asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will reconsider his decision not to receive a deputation from local authorities in Mid-Wales concerning the inadequacy of broadcasting services.

I have done so but, for the reasons given in my recent letter to the hon. Member, I do not think that it would help if I received a deputation.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will allow the use of the fourth television channel in Wales for programmes in the Welsh language.

This is not a matter which should be decided on its own but it will be taken into account when we formulate our policy for broadcasting in the period after 1976.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will undertake to refuse the request of the Post Office to put up charges at this time.

The Post Office will, I am sure, comply with the Government's policies to reduce inflation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will initiate legislation to revise the law relating to improvement grants; and if he will make a statement.

The Housing (Amendment) Bill which had its First Reading on 1st November proposes an extension for one year of the higher rates of improvement grants available in development and intermediate areas. This will enable local authorities to maintain the drive to rid the country of its sub-standard housing. Recent progress has been most encouraging. Grant approvals in September reached a record monthly total of 33,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed list of the free and subsidised housing accommodation now enjoyed by Ministers and civil servants, what the accommodation consists of, what free services go with the accommodation and what, on a fair rent basis, the accommodation is estimated to be worth in each instance.

The following list gives the information concerning ministerial official residences. The ministerial accommodation specified is the same as that listed in the reply to the hon. Member's Question on 3rd November, 1970. Listing all residential accommodation provided for civil servants would involve disproportionate expense.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will take action to ensure that all new road vehicles are equipped with laminated glass as a safety measure.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the result of the public inquiry into the route of the M25 motorway through New Haw, Surrey.

As soon as possible but at this stage my right hon. and learned Friend cannot commit himself further.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he expects the remaining link of the M62 from Huddersfield, going east, to be completed;(2) if he will make an official visit to the Huddersfield area to see the traffic congestion caused by the failure to complete the remaining mile of the M62 from Huddersfield going East.

I hope that the scheme will be completed within 6–8 months from now. Recent traffic counts on the roads affected in the Huddersfield area are being studied in order to arrive at the best temporary solution before the motorway is completed, and I also hope that the Outlane to Ainley Top Interchange section will be completed some time earlier than the remainder of the scheme. I do not consider that a personal visit would help.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the interests of safety during fog, he intends to extend the lighting of the M4 westerly beyond Maidenhead.

My right hon. Friend announced detailed proposals for lighting fog-prone lengths of motorway on 21st June. There are no further plans, at present, for extending this programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a further list, showing the mileage in respect of each, of local authority motorways or lengths of motorway in use, under construction, motorways schemes confirmed by the Secretary of State, and those made by the local authority and submitted to the Secretary of State for confirmation, as at 31st October.

I regret that the information I gave my hon. Friend on 6th November was incomplete.

Following is the complete list:

Local Authority Motorways in use	Miles
Stretford-Eccles By-pass M63	6·0
Stretford-Eccles Extension M62	0.8
Leeds Inner Ring Road Stage I A58 (M).	0·7
Leeds Inner Ring Road Stage II A58 (M).	0·8
Bristol Parkway Stage I M32	2·8
Blackfell/White Mare Pool A194(M)	3·8
Westway-London A40 (M)	2·7
West Cross Route Stage I—London M41.	0·6
Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach—London A102 (M).	2·6
Mancunian Way A57 (M)	1·4
Eccles By-pass M602	1·8
Middleton Link M68	1·2
Liverpool Outer Ring Road Stage I M57.	3·3
Broadway Extension A627 (M)	4·2
Aston Expressway A38 (M)	1·6
Bradford South Radial Motorway M606.	2·3
	36.6

Under Construction	Miles
Ringway Airport Link	0·4
Relief Road (Stage I Berkshire Section) A329.	2·3
Bristol Parkway Stage II M32	0·9
East Cross Route Stage I—London A102 (M).	0·9
Leeds South East Urban Motorway Stage I Ml.	2·5
Leeds Inner Ring Road Stage IIA A58 (M).	0·4
Leeds Inner Ring Road Stage III A58 (M).	0·7
Liverpool Outer Ring Road Stage III (Kirkby/Tarbock) M57.	6·5
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central Motorway East A1.	1·2
Portsmouth City Council (M27) (Twyford Avenue Section) Motorway Scheme M27.	1·6
Ellesmere Port Motorway M53	5·2
	22·6

Schemes confirmed by the Secretary of State
East Cross Route Stage II—London A102 (M).	0·6
Relief Road (Stage II and III Berkshire Section) A329.	3·0
Relief Road (Reading CBC Section) A329.	0·7
	4·3

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes are proposed in the common law rights of individuals concerning damage caused by river pollution in the Government's proposals for water reorganisation.

