asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the system of regular plebiscites in Northern Ireland about the border is affected by the proposals in Command Paper No. 5259 about the United Kingdom status of Northern Ireland.

I would ask the hon. Member to await the constitutional Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will amend the house purchase scheme for owner occupiers to include those cases where the owner can show that the premises have been on the market for at least six months; and if he will indicate the basis of valuation of the premises which have been vandalised while vacant.

The operation of the scheme will be reviewed in due course when suggested changes will be considered.The price to be offered for all houses falling within this scheme will be assessed by the Commissioner of Valuation on the basis of market value at the time of purchase. If the house has been vandalised this will be reflected in the price.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many slaughterhouses there are on the south coast near ports; and how many of these he estimates could be used for the slaughter of animals for export to the Continent in carcase form.

There are some 140 slaughterhouses within 20 miles of the South Coast, two of which—at Fareham and Hastings—are approved for export. Approval of the others would depend largely on the owners' willingness to incur the expenditure to meet the structural and equipment requirements for export purposes. However, refrigerated transport renders proximity to the coast relatively unimportant and all 41 of the export approved slaughterhouses in England and Wales are able to slaughter for the Continent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what period he intends to hold the price of bread at its present level.

The price of bread will not go up before 30th April. Price increases after that date will be governed by the requirements of stage 2 of the counter-inflation programme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the annual rate of increase in food prices since 6th November 1972.

Owing to the influence of seasonal and other short-term factors, it would not be meaningful to calculate an annual rate of increase by reference to the movement in food prices since 6th November 1972.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the percentage increases in the retail price of beef to date from June 1970 and 6th November 1972, respectively.

Following is the information to 20th February 1973, the latest available date. 14th November 1972 is the nearest available date to 6th November.

	Percentage increases
	16th June 1970 to 20th February 1973	14th November 1972 to 20th February 1973
Beef (home-killed)
Chuck	72·6	25·1
Sirloin (without bone)	65·2	16·7
Silverside (without bone)	57·2	16·8
Back ribs (with bone)	74·9	24·1
Fore ribs (with bone)	72·9	23·2
Brisket (with bone)	96·7	31·6
Rump steak	53·3	11·7
Beef (imported·chilled)
Chuck	79·9	19·6
Silverside (without bone)	67·2	20·0
Rump steak	47·6	13·5

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current price of butter in the United Kingdom and what is the

In view of the differences in quality, dates and definition, precise comparisons between retail prices for butter in the various member States cannot be made. The following Official quotations are the latest available:
Country					Type		Pence per Ib.			Date
United Kingdom	…	…	…	…	New Zealand	…	…	22·3	…	February
Denmark	…	…	…	…	salted	…	…	41·3	…	January
Republic of Ireland	…	…	…	…	creamery	…	…	27·8	…	February
Belgium	…	…	…	…	dairy	…	…	48·6	…	February
France	…	…	…	…	slab dairy	…	…	54·1	…	January
West Germany	…	…	…	…	not specified	…	…	51·3	…	January
Italy	…	…	…	…	not specified	…	…	57·5	…	October
Netherlands	…	…	…	…	dairy	…	…	50·6	…	January

SOURCES:United Kingdom: Department of Employment.Denmark: Detail Priser.Republic of Ireland: Irish Statistical Office.Belgium: Moniteur Beige.France: Bulletin Mensuelle de Statistique.West Germany: Preise Lohne Wirtschaftrecbnungen Reihe 6.Italy: Bollettino Mensile di Statistica.Netherlands: Prijsindexcijfers van de Gezinconsumptie.NOTE:Prices calculated from rates of exchange for February except Italy which was for October.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage increase has taken place over the past 12 months in the price of cooking onions; and if he will give the reasons for this increase.

The latest figures from the index of retail prices relate to 20th February 1973. Average onion prices were then 50 per cent, higher reflecting shorter supplies from home and abroad compared with a year ago.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the conference of Commonwealth Ministers held to discuss the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement on 28th and 29th March.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 30th March to similar questions by the hon. Members for Portsmouth, West (Mr. Judd) and Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Alfred Morris.)—[Vol. 853, c. 412–14.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will raise the matter of EEC subsidized exports of butter at the next meeting of agricultural Ministers.

