asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he now has for establishing a Government training centre in Wolverhampton.

A new Government training centre is planned to open in the Walsall-Wolverhampton-Darlaston-Willenhall area by 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many Government training centres serve the East Midlands Region; and how many more are scheduled for construction.

There are two Government training centres in the East Midlands Economic Planning Region and one more is planned by 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many building trade craftsmen are unemployed in the South East Region.

A total of 2,998 who last worked as carpenters, electricians, plumbers, painters and bricklayers. Following is an occupational analysis of unemployed men who last worked in the construction industry in the South East:

OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS OF UNEMPLOYED MEN WHO LAST WORKED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTH EAST REGION
Carpenters and joiners (construction sites and maintenance)	373
Electricians (installation and maintenance) premises and ships	222
Cable jointers and linesmen	16
Plumbers, pipe fitters	374
Gas fitters	40
Heating and ventilating engineering fitters	93
Steel erectors	332
Scaffolders/stagers	125
Steel benders, bar benders and fixers	86
Painters and decorators	1,838
Bricklayers	191
Fixer/walling masons	6
Plasterers	103
Floor and wall tilers, terrazzo workers	35
Roofers and slaters	98
Glaziers	34
Other roadmen	32

Asphalt and bitumen road surfacers	51
Concrete erectors/assemblers	17
General builders	124
Mains and surface layers and pipe jointers (gas, water, drainage, oil)	53
Concrete levellers/screeders	28
Mechanical plant drivers/operators (earth moving and civil engineering)	139
Crane drivers/operators	90
Fork lift and other mechanical truck drivers/operators	57
All other occupations	14,189
Total	18,746

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are now registered as unemployed in the Birmingham area.

The provisional figure for the Birmingham travel-to-work area on 12th February was 21,905.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to relocate the headquarters work of his Departments in Yorkshire and Humberside.

None. The Government will be considering whether more of the Department's work can be located away from London, as part of the current review of the location of Civil Service headquarters work in London. In deciding locations for dispersal, we shall take into account factors such as communications with and distance from London and the location of other bodies which have close links with the dispersed units.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many disputes have been settled as a result of a reference to the National Industrial Relations Court.

Twenty-three disputes have been settled following references to the National Industrial Relations Court. In three of these cases the court had first referred the matter to the Commission on Industrial Relations and in four other cases it had made orders against one party. The other 16 disputes were resolved without the need for legal remedies, either by conciliation under the court's auspices or by out-of-court settlements following court meetings or hearings.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans the new Employment Medical Advisory Service has for carrying out wide surveys into particular health hazards in industry.

The Employment Medical Advisory Service will extend studies previously being carried out by my Department's medical services division. The health of workers in the cotton, pottery, rubber and cable making industries is being studied. Surveys are being carried out on the health of workers exposed to lead, asbestos and to enzymes in detergents.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations have been made to him on the subject of picketing; and what replies he has sent.

I have received representations from a large number of organisations and individuals. They were told that their views would be fully taken into account in the Government's review of the law on picketing.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress he has made with his review of the law on picketing, with a view to clarifying what is allowed and what is not.

The review is still continuing. I cannot yet say when a statement will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many placings were effected by the employment service of his Department during each of the last three years.

The number of adult placings made by the employment service of my Department during the last three years was as follows:

Year ended			Number
6th December 1972	…	…	1,352,058
1st December 1971	…	…	1,263,625
2nd December 1970	…	…	1,442,081

asked the Secretary of State for Employment by how much average weekly earnings and the index of retail prices, respectively, have risen during the past 12 months.

By 15é4 and 7é7 per cent. respectively in the 12-months' period ended December 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many complaints of unfair dismissal have been heard by the industrial tribunals at the latest date; in how many a complainant was reinstated in his job; and in how many he received compensation.

In the period from 28th February to 25th August 1972 the tribunals heard and determined 733 complaints of alleged unfair dismissal. Re-engagement was recommended in 11 cases and compensation was awarded in 174.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish a White Paper or explanatory document on the proposed new structure of the youth employment service.

The White Paper which will be issued to accompany the Employment and Training Bill will cover the new structure of the youth employment service.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to publish his proposals for the future organisation of youth employment services.

As soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the local education authorities which do not provide youth employment services.