My Departments consultation paper on the publication of information about discharges to inland waters includes proposals for certain modification in common law rights. I met the Anglers' Co-operative Association. As a result we have now been able to accept some suggestions for revision of the proposals relating to common law rights. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the consultation paper and will send a copy of the letter I shall he writing to the association.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which national bodies, in replying to the consultation paper on the proposed National Water Council, have indicated their desire for a national water authority with powers greater than those of the proposed council.

The British Waterworks Association, the Institution of Public Health Engineers and the Water Resources Board thought the national body should have the power to carry out works itself or direct the regional water authorities to do so. Some other bodies thought it should have powers to collect statistical data.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many conservation areas have been designated in England and Wales in total.

1,911 conservation areas have so far been designated in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many conservation areas have been designated in England and Wales in each of the county council and county borough areas.

The number of conservation areas designated by each county council in England and Wales is set out in the following table:

Bedfordshire	41
Berkshire	101
Buckinghamshire	54
Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely	21
Cheshire	24
Cornwall	25
Cumberland	10
Derbyshire	36
Devon	47
Dorset	32
Durham	15
East Suffolk	25
East Sussex	18
Essex	75
Gloucestershire	26
Hampshire	50
Herefordshire	8
Hertfordshire	86
Huntingdonshire and Peterborough	11
Isle of Wight	16
Kent	161
Lancashire	22
Leicestershire	3
Lincolnshire (Holland)	17
Lincolnshire (Kesteven)	4
Lincolnshire (Lindsey)	18
Norfolk	8
Northamntonshire	41
Northumberland	13
Nottinghamshire	26
Oxfordshire	4
Rutland	4
Salop	9
Somerset	18
Staffordshire	41
Surrey	31
Warwickshire	83
Westmorland	10
West Suffolk	2
West Sussex	6
Wiltshire	9
Worcestershire	40
Yorkshire (East Riding)	6
Yorkshire (North Riding)	13
Yorkshire (West Riding)	60
Anglesey	4
Brecknockshire	3
Caernarvonshire	4
Cardiganshire	5
Carmarthenshire	8
Denbighshire	0

Flintshire	20
Glamorgan	26
Merionethshire	0
Monmouthshire	6
Montgomeryshire	0
Pembrokeshire	1
Radnorshire	0

The number of conservation areas designated by each London Borough Council; City of London Corporation and the Greater London Council is set out in the following table:

Barking	0
Barnet	5
Bexley	1
Brent	1
Bromley	2
Camden	5
Croydon	4
Ealing	7
Enfield	7
Greenwich	6
Hackney	5
Hammersmith	5
Haringey	1
Harrow	8
Havering	5
Hillingdon	4
Hounslow	5
Islington	14
Kensington and Chelsea (Royal)	25
Kingston upon Thames (Royal)	3
Lambeth	13
Lewisham	1
Merton	3
Newham	1
Redbridge	7
Richmond upon Thames	19
Southwark	12
Sutton	4
Tower Hamlets	10
Waltham Forest	3
Wandsworth	9
Westminster (City)	18
City of London Corporation	8
Greater London Council	1

The number of conservation areas designated by each county borough council in England and Wales is set out in the following table:

Barnsley	0
Barrow-in-Furness	0
Bath	6
Birkenhead	1
Birmingham	12
Blackburn	0
Black pool	0
Bolton	11
Bootle	0
Bournemouth	0
Bradford	0
Brighton	6
Bristol	6
Burnley	1
Burton upon Trent	3
Bury	0
Canterbury	1

Carlisle	6
Chester	1
Coventry	7
Darlington	4
Derby	4
Dewsbury	0
Doncaster	0
Dudley	5
Eastbourne	4
Exeter	6
Gateshead	1
Gloucester	8
Great Yarmouth	1
Grimsby	2
Halifax	1
Hartlepool	2
Hastings	2
Huddersfield	1
Ipswich	0
Kingston upon Hull	2
Leeds	7
Leicester	4
Lincoln	1
Liverpool	10
Luton	0
Manchester	8
Newcastle upon Tyne	4
Northampton	3
Norwich	7
Nottingham	9
Oldham	0
Oxford	5
Plymouth	3
Portsmouth	13
Preston	0
Reading	4
Rochdale	0
Rotherham	2
Salford	0
Sheffield	7
Solihull	3
Southampton	0
Southend-on-Sea	2
Southport	0
South Shields	1
St. Helens	0
Stockport	0
Stoke-on-Trent	1
Sunderland	7
Teesside	10
Torbay	3
Tynemouth	1
Wakefield	2
Wallasey	0
Walsall	0
Warley	0
Warrington	1
West Bromwich	0
Wigan	0
Wolverhampton	8
Worcester	4
York	4
Cardiff	2
Merthyr Tydfil	0
Newport	0
Swansea	2

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to make the wearing of safety belts compulsory.

I should prefer first to see what can be achieved by persuasion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the average rent increases for private tenants whose rents have been increased following application by landlords under the Housing Finance Act. 1972, in the Manchester area and in the constituency of the hon. Member for Blackley.