Following is the information:

The next meeting of the Council of Ministers will be considering a number of aspects of the Community's dairy policy. Among them will be proposals designed to avoid the build-up of large butter surpluses which can be disposed of only with the aid of export subsidies.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present stock of butter held by the EEC Intervention Board.

21 tons of butter is at present held by the United Kingdom Intervention Board. As regards stocks held by other intervention agencies in the Community I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 29th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten).—[Vol. 853, c. 393.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in what circumstances the Intervention Board will buy in pigmeat.

Intervention measures, including support buying, may be adopted by the Community when the average price for pig carcases on representative markets in the Community is, and is likely to remain, less than 3 per cent. above the basic price. If intervention measures are adopted the Intervention Board, assisted by its agents, the Meat and Livestock Commission in Great Britain and the Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland in Northern Ireland, will arrange any necessary purchases.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the minimum level of butterfat permissible in the product sold as buttermilk; and how this compares with the minimum level of butterfat permitted in liquid milk.

There is no prescribed minimum fat level for buttermilk. It is a byproduct of butter making and the level will depend on the efficiency of the process used to make butter. The butterfat could be expected to vary between 0·1 per cent, and 1·0 per cent.Whole milk must be sold as it comes from the cow and must contain at least 3·0 per cent, milk fat.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in arranging that magistrates' courts shall send by post to mothers, wives or ex-wives moneys paid under maintenance orders, thus making calls in person unnecessary.

My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor hopes to lay before Parliament later this month new magistrates' courts rules requiring justices' clerks to pay maintenance by post unless the woman entitled to the payments indicates that she prefers to collect them in person from the court.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will invite chief constables to discuss harmonising their procedures towards picketing pending the outcome of his review of these matters.

My right hon. Friend has already had general discussions with chief officers of police about picketing and the need to secure that it is peaceful and lawful; but the enforcement of the law in particular incidents is the responsibility of individual chief officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why correspondence seeking an interview with the hon. Member for Doncaster, from his constituent in Lartin Prison, was directed by the prison authorities to his Department before being sent to the hon. Member.

Because of a misunderstanding about which my noble Friend the Minister of State is writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date Mr. Parviz Moini was due for release from prison; on what date he was actually released; on what grounds he was detained after he was due for release; and to what country he was deported.

Mr. Parviz Moini was due for release from prison on 3rd November 1972. He was released on 14th March 1973 and removed on that day to Iran. The length of his detention after his release date was chiefly due to his appeal against the removal directions and to the need to obtain a travel document for him from the Iranian authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of his decision to defer the Kielder water project on grounds relating to the demolition of some houses in the national interest, he is proposing to reject all road building where houses and properties will be demolished.

No. In developing road proposals every effort is made to ensure that the demolition of properties and the effect on properties which remain is kept to a minimum.

asked the Secretary of Slate for the Environment what are the calculated financial returns he requires for specific schemes of new road construction, costing less than £4 million; and if any such scheme must necessarily contain social and environmental benefits in addition to benefits for traffic in order to gain his approval.

Inter-urban road schemes in the national programme are generally required to show a positive net present value as calculated using the recently introduced CoBA method of economic appraisal. Social, environmental and other benefits are also taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses were sold to sitting tenants in each of the past five years in England and Wales.

Excluding houses built specifically for sale, the number of sales reported by authorities in England and Wales were as follows:

1968	8,571
1969	7,530
1970	6,231
1971	16,851
1972	45,058

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the accident rate for the Ml in 1972 and how this compares with rural A roads.

Information for 1972 is not yet available. Following are estimates of personal injury accidents per thousand million vehicle miles in 1971:

Ml	…	…	350
l A Roads	…	…	1,000

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were injured in road accidents in England and Wales in each of the past five years.

Following are the figures:

1968	…	318,551
1969	…	321,990
1970	…	332,132
1971	…	320,827
1972	…	328,023

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many fatal accidents there were per mile of motorway in England in each of the past 10 years.

