asked the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the occupation of No. 1 Bridge Street and Palace Chambers with particular reference to the timing of the vacation of the premises.

I cannot give a firm date at this stage, but Members and their secretaries will not move out of the buildings until the summer. The occupation of No. 3 Dean's Yard by Members and secretaries will consequently be postponed, because the staff who service No. 1 Bridge Street and Palace Chambers will remain there until the move takes place in the summer.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the concern among English apple growers regarding the lack of information as to the operation of compensatory levies for apples when the United Kingdom joins the European Economic Community, if he will take steps to remedy the situation.

As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told the House on 20th December, the EEC Council of Ministers has now reached agreement on the compensatory amounts for apples and pears. For apples, there will be three rates for different groups of varieties of 12·3 units of account per 100 kilograms (about £52 per ton) for Group I, 8·6 units of account per 100 kilograms (about £36 per ton) for Group II, and 5·5 units of account (about £23 per ton) for Group III. For pears, there will be a single rate of 8·6 units of account. These are basic rates for trade with countries other than Denmark and the Irish Republic.I am placing in the Library of the House a note giving additional information, and my Department is arranging for further publicity.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give further details of the arrangements affecting beef agreed at the meeting of the Council of Ministers (Agriculture) in Brussels on 18th, 19th and 20th December.

The Council of Ministers reached agreement on the initial guide price levels and method of calculating compensatory amounts in the beef and veal sector. The initial guide prices, which apply from 1st February until the end of March, will be 67 units of account per 100 kilograms (£14·18 per live cwt) for adult cattle and 83 units of account (£17·58) for calves. These compare with the present common guide price levels of 78 units of account per 100 kilograms (£16·51 per live cwt) for adult cattle and 96·5 units of account (£20·43) for calves.These same initial guide prices will apply in the Republic of Ireland so that trading arrangements between the two countries will not be altered. Denmark will adopt the common guide price levels on accession.The rules for calculating the compensatory amounts were also agreed. The basic compensatory amounts on cattle and calves are the difference between the common and the United Kingdom guide prices. The actual rates of import charges and export restitutions will depend upon the rates of the Customs duties which are applied and whether third country levies are in operation.The Council also reached agreement on a new system of intervention in the beef sector which is additional to the existing arrangements. Under the new system, intervention qualities and prices will be decided at the beginning of each marketing year for each member State, and will operate throughout the year on a permanent basis. This new system will apply only to meat originating in the Community and produced from adult cattle which kill out at above 50 per cent. The arrangements for operating this system in the individual member States remain to be worked out. Further discussions will be taking place on this.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the ex-refinery price of sugar beyond the end of 1972.

Yes. In view of the need to maintain the utmost restraint in food price increases, I have decided that the special payments to the Sugar Board announced by my predecessor in a Written Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Mr. Charles Morrison) on 8th March 1972 should be continued during the month of January 1973. At the time my predecessor made his announcement, it was expected that these payments would enable the Sugar Board normally to keep the ex-refinery price of granulated sugar within a target range of from £82 to £92 per ton. He later concluded that, in the light of movements in the world price, the target range could be lowered to £77 to £87 per ton, and the Board has operated on this basis since 20th July. This lower range will now continue until the end of January 1973. The total amount of the special payment is now expected to be about £29 million on the basis of current world prices, and a further Supplementary Estimate will be sought in due course. In the meantime I shall, as necessary, draw on the Contingencies Fund.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give further details of the decisions taken by the Council of Agricultural Ministers this week in relation to New Zealand butter and cheese.

The regulation agreed by the Council of Agricultural Ministers on 18th December provides very satisfactorily for the implementation of the protocol dealing with New Zealand butter and cheese. The regulation makes it clear that the rates of special levy on these imports must be such as to allow the full quantities specified in the protocol to be sold, at prices consistent with a return to New Zealand, at the cif stage, equal to her average price over the past four years—£361 per ton for butter, £312 for cheese. The stocks New Zealand will have in the United Kingdom at the end of 1972 are not to be taken into account in computing the 1973 import entitlement, and there will be no levy on imports made in January 1973. The regulation provides for an annual report by the Commission which will make it possible for the Council to review annually the operation of the arrangements.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will undertake a survey of that part of the wall surrounding Portsmouth Dockyard which adjoins Portsea in order to determine whether it could be moved at least 50 yards to provide the residents of the Privett House and Cumberland Street area with the amenities of grass and space at present only available on the other side of the wall.

It is hoped to set up a team shortly to carry out a full-scale survey of property within the Portsmouth Naval Base area. We would consider as part of this exercise the acceptability of moving part of the dockyard wall in the manner proposed.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the policy of the Government towards the management of individual naval dockyards by civilians as distinct from Service personnel.

