asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is her latest estimate of the number of children taking sandwiches to school; and what was the corresponding figure for October 1970.

The latest figures relate to a day in October 1972, when 526,373 pupils in maintained schools in England and Wales brought their own mid-day meal to school. This compares with 594,298 a year earlier. No figures for 1970 or earlier years are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she is taking to ensure that the children of British subjects, employed by EEC organisations and resident outside the United Kingdom, will be able to receive education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude.

Free school education is provided for children of all Community institution employees in the six European Schools. English language sections with United Kingdom teachers have been established in the Brussels and Luxembourg schools initially since these are the places where most United Kingdom officials of the Community will be working.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make a statement on her policies regarding streaming.

No. The internal organisation of schools is a matter for decision by local education authorities and governors.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will seek powers to provide that mature students, especially those leaving the Services with good records studying full-time with a view to entering a teacher training college, are all paid the same amount irrespective of which local authority area they live in, and to ensure that their grant is not less than that paid to university students.

No. Awards to students taking courses other than first degree or comparable courses are best considered by local education authorities in the light of the student's individual circumstances. Nevertheless, I have drawn the attention of local education authorities to the undesirability of wide variation of practice among authorities, both in their discretionary awards policy and also in the rates and conditions of their grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, through Her Majesty's Inspectorate, she will increase the amount of advice and training of teachers on the subject of sex education to meet the increased need for such teaching.

I believe that sex education is best regarded as an integral part of moral, social and health education. These aspects of the work of teachers are a close concern of the colleges of education and Her Majesty's inspectors will continue to emphasise their importance both in the initial and in-service training of teachers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she has received any applications, under the urban aid programme, for the provision of clubs for adolescent boys and girls in the Failsworth Urban District Council area, Lancashire.

A proposal was submitted under phase 7 of the urban programme. My right hon. Friend decided to devote to nursery education nearly all the resources available to her, and it was not possible to approve this project.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice she has received from the University Grants Committee on the general development of the universities in the 1972 to 1977 quinquennium, and in particular on the provision of suitable residential accommodation for the student population.

Decisions on the 1972–77 quinquennium are set out in Section 15 of the recent White Paper. It is planned to provide residential places for two-thirds of the additional students expected in the universities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further discussions she has held about the implementation of museum and art gallery charges.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the Question by the hon. Member for Smethwick (Mr. Faulds) on 5th February.—[Vol. 850, c. 27.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she has recently taken to limit the practice of vivisection; and whether she has satisfied herself that there is no duplication in research and experiments causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

The use of animals in experiments is subject to the provisions of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. I have no statutory powers in this matter. I have no reason to suppose that there is any significant risk of duplication in research or of unnecessary repetition of experiments.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will introduce legislation to set up a register of all language schools in the United Kingdom.

I assume that my hon. Friend is thinking of independent establishments which provide courses in the English language for students from over- seas. I share the concern which some people have expressed about the standards of some of these establishments but there would be difficulties about the sort of legislation my hon. Friend has in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations she has received from the Hull Education Authority concerning the payment of school maintenance allowances to pupils; and what reply she has sent.

The Director of Administration of Kingston upon Hull wrote to my right hon. Friend on 11th January about possible hardship to families with 15-year old children no longer eligible for educational maintenance allowances as a result of the raising of the school-leaving age. I regret that there has been delay in dealing with the letter, but a reply is being prepared and a copy will be sent to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if she will instruct her representatives on the Burnham Committee to propose the re-examination of the criteria for determining scales of salaries for teachers in establishments for further education, in particular, the comparability between salaries of heads of departments in institutions of higher education and university professors;(2) if she will instruct her representatives on the Burnham Committee to propose the amendment of the criteria for determining the salaries of heads of departments of institutions of higher education so that there is not so much emphasis on numbers of students and more on the nature of work undertaken.