Following are the figures:

Year					Fatal Accidents per mile of motorway in England
1963	…	…	…	…	0·16
1964	…	…	…	…	0·25
1965	…	…	…	…	0·27
1966	…	…	…	…	0·17
1967	…	…	…	…	0·24
1968	…	…	…	…	0·22
1969	…	…	…	…	0·25
1970	…	…	…	…	0·20
1971	…	…	…	…	0·21
1972	…	…	…	…	0·19

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of houses and other buildings in the St. John's Wood area of London on which preservation orders have been made.

Building preservation orders are no longer made since the inclusion of a building in the statutory list of buildings of special achitectural or historic interest provides the necessary protection.The listed buildings of St. John's Wood are included in the lists for the City of Westminster and I am arranging for the main list and additions affecting St. John's Wood to be sent to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of central barrier have been erected on motorways since June 1970; what was the average cost per mile; and how many miles of motorway do not have a central barrier.

About 540 at an average estimated cost per mile of £11,000. At present 394 miles of motorway do not have central barriers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the expected completion date for the erection of central barriers on the Durham motorway.

The end of May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether increases in office rents are covered and restricted by the Counter-Inflation Act.

The Counter-Inflation (Business Rents) Order 1972 (SI/1972 No. 1850), made under the Counter-Inflation (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972 prevents increases in business rents. This order expires on 28th April. As the Government have announced in their White Paper, "The Operation of Stage Two", Cmnd. 5267, paragraph 196, a further order to continue the standstill on business rents will be made under the Counter-Inflation Act 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he had and what representations he received about a name for the New Kent District No. 9, Sevenoaks District Council; and whether he considers that the name he has chosen reflects the wishes of a majority of the local inhabitants.

The consultations were undertaken by the Local Government Boundary Commission. The only representations made to the Department direct were in favour of the name Seven-oaks, which had already been recommended by the commission, and I have no reason to doubt the acceptability of the name in the new district as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the representations to him by Felixstowe UDC and other seaside resorts, he will reinforce paragraph 38 of his Department's consultative document of 30th January on the transfer of property to new councils on local government reorganisation, to ensure that property essential and peculiar to the wellbeing of resorts be vested in the applicable successor parish councils where this is consistent with the general concurrent functions of the new district councils.

My right hon. and learned Friend will consider the proposals in paragraph 38 of the consultation paper in the light of comments now being received from the local authority asso- ciations and from individual local authorities. In doing so he will not lose sight of the issue raised by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the percentage increases in rate support grants by his Department to the Hampshire County Council for the years 1971–72, 1972–73 and 1973–74, compared with 1970–71.

Compared with 1970–71, the percentage increases are as follows:

per cent.
1971–72	…	…	…	17·5
1972–73	…	…	…	40·1
1973–74	…	…	…	59·6

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will carry out a cost-benefit study of the construction of a London-East Midlands-Lancashire hoverway service.

Such a study has been carried out as part of the comparative assessment of advances in inter-city passenger transport in the United Kingdom by all modes up to the year 1985. The broad conclusion, which can be generalised as applicable to any system offering a speed of 250-300 m.p.h. and requiring entirely new infrastructure, is that such a prospect is for the later 1980s and 1990s.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for the table made for the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga to be exhibited in the Upper Waiting Hall.

Yes. The table will be placed in the Upper Waiting Hall from 30th April-11th May 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received a letter from the West Midlands joint committee urging the increase of representation on the new water authority for the West Midlands district councils from two to four so that Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton could have one member each; and what reply he has sent.

The proposed formula for the representation of local authorities on regional water authorities is not based primarily on population, or rateable value. It is designed to give representation to both county and district councils in such a way as not to make the overall membership of regional water authorities unduly large. The adjustment proposed would upset this balance and we do not therefore regard it as acceptable. My Department has replied to the committee in these terms and I am send-ing the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities in England and Wales have now solved their housing problems by reaching the end of their major house building programmes; and if he will list these in the OFFICAL REPORT.

