asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated home production of beef and veal, mutton and lamb, pigmeat and pork, bacon and ham for the latest convenient date; and what were the comparative figures for 12 months previously.

Following are the figures requested.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest consumption figures of beef and veal, mutton and lamb, pigmeat and pork, bacon and ham at the latest convenient date; and what were the comparative figures 12 months previously.

The following table shows quantities moving into consumption in the United Kingdom:

asked the Attorney-General in how many cases in each of the years 1970, 1971 and 1972 were applications made for the adjournment of bankruptcy proceedings by debtors supported by the Government; and if he will publish the circumstances in which this was done.

Applications for the adjournment of public examinations on behalf of the debtors, the Official Receivers or the Trustee in Bankruptcy have been made on the following occasions:

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many contractors have succeeded in obtaining contracts for office cleaning in his Department in the last five years; where he will publish their names; and how many firms tendered.

The information requested is not readily available and could not be provided without disproportionate expenditure of time and effort.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the annual saving to his Department by employing contractors to do office cleaning instead of employing cleaners as part of his staff.

No estimate has been made of the saving to the Department as a whole of using contract cleaners instead of directly employed labour. Cleaning arrangements are made locally and the required information from the large number of establishments involved is not available.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will allow facilities for trade union recruitment and organisation on the premises of his Department during hours in which cleaners are employed.

Facilities for trade union recruitment and organisation are granted to recognised unions in respect of civil servants. My Department is not responsible for such arrangements in respect of employees of contractors, but if any contractor asks for help in providing such facilities on my Department's premises in respect of any of his employees who work there I will consider his request.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will state the annual percentage increase in contract prices for cleaning his Department's offices in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971; and how this compares with the annual percentage wage increase of maintenance staff actually employed by his Department.

This information is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate expenditure of time and effort.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if No. 767 Phantom Training Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm is to retain its identity and remain under Royal Naval control following its transfer from Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton to Royal Air Force, Leuchars.

No. 767 Phantom Training Squadron has now been disbanded and will be replaced by a training flight to be formed at RAF Leuchars on 1st September. This flight will be under RAF command and control but apart from its Commanding Officer, its aircraft and maintenance staff will be provided by the Royal Navy.

asked the Minister of State for Defence for what reason, and on whose authority, the decision was taken to curtail the frequency of the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace; why other regiments were not invited to participate in the ceremony in order to maintain the traditional daily change; and when the normal arrangements are likely to be reinstated.

It became necessary to curtail the frequency of the Changing of the Guard ceremony when a battalion of the Household Division was withdrawn from London District for duties in Northern Ireland. This was done on the authority of the Major General Commanding London District, in consultation with the Ministry of Defence. No other regiments with the necessary ceremonial training are at present available. I cannot forecast when arrangements will return to normal.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will state the last occasion on which there was a departure from the tradition of the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

In 1956.

asked the Minister of State for Defence how much public notice was given of the intention to curtail the frequency of the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace; and what consultations took place with the London Tourist Board before the announcement of this decision.

A Press release was issued on 27th July as soon as the dispatch of reinforcements to Northern Ireland was announced. There were no prior consultations with the London Tourist Board but it was notified of the position on 27th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate she has made of the loss in receipts from admission charges at the Wallace Collection for the one free day weekly, without compensatory increases on other days, which has been decided upon by the Trustees of that institution.

The proposal for a free day from the Trustees was not specific enough to enable an estimate to be made of the loss in receipts. The answer would depend upon which day was chosen for free admission. My noble Friend the Paymaster-General is hoping to have a meeting with the Chairman of the Trustees.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate she has made of the loss in receipts from admission charges at the London Museum, during its two remaining years as a solely national responsibility, from the one free day weekly desired by the Trustees of that institution.

As the Trustees of the London Museum have not put a detailed scheme to my noble friend it would not be possible to make an estimate of the effect on receipts.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science with which national galleries and museums she has concluded her discussions regarding free public access at certain times; and with which of these institutions she is still engaged in discussions on this subject.