Local education authorities do not provide the youth employment service in the following areas:

• Barrow in Furness CB.
• Bath CB.
• Blackpool CB.
• Burnley CB.
• Cornwall CC.
• Cumberland CC.
• Devonshire CC.
• Gloucestershire CC.
• Hartlepool CB.
• Ipswich CB.
• Isles of Scilly CC.
• Isle of Wight CC.
• Lincolnshire (Holland) CC.
• Lincolnshire (Kesteven) CC.
• Northumberland CC.
• Oxford CB.
• Oxfordshire CC.
• Pembrokeshire CC.
• Rutland CC.
• Shropshire CC.
• Somersetshire CC.
• Southport CB.
• South Shields CB.
• Suffolk East CC.
• Suffolk West CC.
• Torbay CB.
• Tynemouth CB.
• Walsall CB.
• Westmorland CC.
• Wiltshire CC.
• Yorkshire (East Riding) CC.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects the national computerised matching system of the professional and executive recruitment service to come into operation.

The new computer-assisted service became fully operational in the middle of this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total and percentage increase in Scottish unemployment between February of this year and June 1970.

After seasonal adjustment, the numbers unemployed in Scotland this month were greater by 24,100 than in June 1970. On the same basis, the unemployment rates were respectively 5·2 per cent. and 4·1 per cent. The figures are provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the most recent available figures relating to unemployment in the North-East of Scotland; and if he will specify the categories and numbers of workers unemployed.

On 12th February there were 5,629 people unemployed in the North East Planning Region of Scotland. Of these, 4,298 were men, 89 were boys, 1,113 were women and 129 were girls. The figures are provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he is making to deal with the possible redundancies of some 900 employees as a result of the proposed closure of Rock-ware Glass, Greenford, Middlesex.

As soon as firm information is received as to the phasing of any redundancies which may arise from the proposed closure of this factory, the full resources of my Department will be made available, as appropriate, to those who need help in securing alternative employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the most recent date when his Department was involved in any attempt to conciliate in the industrial dispute at Fine Tubes, Plymouth.

My right hon. Friend has had to conclude that in all the circumstances a joint meeting would not be helpful at the present time. There have, however, been separate meetings with the parties, the most recent on 31st January.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what research he is sponsoring into the relative economies and diseconomies of assembly line production over batch production in the mechanical engineering industry.

No research is sponsored directly by my Department into the relative merits of different ways of organising work—of which assembly line and batch production methods are two—in the mechanical engineering industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of vacancies currently notified to his Department.

On 7th February there were 274,376 vacancies remaining unfilled notified to employment offices and young persons employment service careers offices. The figure is provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many complaints of infringement of rights of trade union membership and trade union activity have been made; and how many have been settled or withdrawn after conciliation.

In the period from 28th February 1972 to 26th January 1973, the industrial tribunals referred 366 complaints of alleged infringement of rights under Section 5 of the Industrial Relations Act to conciliation officers of my Department. Of these, 88 were settled or withdrawn after conciliation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment by how many he expects to increase the number of factory inspectors during 1973.

I expect the number of factory inspectors to increase by about 60 during this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the industrial situation in the gas industry.

I met the unions concerned on Friday to ensure that they understood our proposals for the Pay Board's inquiry into problems of relativities and anomalies. I explained that the board would be asked to look at particular problems of this kind in relation to each other and as part of a general picture, so that we can consider how progress can be made in dealing with them in stage 3.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in his Department are engaged in research into longer-term employment prospects in the United Kingdom; and whether he has proposals for increasing this number.

There are 15 staff in the unit for manpower studies, but many other staff of my Department, notably in the research and planning and statistics divisions, are directly or indirectly concerned with studies of this kind, though not necessarily on a full-time basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many youths are now being employed under the Community Industry Scheme in the Mexborough district; and if he will make provision for an increase in the amount of money allocated for 1973–74 so that such schemes can be provided throughout the Yorkshire and Humberside Region.

Sixty-eight young people were employed by Community Industry in the Mexborough district at the end of January. The Government have decided to increase the grant to enable expansion to provide at least 2,000 places. New areas for expansion have not yet been decided.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why he has refused to take action to secure arbitration in the dispute which has existed for nearly three years between the staff side of the joint negotiating committee appointed by the British Medical Association and the management side appointed by the Secretary of State for Social Services regarding adequate insurance cover for young doctors who may die from hepatitis contracted in a renal dialysis unit.

Section 2 of the Industrial Courts Act 1919 empowers my right hon. Friend to refer a trade dispute to arbitration only at the request of both parties. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services gave to the hon. Member for Norwich, South (Dr. Stuttaford) on 13th February.—[Vol. 850, c. 296.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the eligibility of share fishermen to participate in the training opportunities scheme in order to undertake the second hand fishing certificate course.