The figures the hon. Member seeks are not yet available, and would relate to very few tenancies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what have been the average national increases in rents paid by council tenants since the introduction of the Housing Finance Act.

It is difficult to make precise estimates since rents payable depend on the rebates granted to tenants. However our broad assessment of the average weekly increase in rent likely to be paid by all council tenants in 1972–73 is about 35p.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give consideration to introducing legislation based on the Chester Report's recommendations in regard to the problem of the behaviour of football crowds.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further proposals he is now considering for heavy vehicle controls following his discussions with local authorities.

The discussions are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of housing starts, in both the public and private sectors, in East Suffolk during the second quarter of 1972; and how this compares with the second quarter of each year since 1965.

The number of dwellings started in the public and private sectors in East Suffolk during the second quarter of 1972 were 209 and 633, respectively, compared with 220 and 521 in the second quarter of 1971. Figures for the years 1965 to 1970 were given in answer to a similar question from my hon. Friend on 12th July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what action he proposes to take on the proposals of Liverpool City Council to enlarge the terminal buildings and extend the runway at Speke airport;(2) if he will order a planning inquiry into the proposal of Liverpool City Council to extend the runway at Speke Airport.

Liverpool City Council was granted outline planning permission to enlarge the terminal buildings at Speke in 1967. This enables the council to proceed without further reference to my right hon. and learned Friend except in so far as it may need additional borrowing powers. On present evidence the council's proposal to extend the runway appears to be a matter which it would need to refer to my right hon. and learned Friend and he would certainly require a public inquiry to be held before reaching a decision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the derelict land clearance schemes in progress at present in East Suffolk, the acreage of derelict land reclaimed, the grant approved and the total cost of each scheme.

One scheme by Lothingland Rural District Council, grant-aided at 50 per cent., in in progress. This involves the removal of obstructions from 2½ acres on the coast at Corton at an estimated gross cost of £5,500.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that adequate safeguards exist for buyers of new houses in the event of the bankruptcy of the builder; and if he will make a statement.

The National House-Builders Registration Council scheme provides reasonable safeguards for purchasers of new houses in the event of the bankruptcy of the builder.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take on the report of his advisory committee on the dumping of sludge in Liverpool Bay; what representations he has received on this report from local authorities, universities, amenity groups and interested individuals; and what replies he has sent.

No action is necessary by my Department. The working party was appointed to study the effects of sludge disposal in Liverpool Bay by Manchester and Salford Corporations and to estimate the likely effects of an increase in its scale. Its report "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" has provided scientific and technical information which will assist the local authorities and my Department in their consideration of any future plans for this type of sludge disposal in the area. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State has given this information in reply to representations from two local authorities and one member of the public.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for lessons in spelling to be given to those in charge of departments in the Department of the Environment in order that the productivity and work rate of typists and secretarial staff can be improved.

My Department seeks to improve the performance of all its staff through appropriate training.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake not to approve the closure of the Kyle of Lochalsh-Dingwall railway line.

Consent to the proposed withdrawal of passenger services from this line was announced in December, 1971, on condition that it did not take place before 1st January, 1974, and that certain specified replacement bus services were provided.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake not to approve the closure of the Mallaig-Glasgow railway line.

No such closure has been proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake not to approve the closure of the Inverness-Perth railway line.

No such closure has been proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake not to approve the closure of the Inverness-Thurso railway line.

No such closure has been proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake not to approve the closure of the Glasgow-Oban railway line.

No such closure has been proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake not to close the Swindon-Gloucester railway line.

There is no proposal to close this line.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake not to approve the closure of the London-Exeter railway line.

There is no proposal to close any of the railway lines from London to Exeter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken to implement the Zuckerman Report on Mining and the Environment.

None. The Commission on Mining and the Environment is not a Government body and my right hon. Friend, together with the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales, has appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Sir Roger Stevens to examine planning control over surface mineral working and to make recommendations. The committee's report is awaited.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which level of local authorities will be responsible for local airports after 1st April, 1974.

Both the new county and the district councils will have powers to operate airports. Consultations on the local authorities to which airports should be transferred will be initiated shortly, along with the general consultations on the transfer of local government property.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now issue a circular giving guidance to local authorities on agency agreements under Section 100 of the Local Government Act, 1972.

Urgent consultations are in progress with the local authority associations with a view to the issue of a circular by the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is aware that in the European Economic Community all major investment programmes for rail trunk routes have to be notified to the Commission who are able to support applications for loans to the European Investment Bank; and to what extent he has taken or intends taking such action with regard to British Rail investment programmes.

Under the Transport Act, 1962 the board's long-term borrowing has to be from the Government but I am considering whether wider borrowing powers would be desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many private tenants are potentially affected by the passing of the Housing Finance Act; and how many rent increases have already taken place.

