asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will take steps to obtain, as soon as possible, authority for Members of Parliament to make, free of charge, telephone calls to Common Market countries on the same basis as that which authorises them to make telephone calls inside the United Kingdom, namely, on official business.

I will ask the Services Committee to examine this possibility.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what annual saving to public funds has been made as a result of the transfer of the Hastings Flight of Strike Command Bombing School from Royal Air Force Lindholme on 1st September, 1972.

A net annual saving of about £535,000 is expected.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what is his estimate of the annual saving to public funds to be made from the remaining redeployment of Strike Command Bombing School from Royal Air Force Lindholme.

An additional annual saving of about £120,000 is expected.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what is the function of plainclothes Army patrols; and how many of these patrols have been involved in shooting incidents.

The function of these patrols is to undertake essential surveillance tasks in circumstances in which soldiers in uniform and with Army vehicles would be too easily recognised. They have been involved in 20 shooting incidents; in not all of these have the patrols themselves opened fire but, wherever they have done so, it has been in accordance with the same instructions as apply to all Army operations in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many persons, ordinarily resident in Wales, are full-time students at United Kingdom veterinary colleges outside Wales.

There are 78.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will initiate a Departmental study on the question of the need for establishing a veterinary college in Wales.

I see no need to do so when there is a Committee of Inquiry into the Veterinary Profession now at work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will examine the methods used for evaluating one road improvement as against another with particular reference to delays caused by tourist traffic and cars towing caravans.

Methods of evaluation of highways improvements are kept constantly under review by the Department. The traffic counts used in evaluation are generally taken in August, and the composition of the flow and seasonal variations are taken into account in the assessment of schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will state the numbers of deaths, serious injuries and slight injuries which occurred on motorways during 1970 and 1971; how many of these occurred at night-time; and how many thereof occurred on motor-

								Number of Casualties
									Deaths	Serious Injuries	SlightInjuries
All hours	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	1970	153	891	2,238
								1971	209	1,177	2,653
Hours of darkness		…	…	…	…	…	…	1970	66	367	765
								1971	110	515	936
Hours of darkness, where lighting was not installed							…	1970	60	317	640
								1971	100	442	750

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what progress has now been made on the conclusion of a European regional agreement on road markings for Europe in relation to the United Nations Vienna Convention of 1968;(2) what are the standard specifications for road markings incorporated in the draft European Regional Agreement on Road Markings; and how they differ from practice in the United Kingdom including those for centre lane, and edge of the carriageway, lines and their colour.

A draft agreement has been drawn up which will be considered by the Inland Transport Committee of the European Economic Commission early next year. It proposes a system for centre lane and edge markings using white only. Yellow—and possibly blue—would be used for waiting restrictions, but in a simpler form than at present in the United Kingdom. The only other major differences from our system would be single "Stop" and "Give Way" lines rather than double. I am considering the implications of the draft agreement for our future practice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will institute an inquiry into the use of official stationery from his Department for false and provocative circulars, purporting to be official, and concerning the proposed billeting of Uganda refugees on the recipients of the circulars.

I share the hon. Member's concern about these misrepresentations, and confirm that the matter has been drawn to the attention of the police. There is no evidence, however, ways where lighting had not been installed

Following are the figuresof my Department's or any other's headed paper having been used.The official envelopes and labels do not appear to have come from my Department, but these items are often supplied by Departments for the return of replies from the public.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give an assurance that he will not authorise a programme of rail closures cutting Derby off from passenger service connections with Crewe and the West Midlands and the Derbyshire administrative centre of Matlock, respectively.

No such programme has been proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is now taking to reduce the rise in the cost of building materials; and if he will make a statement.

Building materials are not excluded from the Government's intiative to curb price rises.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authorities concerning shortages of building materials; what action he is taking to increase supplies; and if he will make a statement.

Very few. It is for the producers to meet demands for materials, and they have been increasing capacity to do so. It is for the Government to create the conditions for buoyant demand, and we have done that.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he now has for a revision of the cost yardstick for council house building; and if he will make a statement.

I am keeping the adequacy of the yardstick under close review in the light of the present tendering situation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what grants are available from his Department for launching and holding of pre-driver education classes in schools; and what were the amounts so extended over the last available period.

My right hon. Friend has no powers to make grants for this purpose: the provision of pre-driver education is a matter for local education authorities and schools.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many schools have notified him that they are providing pre-driver education for teenagers.