I note my hon. Friend's points. Discussions within the management panels of the Burnham Committees, which speak with one voice in negotiation, are confidential. I cannot therefore say what my representatives might or might not propose.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which local education authorities have submitted plans for the reorganisation of secondary education since 1st July 1970; how many schools each of these submissions involved; on what date each submission was made and a decision given where a decision has been made; and how many objections there were to her following the Section 13 notices.

This information cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is aware that the construction system of the Paris school where a large number of children recently lost their lives in a fire is similar to that which has been used in the construction of a large number of British schools; and what is being done to re-examine the fire risk situation in such schools and ensure it does not arise in new schools.

My requirements for fire precautions are laid down in Building Bulletin No. 7, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member. These are kept under review and I shall take into account the findings of the inquiries now being carried out by the French authorities into the incident referred to as soon as these are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give details of the salaries and expenses to be paid to members of the boards to be set up by the Government under their Counter-Inflation Bill.

No. I am not yet in a position to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he now expects to publish his proposals for the future of the Youth Employment Service.

I cannot at this stage go further than my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. R. C. Mitchell) on 30th January 1973.—[Vol. 849, c. 1136.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now make a statement on community industry or other projects specifically designed to help youth employment.

My right hon. Friend hopes to make a statement this week.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has for extending the community industry scheme in Sunderland; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend hopes to make a statement this week about the future of the community industry scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage increase in notified vacancies for males and females in each of the planning regions of the United Kingdom when comparing the latest available figures with those of March 1972.

Following is the information:

PERCENTAGE CHANGES BETWEEN MARCH 1972 AND JANUARY 1973
	Males	Females
South-East	+68·8	+38·7
East Anglia	+81·1	+51·7
South-West	+48·0	+18·0
West Midlands	+79·4	+37·2
East Midlands	+63·3	+11·0
Yorkshire and Humberside	+70·8	+31·2
North-West	+46·9	+27·8
North	+47·3	- 0·5
Wales	+15·5	+11·0
Scotland	+64·2	+23·1
Northern Ireland	+47·0	-12·0

The statistics relate only to notified vacancies remaining unfilled and do not purport to measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs per 100 male unemployed are now available in each planning region of the United Kingdom; and how this compares with the position in March 1972.

Following is the information:

NOTIFIED VACANCIES FOR MALES REMAINING UNFILLED PER HUNDRED MALES UNEMPLOYED
	January	March
	1973	1972
South-East	49·7	23·9
East Anglia	34·8	14·1
South-West	26·4	14·5
West Midlands	19·3	7·9
East Midlands	27·9	13·4
Yorkshire and Humberside	15·3	7·2
North-West	8·3	5·2
North	8·8	5·2
Wales	10·3	7·8
Scotland	5·9	3·1
Northern Ireland	6·5	3·9

The statistics relate only to notified vacancies remaining unfilled and do not purport to measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of factory closures involving more than 50 employees each in the North London area over each of the last 10 years.

Information held by my Department on factory closures is not comprehensive and goes hack only to 1966. The recorded numbers of closures of establishments in manufacturing industries involving more than 50 employees each in the Barnet, Finchley, Enfield, Wood Green, Tottenham and Leyton local office areas in each of the last seven years is as follows:

1966	…	…	…	…	8
1967	…	…	…	…	4
1968	…	…	…	…	9
1969	…	…	…	…	11
1970	…	…	…	…	7
1971	…	…	…	…	13
1972	…	…	…	…	12

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of male and female employees registered as industrial workers in the North London area and the number unemployed, for each of the last 10 years.

Estimates of the numbers in employment are available only for Greater London as a whole. The following table shows the numbers of unemployed people who last worked in manufacturing industries in the area covered by the Barnet, Enfield, Finchley, Leyton and Walthamstow, Tottenham and Wood Green employment exchanges. Industrial analyses of the unemployed are made monthly but for local areas only the figures for June and December are retained for more than five years. The unemployment information for the last 10 years has therefore been based on the December figures.