The Housing Finance Act, including its provisions for rent allowances, may in time embrace up to some 2·2 million private tenancies; but with the single exception of tenancies removed from control by the qualification certificate procedure, rent increases apply from next year only.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give the basis upon which he wrote to the hon. Member for West Ham, North, on 31st October giving the figure of 10,000 or so Ugandan Asians who have been provided with accommodation; and why this figure is less than half of that given by the Ugandan Resettlement Board.

The figure of 10,000 was a broad indication of the number of Ugandan Asian families, not individuals who would have to be housed. In fact, it is now believed that the number of households is very much smaller than this.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he has not circulated to Scottish Members of Parliament the proposals he has made for the setting up of a parliamentary commissioner for local government.

I had thought that this would be premature, since my proposals for a commissioner for local administration may be modified in the light of comments from the local authority associations and other bodies to which they have been sent. I have placed copies of the consultation paper in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will bring tower silos of over 40 feet in height under planning control as is the case in England.

At present such buildings are permitted development under the General Development Order, but I will shortly be reviewing this Order, and I will then consider my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the rate of the new acreage grant payable under the farm amalgamation scheme.

It is intended subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Statutory Instrument that, where an approved amalgamation absorbs an uncommercial unit, the amalgamator would receive an acreage payment of £12·50 per extra acre, up to a maximum of 100 acres. Payment would normally be calculated on the difference between the area of the amalgamated unit and that of the largest single unit included in the amalgamation. Although the acreage payment would replace the special grants for remodelling works, amalgamators will be able to get the standard rates of grant under the Farm Capital Grant Scheme for farm buildings and other items covered by that scheme. As announced last November, amalgamators who apply under the present scheme may, subject to certain conditions, opt to have their application treated under that scheme or the new one. It is also intended that, because of the special provisions of crofting tenure in Scotland, the proposed new acreage payment for amalgamators in crofting cases should be payable to the crofter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many university graduates are employed in the Scottish Education Department; and what proportion of these are graduates of Scottish universities.

Of the staff of 590 employed in the Scottish Education Department on 1st November, 1972, there are 150–25 per cent.—graduates and of these 114–19 per cent.—are graduates of Scottish universities. These figures include Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools—95 graduates, 75 being graduates from Scottish universities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the abandonment by the Highlands and Islands Development Board of the Bulb Field Scheme on North Uist.

I understand that the board has decided to discontinue its experimental bulb scheme in North Uist because, although partly successful, the scheme did not justify larger scale production on a commercial basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the beef cattle numbers in Scotland and Ayrshire at the nearest available date; and how this compares with each of the previous 10 years.

The numbers recorded at the June Agricultural Census this year were:

	Scotland	Ayrshire
1972	1,746,722	87,946

The corresponding figures for the ten years preceding are as follows:

	Scotland	Ayrshire
1962	1,258,971	38,500
1963	1,259,589	38,732
1964	1,286,969	41,962
1965	1,343,245	49,372
1966	1,408,736	57,300
1967	1,422,374	61,863
1968	1,396,499	58,925
1969	1,470,782	63,644
1970	1,567,616	74,881
1971	1.645,605	80,346

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the number of live lambs in Scotland and Ayrshire at the nearest available date; and how this compares with each of the previous 10 years.

The numbers recorded at the June Agricultural Census this year were:

	Scotland	Ayrshire
1972	3,437,178	202,738

The corresponding figures for the ten preceding, years are as follows:

	Scotland	Ayrshire
1962	3,825,701	212,910
1963	3,759,324	202,413
1964	3,796,521	199,343
1965	3,820,126	204,484
1966	3,629 698	195,578
1967	3,618,274	191,674
1968	3,434,976	188,671
1969	3,295,884	187,888
1970	3,303,602	196,830
1971	3,356,570	193,774

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in the recruitment and training of the additional civil servants needed to administer the value added tax.

Approximately 4,500 additional staff have been taken on so far by the Customs and Excise Department. Training is keeping pace with recruitment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in view of the slow stock turnover of footwear retailers, whether he will consider taking steps to allow a longer pre-value added tax holiday for the industry, in order to avoid hardship.

The new arrangements announced by my right hon. Friend yesterday to avoid double taxation of purchase tax paid stocks on the changeover to VAT should remove any possibility of hardship for the footwear industry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his intention to apply value added tax to transport charges and passenger fares to the Scottish island groups; and if he will make a statement.

Transport charges for goods carried to the Scottish islands from the mainland will be taxable at the standard rate of value added tax, but this tax will be recoverable as input tax by registered traders. Passenger fares in general will be zero-rated under Group 10 of Schedule 4 to the Finance Act, 1972.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the present structure, with numbers employed, at each level of the Inspectorate of Taxes at the latest available date.

