asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why brucellosis eradication incentive for beef is less attractive than that for milk; and what plans he has to adjust the position.

Following the relatively larger increase in the beef incentive at the 1971 annual review the proportion of beef herds entering the incentive scheme has matched that of dairy herds. From 1st April 1971 to the end of February 1973, 21,199 beef herd owners representing 33 per cent. of beef herds in Great Britain sought voluntary accreditation compared with 24,369 dairy herds or 32 per cent. of all dairy herds. This is a very satisfactory response from both sectors and my right hon. Friend has at present no plans for further adjustment of the rates of incentive.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he can yet say when controls over the use of injectable oestrogens will be introduced.

My right hon. Friends concerned with health matters have now made regulations under Part II of the Therapeutic Substances Act 1956. From 1st June 1973 these prohibit retail sale and supply of liquid injectable preparations of stilboestrol, hexoestrol and dienoestrol except by a qualified medical, dental or veterinary surgeon or practitioner, or by a pharmacist acting in accordance with a prescription given by such surgeon or practitioner.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is estimated to be the cost of the general butter subsidy in 1973–74.

The cost in 1973–74 is estimated to be £16 million, half of which will be borne by Community funds. Supplementary provision will be sought from Parliament as soon as possible, and in the meantime recourse will be had to the Contingencies Fund.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service why information readily available to hon. Members in March 1972 by means of Parliamentary Question to the Minister, in regard to the number of retired civil servants at present employed in Government Departments or in organisations for which the Government are financially responsible, is not now available on the grounds of disproportionate cost.

The information provided in March 1972 related to retired civil servants employed in Government Departments. This number, which was estimated at 20,000–21,000, has changed little since then. The hon. Member's recent Question related to those employed both in Government Departments and in organisations for which the Government are financially responsible. As no information is available about the latter, the wider figure is, as I indicated, not available.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the shortage of officers in the TAVR; and if he will make a statement.

The TAVR officer strength as at 31st March 1973 was 4,753 against an establishment of 5,858. This is 81 per cent. of establishment. The services which are most short of officers are the medical ones on which a separate study is being made. Disregarding these posts, the officer strength of Group A Independent Units is 91 per cent. of establishment.

asked the Minister of State for Defence (1) how many members of the security forces, and of which branch, have been charged with offences against civilians in Northern Ireland; what were the offences charged; how many have been convicted and for which offences; and what were the sentences imposed and for what offences for the longest convenient period;(2) for the longest convenient period, how many members of the security forces convicted of offences against civvilians in Northern Ireland have been discharged from the security forces and which branch of the security forces; and how many convicted of such offences not discharged are still on active service in Northern Ireland.

Since December 1970, six Royal Marines and 23 soldiers have been tried in civil courts for offences against civilians in Northern Ireland. Twenty-five were charged with assault of which 14 were convicted and four were charged with wounding, of whom one was convicted. Of those convicted, one was bound over, nine were fined, one was fined and awarded a suspended prison sentence and four were sentenced to imprisonment. One soldier was discharged prior to his trial and one soldier is being discharged as a result of his conviction. Those still in the Service will continue to serve with their units wherever they may be required. These figures include on-duty and off-duty offences committed by Regular Servicemen and on-duty offences by UDR personnel.

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many households were entered and how many people arrested by the Army or other members of the security forces in Belfast on the evening of 28th–29th April last, and in which districts of Belfast.

Between 6 p.m., 28th April, and 6 a.m., 29th April, the security forces searched two houses in New Lodge and eight in the Ardoyne. During the same period, four people were arrested in Ormeau, two in New Lodge, two in Andersontown and one in Bally-marcarrett.In addition, following an ambush in which two soldiers were shot, a cordon and search operation was conducted in the Lower Falls adjacent to Leeson Street. The security forces visited 200 occupied houses and 72 empty ones, in the course of which an Armalite magazine and 17 rounds of ammunition were found. Ninety-seven people were arrested for questioning; a significant amount of information was obtained about the incident and 96 of these people were subsequently released.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what is the total number of acres of land in the ownership of his Department in the Greater London area and the six new metropolitan county areas; and how this figure compares with five years ago.

