asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison disturbances took place during 1972.

During 1972 there were 139 demonstrations by prisoners at 41 prison establishments in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement concerning the Government's proposals relating to the imposition by criminal courts of interpreters' fees against accused persons who have been convicted.

My right hon. Friend is considering the possibility of legislation. Meanwhile he proposes to draw the attention of courts to the relevant provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and to remind them of the availability of central Government funds to pay interpreters in indictable cases.

asked the Secretary of States for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the existing level of police recruitment; and if he will make a statement.

There were 7,160 recruits to the police service in England and Wales during 1972 as compared with 7,077 in 1971. Total police strength rose by 2,800 to just under 99,700 at the end of 1972. The Government will do all in their power to ensure that the encouraging trends in the increase of police manpower over the last two years are continued.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what pro- posals he now has for improving safety regulations for vehicles carrying dangerous chemicals on the roads; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the present Regulations (S.I., 1971, Nos. 1061 and 1062), respectively, relating to the conveyance by road of petroleum and inflammable substances; and if he will make a statement.

The existing regulations relating to the conveyance of petroleum spirit by road are being revised. Those for other inflammable liquids and corrosive substances are being extended to govern the construction and operation of vehicles used for the conveyance of these substances. Similar regulations will subsequently be made for organic peroxides and other classes of dangerous chemicals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many road accidents have occurred during each of the last five years involving tankers carrying corrosive liquids.

I regret that this information is not available. Notification is required only of accidents involving death or personal injury from substances to which the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 has been applied. Since 1st January 1971 four such accidents have so far been notified, all in 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths occurred during each of the last five years as a result of the spilling of acid due to road accidents.

Since the Petroleum (Corrosive Substances) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970, No. 1945) came into operation on 1st January 1971, we have been notified of two deaths resulting from spillages in road accidents of substances to which the order applies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many accidents involving the spillage of dangerous or inflammable liquids or chemicals have occurred on roads in England and Wales during each of the last five years; and in how many such accidents injuries have been sustained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake negotiations with European countries for a uniform standard code of marking for vehicles carrying chemicals by road specifying by symbols the nature of the chemical transported.

As from 1st July 1973, the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) will be so amended as to provide a uniform system of labelling symbols consistent with those already adopted in the United Kingdom in regulations under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will introduce regulations governing the carriage of dangerous chemicals by road.

Regulations already exist to control the carriage by road of explosives, petroleum spirit, petroleum mixtures, carbon disulphide and certain compressed gases, and the labelling of vehicles and packages used to convey inflammable liquids and corrosive substances. The scope of further proposed regulations was indicated in my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Brentford and Chiswick (Mr. Barnes) on 23rd January.—[Vol. 849, c. 110.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will refer to the Transport and Road Research Laboratory the question of the transport of dangerous chemicals by road, with a view to increasing the standards of safety for the drivers of these vehicles and other road users.

The existing regulations governing the conveyance by road of petroleum spirit already incorporate constructitonal and other requirements designed to secure the safety of drivers and of the

Notification is required only of accidents involving death or personal injury from substances to which the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 has been applied. The figures are as follows.public generally, and similar safeguards will be included in the regulations, now being prepared, for the construction and operation of vehicles conveying other inflammable liquids and corrosive substances. It is for my right hon. Friend's Standing Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances to consult the Transport and Road Research Laboratory, as necessary, in the preparation of its proposals for regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now completed his review of the use of hexachlorophane in non-medical toilet preparations; and if he will make a statement.

Not yet, but I expect the necessary inquiries and consultations to be completed shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to provide for the registration of marriage bureaux.

No. My right hon. Friend is not convinced that this is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking in connection with holders of United Kingdom passports, none of whose grandparents was born in Great Britain, yet who have served the Crown overseas in the Armed Services, the police, or the Civil Service.

The immigration rules which I presented to Parliament on 25th January make no change in this connection.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Brixton dated 21st November last dealing with the case of Trevor Jones, now in Blundeston prison.

