asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has, or what arrangements have been made, for the regular publication of statistics and returns by the Intervention Board of the United Kingdom.

This is a matter on which we shall best be able to judge when we have had rather more experience of the operation of the intervention arrangements, and the board is considering it accordingly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will seek to arrange for a bulk purchase of all EEC surplus butter at 7p per pound for the British housewife.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will initiate discussions with the EEC Commission for the sale of the whole or part of the remaining European Community butter surplus to Great Britain to enable consumers here to enjoy similar subsidies to those afforded to consumers in the USSR by the sale to that country of 200,000 tons of butter surplus to EEC requirements.

The sale at low prices within the Community of the refrigerated butter still remaining in store would displace sales of the fresh butter that is coming forward and so would do little to relieve the basic surplus. A better solution to the whole problem would be to reduce butter prices generally to the advantage of the consumer and to get a continuing increase in consumption. Proposals for this are being considered by the Council of Ministers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent, defined in percentage terms, he is prepared to support increases in beef and pork prices in his discussions with the Agriculture Ministers of the European Economic Community.

As market prices for beef and pigmeat are so much higher than the CAP prices, the arguments against price increases for these commodities are clearly less strong than those against increases for other commodities, but it would not be right to try to anticipate at this stage the course of future discussions.

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many civil servants from his Department have applied for permission to take up employment in firms with which the Government have a relationship or where the prospective employers might obtain an unfair advantage from knowledge obtained during their service, over the past 10 years; and on how many occasions such approval has been withheld.

In the time available we have not been able to establish exact figures, but the total number of applications received has been some 400, of which 15 have been rejected.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she has received the views of teachers' organisations on the reconstitution of the Burnham Committee; and if so what conclusions she has come to.

I have received a number of representations from teachers' associations. I have no specific changes to propose at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make increased provision of residential schools for deaf children.

A new day and boarding school for primary-age deaf children is expected to be opened in Hertfordshire in the summer of 1975, and a further school for secondary pupils may be programmed in 1974–75.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many civil servants from her Department have applied for permission to take up employment in firms with which the Government have a relationship or where the prospective employers might obtain an unfair advantage from knowledge obtained during their service, over the past 10 years; and on how many occasions such approval has been withheld.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, how many factories were inspected under the Factories Acts in Leek rural district in each of the past five years.

The number of factories in the area of the Leek rural district which received a general inspection under the Factories Act 1961 in the period 1968–72 are as follows: —

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest available figures for youth unemployment, male and female, respectively, in Wales and in the Aberavon constituency.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many factories employing more than 100 people and situated within the Greater London Council area have closed since 1967; and if he will list their trade classification.

Information is not always available on numbers of workpeople employed at the time of closure, and I am arranging for informa-of people made redundant as a result of closure, and I am arranging for onforma-tion relating to those establishments engaged in manufacturing industry where more than 100 people were made redundant to be extracted, and will publish it in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why he has refused permission for the holding of pop concerts in Hyde Park in 1973.

In dealing with suggestions for holding events in Royal Parks, I have to pay particular attention to the character of the parks, as well as to the demand for specialised events. In 1972 the two concerts permitted did not take place because of competition from similar events. I understand that this year 17 concerts are likely to be held in places in London more appropriate for them than a Royal Park, where naturally the holding of a pop concert can give rise to a number of complaints and difficulties, and therefore I decided it was not necessary to hold pop concerts this year in Hyde Park.I have received very few representations indeed about this matter, but if it can be shown that there is a genuine and substantial public demand for the holding of such concerts in Hyde Park I will naturally be prepared to review this decision. In any case, I will of course review the matter again next year; and will keep in touch with the Advisory Committee on Pop Festivals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what applications he has received for permission to use Hyde Park for pop concerts in 1973; and what he said in his replies.

One, suggesting four concerts. The applicants were informed that it had been decided not to give concerts in Hyde Park this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he sought the advice of the Advisory Committee on Pop Festivals before making his decision on pop concerts in Hyde Park.

