asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is being done to assist local authorities to remove pseudo-gipsies who camp in caravans on roadside verges and elsewhere to the inconvenience of residents and the detriment of the environment.

Where a local authority has fulfilled its statutory duty to provide accommodation for gipsies, my right hon. and learned Friend is prepared to consider an application for designation under the Caravan Sites Act 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has now concluded his consultations about the allowances to be paid to the members of the new local authorities under the Local Government Act 1972; and if he will make a statement.

At present I have nothing to add to the reply given to a similar Question from the hon. Member on 31st January.—[Vol. 849, c. 394–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses in the constituency of Willesden, West will need to be demolished in the event of Ringway One being built; and if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the names of the roads and the numbers which would be so affected.

The Government have agreed in principle that Ringway 1 should remain in the Greater London Development Plan but no decisions have yet been made on its detailed alignment. It is therefore not possible to give the number or location of the houses that would need to be demolished.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent his decision to support the construction of Ring Road One advocated in the Lay-field Report was influenced by the need to relieve the traffic flow likely to be engendered by the new Covent Garden Market at Nine Elms.

The Government's decision in principle to retain Ringway 1 was based on the need to relieve traffic congestion in central London; it took account of traffic likely to be generated by the new market.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he, or one of his Department's Ministers, will seek to attend the Cup Final in an official capacity.

I have accepted the Football Association's invitation to attend the Cup Final on 5th May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects to announce the route of the M16 between the A10 and the M11.

In early summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress of the Government's consideration of the recommendations of the Layfield Report on the Greater London Development Plan inquiry.

As I announced in my statement published on 19th February, the Government's further conclusions on the Layfield Panel's recommendations will be made public as soon as practicable, and later this year I hope to promulgate formally the more important draft modifications which the Government are minded to make to the plan.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Dee crossing scheme.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales to a similar Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Mr. Tilney) on 26th February.—[Vol. 851, c. 1039]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will visit Macclesfield and discuss the Macclesfield north-south relief road proposals with the local authorities concerned.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when it is proposed to provide an adequate and fully equipped international conference centre in London.

As soon as a satisfactory scheme can be agreed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the negotiations which have taken place regarding the arrangements for redundancy payments to be paid to clerks and senior local government officers of 50 years of age and over following the reorganisation of local government in England and Wales.

Local authority associations and representative staff organisations were sent for comment on 14th February a draft of regulations enabling the clerks and other senior officers affected by reorganisation to elect for early retirement and to receive enhanced benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of local authority expenditure in England and Wales is met by grants from central funds.

In 1973–74 the Government will meet 60 per cent. of the relevant rate fund expenditure which is about 98 per cent. of all the expenditure to be met from rates and grants for current expenditure. The expenditure items which are not relevant are the residual contributions to housing which receives specific grants ranging from 75 per cent. to 100 per cent. and contributions to trading funds and costs of concessionary fares on transport undertakings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ascertain the number of cars on the road with design faults which have failed to respond to recall by the manufacturers and are therefore in a dangerous condition.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he proposes to give to planning authorities in connection with applications to build office blocks, especially those involving the demolition of existing buildings of social and cultural value.

There is no evidence of a general problem on which further guidance is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his most recent work in monitoring archaeological finds in New Palace Yard.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given to similar Questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock (Mr. Cormack) on 9th February and from the hon. Member on 21st and 28th February. An inspector of ancient monuments and an assistant have been in daily attendance on the site since work began on 1st July 1972.—[Vol. 850, c. 213–4; Vol. 851, c. 99–100, 363–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the great conduit of Plantagenet origin revealed by the excavators in New Palace Yard is being demolished; and to what extent the caution in clearing the upper surface of New Palace Yard, made necessary by the discovery, actual or potential, of historic remains, will add to the cost and delay in completion of the car park.

The conduit is not being demolished. Its remains are being dismantled so that earlier structures of a similar nature beneath it may also be examined, recorded and retained pending a decision on their ultimate disposal. I cannot yet say how much these investigations will delay completion of the car park and the cost will be a matter of negotiation with the contractors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications have been received for grants under the special environmental assistance scheme since February 1972 in the development and intermediate areas by each region; and how many have been approved.

