asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he can give an estimate of the number of jobs created since June 1970 by non-British-owned firms establishing themselves or expanding their activities in Wales.

Since June 1970, 16 non-British firms have either set up manufacturing businesses in Wales or announced a firm intention of doing so. Nearly 1,900 jobs have already been created and a further 1,750 are expected to arise. Most non-British firms which are already established are expanding their activities.

Does my right hon. and learned Friend expect that the number of jobs thus created by non-British firms will continue to increase in the light of the expansion of the European Economic Community? Is there not a risk that that process may be arrested or even reversed if the Labour Party carries out its threats of directing industry? Is a policy of directing industry conceivable without the accompanying direction of labour?

I am certainly convinced that our membership of the EEC greatly increases the attractiveness of Wales as a location for international investment. I agree that the direction of industry would hardly be an inducement as there is a risk of a spillover to the direction of labour.

Why does not the right hon. and learned Gentleman dismiss the uninformed nonsense spoken by his hon. Friend the Member for Flint, West (Sir A. Meyer)? Does he not recognise that the whole of Wales welcomes the inflow of foreign-owned firms? However, our record is not so good when compared with that of Scotland. Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman take further step to try to encourage the inflow of foreign-owned firms, and especially Japanese-owned firms, into Wales? Japanese firms have a developing record here. I am sure that the right hon. and learned Gentleman's office could be of great assistance in this matter.

It is now clear that our regional and industrial policies are providing an incentive for home-based and foreign firms to come to Wales. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that Sony has decided to invest in Wales. I shall be meeting Japanese representatives shortly in Wales to discuss further investment.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman tell the House, in view of the statement made by the hon. Member for Flint, West (Sir A. Meyer), whether any thinking is going on in the Welsh Office about the possibility of guiding State-owned or State-supported enterprises into regions like Wales? The right hon. and learned Gentleman will be aware that in areas such as Wales there are long-standing problems. The population of Wales would welcome direction of industry to cure its ills.

As the hon. Gentleman knows only too well, the Welsh economy is greatly dependent on State-supported enterprises. The Government have indicated their support of both steel and coal, knowing full well how much the Welsh economy depends on those two industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales to what extent he has examined the need for more labour-intensive industry in Wales.

The Government encourage all types of industrial development in Wales.

Would the right hon. and learned Gentleman say how many jobs will be lost to Wales when the regional employment premium is phased out in 1974 by order of the EEC? Has he had consultations with the Welsh CBI and the trade union movement about offsetting the forecast immediate loss of jobs in Wales? Is he aware that the present great need of Wales, a need which will continue for some years, is for labour-intensive industries? The Secretary of State will be judged by his actions and not by his words. What will he do about this matter?

I agree that labour-intensive industries make a valuable contribution. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will not overlook the need that Wales has for modern technological industry. What we need in Wales is a balance.

The right hon. and learned Gentleman knows that labour-intensive industries supply many apprenticeships in Wales. Many apprenticeships in the steel industry will be lost in the years to come. What steps is the right hon. and learned Gentleman taking to ensure that the young people of Wales will have more and not fewer apprenticeships in new industries?

The hon. Gentleman has a later Question to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment about apprenticeships in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from the county borough of Newport concerning development area status for the town; what reply he has sent; and if he will make a statement.

I have received no recent representations on development area status from the county borough of Newport.

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman appreciate that Newport has the finest communications network in Wales but that, coinciding with this, there have been two major closures, the docks are to lose 3 million tons of iron ore trade annually and many hundreds of redundancies have been declared in various establishments throughout the town? What is the intention of the Government towards Newport? Is it to turn it into some sort of a glamorous Clapham Junction with all industry going elsewhere?

I do not think that the hon. Gentleman does any service to Newport by painting a gloomy picture. I am aware of the arguments of Newport for development area status, and the status of all assisted areas is kept under review. I remind the hon. Gentleman that the unemployment rate in Newport is below the average for Wales and significantly lower than the average for the Welsh development areas. There has been an appreciable decline in the unemployment rate over the past 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what were the average prices of new and old houses in Wales in June 1970; and what are the figures at the latest available date.

During the 12 months ending 30th June 1970, the average price of a new house mortgaged with a building society in Wales was £4,436, and a secondhand house £4,216. Comparable figures for the 12 months ending 31st December 1972 were £5,983 and £5,909. These figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample, which is too small for a reliable monthly figure.

