asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give figures for retail food prices at the present time in the European Economic Community and the United Kingdom, equivalent to those given on page 16, paragraph 28 of Command Paper No. 4289, for October, 1969.

No. Comparisons of existing prices for particular foods are not a valid basis for estimating the effect of entry on our food prices because they do not take account of factors such as variations in product quality and definition, the effects of consumer preference on supply and demand, the varying incidence of VAT and the different systems of marketing and distribution.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the measures taken by his Department to ensure that ships of the Royal Navy, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Port Auxiliary Service comply with internationally and nationally approved rules on pollution.

All H.M. ships, Royal Fleet auxiliaries and vessels of the Port Auxiliary Service are required by regulations to comply with the terms of the Oil in Navigable Waters Acts and the orders and regulations made under them subject only to overriding operational requirements.Commanding officers are required to report immediately to their administrative authority any discharge which may occur in contravention of these regulations. The administrative authority is required to take action to contain the pollution and to report the circumstances and action taken to the Ministry of Defence. Disciplinary action would be taken in appropriate cases.

asked the Minister of State for Defence (1) how many dwellings were purchased for the Department's use in the Petersfield constituency in the last year, from the private and from the public authority sector, respectively, compared with purchases five years ago;

I regret that this information is not readily available; I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in respect of how many new or rebuilt educational buildings planning permission has been granted since 30th November, 1970, without provision being made for the access of disabled people as required by Section 8 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970; and if she will make a statement.

The information is not available, but local education authorities undertake this provision in so far as it is in the circumstances of a particular project both practicable and reasonable.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list by name and district the number of new primary schools commenced in Leicestershire since June, 1970, together with those older ones the replacement of which has started.

Primary school starts in Leicestershire since June, 1970, are as follows:

New Schools	Date of Start
Loughborough, Derby Road	December, 1970
Oadby Brookside	March, 1971
Melton Mowbray Junior	March, 1971
Barwell Earl Shilton	August, 1971
Market Harborough North	August, 1971
Wigston	March, 1972
Fleckney C. of E.	March, 1972
Burbage	March, 1972
Syston	March, 1972
Replacement
Quorn	March, 1972

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will seek to ascertain from local authorities the number of persons employed in the school meals service either on a full-time or part-time basis; and how many of these are employed on a contract basis.

No. Section 92 of the Education Act, 1944, only allows my right hon. Friend to ask for returns which are required for the purpose of the exercise of her functions under the Act. The return in question is not considered necessary for this purpose. There is a recommended staffing scale which local education authorities normally apply.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the dispute covering the Fletton brick industry in Bedfordshire, and detail the issues involved.

Some 1,300 Fletton brick workers went on unofficial strike on 7th June in protest against the terms of a wage and holiday agreement reached between the Fletton brick manufacturers and the men's union. Normal working was resumed on 9th June. On 3rd July, the effective date of the new agreement, there was a further unofficial stoppage over piece work rates involving 700 men at a number of brickworks in Bedford and Peterborough. Work was resumed on 7th July to allow negotiations to continue, and a settlement was reached on 10th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many appeals to industrial tribunals under the Redundancy Payments Act, 1965 have been dismissed because the applicant has not complied with the provisions of Section 21 of the Act in each year since the Act was passed.

I regret that figures on this basis are not obtainable without undue cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment in how many appeals to industrial tribunals under the Redundancy Payments Act, 1965 which have been dismissed because the applicant has not complied with the provisions of Section 21 of the Act his Department has offered to pay its share of the redundancy payment if the employer would waive Section 21.

Disallowance of an application by an industrial tribunal on any grounds bars payment of rebate. The action suggested, therefore, has never been open to my Department after an application has been dismissed under Section 21 by a tribunal.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what the current total of registered unemployed in the Petersfield constituency now is, at the most convenient date, for men and women, respectively, and among school leavers, for boys and girls, respectively; and how these figures compare with those one year before.