The management of the Royal Dockyards is, in the main, civilian. However, the effective and efficient repair of modern warships, containing complex machinery and weapon systems, is best achieved by a combination of civilian engineers and their naval counterparts who have the experience of operating the machinery, weapons and equipment at sea where the full characteristics of these systems are made apparent. It continues, therefore, to be the practice, as in the United States Navy and other foreign navies, to use a number of serving naval officers at various levels in the dockyards where their operational experience is both necessary and can best be used.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will undertake a special review of methods whereby pay levels for civilian personnel in Service establishments without productivity schemes can be brought up to the level of pay in establishments with such schemes whenever the work expected of personnel in the establishments without productivity schemes is already equivalent to the work of personnel in establishments with such schemes; and whether he will make a statement.

As I explained to the hon. Member on 30th November, employees receive bonuses under productivity or incentive schemes in recognition of greater effort or the making of concessions. The way forward is to extend the application of such schemes. Subject to the limitations imposed by the Government's pay and prices policy, it remains our aim to introduce them as widely as possible and no special review is necessary.—[Vol. 847, c. 181]

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether, in the light of the observations by the Select Committee on Expenditure, he will issue a statement on the future of Seawolf.

The recommendations and conclusions of the Expenditure Committee are now being considered, and it would be wrong for me to comment on them at this stage. Meanwhile, the technical development of Seawolf is progressing satisfactorily.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the actions that have been taken over the past five years to help schools in educational priority areas; and if she will make a statement about the future of this programme.

Under the urban programme, over 24,000 additional places are being provided in nursery schools and classes in areas of multiple social deprivation. More than half of these have been approved since June 1970.In 1968–69 and 1969–70, £23 million-at 1972 prices—was earmarked for schools in educational priority areas, and in 1970–71 £12 million was allocated for the replacement of schools in such areas. An additional £22 million was allocated in 1971–72 for the replacement of a number of pre-1903 schools, particularly primary schools, again in areas of severe social deprivation. A substantial proportion of the £50 million for the improvement-replacement of pre-1903 schools in 1972–73 was also devoted to urban areas of social deprivation.In 1968, the Burnham Primary and Secondary Committee introduced a special salary addition of £75 per annum for teachers in schools of exceptional difficulty, measured in the main by the socio-economic circumstances of the pupils. This addition has since been twice increased and now stands at £105 per annum. 572 schools were recognised for this purpose.Following the recent announcement of a major expansion of provision for children under five in which some priority will be given to deprived areas, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State intends in future to concentrate urban programme resources elsewhere in the education service.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many of the primary and secondary schools whose teachers receive special increments under the education priority area programme were built before 1903.

Information in this form is not readily available in the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will give the national average of graduate teachers employed in primary schools, secondary modern schools, grammar schools and comprehensive schools, respectively; and if she will make a statement.

In March 1971, the percentage of full-time teachers who were graduates was: 4·8 in primary schools, 16·5 in secondary modern, 73·7 in grammar and 39·8 in comprehensive schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will increase the amount of grant to married women students so that they are paid a grant midway between their present grant and that paid to male married students.

The rates of grant for the current triennium beginning in the academic year 1971–72 have been settled, but I shall look carefully at this particular grant in the next review.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will clarify the grant system to trainee teachers in its application to widows.

The provision for such students is set out in the Department's Circular No. 11/71, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will indicate the strength and composition of the multi-disciplinary team which examines severely handicapped children; if she is satisfied that a full team is available on all occasions; if she will ascertain whether all local authorities are supplying full assessment and equipment for such children; and if she will make a statement.

The strength and composition of multi-disciplinary teams vary in accordance with the requirements of individual children. It would be impracticable to make the suggested detailed inquiries of all local education authorities, which in any event share the functions of assessment with the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give a date by which he intends to make a statement on the future of the Community Industry Scheme.

An announcement on the future of the Community Industry Scheme will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if bonuses and wage increases to professional football players are being permitted within the Counter-Inflation (Temporary Provisions) Act.

Bonuses under arrangements which were in existence on 6th November may continue to be paid, but any new bonus arrangements which would result in increased earnings and any increase in basic wages are not permitted during the standstill period.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will direct industrial training boards to itemise payments made to public relations consultants in the annual reports submitted to him by the respective industrial training boards, with explanatory information being conventionally provided as to how and why the item of expenditure was incurred.

The form in which the audited and certified accounts of industrial training boards are published with the annual report adequately shows their financial performance and position, and it is not necessary for this purpose to direct that expenditure on a par- ticular item such as that suggested by my hon. Friend should be specified.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the industrial training boards which employ public relations consultants.