Does not the hon. Gentleman agree that these figures are scandalous examples of property exploitation? Is he prepared to give advice to the young couples of Wales, anxious to find and buy a home for their families, on how to afford these very high figures and the equally high mortgage rates?

Many young couples today look to our older housing stock to provide their first house, often taking the opportunity to improve their new home with the generous grants available. The hon. Gentleman should not forget that we have done away with the rationing of local authority home loans which was imposed by the Labour Government. Local authorities in Wales may lend freely for the purchase of older houses.

The hon. Gentleman should come to any one of our surgeries on a Saturday morning and see the problems at first hand. He talks about people buying unimproved older houses but is he not aware that these are now £2,500 to £3,000 when once they were £1,000 and that with the grant they go up to £4,500 or £5,000? Is he not further aware that large numbers of young families are virtually homeless, their homelessness concealed only by the tact that they are often living in their parents' front room, which creates tension and marital difficulties?

I know that there is a problem, but house prices in Wales have risen by far smaller percentages than in the United Kingdom as a whole.

That complacent reply is offensive to the people of Wales. Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that the Government have simply replaced the old scheme of local authority loans by rationing by the purse, with the result that only those with a very high income are now able to buy a home in Wales?

The right hon. Gentleman is wrong if he suggests that I am complacent. I said earlier that there were certainly problems but I was pointing out that fortunately in Wales the comparative figures are rather better than they are in England.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions his Department has had with the officials of the Commission of the EEC on the effect of the Community's proposed regional policy on the Welsh economy.

My hon. Friend the Minister of State had a most useful discussion recently with the European Commissioner responsible for regional policy. My officials have frequently had talks with staff of the Commission on regional policy issues. I myself plan to visit Brussels soon for further discussions.

Since Wales is suffering from a lower per capita income than most member States which participate in the common agricultural policy, will the right hon. and learned Gentleman make it clear in Brussels that the whole of Wales without exception must qualify for the highest level of financial assistance under any proposed regional policy laid down by the Commission?

All these matters will be discussed when I go to Brussels.

Has the right hon. and learned Gentleman obtained an undertaking from the Commission that Wales will be recognised as a region for the purposes of the regional policy? Secondly, with the example of Bavaria in mind, would it not be advantageous to Wales to have a separate office in Brussels?

I do not know what the hon. and learned Gentleman means by his words "recognised as a region". Wales is recognised as a separate part of the United Kingdom and makes representations to the Commission. The question whether all parts of Wales will be regarded as being peripheral or central has yet to be discussed and the consultative document has not yet been prepared and issued by the Commission.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman satisfied with the common agricultural policy? If not, how long does he foresee its being continued?

The Question on the Order Paper was about regional policy. If the hon. Gentleman wants answers about agricultural matters, perhaps he will put down a Question himself.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the infrastructure at Wrexham, in view of the proposed expenditure of £1·3 million to develop the Wrexham industrial estate.

A number of important infrastructure projects assisting industrial development in the Wrexham area are in progress or being planned. All will help to increase the attractiveness of the estate to industrialists.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that it is the unanimous and strongly held view among industrialists, trade unionists and local authorities in Wrexham that the biggest single factor influencing the success of the proposed new development would be adequate connections with the motorway system of Great Britain? Will he therefore consult the Secretary of State for the Environment with a view to getting adequate connections to the motorway network—say, near Nantwich?

I am aware that there is anxiety in the Wrexham area about the communications system but, as the hon. Gentleman knows, a lot is being done. I am fully aware of the views being expressed. Work on the Wrexham bypass, at a cost of about £4 million, should be completed by the end of the year, and schemes to improve the A483 are being prepared. These works will provide better access to the motorways and trunk roads. Other schemes of improvement are being considered. It is important that everything possible should be done to make the expansion of the industrial estate at Wrexham a success.

In this matter, as in others, is not the hon. Member for Wrexham (Mr. Ellis) more likely to be right than the hon. Member for Newport (Mr. Roy Hughes)?

Perhaps I can say that (he hon. Member for Wrexham (Mr. Ellis) always appears to me to express the anxieties of his constituents most fairly and most forcibly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has received the inspector's report on the inquiry into the proposals for a new town at Llantrisant.

No, Sir.

Does not the Secretary of State agree that, whatever the contents of that report may be when he has received it, he should examine now with extreme caution any proposals for a new town at Llantrisant in view of the thousands of projected jobs lost or likely to be lost at Ebbw Vale and Cardiff and the consequent loss of jobs in the Valley communities if such a scheme were to go ahead?

