asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications how many representations he has received from local authorities about difficulties in administering the concessionary television licence scheme.

Thirteen, including nine representations made through hon. Members.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the number of letters and postcards which have been confiscated, returned to sender or failed to be properly delivered because the package contained anti-Common Market stamps.

This is a matter for the Post Office, but I understand that no such records are kept.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will now make a statement on his preliminary conclusions concerning cross-border television co-operation proposals for which were put to him by the Irish Government

The points that have been raised are still being studied.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications when he expects to receive the report from Post Office Users' National Council regarding proposals for postal tariff increases; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what discussions he has had with the Post Office Users' Consultative Council on the proposals of the Post Office Corporation to increase postal tariffs.

I received the report on Friday and I am most grateful to Lord Peddie and his colleagues for the speed and thoroughness with which they have discharged their task. A copy of the council's report has been sent to the Price Commission, so that it may be aware of the council's views when considering the Post Office application for price increases.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telecommunications by what date he expects to complete the initial network of 60 commercial radio stations.

The IBA tells me it cannot yet estimate when it will be completed.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what is the latest estimate of the proportion of first-class mail which arrives at its destination the following day.

92 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with regard to the boundary in the Dee Estuary of Flintshire and Cheshire.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether the Water Resources Board in its consideration of the desirability of reclaiming much of the Dee Estuary for several purposes has reported to him on the claim of the British Steel Corporation for much of the estuarial bed.

I am advised that the Water Resources Board has not so far been concerned with the ownership of sites in the estuary which might be used for water storage purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the provision of general hospitals in West Monmouthshire.

I am satisfied that the Welsh Hospital Board is taking full account of the needs of West Monmouthshire in its planning.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will write to all householders displaced by public schemes for which he is responsible who may qualify for home loss payments under the Land Compensation Act 1973 bringing this to their attention.

My Department will write to all possible claimants for home loss payments who can be identified and who have been displaced from their homes since 17th October 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many householders have been displaced by trunk road schemes and other public developments for which his Department is responsible since 17th October 1972.

I am assembling this information and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will ask local authorities to prepare lists and contact householders who have been displaced since October 1972 and who may qualify for home-loss payments under the Land Compensation Act 1973.

Local authorities have already been asked to ensure that wherever possible people who have been displaced from their homes since 17th October 1972 and who are entitled to a home loss payment are notified quickly of their right to make a claim.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will, in view of the hospital closures in the Rhymney Valley and the distances to be travelled by patients through difficult terrain and heavy traffic flows to the nearest casualty stations under the reorganised health service, cause the Welsh Office to make a feasibility study of the introduction of a helicopter service; and if he will make a statement.

I am satisfied that road ambulance services will satisfactorily meet the needs of the patients concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish immediately his proposals, expected before the end of June, for the establishment of community councils as part of local government reorganisation; and if he will make a statement.

The provisions are in Section 27 of the Local Government Act 1972. Where there is a parish council now there will be a community council on 1st April 1974. In addition, I have directed the establishment of community councils for the boroughs and urban districts named in my replies to the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Mr. John) on 5th July.—[Vol. 859, c. 208–9.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are his proposals for setting up community councils in the area of the new Rhymney Valley District Council.

I have directed the establishment of community councils for the urban districts of Bedwas and Machen, Gelligaer and Rhymney. Community councils will suceeed the parish councils in the parts of Cardiff rural district included in the Rhymney Valley district. Bedwellty and Caerphilly Urban District Councils did not ask for directions.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the number of householders who should consider applying for compensation for depreciation under the Land Compensation Act 1973; and what efforts he is making to make householders aware of their rights to such compensation.

I have made no estimate. Local authorities have been asked to take steps to ensure that those who may be eligible for compensation under the Land Compensation Act 1973 for depreciation caused by the use of public works are informed of their rights so that they may claim within the time limits.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to make an official visit to East Flintshire.

I have already visited East Flintshire officially twice this year and I hope to do so again when opportunity arises.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what percentage the value and volume of British exports have increased since sterling was allowed to float.