On 2nd October, 1972, the structure of the Tax Inspectorate was:

Chief Inspector of Taxes	1
Deputy Chief Inspector of Taxes	3
Senior Principal Inspectors of Taxes	35
Principal Inspectors of Taxes	139
Senior Inspectors of Taxes	68
Inspectors of Taxes (Higher Grade)	1,051
Inspectors of Taxes	3,426
	5,323

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax inspectors are engaged wholly or mainly in the operation of the pay-as-you-earn system.

About 400. Approximately another 400 full units of work are spread over the rest of the inspectorate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government's appeal for wage and salary restraint applies to junior barristers, Queen's Counsel, and others in the legal profession; how this operates in practice at present; how it will operate under the Government's proposals to deal with inflation resulting from excessive incomes; and whether he will make a statement.

The Government's measures to deal with inflation announced in the House on 6th November by the Prime Minister, details of which were given in the White Paper Cmnd. 5125, apply to professional fees as well as to other employment income.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had about the setting up of the European Economic Community Regional Development Board in the United Kingdom.

I am not aware of any such proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what he estimates to be the annual value of the oil to be extracted from Scottish waters.

Production of oil from the British Continental Shelf is unlikely to start before the end of 1974. Production levels and the price of oil thereafter cannot be accurately forecast. On the assumption that production from the United Kingdom sector of the Continental Shelf reaches 75 million tons by 1980 the total value at current prices would be about £700 million. This estimate must be considered against the necessary investment and cost of finding, extracting and pumping the oil and is distinct from an estimate of net revenue.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in imposing a ban on cheap imported footwear from Common Market countries, he will in future act as soon as prima facie evidence of dumping is produced and place the onus of disproving dumping on the exporter.

Imports from the Community are not being restricted. In conformity with the Customs Duties (Dumping Subsidies) Act, 1969, and the international code, definitive anti-dumping duties are imposed only after full investigation. When circumstances warrant it, the Department already imposes provisional charges at the prima facie stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many pairs of footwear for men and women were imported from Italy, France, West Germany, Romania, Poland, Hungary and Hong Kong, respectively, during each year from 1969 to 1971 and what are the comparable figures for the first half of 1972.

Following is the information:

UNTTFD KINGDOM IMPORTS OF FOOTWEAR*
	Million pairs
	1969	1970	1971	1st half 1972
Italy	5·5	6·7	10·1	7·6
France	1·7	2·3	3·6	1·9
West Germany	1·3	0·7	0·4	0·2
Romania	0·8	0·9	1·3	0·6
Poland	1·3	1·9	2·5	1·9
Hungary	0·3	0·4	0·2	0·1
Hong Kong	35·3	35·0	38·3	21·2
*Division 85 of the Standard International Trade Classification (Revised) less heading 851.05—Gaiters, spats, leggings etc.; men's and women's footwear are not consistently distinguished in the import statistics.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is aware of the concern felt by the general public at the level of fees and payments made to the legal profession, the cost of obtaining justice, and the fact that poor people are often denied justice because of their lack of financial resources; and whether he will recommend the appointment of a Royal Commission to investigate all these matters.

No.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is aware that during the recent legal cases affecting the five imprisoned dockers four counsel shared £3,078 for 14 days' work; and whether, during his negotiations and discussions with the Trades Union Congress and Confederation of British Industry for wage and salary restraint, he will propose some action to reduce the fees and legal charges made by the legal profession.

On the point of fact in the hon. Gentleman's Question I would refer the hon. Member to the answers to his Questions on 17th October, 24th October and 6th November, 1972. The Government's measures to deal with inflation announced in the House on Monday by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, details of which were given in the White Paper Cmnd. 5125, apply to professional fees as well as to other employment incomes.—[Vol. 843, c. 59–60 and 266; Vol. 845, c. 71.]

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will give for the latest and most convenient stated date the number of Ugandan Asians that have been absorbed into the Civil Service since their forced exit from Uganda commenced; to what situations they have been appointed; and at what salaries.

Such information would only become available to my Department by circularising every Department. I have asked for this to be done and when the information is available I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has received the communication from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, giving details of the costs to the British taxpayer of the higher costs for grain and substitute cattle feedstuffs on Great Britain's entry into the Common Market; and whether he will make a statement in connection with this matter, giving the extent to which prices will rise, and how much will be met by the European Economic Community's Agricultural Fund.

Yes. The price of feedingstuffs will gradually increase as we move towards the higher prices of the Community, which will reduce the cost of cereals to the British taxpayer, as growers will get more of their total return from the market. But, as the higher cost of cereal ingredients may lead to significant changes in feed rations, it would be premature to attempt to forecast what their cost will be. In so far as the market cannot absorb all the grain we produce, it is likely to be sold into intervention, the cost of which is borne by the European Community.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussion he has had with the European Economic Community Commission about the pig meat industry in Northern Ireland in relation to its competitive position vis-à-vis that of the Republic; and if he will make a statement.