My Department wrote to all local authorities in conurbations and to all county boroughs in England on 22nd January asking them for their estimates of the future need for new council housing in their areas. A number of authorities have not yet replied. Of those which have there are many which consider that their future housebuilding should concentrate on provision for particular groups, such as the elderly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is aware that National Car Parks Limited, which operates the station car park at Exeter, is charging 2p VAT surcharge on the 15p daily parking charge; and what action he will take to terminate this unlawful profiteering.

Guidance has been issued on the recovery of value added tax levied on off-street car parking charges. I am investigating this increase to see whether it conforms to that guidance, and will write to my hon. Friend about the outcome.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters he has received about the possible discontinuing of the Ordnance Survey 2½in. to the mile map; and what reply he has sent.

227 letters on this subject have either been addressed to my right hon. and learned Friend, to the Department of the Environment or to the Ordnance Survey or have been brought to their attention by hon. Members. Replies have been sent saying that no decision has yet been taken about the future of the full series of maps at 2½in. to one mile and that these representations will be considered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of planning appeals outstanding relating to the county of East Suffolk at the most recent convenient date.

148 including 10 for Ipswich County Borough, as at 4th April 1973.

asked the Prime Minister if he will reallocate the functions concerned with railways of the Minister for Transport Industries.

No.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will place in the Library a copy of his public speech on strikes to the Terrace Club, Bromley on 16th March.

I did so on 19th March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his official meeting with the President of the Sudan.

asked the Prime Minister, if he will make a statement concerning his official talks with President Nimeri of the Sudan Democratic Republic.

My talks with President Nimeri covered relations between our two countries, British participation in the Sudan's development plans and the rôle of the enlarged European Economic Community in world trade. We also exchanged views on the Middle East and Africa. Since our meeting I have been delighted to learn that the main outstanding problems of compensation for nationalised British firms have been amicably settled.

asked the Prime Minister when he expects to meet the Heads of Governments of the EEC countries.

There are no plans at present for a meeting of Heads of Government of the European Community in the near future.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a transcript of his television broadcast on 21st March on Government policy.

I did so on 23rd March.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is satisfied with co-ordination between the Department of the Environment, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Employment in the consideration of the Kielder Reservoir project in its implications for factories and job opportunities.

I am satisfied with co-ordination between these Departments. Evidence on these matters was presented at the public inquiry and has been fully taken into account by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

asked the Attorney-General if he will instruct the Director of Public Prosecutions to bring criminal proceedings against those persons trading under the name of R. Allan and Company, of 35 Wardour Street, London, W.1, who have been distributing pornographic literature through the post.

It has not so far proved possible to identify the persons trading under that name from that address. I am informed that it is the practice for the persons responsible for the distribution through the post of indecent and obscene literature to make use of a letter box address which is changed frequently in order to avoid identification. That occurred in this case.Complaints about the receipt of such literature from a mail order firm should be reported to the police with the minimum of delay, to assist in the identification of the offenders. It would, therefore, be most helpful if hon. Members who receive complaints about a mail order firm operating from a London address would in future pass those complaints direct to the Obscene Publications Department of New Scotland Yard.

asked the Minister of State for Defence why Field Marshal Sir Michael Carver attended a meeting of FINABEL in Bonn on 29th March; and if military nuclear help to France was discussed at this meeting.

FINABEL is a multilateral organisation in which Army Chiefs of Staff of France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and United Kingdom meet to discuss possibilities for harmonising tactics, logistics, training and equipment requirements. General Sir Michael Carver attended the meeting in Bonn on 29th March as the British member of this organisation for the first time. Military nuclear help to France was not discussed.

asked the Minister of State for Defence to how many days leave a private soldier serving in Germany is entitled in each year.

A private soldier may be granted up to a maximum of 42 days' leave in each year. This does not include weekend passes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will now take steps to reassess the career structure and prospects of teachers of deaf children.