Discussions with the Trustees of the National Gallery and the Wallace Collection are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what are the amounts allocated for primary school building, major programmes, in Northamptonshire for the years 1969 to 1975, inclusive;(2) what are the amounts allocated for primary school building (minor works) in Northamptonshire for the years 1969 to 1975 inclusive.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will allow facilities for trade union recruitment and organisation on the premises of her Department during hours in which cleaners are employed.

Facilities for trade union recruitment and organisation are granted to recognised unions in respect of civil servants. My Department is not responsible for such arrangements in respect of employees of contractors; but if any contractor asks for help in providing similar facilities on my Department's premises in respect of his employees who work there, I will consider his request.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the percentage of the 15/17 age group who were registered or estimated as unemployed, as an average for the years 1963 and 1970, respectively, with figures for both sexes and figures for the two months of highest and lowest unemployment in each year, respectively.

Percentage rates of unemployment are not calculated for young persons separately. The following table shows the average number of boys and girls registered as unemployed in the years specified together with figures for the months with the highest and lowest numbers registered as unemployed in this age group.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities are in touch with his Department about the proposal to site an airport at Balne Moor near Doncaster.

West Riding County and Leeds and Bradford County Borough Councils.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the introduction of parking restrictions in the centre of Oxford; and what reply he has sent.

A number of representations have been received and are still being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce legislation to prohibit the installation and use of sleeper-cabs in heavy goods vehicles; and whether he will make a statement.

No. Drivers and their employers should remain free to negotiate on whether or not to accept such cabs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the total route mileage of railway for which grant aid is given under Section 39(1) of the Transport Act, 1968, the approximate number of passenger miles travelled on the services concerned, the most heavily used route in passengers per mile per year and the route with most frequent regular service in numbers of trains per day.

About 8,450 miles; about 11,000 million passenger miles. I regret that the other information requested is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many cases of serious accidents have been reported as a result of routine goods vehicle tests on motorway hard shoulders.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment has now been made of the probable risk to public health arising from the presence of heavy metals in the soil at Ropers and Trumpians Farm due to the continued dispersal there of sewage sludge; and what is the result of his investigation of complaints by local residents of high levels of lead and cadmium in their blood.

My Department's medical advisers and the local medical officers of health have completed a further examination and have advised me that:(

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, when the proposed legislation is introduced to extend for a further year the increased grants for house and area improvement under the Housing Act, 1971, he will seek further to amend the Act; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. It is proposed to amend the Act so as to allow a 90 per cent. contribution when grant is approved within the normal grant limits whether or not the amount of the grants represents 75 per cent. of the approved expense of the improvement works. The amendment will be made retrospective so that it applies to all approvals given from today's date onwards.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will reveal the Egyptian Government's reply to the representations made on the 3rd July for an extension to the Tutankhamun Exhibition; and if he will make a statement.

We have not yet received a formal reply to our request for an extension.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contractors have succeeded in obtaining contracts for office cleaning in his Department in the last five years; whether he will publish their names; and how many firms tendered.

Four firms have obtained contracts for cleaning in London during the last four years. They are: 1. Strand Cleaning Services Ltd.; 2. Cleaners Ltd.; 3. Acme Industrial Cleaners Ltd.; 4. Office Cleaning Services Ltd. An average of seven firms have tendered for each contract.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will state the annual percentage increase in contract prices for cleaning his Department's offices in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971; and how this compares with the annual percentage wage increase of maintenance staff actually employed by his Department.

This information is not readily available but an initial examination of figures to hand shows that the increase in contract prices has varied between nil and 10 per cent. per annum. Average percentage wage increase of cleaners employed by my Department over the same period varied between 3 per cent. and 17 per cent. per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the annual saving to his Department by employing contractors to do office cleaning instead of employing cleaners as part of his staff.

None. Each building is looked at separately and once a decision has been made on the method of cleaning to be employed, records of alternative costs are not maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will allow facilities for trade union recruitment and organisation on the premises of his Department during hours in which cleaners are employed.