The training opportunities scheme is intended to help individuals to obtain training which it is not the responsibility of industry to provide. The scheme is not intended to supplant an industry's own arrangements for training. The fishing industry has arrangements for training share fishermen for the second hand fishing certificate. My officers are now considering whether there is a case for making training for this certificate available under the training opportunities scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many working days were lost in the seven years up to 1966 and how many in the seven years since 1966, respectively, due to stoppages of work in pursuance of industrial disputes.

24,095,000 and 65,156,000 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions there were for negligence causing an industrial accident in Cheadle rural district in each of the past 10 years.

In the area of the Cheadle rural district during the period 1963–72, two firms were prosecuted for contraventions of the Factories Act 1961, or regulations made under the Act, associated with accidents. One prosecution was in 1963, the other in 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers unemployed in each of the employment areas in the Leek parliamentary constituency in January 1973; what percentages of the working population they represent; and how the percentage figures compare with the national percentage figure.

Following is the information for 8th January 1973:

Employment exchange area		Number unemployed	Percentage rate of unemployment*
Leek	…	283	2·3
Cheadle	…	237	2·9
Biddulph	…	208
Kidsgrove	…	450

The rate of unemployment for Great Britain was 3·5 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will undertake a special study of the social and economic problems confronting communities like that of the city of Portsmouth where earnings are often below the average for similar work in other parts of the country; and whether he will make a statement on the policy of his Department towards such areas.

Proposals for special studies of this kind are in the first instance a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. There is no evidence available to me that earnings in the Portsmouth area are substantially below the national average.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much he estimates that the last salary increase granted to nurses within the National Health Service has been eroded by inflation; and when they may expect a further increase in their emoluments.

Nurses in the National Health Service received a pay increase of about 8 per cent. from 1st April 1972. The latest available figures from the general retail prices index show that in the nine months from March to December 1972 prices increased by about 6·2 per cent. The date of any further pay increase is a matter for negotiation on the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will conduct an inquiry comparing social security benefits available to employees who voluntarily withdraw their labour during industrial disputes in Great Britain with those available in the United States of America, Japan and the EEC countries.

Some information has already been obtained in regard to the United States and EEC countries and I am not satisfied that it would be worth while devoting resources to a special inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has approved the purchase of the emergency relief services for National Health Service medical practitioners in Liverpool and Birmingham by Allied Investors Ltd.; if he is satisfied that these services should be organised by commercial companies rather than by the doctors or their organisations; and if he will make a statement.

This transaction did not require my right hon. Friend's approval. Relief services are employed by general practitioners, who are independent contractors, answerable for the acts and omissions of their agents. I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Widnes (Mr. Oakes) on 20th November about the arrangements for ensuring that standards are adequate whatever the form of ownership of the deputising agency.—[Vol. 846, c. 307.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider arrangements for dealing with road and motorway accidents in order to ensure the establishment of an on-the-spot medical treatment team where considered necessary.

Ambulance crews are trained to give assistance to casualties at the site of the accident and during their transit to hospital centres equipped to provide effective treatment. They can also, if they consider it necessary, call for medical aid to provide medical treatment at the site of the accident.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many working days were lost due to sickness in 1972.

The only information available relates to the numbers of days of certified incapacity reported in connection with claims under the National Insurance Acts. In the period June 1970 to May 1971 there were 314 million such days for sickness benefit and 20 million for injury benefit. About one-third of the days of sickness related to incapacity lasting throughout the period. The figures for 1971–72 are not yet available, but preliminary estimates indicate that they will be very similar to those for 1970–71.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now institute a job evaluation of physiotherapists in the National Health Service, with a view to reviewing their career structure and the level of their salaries.

This is a matter for the Whitley Council, which, as I have indicated previously, has under consideration the grading structure of this profession, amongst others.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the Government will now ratify International Labour Organisation Convention 121 and Recommendation 121; and whether he will make a statement.

No. There are certain features of these measures which are incompatible with industrial injuries legislation in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has established criteria to assess the relative value of medical qualifications possessed by overseas doctors who practise or seek to practise in this country.

The recognition of overseas medical qualifications for registration to practise in this country is a matter for the General Medical Council; the council is in the course of reviewing its arrangements for registration of overseas qualified doctors. If they intend to enter National Health Service hospital employment overseas doctors are also subject to a period of assessment under a clinical attachment scheme unless they are in an exempt category.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will agree to meet representatives of Task Force, and Wandsworth Retired Pensioners Organisations during their Week of Protest, which is to take place from 23rd February to 2nd March, to highlight the problems now being faced by retired pensioners; and if he will make a statement

If Task Force asks me to meet its representatives and those of the Wandsworth Retired Pensioners Organisations, I will certainly meet them on a date to be agreed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many working families are earning less than the current supplementary benefit level; and how many of these are £2 below.