The employment of public relations consultants by industrial training boards is a matter of day-to-day administration within boards' own responsibility, but I understand that they have from time to time been employed by the engineering, food, drink and tobacco, and rubber and plastics processing boards.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were employed by industrial training boards as at 30th September in each of the years 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972; and what were the gross emoluments paid and the total of income of the industrial training boards for these years.

The staffing of the 27 industrial training boards is a matter for the boards themselves, but I understand that, at 31st December 1971, the number of staff in post was 4,744. The information relating to the gross emoluments of staff and to boards' incomes is contained in the table below:

Year ended 31 March	Total ITB income	Gross Emoluments of ITB Staff
	£	£
1968	133,585,255	3,319,178
1969	132,773,232	5,295,197
1970	180,037,844	7,464,898
1971	209,884,141	9,266,203
1972	223,004,667	9,510,581

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what regulations define the nature of work done by, and the amount of expenditure permitted on, public relations consultants employed by industrial training boards; and if he will make a statement.

Arrangements and expenditure of this kind are regarded as matters of day-to-day administration within the responsibility of a board itself, over which my Department does not seek to exercise special control.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what meetings have taken place at ministerial or official level with local representatives on sewerage in the Fareham area; what invitations have been extended to the Fare-ham Urban District Council to attend such meetings; and what has been the attendance record of representatives of the council.

During the past 12 months, the council's engineer and officers of my Department have had several informal meetings, one of which was attended also by officers of the Hampshire River Authority and of the South Hampshire Main Drainage Board, to discuss sewerage in the Fareham area. No formal meetings have been arranged for that purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made on the Fareham sewerage scheme and on the South Hampshire sewerage scheme; what incompatibilities there are between the two schemes; and what views have been expressed by the public authorities concerned.

I am glad to say that some progress has been made in the past year and that construction is likely to start next February on the first phase of the Fareham scheme. I understand that the public authorities concerned are trying to ensure that the second phase does not prejudice the long-term drainage proposals for South Hampshire. Meanwhile, the South Hampshire Main Drainage Board has submitted for confirmation a compulsory purchase order for land at Peel Common for a sewage disposal works, and has applied for planning permission for the works. The Fareham Urban District Council has lodged an objection to the compulsory purchase order.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what advice he gives to local authorities on the points to be observed in deciding the location of refuse tips;(2) what advice he gives to local authorities on the minimum distance which should separate refuse tips from dwelling houses.

The use of land for refuse disposal purposes is, at present, a matter for local authorities to decide under the planning Acts. The Report of the Working Party on Refuse Disposal published in April 1971 recommended that, unless it is known and intended that appropriate standards of control can and will be fully applied, controlled tipping of crude refuse should not be adopted; adequate control is more likely to be achieved when the system is operated on a large scale, and, in general, sites within 200 yards of the curtilage of any existing residential community should not be used. The working party did not think that a recommendation specifying the same minimum distance for all applications would be practicable, but stated that as a guiding principle only sites where some definite land improvement would result should be considered for controlled tipping.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many reservoirs there are in the West Riding owned by statutory water undertakings; and how many of these are used for fishing and other recreational pursuits, respectively.

The latest available figures are 106, 30 and 69, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will carry out an investigation into the working of the rent rebate scheme, with particular reference to the type of case, whereby a chronically sick married man with three young children in receipt of £21·75 per week, with a maximum rent rebate of £2·18, but from whom £2·10 is then deducted from his social security benefit, so that his rent rebate is worth 8p.

As the hon. Member will appreciate, if supplementary benefit were not reduced by the amount of any rent rebate or allowance granted, the tenant would be receiving help towards his rent twice from public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will order an on-the-spot investigation concerning the increased road traffic congestion in Winchester before announcing his final decision concerning the future of the Alton to Winchester railway.

							Estimated starting date	Estimated date of completion
Barrow Banks diversion	…	…	…	…	…	…	Under construction	January 1973
Widening south of Greenodd		…	…	…	…	…	March 1973	March 1974
Arrad Foot diversion	…	…	…	…	…	…	January 1973	January 1975

Seven schemes are in the preparation pool:—Nether Newton-High Newton diversion;Dualling east of Newby Bridge;Haverthwaite Cross Roads diversion;Greenodd diversion;Ulverston diversion Stage III;Dalton diversion stage I;Dalton diversion stage II.My right hon. Friend also intends to proceed with a new draft order for a bypass of Lindale and with preparatory work on an improvement between Meathop and Sampool Bridge. Every effort will be made to carry out these schemes quickly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have contacted regional offices of the Department of the Environment since they received circular 41/72; and how many local authorities have invited the Department of Environment to advise.