It would be inappropriate for my right hon. Friend to do so. The number of higher level posts in maintained special schools is determined by local education authorities, though the salary payable is subject to certain restrictions under the 1972 report of the Burnham Primary and Secondary Committee. The salaries of teachers of the deaf are a matter for negotiation in that committee. In non-maintained schools, the number and remuneration of higher level posts is a matter for the governing bodies, subject to approval of school fees by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers of deaf children have been recruited in the last five years; and how many have left.

Details of appointments and resignations are not available. The numbers of teachers in England and Wales obtaining the special qualifications for teaching deaf children were as follows:

1968	…	…	…	…	102
1969	…	…	…	…	108
1970	…	…	…	…	118
1971	…	…	…	…	137
1972	…	…	…	…	132

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many handicapped children are at present being educated in special classes in ordinary schools; and how many there were in July 1970.

In January 1972, the latest date for which information is available, 8,337 handicapped pupils were in special classes in primary and secondary schools in England. No figures are available for July 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what, on the basis of the most recent information available, is the total number of all handicapped children educated in maintained and non-maintained schools, respectively, in each of the last five years.

Information relating to England is as follows:

			Full-time pupils in:
January of each year			maintained special schools	non-maintained special schools
1968	…	…	79,271
1969	…	…	73,390	8,833
1970	…	…	75,416	8,840
1971	…	…	79,140	8,569
1972	…	…	109,816	8,172

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the cost in the current academic year of abandoning the parental contribution for students above the age of 21 years at the relevant date in September 1972.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why deductions from gross income are allowed for school fees when calculations are made to ascertain the appropriate level of parental contribution towards the maintenance of an undergraduate student.

A deduction up to £200 is allowed for all educational expenses in respect of a schoolchild, including travel, meals and school uniform, as well as tuition and boarding. This is one of a number of allowances intended to reduce the burden on parents who are required to contribute to the maintenance of a student son or daughter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is her policy to expand and increase Nursery Nurses Examination Board courses; and if she will introduce improvements in salaries for qualified nursery nurses.

The White Paper and DES circular 2/73 set out my right hon. Friend's plans for the expansion of nursery education, including that of courses provided by local education authorities for the examinations of the National Nursery Examination Board.The negotiation of salaries for qualified nursery nurses in public employment is a matter for the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' APT and C Services.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make additional courses available for the training of more nursery teachers; and what refresher/conversion courses are to be made available.

My right hon. Friend is actively considering the pattern of training provision required to meet the needs of the White Paper policy on teacher supply, including those of the nursery expansion programme. Guidance will be given to colleges of education this summer about intakes to initial training courses in 1974.Refresher and conversion courses will be needed where there is a demand from teachers who wish to turn to nursery education after experience of teaching older children or after an interval in service. My right hon. Friend is currently considering a number of proposals for such courses; some have already been approved.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is satisfied that there will be adequate facilities for practical training for both nursery teachers and student nursery nurses during the next five years.

As the number of children under five in school increases, it is expected that more suitable places will become available for practical training for both teacher and nursery nurse students. My right hon. Friend will keep the situation under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if it is her policy to encourage parents to seek nursery education for their young children aged three to five years; and if she will make a statement.

Yes. I have asked local education authorities to take any necessary steps to encourage parents to apply for the additional places which will be made available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what studies, if any, his Department has made of the emigration from Wales of male workers in the past decade.

My Department has not made any special studies but the Migration Regional Report for Wales, in the series of published volumes from the 1966 Census of Population, indicates that there were 38,000 economically active men resident in other parts of Great Britain at that time who were resident in Wales five years previously. These were largely counterbalanced by the numbers of economically active males resident in Wales who were previously resident in other parts of Great Britain. Corresponding estimates from the 1971 Census of Population are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the extent of unemployment, in percentage terms, among employable disabled people; and how this compares with the figure for the same date in each of the previous five years.

The proportion of those people who have chosen to register under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 who were unemployed on 12th February 1973 was 13·4 per cent. The figures for the five preceding years were:

Per cent.
14th February 1972	…	…	14·9
8th February 1971	…	…	12·5
9th February 1970	…	…	11·2
10th February 1969	…	…	10·6
13th February 1968	…	…	10·0

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the extent of unemployment, in percentage terms, among employable disabled people in the North-West Region; and how this compares with the figure for the same date in each of the previous five years.