The latest estimates suggest that there were approximately 54,000 two-parent families in Great Britain with the head in full-time work but with resources below supplementary benefit levels at the end of 1971, of whom probably fewer than 15,000 had resources £2 a week or more below those levels. The estimates are comparable with those published in "Two Parent Families" (HMSO, 1971) and are subject to the same margins of error.

asked the Secretary of State for Socal Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of people awaiting different types of operations to be performed in hospitals in the Manchester Regional Hospital Board area and the average waiting time for each patient.

Separate statistics of numbers of persons awaiting operations are not available, but the number of persons awaiting admission to hospitals coming under the Manchester Regional Hospital Board in the specialties shown as at 31st December 1972 were:

Specialty	Number on Waiting List
General Surgery	17,259
Ear Nose and Throat	13,630
Traumatic and Orthopaedic Surgery	9,225
Ophthalmology	1,670
Dental Surgery	1,045
Gynaecology	9,289

Waiting times for admission vary according to specialty and the circumstances of individual cases and averages, therefore, have little meaning.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what calculation he has made as to the pension earned by an employed person who at age 30 years with regular annual earnings of £1,500 leaves an employment covered by an occupational pension scheme after four years and 11 months and is paid into the reserve pension scheme as compared with the pension earned by a person in identical circumstances who has been in the reserve pension scheme throughout that period.

Assuming the leaving date to be the birthday and midway through the income tax year, the pension earned by a reserve scheme premium for the period of service would be £1·88 a week for a man and £1·27 a week for a woman. The respective amounts earned by contributions paid continuously into the reserve pension scheme over the same period would be £2·07 for a man and £1·40 for a woman. These scale rates of pension would of course be subject to increase by bonuses which reflect the period of membership of the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what reasons were given to him by the staff side appointed by him on the Whitley Council for refusing arbitration in the dispute which exists on the inadequate insurance cover for young doctors and their wives in the event of death resulting from their medical service within the National Health Service;(2) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the names of the members serving on the Joint Negotiating Committee considering the inadequate cover for young doctors who may die when on special duty; when this matter was first raised; how many meetings have discussed this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Negotiations between the Department and representatives of National Health Service staff interests as a whole—including all National Health Service medical staff—for improvements in the existing National Health Service injury allowance provisions are at an advanced stage, and it is anticipated that the substantial increases in the rates of allowance and the other improvements likely to result for all staff from these negotiations will be applied retrospectively from 25th May 1972.A separate claim that the injury allowances of junior hospital doctors should be linked with their future potential earnings as consultants or general practitioners rather than with their current salaries was made formally and in detail in May 1972 in the Joint Negotiating Committee. This is the forum in which negotiations on the remuneration and terms and conditions of service for hospital doctors and dentists are now conducted, and in which the management side is represented by officials from the health departments and the staff side by the negotiating subcommittee of the Cen- tral Committee for Hospital Medical Services of the British Medical Association. The claim has been referred to at four meetings of the committee, as well as at an additional informal meeting, and at three meetings between myself and representatives of the medical profession. It has wide and complex implications which, together with the request by the professions' representatives that I should join them in applying for arbitration on the matter, require and are being given full and careful consideration: I hope to reply to it shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations have been made to him to consider allowing children at school to have prescriptions free of charge, and particularly in view of the raising of the school leaving age; and what reply he has sent.

Eighty-three letters since September 1972. Replies have explained that no relationship is intended between the age limit for automatic exemption from prescription charges and the age of ending full-time education.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he is satisfied with the operation of the system for the payment of social security benefits through the Post Office Giro, as far as security is concerned;(2) how many cases have been reported of fraudulent encashment of social security benefits paid through the Post Office Giro.

I am satisfied with the system. In 1972 about 37,500 Giro orders replaced by my Department were later found to have been cashed. The question of fraud arose in only a proportion of those cases but central records are not maintained of the number.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to issue his advice to prescribers on the use of psychotropic drugs.

I hope to issue a digest later in the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the net sum received from pharmaceutical manufacturers under the voluntary price regulation scheme in 1971–72 and the percentage this represents of the total purchase of pharmaceutical products for the National Health Service in England.

This information is not readily available. The following estimates relate to medicines used in the United Kingdom, including those used in hospitals but excluding the remuneration of pharmacists and the cost of appliances:—

	1971	1972
	£	£
Estimated costs	200 million	230 million
Estimated annual value of price increases	2·5 million	2·6 million
Estimated annual value of price reductions	1·2 million	1·4 million
Lump sum payments from companies	100,000	47,000

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated average cost of building a health centre in the current financial year; and how this compares with the average cost, at constant prices, in each of the previous three years.

