asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration she gives to cost effectiveness when she approves education schemes.

In accordance with Circular 10/70, the wise use of resources is one of the factors I take into account when considering statutory proposals under Section 13 of the Education Act 1944.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will include the extension of Pleckgate Comprehensive School, Blackburn, in the building list.

Yes. I am including a project for extending Pleckgate by 250 places in the Blackburn Education Authority's major school building preliminary list, which I shall be announcing shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will draw up proposals to increase and improve the training of careers teachers in secondary schools.

The Government have declared their intention to secure a major expansion of in-service training for teachers in schools generally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further provision will be made in the next financial year to increase investment in building and resources for educating both the blind and partially sighted, in view of the report of the Vernon Committee on the Education of the Visually Handicapped.

I am still awaiting comments on the report from some of the bodies I have consulted.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations she has received from local education authorities in the Northern Region asking her to extend the scope of educational priority areas.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will seek to obtain a copy of the survey on the turnover of teaching staff in London carried out by the Assistant Masters Association; and whether she will take it into account in determining future policy regarding the London weighting allowance.

The association has sent my hon. Friend the results of a survey in 10 London boroughs. It does not cover the reasons for turnover.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans she has for encouraging the exchange of students between the countries of the EEC so that increased opportunities are available for young people to study in the universities of the EEC countries.

The European Scholarship Scheme announced by my right hon. Friend on 6th March 1972 has brought an encouraging response from a number of countries. My Department is now co-operating with the British Council and the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges in a series of conferences in this country and missions abroad aimed at facilitating a further expansion of student exchanges.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals she has for protecting the dental health of school children; what representations she has had since the Budget from the British Dental Council, and if she will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has had no representations on this subject since the Budget. The resources available for the school dental service have increased substantially in recent years.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the number of children between the ages of 5 and 16 years who should attend schools providing special and remedial education but who are unable to do so because the existing number of places in such schools is inadequate.

There were 13,557 children between the ages of 5 and 16 awaiting admission to special schools—other than hospital schools— in January 1972. The great majority of these children will be receiving help in an ordinary school until a place in a special school becomes available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will issue a statement of policy to local education authorities defining a varied and comprehensive service of adult education as recommended in paragraph 159 of the Russell Committee's report.

My right hon. Friend is studying the report as a whole, and is not yet ready to make statements on particular recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will take steps to establish a Development Council for Adult Education in England and Wales as recommended in paragraph 160 of the Russell Committee Report.

My right hon. Friend is studying the report as a whole and is not ready to comment on particular recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is satisfied that sufficient funds are being allocated for research into the causes and cure of rheumatoid arthritis: and if she will make a statement.

I would refer the hon Member to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend, the Member for Essex, South-East (Sir Bernard Braine) on 3rd April 1973.—[Vol. 854, c. 58.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations she has received about the future of the Royal Anthropological Library.

The Royal Anthropological Institute has asked for financial help to maintain its library. My noble Friend has advised the institute to submit a case for consideration by the British Library Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in view of the overcrowding at the Wombwell Low Valley RC Primary School, she will now grant permission for no less than two new classrooms to be erected immediately.

My right hon. Friend has received no information that the school is overcrowded.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many 3- and 4-year-old children, respectively, are currently receiving full-time nursery education in the administrative county of East Suffolk; and what percentage of their age groups each represents.

In January 1972 there were 16 3-year-old and 1,081 4-year-old full-time pupils in primary schools. These represented 0·4 per cent. and 281 per cent. of births in 1968 and 1967 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will make a statement indicating when she anticipates authorising the financial resources to the Manchester Local Education Authority to proceed with the building of the new East Manchester comprehensive school to serve the Clayton and Bradford areas of the city.

The Manchester Education Authority has been informed that a 480-place instalment of this school, as a part replacement for the Nicholls Ardwick High School, has been included in the preliminary list for 1973–74.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the numbers of pupils being educated at special schools, both SSN and ESN, in England and Wales.

As at January 1972, 87,859 full-time pupils were in schools for the educationally sub-normal, including 27,814 ESN (Severe) pupils.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish a list of the authorities where parents serve on school governing bodies as of right, and also of establishments that organise courses of education for school governors and managers on their duties and rôles.