The proportion of those people in the North-West Region who have chosen to register under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 who were unemployed on 12th February 1973 was 15·5 per cent. The figures for the five preceding years were:

Per cent.
14th February 1972	…	…	16·2
8th February 1971	…	…	12·9
9th February 1970	…	…	10·8
10th February 1969	…	…	10·0
13th February 1968	…	…	9·9

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the law relating to the employment of disabled people is still adequate and is not being evaded by some employers.

The present statutory quota scheme is in the process of being comprehensively reviewed by my Department. The problems involved are complex and a consultative document on the future of the scheme will be published shortly as a basis for wide public discussion.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if the Employment Medical Advisory Service will be able to monitor the health of trawler-men in the light of the special health hazards faced by fishermen living in confined quarters; if he will consider special regulations for providing an employment health service for this industry; and if he will make a statement.

The Employment Medical Advisory Service is available to give advice to anyone, including trawler-men, about any medical problem directly related to their employment but the Act does not empower the Secretary of State to make regulations providing for an occupational health service for any industry.The desirability and practicability of monitoring the health of workers in the fishing industry is one of the subjects that the Employment Medical Advisory Service intends to look at, in conjunction with the other departments concerned, as soon as the service is fully operational.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make regulations extending the provisions of Regulation 26 of the Construction (Lifting Operations) Regulations in respect of training and employment of crane drivers so that they will be applicable to all premises within the scope of the Factories Act 1961.

There are many provisions in codes of safety and health regulations applying to particular industries or operations, such as this one, which could usefully be extended to cover a wider field of employment, as the Report of the Committee on Safety and Health at Work chaired by Lord Robens made clear. To attempt to do this by regulation would be a very lengthy process. It is therefore one of the points which will certainly be borne in mind in preparing the legislation which we hope to introduce in the 1973–74 Session.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has received a copy of the study in employee participation "Workers on the Board" published by the Conservative Political Centre; and if he will make a statement about his policy towards it.

Yes. This is a useful contribution to the discussion of the question of worker participation. The Government have this subject under

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the amount spent by his Department on education and advice on industrial health and safety, outside the work of the Factory Inspectorate, in each of the last four years.

Outside the work of the Factory Inspectorate and the newly established Employment Medical Advisory Service there is no part of my Department dealing with industrial

Board		Levy rate (normally per cent. of payroll)
Air Transport and Travel	…	3·8 per cent., 2 per cent. or 1 per cent. according to sector of the industry.
Carpet	…	0·8 per cent.
Ceramics, Glass and Mineral Products	…	1·5 per cent., 1·3 per cent., 1 per cent. or 0·75 per cent.according to sector of the industry.
Chemical and Allied Products	…	1·0 per cent.
Clothing and Allied Products	…	0·9 per cent.
Cotton and Allied Textiles	…	0·85 per cent.
Distributive	…	0·7 per cent.
Electricity Supply	…	0·04 per cent.
Engineering	…	2·0 per cent.
Foundry ITC	…	2·0 per cent.
Furniture and Timber	…	1·1 percent.
Footwear, Leather and Fur Skin	…	0·9 per cent.
Gas	…	1·05 per cent.
Hotel and Catering	…	1·0 per cent.
Man-made Fibres Producing	…	0·02 per cent.
Paper and Paper Products	…	1·0 per cent.
Petroleum	…	£7 per capita.
Printing and Publishing	…	0·9 per cent.
Road Transport	…	2·0 per cent.
Rubber and Plastics Processing	…	0·75 per cent.
Shipbuilding	…	1·1 percent.
Water Supply	…	1·6 per cent.
Wool, Jute and Flax	…	0·88 per cent. or 0·75 per cent. according to sector of the industry.
Construction	…	£45 to £2 according to occupation.
Food, Drink and Tobacco	…	0·7 per cent.
Iron and Steel	…	£4 per capita.
Knitting, Lace and Net	…	0·425 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the incident off the coast of South-East Iceland involving the British tug "Englishman" and the trawlers "Ross health and safety and therefore no money has been spent directly on this subject. Some of our other work, such as training at Government training centres and the provision of job safety courses, include an important safety element, but I am afraid these cannot be separately costed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the levels of levy currently being applied by each industrial training board.