Detailed discussions with the Commission are continuing about the precise arrangements which will operate for pigmeat during the transitional period. Full account is being taken of Northern Ireland's requirements during these discussions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Trustees of the National History Museum intend to charge for admission at the Zoological Museum at Tring, bearing in mind that it is a research institution and that contents were a bequest to the nation.

When the scheme of charges for the national museums and galleries comes into operation the Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History) will charge for admission to the Zoological Museum, Tring, at the following rates:

	September to June	July and August
Standard Adult Rate	5p	10p
Children under 16	2p	4p
Retirement Pensioners
Registered Handicapped Visitors

All the national collections are available for research, and many of the items have been gifts; no different principle arises therefore in the case of the Tring Museum.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men were employed in manufacturing industry in the Highlands and Islands in 1945, 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970 and at the latest available date.

The numbers of male employees in employment in manufacturing industries in this area rose from 5,700 in 1959 to 7,000 in 1966 and 8,500 in 1971. These estimates are subject to sampling and other errors and therefore little significance can be attached to small variations in the intervening years. Comparable estimates for years before 1959 are not available.

ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF MALE EMPLOYEES IN EMPLOYMENT IN CERTAIN INDUSTRY GROUPS IN THE SOUTH WEST PLANNING REGION OF SCOTLAND
			Agriculture forestry and fishing	Mining and quarrying	Manufacturing	Construction	Other industries and services	thousands All industries and services
June, 1966	…	…	6·4	1·5	7·2	4·3	11·0	30·4
June, 1971	…	…	5·6	0·5	7·7	3·6	12·0	29·3

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give an assurance that, in the recent Confederation of British Industry and Trades Union Congress negotiations on pay and prices, his intentions to work towards equal pay by 1975 will be adhered to.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given yesterday, by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Members for Halifax (Dr. Summerskill), Doncaster (Mr. Harold Walker) and Bassetlaw (Mr. Ashton).—[Vol. 845, c. 804–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the instructions given to local employment exchanges on the way

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will state the number of male jobs lost or gained in manufacturing industry in the South-West of Scotland in each of the past six years;(2) if he will publish a table showing the males employed in agriculture. forestry, &c., mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, services, all industries, in the South-West of Scotland in 1966; and if he will also show the increases and decreases in these employment categories in each year since then to the latest availabe date.

Precise information about job gains and job losses is not available but an indication of net changes can be obtained by comparing the levels of employment over the period.The following table gives estimates for June, 1966, and June 1971. The employment estimates for local areas are subject to sampling and other errors. Little significance can therefore be attached to small variations from one year to another.staff should discuss personal affairs of unemployed persons, with particular reference to the case brought to his attention by the hon. Member for Heywood and Royton, whereby a constituent of his was informed, in the hearing of everyone present at the counter, that he was being refused payment of six weeks' unemployment benefit.

Instructions to employment exchanges specify that interviews should be held in a private room if possible, and in any event under conditions of reasonable privacy. In the case brought to my attention by the hon. Member, his constituent chose to discuss his claim in public, although he had been informed by letter of the disallowance of his claim, the reasons for this and his right of appeal against the decision. In the local office concerned a notice is prominently displayed, as in all employment exchanges, indicating that a private interview will be arranged on request.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has received the note from the hon. Member for West Ham, North, drawing attention to the possibility that unemployed workers who have been contributing in rates, taxes and National Insurance schemes are receiving worse treatment in fare payments and subsistence allowances than those that have never contributed; and whether he will take steps to end this situation.

My right hon. Friend has decided that overnight subsistence allowances should be available to all workers whether in assisted or non-assisted areas with effect from 21st September, 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he can give an assurance that the return fares payable to unemployed workers attending for job interviews and their subsistence allowances being applied to workers in assisted areas which has been applied to the Ugandan Asians in non-assisted areas is now being generally applied to all unemployed persons from any and every area when travelling to be interviewed for employment.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is aware that Reginald Body and Partners made an offer of bricklaying jobs of £60 per week to the Ugandan immigrants and that his Plymouth office laid down a condition that this firm would additionally have to house the men and their families; under what statutory rule or regulation this order was made; and whether similar conditions are applied to all British-born bricklayers when being offered bricklaying jobs.