Following is the available information:

NUMBERS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED IN THE AREA COVERED BY THE PETERSFTELD AND ALTON EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE
		Men	Boys	Women	Girls	Total
June,
	1972	327	3	51	8	389
June,
	1971	358	3	43	10	414

Information about the numbers of unemployed school-leavers is available only for the whole of the Basingstoke Careers Office area, part of which is in the Petersfield constituency:

SCHOOL-LEAVERS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED IN THE AREA COVERED BY THE BASINGSTOKE CAREERS OFFICE
		Boys	Girls
June, 1972	…	5	3
June, 1971	…	14	8

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of all those in employment in the Petersfield constituency is employed in the retail trade.

At June, 1970, the latest date for which information is available, out of all employees in unemployment in the area covered by the Petersfield and Alton employment exchanges, 9·6 per cent. were in retail distribution.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions for negligence on the part of the employer have been brought as a result of industrial injuries to employees during each of the past 10 years.

During the period 1962–1971 the numbers of informations or complaints relating to contraventions of the Factories Act and regulations made there under, which resulted in bodily injury, including injury to health, are as follows:

1962	…	…	…	…	560
1963	…	…	…	…	526
1964	…	…	…	…	599
1965	…	…	…	…	737
1966	…	…	…	…	753
1967	…	…	…	…	621
1968	…	…	…	…	701
1969	…	…	…	…	653
1970	…	…	…	…	787
1971	…	…	…	…	724

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of serious industrial accidents which were reported to his Department in each of the past 10 years.

The number of accidents reported under the Factories Act which resulted in serious injury are estimated to have been:

1969	…	…	…	63,200
1970	…	…	…	57,000
1971	…	…	…	50,000

It is regretted that information for earlier years is not available.The numbers of fatalities reported were:

1962	…	…	…	…	668
1963	…	…	…	…	610
1964	…	…	…	…	655
1965	…	…	…	…	627
1966	…	…	…	…	701
1967	…	…	…	…	564
1968	…	…	…	…	625
1969	…	…	…	…	649
1970	…	…	…	…	556
1971	…	…	…	…	525

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of cases of deafness caused by excessive noise in factories brought to the attention of his Department in each of the last five years; and how many of these resulted in a prosecution against the employer.

I am sorry that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many new jobs for men in Scotland were created in the periods for the six years prior to June, 1970, and from June, 1970, to date; and how many existing jobs for Scotland were lost in the same period.

Precise information about job gains and job losses is not available, but an indication of the net change can be obtained by comparing levels of employment at different dates. Between June, 1964, and June, 1970, the number of male employees in employment in Scotland fell by about 85,000. Between June, 1970, and December, 1971, the latest date for which provisional figures are available, there was a further fall of around 46,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will set up a committee to review the efficacy of industrial tribunals and their appointees and to hear evidence thereon, such committee to be appointed from employers and workers organisations, the legal profession and others with special qualifications.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men, women, boys and girls are unemployed in Lanarkshire, to the nearest date.

At 12th June the total number of people registered as unemployed in Lanarkshire was 15,974, of whom 10,414 were men, 4,218 were women, 884 were boys and 458 were girls. The figures relate to the North Lanarkshire travel-to-work area plus the area covered by the Lanark, Lesmahagow and Shotts employment exchanges.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of men, women, boys and girls at present unemployed in the Hamil-

NUMBERS OF PEOPLE REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED IN EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AREAS AT 12TH JUNE, 1972
					Men	Boys	Women	Girls	Total
Hamilton	…	…	…	…	1,378	103	467	42	1,990
Blantyre	…	…	…	…	590	26	195	13	824
Larkhall	…	…	…	…	450	34	229	8	721

An occupational analysis is made of the numbers of men and women registered as wholly unemployed and the following

WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED MEN AND WOMEN REGISTERED FOR EMPLOYMENT IN CERTAIN OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS AS PERCENTAGES OF ALL REGISTERED WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED MEN AND WOMEN AT 12TH JUNE, 1972
	Hamilton		Blantyre		Larkhall
	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
Labouring and other unskilled occupations	55·0	32·3	63·0	37·4	52·4	21·8
Other occupations	45·0	67·7	37·0	62·6	47·6	78·2
Total all occupations	100·0	100·0	100·0	100·0	100·0	100·0

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in order to assist young people to buy houses, he will adopt the Australian scheme, details of which are in his possession, of matching first mortgagee's building society deposits with grants from the central Government.