No. The advisory committee is producing a code of practice to be followed when a festival is held. This is a different question from whether a particular concert should be held in a Royal Park. Nevertheless I am anxious to maintain close links with the committee about the future course of events in Hyde Park.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of persons fatally injured in road accidents during each of the past five years has been under 5 years, between 5 and 10 and over 60 years of age, respectively.

Following are the figures:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will provide funds for a programme of research work on the conservation of ancient stained glass in cathedrals and parish churches.

Although my right hon. and learned Friend is not responsible for cathedrals and parish churches, a number of the buildings in his own care contain stain glass. He is accordingly considering a contribution towards research on the conservation of ancient stained glass.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies have been made of the effect of alterations in the silting of the Thames estuary caused by the reclamation work at Maplin.

A comprehensive programme of hydraulic studies is being carried out by the Hydraulics Research Station. The studies include model testing and field observations, and will explore all the possible effects likely to arise from the proposed reclamation works at Maplin.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning permissions, embracing what number of private dwellings, existed in East Suffolk, West Suffolk and Ipswich County Borough, respectively, as of 9th April 1973 where there was apparently failure to complete development in terms of the four and three years' criteria laid down in the White Paper, "Widening the Choice: The Next Steps in Housing".

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce legislation to confine lorries travelling on two-lane motorways to the inside lane.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many accidents and collisions in the past three years have occurred at the junction of Cottingham Road, Clough Road and Beverley Road, Hull, B1233 and A1079; what report he has received from the divisional road engineer for improvements in the traffic light system at the junction; and when it is intended that the improvements will be implemented.

I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the information required has been put together.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake a survey to establish how much land currently held by housebuilders has been in their possession for respectively 5, 10, 15 and 20 or more years; and if he will use such information to counter the escalation of land and building charges.

Such a survey is unnecessary in the light of the proposed land hoarding charge and the other measures in the White Paper "Widening the Choice: The Next Steps in Housing" for increasing the supply of building land.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many office development certificates have been issued within the Greater London Council area since 1967; and how many of these were considered to be speculative development.

Between 1st January 1967 and 31st December 1972, 1,990, of which rather less than one-fifth were for wholly speculative developments, covering for the most part foot-for-foot replacement of existing office space.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the approximate total number of households in greater London; what percentage of these houses was found to be unoccupied by census enumerators in 1971; what proportion of the latter is estimated to represent houses empty for a period of less than three months; and what allowance was made in compiling the figures for such circumstances as reluctance to answer the door and deafness.

I have been asked to reply.Information about the period for which a house had been empty is not available from the census.The information available from the 1971 census is as follows: —In Greater London there were 2,713,075 households of which 61,260 were absent on census night.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement regarding sanction-breaking ships carrying the British flag in defiance of the United Nations resolution concerning sanctions on Rhodesia.

I am aware of only one specific allegation that a British registered vessel carried Rhodesian ferro-chrome to the United States of America. It is still under investigation. Detailed inquiries are involved, but I still hope that they will be completed in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new initiatives the EEC Council of Ministers has taken on fishery problems in the North Atlantic; and if he will make a statement on the British Government's position.

On 2nd—3rd April the Council agreed to refer to the Commission for study a Danish memorandum on fishery problems in the North Atlantic. Her Majesty's Government await the outcome of the study.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish verbatim reports of meetings of the Council of Ministers; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he supports the establishment of a rehabilitation unit at Standford Grange, Bordon.

It is the Government's policy to encourage voluntary bodies to provide facilities for the rehabilitation of socially inadequate offenders. I welcome the initiative of the Aaronson Trust, but the acquisition of the particular property is a matter between the trust and the local authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has asked the Hampshire County Council to sell its property, Standford Grange, Bordon, to the Aaronson Trust.

My right hon. Friend has not made any such request.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will indicate the extent of building society reserves as a percentage of total assets at the latest date for which figures are available, and the statutory requirement.