The Ministry of Defence owns 5,499 acres in the Greater London area of which some 500 acres is in course of disposal; five years ago the total owned was 6,080 acres. The relevant figures for the six new metropolitan county areas are not available at present. I will let my hon. Friend have the details as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many industrial accidents there were in the Warley area in each of the past five years.

The numbers of industrial accidents occurring in Warley county borough which have been notified to Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate during the last five years are:—

1968	…	…	…	…	1,800
1969	…	…	…	…	1,954
1970	…	…	…	…	1,782
1971	…	…	…	…	1,467
1972	…	…	…	…	1,390

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions there were for negligence causing an industrial accident in the Warley area in each of the past 10 years.

The number of firms prosecuted in the Warley area during the period 1963–1972 for contraventions the Factories Act 1961, or Regulations made under the Act, associated with accidents, is as follows:—

1963	…	…	…	…	…	4
1964	…	…	…	…	…	3
1965	…	…	…	…	…	5
1966	…	…	…	…	…	6
1967	…	…	…	…	…	2
1968	…	…	…	…	…	5
1969	…	…	…	…	…	3
1970	…	…	…	…	…	1
1971	…	…	…	…	…	3
1972	…	…	…	…	…	3

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a

Average weekly earnings
All manufacturing industries full-time men manual workers, aged 21				Agriculture hired regular whole-time workers men, aged 20 years and over. Average weekly earnings in the 12 months period			General index of retail prices
years and over United Kingdom*			£	April-March Great Britain†		£	16th January 1962 = 100
October 1964	…	…	18·67	April 1964-March 1965	…	12·79	13th October 1964	…	107·9
October 1965	…	…	20·16	April 1965-March 1966	…	13·80	12th October 1965	…	113·1
October 1966	…	…	20·78	April 1966-March 1967	…	14·55	18th October 1966	…	117·4
October 1967	…	…	21·89	Aprill967-March 1968	…	15·24	17th October 1967	…	119·7
October 1968	…	…	23·62	April 1968-March 1969	…	16·10	15th October 1968	…	126·4
October 1969	…	…	25·54	April 1969-March 1970	…	17·54	21st October 1969	…	133·2
October 1970	…	…	28·91	April 1970-March 1971	…	19·18	20th October 1970	…	143·0
October 1971	…	…	31·37	April 1971-March 1972	…	21·42	19th October 1971	…	156·4
October 1972	…	…	36·20	April 1972-March 1973	…	Not yet available	17th October 1972	…	168·7
The changes over the period October 1964-October 1971, using the nearest equivalent dates for the agricultural figures (i.e. the change between the average for April 1964-March 1965 and the average for April 1971-March 1972): were:

All manufacturing industries full-time men manual workers, aged 21 years and over, United Kingdom	Agriculture hired-regular whole-time workers, men, aged 20 years and over, Great Britain	General index of retail prices
+68 per cent.	+67·5 per cent.	+44·9 per cent.
* Since 1970, the regular inquiry into the earnings of manual workers in manufacturing and certain other industries has been held in Octobers only.
† Earnings for the year April-March in agriculture do not reflect the full effect of Agricultural Wages Board awards effective earlier that year.
Earnings in the quarter ending September 1972 for agricultural workers were £24·51.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to speed up the installation of computer-controlled traffic signal systems in cities and towns in view of the substantial reduction in accidents brought about by the system in West London.

Local authorities were invited to make provision for computer controlled traffic signal systems in May 1970. Grant from central funds at 75

The buying power of wages is affected by many factors, such as taxation, which vary with individual circumstances. The following table shows the average earnings of manual workers in manufacturing industry and agriculture for each year since 1964 and also the general index of retail prices over the same period.per cent. is available for approved schemes; 20 local authorities have so far expressed an active interest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the responsibilities and powers his Department has for planning or implementing action to reduce the risks of road accidents to vehicles carrying corrosive substances and other dangerous chemicals causing spillages which may pollute watercourses used for public water supply abstraction, or the supply of water to farms or industry.

