asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a report on the research that is being conducted by the East Mailing Research Station on new techniques for the mass production of coconuts.

I have been asked to reply.The research being carried out at East Mailing Research Station is part of a programme financed by my Department, on behalf of developing countries, to propagate improved coconut material by vegetative reproduction; tissue culture techniques are done in a controlled environment laboratory. At East Mailing the work is on reproduction from the root tissues, and at Wye College on reproduction from the inflorescence tissues. The research is being carried out in collaboration with the Coconut Industry Board in Jamaica, which also supplies the coconut material for East Mailing and Wye College. The whole programme is likely to cost about £80,000 over six years, of which the East Mailing share may be about £21,000.The work at East Mailing is particularly important because the potential for improvement of tropical tree crops—by selection, breeding, and multiplication by vegetative means—is very great. Improved genotypes have already been produced for rubber, cocoa, tea and coffee. In the case of coconuts, as with dates and oil palms, clonal propagation is impossible without the new techniques now being investigated. Production of coconut hybrids is a recent development, but the use of these on a large scale would be expensive and would need skilled techniques. Stabilisation of a "fixed hybrid" which can be propagated by seed, while retaining the desirable characters, would need countless generations of selection within the hybrid population.The technique of tissue culture could well provide a means of vegetative propagation, and consequently a rapid means of breeding and seed production.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is satisfied that magistrates are fully aware of the penalties they can impose for pollution offences under the Oil in Navigable Waters Act.

Magistrates attend sentencing conferences and exercises at which all aspects of sentencing are discussed. It is, of course, the duty of magistrates to inform themselves of the penalties they may impose in respect of the cases which come before them.

asked the Attorney-General whether he has yet received the report from the Director of Public Prosecutions in respect of possible legal action to be taken against the National Front for contravention of Section 6 of the Race Relations Act in its leaflet entitled "Warning", which was recently distributed in South London; and if he will make a statement.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has considered whether there are grounds for instituting proceedings under Section 6 of the Race Relations Act 1965 against the publishers and distributors of this leaflet. After consultation with me he decided that the prospect of obtaining a conviction was not sufficiently strong to justify the institution of proceedings.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many copies of the consultative document "The Control of Firearms in Great Britain" have been printed and distributed to the public; and how this figure compares with other Green Papers published by the Government in the last convenient period.

12,500 copies of the consultative document "The Control of Firearms in Great Britain" have been printed. To date about 8,300 copies have been distributed of which approximately 6,200 have been sold to the public. Comparative figures for other Green Papers published during the past year are as follows:

	Date published	Number of copies sold
Land Tenure Reform in Scotland.	July 1972	2,600
Agricultural and Horticultural Marketing.	October 1972	3,400
Proposals for a Tax Credit System.	October 1972	19,700
Future of Northern Ireland Paper for Discussion.	November 1972	13,900
The Price and Pay Code. A Consultative Document.	February 1973	82,700
The Channel Tunnel Project.	March 1973	1,950

asked the Minister for the Civil Service when he expects to make a statement on the Government's policy arising from the Hardman Report on the dispersal of Government work from London.

The Government's policy is as stated on page vi of Cmnd. 5322 and in the answer given by the Prime Minister on 13th June to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward Taylor).

asked the Minister of State for Defence when he will make public the now completed report of the Donaldson Committee of Inquiry into the financial control of catering in the Services.

Lord Donaldson presented his report to me on 8th June 1973. We have made arrangements for publication and I expect this to take place towards the end of next month. I should like to take this opportunity of thanking Lord Donaldson and his colleagues on the committee for their thorough and hard work in producing this valuable report so quickly.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will arrange for the percentage of low level military aircraft flights over Wales to be reduced to some 5 per cent. of the United Kingdom total so as to correspond with the percentage which the population of Wales bears to that of the United Kingdom as a whole.

No.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what steps have been taken to dispose of Tonfannau Camp; and whether he will make a statement.