This information is not collected centrally on either of these requests but I understand that the following 18 authorities have made provision for parents to be represented on school bodies:

• Dorset.
• Northumberland.
• Oxfordshire.
• Rutland.
• Suffolk West.
• Westmorland.
• Yorkshire North Riding.
• Inner London Education Authority.
• Barnsley.
• Barrow in Furness.
• Bolton.
• Bradford.
• Ipswich.
• Rochdale.
• Sheffield.
• Stockport.
• Stoke-on-Trent.
• York.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress she has made in her consideration of the need to revise student grants since meeting the representatives of the National Union of Students.

I am considering the representations which have been made to me and have no statement to make at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will name the education authorities in the Northern Region which have informed her Department that the lowest tenders received for building projects currently planned exceed the Ministry allowed costs; what is the number and type of the projects affected; and if she will make a statement.

This information could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. Very few educational building projects in the Northern Region were refused permission to start during the 1972–73 building year because of tenders in excess of the Department's cost allowances.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will give details of secondary schools to be improved or replaced in 1975 to 1977.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what use is made by her Department of the Ordance Survey 2½-in.-to-the-mile maps; and if she considers that satisfactory alternatives to these maps are available for the purposes for which they are currently used.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Development.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrears of work there is at present in the Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr area offices of his Department as a result of the industrial dispute involving civil servants; and if he will make a statement.

It is not possible to quantify precisely the extent of the arrears of work but the main effect has been delays of up to a week in payments of contributory benefits and of up to two weeks in dealing with postal claims for supplementary benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if the advice given on deputising arrangements and contract-ing-out services for general practitioners contained in the circular issued seven years ago, ECL 103/66, Ref. C/G27/02, is still valid; what account has been taken of the developments in this field since that time; if he will now revise this circular and bring it up to date; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will take the necessary steps to ensure that general practitioners do not use deputising services in excess of the limits laid down in his circular ECL 103/66; what action he proposes to take, in the light of the evidence in this regard given in the

I cannot at present add to the information given in my reply to the Adjournment debate on 6th April.—[Vol. 845, c. 900–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many homeless families and single people, respectively, are being lodged in bed and breakfast or other temporary accommodation by local authorities in the Greater London area, or are being refused accommodation, by reason of the shortage of Part III accommodation.

At the end of 1972 there were 4,476 families in temporary Part III accommodation provided by local authorities in the Greater London area: 343 families boarded out by local authorities in bed and breakfast accommodation on 1st December are known to the London Boroughs Association. I regret that the other information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the numbers of people entitled to claim but who do not take up supplementary benefit; and what estimate he has made of the saving to the Department arising from this.

The information requested is not available. We are however at present examining the data available from the family expenditure survey to see whether it can be used for such purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to change the categories of people at present exempt from paying prescription charges; and if he will make a statement.

We have no present plans to alter the existing arrangements. Anyone not otherwise exempt who would suffer hardship through having to pay prescription charges is entitled to receive help. Where exemption cannot be claimed the prepayment certificate is available for those who need frequent prescriptions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department has received representations about the need to schedule plutonium poisoning as an industrial disease; what replies were sent; and if he will make a statement.

Plutonium gives rise to ionising radiation. Where this leads to one of the conditions described in prescribed disease No. 25 in the First Schedule to the Prescribed Diseases Regulations 1959—Statutory Instrument 1959 No. 467—benefit may be payable under the Industrial Injuries Act. I am not aware of any recent representations about the disease.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will institute an inquiry into the practice which has arisen in sales promotion of pharmaceutical products by the provision of free luncheons, dinners and drinks to doctors by drug companies at gatherings held in National Health Service hospitals; the number of companies concerned and the number of occasions in the Central Middlesex Hospital Group; how this expenditure is allowed for in the voluntary price regulation scheme; and if he will make a statement.

I am making further inquiries and will write to the hon. Member. In 1972 there were 36 occasions in the Central Middlesex Group in which 28 pharmaceutical manufacturers were involved. The cost is not separately accounted for in voluntary price regulation scheme returns.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many health centres in operation in County Durham, what proposals he has received for the construction of new ones.