My Department's responsibility in this field is limited to radioactive materials. The powers are in Section 5(2) and (3) of the Radioactive Substances Act 1948 and in the Radioactive Substances Act, 1948 Appropriate Minister Designation (No. 2) Order 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the sections of trunk road A40 which are still single carriageway excluding the section for which motorway M40 is an alternative; and by what dates the remaining single carriageway sections will be dualled.

The sections are:

• Oxford Northern by-pass to east of Shipton.
• East of Shipton to Andoversford.
• Andoversford to west of Cheltenham.
• Elmbridge to Gloucester Ring Road.
• Gloucester Ring Road to Over.
• A40/A48 Junction to the River Wye at Ross.

The A40 west of Oxford forms part of the strategic trunk road network and plans for its improvement throughout are in preparation or under study for completion by the early 1980s. The precise standards and timing of improvements will only be settled as preparation work proceeds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the road casualty figures for the A50 in Staffordshire in each of the past five years.

Following are the figures:

	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972
Killed	18	9	10	10	10
Seriously injured	103	91	131	98	100
Slightly injured	—	294	303	279	316
Total	—	394	444	387	426

I regret figures for slight casualties in 1968 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many accidents occurred on all Cheshire roads in 1972; and how many of these accidents were fatal.

Statistics of road accidents and casualties in local areas are a matter for the local authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total acreage of land in Bedfordshire and the percentage of the total occupied: (a) by agriculture, (b) by housing, industrial and commercial users, (c) by mineral workings, (d) by afforestation and (e) by environmental open space for recreational purposes.

Information is not available in precisely the form requested. The following, however, is an analysis of land use in the county which has been prepared by the planning department of the Bedfordshire County Council in the course of its survey work. The categories of use are broadly similar to those listed in my hon. Friend's Question.

Total area		119,000 hectares
Agricultural	…	77 per cent.
Urbanised areas	…	l0percent.
Mineral Workings	…	1 per cent.
Woodlands	…	4·5 per cent (excludess plots below 1 hectare)

The area that remains is divided into the following categories:

Water	…	25 per cent.
Unfarmed land (including rural parks and golf courses)	…	2·5 per cent.
Roadside verges and disused railways	…	05 per cent.
Remainder	…	2 per cent.

No separate figure is obtainable for recreational open space since this is included in the figure for urbanised areas except in the case of golf courses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many projects have been completed under the Operation Eyesore scheme in the Leek urban district.

The Department has approved 11 projects estimated to cost £10,557. I have no information about the number completed. No grant claims have yet been received from the council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action is now taken to limit lead content in petrol; what is the limit; and what action he is taking with the EEC to enforce limitations.

The maximum permitted lead content of petrol was reduced this year to 0·64 grammes per litre and is to be progressively reduced to 0·45 grammes per litre by the end of 1975. Proposals for further reductions are being discussed in the EEC. The limits are set in a British Standard (BS 4040). I propose to seek legislative powers to enable standards to be prescribed in regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will consider seeking to arrive at a European solution for the problems and policies of

FREIGHT TRAFFIC IN GREAT BRITAIN 1960–1972
million tons
Actual
Mode		1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972†
Road	…	1,192	1,240	1,248	1,385	1,535	1,565	1,615	1,625	1,680	1,690	1,695	1,735	1,698
Rail	…	249	238	228	235	240	229	214	201	207	207	205	196	175
Other*	…	57	61	64	74	78	87	91	87	94	98	101	105	106
Total	…	1,498	1,539	1,540	1,694	1,853	1,881	1,920	1,913	1,981	1,995	2,001	2,036	1,979
Percentage
Road	…	79	81	81	82	83	83	84	85	85	85	85	85	86
Rail	…	17	15	15	14	13	12	11	11	10	10	10	10	9
Other*	…	4	4	4	4	4	5	5	4	5	5	5	5	5
Total	…	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100
*"Other" consists of costal shipping, pipelines and inland waterways.
† Provisional or estimated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he has studied traffic flows on the M6; what have been the results; and whether he will make a statement;(2) what representations he has received concerning traffic flows on the M6; and what action he intends to take to relieve pressure.