			Males	Females
December 1972	…	…	2,021	207
December 1971	…	…	2,406	258
December 1970	…	…	1,646	154
December 1969	…	…	1,314	143
December 1968	…	…	1,431	180
December 1967	…	…	1,711	197
December 1966	…	…	1,694	240
December 1965	…	…	573	123
December 1964	…	…	617	180
December 1963	…	…	974	304
December 1962	…	…	1,284	479

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what ruling his senior officer of the Conciliation Advisory Service in Birmingham has given in the case of the wage negotiations between the Transport and General Workers Union and the Birchenwood Gas and Coke Company Limited, Kidsgrove.

The parties were advised that, under the terms of the standstill as set out in the White Paper, "A Policy for Controlling Inflation: The First Stage", implementation of the proposed improvements in pay and other conditions of service must be deferred.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements he has made for advance notification of proposed pay increases, pending establishment of the proposed Pay Board.

As I announced in the debate on the Second Reading of the Counter-Inflation Bill I am asking employers and employers' organisations who are negotiating settlements affecting 500 or more employees—whether or not in one company—to keep my Department informed of proposed pay increases as far as possible in advance. These arrangements will run from now until the proposed Pay Board is operative. I hope that with voluntary co-operation over the short remaining period of the pay standstill, it will not be necessary to make use of my statutory powers under the 1972 Act to require information, or to restrict pay increases or delay implementation.I shall, however, need to monitor the more significant settlements during this period, and to enable me to do this with the minimum of delay I am asking the larger employers and employers' organisations to give my Department, in confidence where necessary, the following information about proposed pay increases as soon as they start negotiating:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to be able to reply to the letter sent to him on 6th January last by the hon. Member for Don Valley about the case of Celia Ellen Rook at Tickhill Road Hospital.

Full inquiries are being made both by the regional hospital board and Doncaster Hospital Management Committee. As the hon. Member was informed by letter on 5th February, a full reply will be sent as soon as the result of these inquiries has been received and studied.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are in receipt of the constant attendance allowance; and how many applicants have been refused.

It is estimated that up to the end of January there had been 68,000 rejections and 109,000 awards of attendance allowance. Of the 109,000 awards, 85,000 were then currently in payment, the difference being accounted for by withdrawal of allowances mainly due to deaths and admissions to hospital and residential accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he hopes to reply to the request for arbitration in the matter of the dispute between the medical profession and his Department on the question of compensation for doctors who are at special risk because of their National Health Service duties.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply and to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Employment gave on this subject to the hon. Member for Willesden, West (Mr. Pavitt) on 6th February.—[Vol. 850, c.89–90; Vol. 850, c. 65–66.] I am considering the profession's request that I should join it in asking that the matter should be referred to arbitration.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied with the method of recording information concerning the Class I insurance contributions paid by mature students prior to full-time study and if these records enable such students with complete Class III contributions during full-time study subsequently to receive the correct and full benefit entitlement in the event of a delay in obtaining employment.

Yes. Both the Class 1 and the Class 3 contributions are recorded at our records branch at Newcastle in the normal way. The records are noted to show periods of study so that the Class 3 contributions can be treated as Class 1 for benefit purposes. These arrangements normally operate satisfactorily, but I regret that in the case recently brought to my notice by my hon. Friend the relevant note was overlooked. As he knows, the matter has since been rectified and full benefit paid.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether it is intended within the next 10 years to use the premises of the Stockport Infirmary as the accident and casualty centre for the whole of the catchment area of the Stockport and Buxton Management Group; and if this is so, when he expects the centre to be available and competently equipped and staffed for this purpose;(2) what existing departments of the Stockport Infirmary are to be modernised or adapted; what new departments are to be created; when he expects the upgrading of this hospital to start; and when the work is to be completed;(3) what submissions or plans his Department and/or the regional hospital board have received for the upgrading of Stockport Infirmary; whether any plans have been approved; and how much money has been allocated for this purpose.