The increase in value between the second quarter of this year and the corresponding quarter of last year was 23 per cent. For the volume of exports, information on which is available up to May 1973, the increase between April and May this year and the corresponding period of last year was 15 per cent.

DEMAND AND RUNWAY CAPACITY AT LONDON AREA AIRPORTS: 1985
			('000 air transport movements) Average Aircraft Loadings
			175		200		225
			A	B	A	B	A	B
(a) Demand to be met at Heathrow, Gatwick, Maplin
Mark I Channel Tunnel	…	…	491	511	432	450	390	406
No Channel Tunnel	…	…	511	531	450	468	406	422
(b) Runway Capacities
Heathrow:
1. Mixed Mode	…	…			338
2. Segregated Mode	…	…			306
Gatwick	…	…			168
Maplin (1 runway)	…	…			(100)
Total (with Heathrow mixed mode)	…	…			606
Total (with Heathrow segregated)	…	…			574
A. Includes traffic diverted to Maplin consequent on closure of Stansted and Southend and restriction of Luton to 3·5 million passengers per annum.
B. Assumes closure of all three airports listed under A above.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out his criteria for calculation of average aircraft loading for aircraft using the London area airports in 1985, giving

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is satisfied with the progress being made in reducing night jet movements at Heathrow during the summer period.

As I made clear in replying to my hon. Friend the Member for Heston and Isleworth (Mr. Hayhoe) on 3rd July—[Vol. 859, c. 76–7.]—I am hopeful that with the co-operation of airlines our objective of a 10 per cent. reduction by comparison with last year can be achieved. But, if necessary, I shall impose further restrictions to keep the total to the target level.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the forecast of demand and runway capacity at London area airports for 1985 for average aircraft loadings of 175,200 and 225 persons, respectively, in the same manner as in Table 7.16 of the Civil Aviation Authority Report of May 1973.

On the basis of the demand and capacity forecasts used by the Civil Aviation Authority in its report "Forecasts of Air Traffic and Capacity at Airports in the London Area" the information requested would be as follows:minimum and maximum estimates of the likely figure.

The criteria used for such calculations would normally include estimates of the composition of airline fleets and the consequent "mix" of aircraft using the airports in 1985, and the predicted load factors of these aircraft. The recent estimates produced by the CAA did not contain maximum and minimum estimates and they are not immediately available from any other source.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority since 13th June 1973 on the likely future levels of aircraft noise at Heathrow and Gatwick on the basis of Maplin proceeding or Maplin not proceeding.

My officials have had preliminary discussions with CAA officials on the work which needs to be done on estimates of future noise levels.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, having regard to the onset of fuel shortages, including crude oil and petrol, in Europe and North America, what steps he is taking to safeguard and improve United Kingdom petroleum refining prospects, and exports of petroleum products.

The Government continue to encourage the development of refining in the United Kingdom both to meet home demand and to provide some surplus for export.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on the progress of his discussions with the TUC and CBI on the future of the regional employment premium.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Members for Gateshead, West (Mr. Horam) and Chester-Ie-Street (Mr. Radice) on 2nd July.—[Vol. 859, c. 18–20.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will commission a report into business attitudes to regional incentives, in view of the developments in regional aid policy since 1971.

No. In administering our current regional policies and in our day-to-day contacts we obtain a great deal of information about business attitudes. Experience suggests that a formal inquiry adds little to such knowledge.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give up-to-date information on the occupation of advance factories in the Northern Region recently built; whether he has in mind the building of additional factories; whether he has lettings for them; and if he can announce the firms involved and the number of jobs which will result.

Since 1st January 1972 five advance factories have been built and allocated, providing employment for an estimated 670 people. In addition, 19 advance factories built before January 1972 have been allocated, providing jobs for an estimated 1,600. In January this year 17 new factories were announced; preliminary work on them is in hand and all of them should be completed by early 1975. These are advance factories; this year so far a number of secondhand vacant factories have been allocated and 16 extensions of factories approved, both of which will create further jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many advance factories in the Northern Region are unoccupied; and, in each case, for what length of time they have been unoccupied.