Traffic on M6 in Staffordshire has grown steadily in recent years and certain sections are heavily loaded particularly at peak periods. Schemes now in preparation will relieve pressure on particular stretches and a study into the need for a Birmingham West Orbital route is at present being undertaken. Traffic conditions on all motorways and trunk roads and the need to plan further British Railways rather than a national solution as postulated in the transport legislation of the United Kingdom; and whether he will consider working towards the formation of a multi-European transport company incorporating both State and private participation.

I am taking full account of EEC factors in reviewing railway policy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the percentage of goods hauled by road and rail in 1972; and how this compares with the period 1960 to 1971.

The following are the figures:improvements or to undertake studies are kept continuously under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will consider, in the context of the review of local government finance, extending domestic rate relief to those people who own private garages detached from their dwellings.

The rating of private garages was one of the matters considered during the review of local government finance. The Government's proposals for the reform of local government finance will be announced in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present delay in appointments for driving tests in the Bolton area; and what plans he has for reducing this.

Fourteen weeks on 4th May. I am recruiting additional examiners as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will commission an up-to-date report on the control on motor rallies.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the applicable criteria before sanctioning the construction of a footbridge, including details

	Number of members of				Number of reports made since January
	Men	Women	Chairman		1971
Commission on Industrial Relations	9	1	Mr. George Woodcock, C.B.E.	…	12
Note: The Chairman and 6 other members (including the woman member) had resigned and were not replaced before the Commission was wound up on 8th December 1971.

Royal Commission on Environmental Pullution.	9	None Sir Brian Flowers	…	…	…	2
Note: The members exclusive of the Chairman have recently completed their term of appointment The Prime Minister will be announcing the appointment of new members shortly.

Commission on the Constitution	…	12	1	The Rt. Hon. Lord Kilbrandon	…	Still to report
Note: In addition 12 assistant commissioners (all men) were appointed to receive evidence specifically on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Royal Commission on Liability and	14	2	The Rt. Hon. Lord Pearson C.B.E.	Still to report
Royal Fine Arts Commission	17	1	Sir Colin Anderson, K.B.E.	1
Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England)	16	None	The Rt. Hon. Lord Adeane. G.C.B., G.C.V.O.	4
Note:There are in addition currently 4 ex officio Commissioners (all men).

Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments (Wales and Monmouthshire).	10	None	Professor W F. Grimes, C.B.E.…	None
Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts.	16	1	The Rt. Hon. Lord Denning, Master of the Rolls.	None
Note: Does not publish reports as such.
Questions about Royal Commissions dealing with matters specific to Scotland should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, following the release of Peter Niesewand, he will make further representations to the Rhodesian régime of the required hourly pedestrian and traffic flows.

There are no rigid criteria or minimum levels of pedestrian or vehicular flows. Provision is based on the principle that the cost should be justified by savings in time and accidents, although many other factors have to be taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the Royal Commissions which have reported since January 1971 or which are still to report, with the number of men and women members, respectively, and the names of the Chairmen.

I have been asked to reply. Following is the information:on behalf of the Chinamanos and Mr. Chitzingwa.

We have made representations to the Rhodesian authorities about the cases of these and other detainees on a number of occasions. We shall continue to do so whenever we judge that it will be helpful.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much overseas aid, and what percentage of gross national product, was provided by Her Majesty's Government in 1972.

The following are the figures:

	£ millions	Percentage of Gross National product
Net Official Development Assistance	243	—
Net Other Official Flows	7	—
Net Total Official Flows	250	0.41

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now completed his review of the grading system for probation officers proposed in the Butterworth Report; and with what result.

Any review of the "A" and "B" salary scales for main grade probation officers is in the first instance a matter for the Joint Negotiating Committee for the Probation Service. The committee will shortly examine these arrangements afresh in the light of the long-term interests of the service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will adopt the proposal in the Butterworth Report on the probation service to end prescription.