The accident service for the Stockport area will continue to be provided at Stockport Infirmary until the completion of major developments at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, which are at any early stage of planning. I understand that the accident department at Stockport Infirmary is at present adequately equipped and staffed, but preliminary steps are being taken to decant the present accident department in order to allow the accommodation to be improved and enlarged. Work on this is expected to start about April 1973 and to be completed by about September 1974.Accident services for the Buxton area are provided at Buxton.The upgrading of Stockport Infirmary began some years ago. When the accident department scheme is completed, the board's present plans for upgrading of the hospital will also have been completed. The total estimated cost of the upgrading is some £350,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to occupy the computer centre being built for his Department in the new town of Livingston; and how many jobs, male and female, will be involved.

My Department expects to occupy stage 1 of the Livingston computer centre—that part housing the computer equipment—by November 1974, and the remainder of the centre by the end of March 1975. A total of about 180 jobs will be involved of which we hope to fill 150, mainly female, by local recruitment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of the annual expenditure of each regional hospital board was spent on its mentally handicapped hospitals during the past three years.

The approximate percentage of each regional hospital board's annual revenue expenditure spent on hospitals for the mentally handicapped in each of the last three financial years was as follows:

	1969–70	1970–71	1971–72
Regional Hospital Boards	Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.
Newcastle	6·0	6·8	6·8
Leeds	6·7	6·5	6·7
Sheffield	7·0	6·9	7·2
East Anglian	6·8	7·1	7·6
North West Metropolitan	7·6	7·6	7·8
North East Metropolitan	5·6	5·8	6·2
South East Metropolitan	5·4	5·5	5·9
South West Metropolitan	9·2	9·5	10·6
Oxford	7·0	8·1	8·3
South Western	8·9	9·1	9·4
Birmingham	6·5	6·5	6·7
Manchester	7·4	7·6	7·8
Liverpool	2·9	3·9	4·0
Wessex	4·8	5·0	5·3

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the suicide rate for each of the past five years in the twenty largest cities and county boroughs of England and Wales outside London, together with details of the admissions to hospital following attempted suicide during the same years in each of the same areas; and whether he will take steps to initiate an official inquiry into the causes of suicide and attempted suicide in urban areas.

I am publishing in the OFFICIAL REPORT the suicide rates for the last five years for which figures are available, for the 20 largest country boroughs in England and Wales outside London. Information on admissions to hospital following attempted suicide is not available.

SUICIDE AND SELF INFLICTED INJURIES (ICD BE 49)
Death rate per 100,000 population
County Borouqh				1967	1968	1969	1970	1971
1. Birmingham	…	…	…	9	5	7	6	8
2. Liverpool	…	…	…	8	9	7	4	6
3. Manchester	…	…	…	11	11	9	9	8
4. Sheffield	…	…	…	10	8	10	6	8
5. Leeds	…	…	…	9	10	9	10	9
6. Bristol	…	…	…	13	9	8	8	8
7. Teesside	…	…	…	N/A	7	6	8	8
8. Coventry	…	…	…	10	5	4	6	6
9. Nottingham	…	…	…	12	15	13	11	12
10. Bradford	…	…	…	6	6	7	4	6
11. Kingston upon Hull	…	…	…	9	11	8	12	8
12. Leicester	…	…	…	11	7	7	3	9
13. Cardiff	…	…	…	12	11	11	11	11
14. Wolverhampton	…	…	…	8	6	6	5	5
15. Stoke-on-Trent	…	…	…	5	7	7	3	6
16. Plymouth	…	…	…	10	10	8	8	5
17. Newcastle	…	…	…	14	17	11	8	12
18. Derby	…	…	…	7	6	7	9	6
19. Sunderland	…	…	…	5	12	7	9	9
20. Southampton	…	…	…	14	13	11	8	11
N/A = Not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of claimants who have received free welfare milk in every quarter since June 1970.