Facilities for trade union recruitment and organisation are granted to recognised unions in respect of civil servants. My Department is not responsibile for such arrangements in respect of employees of contractors: but if any contractor asks for help in providing similar facilities on my Department's premises in respect of his employees who work there, I will consider his request.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable as to what instructions have been given to the police for erecting barriers and marshalling lorries at the entrance to Dover docks during the present dock dispute.

The Chief Constable tells me that special arrangements have been made—not because of the present dock dispute—for the embarkation of heavy lorries at Dover in the summer months in order to avoid traffic congestion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of prosecutions to the latest available date instigated under the Litter Act 1958.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer which I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Petersfield (Miss Quennell) on 25th July.—[Vol. 841, c. 290.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the tax system cannot take account of the special expenses incurred by disabled people in connection with their employment.

It is the Government's view that the disabled are best helped by development of social benefits, which bring aid to taxpayers and non-taxpayers alike. In any case, attempts to use the tax system for the purposes suggested would create very serious administrative problems and anomalies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of forged £1 notes in circulation in the United Kingdom.

It is not possible to make any accurate estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy that some social workers in each local authority have special training in helping disabled people, particularly the blind: and if he will make a statement.

Authorities are aware of the need to employ social work staff suitably qualified to provide services for each type of handicapped people. The content of the training of social workers is a matter for the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work and training courses will be designed to meet this need.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give further consideration to the payment by his Department of all maintenance orders to separated and divorced wives so as to ensure regularity of payments and to the need for his Department to claim the costs from the men concerned pending the publication of the Finer Committee Report.

Arrangements already exist for women in receipt of supplementary benefit who have court orders for maintenance enforceable in magistrates' courts in England and Wales to authorise clerks to the justices to remit to the Department any moneys received under the orders. This enables their full entitlement to supplementary benefit to be paid regularly without regard to the maintenance payments due. In Scotland, where the system for paying maintenance is somewhat different, arrangements on similar lines can be made with the agreement of the husband, the woman and, i appropriate, her solicitor.To extend this kind of facility to all separated and divorced wives would be a very far-reaching change in present law and practice. The question of how far further provisions should be made for families in this position is within the terms of reference of the Finer Committee and it would not be right to anticipate its conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the fact that more than 60 per cent. of deaths resulting from heart attack occur within an hour after the attack, and that the ambulance transport period is often lost time in terms of diagnosis and treatment, he will study the National Aeronautics and Space Agency developed system whereby electrodes are sprayed on a patient's body so that heart signals can be radioed by a telemetry system to the hospital from a moving ambulance, enabling doctors reading electrocardiograms at a hospital to have advance knowledge of the patient's condition before the ambulance arrives.

We are aware of the possible uses of telemetering of electrocardiographic and other biological data in this and related fields and officers in my Department are keeping the matter under review. We are, however, advised that the main delay is in summoning medical help in time to carry out early diagnosis and treatment in which telemetry and other methods under consideration could be useful. Studies designed to bring medical aid at the earliest possible moment following a heart attack are being carried out in the United Kingdom at a number of centres.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will announce his conclusions on the Crofters Commission's recommendations for crofting reform.

Recommendations for crofting reform were submitted by the Crofters Commission to my predecessor in October, 1968 and were supplemented by further recommendations in September, 1969. These proposals resulted from a comprehensive review which the commission made of crofting in a changing situation and I am grateful to them for the thoroughness with which the review was carried out.The recommendations have been the subject of detailed consultations with the many organisations which have a crofting interest. It has become evident that there is a wide measure of agreement on the need for changes in the present system of crofting tenure, which has its origins in the first crofting legislation of 1886. There are now increasing opportunities available to crofters in many parts of the Highlands to take up ancillary activities to supplement the livelihood which they can get from working their crofts. The present constraints on the use to which the crofter can put his land, however, prevent him from taking full advantage of these opportunities. I have also found a broad measure of acceptance of the view that, having regard to the special circumstances of crofting tenure, the crofter's interest in his land is more than that of a tenant with a high degree of security.I have reached the conclusion that the main disabilities which now restrict a crofter's opportunities of benefiting from development by ancillary activities can best be remedied by the following combination of measures, which will enable crofters to become owner-occupiers without the compulsion which the commission's recommendations envisaged.The main feature of my proposal is that the crofter should have the right, failing agreement with his landlord, to apply to the Scottish Land Court subject to reasonable safeguards for the landlord's interest, for an order allowing him to purchase his croft at a price which would fairly reflect his special interest in the land. Where a crofter does not wish to own his croft I propose that he should have:(