Following is the information requested in terms of capital expenditure on building work only approved for loan sanction purposes to the nearest £1,000.

				£
1972–73	…	…	…	72,000
1971–72	…	…	…	61,000
1970–71	…	…	…	65,000
1969–70	…	…	…	56,000

The figures do not include expenditure on sites, furniture or equipment which is no longer subject to prior approval by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the harmonisation of prices for medicines in the European Community will mean an increase in the prices now paid by the National Health Service.

There are no proposals for the harmonisation of the prices of medicines in the European Economic Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the rate of infant mortality in the United Kingdom in the two most recent years for which figures are available.

Deaths of infants under one year of age per thousand live births in the United Kingdom were 17·9 in 1971 and 17·5 provisional), in 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider adding the disease pemphigus vulgaris to the current list which will exempt sufferers from paying prescription charges.

No. I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Woolwich, East (Mr. Mayhew) on 12th December.—[Vol. 848 c. 70–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she has read the report of Sir William Reid, Chairman of the Northern Economic Planning Council, on the position of children in education; and whether she is taking steps to act on his recommendations.

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the memorandum "Bridging the Gap" which was the subject of a Press conference held by Sir William in November last year. The memorandum was sent to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment and I have nothing to add to his reply of 18th December. The report on education "Challenge of the Changing North" was published in September 1970 and my right hon. Friend's detailed comments on the recommendations were sent to the chairman in April 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will issue a circular requesting all local education authorities to include on all governing and managing bodies of schools and colleges direct representation of teachers in those schools, and of parents of children in those schools and, where appropriate, of mature students; and if she will also consider the organisation of courses to train people for such service.

No. The constitution of such bodies for county schools is a matter for the local education authority. If training is indeed needed by managers or governors the authority is in the best position to provide it.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many children of three years and four years of age, respectively, in the administrative county of Hampshire are classified as handicapped for purposes of satisfying the criteria in paragraph 12 of Circular No. 2/73 Nursery Education; and what percentage she estimates these children represent of their respective age groups;(2) how many children of three years and four years of age, respectively, in the administrative county of Hampshire came from homes which are culturally and environmentally deprived as defined in paragraph 9 of Circular No. 2/73 Nursery Education; and what percenage she estimates these children represent of their respective age groups.

Information of this kind is not collected by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers and nursery assistants are currently employed to teach children in nursery classes in the administrative county of Hampshire; and how many more teachers and nursery assistants on her proposed staffing ratio of about 1:13 she estimates would need to be recruited by 1982 for the administrative county of Hampshire, in order to provide full-time education for 15 per cent. of three-and four-year-olds and part-time education for 35 per cent. of three-year-olds and 75 per cent of four-year-olds as proposed in paragraph 2 of Circular No. 2/73 Nursery Education.

In January 1972, Hampshire's two nursery classes, containing 38 full-time equivalent pupils, were staffed by two qualified teachers and two nursery assistants. In addition there were 1,760 other full-time equivalent pupils under 5 in primary schools, staffed, on the basis of the county's average primary pupil teacher ratio of 26·1:1, by about 70 qualified teachers. No realistic estimate can be made of the number of children under 5 in 1982 in the areas of individual local education authorities, but they were asked in Appendix B of Circular 2/73 to estimate the number of three-and four-year-olds in January 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many rising-fives and other four-year-olds, as defined in paragraph 18 of Circular No. 2/73 Nursery Education, are currently attending reception classes of primary schools in the administrative county of Hampshire.

In January 1972, the latest date for which information is available, 1,682 rising-fives and 78 other four-year-olds were attending primary schools full time.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many three-and four-year-old children, respectively, are currently receiving part-time nursery education in the administrative county of Hampshire; and what percentage of their age groups each represents;(2) how many three-year and four-year-old children, respectively, are currently receiving whole-time nursery education in the administrative county of Hampshire; and what percentage of their age groups each represent.

In January 1972, the latest date for which information is available, the numbers in maintained nursery schools were:

Full-time pupils
Aged 3	…	…	…	…	9
Aged 4	…	…	…	…	22

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in order to assist local education authorities readily to identify disadvantaged children for the purpose of fulfilling paragraphs 9 to 11 of Circular No. 2/73 Nursery Education, she will define more precisely the phrase in paragraph 9 about children from homes which are culturally and economically deprived.