Complex issues are involved. I shall take my decision on Llantrisant when I have received and studied the report of the public local inquiry.

Does not the strategy of the Welsh Office in this matter as in so many others now depend on the talks that the right hon. and learned Gentleman is to have in Brussels about regional policy? Are we to understand his previous answer to mean that different areas of Wales arc to be classed differently—in other words, that there will be some central areas of Wales which will not qualify for regional aid and some peripheral areas which will? Can he assure us that all Wales will be treated in like case?

I am sure the hon. Gentleman tries to be helpful but he is being singularly unhelpful because the negotiations have not even started yet. The Commission has not yet produced a consultative document. Once it is produced, that document will then have to be discussed by the various institutions. After that, there will be a final document for discussion and negotiations will start. Until a decision has been taken, it is impossible for me to give an answer such as the hon. Gentleman asks for.

Would not the right hon. and learned Gentleman agree that the best news that he could announce for the Valleys of South Wales is an immediate decision to abandon the Llantrisant project?

If the hon. Gentleman expects me to agree to that, he must be very strange. I have not yet received the report.

Will the Secretary of State bear in mind when he receives the report that local authorities in Glamorganishire are deeply concerned about the proposed expenditure of over £300 million at Llantrisant since this money could be used to revive and strengthen older communities?

I will certainly bear in mind all relevant considerations before arriving at a decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make a statement on the Severnside studies.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will be making a statement on both the Sevemside and Humber-side studies later this week.

In that case will the Minister of State confirm substantial Press reports that the Sevemside concept has been abandoned because of the differences in population forecasts? If such differences are the reason for these policy changes, will he bear in mind that plans for Llantrisant new town were also based upon the same assumptions?

I am not responsible for newspaper reports. I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman, like, everyone else, must await the Secretary of State's statement later this week.

While the Minister may expect us to wait, does he appreciate that those who are living in northern Monmouthshire and are vitally concerned as a result of the steel run-down are not prepared to wait too long to hear what the Minister has to say about strategic planning and future capital investment in Wales? If he and the Welsh Office continue to dither over the new town and put hundreds of millions of pounds there or contemplate putting them on the other side of the Bristol Channel, what hope is there for dealing with the infrastructure needs of northern Monmouthshire which so desperately require attention?

I understand the hon. Gentleman's concern. He will not have long to wait. The statement will be made later this week.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether, in the light of the Monmouthshire census figures on housing amenities, he will now announce an extension of the date up to which 75 per cent. improvement grants may be obtained.

The time limit for 75 per cent. grants has recently been extended until June 1974.

Is the Minister aware that he has ignored the point which I put to him about the Monmouthshire figures? Is he further aware that throughout the area, particularly in northern Monmouthshire, the number of houses lacking basic amenities is still appalling? Does he appreciate that despite the efforts being made by gallant townships such as Blaenavon it is quite clear that it will take a long time to get houses up to the required standard? Why should he put a brake upon the efforts of Blaenavon and other towns which know that they have to stop at a certain time if they are to get the work done? Why not give them encouragement by having a long-term forward date to which they can work to make their towns as good as any new town?

The hon. Gentleman has a curious idea of a brake. The Government have just passed another Act to extend this important improvement grant. I know the problem in his constituency. As for Blaenavon, the figures this year are very much better than they were last year. In 1972 452 grants were approved in the hon. Gentleman's constituency compared with 216 the year before. That is a definite improvement.

May I remind the hon. Gentleman that he appears for some peculiar reason to have confused the numbers of improved houses which he has given in past answers with the need for new housing in Wales? Will he put his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypool (Mr. Abse) in context? What we are talking about is housing lacking basic amenities. What he has talked about in the past is an extension of housing. Does he appreciate that there is a need for something more than a 12-month extension of an Act which only provides people with standards which in other parts of the country are accepted as being merely civilised?

With respect to the hon. Gentleman, what I was saying on previous occasions was that the total in the public, private and improved sectors in 1968 was something like 26,000 and that last year, under a Conservative Government, it was 42,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding the need for legislation to prevent deaths by drowning in unguarded cesspits.

None. But following two such deaths last year the Welsh Office wrote to all sewerage authorities in Wales reminding them of their responsibility for safety measures on their own installations and also of their duty under Section 39(l)(c) of the Public Health Act 1936 to ensure that private cesspits were adequately protected.