Schools are not asked to notify my right hon. Friend on this matter. A survey in 1968 indicated that about 10 per cent. of secondary schools gave driver or pre-driver instruction.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give an assurance that he will not agree to the closure of the Cardiff-Treherbert railway line.

No such proposal has been made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what his policy is concerning the proposal, made to him by the Civic Trust, that some 200 local trusts should be established, each with a capital of not less than £25,000.

I have already stated my general support for this idea. It will now be considered for adoption as one of this country's objectives for European Architectural Heritage Year 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the plan for the Outer London Ringway 3 is expected to be published; and what is the earliest date at which work is expected to commence.

I have nothing to add to answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Orpington (Mr. Stanbrook) on 1st August, 1972.—[Vol. 842, c. 118.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now make a statement on the progress of the Channel Tunnel negotiations.

The British and French Governments and the Private International Group have today signed agreements covering the period up to July, 1973, when the studies are expected to be completed. The agreements also include arrangements for subsequent phases if it is then decided with the approval of Parliament to proceed to construction of the tunnel.Expenditure under these agreements will bring the total since April, 1971, up to about £5·4 million. The money is being raised by the private group with Government guarantees for approximately one half. The necessary Parliamentary authority will be sought in the Winter Supplementary Estimates. The British Government's maximum contingent liability for the period of studies is of the order of £4–£5 million. I shall make the English text of the agreements available to the House in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many European-owned mixed farms were bought out under the 1966–70 Kenya land transfer scheme; and how many more owners are estimated to be willing to sell under this or subsequent schemes.

A total of 269 mixed farms were bought out under the scheme. It is not possible accurately to say how many remaining British owners of mixed farms will want to sell under the present or any subsequent scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the level of official aid flows to Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland with special reference to future United Kingdom aid and development policy in Southern Africa.

The following amounts of aid have been made available to Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland over the three years from 1970–71 to 1972–73: Botswana

Development loan: £6·8 million.

Budgetary grants of up to £2·675 million for 1970–71 and up to £1·7 million for 1971–72. Actual requirements for those years were £0·290 million and £1·05 million respectively.

Lesotho

Development grant: £3·85 million.

Budgetary grants of up to £1·1 million for 1970–71, £0·85 million for 1971–72 and £0·6 million for 1972–73. Actual requirements for 1970–71 and 1971–72 were £0·05 million and £0·53 million respectively.

Swaziland

Development loan: £4·645 million.

Development grant: £1·5 million. A contribution of £0·250 million to the General Revenue Balance on achieving budgetary independence in 1970–71.

University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland

Grant of £0·413 million towards development of university campuses in Botswana and Swaziland.

The three countries have also continued to benefit from the full range of British technical assistance, including OSAS, consultancies, training in Britain, volunteers, etc.Aid discussions in respect of the three years 1973–74 to 1975–76 have just been held with the Swaziland Government. I hope to be able to make a statement shortly.Similar discussions with the Government of Lesotho will be held next month; and with the Government of Botswana in January, 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has now had with the Chinese Government and the Royal Academy, Piccadilly, on the possibility of an exhibition of ancient Chinese art.

The Chinese Government have not yet told us exactly when and for how long the exhibition will be available in London. On the assumption that the exhibition could open here during the latter part of 1973 we have recommended to the Chinese Government and they have agreed, after consultation with the Royal Academy and others concerned, that Burlington House would be a suitable venue. I made proposals during my recent visit to China regarding the possibility of exhibitions of Chinese and British paintings in London and Peking. The Chinese response is still awaited.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the criteria being applied by Her Majesty's Government in deciding whether former British Asians in Uganda are stateless.

It is not for Her Majesty's Government to decide whether persons who are resident in another country are stateless. The British High Commission in Kampala decides, on the evidence produced, whether or not under the law of the United Kingdom, a person may be recognised as a national of the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards re-registering former British citizens in East Africa as British citizens in the light of the undertaking given by the British Government in 1963.

If the hon. Member is referring to the undertaking given in another place during the passage of the Kenya Independence Bill about people who renounced citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies in order to acquire local citizenship, this undertaking was implemented by the enactment of the British Nationality Act, 1964, which gave persons with a substantial United Kingdom connection, for example by birth or paternal ancestry, a right to resumption of citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies by registration. The Act gives discretion, the exercise of which is for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, to register when there is no substantial United Kingdom connection.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many interpreters employed with the United Kingdom High Commissions in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan have been dismissed during 1972 so far, and for what offences.