The phrase describes children from impoverished or inadequate homes who lack opportunities to develop an early mastery of language and other basic skills. Head teachers and local education authorities are in the best position to identify disadvantaged children within their own areas and I do not propose to issue detailed guidance on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she will reach a decision on applications from independent schools for permission to raise fees in accordance with notice that had been given to parents prior to the standstill period on prices; and when, in particular, her Department will be giving an answer to St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate, on this subject.

Independent schools which have applied for my consent to an increase in fees during the standstill period of the counter-inflation programme are currently being informed of the results of their applications. My Department wrote to the solicitors acting for St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate, on 21st February 1973.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if an officer's widow whose husband died before 1st September 1950 has a reserved right under the Royal Warrant of 1940 to a pension at twice the maximum rate of an "ordinary" Service widow's pension if her husband's death was due to wounds, injuries or disease directly attributable to the conditions of service; and if he will make a statement.

A reserved right under the 1940 Royal Warrant would be at 1940 rates; there is no general reserved right to an attributable pension at double the rate of an occupational pension under subsequent codes. Pensions increase provisions exclude pensions paid in respect of death or injury attributable to service which are uprated separately when Department of Health and Social Security benefits are reviewed, and rates of war widows' pension have increased so substantially since 1940 that the question of reserved rights does not have practical relevance.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what is the number, and the proportion, of those killed on active service with the Army in Northern Ireland whose dependants have been able to get Army pensions.

Twelve—about 8 per cent. of those killed—had sufficient service to qualify for an award under the Forces family pension scheme. These awards are additional to the war widows' or dependants' pensions which have been awarded by the Department of Health and Social Security.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what steps his Department takes to encourage members of the Armed Forces to insure their lives against death for a capital sum; and whether these steps are also taken in the case of cadets and other members of the volunteer forces.

Life insurance is a personal matter but members of the Regular forces are encouraged to make suitable provision. Advice is given in occasional Defence Council instructions, and facilities are given for lectures and individual advice on savings, insurance and other financial matters. In addition, non-public funds, which are operated on a contributory basis by voluntary membership, provide lump sums for dependants in the case of death. These arrangements do not generally apply to members of the Reserve forces, who are primarily civilians and are expected to make whatever provision they feel is necessary.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what plans he has for any military development in or around Orkney or Shetland.

The only plans for military developments in or around Orkney or Shetland are for a possible re-siting of the aerial at the United States coastguard signals station at Scatsta Ness, Shetland, and the construction of some additional houses for United States and British Servicemen at a number of sites in Shetland.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, in order to demonstrate the advantages of flying in Concorde to potential customers, he will take all possible action to speed the bringing into commission of Concorde aircraft on international routes.

The development programme is already aimed at achieving the earliest possible date for Concorde to enter service.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the tax disincentive measures which operate against the re-export of goods entering the Federal Republic of Germany from East Germany.

I understand that a West German firm importing goods from East Germany can offset 11 per cent. of their value against its VAT liabilities. This tax concession is lost if the goods are subsequently re-exported to another country.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list quarterly figures for the value and volume of imports and exports of finished steel products during 1971 and 1972 and indicate the corresponding percentage charges.

The following are the figures:

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF FINISHED STEEL PRODUCTS
	Imports		Exports
	Thousand tonnes	£ million	Thousand tones	£ million
1971:
1st quarter	457	41·7	914	71·4
2nd quarter	422	35·1	1,291	94·6
3rd quarter	524	38·9	1,208	87·1
4th quarter	629	45·0	1,293	98·1
1972:
1st quarter	699	47·7	1,115	80·8
2nd quarter	662	47·8	1,134	85·2
3rd quarter*	565	47·1	839	62·3
4th quarter*	735	62·3	1,364	103·3

PERCENTAGE CHANGES IN EACH QUARTER OF 1972 OVER THE CORRESPONDING QUARTER OF 1971
1st quarter	+53·0	+14·3	+22·0	+13·3
2nd quarter	+56·9	+36·0	-12·2	-9·9
3rd quarter*	+7·8	+21·2	-30·5	-28·5
4th quarter*	+16·9	+38·3	+5·5	+5·3
* The figures of imports and exports in the third and fourth quarters of 1972 were distorted by the effect of the dock strike of August 1972.

Finished steel products covers ingots and other primary forms; bars, rods, angles, shapes and sections; universals, plates and sheets (excluding lacquered tinplate); hoop and strip; certain rails and railway track material; tubes and pipes; castings and forgings, unworked; and railway locomotive axles, tyres and wheels.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to improve the effectiveness of the Overseas Projects Group.