I much regret that by an oversight the hon. Member has received no reply. I shall write to him fully about the case very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Her Majesty's Government will sign the European Convention concerning au pairs.

I cannot usefully add to the reply which I gave to a Question by the hon. Member on 16th November, 1972.—[Vol. 846, c. 603.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to restore capital punishment for the murder of policemen, members of the Armed Forces and prison officers.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to meet officials of the Prison Officers' Association.

I saw representatives of the association on 28th December and have undertaken to meet them again in the early part of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning the recent representations which have been made to him by and on behalf of probation officers in the inner London area as to their salaries and pay structure.

These representations have been principally directed against the two scales of salary for main grade probation officers recommended by Mr. Butterworth in his recent report and subsequently agreed by the Joint Negotiating Committee for the Probation Service. I understand that it is now the policy of the National Association of Probation Officers to press for a single scale.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applications for registration as charities have been received by the Charity Commissioners in the past three years;(2) how many applications for registration as charities have been granted by the Charity Commissioners in the past three years;(3) on how many occasions charities have been asked to produce accounts by the Charity Commissioners in the past three years;(4) on how many occasions charities have been subjected to disciplinary action by the Charity Commissioners in the past three years;(5) how many charities have been removed from the register in the past three years by the Charity Commissioners;(6) what is the average time taken by the Charity Commissioners in considering applications for registration as charities.

The Home Office does not keep this information, as my right hon. Friend has no responsibility for the day-to-day work of the Charity Commission. I suggest that the hon. Member should approach the commission direct.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been received by the police or his Department over the dangerous use of air rifles.

The number of such complaints received by the police in England and Wales is not available. The Home Office has received some 15 complaints relating to air weapons of all kinds during the last two years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the figures for offences of mugging in Bedfordshire; and how they compare with neighbouring counties;(2) what is the number of cases fox which figures are available in Bedfordshire where mugging has occurred that have led to arrests being made.

There is no agreed definition of "mugging", but the most relevant available information is given below. This comprises the numbers of offences of robbery or assault with intent to rob known to the Bedfordshire and Luton Constabulary and the four surrounding police forces in 1971 and the first nine months of 1972, and the numbers of such offences (whenever committed) cleared up in 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in an assessment of the cases of mugging in Bedfordshire, what is the age range of assailants and victims, respectively.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make it clear to the Chief Constable of the Thames Valley Police Force that his decision in allowing the appeal of Mr. L. W. Bailey was to reinstate him to his former rank of detective sergeant with full reimbursement of lost pay, rather than to the rank of uniformed sergeant with consequent loss of allowances.

My order allowing Mr. Bailey's appeal provided, in accordance with the provisions of the Police Act 1964, that he should be reinstated in the statutory designated rank of sergeant from the date he was punished by his chief constable, and that he should be deemed for purposes of pay to have served in that rank from the date of his suspension. He has suffered no loss of pay. Detective sergeant is a functional title, not a rank, and it is for the chief constable to decide whether an officer should be assigned to detective duties. Detective allowances are payable under police regulations only while an officer is actually employed in detective duties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his estimates of the number of persons, with a parent or grandparent who came from the United Kingdom, now living in each of the following areas: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, the West Indies, Hong Kong; and the number estimated to be living elsewhere.

In Canada and in Australia several millions, in New Zealand at least a million, in India and Pakistan some thousands; the numbers elsewhere in the Commonwealth are small.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to designate returning officers for parliamentary constituencies in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972, Sections 40(1)(c) and 40(1)(e).

In about a year. The designations will be effective from 1st April 1974, when Section 40 comes into force.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when Colonel Nguyen Van Ve visited the United Kingdom; what was the reason for his visit; and how long he stayed;(2) what facilities for the study of Great Britain's penal system were asked for by Colonel Nguyen Van Ve; and what investigations he carried out during his stay in the United Kingdom;(3) on what grounds permission to enter the United Kingdom was given to Colonel Nguyen Van Ve; and what visits and contacts he made.