Up to the end of February 1973 about 12,400 projects had been approved in England at an estimated cost of £29¼ million; the proportion of applications rejected is very small. These figures cover all assisted areas, including derelict land clearance areas as well as development areas and intermediate areas. The following table gives the breakdown of the figures by regions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the bodies available to him for consultation when permission is sought to build oil refineries in excess of 5 million tons capacity in the United Kingdom.

It is normally the responsibility of local planning authorities to undertake consultations. The note referred to in my reply to the hon. Member's Question on 14th February gives guidance. It would not, however, be appropriate to draw up a standard list. Similar arrangements apply in other parts of the United Kingdom.—[Vol. 850, c. 1263–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he keeps any record of the number of heavy goods vehicles using the trunk roads of Norfolk; and how these numbers and the individual weight of the vehicles has changed in the last two years.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will approve for inclusion in the preparation list the scheme proposed by the Greater London Council to improve roundabouts on the Great Chertsey Road, A316.

My right hon. Friend is considering with the Greater London Council whether this scheme should take priority over other proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will express as percentages of the total public authority housing stock in the United Kingdom the 6,000, 7,000 and 45,000 houses sold by local authorities in each of the past three years.

Sales by local authorities in England and Wales in the years in question represented respectively 0·1, 0·4 and 1·0 per cent. of their housing stock. The sales figure for 1971 was 17,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consult with firms in the waste disposal industry as to the practice currently being carried out by the industry in the disposal of toxic chemicals.

My Department is already in touch with many parts of industry about the problems of toxic waste disposal. A working party is being formed, together with industry and the local authority associations, to consider the problems of dealing with the more difficult and toxic industrial wastes, and to propose codes of practice or guidance for safe disposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the interests of road safety, he will take steps to prohibit the resale to the public of used tyres which have been declared by tyre disposal units to be unsuitable for retreading.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received asking for repeal of the Housing Finance Act.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar Question from the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the growing unemployment problem in central London, he will make an early statement on his attitude to recommendation 25.16(b) in the Layfield Report, that further movement of firms out of central London should be encouraged.

I announced in my statement published on 19th February that the Government broadly accept the Lay-field Panel's approach to employment in London, which will govern our further consideration of the Greater London Development Plan and our further development of the regional strategy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive a report from the London Action Group concerning the provision of land by outer London boroughs to assist in rehousing people from inner London.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to a similar question from the hon. Member for Hackney, Central (Mr. Clinton Davis) on 14th February.—[Vol. 850, c. 1266–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now make an order under Section 89 of the Housing Finance Act 1972, to increase the rateable value limits for protected tenants of buildings erected since March 1965 to prevent these tenancies being taken out of protection by rate revaluation.

No such order is needed for this purpose. Protected tenants of buildings completed after March 1965 are in no danger of losing their protection as a result of revaluation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, owing to the fact that a high background noise level is a serious impediment to the education of blind children, he will give special consideration to Lichey Grange Blind School and the proposed M42 motorway which pases within 200 yards of this school.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent No. 10 Downing Street is dependent upon gas.

Gas is not used at 10 Downing Street except for cooking.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider reducing the cost of a one-year licence for a disabled driver to correspond with that for an able-bodied driver.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a similar Question from the hon. Member for Stirling and Falkirk Burghs (Mr. Ewing) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the medical conditions which make it necessary for a driver to undergo an annual medical examination before his driving licence can be renewed;(2) how many driving licences are issued on an annual basis because the holders suffer from a medical condition;(3) how many registered disabled persons have to apply annually for the renewal of their driving licence.

A full driving licence may be restricted to one year when a driver suffers from a medical condition which may deteriorate quickly. The decision is based on medical advice in the light of the driver's medical history and condition; a medical examination may or may not be held. In practice one-year licences are issued almost exclusively to drivers suffering from controlled epilepsy; some 4,300 such licences were issued in the year ending 30th November 1972. It is not known how many of the applicants were registered disabled persons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has considered the ring rail alternative to the motorway box plan, published in the magazine Time Out a copy of which has been supplied to him; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, but this would not affect the case for the inner London motorway.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the increasing rates burden, especially in major cities, he will consider appointing a consultant to advise local authorities on trimming unnecessary expenditure and achieving priorities in the best interests of ratepayers.