The Overseas Projects Group was set up some four years ago to act as a focal point within Government for dealing with problems arising in seeking business from large capital projects overseas. The administration of this group now falls under the British Overseas Trade Board which considers that the group should continue to operate and that its activities should be strengthened and extended in several ways.In particular, on the recommendation of the Chairman of the Board, Lord Thorneycroft, I intend to set up shortly an advisory panel to which the Overseas Projects Group will be able to turn for advice in connection with all aspects of its work. It will comprise a small number of experienced persons from industry and commerce as well as representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Export Credit Guarantees Department. Secondly, the existing Feasibility Fund which is administered by the Overseas Projects Group is to be expanded in scope so that it may assist with the costs of certain pre-contractual activities in pursuit of large projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in his forthcoming Budget, he will place an ad valorem import duty of 500 per cent. on replica firearms.

The problem posed by replica firearms and imitation toy guns and ways of dealing with it are being considered by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek powers to require the manufacturers of meat substitute foods to state clearly the amount of protein contained in the substitute compared to an equivalent weight of meat in place of which the substitute is offered.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has powers under Section 7 of the Food and Drugs Act 1955 to make regulations with regard to the labelling and advertising of such products. The Food Standards Committee is at present considering the need for regulations in relation to unconventional protein products.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his meetings on 9th and 13th February, 1973, with local authorities and organisations representing local authorities.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement following his meeting with representatives of the Association of Municipal Corporations on 13th February.

I have nothing to add to the replies I gave to Questions from the hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Alfred Morris) and others on Thursday, 22nd February.—[Vol. 851, c. 677–81.]

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement regarding his recent meeting with leaders of the Association of Municipal Corporations and on subsequent developments.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer which I have given to the hon. Member for Hackney, Central (Mr. Clinton Davis) today.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now make a ministerial broadcast on the subject of Government economic policy.

Unless and until I make a statement to the contrary, the House should assume that I have no plans to make a ministerial broadcast.

asked the Prime Minister if he has yet arranged further discussions with the Civil Service unions in regard to phase 3 of the prices and incomes policy.

Representatives of the National Staff Side have had a meeting with the Head of the Civil Service since the stage 2 proposals were published and they know that I would be glad to meet them again whenever this would be helpful.

asked the Prime Minister if he will visit Dundee in addition to the other places in Scotland he plans to visit on 11th May.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now announce the names of the members of the Royal Commission on Civil Liability and Compensation for Personal Injury.

The Queen has been pleased to approve that the following be appointed members of the Commission on Civil Liability and Compensation for Personal Injury under the chairmanship of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Pearson:

Sir Philip Allen, GCB, former Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Home Office.

Mr. Walter Anderson, CBE, General Secretary of the National and Local Government Officers Association, and Chairman of the Social Insurance and Industrial Welfare Committee of the Trades Union Congress.

Mrs. Margaret Brooke, Vice-Chairman of the National Federation of Women's Institutes, and a Justice of the Peace.

Lord Cameron, DSC, a Senator of the College of Justice in Scotland.

Professor R. B. Duthie, MA, ChM, FRCS, Nuffield Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Oxford.

Mr. R. J. Kerr-Muir, OBE, Chairman of the Social Security Committee of the Confederation of British Industry, and formerly a Director of Courtaulds Ltd.

Mr. R. A. MacCrindle, QC.

Mr. Norman S. Marsh, QC, one of the Law Commissioners.

Mr. Denis A. Marshall, a solicitor and a member of the Council of the Law Society.

Professor Alan Prest, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics.

Mr. A. E. Sansom, FCII, Managing Director of the Iron Trades Employers Insurance Association Ltd.

Professor R. S. F. Schilling, MD, DSc, FRCP, Professor of Occupational Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Mr. R. S. Skerman, FIA, Chief Actuary of the Prudential Assurance Co. Ltd., and former President of the Institute of Actuaries.

Miss Olive Stevenson, Reader in Applied Social Studies at the University of Oxford and Professorial Fellow of St. Anne's College.

Mr. James Stewart, WS.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the availability of blue dye or fish oil as specified by the European Economic Community regulations for the purpose of denaturing wheat; and what alternative dyes may be used.

The blue dye specified in the European Economic Community's regulations dealing with the denaturing of wheat is Patent Blue V. It is in short supply just now, but fish oil is readily available. In view of the shortage of Patent Blue V it has been agreed with the EEC Commission that four other dyes may be used in the United Kingdom until 30th April 1973. These dyes are amaranth, orange G, indigo-carmine and green S.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies of meat substitutes are being made by his Department.