Assistance equivalent to cash grants is already available in this country, through tax relief on mortgage interest payments or option mortgage subsidy, which is not provided in Australia. In present circumstances, the most effective way of helping young people to buy houses is to speed up the rate of completion of new houses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment for what purpose it is proposed to lease the intended office accommodation at Queen Anne's Mansions; and whether the anticipated occupants represent a further increase in the Civil Service, or will be transferred from existing accommodation.

Following is the available information:table shows (

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 21st February, 1972, to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Robert Cooke). The future occupants will be transferred from existing accommodation.—[Vol. 831, c. 219–20.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration has been given to the granting of legal aid to applicants to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; and if he will make a statement.

The scheme, which is experimental and non-statutory, provides that initial applications should be prepared with the assistance of the board's staff and that, in cases where there is a hearing because the applicant is dissatisfied with the board's original decision, proceedings should be conducted informally and in private. The view taken from the outset of the scheme has been that, though it should be open to an applicant to bring a friend or legal adviser to assist him in putting his case, the cost of legal representation should not be met from public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of foreign nationals, from what countries, connected with the oil industry who are now resident in the North-East.

I do not have adequate information on which to make a reliable estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what report he has received from the Chief Constable of Wiltshire regarding complaints against the police relating to their

			£ million at Out-turn prices				£ million (Provisional Out-turn)
	1965–66	1966–67	1967–68	1968–69	1969–70	1970–71	1971–72
Central Government
Current	2·2	2·6	3·1	3·0	4·0	4·3	6·2
Capital	0·7	1·5	3·0	2·5	3·1	2·9	5·2
Local Government
Current*	178·6	198·0	223·6	260·4	260·4	314·0	366·8
Capital	14·8	18·2	18·2	15·0	16·1	19·0	23·1
Total	196·3	220·3	247·9	259·3	283·6	340·2	401·3
* Including loan charges.

Grant is paid by the Home Office to police authorities at the rate of 50 per cent. on local police expenditure—except in the City of London, where the rate is 33⅓ per cent. In the case of the Metropolitan Police there is an additional payment from central funds for expenditure on protection and other duties. Most of the central Government expenditure is on common police services, towards the cost of which police authorities contribute 50 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the net cost to public funds of providing aid in criminal cases in England and Wales in the years 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, failure to take action on complaints they received from the public about the keeping and treatment of dogs at No. 7 East Street, Swindon; and if he will make a statement concerning his appointment of an officer from another police force to investigate the complaints.

I have written to the hon. Member in some detail about the points he has raised.

Mr. Fowler asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total net current and capital expenditure by central and local government on the police service in England and Wales in the years 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, and 1971–72.

The figures are as follows:1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, and 1971–72.

Figures for 1971–72 are not yet available. The remainder are as follows:

			£
1965–66	…	…	2,278,265
1966–67	…	…	2,719,524
1967–68	…	…	3,447,226
1968–69	…	…	4,267,157
1969–70	…	…	5,877,368
1970–71	…	…	8,065,593

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable as to the cause of the fire at No. 7 East Street, Swindon, on Thursday 4th May, 1972.

:The information available to the chief constable suggests that the fire was caused accidentally in an attempt to break up and burn an old settee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the total number of immigrants from Commonwealth countries, including dependent relatives, who have entered the United Kingdom since June, 1970; and if he will also list the numbers on a country-by-country basis.