No. Local authorities are free to employ consultants if they wish. They also have available to them the services of their own organisations, the Local Authorities Management Services and Computer Committee and the Local Government Operational Research Unit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be in a position to give the date of the public inquiry on the A34 motor bypass in Cheshire.

This depends on a reappraisal of the scheme which Cheshire County Council, the highway authority, has undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he can yet name a date for the cleaning of the Palace of Westminster; and what will be the method to be used.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a similar Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock (Mr. Cormack) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for a test model of the embedded bars to be used on motorways to warn motorists of hazards, known as rolines, so that their practicality can be adequately tested under normal road conditions, in view of the endorsement that this device has received from police officers.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the West High Down Rocket Site in the Isle of Wight is surplus to the requirements of Her Majesty's Government; and when a formal offer to acquire all or part of the site will be made to the Isle of Wight County Council.

Less than an acre of the land is still required for Government purposes. The remainder is surplus and will be offered for sale to the Isle of Wight County Council within the next three months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the reasons for telephone exchange building being behind schedule.

The provision of telephone exchange buildings can fall behind schedule for a variety of reasons. Difficulties in obtaining suitable sites, the time taken to obtain planning permission and contractual delays resulting from bad weather and industrial disputes all contribute to some retarding of the programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when his decision will be announced following the public inquiry which was held at Cricklade in September 1972 in connection with the proposed Cricklade bypass.

Shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to make a decision to include in the principal road programme the scheme for the northern section of the Burnley Inner Ring Road, Westgate Link, bearing in mind that a firm programme application was submitted to his Department on 13th November 1972.

Further information was recently received from the highway authority on this scheme. A number of points need to be resolved by my Department and the local authorities concerned before a decision can be made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, on Phase One of the motorway, M65, between Blackburn and Barracks Station, Burnley, he will review the practice of the Department to enable residential property to be acquired in advance of requirements in order to remove the anxiety of the people concerned.

I see no reason to review general practice, but I will be pleased to consider any particular case if the hon. Member will write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the response so far by local authorities and public and private organisations to plant a tree in 1973 year; and if he will make a statement on activities in the first two months of the campaign.

There has been a most encouraging response from local authorities and other public and private organisations. A newsletter is to be published very shortly providing some examples of what has been achieved in Tree Planting Year so far. I will send a copy to my hon. Friend and have copies placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made on the Channel Tunnel project; and whether its environmental effects on the South East will be fully taken into account.

The Green Paper which I hope to publish later this month will make clear the very full consideration which is being paid to the environmental aspects of the project.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the number of prosecutions in the Greater London Council area, borough by borough, of accommodation agencies which have made illegal financial charges for the provision of accommodation.

Figures for 1972 are not yet available but in the preceding two years there was one prosecution only within the Metropolitan and City of London police districts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the legal requirements which must be followed by accommodation agencies.

Accommodation agencies are prohibited under Section 1 of the Accommodation Agencies Act 1953 from charging for the services expressly prohibited in that section.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will remind the 32 greater London boroughs that financial charges for the provision of accommodation by accommodation agencies are illegal.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussion he has had with greater London borough councils to discuss with them the action they are taking within their boroughs to bring into temporary use properties which are due for demolition.

I am satisfied, following consultations with all London borough councils last year, that most authorities are using short-life properties to their fullest capacity. The Department will use every appropriate opportunity to ensure that councils are aware of their responsibilities in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many public authority houses were sold in the London borough of Havering to its sitting tenants in each of the past three years; and how many were sold by each of the public authorities involved.

The details are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if the Government will require all local planning authorities to give adjoining site owners at least two weeks' notice in which they can put forward objections to any planning application;(2) if the Government will require all local authorities to fix a clear notice for public display on all sites for which a planning application has been made and to allow a period of two weeks during which objections can be lodged after the first display of the notice.