Tonfannau Camp and associated sites were declared redundant in September 1970. Merioneth County Council was interested in acquiring the camp but disposal had to be deferred, firstly because of a possible Home Office requirement, since withdrawn, and more recently because the camp was used to accommodate Asian refugees from Uganda. The camp was vacated on 27th February 1973 and discussions resumed with the county council, but part of the camp may have to be retained for a new Service requirement.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will list

	CBE	OBE (Meritorious Service)	MBE (Gallantry)	MBE (Meritorious Service)	Mentioned in Despatches
UDR	—	1	1	4	5
Regular Army (attached UDR)	1	2	—	2	—

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many members of the Forces have their wages or salaries paid directly by cheque; and what proportion this is of all members of the Forces.

Over 200,000 of the total strength of the Armed Forces have their pay credited directly to a bank account either at home or overseas. This represents nearly 60 per cent. of the total strength. The money is generally transferred direct to bank accounts and very few individuals receive their pay directly by cheque.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the number of teachers, males and females separately, leaving training colleges, who do not enter teaching within three years, for the last five full years for which figures are available.

This information is not available. About 90 per cent. out of the number who successfully completed initial training courses in the previous year—other than in certain specialist colleges—take up their first posts in maintained primary and secondary schools. A proportion of the remainder obtain posts in other educational institutions, here or elsewhere.

A total of 11 awards for gallantry or meritorious service has been made to members of the Ulster Defence Regiment. In addition, five awards have been made to members of the Regular Army in respect of service while attached to the regiment. The awards have been as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will give an estimate of the cost to public funds of awards of mandatory grants to students in place of discretionary awards for the current academic year and the basis upon which the financial calculation is made.

Bearing in mind the many different kinds of discretionary award and the other variable factors, it is not possible to produce a reliable estimate on the information available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what inquiries she has asked for regarding the structural position of buildings at the Civic College, Ipswich; and when she expects to receive a report.

This is one of 15 educational establishments which are being specially checked following the collapse of the Camden Girl's School roof. The local education authority has begun a thorough investigation, but I cannot say at this stage how long it will take.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will consider introducing legislation to permit local authorities to make discretionary grants for students at the Open University.

Local education authorities already have the power under Section 2 of the Education Act 1962 to make grants to students taking Open University courses. I drew their attention to this in a circular issued on 5th April 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the price index for household coal on 1st January 1960, 1965, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973, taking the price on 1st January 1960 as 100.

Following are the indices of retail prices of household

					June 1973		June 1970
					Number	Percentage rate of unemployment	Number	Percentage rate of unemployment
Leek	…	…	…	…	163	1·3	148	1·2
*Cheadle	…	…	…	…	138	Rate not available—see footnote	134	Rate not available—see footnote
*Biddulph	…	…	…	…	121		163
*Kidsgrove	…	…	…	…	293		305
*Employment exchange areas which are part of the Stoke-on-Trent travel-to-work area, for which the unemployment rate was 1·8 per cent. in June 1973 and 2·2 per cent. in June 1970. Rates can be calculated for this area as a whole but not separately for its constituent parts.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men and women in the employment exchange areas covering the Liverpool borough have been unemployed for one year and over.

In the employment exchange areas which correspond to the Liverpool city borough there were 6,404 males and 305 females unemployed for over 52 weeks at 9th April, the latest date for which the information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of employees whose wages and salaries are paid direct by cheque; and what proportion this is of all employees.

A social survey commissioned in 1969 by the NJAC Committee on Methods of Payment of Wages

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were unemployed at the most recent count in the employment areas in the Leek parliamentary constituency; and how these figures compare with those obtaining in the comparable month of 1970.

Following is the information:estimated that about 2¼ million employees were paid by cheque which represented about 10 per cent. of the working population.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about his policy concerning box junctions.