Commonwealth citizens were admitted to this country for settlement between 1st July, 1970, and 31st May, 1972, as follows:—

Associated States	558
Australia	3,054
Bangladesh	345
Barbados	687
Botswana	17
Canada	1,631
Cyprus	623
Gambia	4
Ghana	326
Gibraltar	57
Guyana	373
Hong Kong	3,833
India	13,443
Jamaica	3,643
Kenya	992
Lesotho	6
Malawi	21
Malaysia	467
Malta	1,170
Mauritius	627
New Zealand	1,024
Nigeria	949
Pakistan	14,091
Rhodesia	24
Sierra Leone	41
Singapore	371
Sri Lanka	1,030
Swaziland	4
Tanzania	255
Trinidad and Tobago	418
Uganda	334
Zambia	60
United Kingdom passport holders from East Africa	20,538
Others	1,647
Total	72,663

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will move to amend Standing Orders to ensure that all parties represented in the House from Scottish constituencies are represented in future on all Scottish Standing Committees.

I think these are matters best left to the Committee of Selection.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will consider installing either in the Library or elsewhere in the House facilities for Members to view videotape recordings of television programmes transmitted by the British Broadcasting Corporation or the Independent Television Authority.

The Library Sub-Committee of the Services Committee has investigated this possibility but concluded that at present a service that would be acceptable to the House could not be provided without disproportionate expense.I am sure that such a system would be regarded as successful only if it provided a speedy current affairs service. It is clear from the investigations of the Library Sub-Committee that the electronic video recording system, which we thought to be the most suitable for this purpose, as yet cannot meet this demand.I understand, however, that progress on the development of a more satisfactory system is likely and I will ask the Library Sub-Committee to ensure that the House is kept fully informed.

Mr. Lomas asked the Lord President of the Council what has been the percentage increase in the price of meals in the Strangers' Dining Room from June, 1970, to the present date; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.The percentage increase in the price of meals in the Strangers' Dining Room from June, 1970, to the present date is 35 per cent.

asked the Lord President of the Council what was the price of a three-course meal in the Strangers' Dining Room in June, 1970, and July, 1972.

I have been asked to reply.The price of a three-course lunch in the Strangers' Dining Room in June, 1970, was 72½p and of a dinner 84p. In July, 1972, lunch was 98p and dinner £l·13p. In addition a temporary surcharge of 5p has been added to cuts off the joint owing to the increase in meat prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent his regulations under the Inland Revenue rulings permit a person to enter into a covenant for tax-free payments to theatres; and whether, and in what way, a theatre can be registered as a charitable trust.

On the first part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to Section 360 and Part XVI of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970; on the second part I have been asked to refer him to Section 4 of the Charities Act, 1960.

Mr. Arthur Lewis asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of the theatres which are registered as charitable trusts.

This information is not readily available and it would take a disproportionate amount of time and

	Year of appointment to Tax Office grade
	1956	1957	1958
(1) Officers appointed who are still in the Chief Inspector's branch as at 1st January, 1972	421	322	481
(2) Officers included in (1) who were limited competition entrants	210	34	31
(3) Officers included in (1) who are now in higher grades	168	145	229
(4) Officers included in (3) who were limited competition entrants	69	18	16

Information is not available to show the number of those now serving in the Civil Service elsewhere than in the Chief Inspector's branch of the Inland Revenue, but it would be small.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps effort to ascertain. The registered particulars of any registered charity are available for public inspection at the Department of Education and Science or the Charity Commission, as appropriate, provided that the name of the institution and the area in which it operates is known.

Mr. Gorst asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of raising from l·25p to 2p the point beyond which gaming machines attract gaming machine licence duty of a higher rate.

The cost would depend mainly on the number of machines currently liable to higher rates of licence duty which were converted to take advantage of the concession.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Inland Revenue employees appointed to tax office grade in 1956, 1957 and 1958 are now in the service; how many of these were limited-competition entrants; how many are now in higher grades; and how many of these were limited-competition entrants.