There are extensive statutory requirements to advertise applications and post notices: these are substantially extended in the General Development Order 1973 which came into force on 1st March. My right hon. and learned Friend is considering comments from bodies recently consulted about publicity by site notices or otherwise for the more significant planning proposals not at present covered by statutory requirements. But a universal requirement to display site notices or notify neighbouring owners would not be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain how and why it took one month for his Department to notify the hon. Member for West Ham, North that his letter of 26th January regarding the enforcement of the law concerning a dangerous and illegal method of loading lorries was receiving attention; and why this notification was posted by second-class mail service.

A full reply to the letter received from the hon. Member on 29th January was sent to him on 1st March after completion of investigations. I regret that the interim reply of 22nd February was delayed and inadvertently sent by second-class mail.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of Leicester's having received over 15 per cent. of the Ugandan Asians who came to Great Britain through expulsion by General Amin, lie will make available a like proportion of the additional sum of £1·2 million provided through the rate support grant of 1973–74 to meet the cost of providing services generally to the Ugandan Asians over and above that expenditure which will be reimbursed in whole or in part by the Uganda Resettlement Board.

The distribution of rate support grant is made in accordance with the Local Government Act 1966 and the regulations made under this Act. I have no power to vary it. The influx of population will, however, increase the amounts payable under these provisions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will initiate legislation designed to ensure that the public authorities in London provide increased parking facilities both for cars and lorries where required.

No. Present powers are adequate for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which are the eight traffic intersections in London which have been examined by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory in the last three years.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many prosecutions were initiated in England and Wales in the last period of 12 months for which figures are available, respectively for the emission of smoke, dust and grit under the Public Health Acts and the Clean Air Acts; in how many cases, respectively, convictions were obtained; and what was the average fine upon conviction in each category.

I am advised by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department that during the calendar year 1971, 174 persons were prosecuted under the Clean Air Acts. Information on the specific offences is not available. Of the 161 of those convicted, 157 were fined, the average being £15·24p. Information about similar prosecutions brought under the Public Health Acts is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many general hospitals in Scotland do not have a direct telephone link to the nearest fire station.

This information is readily available only in respect of general hospitals of over 200 beds. Eighteen such hospitals do not at present have a direct telephone link to a fire station, but links are being installed or should soon be provided in nine of these.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will specify the regulations which govern the import of Norwegian houses for local residents in Orkney and Shetland.

I am not aware of any special regulations or any tariff barriers, but any such houses which are erected must conform to the requirements of the Building Standards (Scotland) (Consolidation) Regulations 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers and nursing assistants are currently employed to teach children in nursery classes in the county of Ayr; and how many more teachers and nursery assistants on a staffing ratio of about 1:13 he estimates would need to be recruited by 1982 for the county of Ayr, 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 fouryear-olds.

At January 1972, 13·5 registered teachers (full-time and equivalent part-time) and 109·5 nursery nurses and helpers (full-time and equivalent part-time) were employed in education authority nursery schools and classes in Ayrshire.Projections of the three- and four-year-old population for as far ahead as 1982 are available only for Scotland as a whole, but assuming that movement in the Ayrshire population reflects the estimated national trend, on an overall staffing ration of 1:13, 322 additional teachers, nursery nurses and other helpers would require to be employed in 1982 to provide nursery education to the level of demand postulated.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many three- and four-year-old children are currently receiving nursery education part-time and whole-time, respectively, in the county of Ayr; and what percentage of their age groups each represents.

In January 1972, 93 three-year-old and 697 four-year-old children were receiving nursery education in education authority schools in Ayrshire, representing about 1·4 per cent. and 10·8 per cent. of the three- and four-year-old populations respectively. A break-down of these figures showing those attending whole-time or part-time is not available, but of the total of 907 children aged two to five receiving nursery education in the county. 429 attended for the whole day and 478 for the morning or afternoon only. Figures for January 1973 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many three- and four-year-old children are currently receiving nursery education part-time and whole-time in the designated area of Irvine New Town; and what percentage of their age groups each represents.