Local authorities and the Department's regional offices are constantly in touch over proposals for general improvement areas. The number of these contacts is not recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have carried out the review urged in paragraph 5 of the circular 41 /72.

I announced my decision in August 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what schemes for improving the A590 between Levens Bridge and Dalton are in the road programme and what are the programmed dates for commencement and completion; what schemes are in the preparation pool; and if he will make a statement in the light of his decision to withdraw the draft order for the Barrow-Arnside link road.

Three schemes for improving this road are in the programme:

This information is not available. Local authorities were not asked to report to the Department on the result of their review of their administrative arrangements in general improvement areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have proposed general improvement areas which have not been proceeded with; and how many general improvement areas were involved.

This information is not available. Local authorities are required to notify the Department only of general improvement areas they have declared.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a circular to local authorities advising them to consider appointing welfare rights officers of the type recently appointed by the city of Manchester.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on his plans to extend educational assistance available to Rhodesians.

It has now been agreed to provide the following new items of educational aid:

(a) a contribution of up to £100,000 for the purchase of technical equipment, particularly in connection with agriculture, for secondary schools financed and run by the missionary societies; and

(b) an extension of our contribution under the Special Commonwealth Programme to include 25 new awards each year for training at intermediate level of Rhodesian Africans now in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which departmental Vote bears the cost of reconditioning Piddlehinton Camp in order to prepare it for occupation by Ugandan Asians; and how many weeks he expects to elapse before he is able to announce final costs of preparing the camp for use and operating it as a resettlement centre.

Expenditure incurred by the Uganda Resettlement Board is borne on the Home Office Vote. The final costs of preparing and operating Piddlehinton Camp as a resettlement centre should be available at the end of the financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrant families of non- European origin have been repatriated in the last 12 months, or a similar convenient period; and how many such families were repatriated in the 12 months before June 1970.

In the first 11 months of 1972, 22 families left the country with assistance provided under Section 29 of the Immigration Act 1971, and arrangements are now being made for eight more families. In the same period, 95 families were assisted to leave under the scheme operated by the Supplementary Benefits Commission.In the period 1st June 1969 to 31st May 1970, 109 families were assisted to leave by the Supplementary Benefits Commission.All those assisted under Section 29, and the great majority of those assisted by the Supplementary Benefits Commission, were of non-European origin.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Mr. Masrani, a Ugandan citizen who came to Great Britain without an entrance clearance certificate and contrary to the immigration rules, was allowed to enter and go to Greenham Common Resettlement Centre; and whether all persons in a similar situation have been allowed to enter and remain in Great Britain on the same basis.

As I explained to the House during the Consolidated Fund Bill debate on 6th-7th December, a small number of citizens of Uganda were transferred to the resettlement centres on humanitarian grounds. Mr. Masrani was among them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has taken steps to ascertain the views of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Parties regarding the desirability of issuing official poll cards for the first elections of the new local authorities in 1972; and what their views were on this matter.

Yes; all thought this desirable, to the extent that it could be done.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that official poll cards could be supplied to electors and their proxies in the event of any parliamentary General Elections which may take place during 1973.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has considered giving discretion to returning officers to use modified parliamentary poll cards rather than the prescribed local government cards for the first county elections on 12th April 1973.

This would not be appropriate. It would deplete stocks of parliamentary poll cards, and might also cause confusion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimates his Department has made of the time needed to print official poll cards for the first county elections on 12th April 1973; and if he will list the estimates submitted to him by returning officers-designate;(2) what persons, organisations, printing firms or other bodies were consulted by his Department in estimating the time needed to print official poll cards for the first county elections on 12th April 1973;(3) if he will list the practical difficulties and problems involved in the issue of official poll cards for the first county and district council elections to be held in 1973;(4) if he will name the returning officers-designate and their authorities who have told him they consider the issue of official poll cards impractical for the first county elections on 12th April 1973; and what reasons were given by each returning officer designate concerned.

It was not possible to make a general estimate of the time needed to print poll cards since the considerations vary with different areas. Among other, and often more critical factors, any one of which might make the issue of poll cards at the first elections impracticable, are delay in settling district names, delay in announcing district warding arrangements, difficulty in having cards written up for both county and district elections, and difficulty in obtaining the special paper required for computer-printed cards. It was not possible to ask every returning officer whether he would be able to issue poll cards for the first elections. This is why the rules authorise their issue if the returning officer informs the council by which he was appointed that he will be able to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the local authorities which have asked his advice on whether poll cards should be issued for only part of a county; what was his advice; and what are the reasons for this advice.