Colonel Van Ve visited the United Kingdom in 1965 when he attended an overseas prison officers' training course at the Prison Service Staff College at Wakefield. I am making further inquiries about the other matters raised by the hon. Member and shall write to her as soon as these have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters he received in December 1972 from women, awarded alimony by court order, who had not received it.

Six letters were received in December 1972 from women complaining about the enforcement of maintenance orders in magistrates' courts in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he is taking on the recommendations of Lord Diplock's Commisison on the need for a secure establishment for young terrorists.

A secure institution, comprising a remand home and training school, will be in operation very soon; premises have already been acquired and staff recruited. It will be an extension of training school facilities where the constructive work of rehabilitation can begin for boys of all denominations, and where treatment in secure conditions can be provided for all those who need it.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additional security measures are being considered following the revival of the bombing and murder campaign by Irish Republican terrorists in Northern Ireland.

The security forces continue to take all practical steps to combat violence, and security measures are constantly being reviewed.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number of tenants of the Housing Executive who are still on rent and rates strike, and the total amount outstanding at the latest convenient date.

Figures relating to the housing executive alone are not easily obtainable. A total of £1·37 million was owed to all public housing authorities by the 18,130 tenants on rent and rates strike at the beginning of January 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is now in a position to give the date of publication for the Russell Report on Adult Education.

As I said in reply to a similar Question by the hon. Member for Bedwellty (Mr. Kinnock) yesterday, I hope that, subject to unforeseen delays, the report will be ready for publication before the end of March.—[Vol. 849, c. 409.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the Government will review the formula constructed for the measurement of London weighting allowances for teachers in order to give greater weight to variations in the costs of house purchase between London and the rest of the country as well as relating the formula to rents and other housing costs.

Teachers' London allowance, like that of many public sector workers, is derived from the formula in Report No. 44 of the National Board for Prices and Incomes "London Weighting in the Non-industrial Civil Service". I see no prospect of any immediate change.The index of rents and other housing costs compiled by the Department of Employment and used in the formula does not allow for mortgage payments but caters for owner-occupier housing costs in the way recommended by the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee. The committee has several times considered the treatment of mortgage payments and has always concluded that the existing basis is the best available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make provision to exempt from liability to value added tax footwear provided on a doctor's certificate for people suffering from severe foot deformities.

Bespoke footwear will be exempt from VAT if need is medically attested and the goods are provided as part of the treatment in a National Health Service hospital or in any private hospital or clinic of a kind defined in Item 4 of Schedule 5, Group 7 of the Finance Act 1972.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further consultations he has now had with charities on VAT; what further communications he has now received from charities; what replies he has now sent to them concerning the implications of VAT for their operations; and whether he will make a statement.

The National Council of Social Service has recently forwarded a detailed report on a study it commissioned of the effects on a number of charities of VAT and other tax changes announced in last year's Budget. The council and other charities which have made representations have been informed that my right hon. Friend will consider their views.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if a man builds his own house, whether value added tax will be applied in the same way as a builder who is zero rated and thus entitled to any appropriate rebates.

Materials supplied to such an individual will be taxable at the standard rate. Only registered persons will be able to reclaim tax paid on their purchases.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount was transferred to the EEC in respect of the 1973 Budget and what amount was received from the EEC, during January 1973.

Up to the end of January the European Communities' sterling account within the Consolidated Fund was credited with £16,242,513 in respect of the United Kingdom's share of the Communities' estimated financing needs for January and February. Total drawings which, together with other payments to the European Community from the Consolidated Fund, will be published in the London Gazette at the beginning of each month, amounted to £6,125,000 in January. £3,125,000 of this represents receipts to the United Kingdom, having been paid as an advance to the United Kingdom Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the EEC agreed at the meeting of Heads of Government in 1972 that changes of parity between EEC States would be permissible during the first stage of Common Market monetary and economic union.