Box junction markings are a useful aid to traffic movement at some but not all types of junction. Each case has to be assessed on its merits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what efforts have been made by his Department to inform the residents of North Somerset and South Gloucestershire in the new county of Avon that the new Bristol District Council will not have the same resources as the present Bristol City Council.

The rateable value of Bristol will not be changed by local government reorganisation. The grant resources of the new authorities will depend on the new grant arrangements on which I am now consulting the local authority associations.

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. Approvals ceased after 10th May 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received a copy of the report of the joint negotiating committee for salary provisions for chief officers; if he has made any recommendations thereon; and what steps to ensure uniformity of interpretation he is taking.

I have seen a copy of the report but I have no power to intervene in these matters. It will be for the Pay Board to decide whether the agreement complies with the code. The agreement provides for the joint negotiating committee itself to monitor implementation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a circular advising local authorities to delay any decisions on the joint negotiating committee for chief officers of local authorities salary provisions for chief officers until the conclusion of the talks on phase 3.

No. I am glad to see that the new local authorities are now appointing their chief officers. In doing so they need to indicate the salaries they propose to pay.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the overall percentage increase in the pro- posed salary provisions for chief officers of local authorities as recommended by the joint negotiating committee compared with existing salaries.

The settlement recommends salary scales for new posts with new authorities, and I understand that these scales have been negotiated on the basis of overall equivalence to the salaries now being paid by existing authorities for comparable work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the application for a panda crossing on the Hadleigh Road at Ipswich which has been referred to him by the Ipswich County Borough Council.

A decision should be reached this month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has studied the joint working party report of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Royal Town Planning Institute in respect of local authority planning applications; and what action he proposes to take on its recommendations.

Yes. A meeting with the joint working party is to be held next week.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the aggregate percentage of persons in Great Britain who are living at a housing density greater than 1·5 persons per room; and what are the equivalent figures for EEC countries and other countries in Europe, and also United States of America and Japan.

In the 1971 Census, 1·8 per cent. of private households in Great Britain were living at a density of over 1·5 persons per room; these households contained 3·8 per cent. of all people in private households. Figures available for other countries are generally percentages of dwellings occupied at a density of 1·5 persons or more per room, extracted from censuses. They are not on a common basis principally because of differences over the inclusion of kitchens in the count of rooms.

PERCENTAGE OF DWELLINGS OCCUPIED AT A DENSITY OF 1·5 OR MORE PERSONS PER ROOM
EEC countries
Great Britain	1971	l·8*†
Belgium	1961	3·8
Denmark	1965	12·9
France	1968	198
Ireland	1966	18·2†
Italy	1961	34·0
Luxembourg	1960	2·9
Netherlands	1956	9·6
West Germany	1960	8·5
Other European countries
Austria	1970	13·3
Bulgaria	1965	38·4
Czechoslovakia	1961	37·9
Finland	1960	42·4
Greece	1961	51·4
Hungary	1970	35·7
Norway	1960	8·5
Poland	1960	60·3
Portugal	1960	35·9†
Romania	1966	43·1
Sweden	1965	6·8
Switzerland	1960	3·5
Yugoslavia	1961	55·4
U.S.A.	1970	2·2*
Japan	1968	27·2
*More than 1·5 persons per room.
† Households.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what he estimates to be the current total public expenditure devoted directly to antipollution purposes; what this is as a percentage of the gross national product; and what are the equivalent figures for EEC countries, other European countries, United States of America and Japan.

Because of the difficulties of definition involved the estimate asked for in the first part of the Question cannot be derived or, consequently, expressed as a proportion of gross national product; and valid international comparisons on this basis have not hitherto proved practicable. However, expenditure from public funds and by industry on the control of pollution in the United Kingdom is steadily increasing to meet strict environmental requirements, which compare favourably with those in other countries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many convic- tions were obtained for offences connected with the pollution of rivers and streams in England and Wales; and what was the average fine awarded for these offences during 1972.

I have been asked to reply.I am arranging to obtain such information as is available, and I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total number of incidents of river pollution noted by the responsible authorities during 1971 and 1972 and the total number of cases in each year where prosecution followed.