There are 10 health centres in operation in county Durham. Two are being built, three more have been approved for building and a further 10 are being actively planned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what use is made by his Department of the Ordnance Survey 2½-in.-to-the-mile maps; and if he considers that satisfactory alternatives to these maps are available for the purposes for which they are currently used.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Development.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average delay for children under 18 years from West Cumberland waiting to have their tonsils removed; and what is the total number of such patients on the waiting list.

Fifty-nine patients under 18 from West Cumberland await ton-sillectomy. They have been waiting for the following periods:

Up to 1 Month	…	…	…	18
1–2 Months	…	…	…	18
2–4 Months	…	…	…	23

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the effective strength of specialists in ENT illnesses in the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board area; and what is the number of vacancies for such specialists.

There are 17 consultants in post and three vacancies.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether private treatment, including surgery, for ENT illnesses, is available at the West Cumberland Hospital; and what was the total number of private patients thus treated there in 1970, 1971 and 1972.

Since 20th August 1971, when the present two consultants became responsible for the West Cumberland ENT service, no patients have received private treatment at West Cumberland Hospital as both consultants are whole-time.Patients receiving private ENT treatment at West Cumberland:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what circumstances have changed since 9th February 1971 when the Government stated that all new ENT patients under 18 years of age from West Cumberland could attend the West Cumberland Hospital.

Circumstances have not changed; all new ENT patients under 18 years of age can attend West Cumberland Hospital for consultation. Patients in this category requiring tonsillectomy are not admitted to West Cumberland Hospital for the reasons given in my reply to the hon. Member on 3rd April 1973.—[Vol. 854, c. 54.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children under the age of 18 years have been privately treated for ENT illnesses in NHS hospitals in Cumberland, and in the regional board area as a whole in each of the last three years.

Ten, three and nil were treated in Cumberland; figures for the regional board area are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set up a committee to inquire into the possibility of enabling civil aircraft landing at or taking off from Heathrow to fly over Northolt airport, so as to alleviate the present noise pattern in the Heathrow area.

The possibility of using Northolt air space for Heathrow traffic is already under active discussion with the National Air Traffic Services as part of a broader examination of routing problems.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new jobs have been created in the Hull local employment area since the Local Employment Act 1970 in each year.

I regret comprehensive figures of jobs created in both the manufacturing and service sectors are not available. However, applicants for IDCs approved in the Hull travel-to-work area^✶ estimated that the following additional jobs would be created when the projects were complete and fully manned:

Year†	Estimated Additional Employment from IDCs approved
March‡—31st December 1970	1,580
1971	410
1972	830
✶ The Hull travel-to-work area comprises the employment exchange areas of Hull, Beverley and Hessle.
† A meaningful comparison between years is not possible because the exemption limit in this area, below which an IDC is not required, was raised from 5,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. in December 1970 and to 15,000 sq. ft. in July 1972.
‡ The provisions of the Local Employment Act 1970 came into force on 5th March 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications were received for industrial development certificates and how many were granted for the Hull employment area during 1972; how many new jobs they created; and how this compares with the years 1970 and 1971.

Following are the figures for IDC approvals in the Hull travel-to-work area.^✶ There were no refusals in these years.

Year		Number of IDC Approvals	Estimated Additional employment from IDCs Approved†
1970	…	47	1,640
1971	…	21	410
1972	…	30	830
A meaningful comparison is not possible because the exemption limit in this area, below which an IDC is not required, was raised from 5,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. in December 1970 and to 15,000 sq. ft. in July 1972.
✶ Comprises the employment exchange areas of Hull, Beverley, and Hessle.
† Jobs estimated by the applicants to arise when the projects are complete and fully manned.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date the Concorde is expected to receive its certificate of airworthiness; and how this date compares with the original estimate.

The manufacturers expect that Concorde will receive its certificate of airworthiness in January 1975, about five years later than originally envisaged when the project began in 1962.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the meetings his Department has had with the Amoco Company with regard to the sale of the Gulf Oil Company's Rough gasfield.

On 27th March and 5th April 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will disclose the anticipated rate of production from the Rough gasfield.

Though the information available from the wells drilled so far does not enable the production capacity of the field to be accurately assessed, it could be of the order of 50 million-100 million cu. ft. a day.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what commercial and other appointments are held by the Chairman of the new Nuclear Energy Corporation; and if the chairman is expected to relinquish any other responsibilities.