Such changes are permissible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further consultations he is having with charities concerning the implications of forthcoming tax changes for their fund raising through deeds of covenant; and whether he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to my hon. Friend the Chief Secretary's answer to the hon. Member on 23rd January.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether severance payments made to dockers in registered ports in conformity with the recommendations of the Jones-Aldington Report are subject to taxation.

Redundancy and severance payments are within the scope of the "golden handshake" legislation, which incorporates an exemption for payments not exceeding £5,000. Since the individual severance payments under the recommendations of the Jones-Aldington Report will be less than this, they will not be taxable.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.

These talks are of course bilateral between the United States and the Soviet Union. It would not be appropriate for Her Majesty's Government to comment on their progress. However, as the hon. Gentleman will be aware, the second phase of the talks began on 21st November, and the two sides announced on 21st December that an understanding had been reached on the general range of questions to be covered in these further negotiations, which are due to be resumed on 27th February in Geneva.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been received concerning the flying of MPLA colours by the Concorde aircraft which recently landed at Luanda Airport; what steps are being taken to determine how this incident arose; what representations have been made to BAC on the political and commercial implications of its action; and if he will make a statement.

I have received no representations. But I understand that the British Aircraft Corporation has apologised to the Portuguese Government for the unfortunate and inadvertent use of a flag which it obtained in good faith from a commercial supplier. Her Majesty's Ambassador at Lisbon and Her Majesty's Consul at Luanda have also conveyed Her Majesty's Government's regrets to the Portuguese authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to ensure that whenever European Community institutions gather statistics for sub-national areas in the United Kingdom the standard regions are used.

While it will generally be desirable to use the standard regions for statistical purposes, occasions may arise in certain fields when it will be impracticable or undesirable to do so.I am however confident that the Community institutions will be ready to fall in with the United Kingdom's wishes in these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he can now say what steps are being taken to enable Ugandan students who do not come within the terms of reference of the resettlement board, but who can no longer obtain financial support from Uganda, to complete their courses of study at British universities and similar institutions.

I am still discussing with my hon. Friends possible ways in which the cases of difficulty which have been brought to our attention might be resolved, and I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as a decision has been reached.If the hon. Member has the case of any particular individual in mind, I should be glad to have details.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from Help the Aged regarding the low standards of living of the elderly in the Seychelles; what aid was given in the form of grants, loan and other facilities in the most recent year; and what plans he has for increasing the amount of help.

No representations have been received direct from Help the Aged but a few inquiries have been received from the public as a result of a recent Press advertisement. The support of the needy in Seychelles is a matter for the Seychelles Government and provision is made annually in the Seychelles' budget for social benefit payments and for the maintenance of old people's homes in Mahé. The amount expended under these headings in 1972 was £55,605. General aid for Seychelles from Britain amounted to £3·1 million in 1972–73.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further consultations he will now have with the EEC Governments about the treatment of animals exported for slaughter from this country to Europe and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I am giving to his earlier Question today.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will now seek

to asked the Secretary of State for Employment with reference to the Social Fund set up by the Council of Ministers in December 1972, what is his estimate of the amount that he will be claiming on account of assistance to the Lancashire textile industry in order to assist in retaining and resettling textile workers; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have applied for assistance from the

It would not be consistent with our general counter-inflation policy to do this at the present time. There is no requirement for EEC countries to harmonise their holiday arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many male and female redundancies have been notified to his Department, region by region, in the last three available months; and how this compares with a similar period one year ago.

Following is the information:Social Fund towards the cost in 1973 of existing Government schemes for vocational training and resettlement in assisted areas. This application covers workers from the Lancashire textile industry but I am unable to estimate how many of them will take advantage of the schemes. I am considering what further claim on the fund the United Kingdom might make, to take advantage of the recently introduced special arrangements for textile workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment bow many men aged 55 years and over, and young males, are presently unemployed in each planning region of the United Kingdom; and if he will show the percentage decrease in

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement about the deaths of four workmen at Thorpe Marsh Power Station near Doncaster on Sunday, 7th January 1973.