There are at present no children receiving nursery education in Irvine New Town.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much public money has been made available to the Hunterston Development Company Ltd. in support of feasibility and other studies; and what estimate of further expenditure has been made.

I have agreed to pay a grant of two-thirds of the cost of the investigation, subject to a maximum of £80,000. The remainder of the money comes from private sources. I have not been asked for any further contribution to studies of Hunterston.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the gross pay paid to Mr. George Pottinger since his suspension in July 1972 from his post as Secretary to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland.

The amount of pay received by Mr. Pottinger from 18th July, 1972, to the end of February 1973 was £6,520 gross.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will initiate an inquiry into conditions within the prisons of Hong Kong.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with Commonwealth Governments the possibility of setting up machinery in their countries and the United Kingdom for the reciprocal enforcement of court orders.

Legislation covering a wide range of subjects already exists for the reciprocal enforcement of court orders within the Commonwealth. The particular machinery involved varies according to the subject matter of the order.If the hon. Member has any other particular problem or area of the law in mind I should be glad to provide further information if he will let me know the subject matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to encourage beef production in the Leeward Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

Advice on this subject is given by the agricultural adviser of the British Development Division in the Caribbean and a regional livestock adviser at present stationed in Antigua. Details of our aid are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens have emigrated to Canada, Australia and New Zealand at their own expense since 1st January 1972, to the most recent convenient date.

The number of emigrants from the United Kingdom who paid their own expenses and who arrived in the three countries for the periods for which figures are available were as follows:

• Canada—1st January to 31st December 1972—18,197.
• Australia—1st January to 30th June 1972—4,636.
• New Zealand—1st April 1971 to 31st March 1972—10,127.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens have emigrated to Australia and New Zealand with assisted passages from 1st January 1972 to the most recent convenient date.

According to the most recent available figures, 37,125 people from the United Kingdom were provided with assisted passages by the Australian Government between 1st January and 31st December 1972. Between 1st April 1972 and 31st January 1973, 3,033 emigrated to New Zealand with the assistance of the New Zealand Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens have applied for emigration to countries in the EEC since the signature of the Treaty of Accession.

No application for emigration is required from United Kingdom citizens regardless of their destination.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his talks with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar.

Representatives of the Gibraltar Government, led by the Governor and Chief Minister, held discussions between 22nd February and 6th March with my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary and the Minister for Overseas Development and with myself and officials. Their main purpose was to discuss the question of British participation in a further development programme beyond 1975–76. A copy of the agreed statement issued after the talks has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to discuss the progress of the Concorde project with members of the French Government.

I have no specific plans but in any case I would not expect to do so until the new French Government have been appointed.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many houses were sold by the Coal Board in each of the past five years; and what proportion of these was sold to coal miners.

The sale of its houses is a management matter for the National Coal Board. Therefore, I am asking the chairman to write to my hon. Friend. However, the NCB is co-operating with the Government in urgently reviewing its property holdings with a view to rapid disposal of any not required for its commercial activities.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the addition to the subsidisation of the finances of the National Coal Board which will be required to meet the cost of doubling the pension of retired miners.

In the Coal Industry Bill we have proposed an Exchequer contribution of up to £25 million over three years, but the amount required within that limit cannot be calculated until the revised levels of pension and of contributions from the members of the pension scheme are settled. These matters are currently under nego- tiation between the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the practice of his Department, in administrative matters, regarding the definition of the term "Head of the Household" or an equivalent term; and what benefits or allowances are available when the requirements of that status are met.

I have nothing to add to the reply given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Civil Service Department to a similar Question by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the gross domestic fixed capital formation for 1971 as between privately owned industry, nationalised corporations and central and local government.

Gross domestic fixed capital formation in 1971 was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services with how many local authorities he has now had consultations about arrangements for screening children for lead poisoning; and whether he will make a statement on his Department's policy in this sphere.

My Department is responsible for making arrangements for the study of population groups which may be exposed to lead contamination. To date, 12 local authorities have asked for help in this respect.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage proportions of the regular weekly retirement pension now derive from accrued social insurance contributions, and from supplementation from the general Exchequer respectively.