I regret that the information asked for in the first part of the Question is not available, since river authorities are not required to publish or make returns of the numbers of incidents. We intend to provide, in legislation that my right hon. and learned Friend hopes to introduce in the present Parliament, for more information of this kind to be made available to the public.The second part of the Question is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to reply to the letter dated 18th June from the right hon. Member for Kettering concerning the allocation of Italian specific contract road haulage permits requested by S. Patrick Limited, Leather Manufacturers, Kettering, Northants.

Very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is aware that the delay in allocating Italian specific contract road haulage permits to S. Patrick Limited, Leather Manufacturers, Kettering, is hindering the export of leather to Italy; and if he will take steps to expedite this matter.

I am writing to the right hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will formulate plans to encourage the development of waste disposal factories throughout the country, and open discussions with local authorities on the matter.

My Department is working out proposals for a new legislative framework for waste disposal. A copy of the consultation document is in the Library, and I am sending a copy to the hon. Member. The proposals are being discussed with the local authority associations and other interested bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many non-scheme ports have implemented the recommendations, accepted by the Government, of the final report on non-scheme ports and wharves to eliminate the casual engagement of labour, and bring parity in wages, pensions, sick pay and social amenities.

I have been asked to reply.Following discussions with both sides of the industry my Department informed the undertakings concerned that the Government hoped that the matters raised in the recommendations of the National Ports Council could be resolved by local negotiation. The trade union was informed that if there were differences which could not be resolved in this way it was open to it or the employer to seek the help of my Department's conciliation and advisory service. My regional officers have received one approach from the union and discussions are being arranged.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received protesting against live hare coursing; what replies he has sent; and if he will make a statement.

About 50 letters in the last 12 months. Correspondents are told that it is customary in animal welfare matters of this sort for any legislative initiatives to be left to private Members.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now make a statement on the report of the Departmental Committee on Liquor Licensing.

A large number of interested organisations and individuals have expressed views on the recommendations in the report, and these are being considered. I have no statement to make at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to finalise his consideration of the application for British citizenship made by Mr. Abdul Hafeez, of 8, Swayfield Avenue, Manchester, 13, bearing in mind that the information requested on 23rd May was sent to him on 25th June by the Manchester Pakistan Welfare and Information Centre.

As soon as Mr. Hafeez has taken the oath of allegiance, about which a letter was sent to him yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for relieving the Crown Court of minor criminal cases.

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor and I are aware of the heavy pressure on, and delays in, the Crown Court, and of the widespread view that the law at present allows too many cases to go for trial there. But we are also conscious of the major issues that would be raised by any proposal to alter the types of case in which there is a right to elect trial by jury. We have come to the conclusion that the division of criminal jurisdiction between the Crown Court and the magistrates' courts should be examined by an independent body, and we therefore propose to appoint a committee with the following terms of reference:

"To consider within the framework of the existing court structure what should be the distribution of criminal business between the Crown Court and magistrates' courts: and what changes in law and practice are desirable to that end."

I am glad to say that Lord Justice James has agreed to be chairman of this committee. My noble Friend and I will announce the other members as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement on the future of the regional employment premium.

There have been a number of discussions recently at official level with the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress. We will be giving full consideration to the position following these talks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ask the EEC Commission to ascertain how much of the 1973 EEC Information Budget is spent in the United Kingdom.