No record was kept of the local authority officers who telephoned with inquiries on this point. They were advised that at the first elections of councillors for a county the procedure should be uniform, and that the new local elections rules provided accordingly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has decided on the prescribed form for official poll cards at local elections; on what date this decision was made; and if he will place a facsimile of this card in the Library together with a parliamentary poll card.

The form of official poll card to be prescribed is in the appendix to the Home Office letter of 24th November 1972 to local authorities. A copy of this, and a specimen of the parliamentary poll card, are in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from individual councillors and members of the general public asking that official poll cards should not be issued for the first county elections on 12th April 1973.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will advise returning officers designate that a great deal of work involved in preparing official poll cards for the first county and district elections from 12th April 1973 onwards can be undertaken at once, using the old electoral registers and the proposed additions and deletions issued this month.

Such advice would be superfluous.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice is issued by his Department regarding the remuneration paid by local authorities to returning officers for their duties in connection with local elections.

A circular on this subject is to be issued next month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations have been made to him by the National Council of Social Service Women's Group on Public Welfare on the matter of his policy that families of Ugandan Asians can only be admitted to the United Kingdom provided the husband or father of a family holds a British passport, seeking amendment of his policy to allow whole families to enter; and what reply he has sent.

The Women's Group on Public Welfare wrote about the admission of Asian families from Uganda. I shall be replying soon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why the Minister of State has not yet supplied the figures relating to the Metropolitan Police Force, requested in the letter from the hon. Member for Islington, South-West, dated 21st November, addressed to the Minister of State;(2) how many Metropolitan Police officers have been required to resign and been expelled from the force, respectively, in the years 1955 to 1960, and in each of the last five years;(3) how many Metropolitan Police officers were the subject of prosecutions for alleged offences while on duty in the years 1955 to 1960, and in each of the last five years; and how many of these prosecutions resulted in convictions in each year;

I wrote to the hon. Member yesterday giving the information available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to bring the revised immigration rules before Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

In the debate on 22nd November, a number of criticisms were made on the rules, including points affecting the entry of Canadian, Australian and New Zealand immigrants to this country. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has already met the Prime Minister of Canada. We must establish what the views of the Australian and New Zealand Governments are and how they think any difficulties might be remedied. For this purpose, the Australian and New Zealand Governments have both agreed, as a first step, to exploratory talks at official level. Meanwhile, I am considering a number of changes in the rules, which I intend to bring before the House when we resume after the Christmas Recess.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about police investigations affecting the Railway Gazette.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that a report on investigations into the disappearance of a document about railway plans has now been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, at whose request the investigations were made. The conduct of the investigations was a matter for the Commissioner, who has assured me that there is no foundation for the suggestion that his officers made threats in the course of their inquiries.I think it right to add, in view of concern which has been expressed about the interception of telephone calls, that the procedures for authorising interception which were described in the report of the Birkett Committee in 1957 are scrupulously followed. This means that police requests for interception would be authorised only by me, or exceptionally, in my absence, by another Secretary of State, and that they would be considered only in connection with serious crime, which continues to be defined and interpreted on the strict and limited terms set out by the Committee.It would, as the Committee said, be against the Public interest either to publish statistics about the extent of interception or to say whether interception has been used in any particular investigation; but I can say that the present Government are in no way departing from the practice of successive Administrations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can now publish full details of the way in which value added tax will be levied on the sale of works of art and antiques.

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)
		Total personal disposable income	Personal disposable income at 1963 prices	Total United Kingdom population	Personal disposable income at 1963 pieces per head of total UK population	Change in column (4) compared with pervious quarter
		£ million	£ million	thousands	£	per cent.
1970 Q1	…	8,119	6,231	55,460	112	—
Q2	…	8,439	6,385	55,490	115	+2·4
Q3	…	8,684	6,470	55,530	117	+ 1·3
Q4	…	8,891	6,515	55,570	117	+0·6
1971 Q1	…	9,022	6,464	55,610	116	-0·9
Q2	…	9,274	6,483	55,650	117	+ 0·2
Q3	…	9,584	6,592	55,690	118	+ 1·6
Q4	…	9,833	6,728	55,730	121	+ 2·0
1972 Q1	…	9,895	6,687	55,770	120	- 0·7
Q2	…	10,614	7,070	55,810	127	+ 5·7

The Treasurer order was laid yesterday.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the reason why manufacturers' agents do not qualify for exemption under Schedule 5 to the Finance Act 1972, in view of the fact that football pools agents and bookmakers agents are so exempt.