This firm of consultants asked our Plymouth office whether there were any bricklayers amongst the United Kingdom passport holders evacuated from Uganda available to work for firms in Cornwall on a labour only sub-contract basis. As there were none locally and it was known that United Kingdom passport holders had already had difficulty in finding local accommodation, Mr. Body was asked if he or the builders might be able to assist. This was a practical response to his needs, not a condition, and similar steps would clearly not be appropriate in all cases involving British born bricklayers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will tabulate the 10 industrial groups with the lowest average weekly gross earnings, giving the hours worked per week, including overtime, and per year, including holidays and statutory holidays, and expressing this remuneration in hourly and annual terms, indicating how recent wage awards have now altered the position as to which groups receive the lowest remuneration.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him yesterday.—[Vol. 845, c. 99–100.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the amounts of short-term aid given by national Governments to Southern Sudan following implementation of the Arusha Agreement.

I presume that the Question relates to aid given since the Addis Ababa agreement signed in February this year. I regret that full details of the information required are not available immediately, but those of which we know an., as follows, in approximate sterling equivalents:

(a) Money received as a result al UNHCR Appeal:
Denmark	£150,000
Finland	£100,000
Netherlands	£20,000
Sweden	£25,000
Switzerland	£11,000
USA	£865,000

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the long-term aid commitments made by national Governments to Southern Sudan following the Arusha Agreements.

I presume that the Question relates to commitments made since the Addis Ababa Agreement signed in February this year.As far as I know, no formal commitments of long-term aid have been made by national Governments. Her Majesty's Government, however, informed the Sudanese Government in May that we would sympathetically consider making a contribution towards long-term reconstruction in the south when plans are ready. This is still our intention; in fact, a team from the Overseas Development Administration's Beirut office will be visiting Southern Sudan next month. It seems likely that the World Bank and other donor Governments will similarly await firmer long-term plans.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are made in each of the Common Market countries to relieve Members of Parliament of their national parliamentary duties in order to take part in the European Assembly.

So far as I am aware no such arrangements are made in any of the member countries of the Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the average number of days per year that members of the European Assembly are required to be in attendance.

The European Parliament spends approximately 40 days per annum in plenary session.The number of days devoted by an individual member to committee work varies according to the number and nature of the committees in which he chooses to participate.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what statutory authority the Government is committed to Common Market political union.

The European Communities Act enables Her Majesty's Government to give effect to future decisions taken under and arising out of the Community Treaties. As regards the objective of a European Union which was adopted at the summit meeting in Paris on the 20th October, it is our intention to move to this objective step by step, and Parliament can debate it at every stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when he intends that the communiqué issued after the meeting of Common Market Heads of Government in October, 1972, shall be submitted to Parliament for approval in accordance with Section I of the European Communities Act, 1972;(2) when he intends to publish an Order in Council designating as a Community Treaty the communiqué issued after the meeting of Common Market Heads of Government in October, 1972;(3) if the communiqué issued after the meeting of Common Market Heads of Government in October, 1972, contains any terms settled on or before 22nd January, 1972.

As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary has already made clear in reply to my right hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Powell) on 26th October, the communiqué does not constitute a treaty, and accordingly it will not be made the subject of an Order in Council under Section 1 of the Act.—[Vol. 843. c. 411.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will now bring in a Bill to repeal the European Communities Act and to provide for a poll in the United Kingdom on the issue of United Kingdom membership of the European Economic Community on the lines of the poll to be held in Northern Ireland.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances Mr. J. A. Ganatra, a Tanzanian citizen, was provided by the British High Commission in Kampala with an entry certificate to facilitate his admission to the United Kingdom as a visitor; and whether it is normal practice for Her Majesty's High Commissioners to issue entry certificates to nationals of countries other than those to which they are accredited.

Mr. Ganatra was granted an entry certificate at Kampala on 17th September, 1970, having satisfied the entry certificate officer that he intended a bona fide visit to the United Kingdom for a period of two months and that he had adequate financial resources to maintain himself during his stay. It is normal practice to issue an entry certificate to a Commonwealth citizen in a country other than his own where he can satisfy the normal criteria.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he estimates to be the number of persons who will be entitled to enter the United Kingdom from elsewhere than Uganda as dependants of the Asians who have been, or are expected to be, admitted directly from Uganda following the events of last August.

Such information as has been provided by applicants for entry certificates in Uganda about their dependants elsewhere is being analysed but, in view of the numbers of applications involved, this will necessarily take some time. I will write to my right hon. Friend when the information becomes available. On the information we have at present there appear to be no significant numbers outside Uganda.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, since on 25th October, 1972, the Foreign Secretary gave the figure of 25,000 entry certificates having been issued in Kampala up to 23rd October, 1972, and 18,555 Asians had arrived in the United Kingdom, and on 26th October his Private Secretary said 26,500 had been issued and that 19,500 Asians had arrived by the evening of 25th October, and as these figures conflict with the Home Office statements, he will co-ordinate the preparation of figures by these Departments; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any significant conflict between the figures given by my office as detailed by the hon. Member and any comparable figures given by the Home Office. There is already close co-ordination between these Departments on the preparation of figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will enter into discussions with the Republic of Ireland Government to explore the extension of extradition arrangements between Northern and Southern Ireland and, in particular, to see if a greater range of items currently considered political might be included.