Preliminary estimates for 1972 indicate that building societies' reserves at the end of 1972 amounted to 3·6 per cent. of their total assets. The statutory requirements for societies with trustee status is that their reserves must not be less than 2½ per cent. of any assets up to £100 million, 2 per cent. of assets between £100 million and £500 million, 1½ per cent. of assets between £500 million and £1,000 million and 1¼ per cent. of any assets over £1,000 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of building society lending in the past year was granted on mortgages in excess of £12,000.

The amount lent on mortgages over £12,000 is not readily ascertainable but it is estimated that in 1971 building societies lent about £3,650 million of which £200 million—that is, under 6 per cent.—was on mortgages over £13,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will remove value added tax from ambulances used by charitable organisations.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exechequer, from information available from international sources, what is the gross domestic product per head at factor cost in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands for the most recent year for which figures are available; and how these figures compare with that for the United Kingdom for the same year.

The latest figures are given in the table below. They are based on information contained in National Accounts 1961–1971 published by the Statistical Office of the European Communities and the latest published figures for the United Kingdom. The figures have been converted from national currencies into sterling on the basis of (*) average telegraph transfer rates in London and (†) official rates of exchange. However, differences in the internal purchasing power of the national currencies are not necessarily reflected in international rates of exchange.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, consequent on his reply to the Question of the hon. Member for Kensington, South, on 24th January 1973 (c. 190), by how much the cost would be augmented if the same credit were extended to all children now entitled to an income tax child allowance as well as to the children now entitled to a family allowance.

I will let the hon. Member have an answer as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the case of men earning, respectively, £750, £1,000, £2,500, £5,000 and £20,000 gross per year at present, what their pre-tax and post-tax earnings would be if their pay continued to be annually determined on the basis of the £1 plus 4 per cent. formula after a period of, respectively, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 years; and, at each of these intervals, what each would be earning as a percentage of the highest paid among them.

I do not think that the value of the information requested, which is based on unrealistic assumptions about changes in earnings and future tax rates, would justify the work required to produce it.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the recent raid on the forensic science laboratories; if he will list what items were stolen and indicate whether any documents, records or items of evidence were interfered with; and if he will give details of the arrangements for guarding these premises.

An inquiry into the circumstances of the raid on the forensic science laboratory has been held and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received the report. Seven-

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what number of

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what level he permits as a maximum density of housing per acre; and what areas at present exceed that density.

No maximum densities have been imposed, but the Ministry of Development encourages net densities of 12-20 houses per acre. A net density of about 30 houses per acre is, however, considered appropriate for some public authority housing schemes, particularly in large towns, where land is expensive and most people affected by redevelopment wish to be rehoused in their own neighbourhoods. It is not possible to state, without disproportionate effort, which areas exceed these densities.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the proportion of owner-occupied houses as compared with rented houses in Northern Ireland; and how this compares with the position in England and Wales.

The information contained in the following table represents the position at 31st December 1971, the latest date at which comparative figures for Northern Ireland and England and Wales are available.Post Office employees engaged on telecommunications matters there are in the United Kingdom per 100 subscribers; and how this ratio compares with other countries in the EEC.

The figures for the United Kingdom are contained in the Post Office's annual report and accounts. I do not have any comparable figures for the EEC.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the figures for each year to the latest convenient date, since the introduction of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, of (a) the total number of cases brought before the children's panels by the reporters, (b) the number of referrals from the children's panels to the sheriffs, and (c) the number of referrals on which the sheriffs declared that the grounds of the applications were established, breaking down these figures in respect of the various areas covered by the relevant sections of the Act.