The Commission of the European Communities was con-

RELATIVE INCOME OF TAXPAYERS
			England			Scotland
			Total Net Income before tax			Total Net Income before tax
Year			Number of cases	Amount £	Average £	Number of cases	Amount £	Average £
1966–67	…	…	18,585	20,849	1,122	1,797	1,856	1,033
1967–68	…	…	18,638	21,931	1,177	1,821	1,991	1,094
1968–69	…	…	19,037	23,740	1,247	1,747	1,986	1,137
1969–70	…	…	18,368	25,099	1,366	1,877	2,450	1,310
1970–71	…	…	18,219	28,465	1,562	1,754	2,596	1,480
*The deduction card limit was £275 p.a. for the years 1966–67, 1967–68 and 1968–69; £330 p.a. for 1969–70 and £420 p.a. for 1970–71.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much cannabis has, to the knowledge of the authorities, been smuggled into Great Britain over the last 12 months; what the figures are for the previous 12-month period; and what proposals he has to give the Customs and Excise Department more specialised manpower to deal exclusively with this problem.

In 1972 Customs seized 10,032 lb. of cannabis and cannabis resin suited and gave its fullest co-operation, before I answered the hon. Member's Question on the same subject on 28th June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has of the relative income of Scottish and English taxpayers in each of the past five years.

The figures for the five latest available years are as follows. They are derived from the annual "Survey of Personal Incomes" carried out by the Board of Inland Revenue and the incomes covered are as defined for tax namely, they only include those incomes above the deduction card limit^* which are reviewed for tax purposes.The allocation of taxpayers to regions and countries was, prior to 1969–70, on the basis of place of assessment but since then it has been on the basis of place of residence. Consequently the figures for the years 1966–67, 1967–68 and 1968–69 are not strictly comparable with those for 1969–70 and 1970–71.which would otherwise have been smuggled into this country. In 1971, Customs seizures of cananbis and cannabis resin totalled 5,513 lb. Most of the Customs staff engaged on preventive work are concerned with activities against drug smuggling along with their other duties. The number of officers who specialise in activities against drug smuggling was substantially increased at the beginning of this year, and staffing needs are under continual review in the light of developments in this area.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will give a general direction to the Post Office that it should not refuse to accept an applicant for a Giro account without stating a reason.

No. This is a management matter for the Post Office.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now publish the report of the Security Commission on the Bingham and Hinchliffe cases.

Yes. On 28th July 1972, I announced that I had asked the Security Commission to investigate and report upon the circumstances in which Sub. Lieutenant D. J. Bingham and Mr. L. M. Hinchliffe were charged with offences under the Official Secrets Act, and upon any related failure of departmental security arrangements or neglect of duty, and in the light of the investigation to advise whether any changes in security arrangements were necessary or desirable.As the introduction to the report makes clear, the commission was unable to complete the process of taking evidence until after the legal proceedings against Mrs. Bingham were complete. Once that inhibition was removed, the commission finished its task quickly, and on 3rd May reported to me that there had been no neglect of duty on the part of individual officers or failure of departmental security arrangements.The commission did, however, make three suggestions for improving security procedures. As a result of these suggestions, the standing instructions are being amended so as to bring to the attention of all Departments the significance, in a security context, of an individual's financial difficulties, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is arranging to make spot checks on secret and top secret material at diplomatic posts abroad outside as well as during working hours.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current weekly cost to a local authority of keeping a child in care.

Costs vary depending on local circumstances and on whether a child is placed in a local authority or voluntary home or is boarded out with fosterparents. I am making inquiries about current costs and shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children in Scotland were in the care of local authorities, at the most recent count, because their parents were homeless or living in totally unsatisfactory housing conditions; and whether he will give separate figures for each city and county.

The numbers of children coming into care because of homelessness are given in Table 3.2 of "Scottish Social Work Statistics 1971". I expect figures for 1972 to be available shortly and I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now review his decision that single carriageway roads are adequate for the A9 and the A94.

The standards of construction approved for schemes on the A9 and A94 are related to likely traffic volumes. Sections of dual carriageway are being provided on the A9, and the whole of this road is being so designed that a second carriageway can be provided in future.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive the report of the committee under Professor Ruthvan and Mr. Stimpson on the effective employment of auxiliaries and other non-teaching staff; and if he will make a statement.

Both working parties held their first meetings in January. It is too early to indicate when they might be expected to report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of the population of the United Kingdom have lived in the same place for five years or more.