I would not have agreed to the invitation to Lord Aldington to chair the new nuclear company if I had not been satisfied that he would be able to give the time required to undertake this important job. Nor would he have accepted the invitation on any other basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Minister for Industrial Development's recent visit to Liverpool.

My right hon. Friend accepted an invitation to address the Merseyside Chamber of Commerce on the occasion of its spring luncheon on 5th April and took the opportunity to hold discussions with leading personalities about the best methods of tackling the problems of the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total of jobs in prospect for West Cumberland notified to his Department and expected to materialise in the next 12 months.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what use is made by his Department of the Ordnance Survey 2½ inches-to-the-mile maps; and if he considers that satisfactory alternatives to these maps are available for the purposes for which they are currently used.

These particular maps are used by my Department for:

(a) applications under the Petroleum (Production) Regulations 1966, for petroleum production, petroleum exploration or methane drainage licences; and

(b) the Department's records of the Government oil pipeline system.

Until the Department of the Environment and the Ordnance Survey complete their review of the use made by the public sector of these maps, the question of alternatives does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions since the signing of the Air Services Agreement, Command Paper No. 6747, the British and United States Governments have failed to reach agreement on transatlantic air fares and related matters.

Because of the rapid development of transatlantic air travel since the signing of the Air Services Agreement in 1946, there have been many occasions when differences over air fares and related matters have had to be settled by consultations under the terms of that agreement. It would not be possible, without lengthy research, to say on how many occasions since 1946 these consultations have led to initial disagreement; but apart from the recent differences over reduced fares for advanced booking, which still remain to be settled, agreement has eventually been reached on all important matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the percentage increase or decrease in real investment in manufacturing in each planning region of the United Kingdom when comparing 1972 with 1970; and if he will make a statement on the prospect for each region in 1973 and 1974.

Figures for 1970 and 1972 are not yet available. No assessment has been made of the prospects for investment in individual regions in 1973 and 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to arrange for representatives of appropriate professional associations to be present when the harmonisation of professional qualifications are negotiated within the European Community.

Professions and educational interests are being brought into full consultation at every stage. Negotiations themselves must be the ultimate responsibility of the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to pay an official visit to Israel.

My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to pay an official visit to Israel.

asked the Prime Minister whether the public Press statement of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in Bonn on 20th March on currency matters represents the policy of the Government.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the transcript of his broadcast on BBC television on 21st March 1973 on Government policies.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 5th April.—[Vol. 854, c. 133.]

asked the Prime Minister what subjects he proposes to discuss with the Australian Prime Minister on his forthcoming visit to London.

I do not propose to announce in advance what matters will be covered in my discussions with Mr. Whitlam.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations took place with the British Sugar Corporation concerning its decision to raise the price charged for dried molassed beet pulp by 4 per cent. during the period of the prices standstill; what changes took place in the price of the relevant raw agricultural produce during this period; what other cost changes took place that could not have been absorbed; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the scale of wholesale ex-factory prices for dried molassed beet pulp, published by the British Sugar Corporation in September 1972 and involving increases of up to 6 per cent. during the period of the prices standstill, was approved by his Department in accordance with the provisions of the phase 1 White Paper; and what were the considerations which led him to conclude that it was in conformity with paragraph 3 of that White Paper.

My Department was consulted in November 1972 about the terms of the offer made to sugar beet growers for the sale of dried molassed beet pulp. This commodity is not regarded as a manufactured product for the purposes of the White Paper and consequently it was unnecessary for the British Sugar Corporation to obtain my right hon. Friend's consent for price changes during the standstill.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the current butter stocks in the United Kingdom.

Stocks of butter in public cold stores were 104,200 tons on 23rd March 1973, the latest date for which figures are available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what use is made by his Department of the Ordnance Survey 2½ in-to-the-mile maps; and if he considers that satisfactory alternatives to these maps are available for the purposes for which they are currently used.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Development about a review into the use of such maps in which my Department will be co-operating.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is satisfied with existing court accommodation in Hull; and if he has proposals to improve it.