Following is the information:Resolution" and "Kingston Emerald" and the Icelandic gunboat "Aegir" on the night of 2nd April.

During the afternoon and evening of 2nd April the Icelandic coastguard vessel "Aegir" was harassing a number of British trawlers fishing off South-East Iceand. The tug "Englishman" was assisting the trawlers to frustrate attempts by "Aegir" to cut their warps. Eventually "Aegir" managed to cut both warps of the trawler "Ross Resolution" and one warp of the "Kingston Emerald". She also fired three shots, one of which may have been live, towards "Englishman", which continued to support the trawlers until "Agir"left the area. Her Majesty's Ambassador at Reykjavik has protested to the Icelandic Government about these incidents.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the value of goods and services provided under the National Health Service by opticians in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

I regret that comprehensive figures as requested are not available. Under the general ophthalmic services payments to opticians by executive councils, plus charges paid by patients under the National Health Service Acts 1951 and 1961 and retained by opticians, in England were:—

					£ million
1967–68	…	…	…	…	18·41
1968–69	…	…	…	…	19·63
1969–70	…	…	…	…	21·77
1970–71	…	…	…	…	23·98
1971–72	…	…	…	…	22·12

These figures exclude:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from organisations and individuals regarding battered wives, and the need for an inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

I have received representations from two organisations and one individual and am considering whether guidance is needed on this issue.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will intro- duce legislation to abolish the rule which prevents a woman who is obliged to leave her husband from applying for social security benefits if she has no fixed address.

A woman who is separated from her husband is not prevented from claiming supplementary benefit by reason of the fact that she has no fixed address. The local office at which she claimed would give any immediate financial help necessary and this would normally be sufficient to enable her to secure accommodation or lodgings.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider offering financial assistance towards the cost of special children's shoes which are needed due to deformity and odd-sized feet.

I have no powers to provide financial assistance for this purpose. The Supplementary Benefits Commission is however able to assist, in appropriate cases, families who are entitled to supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking against the local authorities which are now shown to have been in default of their statutory duties under Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970: and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 3rd April. —[Vol. 854, c. 42.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will instruct special investigators and other officers of the Supplementary Benefits Commission to keep specifically to the criteria listed in the Supplementary Benefits Handbook in their determinations regarding the existence of cohabitation or otherwise, and not to use the presumption that an unsupported mother has slept with a man on three consecutive nights as tantamount to proof of cohabitation for supplementary benefit purposes.

The passage in the Supplementary Benefits Handbook dealing with cohabitation fully reflects the instructions already given to the commission's officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will require that the officers of the Supplementary Benefits Commission shall not terminate the payment of supplementary benefit to unmarried mothers on grounds of alleged cohabitation without prior referral of each such case to a supplementary benefit appeal tribunal.

No. The Ministry of Social Security Act provides that questions of entitlement to benefit are to be determined in the first instance by the Supplementary Benefits Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if it was on his authority that leaflet SB2 entitled "Supplementary Benefits and Trade Disputes" was produced; and why it has been quoted by counter clerks in supplementary benefit offices as though it were legally binding, irrespective of the explicit disavowal to this effect on the cover.

The Supplementary Benefits Commission informed me of its intention to publish the leaflet and did so with my approval. I am not aware that it is being used in the way suggested, but I will consider any evidence the hon. Member cares to send me.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will

				Ancillary Staff
				Consultants of maximum of increcmental scale:	Basic Weekly Wage Earnings				Weekly Earnings Increases
					London		Eleswhere		Estimated Average National
Year				Annual salary	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
				£	£	£	£	£	£	£
1968	…	…	…	Nil	0·58	0·48	0·58	0·48	Nil	Nil
1969	…	…	…	390	1·45 to1·85	1·35 1·75to	0·75 to1·15	0·65 to1·05	0·82	0·71
1970	…	…	…	1,055	2·50	2·12	2·50	2·12	3·44	1·83
1971	…	…	…	510	1·88 to2·48	2·44 to 3·04	1·24 to 1·84	1·80 to 2·40	3·64	2·59
1972	…	…	…	510	Nil	0·72	Nil	0·72	2·52	4·06