Does the Minister of State realise that there has recently been the death of a young child in a partially constructed cesspit? Does he not agree that there is an urgent need to consider further legislation because even two young lives lost so far this year is far too many? Does he not further agree that the guarding of cesspits which have been completed and those under construction is urgently needed to prevent these needless deaths?

I join with the hon. Gentleman in regretting these tragic accidents. I do not believe that legislation is the cure. When the hon. Gentleman wrote to my right hon. and learned Friend on 28th October last he asked that the Welsh Office should draw the attention of local authorities to this danger. We have done this on two occasions since he wrote.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is now in a position to indicate the total additional rent paid by local authority tenants in Wales during 1972 as a result of the Housing Finance Act, and estimate the further total increase to these tenants in 1973.

No. Information about rent levels will be published by the Institute of Municipal Treasurers andAccountants later this year. It is too soon to make estimates about rent increases in 1973.

Is the Minister aware that that is a shocking answer? Will be say whether, in the light of the assistance that the Government are giving to the building societies, the tenants of council houses and other rented accommodation in Wales can expect some aid to prevent rising rents? Will he further say that the economies foreshadowed by his right hon. and learned Friend in making the announcement about mortgages will not fall on housing in Wales?

Tenants whose incomes are low and who are not able to afford increases in rent may well pay less rent as a consequence of the rent rebate scheme.

Does the Minister realise that these increases are unjustified and run contrary to the Government's counter-inflation policy? Is he so callous that he has entirely forgotten the tragedy which these rent increases cause in working-class households? Will he act in a humanitarian way and say that the Government will do away with the Act?

The help given to tenants of the sort to whom the hon. Member refers will be far more substantial than before. The increase in the needs allowance for calculating rent rebates will mean that many tenants entitled to rebate will pay even less rent in future.

Is it not a fact that the Labour Party, for purely party political purposes, is deliberately spreading false ideas which are preventing a great many tenants who could claim the rebate from doing so?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This does not really surprise me because the Labour Party has been doing that for the last 100 years.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many beds for children there are at present in the hospitals at Haverfordwest and Withybush; and how many beds for children are planned for the new general hospital to be built at Withybush.

Twenty-four at the Pembroke County War Memorial Hospital, Haverfordwest; none in the Withybush annexe. Ten are proposed for the new Withybush Hospital.

Would my hon. Friend agree that those figures explain the widespread anxiety in Pembrokeshire that children will have to be taken past the new hospital all the way to Carmarthen even if they are suffering from the most serious complaints? Will he undertake to look at this matter again and also at the provision of pediatric consultants for the new hospital?

I will certainly look at this matter. It is causing considerable concern to parents in Pembrokeshire. Following what my hon. Friend has said, I will take a further look at it.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what advice and assistance he is now giving to local authorities in Wales on the implementation of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

General guidance on the Act was given to local authorities in 1970 and specific guidance on Sections 1 and 2 in September 1971. My Department is always ready to give any advice and help it can.

Is not the hon. Gentleman ashamed of the record of some Welsh local authorities, indicated in The Times today? He was very concerned with the implementation of the Housing Finance Act. Will he show the same concern about the implementation of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act?

I have been looking at the records of the two counties which the hon. Gentleman represents. I notice that the record of one of them has improved since last year but that the record of the other has got worse. It might well be that the hon. Gentleman should address his remarks to the county concerned. We in the Welsh Office have asked local authorities to submit returns by 30th April this year which will show the extent to which they have implemented Sections 1 and 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

But is the hon. Gentleman aware that it is no good telling my hon. Friend that he should write to the Brecon county authority? The Welsh Office has a moral obligation in this matter. Welsh authorities should be doing more to implement the Act about which the House unanimously agreed.

I assure the right hon. Gentleman that we have done every- thing possible. A postal survey of every household in the county of Brecon has been instituted. A 100 per cent. house-to-house survey has been under way in Radnorshire since April 1972. However, I agree that publicity given to today's exchanges may well help.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is aware that since the completion of the first section of the Cardiff-Merthyr trunk road there has been a considerable increase in the number of heavy lorries passing through neighbouring residential areas such as Ty Wern Road; and if he has any proposals to alleviate the probem.

Yes, I am aware of a growth in traffic. But I am sure that the Cardiff City Council, which is the responsible highway authority for roads such as Ty Wern Road, will be keeping the position under review.

Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that the daily channelling of thousands of vehicles, many of them very heavy vehicles, to the entry point of the Cardiff-Merthyr trunk road is an example of the good of the majority being paid for by the suffering of the few? Will he investigate this matter with a view to bringing some relief to my constituents?

I appreciate the concern which has been expressed. The roads in question are the responsibility of the Cardiff City Council. If it wishes to discuss the matter with the Welsh Office, I shall be glad to arrange a discussion.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in view of the fact that experts are forecasting that the world's supply of oil will be below the demand for this fuel by the late 1980's, if he will have discussions with the chairmen of the nationalised fuel and power industries, and then report to Parliament before he gives his consent for the building of any more oil-fired power stations.

My right hon. Friend and I have periodic discussions with the chairmen of the nationalised industries and with the oil companies. World oil prospects are naturally one of the major matters discussed from time to time. Fuel supply prospects are taken into account in making decisions on the fuelling of stations when the electricity industry's capital investment programme is reviewed.

The hon. Gentleman has not said anything about the question of reporting any future policy to Parliament. Is he not aware that the 11 OPEC countries own at least 70 per cent. of the world's oil supplies, that they are now considering banking oil, thereby increasing its price, and that the needs of the world by 1985 will be greater than the supply? What will the hon. Gentleman do about it? What guarantee will he give to the coal industry that miners will be needed in the 1980's and 1990's? Does he not think it is time that something was done, with the Government declaring that Drax B should be a coal-fired power station?

The hon. Gentleman must have forgotten the very great aid being given to the extra coal burn under the Coal Industry Act totalling up to £50 million, or £100 million, in the next three years to promote the sale of coal to the electricity boards.

Does my hon. Friend realise that the coal industry in the United Kingdom has been run down much too far and too fast and that a coal output of 140 million tons is grossly inadequate for our needs? Will he set the objective of 300,000 men in the pits, added to an output of 175 million tons of coal, all by 1975, which would approximately meet our needs?

My hon. Friend will recall that during the debates on the Coal Industry Bill we said that it was wrong to set objectives or targets for men or for output and that we should give the industry an opportunity to justify its size and the number of people employed with the help we were giving to it.

Is it not becoming obvious that the Government and the CEGB are getting in an appalling mess over power station policy? Is it not about time that the Minister took a more positive and active role in this matter? The Drax B station was put in the programme in 1969 as a coal-fired power station. Why are not the Government doing something about that? In view of the Press speculation in the last few days that the Government are likely to refuse to sanction more oil-fired power stations, why does not the Minister make a definitive statement on power station policy?

Planning consent for Drax B was given some time ago and it is up to the CEGB to decide whether it wishes to include it in its investment programme. However, the discussions with the chairmen of the fuel and power industries take into account the projections for fuel requirements. All these factors are fully taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the number of jobs in the service industries which have been created under the Industry Act grants to date.

Many new job opportunities in the service industries arise indirectly from regional development grants provided to manufacturing, mining and construction industries, although service industry projects themselves are not eligible for such grants.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the service industries have been expanding at a much faster rate than manufacturing industries over the last year or two and that they are more labour intensive, yet the Government's regional incentives remain biased towards industrial investment? Will the Government do something about this imbalance?

The majority of service industries tend to follow increased manufacturing industrial activity, but mobile service projects which make a significant contribution to satisfying the employment needs of the assisted areas are eligible to be considered for regional selective assistance.

Is my hon. Friend aware that that is not a very satisfactory reply? We could do with much more help in respect of the service industries. I am very pleased about help given to industrial development, but service industries are very important to the consumer and people would like more attention to be paid to them. May I have an assurance that whatever policy is necessary will be immediately put into operation by the Government?

I assure my hon. Friend that if a service project is capable of being mobile and can be attracted from a non-assisted area to an assisted area it is eligible for assistance. The criteria laid down are more liberal than they were under the old Local Employment Acts.

The hon. Gentleman says that service industries are eligible for selective assistance under the Industry Act. What we want to know is whether any projects have been helped under the Industry Act, because my impression is that absolutely nothing has happened in the last year or two.

Certain applications are being considered. If the hon. Gentleman wants further details, I can give them on another occasion.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement following his recent visit to China.