My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor is aware of the shortage of court accommodation at Kingston upon Hull and has asked the Department of the Environment to provide a new complex of six courts to serve the needs of the Crown court and county court. It is hoped that the courthouse will be completed by 1980.Magistrates' courts accommodation is primarily a matter for the Magistrates' Courts Committee and the local authority. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, who is responsible for magistrates' courts, informs me that additional courtroom accommodation was provided by adaptation in 1970, but no further proposals for improvement have been submitted.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what use is made by his Department of the Ordnance Survey 2½ in-to-the-mile maps; and if he considers that satisfactory alternatives to these maps are available for the purposes for which they are currently used.

No use of the Ordnance Survey 2½ in-to-the-mile maps is made in any of the Departments for which I am responsible.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what use is made by his Department of the Ordnance Survey 2½ in.-to-the-mile maps; and if he considers that satisfactory alternatives to these maps are available for the purposes for which they are currently used.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Development.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the average earnings in manufacturing industry for a 40-hour week.

Information in this particular form is not available. Estimates of average gross weekly earnings, excluding the effect of overtime pay, for full-time workers whose pay for the week surveyed was not affected by absence are available for April each year from the New Earnings Survey. The April 1972 estimate for such full-time manual men aged 21 and over was £29·6 for 40·1 hours. April 1973 estimates are of course not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the current level of earnings of bricklayers engaged in housebuilding in the United Kingdom and South-East England, respectively.

Separate information is not collected about the earnings of bricklayers engaged in housebuilding. The results of the New Earnings Survey 1972 include estimates of earnings of bricklayers in April 1972; they cover employees only but not self-employed workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the numbers of employees in employment in the Mexborough and Womb-well employment exchange areas for each of the past 10 years.

Estimates are made for each mid-year and the most recent are for June 1971. Figures are available separately for Wombwell and collectively for Mexborough and Gold-thorpe. Following is the available information:

ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF EMPLOYEES IN EMPLOYMENT IN EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AREAS
(thousands)
			Mexborough and Goldthorpe	Wombwell
June 1962	…	…	33·2	9·2
June 1963	…	…	33·0	9·4
June 1964	…	…	32·6	9·4
June 1965	…	…	32·1	9·2
June 1966	…	…	30·6	9·1
June 1967	…	…	30·5	9·0
June 1968	…	…	30·0	8·8
June 1969	…	…	30·2	8·6
June 1970	…	…	29·3	7·8
June 1971	…	…	29·1	7·7

The estimates are subject to sampling and other errors and no significance should be attached to small changes from one year to another.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the March figures of wholly unem-

		Unemployed		Unfilled vacancies
		Males	Females	Males	Females
March 1963	…	36,351	9,304	6,025	7,814
March 1964	…	22,552	6,412	12,491	13,108
March 1965	…	17,840	5,619	16,665	14,068
March 1966	…	16,470	4,373	19,196	17,562
March 1967	…	30,950	6,739	13,153	11,377
March 1968	…	44,627	7,001	9,497	12,187
March 1969	…	47,888	6,256	10,888	13,409
March 1970	…	52,517	6,976	10,581	11,397
March 1971	…	58,427	9,056	8,240	7,405
March 1972	…	78,637	12,379	5,701	6,383
March 1973 (provisional)	…	54,495	9,646	12,695	9,847
The vacancy statistics relate only to notified vacancies remaining unfilled and do not purport to measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the number of employees in employment in the Yorkshire and Humberside region for each of the past 10 years.

The Yorkshire and Humberside region was formed in April 1965 and estimates of the numbers employed are available from June 1965. Following is the available information.

EMPLOYEES IN EMPLOYMENT IN THE YORKSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDE REGION
(thousands)
June 1965	…	…	…	…	2,081
June 1966	…	…	…	…	2,094
June 1967	…	…	…	…	2,034
June 1968	…	…	…	…	2,002
June 1969 (a)	…	…	…	…	1,997
(b)	…	…	…	…	2,001
June 1970	…	…	…	…	1,976
June 1971	…	…	…	…	1,924
June 1972	…	…	…	…	1,929

The estimates are based on counts of National Insurance cards exchanged. For June 1969 (b) and later dates they include improved information about the location of employees in the distributive trades.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies notified to his Department affecting jobs in West Cumberland will take effect in the next year, including those in the nationalised industries; and if he will make a statement.