The provisional percentages for 1971, based upon a 1 per cent. sample of census returns, are England and Wales 57·7; Scotland 57·3; Great Britain 57·6. The figures for Northern Ireland are not yet available.To leave everyone aged under five out of account would add about 5·0 to each of these figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are now receiving constant attendance allowance.

It is estimated that about 100,000 people are now receiving attendance allowance.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will advise local authorities to increase the present allowance of £l·35p allowed back to retirement pensioners resident in council-controlled establishments, after deductions for food, rent &c.;

I propose to increase the sum prescribed for the personal requirements of residents in accommodation provided under Part III of the National Assistance Act who cannot afford the full charge when the retirement pension is increased following the enactment of the National Insurance and Supplementary Benefit Bill now before Parliament.The provision of amenities and comforts including tobacco, cigarettes and sweets is a matter for the discretion of local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of day re-establishment centres; and what proposals he has for increasing the number.

With the opening of the re-establishment centre at Leeds in January this year the number of day re-establishment centres was increased to 14. Eleven of these centres, as at Leeds, are attached to reception centres, and similar centres are due to open at Sittingbourne in September 1973 and at Southampton at the end of 1974. The extension of re-establishment provision to other possible places remains under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work is taking to review training for social workers who work with handicapped people; what consultations he has had with the council on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the council has established a working party on training for social workers with handicapped people and that this is expected to make recommendations to the council before the end of the year. The council will then consult interested parties on the recommendations before deciding what action to take. If any particular groups wish to discuss aspects of social work with the handicapped with either the working party or the council, or to amplify views which they have already put forward, I understand that they will be welcome to do so. My Department is in regular touch with the council on this matter as on all others of mutual interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the

TABLE A. SUPPLEMENTARY ALLOWANCES ISSUED INITIALLY FOR A LIMITED PERIOD SINCE 23RD AUGUST 1972
Statistical period*	Number of Allowances limited initially to maximum of four weeks	Number of claims renewed at end of four-week period
		Successful	Unsuccessful
23rd August 1972 to 19th September 1972 (4 weeks).	1,200	87	39
20th September 1972 to 24th October 1972 (5 weeks).	1,514	83	35
25th October 1972 to 21st November 1972 (4 weeks).	1,633	103	35
22nd November 1972 to 12th December 1972 (3 weeks).	1,121	102	35
13th December 1972 to 23rd January 1973 (6 weeks).	1,682	150	39
24th January 1973 to 20th February 1973 (4 weeks).	1,022	77	13
21st February 1973 to 20th March 1973 (4 weeks)	706	46	26
21st March 1973 to 17th April 1973 (4 weeks	582	21	14
18th April 1973 to 15th May 1973 (4 weeks)	655	23	18
* Information in respect of each week is not available.

TABLE B. SUPPLEMENTARY ALLOWANCES REVIEWED AFTER THREE MONTHS
Statistical period*					Number of allowances on which a limit of a further four weeks benefit was imposed†
20th September 1972 to 12th December 1972	…	…	…	…	338
13th December 1972 to 20th March 1973	…	…	…	…	251
*Quarterly Returns.
† The total number of cases reviewed after three months is not recorded. The figures in this column include cases where claims terminated before the end of the four weeks or were not renewed.

TABLE C. CUMULATIVE TOTALS OF SUPPLEMENTARY ALLOWANCES ISSUED FOR LIMITED PERIODS OCTOBER 1968 TO MAY 1973
Awards made initially for four weeks at outset of claim	260,388
Allowances extended at end of four weeks	11,514
Awards reviewed after three months and at that point limited to a further four weeks (to 20th March 1973).	15,733

Following are the figures requested in so far as they are available:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services for each quarter year period since January 1964 what percentage of single unskilled unemployed men under the age of 45 years in receipt of supplementary benefits ceased to claim a supplementary allowance within four weeks of their initial claim.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he proposes to take to reduce the length of time many people are having to wait for admission to hospital for in-patient treatment.