Four workmen at Thorpe Marsh power station were found dead in the chamber of an electrostatic precipitator where they were due to carry out maintenance work. The post-mortem subsequently confirmed that the men had been electrocuted.Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the four workmen and its report cannot be concluded until the proceedings at the coroner's inquest, which is due to be resumed on the 19th February, have been held.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the usual length of time which elapses between an award by the Industrial Tribunal for unfair dismissal and the receipt of the cash award by the claimant; and if he

All age analysis showing unemployed men aged 55 and over is available only for January and July each year.Following is the available information:will take steps to reduce the waiting period.

In a few instances applicants have sought the advice of senior manpower advisers and conciliation officers, in circumstances where they have been unable to get the respondent to comply with a tribunal's award. In these cases applicants have been told about the procedure to secure enforcement of the award under paragraph 10 of Schedule 6 to the Industrial Relations Act-the respondent has been notified that this information has been given and in most of such cases defaulting respondents have then complied with the award. The payment of compensation awarded by industrial tribunals is essentially a matter between the parties and I have no evidence to suggest that a large number of applicants have encountered difficulty or delay in securing payment of their awards.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of courses in Government training centres in the Northern Region devoted to skilled trades in the building industry.

Courses in nine skilled building trades offering 388 places are available at Government training centres in the Northern Region.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the cost to date to public funds of implementing the recommendations of the Jones-Aldington Report regarding severance payments for dockers in registered ports; and what has been the average payment per man.

To date £23,620,000 has been advanced to the National Dock Labour Board to make special severance payments. The average so far is £3,710.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation which will impose heavier fines on those who deliberately ignore the motorway fog regulations, and on a second offence take away the licence to drive.

No. Those who ignore these basic precautions may become liable to prosecution for existing

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many dockers, in each of the ports involved, have taken advantage of the arrangements for severance pay introduced following the Jones-Aldington Report; and how many dockers have been recruited at each of these ports during the period of operation of the severance scheme.

The information is tabled below. Figures are not available for individual ports and are given for National Dock Labour Board local areas. No permanent dock workers have been recruited since the commencement of the special severance scheme.Figures as at 29th January 1973 are as follows:offences including dangerous driving, for which the penalties include fines, disqualification, and imprisonment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider seeking power to grant an annual subsidy to Football League clubs to enable them to improve their ground facilities and remain solvent; and if he will make a statement.

I see no reason to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will delay granting permission for the disposal of the track and formation of the Mid-Hampshire railway until experience has shown whether the alternative bus services prove satisfactory.

The Railways Board is free to dispose of the track as soon as services are withdrawn—unless someone pays it not to.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further consideration he has given to the detailed proposals submitted to him by the engineers of the Lancashire County Council, Bolton C.B. and Wigan C.B., that a mid-Lancashire motorway should be built linking the M6 at Orrell to the M61 interchange at Westhoughton.

These proposals, received last month are at present under study.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many houses are situated within the area of blight caused by the protection given to the projected route of Ringway 3 across the Orpington constituency; how many of these houses have been acquired by his Department; and how many of the latter are unoccupied;(2) when the present protected line of Ringway 3 (formerly the South Orbital Road) through the Orpington constituency was first adopted; what area of land was then estimated to be required for the purpose; and what extra land is estimated to be required in the event of the use of this line for a road built to modern motorway standards;(3) what is the total area of building land now in public ownership and private land considered to be blighted, respectively, as a result of the protection given to the projected route of Ringway 3 across the Orpington constituency.

The following information is in respect of the line for a proposed trunk road between the greater London boundary and the Orpington bypass. West of the bypass, the line is for a proposed metropolitan principal road which is the responsibility of the Greater London Council:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average number of visitors to the Palace of Westminster during the summer months of 1971 and 1972, distinguishing between Saturday and weekday visitors.