The services of manufacturers' agents are not within the scope of any group in Schedule 5 of the Finance Act 1972, whereas football pool agents and bookmakers agents provide facilities for the Placing of bets and are, therefore, exempt under Group 4 of the Schedule.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give, for each quarter since January 1970, the total of personal disposable incomes and the estimated total United Kingdom population, together with the percentage increase in real disposable income per head, in each successive quarter throughout this period.

The latest available estimates are given in the following table: —

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the annual percentage increase in real net income from October 1964 to October 1970, and from October 1970 to October 1972, of a family with

NET INCOME OF TWO-CHILD FAMILIES (Children aged 6 and 10)
£ per week
October 1964		October 1970		October 1972		Annual percentage increase in income in real terms‡
Earnings*	Net income†	Earnings	Net income	Earnings	Net income	1964–70	1970–72
9·68	9·47	15	14·72	18·50	19·30	2·7	5·4
12·91	12·03	20	17·11	24·67	21·67	1·2	3·6
18·11	16·18	28·05	22·32	34·60	27·97	0·7	3·1
32·28	26·29	50	37·18	61·68	46·25	1·1	2·7
64·56	48·84	100	70·04	123·36	88·26	1·3	3·4
129·12	88·95	200	114·59	246·72	141·62	-0·5	2·4
*The third line in the table shows average earnings of male manual workers in industry: the latest available figure in this series is for April 1972, and the October 1972 figure has been estimated by adjusting the April figure by the monthly average earnings index and, in the case of the last month the index of hourly wage rates. The same percentage increase as has taken place in average earnings has been applied to all income levels.
† Net income is obtained by adjusting for FAM, FIS, tax and NI contributions as appropriate and deducting the cost of school meals, milk, and a representative amount of prescriptions, dental treatment and spectacles where these items are not provided free.
‡ To obtain the increase in real terms the net income figures are deflated by the retail prices index.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the £475 million to be written out of the accounts of the NCB is already incorporated in the National Debt; and what will be the annual cost of servicing the £475 million written out of the NCB accounts.

I shall write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many telephone calls there have been to the robot police telephone in each month since it was started; how many of these calls have provided positive information which was of specific value to the security authorities; and if he will make a statement.

In view of the confidential nature of this telephone service, a specific reply on all points would

The information is as follows:not be in the public interest. Between August and early December 1972, 554 calls were acted upon by the security forces. Information thus received has led to arrests and to seizure of arms and explosives.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many private tenants in Dunfermline whose rents have been raised by the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969 would get rent allowances for the first time under the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972, if the local authority implemented that Act;(2) what is the amount of rent allowances that will be lost by private tenants in Dunfermline because the local authority is refusing to introduce a rent allowance scheme on 1st January 1973;(3) how many private tenants in Dunfermline, who have had their rents increased under the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969, will now qualify for the first time for rent allowances to help them in paying this rent;

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the amount of rent allowances that will be lost by private tenants in Saltcoats because the town council is refusing to introduce a rent allowance scheme on 1st January 1973;(2) how many private tenants in Saltcoats will qualify for rent allowances on 1st January 1973 under the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972;(3) how many private tenants in Saltcoats who have had their rents increased under the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969 will now qualify for the first time for rent allowances to help them in paying this rent;(4) how many private tenants in Saltcoats whose rents have been raised by the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969 would get rent allowances for the first time under the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972 if the town council implemented that Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many private tenants in Dundee whose rents have been raised by the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969 would get rent allowances for the first time under the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972 if the local authority implemented that Act in full;(2) how many private tenants in Dundee who have had their rents increased under the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969 will now qualify for the first time for rent allowances to help them in paying this rent;(3) how many private tenants in Dundee will qualify for rent allowances on 1st January 1973 under the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972;(4) what is the amount of rent allowances that will be lost by private tenants in Dundee because the local authority will be unable to introduce a rent allowance scheme on 1st January 1973;(5) how many private tenants in Whit-burn whose rents have been raised by the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969 would get rent allowances for the first time under the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972 if the local authority implemented that Act;(6) what is the amount of rent allowances that will be lost by private tenants in Whitburn because the local authority is refusing to introduce a rent allowance scheme on 1st January 1973;(7) how many private tenants in Whit-burn who have had their rents increased under the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969 will now qualify for the first time for rent allowances to help them in paying this rent;(8) how many private tenants in Whit-burn will qualify for rent allowances on 1st January 1973 under the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many private tenants in Kilmarnock will qualify for rent allowances on 1st January 1973 under the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972;(2) how many private tenants in Kilmarnock who have had their rents increased under the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969 will now qualify for the first time for rent allowances to help them in paying this rent;(3) what is the amount of rent allowances that will be lost by private tenants in Kilmarnock because the local authority is refusing to introduce a rent allowance scheme on 1st January 1973;(4) how many private tenants in Kilmarnock whose rents have been raised by the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969 would get rent allowances for the first time under the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972, if the local authority implemented that Act.