The information is as follows. All but one, that at Workington, have been provisionally allocated:

	Months
Brandon No. 5	26
Cleator Moor No. 4	31
Consett No. 3	27
Crook No. 4	32
Houghton le Spring No. 5	3
Maryport No. 3	33
Millom No. 2	4
Stanley No. 4	2
Sunderland No. 4	35
Teesside No. 4	21
Workington No. 3	42

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations the Minister for Industrial Development has received from the Northwest Industrial Development Association on the planning of coaxial cable routes; what reply he has made; and if he will make a statement.

None, but I understand that the association has made representations on this subject to the North-West Telecommunications Board and that talks have taken place.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under what authority grants have been made available to the microcircuits industry in the United Kingdom; what total of such grants has been paid since 1970; what amounts have been allocated to each recipient; and for what purpose such sums have been made available.

Apart from investment grants and regional development grants of general application some support has been given specifically to the micro-electronics industry under the Development of Inventions Act 1967 and the Science and Technology Act 1965. Except for two collaborative agreements made in 1967 and for which small amounts remained to be paid after 1970, this support was not in the form of grants but is recoverable on sales or on future profits.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what decision he has reached about the site of the new terminal for the expanded Birmingham airport.

We shall give a decision after we have received advice from the Civil Aviation Authority which I expect shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the latest figures for cinema admissions and box office takings; and why the figures for 1973 have been delayed.

The latest figures available are:

	Admissions		Takings
	1972	1973	1972	1973
	Million		£ million
	Weekly averages		Weekly averages
January	3·64	3·14	1·32	1·23
February	3·04	2·78	1·13	1·17

The delay in publication has been due to temporary staffing difficulties and to pressure of other work at Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, where the figures are compiled. It is expected that the delay will be progressively reduced.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government generally to support the Commission in its efforts to limit the period of export credit guarantees to a maximum of five years; and what type of exceptions the Government are prepared to recommend.

The Commission has recently put forward a proposal for limiting and controlling export credits to the State trading and industrial countries. The proposals are in line with our policy of trying to limit the extension of export credits where this can be done without detriment to our own trading position. The terms of the Commission's proposal will be studied by ourselves and our EEC colleagues in Brussels in the usual way.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which countries of Western Europe have failed to follow the recommendations of the Berne Union.

The Berne Union does not make recommendations as such. When an understanding on a particular matter has been reached between Berne Union members, experience has shown that it is followed by the members concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimates he has made of the energy requirements of the United Kingdom by 1980 and 1985, respectively.

While my Department keeps energy demand under continuous review the issues involved are complex and subject to considerable variation. Hence, I do not consider that it would be helpful to publish demand estimates out of the context in which they are prepared.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the number of industrial development certificates granted outside the assisted areas in each of the years from 1964 to 1972 and the number granted to the latest available date in 1973.

Following is the information:

1964	550
1965	487
1966	585
1967	790
1968	864
1969	1005
1970	873
1971	679
1972	870
1973 (January-May)	464

For purposes of comparison figures have been given for areas outside the present assisted areas and for schemes of 15,000 sq. ft. and over.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now answer Questions relating to payments to named companies under the Science and Technology Act 1965.

For reasons of commercial confidence it is not the normal practice to reveal details of payments by the Government to named firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total amount of money advanced under the Science and Technology Act 1965 between the date of enactment and June 1970 and thereafter including projected grants to International Computers Ltd.

Under the Science and Technology Act 1965 approximately £0–5 million was paid to ICL or the companies from which it was formed in respect of various cost-shared R and D contracts up to June 1970. Since that date, a further £43 million has been paid or committed to ICL under the Act, made up of the £40 million support for general R and D in the period to September 1976 which I announced on 4th July—[Vol. 859, c. 529.]—and about £3 million for specific cost-shared R and D projects.These figures exclude payments made to ICL under the 1968 computers merger scheme, covered by the Industrial Expansion Act 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funds have been made available to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority under Section 4 of the Science and Technology Act 1965 in the last five years; and for what purposes.