Following is the information:

My Department has been notified of redundancies due to occur in the period 1st April 1973 to 31st March 1974 in West Cumberland involving 430 workpeople. In addition the British Steel Corporation at Working-ton is expected to cease steelmaking within the year, but the number of redundancies is not yet known.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present total of male unemployment in the exchange areas which most nearly coincide with the Whitehaven and Workington constituencies, and what is the number of men who have been unemployed for longer than three months, six months, and 12 months, respectively.

On 12th March there were 2,189 males unemployed in the area covered by the Aspatria, Cleator Moor, Cockermouth, Keswick, Maryport, Millom, Whitehaven and Workington employment exchanges. On 8th January, the latest date for which the information is available, 363 males in the area had been unemployed for over 13 and up to 26 weeks, 318 for over 26 and up to 52 weeks and 895 for over 52 weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many adult males are currently in employment in the exchange areas which most nearly coincide with the area covered by the Whitehaven and Working-ton constituencies.

In June 1971, the latest date for which the information is available, there were 34,200 males in employment in the area covered by the Aspatria, Cleator Moor, Cockermouth, Keswick, Maryport, Millom, Whitehaven and Workington employment exchanges. Separate information is not available for adult males.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of insured persons in employment in the Doncaster travel-to-work area in each of the past 10 years; and if he will give the figures for male and female employees separately.

Estimates of the numbers employed in local areas are made for each mid-year and the most recent are for June 1971. Following is the available information:

ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF EMPLOYEES IN EMPLOYMENT IN THE AREA COVERED BY THE DONCASTER, ASKERN AND THORNE EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES
				(thousands)
		Males	Females	Total
June 1962	…	68·0	25·7	93·7
June 1963	…	69·5	25·9	95·4
June 1964	…	69·2	27·0	96·2
June 1965	…	68·5	27·7	96·1
June 1966	…	69·7	28·8	98·4
June 1967	…	67·7	30·7	98·4
June 1968	…	64·5	30·9	95·4
June 1969	…	64·3	31·8	96·0
June 1970	…	63·9	32·3	96·3
June 1971	…	63·1	31·6	94·6

The estimates are subject to sampling and other errors and no significance should be attached to small changes from one year to another.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of new jobs in the pipeline for the Doncaster travel-to-work area and the number of expected redundancies notified to him for that area as likely to arise during the ensuing 12 months.

Information is not available on the number of new jobs expected to arise in the Doncaster travel-to-work area during the next year. However, 1,400 jobs—780 for men—are expected to arise over the next four years in new industrial buildings for which industrial development certificates have been approved and in existing buildings taken over by manufacturing industry. No information is available on jobs arising in the service sector. My Department has only been notified of redundancies involving 11 workpeople due to occur in the area in the year commencing on 1st April

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the total numbers of male and female unemployed persons under the age of 18 years in the Washington, Birtley and Chester-le-Street employment exchange areas.

On 12th March there were 33 boys and 36 girls under the age of 18 years registered as unemployed in these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what use is made by his Department of the Ordnance Survey 2½ in.-to-the-mile maps; and if he considers that satisfactory alternatives to these maps are available for the purposes for which they are currently used.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the Scottish unemployment rate as a percentage of that for Great Britain for the month of March in each year from 1964 to 1973.

Following is the information:

				per cent.
March 1964	…	…	…	222
March 1965	…	…	…	213
March 1966	…	…	…	208
March 1967	…	…	…	165
March 1968	…	…	…	156
March 1969	…	…	…	148
March 1970	…	…	…	158
March 1971	…	…	…	174
March 1972	…	…	…	171
March 1973	…	…	…	177

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why and when he terminated the annual grant to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents; what were the purposes of the grant when it was given; and what were the amounts for each of the five years prior to its termination.

It was agreed in 1965 to make an annual grant for a period of three years to help the society to set up a regional industrial safety organisation. The grant was later continued for a further three years. It was ended with effect from 31st March 1971 because the society's industrial services had become capable of being self-supporting. The amounts paid in the five years prior to termination were:

				£
1966–67	…	…	…	16,000
1967–68	…	…	…	11,971
1968–69	…	…	…	13,465
1969–70	…	…	…	16,000
1970–71	…	…	…	13,114

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons have been killed falling out of windows in high-rise blocks of flats in each of the last 10 years.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will authorise increased capital expenditure on infrastructure works in the development areas beyond March 1973.