The Government have not completed their study of this recommendation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether, for the year ended 31st March 1973 and for the most recent six-months' period for which figures are available, he will provide, by the individual courts concerned separately, the number of women and girls separately sent for medical reports to the out-patient clinic at Hollo-way Prison; how many women and girls separately were remanded in custody for medical reports by courts to which the Holloway out-patient clinic was available; and whether he will make a statement;(2) whether, for the year ended 31st March 1973 and for the most recent six-months' period for which figures are available, he will state what proportion of women and girls, separately, remanded in custody for medical reports by courts to which the Holloway out-patient clinic was available, were subsequently given custodial sentences or committed to mental hospitals.

Information about the use of the out-patient clinic at Holloway Prison is given in the following tables:

April 1972 to September 1972
Court arranging appointment	No. of persons
Bow Street Magistrates' Court	1
Central Criminal Court	1
Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court	3
Ealing Magistrates' Court	1
Marlborough Street Magistrates' Court	1
Marylebone Magistrates' Court	1
North London Magistrates' Court	2
South Western Magistrates' Court	2
Stratford Magistrates' Court	1
Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court	2
West London Magistrates' Court	1
Woking Magistrates' Court	1
	17

October 1972 to March 1973
Bow Street Magistrates' Court	1
Croydon Crown Court	1
Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court	1
Ealing Magistrates' Court	1
Enfield Magistrates' Court	1
Greenwich Magistrates' Court	1
Inner London Crown Court	1
Marylebone Magistrates' Court	2
North London Magistrates' Court	3
South Western Magistrates' Court	1
Thames Magistrates' Court	1
	14

I regret that neither information about the ages of the defendants attending the clinic nor the other information for which the right hon. Member asks is readily available. During 1972, 932 persons were received into Holloway from all the courts it serves having been remanded for mental observation or state of health reports.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether, for the most recent six and 12-months' periods for which figures are available, he will provide, by the individual courts concerned separately, the number of men sent for medical reports to the out-patient clinic at Brixton Prison; how many men were remanded in custody for medical reports by courts to which the Brixton out-patient clinic was available: and whether he will make a statement;(2) whether, for the most recent six-and 12-months' periods for which figures are available, he will state what proportion of men remanded in custody for medical reports by courts to which the Brixton out-patient clinic was available were subsequently given custodial sentences or committed to mental hospitals.

The out-patient clinic at Brixton Prison was initially made available to five magistrates' courts in London in June 1972, and the service extended to all inner London magistrates' courts in November 1972. Information about the number of persons attending the clinic is given in the following tables:

June 1972 to September 1972
Court arranging appointment		No. of Persons
Camberwell Green	…	…	3
Greenwich	…	…	1
Woolwich	…	…	2
align="right">6

October 1972 to March 1973
Court arranging appointment			No. of Persons
Bow Street	…	…	6
Bromley	…	…	1
Camberwell Green	…	…	5
Lambeth	…	…	1
Marylebone	…	…	1
Old Street	…	…	1
South Western	…	…	3
Tower Bridge	…	…	2
			20

I regret that the other information for which the right hon. Member asks is not readily available and could not be obtained without examination of very large numbers of individual records. During 1972, 3,299 persons were received into Brixton from all the courts it serves having been remanded for mental observation or state of health reports.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the responsibilities and powers his Department has for planning or implementing action to reduce the risks of road accidents to vehicles carrying corrosive substances and other dangerous chemicals causing spillages which may pollute watercourses used for public water supply abstraction, or the supply of water to farms or industry.

Under the powers contained in Section 6 of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928, as applied to corrosive and other dangerous substances by Order in Council under Section 19 of the Act, regulations may be made to protect persons or property from danger in connection with the conveyance of such substances by road.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of the Thames Valley Constabulary on the picketing of Cowley Road bus depot in Oxford on 1st May.

I have received a report from the Chief Constable and I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners awaiting appeal were eligible for parole in each of the years 1970, 1971, 1972 and up to the present time in 1973;(2)how many applications for parole were received by the Parole Board from prisoners awaiting appeal in each of the years 1970, 1971, 1972 and up to the present time in 1973;(3)how many applications for parole were granted by the Parole Board to prisoners awaiting appeal, while the appeal was still pending, in each of the years 1970, 1971, 1972 and up to the present time in 1973.

I regret that this information is not available, but the numbers would be very small.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made to supply individual magistrates with copies of the brief guide to the main provisions of the Criminal Justice Justice Act 1972.

Copies of the booklet "Criminal Justice Act 1972: A Guide for the Courts" were sent to clerks to justices for distribution to each magistrate on the active list following a Home Office Circular of 8th December 1972. Arrangements have been made for new magistrates to receive copies of the guide on appointment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the stastics of theft and burglary in London over the last five years; and how the figures for Putney compare with the rest of London.

I am obtaining the available information and I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is yet in a position to announce the outcome of his review of ways and means of improving techniques and facilities in prisons for containing violent and dangerous men.

I have completed the review of the operation of dispersal policy. In this I have taken account of the views expressed to me by the Prison Officers' Association and by prison governors. I have concluded that while it would be undesirable and unsafe to concentrate in a single prison those prisoners who are most likely to cause trouble or who are in the highest security category, there is a need substantially to modify and strengthen the present system under which these prisoners are located in a limited number of special prisons.I have decided to take the following steps:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for the longest convenient period, how many complaints have been received from civilian householders in Northern Ireland and from which cities, for damage caused by the security forces, and which branch, during searches in Northern Ireland; how many householders have been compensated; how many refused compensation; and how many cases are still pending.

The following details relate to complaints received

Cases		Belfast	Londonderry	Armagh	Elsewhere in Northern Ireland	Total
Complaints received	…	221	26	5	98	350
Compensation paid	…	55	7	0	16	78
Liability denied	…	47	10	0	31	88
Pending	…	119	9	5	51	184

As many searches are conducted by joint Army/RUC teams, it would takea disproportionate amount of time to establish in each case which branch of the security forces was involved. In a large number of the pending cases further information is awaited from quantity surveyors, legal representatives or the claimants themselves.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will arrange for experiments to be conducted with mail buses in areas in Cardiganshire which are not at the moment served by any form of public transport.

This is a matter for the Post Office, which will I am sure be glad to consider any proposals the hon. Member may care to put to it.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications how many retirement pensioners in the area covered by the Macclesfied constituency benefit from the concessionary television licences scheme.

Four hundred and seven.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce regulations to prohibit the sending of free drug samples to general practitioners and hospitals except upon written application.

The desirability of this is a matter which I shall be reviewing in the course of implementation of Section 66 of the Medicines Act. But I see no reason at the moment to take such during the year ending 31st December 1972:action and the general level of sales promotion expenditure, including samples, is already discussed with pharmaceutical companies where appropriate under the Voluntary Price Regulation Scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children under 12 years of age were admitted to Mansfield General Hospital through accidental poisoning in the home for each year from 1964.

Following is the information:

1964	…	…	…	…	not available
1965	…	…	…	…	24
1966	…	…	…	…	20
1967	…	…	…	…	48
1968	…	…	…	…	62
1969	…	…	…	…	61
1970	…	…	…	…	85
1971	…	…	…	…	111
1972	…	…	…	…	57

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many cases in each of the years 1970, 1971,and up to the present time in ersons were excused payment of ontributions of national insurance beause of low income.

About 184,000 in 1970, 195,000 in 1971 and 210,000 in 1972. Figures for 1973 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will define the practice of his Department in explaining to persons applying to be excused from payment of national insurance contributions because of low income what the possible consequences are in so far as future benefits and widows' pensions are concerned.(2) if he will review the current practice of his Department in connection with explanations given to persons seeking to be excused payment of contributions of national insurance because of low income as to the likely consequences in the event of payment being excused, so that such explanations if given orally are subsequently confirmed in writing.

Persons applying to be excused payment of national insurance contributions as self-employed or non-employed persons from a current date are given a copy of the Department's leaflet about smal income exception. This explains the effect of non-payment of contributions on future benefits and in particular that widow's benefit depends on the husband's yearly average of contributions. Similar information is given where a "self-employed or non-employed person is excused from paying arreas of contributions because of his financial and other circumstances. Any additional explanation given orally would be confirmed in writing on request. We could not undertake to go beyond this.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what recommendation he has given to hospitals about the use of products, particularly talcum powder, containing hexachlorophane; and whether he will make a statement.

In February 1972 my right hon. Friend accepted and implemented a

	Bradford	Great Britain
Number of unemployed supplementary benefit recipients subject to	200	20,000
wage-stop in November 1972.
	Per cent.	Per cent.
Wage-stopped supplementary benefit recipients as a percentage of	6·4	5·2
unemployed supplementary benefit recipients in November 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans currently exist for any withdrawal or reductions of development area status and benefits in the county of Cornwall.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications for industrial development certificates for Biddulph urban district were withdrawn in 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has yet received the report of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Committee on pneumo-coniosis and its definition; and whether he will make a statement.

There is nothing I can at this stage add to my reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Openshaw (Mr. Charles R. Morris) on 5th April.—[Vol. 854, c. 181.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services for how many people in Bradford on supplementary benefit the wage-stop provision was applied; what proportion they represented of the total number of unemployed supplementary benefit claimants in Bradford; and how this figure compares with the national proportion.

Following is the latest available information:

None in the Biddulph employment exchange area.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any proposals for reducing the high rate of unemployment in the Wigan area; and if he will make a statement.

Wigan was given intermediate area status as recently as March 1972. Since then unemployment has fallen and the number of vacancies has risen and I expect this to continue as a result both of measures available under the Industry Act and as a result of the growth of the economy as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in subsequent negotiations on prices and incomes policy, especially for phase 3, whether the addition of employee participation is an issue which the Government are prepared to consider.

The Government are ready to consider any subjects which the parties to the talks wish to propose.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial assistance has been given under the Industry Act to effect expansion and growth in the supply and contracting industries connected with North Sea exploration since the Government received the IMEG Report.

Loans amounting to nearly £2 million and involving about 600 jobs have been offered to assist projects directly connected with offshore operations in the North Sea. A further 3,200 jobs are involved in applications now under consideration. These figures do not take into account assistance through regional development grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many inquiries there have been by industrialists who are contemplating developing in Wales in the first four months of 1973; and how this compares with the corresponding period in 1970.

306. This compares with 145 similar inquiries received during the first four months of 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his policy on the recommendation of the Younger Committee that an individual should have a legally enforceable right to access to information held about him.

I accept this recommendation in principle. I shall include in consumer credit legislation which is now being prepared power to license credit reference buraux and to attach to the issue of licences conditions such as provision of a right of access to information held.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his policy on the recommendation of the Younger Committee that the agency recommended by the Crowther Committee for the oversight of consumer credit should keep under review the practice of credit bureaux in acquiring and disseminating information and should ensure that developments in recording techniques and in administration take account of privacy.

I accept this recom mendation and I shall make the necessary provision in consumer credit legislation now being prepared.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether prices have been reduced in all cases where VAT is lower than purchase tax; and, if not, what action he is taking to bring them down in appropriate cases.

Purchase tax was chargeable on the wholesale value. The VAT borne by the consumer is chargeable on the retail selling price (before tax). The guide published in March gives estimates of the net effect on selected prices and charges, taking retailers mark-up into account.Under the Counter-Inflation Act 1973 prices and charges must correctly reflect the introduction of VAT and car tax and the abolition of PT and SET. Weights and Measures inspectors are handling any complaints that a price has been adjusted unfairly. Where the inspector is unable to secure a voluntary reduction he may issue a notice requiring the price to be restricted.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms in Carmarthenshire have (1) applied for assistance, and (2) been granted assistance under the Industry Act; and what is the total amount of money provided for projects in the county.

Eight firms in Carmarthenshire have applied for selective financial assistance and one offer has been made. I am unable to give details of the offer without breaking commercial confidence. Assistance is also being provided through Regional Development Grants.