The estimated numbers of families in Great Britain receiving free welfare milk, following claims on grounds of low income, at the end of each quarter since June 1970 were as follows:

Quarter Ended			Number of Families
18th August 1970	…	…	1,509
17th November 1970	…	…	1,246
23rd March 1971	…	…	1,075
22nd June 1971	…	…	65,004
21st September 1971	…	…	65,907
23rd November 1971	…	…	52,466
21st March 1972	…	…	47,517
16th May 1972	…	…	40,146
22nd August 1972	…	…	32,370
21st November 1972	…	…	26,269

These figures do not include families receiving supplementary benefit or family income supplement where expectant

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will print in the OFFICIAL REPORT the take-up of the family income supplement for each quarter since benefit was first paid.

Following is the number of families receiving family income supplement:

Date		Numbers Receiving Family Income Supplement
28th September 1971	…	50,000
28th December 1971	…	66,000
31st March 1972	…	60,000
27th June 1972	…	87,000
26th September 1972	…	84,000
28th December 1972	…	84,000

Families whose supplementary benefit is subject to the wage-stop provision receive increased amounts of supplementary benefit because of family income supplement. Estimates of numbers for the above dates are not available but at the end of 1972 about 20,000 families were benefiting; many other families would have been wage-stopped but for the effect of family income supplement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the take-up for each quarter since June 1970, of exemptions to National Health Service charges and prescription charges.

Information is not available in the form requested. The available statistics are given below:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the value of the single and married person's retirement pension as a percentage of average industrial earnings for each of the last 10 years.

The information requested is as follows:

RETIREMENT PENSION AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE INDUSTRIAL EARNINGS* FOR EACH YEAR SINCE 1963
Year (October)			Single person	Married couple
1963	…	…	20·2	32·5
1964	…	…	18·6	30·1
1965	…	…	20·4	33·2
1966	…	…	19·7	32·0
1967	…	…	21·1	34·2
1968	…	…	19·6	31·7
1969	…	…	18·1	29·4
1970	…	…	17·8	28·9
1971	…	…	19·4	31·4
1972	…	…	18·8	30·4
* Average earnings of male manual workers in manufacturing and some of the principal non-manufacturing industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the value of the single and married persons with none,

SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT SCALE RATES AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS† OF MALE MANUAL WORKERS IN OCTOBER
						Married persons
Year					Single persons (householder scale rate)	Without children	With 2 children (aged 4 and 8)	With 4 children (aged 4, 8, 12 and 14)
1963	…	…	…	…	19·0	31·2	43·9	60·6
1964	…	…	…	…	17·5	28·9	40·6	56·1
1965	…	…	…	…	19·4	32·0	44·7	61·8
1966*	…	…	…	…	18·7	30·9	43·1	59·6
					(20·0)	(32·8)	(45·4)	(62·7)
1967	…	…	…	…	20·1	33·0	45·9	63·2
1968	…	…	…	…	19·8	32·4	45·2	62·6
1969*	…	…	…	…	18·3	30·0	41·9	58·0
					(19·3)	(31·6)	(43·9)	(61·0)
1970*	…	…	…	…	17·1	28·0	38·9	54·0
					(18·5)	(30·3)	(42·1)	(58·5)
1971	…	…	…	…	18·8	30·6	42·5	60·1
1972	…	…	…	…	18·3	29·7	41·3	58·5
* Supplementary benefit scale rates were increased in November—the entry in brackets shows the relevant percentage of the increased rate.
† Average earnings of full-time male manual wage-earners in manufacturing and some of the principal non-manufacturing industries taken from the enquiry conducted by the Department of Employment in October each year. Percentages for 1972 are provisional

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many geriatric day centres are currently in use in the Wessex Hospital Region and where are their locations;(2) what plans he has for increasing the number of geriatric day centres in the Wessex Hospital Region; and where their locations will be.

There are at present three day hospitals for geriatric patients in the Wessex region, at St. Mary's Hospital (Portsmouth), Moorgreen Hospital (Southampton) and Christchurch Hospital. The regional hospital board plans to provide by the end of 1975–76 seven additional units at Gosport, Winchester, Alton, Basingstoke, Salisbury, Dorchester and Newport (Isle of Wight).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now announce the names of the persons whom it is proposed to appoint to the committee of inquiry into the regulation of the medical profession.