The latest figures available are those from the start of the system on 15th April 1971 to 31st December 1971.The total number of children referred to children's hearings in that period was 5,393.The information readily available about referrals to the sheriff by children's hearings relates only to the acceptance by children appearing before hearings of the grounds for referral to the hearing alleging certain offences, such as crimes against the person, housebreaking, theft and breach of the peace or the subsequent establishment of the grounds before the sheriff. Out of 5,544 such offences the grounds were accepted in 4,829. In 287 the grounds were established by the sheriff. In the remaining 428 the cases were either dropped by the hearing when the grounds were not accepted or subsequently abandond by the reporter, or the grounds were not established before the sheriff.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the supplies of the Morris 1000 for disabled people are restricted; if he is aware of the suitability of these vehicles for certain types of disability; if he will take steps to buy up the existing available Morris 1000 vehicles; and if he will take steps to obtain alternative suitable pro- duction models; and if he will make a statement.

Since the acquisition of cars for the Invalid transport service is arranged on a United Kingdom basis, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him today by acquisition of cars for the invalid trans-my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security. I shall be pleased to look into any cases of difficulty in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to continue industrial derating.

I have today laid before the House an order continuing 50 per cent. derating of industry and freight transport subjects for two years from 16th May 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware of the hardship caused by the cost of travelling, time consumed and overcrowded facilities as a result of the moving of the Eccles, Swinton and Pendlebury local social services offices to Salford; if, in the light of the hardship caused, he will now reconsider his decision about the closure of these offices; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware that the changes in location of the social security offices in the areas mentioned, which were made in 1971, have led to hardship. Fulltime inquiry offices have been retained at Eccles and Swinton, and it should not have been necessary for persons from those localities to travel to Saiford. The overall situation does not appear to have changed in any material way since I wrote to the hon. Member in February 1972, but if he has any particular difficulties in mind I shall be glad to consider them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that claimants for social security are informed as a matter of routine of all their rights and all their possible benefits; and if he will make a statement.

My Department continues to make every effort to ensure that people are made aware of any social security benefits to which they may be entitled. There are, for example, standing arrangements for asking the newly widowed and people who are approaching retirement age whether they wish to claim supplementary benefit. A wide range of explanatory leaflets can be obtained free of charge from the Department's local offices. In addition, leaflets about the supplementary benefit and family income supplement schemes, which include a claim form, as well as leaflets about other benefits are available from Post Offices. National Press and TV advertising is undertaken as the need arises.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will propose amendments to the Mental Health Act 1959 to restore to mental hospitals, subject to appropriate safeguards, the right to detain mental patients if necessary without their consent.

The powers to detain patients for treatment are based on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Law Relating to Mental Illness and Mental Deficiency 1954-1957 and I am not persuaded that there is a need to revert to the pre-1959 position.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to remind local authorities of their obligation under the Mental Health Act 1959 to provide half-way houses for patients on discharge from mental hospitals.

The powers and duties conferred on local authorities by Section 6 of the Mental Health Act 1959 were consolidated in the more general provisions of Section 12 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968. Local authorities were asked in a circular issued last August to submit 10-year plans for the development of their social services, including residential and other services for the mentally ill and mentally handicapped, and I shall be reviewing their plans shortly. The circular included planning guidelines as a basis for determining the number of residential and other places to be provided; the guidelines on services for the mentally handicapped had already been published in June 1971 in "Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped" (Cmnd. 4683). My Department will shortly be issuing a further circular giving more detailed guidance about the development of local authority services for the mentally ill.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to require local authorities to provide information and counselling centres for relatives of mental patients.

Local authorities have a duty under Section 12 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 to make arrangements for the prevention of illness, including mental disorder, and for the care and after-care of people who are or have been ill. Arrangements made under the Act may include the provision of information and counselling to relatives. I am not convinced that this is necessarily best provided by centres established exclusively for the purpose. I would expect those working in the health and social services who have responsibility for helping and treating the mentally disordered to be ready as a matter of course to give advice to relatives. Some information and counselling services available to the public generally are provided by the Samaritans and by the National Association for Mental Health, bodies which are helped financially by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements are made by his Department to ensure that when a child is returned to its home for a limited period from a list D school or other such establishment family allowances are paid to the mother for that period.