The table below gives information concerning officers, including promotees, appointed to the tax officer grade in 1956, 1957 and 1958 who were still in the Chief Inspector's branch of the Inland Revenue as at 1st January, 1972, the latest date for which information is available.through his consultative committee to discourage building societies from the recent practice of advancing mortgage loans, not on the earning capacity of the applicants, but on the certified capital value of their house.

When determining the amount they are prepared to lend, building societies are required by Statute in the interests of their depositors to ascertain the value of the security. They also normally take into account a borrower's earning capacity. I am not aware of any change in this practice.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the extra cost to the United Kingdom of joining the European Economic Community on the basis that the £ sterling is fixed at an exchange rate of $2·40.

The question posed by the hon. Member is hypothetical.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will list the number of senior registrars in each regional hospital board, together with the total population which is covered.

The latest available information is as follows:

Regional Hospital Board	Number of Senior Registrars	Population (thousands)
Newcastle	44	3,108·5
Leeds	43	3,221·6
Sheffield	51	4,647·1
East Anglian	27	1,753·1
North West Metropolitan	88	4,169·8
North East Metropolitan	24	3,405·2
South East Metropolitan	45	3,558·9
South West Metropolitan	49	3,260·7
Oxford	34	1,960·7
South western	37	3,141·9
Birmingham	96	5,178·0
Manchester	65	4,569·8
Liverpool	50	2,273·9
Wessex	47	2,004·6

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of the gainfully employed population of the Petersfield constituency he estimates is employed in horticulture and agriculture, and service industries supplying agriculture.

The latest information at present available is from the 1966 Sample Census. This shows that out of an estimated 40,020 persons enumerated in the area who were in employment, 3,710–9·2 per cent.—were employed in agriculture, horticulture or forestry. It is not possible to identfy within the industrial classification those service industries solely involved in supplying this sector of industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to announce his decision on the report of the Joint Superannuation Consultative Committee.

At the meeting of the Joint Superannuation Consultative Committee on 10th July it was confirmed that the proposals contained in the committee's report had been ratified by the staff associations. Amending regulations to give effect to the proposals, all of which I accept, will now be made as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultants, full-time and part-time, were serving on the Coventry Hospital Management Committee on 31st March in each of the past five years.

The figures are as follows:

1968	…	…	…	…	…	5
1969	…	…	…	…	…	5
1970	…	…	…	…	…	5
1971	…	…	…	…	…	4
1972	…	…	…	…	…	4

With the exception of one whole time consultant in the 1972 figure all were maximum part-time consultants.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he Will institute an inquiry into the benefits, or otherwise, of patients being admitted to the Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, from Rugby and other surrounding areas.

No. We are satisfied that the development of the Walsgrave Hospital has resulted in an improvement in hospital services available to patients in East Warwickshire.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospital management committees are operating the model standing orders approved by Parliament.

Model standing orders for hospital management committees have not been approved by Parliament. The model was issued for their guidance, but they are empowered to revoke or vary the orders they themselves make.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the recommendations of the British Medical Association panel on pharmaceutical products, he will now introduce legislation requiring adequate safeguards in the packaging, supply, security and distribution of poisonous drugs and pills.

I would refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Willesden, West (Mr. Pavitt) on 30th June.—[Vol. 839, c. 438.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what assistance he proposes to afford the severely deaf to purchase new hearing aids, in view of his decision to take no further steps to improve the OL66 hearing-aid; whether his Department is able to give such persons advice with regard to the choice of privately-produced hearing aids; and what help will be available to them from his Department for the repair and maintenance of such apparatus.