The information requested is contained in the following table:

The following have accepted appointment as members of the committee:

• Dr. A. W. Merrison, FRS, Chairman.
• Dr. J. R. Bennett, MD., MRCP.
• Mr. C. M. Clothier, QC.
• Miss Margaret Drabble.
• Miss Catherine Hall, SRN, SCM.
• Mr. N. G. C. Hendry, MB, ChB, FRCS Ed.
• Dr. D. H. Irvine, MD, FRCGP.
• Mr. I. MacDonald, MC, QC.
• Professor D. C. Marsh, M Comm.
• Miss Audrey Prime.
• Professor K. Rawnsley, MB, ChB, FRCP, FRC Psych, DPM.
• Professor G. Smart, MD, BSc, FRCP.
• Mrs. J. G C. Turner, MB, ChB, FRCS.
• Mrs. Mary Warnock.
• Dr. W. B. Whowell, MB, BS, FRCGP, MRCS, LRCP.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of businesses eligible to register for VAT had done so by 31st January.

By 31st January approximately 800,000 applications for registration had been received. No revised estimate of the number eligible to register has yet been made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give, at the latest date for which information is available, the number of firms which have registered for VAT in total and in each region of the country, respectively, together with the comparable estimate of the number of firms that should have registered.

This information is not available on a regional basis. In total some 950,000 applications for registration had been received up to the end of last week. The number of registrable persons was estimated in mid-1972 to be about 1½ million. No revised estimate has since been made but checks by local VAT staff indicate that the total number of registrations to be expected is less than this due to such factors as group registration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is on his instructions that Customs and Excise officers are telling firms that they prefer them not to use accountants to assist with the preparation of their books for VAT returns as this would result in delay in payment of tax due; and if he will make a statement.

No such instructions have been given to Customs and Excise officers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further representations he has received on the application of value added tax to charities; and what replies he has sent.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 1st February to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, West (Mr. Judd).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the gains accruing to surtax payers from the increase in personal tax allowances announced in his 1972 Budget from the date the changes became operative until 31st March 1973.

The increase in the personal tax allowances cost the Revenue £960 million in 1972–73 of which £25 million is attributable to surtax payers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the gains accruing to surtax payers of the £40 increase in child tax allowances announced in his 1971 Budget from the date the increased allowances became payable until 31st March 1973.

The increase in child allowance cost the Revenue in 1971–72 £163 million of which £2 million was attributable to surtax payers. This increase led to surtax payers paying £3 million less in 1972–73 than had the 1971 increase not taken place.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the gains accruing to surtax payers from the 2½p cut in the standard rate of income tax from the date the cut became effective until 31st March 1973.

The cut in the standard rate of 2½p in the year 1971–72 attributable to surtax payers amounted to £40 million. This reduction led to surtax payers paying £60 million less in 1972–73 than had the 1971 cut not taken place.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the gains accruing to surtax payers from the option of separating a married couple's income from the date the change became effective until 31st March 1973.

About £13 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what documentation he will require to be produced to establish a person as a citizen of the Irish Republic for the purposes of Section 6(2) of the Customs and Excise (Personal Reliefs) Order 1968 (Amendment) Order.

The relevant provisions of this order relates to persons who are resident either in Northern Ireland or in the Republic of Ireland and are frequent travellers across the land boundary. The citizenship of such travellers is not material to the order.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of people in work who are below the tax threshold.

This information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the rateable values of the following three companies in Thurrock, Tunnel Cement, Shell (UK) and Mobiloil, were assessed by the National Valuer and not by the local valuation court.

The local valuation court does not make rating assessments but decides disputes about them. The local valuation officer is responsible for making the assessments in his area but can properly use the help of centrally provided specialists and did so in the cases referred to in the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for West Ham, North can expect a reply to his letter of 2nd December 1972 regarding the problems resulting from the incident on Wednesday, 29th November 1972, concerning the snarl-up of London traffic; and whether he will ensure that his reply contains an answer to each of the points as contained in the hon. Member's letter.