A special family allowance leaflet dealing with children absent from their families makes it clear that normally in such circumstances the child counts for family allowances in the ordinary way, and the instructions in family allowance order books include advice to claim increased allowances if a child returns to the family. Allowances are payable for normal holiday periods, but not for short periods which do not include a Tuesday.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost of the new Whittington Hospital, Archway, London, N.19; and what is the actual date of starting work.

Work started on 26th March 1973. The total cost of works started this year is currently estimated at £3·6 million. Later phases are still in the planning stage and it would be premature to estimate their cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware that the supplies of the Morris 1000 for disabled people are restricted; if he is aware of the suitability of these vehicles for certain types of disability; if he will take steps to buy up existing available Morris 1000 vehicles; if he will take steps to obtain alternative suitable production models; and if he will make a statement.

Continued production of the Minor 1000 would have benefited many disabled people, for whom it was a convenient car at a modest price. Unfortunately, British manufacturers do not now make a comparable vehicle and, on present information, do not intend to do so. We are still able to offer reconditioned Morris 1000s to persons whose medical condition makes the standard issue, the Mini, unsuitable. I will gladly investigate any instance in which the hon. Member believes the present arrangements have proved unsatisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the average earnings of men and women hospital ancillary workers shown separately; what is the estimate if they accepted the new offer available to them; what the figures would be after the pay equalisation in October; and what are the average equivalents for the above figures relating to male and female industrial workers.

Estimated average earnings of National Health Service ancillary staff are £27.90 for men and £20.83 for women, becoming £30.65 and £23.09 if the pay offer is accepted and £30.65 and £24.10 with the next equal pay step. Estimated average earnings of all manual workers in manufacturing and other industries are £35.82 for men and £18.30 for women; for unskilled manual workers figures are £28.50 and £16.90.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of men aged between 55 and 60, and 60 and 65, who are registered for employment but do not draw either supplementary benefit or unemployment benefit.

On 1st May 1972, the latest date for which detailed figures are available, there were about 10,000 such men between the ages of 55 and 59 and about 40,000 between 60 and 64.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the average take-home pay in 1972–73 of mineworkers, divided as to coal-face workers and surface workers, stating the number involved; and what might be the estimated average take-home pay of both grades after payment of the recently agreed increase.

The National Coal Board does not collect data about the take-home pay of its employees. Weekly basic rates for mineworkers ranged from £23 for lowest paid surface workers to £34·50 for coal face workers. These rates will now be Increased by £2·29.Latest available information on average earnings was published by the Department of Employment in February and shows a weekly average of £38·21 for all adult workers engaged in coal mining (including provision for holidays with pay, and rest days; but excluding allowances in kind) for the week ending 14th October 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the 17½ per cent. increase in the cost of laboratory service fittings as shown in the information sent to him by the hon. Member for Willesden, West conforms with his counter-inflation policy; and if not, whether he will take action.

The actual price increase has been from list price plus 12½ per cent. to list price plus 17½ per cent., an increase of about 4½ per cent.Because of recent very sharp rises in world copper prices the Department has agreed that members of the National Brassfoundry Association and of the Copper Tube Fittings Association who manufacture certain specified goods in which the cost of copper and copper alloys represents a high proportion of total cost of manufacture may pass on to their customers in the form of price increases 50 per cent. of the increased costs since 6th November of copper and copper alloys used in the manufacture of those goods. The White Paper on the first stage of the programme for controlling inflation (Cmnd. 5125) envisaged price increases of this nature.I am satisfied that the price increase referred to by the hon. Member is within the limits agreed by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what statutory authority he has circularised 155 nonfood retailers with a turnover exceeding £5 million a year requesting weekly or monthly expenditures on SET before 1st April, the methods by which they propose to reflect SET savings in lower prices and details of how those savings are estimated.