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the fact that more than 60 per cent. of deaths resulting from heart attack occur within an hour after the attack, and that the ambulance transport period is often lost time in terms of diagnosis and treatment, he will study the National Aeronautics and Space Agency developed system whereby electrodes are sprayed on a patient's body so that heart signals can be radioed by a telemetry system to the hospital from a moving ambulance, enabling doctors reading electrocardiograms at a hospital to have advance knowledge of the patient's condition before the ambulance arrives.

My Department has this interesting development under review, but I am advised that although techniques of the kind suggested may be of value, the primary requirement is immediate medical treatment. On the recommendation of my Advisory Committee on Medical Research, the Scottish Hospital Endowments Research Trust is supporting in Edinburgh a study to assess the effect of providing an emergency service by a specialist doctor on a flying squad basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what other improvements he intends to make when proposing Amendments to the Housing Act, 1971 to extend the period of its operation.

Along with the proposal to extend the period of operation of the 1971 Act by one year, which I announced in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Perth and East Perthshire (Mr. MacArthur) on 21st April, we propose to amend the Act so that the 90 per cent. Government contribution can be paid where grant is at the maximum allowed by the cash limit, whether or not this represents 75 per cent. of the approved cost of the proposed improvement works. This provision would be made retrospective so that it would apply to all applications approved by local authorities from today's date onwards.—[Vol. 835, c. 169–70.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list local authorities in Scotland to whom a contribution under Section 32 of the Transport Act, 1968, is made by Her Majesty's Government in their support on condition that they sponsor schemes of concessionary bus fares for elderly and for handicapped people.

I have been asked to reply.None. There is no connection between grants for new buses and the operation of concessionary fare schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total amount of financial aid given to private industry in the North-East Region under the Local Employment Act during the past five years; and how much additional employment is estimated to have been created as a result of this aid.

I regret that information is not readily available in the form requested. But since 1967–68 the value of assistance approved under the Local Employment Acts including Government factory building in Northumberland, Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire, and the estimated employment associated with this assistance, have been as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the transfer of the Reading office of the Export Credits Guarantee Department, including the number of staff the office now employs and the arrangements that will be made if the Reading office is closed.

Following management studies which were endorsed by the independent review under Mr. D. G. Scholey, ECGD plans to regroup its regional organisation into fewer and stronger offices. Under this scheme the Department's Reading office will close in 1973 and its present burden be shared between strengthened London and Bristol offices. The present staff of 11 will, in the main, transfer to other ECGD offices. Two or three clerical staff will seek employment in other Government offices in Reading.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will refuse any application made for an export licence for Gainsborough's painting of "The Gravenor Family", in view of its artistic importance.

No application has been made for an export licence for this painting. Should one be submitted it will be dealt with in accordance with the normal procedure for such applications.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many electricity meter test requests were outstanding on 30th June, 1972; and how many of these had been outstanding for periods of more than three months and more than six months.

151 applications for meter dispute determinations were outstanding at 30th June, 1972. Of these 45 had been outstanding for more than three months and 24 for more than six months. Because of the unsatisfactory nature of these figures, steps are already in train to increase the staff on this work in order to reduce the backlog of outstanding cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many gas meter test requests were outstanding on 30th June, 1972; and how many of these had been outstanding for periods of more than three months and more than six months.