I replied on 16th January.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will recommend the establishment of a Royal Commission on the workings of British democracy.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total of fines imposed in magistrates' courts and unpaid last year; what categories of offence made up the bulk of these outstanding debts; and how much is owing in each category.

The total of fines collected in magistrates' courts in England and Wales outside inner London during the year ended 30th September 1972 amounted to £20,893,046. The amount unpaid at these courts on that date—including fines for which the time allowed for payment had not expired—was £8,311,599. I regret that the other information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the amount of capital brought into Great Britain by immigrants for permanent settlement who entered this country in the past 12 months.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now in a position to indicate the numbers of murders and crimes of violence made known to the police in 1972; and when he anticipates that detailed crime statistics for 1972 will be available.

My right hon. Friend expects to be able to announce in April the number of indictable offences of violence against the person recorded as known to the police in England and Wales in 1972.It is the practice not to publish a figure for murder in England and Wales until most of the cases have passed through the courts and a latest corrected figure can be given: this is unlikely to be before the middle of the year.Detailed figures of murder and other offences of violence will be included in the 1972 Criminal Statistics, which I hope will be published in the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the average number of constituents for each constituency in: (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales, (d) England, (e) Great Britain, and (f) the United Kingdom as a whole.

The information is as follows:

			Electors
Northern Ireland	…	…	86,134
Scotland	…	…	51,986
Wales	…	…	55,483
England	…	…	64,565
Great Britain	…	…	62,606
United Kingdom	…	…	63,051

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to monitor the proposed expenditure of local education authorities for 1973–74 in order to compare their proposed expenditure with that allowed for under the Rate Support Grant Order.

Under the procedure for monitoring rates announced last week, local authorities will be asked in the first instance to provide information about their proposed expenditure in total, but not in detail. Information about expenditure on education or other individual services will only be sought where the total expenditure figure appears excessive.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the proportion of people passing their driving test at the first time of trying in the most recent year for which figures are available in the following age groups: (a) 17 to 20 years, (b) 20 to 30 years, and (c) over 30 years.

I regret that this information is not available; but I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department is undertaking into the collection and recycling of waste paper; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities have received advice on this subject in the reports of the Department's Working Parties on Refuse Collection and Storage and on Refuse Disposal, and in a recent report by Local Authorities Management Services and Computer Committee (LAMSAC).The Department of Trade and Industry has for several years sponsored research by the association for the paper and board, printing and packaging industries—PIRA—on the collection and treatment of waste paper, including the removal of pernicious contraries and furnish losses within paper mills. Such research is kept under review and new research programmes considered when necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the appeals of Mr. Robert Westly under Section 29(5) of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 have been considered; and what is the area of land involved and its location.

The appeals are still being considered. The land involved covers an area of approximately 110,000 acres and lies within the Bedford Rural District.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that the fines for selling bituminous solid fuel in smokeless zones in contravention of the Clean Air Act are adequate to deter this practice; and whether he will make a statement.

No. The present maximum fine of £20 for an offence under Section 9 of the Clean Air Act 1968 is included in the review of penalties for pollution offences now being carried out by my Department. My right hon. and learned Friend has it in mind to propose substantial increases in such penalties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the Flockton-Bretton section of the Haigh Clifton link to be completed.

I understand West Riding County Council, the highway authority, hopes to start work on Flockton bypass by 1975 but it is too early to say when the entire section will be complete.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to publish the report of the Borner Committee on the functions of valuers in local government and in the Valuation Office of the Board of Inland Revenue.

I shall consider the question of publication when I have studied the report, which I have just received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the total number of council houses sold in East Suffolk during 1972; and what was the percentage improvement of this figure on the yearly totals since 1968;(2) how many council houses were sold in East Suffolk during the fourth quarter of 1972.

Local authorities in East Suffolk reported selling 130 dwellings during 1972. This showed an increase of 519 per cent. compared with 1971, 420 per cent. compared with 1970 and 1,200 per cent. compared with both 1969 and 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied that sufficient land in East Suffolk has been released for house building during 1972; and what further proposals he is going to make to facilitate the supply of such land in 1973.