No interpreters have been dismissed from our Missions in India and Bangladesh so far this year.In Pakistan, Her Majesty's Embassy at Islamabad has dismissed a total of seven interpreters. The employment of four was terminated on grounds of unsatisfactory service. Three were dismissed for misconduct. At Her Majesty's Consulate-General, Lahore, the complement of five interpreters were discharged when the immigration section there was closed. Three were subsequently re-employed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the arrangements being made for the Queen's security; and if he will make a statement.

Appropriate arrangements will continue to be made, and I am in consultation with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to see whether any lessons should be learned from the incident which occurred during Her Majesty's recent visit to Stirling University. Having studied the reports of this incident, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I are satisfied that, deplorable as was the behaviour of a minority of students during the visit, Her Majesty was not in danger.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons are estimated to be earning an income at the present time in excess of £5,000 a year.

On the basis of the Budget Estimates, about ¼million, counting the joint earnings of a married couple as one.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive the report of the Munro Committee on Children's Footwear; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend hopes to receive the report in good time for any consequential decisions to be taken before VAT comes into operation in April, 1973.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now introduce legislation to impose a tax on profits from land sales inflated by planning consent.

These are already within the scope of the existing tax system.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes are contemplated in the organisation, recruitment, conditions of service, ranks and dress of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Reserve; and whether he will make a statement.

The establishment of policewomen in the Royal Ulster Contabulary has been increased from 175 to 300. In addition, women will now be accepted for enrolment in the part-time RUC Reserve, which initially will have an establistment of 400 policewomen. Women reservists will wear the same uniform and perform the same funtions as regular policewomen. Entry qualifications will be similar to those for regular policewomen, with some differences in age limits and height requirements.

asked the Secretary of Stale for Social Services whether he will give an undertaking that no outside labour or students will be brought in by the Rampton Hospital during the current dispute.

Such action has never been contemplated.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect the current disruption of hours at Rampton Hospital is having on the patients; and whether he will make an investigation into patient reaction to the new shift system.

Patients always take a little time to adjust to any change. The recent change in the shift system at Rampton and, in particular, the nurses' reaction to it, have no doubt upset some patients; it is however too soon to judge their long-term reaction. This must also be viewed in the light of the experience of many other psychiatric hospitals where similar shift systems are generally regarded as beneficial to patients.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect the working of a one day on/one day off shift system has had on security at Rampton Hospital over the last 10 years.

Provided that the wards are adequately staffed at all times, shift systems have no effect on security.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will investigate why the contracts of employment of nurses at Rampton Hospital state working hours of 7.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.; and why this contract has been broken.

All the nursing staff were given three clear months notice of the impending change in the shift system. I am advised that my Department has fully met any obligation which it would have had if it were an employer to whom the Contracts of Employment Act applied.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will agree to resume negotiations over working hours with the nursing staff at Rampton on condition that they operate the new shift system for the next month;(2)whether he will meet a deputation of nursing staff from Rampton Hospital, Nottinghamshire, to discuss the new working hours arrangement;(3)what action he is taking to settle the dispute over the new shift system for nursing staff at Rampton Hospital, Nottinghamshire.

As the hon. Member knows, I received a deputation from the nurses at Rampton Hospital which he accompanied on 19th October. As I then indicated, it has always been my right hon. Friend's wish that the shift system for the 40-hour week should be one agreed with representatives of the staff if at all possible. I suggested to the deputation that a joint working party should now be set up under the chairmanship of the Department's Chief Nursing Officer to try again to work out a solution to this difficult problem. I very much hope that this proposal will be accepted by the nurses as a genuine effort on our part to reach agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will hold an inquiry into the import of drugs into Great Britain from Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any particular problems relating to the importation of medicinal products from Cyprus. If the hon. Member has any information on this point, I will consider it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of smallpox have been, respectively, reported and verified during 1972; and on what dates and in which hospital regions.

None. Seven persons in the regions listed, in whom the possibility of smallpox could not immediately be ruled out, were admitted to hospital but the diagnosis of smallpox was not confirmed in any of these cases.

28th January, Newcastle Hospital Region.

26th June, Manchester Hospital Region.

6th August (two), Manchester Hospital Region.