Private tenants who are eligible for rent allowances under the provisions of the model scheme should receive allowances from 1st January 1973 in areas where the local authority is implementing the relevant provisions of the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972. Where the local authority is not implementing these provisions, tenants will continue to pay rents, including rents increased under the Housing Acts of 1965 and 1969, without the help of allowances, which are available for the first time under the 1972 Act.Information is not available to me about numbers or amounts involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) whether he will publish details of the number of families in Dunfermline with low incomes who are at present receiving smaller rent rebates than they would be receiving if the local authority had implemented the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972;(2) whether he will publish details of the number of families in Alloa with low incomes who are at present receiving smaller rent rebates than they would be receiving if the local authority had implemented the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will publish details of the number of families in Salt-coats with low incomes who are at present receiving smaller rent rebates than they would be receiving if the town council had implemented the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) whether he will publish details of the number of families in Dundee with low incomes who are at present receiving smaller rent rebates than they would be receiving if the local authority had implemented the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972 in full;(2) whether he will publish details of the number of families in Whitburn with low incomes who are at present receiving smaller rent rebates than they would be receiving if the local authority had implemented the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will publish details of the number of families in Kilmarnock with low incomes who are at present receiving smaller rent rebates than they would be receiving if the local authority had implemented the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972.

These details are not available to me. In general, tenants on low incomes with large families will fare better under the model scheme provided for in the 1972 Act than under present schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what report he has received from the auditors of the Alloa local authority concerning alleged illegal expenditure by the authority in connection with the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972;(2) what reports he has received from the auditors of the Alloa local authority about the failure of the authority to observe the law concerning their housing revenue account income.

None. It is open to any ratepayer to draw the attention of the auditor to any alleged breach of the law by the authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the extra cost to ratepayers in Alloa which has been incurred by the failure of the local authority to implement the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972.

Failure by Alloa Town Council to implement the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972 could cost ratepayers the equivalent of a rate of at least 9p in the £.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many fully registered teachers, showing men and women separately, employed wholetime in the secondary departments of special schools administered by the Glasgow,

			Physical Education		Home Economics		Technical Subjects		Music		Drama		Art
			M	W	M	W	M	W	M	W	M	W	M	W
Glasgow	…	…	—	—	—	14	13	—	—	—	—	1	—	2
Edinburgh	…	…	—	2	—	2	2	—	—	2	—	—	1	4
Dundee	…	…	2	—	—	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	2	—
Aberdeen Burgh		…	1	—	—	3	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	1

asked the Secretary State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the total value of roadworks under the additional public works programme; what yearly expenditure this represents; and how much of this expenditure has been taken up by contracts let to contractors and local authority labour departments.

The total value of road works under the additional public works programme is estimated at £18·6 million, about one-third of which is attributable to local authority labour departments and about two-thirds to contractors. Expenditure of £1·7 million was incurred in 1971–72; expenditure in 1972–73 is expected to amount to £11·5 million, and in 1973–74 to £5·4 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the total value of the additional public works programme; and what total yearly expenditure this represents.

Projects worth a total of £74 million have been approved under the additional public works programme in Scotland, with an estimated annual expenditure of:

1971–72	£3·4 million
1972–73	£46·6 million
1973–74	£24·0 million

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing

The information is as follows:county by county the percentage of the population over 65 years of age and over 75 years of age, respectively, in 1971.

The information is set out in the table below:

PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION AGED 65 AND OVER 75 AND OVER, SCOTLAND AND COUNTIES 1971
	Percentage of all ages
Area	65 +	75+
Scotland	12·3	4·2
Counties of Cities:
Aberdeen	13·9	4·7
Dundee	12·6	4·3
Edinburgh	14·4	5·0
Glasgow	12·1	4·1
Counties (excluding cities)
Aberdeen	13·7	4·9
Angus	15·4	5·7
Argyll	18·4	7·1
Ayr	12·1	3·9
Banff	14·9	5·4
Berwick	17·3	6·3
Bute	25·4	10·7
Caithness	11·5	3·9
Clackmannan	10·3	3·3
Dumfries	13·3	4·6
Dunbarton	9·3	2·8
East Lothian	13·5	4·6
Fife	12·3	4·1
Inverness	14·5	5·2
Kincardine	14·6	5·4
Kinross	15·1	5·6
Kirkcudbright	15·8	5·8
Lanark	9·5	2·9
Midlothian	8·7	2·8
Moray	12·2	4·4
Nairn	17·1	6·6
Orkney	16·0	5·8
Peebles	18·8	7·6
Perth	15·8	5·5
Renfrew	10·9	3·5
Ross & Cromarty	16·3	6·1
Roxburgh	16·7	6·2
Selkirk	16·0	5·6
Stirling	11·0	3·4
Sutherland	17·2	6·4
West Lothian	9·9	3·2
Wigtown	13·1	4·3
Zetland	16·8	6·5

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the costs of training a male teacher of physical education and a female teacher of physical education, respectively.