Consultations undertaken by officers of my Department with East Suffolk County Council, and with the representatives of the builders, suggest that adequate supplies of land for house building were made available in 1972 and that no special action is needed here in 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what he estimates the demand for new homes in East Suffolk during the next five years to be; and what plans he has to ensure there is a plentiful supply to meet the demand.

The trend of new house building in East Suffolk, like the national trend, is upwards; the number of private starts has risen from 2,011 in 1970 to 2,970 in 1972, an increase of 43 per cent.In the public sector it is of course the responsibility of the local housing authorities to decide what further provision of houses is required in the light of their assessments of local housing needs. I place no financial obstacle in their way. New houses for owner-occupation are provided mainly by private builders in accordance with their assessment of demand in the area.I understand that no great problems of land availability have emerged from the consultations my Department has had with the local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the consideration of building the A34 and A6 bypass roads in Cheshire, the views have been taken of Selnec, particularly in view of the plan for an underground and overground railway system which will cover the whole commuter area of greater Manchester.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to continue grant payable under Operation Eyesore after June 1973.

I am reviewing the working of this scheme and considering whether grants can be continued after June 1973. I cannot yet say whether any extension will be possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the progress of Operation Eyesore in Kingston upon Hull.

27 schemes in Kingston upon Hull have so far been approved for grant, with an estimated total cost of £81,500. Most of the work is clearing and landscaping of sites owned by the corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many complaints he has had regarding the working of improvement grants for housing.

We have no record of the precise number of representations made on this topic.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of planning appeals currently outstanding relating to the county of Kent.

847 as at 9th February 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average length of time currently in planning appeals between the notice of appeal and the hearing by the inspector.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a similar Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Sudbury and Woodbridge (Mr. Stainton) on 13th December 1972.—[Vol. 848, c. 151.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to allow local authorities to borrow money to take into their ownership land for recreational purposes, which might be lost for sport and related activities.

Local authorities already have power to purchase land needed for playing fields, and are free to borrow for this purpose within the limits of their annual capital allocation for locally determined expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why Thurrock was not included in the list published by his Department of 42 authorities which were adversely affected by the new rate valuations.

The list referred to was confined to county boroughs and London boroughs. I do not have an analysis in sufficient detail to show the effect of revaluation in individual county districts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total amount of subsidy given to local railway lines on the grounds of social need for 1972 nationally and regionally; and what were their respective earnings regionally and nationally for the years 1969 to 1972.

The total grant for 1972 is estimated to be about £66 million and total earnings about £158 million. Regional figures for 1972 are not yet available.

EARNINGS
British Railway Regions	1969	1970	1971
	£m.	£m.	£m.
Eastern	14·7	25·5	29·0
London Midland	16·6	17·0	20·7
Southern	58·0	63·9	75·9
Western	4·7	5·0	5·7
Scottish	8·0	8·5	8·3
	101·5	119·9	139·6
Adjustments not identifiable with individual services or regions	- +	·8+	·8
National Totals	101·5	120·7	140·4

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the IRA and the UDA, respectively, have been detained or charged with offences during the past two years in Northern Ireland.

Since August 1971, when internment was introduced, a total of 1,391 people have been detained, either under the former provisions of the Special Powers Act or under the Detention of Terrorists Order. Three hundred and nineteen are currently detained, of whom 98 are held under interim custody orders and 221 have been detained by the commissioners. Seven are detained on the grounds that they are suspected of being involved in Protestant terrorist activities, the remainder because they are suspected of being involved in IRA terrorist activity.Figures are not readily available to show how many members of the IRA and UDA have been charged with offences. Membership of the IRA or UDA is not necessarily part of the evidence submitted in the proceedings.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will place in the Library a copy of his public speech on the economy at Maidstone on Friday 26th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his public speech on the economy made at Maidstone on 26th January.

I would refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Gentleman to the reply which I gave in answer to a Question from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Carter) earlier today.