The average monthly number of visitors including Members' parties, during the period May to September inclusive was:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will define the functions and responsibilities of his Property Services Agency and make a statement as to the value of purchases made in the last year on behalf of nationalised corporations and other bodies, giving the value for each, together with the charges made to each for services rendered.

The functions and responsibilities of the Property Services Agency were defined in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in answer to a Question from the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Charles Morrison) on 5th May 1972. The general aim of the agency is to meet the needs of Government Departments—including the Armed Services—and approved clients in the public sector for land, accommodation, fixed installations and associated supplies and transport services.—[Vol. 836, c. 217–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations have been made to him by local authorities regarding the proposed routing of the A46 near or through Newark; and how soon a decision may be expected.

The Nottinghamshire County Council and the Newark Borough Council have asked for early provision of the proposed relief road. Proposals should be published in about a year's time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to enable proper protection to be provided for new house purchasers, who, having paid the full purchase price, then find themselves unable to persuade the builders to carry out vital repairs.

The scheme operated by the National House-Builders Registration Council, which covers virtually all new houses built for sale, already contains procedures for settling disputes between a purchaser and vendor of a newly built house who disagree on repairs which need to be carried out. If a builder will not carry out remedial works which an independent arbitration decides is necessary, the NHBRC will compensate the purchaser.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to create a new National House Builders' Registration Council as a statutory body with greater powers to assist new house purchasers; and if he will make a statement.

The National House-Builders Registration Council under its

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the hon. Member for Walthamstow, West, can expect a reply to his letter of 16th November 1972 about driving licences for heavy goods vehicles.

I only received a copy of the hon. Member's letter on 30th January. A reply will be sent very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects a start to be made on the Ryton Bridge flyover on the A45 near Coventry; and when he expects it to be opened.

Tenders have now been invited and work is still expected to start this spring. The flyover should be opened to traffic in autumn 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce his decision on the report of the public inquiry held into the proposals supported by the GLC for the establishment of an international exhibition centre at Northolt.

My right hon. and learned Friend is still considering the report of the inquiry and it is too early to say when he will issue his decision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many miles of urban motorway, including London ringway, will be required to accommodate traffic from central London seeking access to Foulness airport;(2) how many private dwelling-houses he estimates will have to be destroyed to accommodate road and rail links, through East London and Essex, in order to provide adequate access to Foulness from central London.

I have not yet received the consultants' report on possible road-rail corridors across South Essex.Distances from Ringway 3 to Maplin vary from 30 to 35 miles according to the route under study.The consultants were asked to take full account of environmental considerations and I see no reason why there should be loss of houses on any significant scale on any of the routes being considered from Ringway 3 to Maplin.Within the London area Maplin traffic is likely to be only a small proportion of the total traffic to be catered for.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which British Rail terminal it is intended to develop in order to serve Foulness; and what will be the cost of these developments.

The terminal will be at King's Cross as announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Sir S. McAdden) on 19th December.Estimates of costs must await the outcome of the consultants' study on the capacity and outline design of the terminal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment at what distance the advanced passenger train is best able to operate, in relation to its ability to reach and sustain very high speed on standard British Rail track.

This varies according to route conditions. Studies for the London-Manchester and London-Glasgow routes —189 miles and 401 miles respectively—indicate that the advanced passenger train would be profitable on these routes in competition with other existing or potential transport systems.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now make a statement on the level of attendance allowances to be paid to councillors under the Local Government Act 1972.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 31st January 1973 to the hon. Member for Newport (Mr. Roy Hughes), in answer to a similar Question.—[Vol. 849, c. 394–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give any guidance to joint committees about the admittance of the Press to their meetings.

Yes. These joint committees, set up under Section 264 of the Local Government Act 1962, are not required by Statute to admit the Press as they are not listed in the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960. Their work is, however, clearly of great importance for the future of local government and I strongly recommend the committees to admit the public and the Press to their meetings, subject to the usual provision for exclusion from parts of meetings in which confidential business is being transacted.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what proportion of the gross national product will go on military spending after the 5 per cent. increase, in real terms, recently announced; how that compares with the average for European NATO countries; and what would be the annual saving in cash terms if Britain reduced the proportion to that average.