One of the most serious problems in the National Health Service is—and has been for years—the length of time many people have to wait for admission to hospitals as in-patients, particularly in the surgical specialties.At the end of 1972 the total number of people on surgical waiting lists in England and Wales was about 480,000, representing a fall of about 8 per cent. from the peak figure of 524,000 in 1969. Over the same period the number of in-patients treated in medical and surgical specialties rose by about one-third million, again about 8 per cent. Hospitals and their staff deserve much credit for their achievement in both increasing the numbers treated and—prior to the recent dispute—starting to cut the waiting time. Emergency cases and other patients requiring immediate treatment have continued to be admitted without delay.However, a total waiting list of nearly 500,000 people, and more especially the length of time many stay on it before being admitted, remain matters of great concern to the Government and to the medical profession. Following a special statistical survey by the Department of Health and Social Security in 1971 a joint working party consisting of representatives of the joint consultants committee, of hospital administration, and of my Department was set up to consider the problem. The working party has firmly reported its conclusions that the problem of reducing waiting times to an acceptable level can and should be dealt with now, and has put forward a number of conclusions and recommendations on the ways of doing this. These conclusions, which have the support of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and myself, are now under study by the JCC which proposes to join with my Department and the Welsh Office in the promulgation to hospitals of specific objectives in reducing waiting times and guidance on ways of achieving those objectives. I understand that a review is also being undertaken in Scotland.The fact that the waiting lists in many areas have increased again following the recent industrial dispute in the hospital service has naturally added emphasis both to the problem and to the wish on our part and on that of the JCC to issue sound advice to hospitals on ways to tackle it.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT the criteria used to calculate that the regional financial aid to intermediate areas amounts to 4 per cent. of investment as defined by the European Commission; and what British regional incentives, if any, are not considered in the calculations.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 5th July.—[Vol. 859, c. 182–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what criteria are laid down by his highways department for the imposition of a 30 m.p.h. and a 40 m.p.h. speed limit through villages, respectively.

Criteria for the imposition of speed limits vary according to the character of the road; of the area through which it passes; the kind of traffic which uses the road; how fast it travels; and the accident rates. I am sending to the hon. and learned Gentleman today a copy of Welsh Office Roads Division Circular No. 17/69 which sets out the criteria in detail and contains advice on how they should be applied.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the planning appeals adjudicated upon by him in 1972 were allowed.

39 per cent. of appeals under Section 36 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will request the Welsh Council to make a survey of Mid-Wales with a view to the possibility of dispersing Civil Service jobs there from the London area.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 25th June 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the exact scope of the study now being made of housing in Wales by the Welsh Council.

I understand that the council's study has so far covered second homes, the supply and demand for housing, slum clearance and unfit housing, and the provision of housing for special needs. It is for the council itself to decide what its eventual scope should be.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will ask the Welsh Council to examine the possibility of establishing the new Companies Register headquarters in Mid-Wales.

It is for the Welsh Council to determine its own programme of work.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods if the EEC now intends to sign any new International Sugar Agreement.

At the first session of the UNCTAD Conference to negotiate a new International Sugar Agreement, the consensus of opinion favoured the negotiation of a new five-year agreement. The Community will be reviewing its position, in the light of this opinion, in time for the second session of the conference which begins in September.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether Great Britain intends to compensate the New Zealand Government for depreciated earnings on dairy products marketed in the United Kingdom as a result of the floating of the pound; and whether representations have been received from the New Zealand Government on this issue.

Representations have been made by New Zealand and are being considered.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the Government propose to recommend that the Council of Ministers/Commission should do to obviate the surpluses of farm products within the Community of Nine; and what submissions Her Majesty's Government have made on this point.

My right hon. Friend has made clear our view that the pattern of CAP prices should be more closely related to the market, and that alternative methods of support for specific purposes should be examined. There has been no occasion for formal submissions.