At 1971–72 recurrent costs, about £2,700 for a woman teacher at Dunfermline College of Physical Education, including the average student maintenance grant for three years. The estimated average cost of three-year courses at Jordanhill College of Education, including the physical education course for men, is about the same; a separate figure for the physical education course is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people died of hypothermia in the last three years for which figures are available; what percentage of the total was women over 60 years of age; and what percentage was men over 65 years of age.

The total numbers of deaths in England and Wales attributed to three categories (a) excessive cold, (b) hunger, thirst, exposure and neglect or (c) hypothermia etc., as the underlying cause have declined from 215 in 1969 to 201 in 1970 and 161 in 1971. Of these numbers, the proportions who were women aged 60 or over were 49 per cent., 35 per cent., and 39 per cent., respectively, and men aged 65 and over were 20 per cent., 24 per cent., and 19 per cent., respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration his Department has given to recent research, the details of which have been sent to him, into a connection between anencephaly and spina bifida and the consumption, during pregnancy, of potatoes exposed to blight; and if he will make a statement

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Petersfield (Miss Quennell) on 23rd October.—[Vol. 843, c. 189–90.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what study his Department has made of the effects of prescribing the drug phenothiazine; and if he will make a statement.

Medicinal products containing phenothiazines have been in use as major tranquillisers in the treatment of mental illness for many years. It is well known that their side-effects include disturbances of muscular activity which may, for example, interfere with normal speech. It is believed, however, that such effects arc reversible when the dosage is reduced or medication ceases.Any new observation on the phenothiazines will be reviewed by the Committee on Safety of Medicines as part of its normal monitoring of adverse reactions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further consultation he has had with the National Association for the Welfare of Children in Hospital on the problems of abandoned children in hospital; what further action he has taken; and if he will make a statement.

The hon. Member will be aware of a circular about these children issued to hospital authorities and local authorities earlier this year. I have recently written to the chairman of the Association about its co-operation with the Women's Royal Voluntary Service in befriending children abandoned in hospitals, and about my intention to hold early next year a conference on the problems of children in hospital for long periods.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration his Department has given to the report on stage 2 of the survey of chronically sick and disabled people resident in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1972, a copy of which is in his possession; if he will be drawing this report to the attention of other local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

This is one of a number of reports of sample surveys carried out by local authorities to establish the numbers and needs of disabled people in their areas, and I see no reason to bring this particular report to the attention of authorities generally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to train specialist social workers for dealing with the particular problems of the deaf.

Local authorities generally are aware of the need to make available suitably qualified staff for training in work with the deaf, and my officers are actively encouraging them to do so. Moreover, the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work is at present considering the form of training most appropriate for social workers in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is satisfied that the statutory duties imposed upon weights and measures inspectors are sufficient to enable them to enforce the Counter-Inflation (Temporary Provisions) Act.

Weights and measures inspectors are under no statutory obligation to enforce the Counter-Inflation (Temporary Provisions) Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will reply immediately to the telegram sent to him on behalf of the Light Metal Founders Association in view of the situation arising in the aluminium foundries due to the freeze and the continuing increase in the price of metal;(2) if he will take steps to assist aluminium foundries to continue in production in the light of the continuing increase in metal prices, and the fact that the foundries are unable to pass any part of this price increase on to the customer.

Following discussions between my Department and representatives of the Light Metal Founders Association yesterday, arrangements have been made to enable the light metal founders to pass on a part, but only a part, of the increase in the cost of their raw materials.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the construction date of the Hawarden bypass; and when he proposes to announce its route.

I cannot yet forecast a starting date for the Broughton to Ewloe scheme, of which the proposed Hawarden bypass forms part, but I hope to publish my proposals for the route towards the end of 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the construction dates of the Holywell and Caergwrle bypasses; and when he proposes to announce the routes.

I cannot yet forecast a starting date for the construction of the Holywell bypass, but, as I informed by hon. Friend the Member for Flint, West (Sir A. Meyer) on 31st July, I expect to publish my proposals for the route in the autumn of 1973. Caergwrle bypass is the responsibility of Flintshire County Council as highway authority, and it is for the authority in the first place to decide its priorities.