For the first part of his Question I must refer the hon. Member to the 1973 Defence White Paper to be published later this month. As to the second and third parts, information is not yet available on 1973 comparisons of military spending.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the numbers of vehicles in each of the following categories delivered to the Republic of South Africa in 1970–71 and in 1971–72, and of the numbers authorised for delivering in 1972–73; armoured cars AML-60, armoured cars AML-90, Saracen armoured personnel carriers, Centurion tanks, Comet tanks and Ferret scout cars.

In accordance with Her Majesty's Government's policy of supplying nothing to South Africa for the enforcement of apartheid, no vehicles of the types mentioned have been supplied in 1970–71 and 1971–72, nor will be supplied in 1972–73 by this country to South Africa. The AML-60 and AML-90 are of French manufacture.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if lie will take steps designed to ensure that military vehicles supplied to the Government of the Republic of South Africa are not used for suppressing African and other internal opposition or against neighbouring countries, including Commonwealth countries and the international territory of Namibia.

Her Majesty's Government do not permit the supply of British military fighting vehicles or spares to South Africa and have not done so for many years.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the period of time for which Her Majesty's Government regard themselves as under a binding obligation to supply spare parts, including armaments, for military vehicles previously supplied to the Government of South Africa.

The obligation to supply spare parts ended in 1968.

asked the Minister of State for Defence when he proposes to publish the Leitch Report on fuse requirements.

The report was prepared by an internal working party and was not intended for publication. A decision on the future of fuse development and production will be announced shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total amount raised by the drainage rate within the County of Nottinghamshire; how many are liable to pay the rate; what is the average amount paid in the most recent year; what sum for drainage within the county comes from other sources; and if he will consider proposing ending the levying of the drainage rate and making it a part of the general rate for the county served or make it a national charge.

I have been asked to reply. This information is not available. There are 11 internal drainage boards levying drainage rates in Nottinghamshire, but seven of them overlap other counties.Drainage rates are paid by owners and occupiers of property in drainage districts, who receive special benefit and protection from the operations of the drainage boards. It would not be reasonable to transfer the cost to the general ratepayers or to make it a national charge. Most of the land in drainage districts is agricultural and is not subject to general rates. But local authorities can enter into agreements with drainage boards to pay in a lump sum the drainage rates due from urban ratepayers, and can then spread the cost through their general rate. Nationally the Government make a substantial contribution by offering drainage boards a grant of 50 per cent. towards the cost of capital works and improvements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further action he intends to take to ensure that the Balfour Assurances are upheld; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have been concerned at reports over the last year of infringements of the Balfour Assurances in relation to the export of sheep. In agreement with the Belgian authorities new procedures were introduced last November which required exporters of sheep for slaughter to produce officially authenticated evidence of slaughter in accordance with the terms of the assurances. In the event all exporters who have sent sheep to the continent since 1st November last have failed to comply fully with these new conditions. All current licences for the export of sheep for slaughter expired on 31st January 1973 and it has been decided that the issue of new licences for the export of sheep from Great Britain other than for breeding or exhibition will be suspended. The suspension applies to licences to all destinations.There has been no recent substantiated evidence of cruelty affecting other categories of animals and of course the Balfour Assurances will continue to apply in full to all exports for slaughter.So far as calves up to 110 lb. in weight are concerned there is at present a complete ban on export. Licences will continue to be required on welfare grounds for the export of larger cattle.The European Convention on the Protection of Animals in International Transport is the subject of active discussion in the European Economic Community. The Government will be ready to support any appropriate proposal designed to safeguard animals from cruelty in transport. We shall also wish to take an opportunity to discuss the question of improving welfare and slaughter arrangements throughout the Community.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the cost of imported feedstuffs for the poultry industry has risen during the last three months; and if he will make a statement.