The net cost to the atomic energy Vote of work undertaken by the AEA under Section 4 of the Science and Technology Act 1965 in the five years to 31st March 1973 was some £12 million. Most of this work fell into six broad areas of technology: plant performance and reliability, process development, materials development and quality control, electro-technology, computing and computer software and environmental research.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will review his proposals announced in June for grants for the relocation of those employed in service industries and occupations, so as to relate them to the number of job opportunities transferred instead of to the number of employees moving to the new location.

A contribution towards the costs of moving staff helps the assisted areas to secure a good share of top-quality service jobs. These jobs are likely to be filled in time from within the assisted areas. Moreover, the total number of job opportunities created by a move is fully taken into account through the rent relief grant which is paid in respect of the accommodation required for all the jobs created by the move.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will communicate with the masters of British ships in the South Pacific reminding them of their obligations under Article 12 of the Geneva Convention on the High Seas relating to the rendering of assistance to any person found at sea in danger of being lost.

No. The requirements of Article 12 (1) (a) of the 1958 Geneva Convention on the High Seas have been a statutory duty under British law for the past 62 years. Masters are reminded of this duty every year in the Annual Summary of Admiralty Notices to Mariners.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the annual payments being made by the National Coal Board as compensation to former owners; for how long these payments will continue; and what will be the total amount paid in compensation by the time that this obligation is extinguished.

None. Compensation under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 was payable by the Government, principally by the issue of Government stock. The board was deemed to have borrowed from the Government an amount equal to the compensation paid, £388 million. All claims arising under the Act have been settled.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many firms in Wales have applied for assistance under the financial provisions of the Industry Act; how many such applications have been rejected; how many have been refused; and how many are still under consideration, all to the latest convenient date;(2) how many new jobs have been created in Wales, to the latest convenient date, by the operation of the provisions of the Industry Act;

Up to 30th June 1973, 48 offers of regional selective assistance to projects in Wales had been made, totalling £3,414,000 in loans and £290,000 in grants. The new employment to be created by these projects is estimated to be 3,904 jobs. Up to then 163 applications for projects in Wales had been received, of which 36 had been withdrawn, eight rejected, and 71 were still under consideration. Substantial assistance to industry in Wales is also being given by regional development grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what quantities of sugar, bananas and citrus fruits and juices, respectively, were imported into the United Kingdom from Commonwealth Caribbean countries in 1970, 1971 and 1972.

Following is the information:

	1970 Tons	1971 Tons	1972 Tons
Raw sugar	719,850	719,682	732,732
Bananas	280,362	241,531	230,343
Citrus fruits	3,144	6,663	6,110
Citrus fruit juices.	8,889	11,577	8,758

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of live cattle, live sheep, bloodstock and other horses, respectively, exported from the United Kingdom in the latest available year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of exports of live cattle from this country in the latest available year.

Information for live cattle, sheep and horses for the year 1972 is given in Table VI of the December 1972 issue of the Overseas Trade Statistics; bloodstock are not separately distinguished from other horses in the trade statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total number of inquiries from industrialists seeking locations for new projects and expansions in Scotland in the first six months of 1973 and the corresponding figures for the first six months of the previous five years.

The information is as follows:

January-June	No. of Inquiries
1973	371
1972	232
1971	181
1970	184
1969	184
1968	218

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library copies of the document about the development of consumer advice centres which the Minister for Trade and Consumer Affairs is circulating to local authorities.

Copies of the document "Consumer Advice Centres: the need, and the role of Local Authorities" are available in the Library and the Vote Office. The document indicates the way in which I hope a network of advice centres will develop and is intended to be the basis of discussions which I propose to have with representatives of local authorities, their associations, and other bodies in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new jobs have been created as the result of Common Market investment in the United Kingdom since 1st January 1973.

This information is not available in respect of the United Kingdom as a whole. I can, however, say that since 1st January the Department has received 55 inquiries from firms in other EEC countries. A number of these inquiries should lead to projects which, when operational, will create new employment, especially in the assisted areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date the inquiry into the share dealing of Sir Denys Lowson will start.