I presume that the hon. Member has in mind the special infrastructure works programme announced by my predecessor on 14th July 1971. I do not think that a further programme of this sort would be appropriate in present conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of rent officers' assessments has been, respectively, increased or decreased by the rent assessment panel for the Lon- don area in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available.

In Greater London about 4 per cent. of rent officers' registrations analysed in 1972 went to rent assessment committees on apeal. Of this 4 per cent., rent assessment committees increased the rent officers' determination in 61 per cent. of the cases—that is, 2½ per cent. of all registrations—and decreased the rent officers' determination in 9 per cent. of the cases—that is, 0·5 per cent. of all registrations. There was no significant quarterly variation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the average levels of fair rents assessed by the rent assessment panel for the London area for each of the last four quarters for which figures are available; whether these represent increases on the rent officers' assessments; and if so by what percentages.

The average of fair rents determined on appeal by rent assessment committees in Greater London and which were analysed in 1972 was £367 per annum—an increase of 6 per cent. over rents determined by rent officers for the same cases. The quarterly variations, which are not considered significant, are given below:

		Average fair Rent(Per annum)	Number of cases	Percentage increase on Rent Officer's determination
1972		£		Per cent.
1st quarter	…	365	158	13
2nd quarter	…	388	276	5
3rd quarter	…	364	487	6
4th quarter	…	362	588	5

The hon. Member may wish to note that the overall 1972 increase of 6 per cent. was made up of an 8 per cent. increase on appeals made by the landlord and a 1½ per cent. decrease on tenant appeals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the effect of recent rises in bricklayers' earnings on the cost of houses.

Detailed information is not available because the effect on the cost of construction of houses would depend on the earnings in the particular case and also on the productivity of the bricklayers concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give figures of the tonnage of freight carried by British Rail on an annual basis since 1968 and its value to the corporation also on a yearly basis.

The figures are as follows:

		million tons	£ million revenue
1968	…	207	188
1969	…	207	197
1970	…	206	208
1971	…	196	194
1972 (provisional)	…	169	184

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what use is made by his Department of the Ordnance Survey 2½-inches-to-the-mile maps; and if he considers that satisfactory alternatives to these maps are available for the purposes for which they are currently used.

The Director-General of the Ordnance Survey announced on 20th February that my right hon. and learned Friend has authorised a review by his Department and the Ordnance Survey of the use made by Government Departments and other public sector bodies of maps at this scale. This review will show whether satisfactory alternatives are available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use is made by his Department of the Ordnance Survey 2½-inches-to-the-mile maps; and if he considers that satisfactory alternatives to these maps are available for the purposes for which they are currently used.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Development gave to the hon. Member's similar Question today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were recommended by the Parole Board for early release in 1970, 1971, and 1972.

In England and Wales 2,210, 2,971 and 2,926 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider continuing the recently adopted practice of employing policewomen in the House of Commons.

The deployment of officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I am sure he will have noted the suggestion made by the right hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners serving life sentences on 31st December 1972 had been in prison in excess of nine years and in excess of 12 years; what are the comparable figures at the same date in 1969, 1970 and 1971: and if he will make a statement.

The figures are given in the following table:

			Served more than 9 years	Served more than 12 years
1969	…	…	59	17
1970	…	…	71	22
1971	…	…	85	27
1972	…	…	103	30

It is still little more than seven years since the passage of the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, and the expectation must be that the number of life sentence prisoners who have served very long terms will continue to increase. Because of the overriding need to protect the public there are some who may never be released.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the procedures which must be followed before a person serving a sentence of life imprisonment for murder can be released from prison;(2) whether he will give an assurance that a prisoner serving a life sentence for murder is not automatically released after a particular length of time in prison.

