently invited local authorities to submit further proposals under the urban programme for projects in areas of multiple social deprivation. I hope that Portsmouth and other authorities will give high priority to additional facilities for nursery education.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how soon he expects to be able to implement the proposals of the Plowden Report on Nursery Education; and if he has estimated the cost and possible timing of full implementation.

At present I cannot add to what I said in the debate on nursery education on 12th May.—[Vol. 836, c. 1756–802.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is ready to make a statement about the future of the School Health Service in the light of proposals for the reorganisation of the National Health Service.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I attach great importance to the continuation in the future of the same close relationship as at present between child health and education; we have wished to be assured before reaching a decision about any transfer of School Health Service responsibilities to a reorganised National Health Service that collaborative arrangements could be devised which would ensure full LEA participation.A Working Party on Collaboration has been studying co-operation between a reorganised National Health Service and local government, and we are now satisfied that local education authorities would be closely identified with the planning of health authorities for child health generally. We are therefore agreed that the medical and dental inspection and treatment functions of local education authorities should at an appropriate time become the responsibility of the National Health Service. Local education authorities would have continuing responsibility for identifying and meeting special educational needs and the National Health Service would undertake to provide them with the health advice and resources they would require for these purposes and for any other of their functions.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, and I believe that it will be in the interests of child health for there to be an integrated service, To this end we propose that the professional staff concerned should be employed by a reorganised National Health Service. There would be for each area a doctor and dentist on the staff of the area health authority with the function of advising the local education authority in the same way as do the Principal School Medical Officer and the Principal School Dental Officer now.I understand that consideration is still being given to whether local education authorities may need to retain powers to secure advice and resources in exceptional circumstances. The report from the Working Party on this and other related matters will be circulated to all the appropriate associations for comment.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average total in cost to public funds of providing a place in a nursery school and an undergraduate place at university.

At November, 1971, prices the annual cost per place of full-time education in a nursery school is about £220. The average cost of a student at a university in 1970–71 was £1,251 including grants to students.The total capital cost of a nursery place ranges from £470 in a nursery class to £631 in a nursery school. For a university arts student the average capital cost is about £2,200 and for a science student about £5,500.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she will be able to report on her discussions with chairmen of local education authorities on how the school meals service can best be developed to meet modern conditions.

Following the discussions which took place earlier this year, I and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales have set up a committee to review the aims and organisation of the school meals service. The Committee has already begun its work and is expected to report next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will ask the working party on methods of learning to read, which she announced recently, to examine the merits of the inital teaching alphabet.

The terms of reference of the committee are wide enough to enable it to study this subject and I think it probable that it will do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the outcome of her discussions, following the request of the Trustees of the National Gallery that they should have free entry to their Gallery on one day a week, and compensate for loss of revenue by charging double on two other days.

:Discussions between the Trustees of the National Gallery and my noble Friend about the introduction of admission charges are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations she has had about difficulties encountered by student teachers who wish to get teaching practice in schools; and whether she will set up an inquiry.

:My right hon. Friend has received no representations. The provision of suitable teaching practice places has been a matter of difficulty since the great expansion of teacher education in the sixties. The extent and rôle of teaching practice was one of the matters considered by the James Committee and a further inquiry at this stage would not be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will state the amount of financial assistance given directly from public funds to the Centre for Multi-Racial Studies at Sussex University in each of the years 1968 to 1971.

Sussex University received a block recurrent grant to cover all its activities and decides for itself how much to spend on the Centre for Multi-Racial Studies. I understand that in addition to the Social Science Research Council made a grant of nearly £13,400 for a research project between 1968 and 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is satisfied that there will be sufficient suitable accommodation for the number of students who may be expected in universities and colleges in 1973 and thereafter; and if she will make a statement.

:In the universities the prospective growth in residential provision up to 1974–75 is in line with the University Grants Committee's estimate of the requirements. My right hon. Friend is now considering their advice on later developments. In the polytechnics residential places are expected to rise from around 5,000 in 1971 to almost double that number in 1975 and local authorities have submitted proposals for projects they would like to start in 1974–75.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will seek to extend the provisions of the Offices, Shops and Rail way Premises Act, 1963, to all educational establishments.

:Substantial safeguards for teachers and pupils are already provided under the existing law, but I will consider this matter when I have had a chance to study the report of the Committee on Safety and Health at Work.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will exercise her discretion under Section 55(1) of the Education Act, 1944, to instruct all local education authorities to meet the fares of pupils who have been accepted for places in direct grant schools at their parents' expense although not originally selected for such schools by their local authorities.

No. Local education authorities already have the power to assist with travelling expenses any pupils for whom they do not provide free transport.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make a statement on her policy on the inclusion of parents on school governing bodies.

I welcome the appointment of parents to the managing and governing bodies of maintained schools whenever this is practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average mileage that children of primary school age travel to school in rural areas; and if she will expedite the inquiry into school transport.