The question of improving the OL66 did not arise. It was originally envisaged as an improvement on the body-worn aids available under the National Health Service but, in the event, proved not to be such. As my right hon. Friend indicated in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley (Miss Joan Hall) on 8th May, we are looking into ways of improving the range of hearing aids available through the National Health Service, and in this connection, the needs of the severely deaf are much in our minds.My right hon. Friend has no powers to provide financial assistance towards the purchase and upkeep of hearing aids obtained privately. Advice about private transactions is not a matter for the Department, but hearing aid dispensers on the register of the Hearing Aid Council are required by their code of practice to give the best possible advice they can to their clients regarding hearing aids and their use.—[Vol. 836, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what records are available in his Department concerning injuries caused by defects in playground equipment; and what inquiries are being undertaken by the Department to ascertain the nature and extent of such injuries.

No such records are available, and we have no evidence that injuries from playground equipment call for special inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has made it obligatory upon the licensing authority for the production of drugs to follow the advice of the Medicines Commission.

The Medicines Act, 1968, provides that the licensing authority shall not refuse to grant a product licence for a human medicinal product on grounds relating to safety, quality or efficacy except after consulting the Committee on Safety of Medicines. In practice, all substantive applications for new product licences have been referred to the committee and, subject to the operation of the appeal procedures under the Act, the authority has acted in accordance with its advice.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, when appointing members to bodies created under the Medicines Act, 1968, he will bear in mind that employees of research companies have a contractual relationship with all the drug manufacturers who employ them.

Certainly; the relationship is of course vicarious rather than direct.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the aggregate amount of payments made by the Supplementary Benefits Commission to those involved in industrial disputes after resumption of work since the entry into force of Section 2 of the Social Security Act, 1971.

At 4th July, 1972, the provisional total of supplementary benefit paid after return to work in larger disputes was £59,337.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the sterling value, and the percentage of total imports, of finished consumer goods imported into the United Kingdom in the last available three-month period; and what were the figures for the same period 12 months ago.

For March to May, 1972, imports of consumer goods—including cars—were approximately £275 million representing 10 per cent. of total imports compared with about £190 million and 7½ per cent. in the corresponding period of 1971. These figures aggregate those headings in Sections 7 and 8—Finished Manufactures—of the Overseas Trade Statistics which are believed to include mainly consumer goods. The allocation between consumer and capital goods is to some extent arbitrary as some imports—for example cars—may be used for either purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on the discussions which have taken place between his Department and the British Insurance Association as to the means by which the Association can contribute towards giving greater confidence to the public who take out motor insurance policies.

While standing ready to give the Department all possible general assistance and information, the British Insurance Association feels it incompatible with its character as a trade association to be itself involved in monitoring or investigation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will prohibit the import of live tortoises into this country, in view of the numbers being imported and the unsuitable climatic conditions in Great Britain which result in a very high mortality rate.

Such a ban would not be justified on evidence currently available. Restrictions limiting imports of common species of tortoise only to the period 1st April-30th June each year were introduced earlier this year in the interests of controlling numbers and of facilitating acclimatisation, which is important to the survival of the animals. The full effects of this measure cannot yet be assessed.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to publish the promised Green Paper dealing with consolidation and amendment of the hallmarking Statutes.

We hope to publish a consultative document on the administration and enforcement of hallmarking, but cannot yet say when this will be.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he intends that the costs of any regional policy in an enlarged European Economic Community should be paid for out of the Community budget.

The Community has recognised that the resources devoted to regional development by national governments should be supplemented by assistance from Community funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans have so far been made for the widening of the Llanrwst-Llangernyw road at, or in the vicinity of, Tafarn-y-Fedw, Denbighshire.

This is a principal road for which Denbighshire County Council is the highway authority. Improvements are planned, but I understand that certain difficulties are arising in acquiring land.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales which industrial enterprises were the main sources of pollution of the River Taff.

A variety of industrial enterprises in the catchment area of the River Taff contribute to its pollution. A major source is undoubtedly the Treforest Industrial Estate.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales which local authority sewage plants are themain sources of pollution of the River Taff.

Most local authorities in the catchment areas of the Taff and its tributaries contribute in some degree to the pollution of the river.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average truancy rate in the latest year for which figures are available in secondary schools; and what was the rate 10 years ago.

This information is not available.