I was accompanied on this visit by my hon. Friend the Minister for Aerospace and Shipping. The exhibition was the largest that has ever been staged by a foreign country in Peking. More than 350 firms displayed a wide range of goods particularly reflecting modern British technology. The exhibition has proved to be a major success. It was opened by the Chinese Minister for Foreign Trade and the exhibitors were paid the honour of a two-hour visit by the Prime Minister, Mr. Chou En-lai. I am sure that over the years ahead many orders will be placed with British industry as a direct result of the impact made by this exhibition. I would particularly like to express my gratitude to Sir John Keswick, president of the exhibition, and to all those who contributed to its organisation.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that all those in this country who are actively concerned with exports are very much encouraged by his personal involvement and commitment to this particular growth area of our overseas trade? May I ask him one specific question? Could he give an assurance with regard to exports of aerospace equipment to China that these will not be hampered in any way by the Americans or others trying to take advantage of previous commitments under which exports of large amounts of equipment could be categorised as strategic?

I believe that there is no danger of this particularly as at the moment the Americans are trying to negotiate large aircraft orders in Peking.

May I also congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on the success of his mission and pursue one of the points raised by the hon. Member for Bristol, North-East (Mr. Adley)? Can the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that there are no restrictions on trade with China as there manifestly were 18 months ago—they were raised with me when I was in Peking—which would make it difficult for us to trade because of some strategic limitations? Secondly, does the right hon. Gentleman have in mind any more formal arrangements with the Chinese, similar to those we have with the Soviet Union and many Eastern European countries?

On the latter question, I think there is advantage in trying to seek a constant relationship. There was no request by either the Chinese or ourselves for a more formal establishment of a commission. Certainly, if I thought that this would in any way improve trading relationships I would not hesitate to suggest such a formal relationship. The Chinese Foreign Minister will be visiting London, I hope, in the near future, and I think there will be a rapid exchange at both the ministerial and business levels. As for strategic limitations, certainly in matters of trade upon which I had discussions with the Chinese, and a whole range of industries, I do not see any particular problem of a strategic nature.

May I also congratulate by right hon. Friend on his visit and ask whether there were any formal discussions about China's declaration of intent to purchase Concorde and whether discussions were held on the subject of routes for supersonic airliners between our two countries?

There were no discussions on routes, but on the subject of Concorde those remarks which were made struck me as being optimistic. During my visit I was assured that China had in no way changed her attitude to the aircraft since she signed the preliminary purchasing agreement last summer.

In what fields of trade were commissions contemplated? While welcoming the impact of the exhibition, may I ask whether a word could be put in for an exchange on agricultural technology?

Yes, I think that in the whole sphere of agriculture China is very interested in ways of fast developing her agriculture and this would be one of the spheres in which I would suggest an exchange. Other spheres of immense importance including mining engineering equipment. I would hope that some new firms being established in this country for offshore oil drilling off Britain will realise that there will be considerable potentiality off China's coast in the years ahead and that there could well be further opportunities there.

In view of what my right hon. Friend said about Concorde, can we accept that the orders for the three are firm?

One can never suggest, till an actual order is completed and paid for, that any order is a firm order, but certainly everything during the visit paid by myself and my hon. Friend the Minister for Aerospace tended to show that the Chinese were very interested in the Concorde aircraft and in no way had changed their view since they signed the original agreement.

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell us exactly what orders were achieved during the exhibition? Secondly, what are the trade prospects and in what fields as a result of the exhibition? Thirdly, is he seriously telling the House that he took the Minister for Aerospace along with him and they had no discussion about the establishment of a direct route from Heathrow to Peking involving BOAC and the Chinese Republic airlines?

On the latter point, there were certainly some conversations on the direct route. I am sorry, I misunderstood the question. There were discussions and these are continuing at the present time, but no conclusion was reached. As for actual orders received during the exhibition, I think the right hon. Gentleman will know from his experience of visiting China that this is not the sort of place where orders are immediately placed at the stands of the exhibition but that what happens is that those with products are invited to have talks with the various purchasing commissions. What resulted during the exhibition was that a large number of British firms were invited to enter negotiations and talks with the various purchasing commissions, and I have no doubt at all that a great deal of business will arise in the years ahead as a result.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the multi-national discussions on the safety of shipping navigating the English Channel will be completed.

Channel safety is a continuing problem. Informal discussions with a number of North-West European countries took place at the end of March and further meetings are planned, but we hope to complete this phase of consultation during the summer.

Bearing in mind that the English Channel is the busiest seaway in the world and that at present the whole navigational process is being conducted on the see-and-be-seen basis, does not my hon. Friend think it is a miracle that a major accident affecting our coasts has not occurred already? Does he not think it is time that the French and the Dutch were told by him that it is time the talking stopped and a safe separation system was introduced?