The National Insurance Fund, from which retirement pensions are paid, is financed on a pay-as-you-go basis. About 83 per cent. of the fund comes from current contributions of insured persons and employers, and about 15 per cent. comes from taxation by way of the Exchequer supplement.On an actuarial calculation, assuming 5 per cent. interest, the proportion of the current standard pension covered by the contributions of a single man who has paid an average of 50 flat-rate national insurance contributions a year since the scheme started in 1948 and has also paid the maximum graduated contributions, and who reaches pension age and retires today, would be about 19 per cent.; about the same proportion would be covered by the contributions paid by the man's employer. For a married man whose wife is five years younger than himself, the proportion would be about 8 per cent. in either case.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much retirement pensions on average have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage.

The increase in cash terms in the standard rates of retirement pension between June 1970 and October 1973 will be 55 per cent. if the uprating just proposed is approved by Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much disability pensions on average have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage.

The current rates of war disablement pension and of industrial disablement benefit represent an increase of 331 per cent since June 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will cause the South-East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board to withdraw its circular letter of 23rd February 1973 requiring tenderers, for the year 1st April 1973 to 31st March 1974, to certify that the tenders comply with Command Paper No. 5125—described in the letter as "Government regulations"—which relates to stage 1 of the Government's prices and incomes policy.

No. My Department has informed hospital authorities that during the standstill period the attention of tenderers should be drawn to the need to take account in tender prices of the policies set out in Command Paper No. 5125.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the number and location of renal dialysis units in the Sheffield hospital region; what plans there are to establish new units; and when he expects there will be sufficient facilities to cope with demand for kidney treatment and transplant.

The renal dialysis units in the Sheffield hospital region are situated at Lodge Moor Hospital, Sheffield and the Derby City Hospital. Ten-bedded dialysis units are planned for the Leicester General Hospital and the Nottingham City Hospital and are expected to come into operation in early 1974 and mid-1977, respectively. The Sheffield Regional Hospital Board expects that the demand for dialysis will be met when these facilities are fully operational.There already are adequate facilities for renal transplantation at the Royal Hospital, Sheffield, the major limiting factor being rather a shortage of cadaver kidneys. It is possible that in the future another unit may be needed in the region.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many medical certificates were issued by general practitioners for those suffering from alcoholism in the last year for which figures are available.

Information is not available in precisely the form requested. Between June 1970 and June 1971—the latest year for which there are figures—the number of days of certified incapacity attributed to "alcoholism" or "alcoholic psychosis" and recorded for National Insurance purposes was about 100,000. This represented some 1,400 spells of incapacity.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has considered the recommendations in the Houghton Report on Fostering and Adoption; and if he will make a statement of his policy thereon.

I am in touch with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department about the recommendations of the Report of the Departmental Committee on the Adoption of Children which relate to fostering, but the report as a whole raises complex issues which the Government are studying carefully before coming to any conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement about the work of the Standing Scientific Liaison Committee which he set up jointly with the tobacco industry to advise on the scientific aspects of matters relating to smoking and health.

The committee produced a most useful report on the significance to health of tar and nicotine yields of cigarettes, on the method of determining these yields and on the publication of the figures for the various brands of packeted cigarettes. I accepted these main recommendations and the first figures should be published by the end of April.The committee has also given some consideration to the testing of new smoking materials but experience has shown that a wider range of skills and experience will be helpful to the furtherance of this work. The tobacco industry and I have therefore agreed to replace the existing committee with a new one composed of independent experts, and to establish a new working relationship with the industry's scientists in the form of a panel on which they would sit under the chairmanship of Dr. F. A. Fairweather of my Department, who will be the secretary of the new committee.The committee will be set up as soon as possible so that there will be no avoid- able delay in the continuation of this important work. I am very glad to say that Professor R. B. Hunter, Vice Chancellor of Birmingham University, has agreed to be its chairman, and I am discussing with him and the industry its precise terms of reference.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider including psoriasis as a disease to be made exempt from prescription charges; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 12th December last to the hon. Member for Woolwich, East (Mr. Mayhew).—[Vol. 848, c. 70–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are suffering from psoriasis on the information he has in his possession at the latest convenient date.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many cases, in each of the months since the Attendance Allowance Board was created, application has been made to the board for oral hearings on fact, on law, and on fact and law, respectively.