The exclusion of political offences from those for which a person may be extradited is a common feature of extradition agreements, whether formal treaties or, as in this case, based on common legislation. In view of the separation of the powers of the Executive and the judiciary in the Irish Republic, as in the United Kingdom, there is little a Government can do if the courts determine that an offence is political. But where extradition is denied because of a reluctance on the part of the appropriate authorities in the Republic to see that the procedures are implemented, we can and do raise the matter with the Irish Republic Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has, on entry into the European Economic Community, for United Kingdom subjects to carry identity cards or any kind of papers of identification.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the attempts to obtain support for lotteries overseas which are being posted in this country, whether he will introduce legislation to prohibit such activity.

Section 42 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1963, already creates a number of offences intended to prevent any form of promotion of an overseas lottery in this country. These provisions cannot be applied when the persons responsible are outside the jurisdiction of our courts. Representations are, however, made, where appropriate, to overseas Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for chief constable certificates are pending; how much money has been paid out on claims in the last 12 months; and what is the total number of claims awaiting settlement.

There are about 8,500 outstanding applications for chief constable's certificates.During the 12 months up to 31st October, 1972, the Ministry of Home Affairs paid out £11,351,488 in respect of compensation for malicious damage to property. This figure includes not only sums paid to local authorities in respect of awards made by the courts under the Criminal Injuries Acts but also the legal costs relating to those cases and certain extra-statutory payments.The total number of outstanding claims is estimated to be 32,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the number of consultants who received distinction awards by category A plus, A, B and C while also being permitted to practise private medicine, for the last year for which the figures are available and also the percentage figures.

This information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the number of whole-time clinical teachers and research workers who received distinction awards while holding honorary consultant appointments, by category, for the last year for which figures are available and also the percentage figures.

Figures relating only to those clinical teachers and research workers with honorary National Health Service consultant appointments are not readily available; figures for consultants with appointments, whether paid or honorary, in teaching hospitals who were receiving distinction awards at 31st December, 1971, are as follows:

Category of Award	Number	Proportion of total number of Consultants with Teaching Hospital Appointments per cent.
A+	84	2·8
A	267	8·9
B	616	20·6
C	753	25·2
Totals	1,720	57·5

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further progress has been made since 1st May, 1972, to reduce the waiting lists at the Ipswich and East Suffolk Hospital.

A further reduction of 17 per cent. in the waiting list has been achieved since May, 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed males and females in Scotland have now exhausted their entitlement to earnings-related supplement; and how many males and females in Scotland have exhausted their entitlement to unemployment benefit.

On 7th August, 1972, the latest date for which figures are available, 35,351 males and 3,427 females registered as unemployed in Scotland had exhausted their entitlement to flat-rate unemployment benefit.The figures for earnings-related supplement are not immediately available, but I will supply them to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for carrying out the policy of expanding selected towns in mid-Wales.

Hospital Management Committee	Actual Revenue Expenditure 1971–72 £	Per Capita Expenditure 1971–72 £	Actual Capital Expenditure 1971–72 £	Per Capita Expenditure 1971–72 £
Newport and East Monmouthshire	6,230,296	19·4	658,966	2·1
North Monmouthshire	3,344,406	25·7	328,081	2·5
Border Counties (Wales)	1,557,822	38·4	165,777	4·1
University Hospital of Wales (Cardiff)	15,086,590	31·7	2,327,149	4·9
Merthyr and Aberdare	2,309,079	15·0	278,884	1·8
Pontypridd and Rhondda	3,193,018	19·9	80,633	0·5
Bro Morgannwg	6,582,392	26·2	743,126	3·0
Glantawe	6,376,707	18·9	269,479	0·8
South West Wales	3,834,188	20·0	259,331	1·3
Mid Wales	1,381,224	19·1	186,742	2·6
Caernarvon and Anglesey	3,612,851	18·5	306,161	1·6
Clwyd and Deeside	4,420,725	19·9	540,669	2·4
Wrexham Powys and Mawddach	3342.833	19·2	333,912	1·9

These figures have been calculated by dividing the total expenditure within each hospital management committee's area by the estimated population of its area. They make no allowance for the fact that one hospital management committee

A wide range of Government assistance is already available to encourage growth and development in mid-Wales. I am keeping the situation, including in particular the progress at Newtown, under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many improvement grants in Wales have been made to companies and investment agencies, as opposed to individuals and local authorities, since June, 1970.

Of the 34,006 grants approved during the period June, 1970, to August, 1972, 5,116 were made to applicants other than owner-occupiers and local authorities. Local authority returns do not differentiate between grants made to companies and investment agencies and those made to other non-owner occupiers.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the current annual expenditure of each of the hospital management committee areas in Wales; and how much per head of population this expenditure represents.