I assume my hon. Friend refers to gas meters whose accuracy has been disputed. There were 874 such meters awaiting examination at official DTI testing offices on 30th June, 1972, none of which had been waiting for more than three months. Information about the periods outstanding between first request for a meter examination and the meter's delivery to a testing office could only be provided by the area gas board concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what action his Department proposes to take against the Ulster Bank of Belfast or other persons for making a false return in failing to disclose in the Companies Register in relation to their holding of 99,998 shares in Midland Cold Storage Limited that such shares were held as nominees;(2) what action his Department proposes to take against Midland Cold Storage Limited for making a false return in failing to disclose in the Companies Register that 99,998 shares were held by nominees;(3) what investigations have been or are to be made by his Department concerning a false return which was made in the Companies Register concerning the holding of 99,998 shares in Midland Cold Storage Limited.

I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will announce the proposals for assisting shipping and shipbuilding, following on the joint representations made to his Department which have been accepted though not clarified.

I refer my hon. Friend to the assurance given to her in the House on 28th July by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Industrial Development that an answer would be given before the Summer Recess to the proposals I have received from the Chamber of Shipping and the Shipbuilders and Repairers National Association.—[Vol. 841, c. 2286–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to receive the report on fire insurance tariffs; and whether it is the intention of the Government to have consultations with the industry before its recommendations are made known.

The Monopolies Commission sent me its report on 13th March: I hope to publish it very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many contractors have succeeded in obtaining contracts for office cleaning in his Department in the last five years; whether he will publish their names; and how many firms tendered.

Four. These were:Courtneys (Courtney Bros. South Wales) Ltd.Cardiff & Castle Cleaning Co.Hawksworth's Services.Office Cleaning Services (Wales) Ltd.Altogether 11 firms have tendered over the period.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will state the annual percentage increase in contract prices for cleaning his Department's offices in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971; and how this compares with the annual percentage wage increase of maintenance staff actually employed by his Department.

The information requested is not readily available and would be both difficult and expensive to obtain.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the annual saving to his Department by employing contractors to do office cleaning instead of employing cleaners as part of his staff.

This is not the basis on which estimates are made. Build- ings are separately treated and after the basic method of cleaning has been settled no record is kept of comparative costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will allow facilities for trade union recruitment and organisation on the premises of his Department during hours in which cleaners are employed.

Facilities for trade union recruitment and organisation are granted to recognised unions in respect of civil servants. My Department is not responsible for such arrangements in respect of employees of contractors; but if any contractor asks for help in providing similar facilities on my Department's premises in respect of his employees who work there I will consider his request.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will give an undertaking that Her Majesty's Government have no intention to reduce the area of land in Wales at present eligible for hill farming grants and subsidies;(2) if he will review areas in Wales now eligible for hill farming grants and subsidies with a view to having these areas extended prior to the United Kingdom's entry into the European Economic Community.

The criteria for eligibility for the hill farming grants and subsidies are broadly that the land should be within an area of mountains, hills or heath and that it should be suitable for livestock rearing but not, to any material extent, for dairying, fattening or the production of cash crops. A comprehensive review was made in 1963 to determine the areas meeting these criteria and no further review is considered necessary at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many local authorities in Wales at present contribute to the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales; what was the amount of such contributions in 1971; and what estimate he has made on the effect on the sum so contributed of local government reorganisation in Wales.

I understand that the total of local authority contributions in 1971 was £16,159. It is not possible to estimate the effect which local government reorganisation may have on the level of local authority contributions, but the Local Government Bill removes the previous limitation on the amount of money which authorities may contribute.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give further consideration to encouraging the use of the Welsh language by means of non-political organisations.

I have frequently made it clear that it is my policy to encourage the use of the Welsh language. It is for relevant organisations themselves to consider how they may appropriately apply a similar policy, and I am pleased to note the progress which many of them have made.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will expedite the holding of a public inquiry into the proposal for a new bridge over the Seiont Estuary at Caernarvon.

Arrangements will be made for a public inquiry to be held at as early a date as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many local authorities in Wales have made application under Clause 62 of the Housing Finance Bill for permission to impose reduced rent increases in 1972–73.

Thirteen.