Under Section 12 of the Counter-Inflation Act 1973 I have power to restrict prices and charges to ensure that they correctly reflect the tax changes which took place on 1st April. In that context I wrote to retailers to ask them for information as to how they would pass on to the consumer savings from the abolition of SET, which vary according to individual circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints concerning VAT price changes have been received by the Inspectorate of Weights and Measures for the rural district councils of Oswestry, North Shropshire, and Market Drayton, respectively, at the latest convenient date.

None of these councils is a weights and measures authority. In the week following the tax changes on 1st April, the Salop County Council authority, whose inspectors cover these districts, received 82 complaints concerning price adjustments.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will state in table form the amount of public money expended during each of the last three years to encourage the movement of industry to (a) special development areas and (b) development areas in Scotland, Wales, the North East, the North West and the South West, respectively.

Direct financial encouragement for the movement of industry has been provided principally through removal grants made under Section 4 of the Local Employment Act 1972 and earlier legislation. Data for 1972-73 are not yet available. Information about removal grants offered in the three preceding years is given below:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Her Majesty's Government are doing to encourage a higher rate of private investment in United Kingdom manufacturing industry.

We have provided a powerful system of investment incentives and an economic climate which is very favourable to investment and growth.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies his Department has made into the reasons for low private investment in United Kingdom manufacturing industry, as compared with other industrial countries.

This has naturally been the subject of examination, together with other aspects of our relative economic performance.

asked the Secretary of State tor Trade and Industry if he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to cease paying financial contributions towards the drilling of oil wells.

As I told the House on 21st December, the reorganisation of the board's ancillary activities will enable any new financial requirements to be met from the private sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation to treat developments in the tourist industry which are within development areas and are capable of providing full-time jobs or contributing to the infrastructure of a community as being entitled to grants at the same rate and in the same manner as industrial development.

Assistance to tourism projects is more appropriately given under the Development of Tourism Act 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Metrication Board to publish its annual report for 1972.

The Metrication Board's report for 1972 will be published on Tuesday 17th April, and copies will be available in the Vote Office on that day.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many industrial development certificates have been issued within the Greater London Council area since 1967.

2,486, from 1st January 1967 to 28th February 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total amount paid to employers in the Greater London Council area by way of Government grants and assistance who have moved their factories from London to the development areas; how many companies have received grants; and how many factories in the Greater London Council area have been closed in consequence.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when Mr. Lionel Abel-Smith of Groves, Peasmarsh, Sussex, may expect to receive the certificate of registration of Eggshole Farms Limited, which received approval in 1972 and the final application for which was filed with the Companies Registry early in February.

The certificate of incorporation will be issued on 16th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list his powers over the interest charges and procreation fees now being demanded by moneylenders and mortgage service companies.

I have no control over the charges and fees of licensed moneylenders, but the courts have power to reopen any of their agreements when they consider the terms to be harsh and unconscionable. I have power to exempt companies from the provisions of the Moneylenders Acts, under Section 6(e) of the Moneylenders Act 1900, and I also have power under Section 123 of the Companies Act 1967 to certify that a person can properly be treated for the purposes of the Moneylenders Acts as bona fide carrying on the business of banking and therefore exempt from the provisions of those Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his policy towards the use of his powers in relation to the charges by way of interest rates and procreation fees now being charged in obtaining first and second mortgages from moneylenders and mortgage service companies.

The companies which hold exemptions under Section 6(e) of the Moneylenders Act 1900 are not permitted to charge more than 12½ per cent. per annum on their loans. Holders of certificates under Section 123 of the Companies Act 1967 are not specifically restricted as to the rate of interest which they may charge for loans, but harsh treatment of borrowers is one of the matters which may be relevant to the question of whether a person can properly be treated as carrying on the business of banking for the purposes of the Moneylenders Act and therefore be entitled to continue to have the benefit of such certification.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is aware that the supplies of the Morris 1000 for disabled people are restricted; if he is aware of the suitability of these vehicles for certain types of disability; if he will take steps to buy up the existing available Morris 1000 vehicles; if he will take steps to obtain alternative suitable production models; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security which applies equally to my Department.