I am sure that the working party on school transport will complete its report as quickly as is consistent with doing a thorough job. Information on the first part of my hon. Friend's question is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why there is no classroom teacher on the committee of inquiry into the reading and use of English in schools.

I appointed members of the Committee on the basis of the particular contribution they could be expected to make to the Inquiry. The head teachers on the Committee are themselves classroom teachers of considerable experience.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will make a further statement on her consideration of Government policy towards students' unions.

Discussions with parties principally concerned are continuing.

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many previous military officers and senior Defence Ministry civil servants have joined firms with contracts to supply arms to the Ministry of Defence in the last five years; and if he will consider making it a requirement on becoming an officer or senior civil servant that joining such firms after retirement is prohibited without specific sanction.

Over the last five years. 108 Service Officers, and nine senior civil servants—at two-star level and above—in the Ministry of Defence, have joined firms with a contractual relationship with the Ministry.Officers and civil servants at two-star level and above, and others who have held posts of a special or technical character, are prohibited from joining such firms, within two years after retirement or resignation, without specific permission.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will ensure that firms seeking contracts to supply arms to his Department will be disqualified if they have previous Government Ministers as directors or employees.

No.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what is the number of civilian employees, leaving out Ministry technicians, he expects will be employed at the rocket range in the Western Isles when the present building programme is completed in 1976.

:About 243 civilians employed by the Ministry of Defence and the Department of the Environment, including 37 who will require technical qualifications which may preclude local recruitment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners now on remand in Brixton Prison will have had to wait more than six months between committal for trial and adjudication by a higher court.

Information in this precise form cannot be provided. I have written to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give statistics showing the percentage increase over the last 10 years of crimes of violence in Great Britain as compared with the percentage increase over the similar period in the countries of the European Economic Community.

No such comparison can reliably be made, owing to national differences in the definition of criminal offences and in the availability and method of compilation of national criminal statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and women in custody in Her Majesty's Prisons received Pay As You Earn repayments in each of the years ended 5th April, 1969, 1970 and 1971; and what was the total repayment in each year.

I regret that this information is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will call for a report from the Chief Constable giving details of who conducted the inquiry into allegations made against Detective Inspector Ronald Larby that he was co-habiting with a serving prisoner's wife whilst carrying out official police duties; whether he will call for a report from him as to whether the inquiry ordered by Chief Constable John Nightingale of Essex and Southend-on-Sea was conducted by police officers outside Essex and Southend-on-Sea; and whether he will make a copy of the report available to the hon. Member for West Ham, North.

:The chief constable tells me that the inquiry into these allegations was conducted by a chief superintendent of the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Joint Constabulary. I cannot see my way to making a copy of the report available to the hon. Member, but I shall be writing to him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has been informed of the official proposals of the Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board that betting shops should be established in factories and workshops; and whether he will agree to meet the Chairman of the Board to discuss these proposals.

I have read of the Chairman's suggestions. He has not asked to discuss them with my right hon. Friend.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether vehicle inspection fees will be liable to value added tax.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the 1971 murder figure; and if he will make a statement.

:The latest corrected figure for offences of murder known to the police in England and Wales in 1971 is 177. Of these, three offences are pending before the courts and 28 offences are not yet cleared up. The corresponding 1970 figure was 135, with 17 offences not cleared up.As I foreshadowed, this is a disturbing increase. But it is right to point out that, as the table below shows, the increase, compared with the previous year, is mainly accounted for by a rise in "abnormal" murder, that is, murder in which the suspect was found insane or committed suicide.In 1971, as in previous years, in the majority of offences of murder the victim was related to, or otherwise an associate of, the suspect.Among the "normal" murders which were cleared up, quarrels, jealousy and revenge were the predominant motives. Theft or other gain appeared to be the motive in 19 cases. Two murders were committed while resisting arrest.

:The charges made for inspections of vehicles carried out by garages, motor engineers, etc., as a normal commercial service would be taxable in the same way as charges made for other professional or trade services. The fees charged for the annual inspection of vehicles under the Road Traffic Act. 1972 would be regarded, for the purpose of value added tax, as not constituting a taxable supply and tax would therefore not be chargeable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the charities which have made representations to him to secure zero-rating under value added tax; and what replies he has sent.

My right hon. Friend has received representations asking for various forms of relief from a number of individual charities and from organisations with a more general interest in this sector, such as the National Council of Social Service and the Churches Main Committee. The replies have explained that, as my right hon. Friend said in his Budget speech, the overall effect on the cost of charities of the changes in indirect taxation, taking into account the abolition of purchase tax and SET, is likely to be small, and when account is taken of the estate duty and capital gains tax concessions it is clear thatcharities will be substantial net beneficiaries from the Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate Customs and Excise has made on the revenue likely to be raised from value-added tax on the takings of coin-operated amusement machines, other than those subject to gaming machine licence duty.