I assure my hon. Friend that the Government are very well aware of the urgency of this problem and, indeed, have all along been taking initiatives to achieve greater safety in the Channel. It is in that respect gratifying that there has been a great improvement in the last year as regards the extent of accidents which have taken place. The French and the Netherlands have to some extent been held back by general elections and not knowing which Ministers would be responsible, but I think I can assure my hon. Friend that they will accept our view that an urgent resolution in this matter is now necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total sum disclosed under the Companies Act 1967 of donations made by companies for political purposes in the years 1970, 1971 and 1972.

This information is not available.

Does not the right hon. and learned Gentleman agree that it ought to be made available? Is he aware that most of this money finds its way into the coffers of the Conservative Party and thus supports him and his hon. Friends, and would it not be a matter of public interest to know how much they are financed by companies which are simultaneously underpaying people abroad and at the same time undercutting international minimum standards? Is it not the case that a number of these companies which contribute to Conservative Party funds are the same companies as have been listed as underpaying people abroad? Do the right hon. and learned Gentleman and his hon. Friends feel that this is right, and do they enjoy being financed by money arising from such sources?

I do not accept most of the premises of the hon. Member's extremely wide-ranging and multi-linked question. The provisions of the Companies Act 1967, passed by the Government which he supported, are in force and are being complied with. I do not consider that it would be a suitable use of officials' time or of public funds to produce the figures requested by him.

Will my right hon. and learned Friend bear in mind that during the passage of this legislation two objectives were clearly stated and accepted by the then Government? The first was that we should have access to trade union funds used for subventions to the Labour Party, and that as a proper counterpart we should have available and published periodically such subventions as were available to the Tory Party and elsewhere for party political purposes. If my right hon. and learned Friend says now that the figures are not available, will he go to work and make them available?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for reminding me of the purposes of the legislation passed by the Labour Party. That legislation is being complied with to the full and the information required to be disclosed under the Companies Act 1967 is being disclosed in accordance with the requirements of that statute.

Was not the object of that legislation to make it known publicly how much money was going from business firms to a political party? Is not the Minister, by declining to make this information available to the House, preventing that legislation from having its effect? Also, have there been any requests for refunds?

There have been no requests for refunds. The information of the kind referred to by the statute is being made available publicly in precisely the way required by the statute. Other private enterprise publications, such as Labour Weekly, published by the Labour Party, do some additional research in gathering this material, but the material is now available exactly as required by the Act passed by the Labour Party.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now consider the formation of a petroleum development board based on Scotland.

No, Sir. A Scottish Petroleum Office is being set up in Glasgow through which the new Offshore Supplies Office will discharge its responsibilities in Scotland.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that there is not one Scottish newspaper that is not critical of the Government's policy over North Sea oil? This has been sparked off by the bleatings of the Government's child, the Offshore Supplies Office, a leading official of which made a statement which should not have been made. Does not the hon. Gentleman think that it is now time that the Government had another look at the IMEG report which dealt with the setting up of a petroleum development board? Is he not satisfied that we need more than an offshore supply office and that we need to participate more in the finding and so on of oil?

With respect, I do not accept that. Nor do I accept that the Scottish newspapers are wholly in disagreement. The reason for the policy we took was that speed was of the essence and it was considered that one would get the necessary development far more quickly by operating through the Industrial Development Executive than by going through the process, which possibly would have required legislation, of having a separate board.

How many members of the trade delegation from China are visiting London at present? Will the hon. Gentleman compare the visits which they will make to Scotland with a view to getting for this country orders from China for offshore supplies?

I could not give the figures without notice, but I believe that there should be increasing international interest in the opportunities for offshore equipment sales as a result of North Sea oil.

Why is one of the supply offices being based in London? Why is there not to be one in the North East?

As the White Paper explained, North Sea oil activity is, for geographical reasons, of greater concern to Scotland than to the North East, but we have recognised the interests of the North East by having an expert placed in our north-eastern office.

asked the Attorney-General if he will remove Mr. Neil McElligott from the list of magistrates.

No, Sir.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that Mr. McElligott's reputation for prejudicial and intemperate remarks in his court has been capped by a statement to a woman from the Lebanon who was before him for shoplifting that 75 per cent. of shoplifting cases in Marlborough Street court were by people from her part of the world, who came to this country simply to thieve? In view of the fact that the Home Office has told me that no statistics of this kind are available, and since this is a mass slander against millions of people, does the right hon. and learned Gentleman really say that such a man is fit to dispense justice?