28th August, Manchester Hospital Region.

19th September, Manchester Hospital Region.

7th October, South West Metropolitan Region.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether regional employment premium is an operational aid for industry and thus incompatible with the rules of the European Community of which Great Britain will shortly become a member.

I am not satisfied that the hon. Member's interpretation of the rules is the correct one. Interpretation of EEC rules is a matter for the Community's institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now propose that more severe standards for aircraft noise certification be introduced internationally from 1st January, 1973, and in any event impose more severe standards in Great Britain from 1st January, 1973.

No. The Government are working within the framework of the International Civil Aviation Organisation's Committee on Aircraft Noise to ensure that internationally agreed aircraft noise certification levels are realistic, and are confident that further steps will be agreed at the next meeting of this Committee in March, 1973. It is the Government's considered view that noise certification is a matter for international agreement and not unilateral action.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will instruct that landing noise is to be regularly measured and reported at all airports, beginning with Heathrow, in view of the fact that this measurement is carried out in other countries.

Aircraft coming in to land must, for safety reasons, keep to the glide-slope and pilots must be free to regulate engine power accordingly. It would not be practical or safe to require landing aircraft to comply with maximum noise levels, and regular measurement of noise on landing would not serve a useful purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take steps to require the British Airports Authority to submit its proposals for the reduction of aircraft noise to the Department of the Environment for approval.

My right hon. Friend is responsible for aircraft noise matters and any proposals made by the British Airports Authority for the reduction of aircraft noise would fall to be considered by this Department. But the Department of the Environment would naturally be consulted as appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will require tourist guides to be licensed, and if necessary introduce legislation for the purpose.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many nationalised industries, State boards and undertakings of whatever nature calculate their profits on a 10 per cent. per annum compound basis; and if he will list them.

If my hon. Friend is referring to the use of a minmum test discount rate of 10 per cent. in assessing the return on capital expenditure, this practice is followed by all the nationalised boards for which my right hon. Friend is responsible, i.e. the British Airports Authority, the British Airways Board, the British Steel Corporation, the Electricity and Gas Boards, and the National Coal Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many men and women, respectively, he has appointed to the steering committee set up for the re-organisation of the health service in Wales; and on what basis they were appointed.

Twenty-two men and two women. Members were chosen for the contribution they could make as individuals having between them wide experience of health and allied services in all parts of the Principality.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what additional financial allocations for expenditure on roads he will make to Welsh local authorities this coming winter.

Special allocations were announced last year for infrastructure works in development areas to be carried out over the period 1971–72–1973–74. One of the purposes of these allocations was to allow local authorities to undertake more substantial schemes than is possible with limited winter works programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons are

UNITED KINGDOM PRODUCTION, IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF ANIMAL PROTEIN OF FEEDING QUALITY
('000 tons)
			Production		Imports			Exports and Re-exports
			Fish Meal	Other Animal Protein	Fish Meal*		Other Animal Protein	Fish Meal*		Other Animal Protein
1967	…	…	80	197		413			15
1968	…	…	87	210		507			11
1969	…	…	85	210		476			14
1970	…	…	84	218	365		24	12		18
1971	…	…	90	232	298		26	9		6
* Includes liquified herrine and other fish solubles.

There were 4,050 at 30th September. Urgent cases are admitted without delay. The Welsh Hospital Board is constantly reviewing the waiting list at hospitals.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of animal protein is being exported for overseas use as opposed to that amount retained in the United Kingdom for home consumption by the agricultural industry.

The following table shows United Kingdom home production, imports and exports of animal protein of feeding quality during the last five years. It clearly indicates that the greater part of new supplies are retained for domestic use. The quantities exported average about 2 per cent. per annum.Sub-standard fishmeal is occasionally used by the agricultural industry as a fertiliser but the quantity involved is thought to be very small and may be discounted. Imports of fishmeal for use as fertilisers are not separately distinguished in the official trade accounts.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the progress of the campaign against Dutch elm disease; how many trees have been felled, to the nearest convenient date; how many infections yet remain to be cleared; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that there is no sign of the epidemic being contained as yet. My right hon. Friend will however be reviewing the situation in the light of an up-to-date report which he expects to receive from the Forestry Commission within the next few days.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now introduce legislation banning exports of live animals for food.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave on 21st January, 1972 to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston North (Miss Holt).—[Vol. 829, c. 270.]