No estimate has been made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate Customs and Excise has made of the amount of the revenue to be raised from value added tax on the hiring of machines subject to gaming machine licence duty.

No estimate has been made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which advertising agency has the National Savings Bank account.

Dorland Advertising Ltd.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the extra cost of issuing gaming machine licences to take effect from the beginning of any month; and what is the cost of collecting them under the present system.

:Separate figures for the cost of collection of this duty are not available. Issue of licences to begin in any month throughout the year would, however, necessarily involve extra staff costs and would make enforcement more difficult.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he pro poses to take in relation to the threatened closure of the Dagenham Cold Store Plant, in view of the additional unemployment that this will cause in Barking and Dagenham.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he is taking to settle the dispute involving the Dagenham Storage and Cold Stores Plant.

The industrial action taken against these two companies is unofficial. My officials have had contact with the management and the unions but no agreement was reached in the direct talks which subsequently took place. Curtailment of work as a result of the unofficial blacking has resulted in management giving notice to 18 employees at the Cold Stores company. My right hon. Friend does not consider there is scope for conciliation in this dispute.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the details of the 50 major settlements reached since the settlement of the miners' claim, indicating in each case the group of persons covered, the estimated percentage rise in earnings and the numbers involved

:The settlements to which my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council referred in his reply to the debate on 29th June, approximately 50 in number, were settlements in the public sector, and included all such settlements notified to my Department in this period.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the details of the Wages Councils orders made for the most recent 12-month period, indicating in each case the estimated percentage increase in earnings.

Details of the Wages Council orders becoming effective

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of registered unemployed at the Dartford and Gravesend employment exchanges at the latest available date; what were these figures in percentage terms; and what was the comparable national percentage figure.

:At 12th June, the numbers of people registered as unemployed in the Dartford and Gravesend Employment Exchange areas were 773 and 1,259, respectively. The percentage rates of unemployment were 3·0 for the Dartford and Gravesend travel-to-work area and 3·5 for Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if there is provision for special training places for disabled persons in each Government training centre in Scotland; and how many places are available.

Places are not specially reserved in Government Training Centres for disabled people capable of taking up ordinary employment. Nevertheless, such disabled people are encouraged to apply for suitable courses and they constitute about 10 per cent. of the total numbers in training in Government Training Centres in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is now in a position to say when he will publish the Report of the Robens Committee on Safety and Health at work.

I intend to publish the report on Wednesday next, 19th July and to make a statement to the House that day.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has submitted to the Greater London Council under Circular 80 procedure for the construction of a new office complex at Vauxhall Bridge; how high is the tower block envisaged; and if he will arrange for a model and photo-montages of the proposal to be exhibited in the committee floor display area of the House of Commons.

Plans for a building to house 6,500 civil servants were formally submitted in October, 1971, following three years of informal discussions with the Planning Authority. The tower block of the proposed building is 450 feet high. I will arrange for a model to be exhibited as the right hon. Member has suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) in view of his policy in relation to unlet office blocks, if he will make a statement on the 15-storey Concourse House, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Exchange;(2) what representations he has received from the leader of the Liverpool City Council regarding unlet office buildings in the City of Liverpool; and what reply he has sent;(3) in view of his policy in relation to unlet office blocks, if he has been in formed how long Concourse House in the Liverpool Exchange constituency has been unlet since its opening.

I understand that only a small part of Concourse House has been occupied since its completion in 1969, despite attempts by the owners to let the rest of the building. I am considering the representations made to my right hon. Friend by the Leader of Liverpool City Council, and will be writing to him shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is yet able to make a statement on compensation for householders who are placed in a position of blight by proximity.

Not yet.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in view of the fact that legislation has been introduced into the United States Congress providing for a national programme of road markings on secondary rural roads, including centre, lane and edge lining, whether he will introduce such a programme in this country.

Comprehensive advice is already available to local highway authorities on road markings. We are together with other European countries considering American practice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of accidents that occurred during the latest period for which figures are available for principal rural roads in which vehicles ran off the highway because of the absence of any delineation of the edge of the carriageway.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the fact that three times more road accidents occur during the hours of darkness than in daylight, he will specify that for new construction, major improvements and maintenance of unlit rural roads, for which he is highway authority, the edge of the carriageway shall be delineated with reflectorised road markings.

My Department recommends the laying of a 6-inch wide reflectorised line on the nearside and offside of carriageways on all trunk and principal roads and on any other roads where there is heavy night traffic. On motorways the reflectorised line is 8 inches in width.According to my information 70 per cent. of all road accidents occur in daylight.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what requests have been made to him concerning the diversion of the A19 road at Balne Moor to make way for a Yorkshire regional airport.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many firms in Wales are now registered under the Alkali Acts.

I have been asked to reply.As of 12th July, 1972, 219 works in Wales were registered under the Alkali Etc. Works Regulation Act, 1906.