Under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1967, I may release a life sentence prisoner only if recommended to do so by the Parole Board and after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice and the trial judge, if he is available. Full account is taken of comprehensive reports on the offence and the offender, and of the views of the local review committee at the prison. There is no question of automatic release for a life sentence prisoner, of whatever offence he has been convicted, merely because a certain number of years have elapsed. No such prisoner is released until it is considered safe to release him, and he then remains liable, throughout his life, to be recalled to prison.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the reported loss of £50 million from common agricultural policy funds in 1970; and what measures he is proposing to the EEC to prevent a recurrence of such loss.

I am not aware of any evidence that an amount of this order has been lost. The question of losses from FEOGA funds in 1970 is at present being considered by the European Assembly in its review of the accounts for that year and the audit board's report on them. Together with our partners in the Community, we shall be keeping under review the effectiveness of arrangements for control and audit of Community expenditure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the amount of public dividend capital on issue at the end of the financial year 1971–72; and what was the percentage return on this capital.

The amount of public dividend capital outstanding at 31st March 1972 was £565 million, of which £500 million was held by the British Steel Corporation and £65 million by British Overseas Airways Corporation—now part of the British Airways Board.BOAC had a deficit of £1·4 million for the year but paid from its reserves a dividend of 5 per cent. equal to £3·25 million; the British Steel Corporation, which had a deficit of £68 million for the year, declared no dividend.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, from information available from international sources, what percentage direct taxation was of total taxation in other member countries of the European Economic Community in 1958 and in the latest available year; and what are the equivalent figures for the United Kingdom.

The information is given in the following table:

DIRECT TAXATION AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL TAXATION✶
			1958	1971
Belgium	…	…	40·7	48·1
Denmark	…	…	50·4	49·1‡
France	…	…	27·9†	31·1
Germany	…	…	37·4	45·6
Irish Republic	…	…	22·1	27·5‡
Italy	…	…	30·6	35·0
Luxembourg	…	…	54·4	55·2§
Netherlands	…	…	55·0	55·3
United Kingdom	…	…	46·7	47·7¶
✶Total taxation comprises taxes on income and expenditure received by the central government and local authorities.
† Figure relates to 1959.
‡ Figure relates to 1969.
§ Figure relates to 1970.
¶ The United Kingdom figure for 1972 is 46·7 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what differences there are between the total of personal incomes, details of which are returned for income tax purposes, and the estimated total of such incomes compiled from other sources; to what extent he estimates that any discrepancy between the two figures is a consequence of failure on the part of taxpayers to make adequate returns; and what is the estimated annual loss to the Exchequer of such failure.

I am not sure what other sources the hon. Member has in mind but if he will write to me I will consider whether I have information which will meet his needs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was collected through income tax in each of the past five years.

The figures are:

			Net Receipts £ million
1968–69	…	…	4,349
1969–70	…	…	4,907
1970–71	…	…	5,731
1971–72	…	…	6,432
1972–73 (provisional)	…	…	6,479

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the factors which cause different ways of calculating the gross national product to produce widely different answers.

It is impracticable to give an adequate answer in a short list. Two major factors are short-term timing differences in the statistics and problems of deflating information reported at current values to produce estimates of product at constant prices. Both of these factors have been accentuated in 1972 by the upturn in the growth rate, distortions due to strikes, and changes in the rate of inflation. The Central Statistical Office has available an article on problems in the measurement of GDP in 1972 which contains a detailed explanation and will be published in the April issue of Economic Trends. I will send my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of those who invested in premium bonds in the first 12 months of their issue have subsequently won prizes; what proportion of the holders in that period they represent; and what proportion the winning holdings bear to the total holdings of that period.

This Question could be answered only at the cost of disproportionate time and effort.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use is made by his Department of the Ordnance Survey 2½ in-to-the-mile maps; and if he considers that satisfactory alternatives to these maps are available for the purposes for which they are currently used.

None.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assurances he gave Sir Stanley Morton on Wednesday 4th April in relation to Government action regarding interest rates in three months' time.

It is not the practice of the Government to give assurances about the future course of interest rates. As my right hon. Friend made clear in his Budget Statement, this will depend above all on our success in slowing down inflation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the comparative value of the United Kingdom £ sterling on 27th June 1972, or the nearest available date, and what it is at the current date vis-à-vis the Swiss franc, the Belgian franc, the Dutch guilder, the French franc, the German mark and the United States and Canadian dollar, respectively.