I am advised that apart from the case known to the hon. and learned Gentleman, the board's records include only one application for an oral hearing. This was made in October 1972, and related to questions of fact.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what survey has been undertaken by his Department to find out the reasons for the present increase in homelessness in greater London.

No special survey has been undertaken since information about the main reasons for new applications to London Boroughs for accommodation because of actual or potential homelessness is collected quarterly. Figures for last September quarter (the latest available) and the corresponding quarters in

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Manchester, Ardwick, dated 20th December 1972, with regard to the employment situation of Mr. J. S. Magrey, of 24 Holmfirth Street, Long-sight, Manchester 13.

My Department has no record of having received the hon. Member's letter dated 20th December; no action was possible until a photocopy was received on 9th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many workers are employed in manufacturing industries in each of the inner London boroughs; and what were the comparable figures in 1970, 1971 and 1972.

The current series of employment estimates is available only for the greater London area as a whole, and the most recent figures relate to June 1971 when there were 1,201,000 employees in employment in manufacturing industries. The comparable figure for June 1970 was 1,238,000. Information from the 1971 and 1972 annual censuses of employment is expected to become available later in the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of people employed by companies which do not provide overtime pay; what is his estimate of the annual wages paid by those companies to those employees; and what is his estimate in percentage terms of the extent to which the wages of those employees have lagged behind the increase in the retail price index in the last year, the last two years and the last three years, respectively.

It would not be possible to make such estimates without extensive inquiries involving disproportionate cost, but my information suggests that this type of agreement is not widespread.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT as much detailed information as may be available, giving the numbers of hospital and auxiliary staffs, railwaymen, gasworkers, teachers, Ford workers and others who were on strike during the recent industrial disputes and the estimated costs to the economy.

Information about these and other stoppages of work is still being collected for the official series and will be included in the statistics to be published in the next issue of the Department of Employment Gazette. Meanwhile, it is already known that at least 22,000 railway workers took part in the national one-day stoppage on 28th February 1973. I regret that no estimate is available for the economic costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is aware that British-recruited staff of the East African Airways in London are to have an indefinite strike against Africanisation of their jobs; and whether he will offer the use of his conciliation department to bring about a settlement of this dispute.

My Department has been conciliating in the dispute between East African Airways and the Transport and General Workers Union. As a result of further discussions with both parties on 2nd March the strike notice was withdrawn and negotiations are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why the Burchenwood Coke and By-Products Limited, Kidsgrove, offer of £25,000 to be distributed amongst its workers in increased pay, made on 16th October, cannot be implemented.

Negotiations were not completed until 13th November 1972, i.e. after the start of the standstill. Under the terms of the standstill as set out in the White Paper, "A Policy for Controlling Inflation: The First Stage", increases from a settlement reached during the standstill may only be implemented at the end of the standstill.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the number of redundancies that have occurred in the London borough of Wandsworth for each of the last five years.

I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. However, the numbers of people involved in redundancies recorded in the Tooting, Battersea and Fulham employment exchange areas in each of the last five years are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest available monthly redundancy figures for each of the London boroughs; and what were the comparable figures in 1970, 1971 and 1972.

I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. However, the numbers of workpeople involved in redundancies

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) by how much the average earnings of farm workers have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage;(2) by how much the average earnings of workers in the motor car industry have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage;(3) by how much the average earnings of railwaymen have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage;(4) by how much the average earnings of coal miners have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage;(5) by how much the average earnings of workers in the electricity industry have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage;(6) by how much the average earnings of workers in the gas industry have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage.

The information available is set out below. The percentage increases for different industries are of course affected by the incidence of the dates of wage rate increases.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now take steps under the Industrial Relations Act to deal with the gas workers' dispute; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. John Page) on 27th February. I am, of course, keeping the situation under constant review.—[Vol. 851, c. 313–4.]