I have been asked to reply.I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Norman Lamont) on 29th March—[Vol. 853, c. 1505.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make increased provision for capital grants to voluntary organisations making available temporary accommodation for ex-prisoners who have no homes to go to on release.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has already authorised some increased provision for this year. The question of additional grants has been studied by a Home Office working group which will report shortly and my right hon. Friend will carefully consider any proposals it may make.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the wage and salary increases, by amount, obtained in the last five years by medical consultants at the highest incremental point, and each grade of hospital ancillary workers at the top point of their respective incremental scale.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 26th March, 1973; Vol. 853, c. 257–8], circulated the following information:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost, stating the cost of printing and distribution separately, involved in producing the Fisher Committee Report on the Abuse of Social Security Benefits.

This information is not yet available and I will write to the hon. Member when it is.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations have taken place with the French authorities concerning the future location of Concorde production; what pattern of orders and output is expected for this aircraft over the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

There have been no discussions with the French authorities concerning the future location of Concorde production. The manufacturers are continuing negotiations with a number of airlines. The future production programme will take the progress of these negotiations into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of the West London Air Terminal.

The future of the West London Air Terminal is primarily a commercial matter for the British Airways Board. The board recently announced that check-in facilities at the terminal will be withdrawn from

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his refusal of permission to the firm of Berry Wiggins for developing the Rough gas field off the mouth of the Humber, and his grant of permission to the Amoco Oil Company.

Part of the Rough gas field is in an area licensed to Gulf Oil (Great Britain) Limited; this company has recently applied for authority to assign its licence to a group of four companies led by Amoco (U.K.) Petroleum Limited and the British Gas Corporation which are the licensees for the remaining part of the field. The application is under consideration. No application has been submitted for assignment of the licence to Berry Wiggins and Co. Limited.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek powers to ensure that, in hybrid companies sustained by Government in-investments under the Industry Act or otherwise, an open purchasing policy is maintained so that neither private shareholders nor subsidiaries of the participating company or companies obtain

No. The normal obligations of the directors of such companies require them to operate purchasing policies primarily based on proper commercial considerations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has finished its preliminary inquiry into the loss of the vessel "Burtonia"; and what further action he is considering.

I have recently received the report of the preliminary inquiry, which is being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if his Department has received a copy of the findings of the Liberian court of inquiry into the collision of the "Royston Grange" with the Liberian registered vessel "Tien Chee";(2) if his Department intends to hold a formal investigation into the collision of the "Royston Grange", following his inspector's report on the Liberian inquiry.

The findings of the Liberian marine board of investigation are not yet available. We shall decide in the light of them whether we should hold our own formal investigation. In the meantime we have commissioned a programme of tank tests by the National Physical Laboratory related to the technical circumstances leading to the collision.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has received the report of the inquiries held by the Argentine authorities into the collision of the British vessel "Royston Grange" and the Liberian vessel "Tien Chee".

We have sought access to the findings of the judicial inquiry and of the administrative inquiry which is still in session and are making a further approach to the Argentinian authorities on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications under the Industry Act his Department is considering at the present time; and, of these, how many relate to Scotland.

Overall 457 applications for selective assistance under Section 7 of the Industry Act were under consideration at the end of February 1973. 77 of these related to Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many industrial development certificates were issued for the county of Hampshire and for the county boroughs of Southampton and of Portsmouth, respectively, for each year from 1962 to 1972; what were the annual totals of square footage involved; and what were the expected employment levels involved.

I regret I am unable to give the answer in precisely the form requested because IDC data are collected and compiled on the basis of employment exchange area boundaries. Following is the information for IDCs—all schemes—issued for the employment exchange areas approximating to the county of Hampshire(¹) and for the employment exchange areas of Portsmouth and Southampton respectively.(