My Department is making a detailed study of this subject. Its novel protein intelligence unit is maintaining a close liaison with all the firms developing and marketing these products in the United Kingdom and is using the information gained to assess the possible impact that these new materials may have in the future on food and agriculture.In addition, the Food Standards Committee is at present reviewing the use of all unconventional protein products as food or as ingredients in food and the need for regulations under the Food and Drugs Act 1955.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will produce figures to illustrate the seasonal fluctuations in the retail price of beef, pork and lamb in each of the last five years.

It is not possible to indicate with any precision the seasonal variation in meat prices, but the following table illustrates the way the retail price for beef, pork and lamb has fluctuated seasonally over the last five years.

	1	2	3
	Retail prices shown as an index with January 1962 = 100	Moving average of retail prices to remove the effects of seasonal changes	Seasonal fluctuations (2 as percentage of 1)
1. Beef
1968:
1st quarter average	149	142	104·4
2nd quarter average	149	147	101·6
3rd quarter average	149	149	99·7
4th quarter average	148	151	98·3
1969:
1st quarter average	153	154	99·8
2nd quarter average	157	157	99·9
3rd quarter average	163	160	101·6
4th quarter average	163	163	99·9
1970:
1st quarter average	164	166	98·5
2nd quarter average	169	169	99·5
3rd quarter average	176	174	101·5
4th quarter average	176	1S0	97·4
1971:
1st quarter average	185	188	98·3
2nd quarter average	201	195	103·2
3rd quarter average	204	202	100·7
4th quarter average	205	209	98·2
1972:
1st quarter average	214	216	98·7
2nd quarter average	225	226	99·5
3rd quarter average	240	n.a.	n.a.
4th quarter average	248	n.a.	n.a.
2. Pork
1968:
1st quarter average	124	122	102·0
2nd quarter average	123	123	99·7
3rd quarter average	123	124	99·4
4th quarter average	125	125	100·1
1969:
1st quarter average	126	125	100·4
2nd quarter average	126	127	99·2
3rd quarter average	127	130	97·9
4th quarter average	134	133	100·8
1970:
1st quarter average	137	136	100·7
2nd quarter average	140	140	100·0
3rd quarter average	142	142	99·9
4th quarter average	145	145	100·5
1971:
1st quarter average	147	147	100·2
2nd quarter average	148	149	99·9
3rd quarter average	150	150	99·6
4th quarter average	153	153	99·8
1972:
1st quarter average	154	157	98·3
2nd quarter average	162	164	98·6
3rd quarter average	170	n.a.	n.a.
4th quarter average	186	n.a.	n.a.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in the Ministry's statistics for the movement of meat, only meat for human consumption is included.

The statistical series "Food supplies moving into consumption" includes meat used for human consumption only.Figures published in the monthly Digest of Statistics relating to meat produced from United Kingdom slaughterhouses include meat used for pet foods and a small amount of meat and offal unfit for human consumption. Adjustments are made to these figures to take into account imports, exports, waste and non-human use, the resulting figure being the basis of the table "Food supplies moving into consumption".

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that there is an adequate supply of nuts available to meet the expected demand.

I am not aware of any supply difficulties.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he

£ per long ton
		1971				1972				1973
		Mid	Mid	Mid	Mid	Mid	Mid	Mid	Mid	Mid
		January	April	July	October	January	April	July	October	January
Brazils	…	476·00	470·00	612·00	640·00	650·00	530·00	610·00	583·00	590·00
Cashews	…	710·00	620·00	705·00	695·00	660·00	640·00	660·00	695·00	700·00
Hazelnuts (a)	…	575·00	560·00	600·00	570·00	557·50	585·00	605·00	590·00	585·00
Almonds	…	645·00	600·00	770·00	Nominal	780·00	780·00	930·00	950·00	980·00
Walnuts (a)	…	560·00	500·00	550·00	580·00	580·00	760·00	775·00	800·00	780·00
Groundnuts	…	116·50	107·00	102·50	95·00	97·95	100·00	106·00	not quoted	135·50
(a) metric tons.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what organisations he is consulting about the draft proposal concerning conditions for applying protective measures for fruit and vegetables; and what would be its effect in the United Kingdom.

The conditions for applying protective measures for fruit and vegetables are set out in regulation EEC 2707/72. I know of no proposals for revising these conditions.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he now proposes to take to implement EEC Directive 72/161 of 17th April 1972.

The Government are still considering how best to implement the provisions of Titles I and II of this Directive and will be putting proposals to the Commission in due course. Title III has now been overtaken by the extended provisions of the European Social Fund and is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment, whose officials, I am informed, are at this time discussing the matter with the Commission.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he now intends to introduce legislation to implement the provisions of EEC Directive 72/160 of 17th April 1972.

The following table gives the United Kingdom market price for the main types of edible nuts for the past two years: