asked the Minister of State for Defence (1) how many members of the security forces in Northern Ireland have been or are attached to the Military Reaction Force or a similar body;(2) how many persons being, or suspected of being, members of loyalist or republican terrorist groups in Northern Ireland are now helping the Military Reaction Force or its successors in its work.

It would be helpful to the terrorists to provide this information.

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces who have deserted from Her Majesty's service, or are or have been absent without leave, and were born in Northern Ireland, have been or are employed and on what duties by the security forces in Northern Ireland.

No deserters from Her Majesty's Forces are at present employed on plain-clothes patrols in Northern Ireland. In the past, two soldiers who were born in Northern Ireland and who had previously deserted were employed on such duties.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what is, or was, or is

				Number of new primary schools completed	Number of primary school extension projects completed	Value of new primary schools completed £00	Value of primary school extension projects completed £00
1970–71	…	…	…	7	1	608	56
1971–72	…	…	…	9	3	645	148
1972–73	…	…	…	4	2	258	80

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT at the earliest practicable date the number of local education authorities who have submitted proposals in response to circular 2/73, the number of projects involved and the total cost of these projects.

It is not our practice to give the kind of information sought in this Question.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what is the total, in square miles, of Scottish coastal waterways to which public access is restricted for military and allied reasons.

I refer the hon. Member to my letter to him of 20th November 1972 in reply to a similar Question.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent on primary school building in Staffordshire in each of the past three years; and how many primary schools were built in Staffordshire in each of these years.

The following table gives the number of major primary school projects completed in Staffordshire in each of the three years, and the cost of those projects. Information about the expenditure incurred during those years on work in progress is not available in the Department.

Up to yesterday, 55 education authorities in England had submitted capital programmes costing about £6.9 million in 1974–75 and £6.9 million in 1975–76. They were not asked for details of individual projects. I hope soon to receive proposals from the remaining 91 authorities, and to announce allocations for both years before the end of the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the mileage of all-purpose dual carriageways in use on strategic trunk roads and on other trunk roads, respectively, as at 30th April.

The latest available figures are 670 miles on strategic trunk roads and 350 miles on other trunk roads. These figures exclude motorway mileage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, giving the mileage in respect of each, those trunk motorways or lengths of motorway in preparation, firmly programmed, under construction, and those motorways or lengths of motorways in use, respectively, as at 30th April.

Except for the following schemes which are now under construction, the list is as published when I answered my hon. Friend's Question on 30th April last.—[Vol. 855, c. 235–8.]

	Miles	RCU Region
M5 Birmingham-Bristol-Exeter Motorway
Huntworth-Blackbrook	6·6	SW
Cullompton-Sandygate (inc. Exteer Spur)	9·2	SW
M18 Rotherham-Goole Motorway
Thorne-East Cowick	4·7	NE
M62 Lancashire-Yorkshire Motorway
Pollington-Rawcliffe	4·0	NE
Rawcliffe-Balkholme (Road works)	7·2	NE

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, showing the mileage in respect of each, those local authority motorways or lengths of motorway in use, under construction, motorway schemes confirmed by the Secretary of State, and those made by the local authority and submitted to the Secretary of State for confirmation, respectively, as at 30 April.

Except for the "East Cross Route Stage I—(London) A102(M) —0·9 miles" which is now in use, the list is as published when I answered my hon. Friend's Question on 30th April last:— [Vol. 855, c. 237–9.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to carry out a further review of the penalties for driving offences.

These penalties are kept under review. Any necessary changes will be put before Parliament when there is an opportunity for legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities are not participating in Operation Eyesore.

Forty-four of the 540 local authorities eligible have not submitted schemes, but in some areas county councils have submitted schemes on behalf of their district councils.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals his Department has received against planning decisions made by the council of the London borough of Sutton in each of the last five years.

The information is not available for 1968. Nine planning appeals were received in 1969, eight in 1970, seven in 1971 and 16 in 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals against planning decisions by the council of the London borough of Sutton have been upheld by his Department in each of the last five years.

The information is not available for 1968. Four planning appeals were allowed in 1969, four in 1970, one in 1971 and seven in 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals against planning decisions by the council of the London borough of Sutton are at present awaiting his decision.

Eighteen planning appeals are at present awaiting decision either by my right hon. and learned Friend or by inspectors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has approved the proposed increased charges for stalls in the Long Eaton Urban District Council's new market; and by what percentage charges are being increased.

No. The local market traders association has objected to the charges and I shall consider its representations before reaching a decision. The proposed charges are roughly 50 per cent. higher than those for the old market but the council says that the facilities offered are far better.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses were started in England and Wales in 1970, 1971 and 1972.

The number of dwellings reported started were as follows: —

1970	…	…	…	…	282,409
1971	…	…	…	…	309,945
1972	…	…	…	…	316,957

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the estimate given by the Minister of Housing and Construction on 9th March, of £10·5 million as the cost of the new parliamentary building is still the best estimate that he can give; and if not, what figure should be substituted.

When on 9th March I gave this estimate, I added that this figure of £10·5 million could well turn out to be on the low side. In the light of further information available to me and after consultation with the architects of the winning design and their quantity surveyors, my best estimate of the cost at 31st March 1973 prices would be £11·55 million. This cost, of course, relates only to the items covered by the architectural competition and does not cover the many other supplementary matters dealt with in my speech of 9th March.—[Vol. 852, c. 764.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the precise terms of reference and the composition of the committee appointed in 1972 to investigate the functions of valuers employed in the public service in relation to the land transactions of local authorities; when the committee presented its report; when the report will be published; and when the government will announce their views.

The terms of reference were:

"To examine the functions of valuers in local government and in the valuation office of the Board of Inland Revenue in relation to the land transactions of local authorities and, having regard both to the public benefit in its widest sense and to the expressed need for economy in the use of professional valuers, to consider the various facets of valuation undertaken by local authority officers and the valuation officer and to advise on the appropriate distribution of those functions in connection with such transactions."

The committee comprised:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any evidence that the illegal régime in Rhodesia has acquired locomotives and rolling stock in recent months.

We have recently submitted a note to the United Nations Sanctions Supervisory Committee on this matter. The details must remain confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requirements have been instituted by the Libyan Government regarding the use by British diplomats or their families of passports or other documents written in Arabic; and what restrictions have been introduced by the Libyan Government in respect of those not carrying such passports or documents in Arabic.

The Libyan Government introduced a requirement on 1st January that all foreigners should have Arabic as one of the languages in their passports, health documents and international driving licences. They have generally exempted businessmen and residents in Libya from the requirements. Diplomatists and their families have not been exempt but those already accredited have until recently been able to return to Libya from abroad.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the British Council breached its rules of not allowing party political talks to enable a Communist Party spokesman to address foreign students at its London centre.

The British Council does not provide a platform for party political speakers at its London Student Centre. On the other hand, it does not ban speakers because of their political views. Mr. Jimmie Reid spoke on 13th May in his capacity as Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow about his conception of the Office of Lord Rector.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what extent he estimates that the compensatory payments paid to Eire pig producers by the EEC have led to illegal importation of pigs from Northern Ireland into Eire; and what representations he has made to the Common Market Commission about the situation.

Prices obtained for pigs in the Irish Republic have recently been higher than those in Northern Ireland for a number of reasons, including the payment of compensatory amounts on bacon sold in the United Kingdom. However, it is not possible to make any meaningful estimate of the effect of this particular factor in isolation.The purpose of compensatory amounts is to offset the effects of higher cereal prices in the Republic, but they should also be applied as import levies on trade from Northern Ireland to the Republic.Discussions with the authorities in the Republic are proceeding in an endeavour to find means of preventing importation of pigs into the Republic without payment of levies.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what effect the higher price paid to bacon curers in the Irish Republic has had on the price to pig producers and on the bacon curing trade in Northern Ireland.

The higher prices obtained on the British market by curers in the Irish Republic have created an additional incentive to the illegal movement of pigs from Northern Ireland. As a result, throughput of bacon factories in Northern Ireland has been reduced but there has been no adverse effect on producer prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of the report made by an American market research firm on the Aldegrove Airport extension; who requested that this report should be compiled; in what major matters it runs counter to the Snow Report; and which of its recommendations he proposes to adopt.

In February 1972 the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, in consultation with the Ministry of Development, commissioned Booz-Allen and Hamilton International to consider the long-term development of Aldergroye airport and to make recommendations to ensure that the airport facilities would be adequate to meet the long-term projected traffic needs and that the proposals would be properly co-ordinated with the overall physical development strategy for Northern Ireland. The cost of payments to the consultants for this work was £62,000.In view of the terms of reference it is difficult to compare this study with the work of Sir Frederick Snow and Partners, although I understand the partnership concurs in the physical development strategy recommended in the Booz-Allen and Hamilton study. There are variations between the proposals made by the different consultants. The Ministry of Development is studying the environmental aspects of the proposals and is consulting the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company and the airports company about the financial implications. It is not possible to make any announcement at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of the Snow Report on the terminal building extension at Aldergrove airport.

I am advised that the fees were £7,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will announce that the Government have no intention of cancelling all debts for rent, rates, gas, electricity, school fees and other charges, accumulated as a consequence of the civil disobedience campaign organised by the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland

It has been made clear on a number of occasions—most recently in my right hon. Friend's statement of 13th March 1973—that all such debts will have to be paid.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the statistics for theft and burglary and armed robbery in Northern Ireland and separately in North Down for each of the past four years.

The numbers of these offences in Northern Ireland known to the Royal Ulster Constabulary are as follows:

			Theft	Burglary	Robbery (including Armed Robbery)
1969	…	…	8,363	7,509	89
1970	…	…	9,538	11,405	109
1971	…	…	9,096	10,481	640
1972	…	…	8,757	9,439	2,310

Separate figures for armed robbery are only available from 1971. In that year there were 489 cases of armed robbery, including attempts, and in 1972 there were 1,931 cases.Corresponding statistics for North Down are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Protestants and how many Roman Catholics are employed by the Hotel and Catering Industry Training Board in Northern Ireland; and how many Protestant and Roman Catholic employees have been trained by the training board or with the aid of grant from the board since its inception.

This information is not recorded.

asked the Secretatry of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to ensure that those who have lived in a home for the elderly for a period exceeding 10 years shall not be evicted after reaching the age of 90 years unless some suitable alternative accommodation is found for them.

I do not consider such legislation is necessary. If my hon. Friend has in mind a particular case where evictions of this kind are taking place, I will gladly look into the matter if he will send me details.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, under the Social Security Bill, in cases in which members of the Reserve Pension Scheme defer their pension beyond pensionable age, there will be an option to continue paying contributions up to actual retirement or for five years, whichever is the less.

No. I regret that when the Social Security Bill was being considered on Report I mistakenly said at one point that reserve scheme contributions would continue to be paid after pensionable age where a person goes on working. Under the Bill, such contributions will cease in all cases at the beginning of the income tax year in which the employee attains pensionable age. It would cause substantial complications for the contributions to go on beyond that, on either an optional or compulsory basis, since that is the point at which recognised pensionable employment ceases and it is fundamental to the arrangements that reserve scheme contributions should be payable only as an alternative to such employment.—[Vol. 856, c. 690.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many industrial development certificates were granted in England in 1972; and how this figure compares with the figure for 1970.

There were 2,420 IDCs approved in England in 1972, but a meaningful comparison cannot be made with 1970 as IDCs have not been required in the development and special development areas since July 1972 and the exemption limit has been raised twice since the beginning of 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the rights in the United Kingdom, following the enactment of the Pakistan Bill, of Pakistanis who register for British citizenship with regard to employment, deportation and bringing dependants into this country.

A citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies who acquires that citizenship by registration in the United Kingdom is patrial under the Immigration Act 1971 and exempt from immigration control. He is free to take employment and is not liable to deportation. His dependants are admissible to join him for settlement in accordance with the Statement of Immigration Rules for Control on Entry—EEC and other non-Commonwealth nationals (HC 81).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the rights in the United Kingdom, following enactment of the Pakistan Bill, of Pakistanis who do not register for British citizenship with regard to employment, deportation and bringing dependants into this country.

Citizens of Pakistan who are not registered as citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies after the passing of the Pakistan Bill will be subject to conditions restricting or prohibiting employment only if these were attached to their leave to enter this country. Their liability to deportation would be that of foreign nationals, subject to the transitional provisions contained in paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 to the Bill. Dependants would be admissible for settlement in accordance with the Statement of Immigration Rules for Control on Entry—EEC and other non-Commonwealth nationals (HC 81).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Pakistanis resident in the United Kingdom have the right to register for British citizenship prior to the enactment of the Pakistan Bill.

Those who have completed five years' continuous ordinary residence here; but, if the Pakistan Bill receives the Royal Assent in its present form, applications from those who became citizens of Pakistan after Pakistan left the Commonwealth on 30th January 1972 will have to have been received not later than 14th May 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the increase in the number of children under 12 years of age being admitted to hospitals through accidental poisoning in their homes, he will introduce legislation to make sure that manufacturers print the names of chemicals contained in their goods and any known antidote for them, so that doctors can act immediately in an emergency.

Names of listed poisons are already required to be shown on the labels of products containing them, and I do not consider that we should be justified in extending this requirement to all chemicals. I understand that doctors can obtain immediate advice from the national poisons information centres, at any time of the day or night, about the toxicity of household products and appropriate treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men, how many women, how many boys under 18 years of age and how many girls under 18 years of age were reported to the Metropolitan Police as missing during 1972 but were not listed as missing and included in the particulars supplied to the hon. Member for Leicester, North-West, by the Minister of State to the Home Office on 9th May 1973.

Many people, although reported to the Metropolitan Police as missing, are traced during the initial inquiries and are not for statistical purposes recorded as missing. In addition to the total given to the hon. and learned Member on 9th May of 3,815 persons recorded as missing by the Metropolitan Police in 1972, a further 15,887 persons were reported as missing in 1972 but traced during initial inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department upon what

DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO TUBERCULOSIS
		Rate per 10,000 population
		1971		1972 (provisional)
Table (a)		Number	Rate	Number	Rate
Anglesey	…	2	0·33	3	0·50
Breconshire	…	3	0·57	1	0·10
Caernarvonshire	…	13	1·06	6	0·50
Cardiganshire	…	—	—	1	0·18
Carmarthenshire	…	6	0·37	7	0·43
Denbighshire	…	9	0·40	3	0·16
Flintshire	…	6	0·34	6	0·34
Glamorgan	…	33	0·44	31	0·41
Merioneth	…	2	0·57	5	1·44
Monmouthshire	…	9	0·26	8	0·23
Montgomeryshire	…	—	—	1	0·23
Pembrokeshire	…	5	0·51	2	0·21
Radnorshire	…	—	—	—	—
Cardiff County Borough Council	…	11	0·40	7	0·26
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council	…	2	0·36	2	0·36
Newport County Borough Council	…	1	0·09	7	0·63
Swansea County Borough Council	…	7	0·41	3	0·18
Wales	…	108	0·40	93	0·34

Table (b)					Rate and year
United Kingdom	…	…	…	…	0·31(1971)
France	…	…	…	…	0·82(1970)
West Germany	…	…	…	…	0·82(1970)
Italy	…	…	…	…	0·67(1971)
Holland	…	…	…	…	0·16(1971)
Belgium	…	…	…	…	0·76(1969)
Denmark	…	…	…	…	0·29(1970)
Norway	…	…	…	…	0·26(1970)
Sweden	…	…	…	…	0·47(1970)

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to a Question by him on 15th May.—[Vol. 856, c. 288.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many deaths per 10,000 of the population were attributed in each of the counties and county boroughs of Wales on the last available count to tuberculosis; and what are the comparable figures for the United Kingdom as a whole and for France, Western Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Table (a) below contains the figures for 1971 and provisional figures for 1972 in respect of the counties and county boroughs of Wales; and table (b) the latest available figures for the countries requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set up a working party to study the need for establishing an ENT consultant at Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth.

No. I look to the Welsh Hospital Board to formulate the plans for the hospital service in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of general practitioners in Wales are in group practice; and what proportion of these groups practise from health centres.

At 1st October 1972, 62 per cent. and 17 per cent., respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many nurses in Welsh National Health Service hospitals are recruited through private nursing agencies; and what is the total amount paid out to these nurses and the agencies involved.

The figures fluctuate. There were one agency nurse and three agency midwives on 30th September 1972.The total amount paid to nursing agencies by Welsh hospital authorities in the last financial year was £8,303.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much more land remains to be acquired for the proposed new General Hospital at Bangor; and if he will make a statement.

Of the original site of 46 acres, some 3 acres remain to be acquired. Negotiations have been completed and lawyers have been instructed to effect the purchase. It has recently been found necessary to acquire two further parcels of land—about ½ acre— and negotiations are proceeding.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the annual expenditure attributed to social services in the Financial Statement 1973– 74 is spent on health services.

Health services represent 55 per cent. of the total of Class VII of the Estimates, which is entitled "Social Services" and listed in Table 10 of the 1973–74 Financial Statement. This figure is, however, misleading in that education expenditure—commonly regarded as part of the social services—is contained in Class VIII of the Estimates. If education is included, the proportion drops to 48 per cent. These figures, however, relate only to central Government Supply expenditure. More comprehensive figures, including all relevant local authority expenditure and the outgoings of the National Insurance Funds, are to be found in last December's Public Expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 5178), and on that basis the proportion becomes 22 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now zero rate tickets or entrance charges for all entertainment performances from value aded tax.

No.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the likely effect of Common Market regulations on the supply of herbage seeds from North America and New Zealand; what is the likely impact on the price of herbage seeds; what representations he has received on this subject; and if he will make a statement.

The new subsidy available under these regulations is designed to improve the return on good quality herbage seed production in the United Kingdom and other member countries. It is too early to judge whether, and if so how far, it may also lead to reduced Community dependence upon supplies from third countries. As hitherto, any price fluctuations are likely to vary between different species and to reflect factors such as world demand and the yield and quality of seed harvests rather than the introduction of the subsidy.We have discussed this new measure with both the Canadian and New Zealand authorities as well as with the United Kingdom Seeds Industry. The latter made representations that our producers should have the full benefit of the new EEC subsidy from the start, and, as my right hon. Friend announced on 21st February 1973, this was in fact achieved. —[Vol. 851, c. 473.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the rate of import duty on beef and fat cattle imported into the EEC; and whether he will seek a reduction in this duty in view of the shortage of beef.

The Council of Ministers decided at its meeting on 28th April—1st May to continue the suspension of the duties on imports into the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland at nil and those on imports into the remainder of the Community at 10 per cent. on beef and 8 per cent. on fat cattle until 16th September 1973. My right hon. Friend sees no advantage in re-opening the subject.