The hon. Gentleman would perhaps like to be told about these statistics. In the three days immediately prior to 29th March there were 17 cases of shoplifting before the court, all of people of considerable means and ability to pay, all of whom came from the Near or Middle East—[An HON. MEMBER: "Out of how many?"]. Out of a total of 29 cases. This case concerned a woman who had £90 on her and who had stolen about £9 worth of goods. This remark was made to defending counsel by the magistrate when he pointed out:

"It seems that London has a fascination for them—people of considerable substance who just come here to thieve."

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that, among those who habitually prosecute and defend in the Metropolitan courts, there is scarcely a magistrate more highly regarded than Mr. McElligott?

I am glad to hear that from my hon. Friend.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will amend the law to ensure that, in determining the question of custody of children under divorce proceedings, a court shall regard the religion of the parties.

On a point of order. Perhaps I might say, Mr. Speaker, that the Question contains a misprint. It should say that the court "shall not have regard to the religion of the parties".

In view of that amendment, the answer is, "No, Sir." In determining questions of custody, the courts are required to regard the child's welfare as the first and paramount consideration. For this purpose they take account of all the relevant circumstances of the case.

Arising from a recent case in which a mother lost the custody of her three daughters because she was a Jehovah's Witness, is there not a grave possibility of religious prejudice affecting the happiness and welfare of the children concerned? Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman look at this again, because it is an important point?

What guides court must be, the question of what is in the paramount interests of the child. In the case to which the hon. Lady has referred, which I assume is the case of Buckley v Buckley, it was pointed out among other considerations that the father's financial position was good, that the mother's was perilous and that the mother was a Jehovah's Witness, which tended to isolate the children—for instance, it made them ignore Christmas and forbade inoculations and blood transfusions. Taking all these matters into account—religion was only one of them —it was felt that it was in the best interests of the children that they should go, in this case, to the father.

asked the Attorney-General how many prosecutions have taken place for the latest convenient period for the wearing of para-military uniforms.

None, Sir, either in Northern Ireland or in England and Wales, during the year ended 31st March 1973.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman accept that there is anxiety about the criteria used in deciding whether to bring prosecutions of this kind, particularly in Northern Ireland? Will he take an early opportunity to clarify the overall policy as regards this offence?

I can only tell the hon. Gentleman that there have been no prosecutions since the present Director of Public Prosecutions in Northern Ireland took over. This is primarily because such cases have not been submitted to him. There have, of course, been prosecutions for disorderly or riotous behaviour, but these matters are borne in mind and in each individual case in which there is such an exhibition and in which persons are wearing such uniforms, prosecutions will, I promise the hon. Member, be considered.

Is it therefore the case that the wearing of para-military uniform is now tolerated and will not be made the subject of proceedings? If that is right, is this being applied across the board as a principle?

No, Sir, that is not the case. Section 6 of the Public Order (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 1970 makes it an offence if any person wears a uniform signifying his association with any political organisation. But what the Director of Public Prosecutions has to take into account are matters such as the prosecution of many people, the numbers of people and of courts and the chance of getting the best consequence, namely, a conviction in any case. It is not a question of policy but of what is practically best in a particular circumstance.

asked the hon. Member for Chelsea, as Member answering for the Church Commissioners, what is the policy of the Church Commissioners with regard to their investments in South Africa; and to what extent they take into account the level of wages paid to African employees by British firms in South Africa when considering investment in such firms.

It is the commissioners' long-standing policy not to own direct investments in South Africa or in companies operating wholly or mainly in that country. They take social as well as financial factors into account in the choice and management of all their investments.

Does that answer the second part of my Question? Also, will the commissioners co-operate fully, if required, with the Select Committee of this House concerned with this matter, possibly by collecting evidence themselves from clergy still operating in South Africa or recently expelled thence, such as the former Dean of Johannesburg?

The commissioners would, of course, co-operate with any Committee of this House, but that cooperation would have to be on matters which were the responsibility of the commissioners. I think that the hon. Gentleman's remarks go rather wider than that.

Would the commissioners also take part in an operation to inquire from the boards of the companies in which they have investments the pay and conditions of employees of their African subsidiaries, because the Church Commissioners could be vital in this respect?

The commissioners, as I said in my original answer, always take social considerations into account; that would cover the hon. Gentleman's question.