There have undoubtedly been substantial increases during the last three months in the prices of imported ingredients which could be used in manufactured poultry feeds, but official import prices later than November 1972 are not yet available. The types and proportions of ingredients, both imported and home-produced, used in poultry feeds are varied by the manufacturers according to price and availability.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he concurred with the decision of the Council of Ministers of the European Community on Regulation 2835/72 of 29th December 1972 dividing up England for purposes of Community agricultural statistics and financial information into regions other than the standard regions or aggregates of the standard regions.

Yes. We proposed these regions for the purpose of supplying the EEC Commission with information on farm accounts. They are aggregates of the regions used by my Department for agricultural administrative purposes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the hon. Member for Eccles can expect to receive a reply to two separate inquiries about food prices submitted on 27th November and 11th December 1972; if this is the normal period of time required by his Department to reply; and if he will make a statement.

The hon. Member for Eccles will by now have received replies to his letters. I am sorry about these delays and can assure him that we do not normally take as long as this to reply; but my Food Prices Unit has been under considerable pressure.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has completed his discussions with consumer and trade organisations on the report of the Food Standards Committee on the date stamping of foodstuffs; and what action he intends to take to protect the consumer.

The present round of discussions with the organisations concerned should have been completed within the next two weeks. I shall then make a statement on the subject.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the terms and conditions of any orders or notices concerning agricultural rents arising from Section 2(b) of the Counter-Inflation (Temporary Provisions) Act; and if he will make a statement on his estimate of the effect of the application of the Counter-Inflation Bill to agricultural rents.

Under the Counter Inflation (Agricultural Rents) Order 1972 (SI 1972 No. 1849) agricultural rents in Great Britain are frozen for the period of the standstill at the level which applied on 5th November 1972. Increases in rent in return for new improvements carried out by the landlord are not affected.Power to provide for restricting or preventing increases of agricultural rents by order is given in Clause 10 of the Counter-Inflation Bill. Should this power be enacted, an order will be laid before the House. Its precise content is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that the United Kingdom bacon industry can offer long-term contracts to bacon pig producers for 1973–74;(2) in what way the common agricultural policy will take account of the special needs of British bacon pig industry after June 1973 until the end of the transition period;(3) why arrangements for pigmeat and bacon are being adapted to the common agricultural policy within the first six months of the five-year transitional period.

The compensatory amount arrangements in the pigmeat sector are to be phased out over a transitional period. They provide a framework within which United Kingdom bacon pig producers and curers will be able to adjust progressively to the full EEC conditions which will operate from 1978. We believe that within this framework efficient producers and curers will be able to plan ahead with confidence and make appropriate contractual arrangements between themselves.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on how he intends to abolish the flexible guarantee for pigs.

In my statement on 24th January about the outcome of the meeting of the EEC Council of Ministers on 22nd-23rd January I said that the flexible guarantee would be abolished. We will be seeking in due course the approval of Parliament to the necessary amendment of the Fatstock (Guarantee Payments) Order 1964. Meantime the other Agricultural Ministers and I have decided to raise the level of the middle band so that the mechanism of the flexible guarantee will not operate to reduce the effective guaranteed price for the rest of the present fatstock year ending 25th March 1973. We need more pigmeat and the importance of this step will be recognised by producers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the saving on cereals guarantees in 1972–73 compared with estimates in the 1972 Annual Review White Paper.

It is now estimated that the cost of the United Kingdom cereals guarantees in the 1972–73 financial year will be £82·4 million less than the £116·1 million given in the 1972 Annual Review White Paper.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will now give a date for the extension of BBC2 to the Western Isles.

The BBC, which is primarily responsible for the extension of its services, tells me that it is too early to forecast when UHF television will start in the Western Isles.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what percentage of the county of Merioneth will be covered by a full television service by 1975.

The BBC and IBA, which are primarily responsible for the extension of their services, tell me that their plans for additional UHF relay stations to serve Merioneth are not sufficiently advanced for them to estimate the coverage in 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the effects of the discovery of North Seal oil on the Scottish economy in 1973.