Mr. David Cozens-Hardy Hirst, QC, MA, and Mr. Richard Norman Darbey Langdon, FCA, were appointed on 10th July 1973 under Section 165 (b) of the Companies Act 1948 to act as Inspectors to investigate the affairs of First Re-investment Trust Ltd. and Nelson Financial Trust Ltd. and to report thereon.Their inquiries started right away.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a table showing imported major basic materials, except food, showing in each case the point of entry price for June of each year from 1963 to the nearest available date.

The information is not available in the form requested, but changes in point of entry prices are broadly reflected in the price index numbers provided in the following table:

PRICE INDEX NUMBERS OF MAJOR BASIC MATERIALS IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM

1963 = 100

June 1963

June 1964

June 1965

June 1966

June 1967

June 1968

June 1969

June 1970

June 1971

June 1972

June 1973 (provisional)

Iron Ore

…

…

…

…

…

100·0

99·3

98·4

98·2

96·2

96·2

96·8

105·1

124·5

124·2

134·4

Tungsten Ore

…

…

…

…

…

92·6

164·9

322·3

384·8

522·6

490·3

610·0

1,008·5

666·4

454·2

483·1

Non-Ferrous Base Metals:

Aluminium Ingots

…

…

…

…

…

99·5

106·1

108·3

108·3

108·3

130·5

136·7

144·4

144·4

123·5

131·4

Nickel

…

…

…

…

…

100·0

100·0

100·0

100·0

109·4

140·5

153·6

187·0

194·2

180·9

211·3

Copper

…

…

…

…

…

100·0

125·2

202·6

262·5

157·2

205·3

267·8

263·2

194·1

179·1

293·7

Zinc

…

…

…

…

…

98·9

168·9

148·7

128·4

129·7

144·4

155·0

161·4

169·9

190·2

336·8

Tin

…

…

…

…

…

99·7

130·2

164·9

140·5

134·3

143·5

157·2

164·9

160·4

162·4

196·7

Lead

…

…

…

…

…

102·4

140·9

159·5

148·2

130·5

159·1

190·4

205·4

176·9

193·7

264·7

Soya beans

…

…

…

…

…

98·5

95·2

109·2

120·5

106·3

120·4

117·2

128·3

139·0

140·6

234·4

Groundnut oil

…

…

…

…

…

100·6

113·1

108·4

107·7

107·2

120·3

146·4

162·0

190·9

168·4

199·5

Hides and skins

…

…

…

…

…

97·1

102·6

119·6

179·2

121·1

121·1

153·3

135·7

152·7

208·4

269·1

Textiles:

Raw cotton

…

…

…

…

…

100·0

101·0

99·9

97·1

93·9

111·2

104·2

105·6

120·7

118·8

169·5

Raw wool

…

…

…

…

…

99·9

102·3

84·6

96·9

86·8

87·3

84·6

76·2

72·8

100·0

255·4

Jute

…

…

…

…

…

100·0

99·4

131·9

149·3

138·6

140·9

167·6

160·2

164·5

159·0

162·0

Timber:

Softwood

…

…

…

…

…

99·8

1080

113·2

113·8

113·0

125·7

132·5

138·4

144·9

151·3

256·6

Hardwood

…

…

…

…

…

99·6

102·2

104·3

106·3

107·6

126·1

134·3

139·2

147·7

163·2

261·9

Plywood

…

…

…

…

…

100·0

101·8

113·7

116·3

110·8

124·9

134·8

143·1

146·3

160·4

200·2

Natural Rubber

…

…

…

…

…

101·6

92·7

96·9

89·3

78·0

88·6

111·4

91·2

76·4

71·6

136·5

Woodpulp

…

…

…

…

…

98·9

104·2

108·8

104·5

104·0

118·1

124·9

140·9

150·5

143·6

156·3

Sulphur Crude

…

…

…

…

…

101·7

94·2

107·7

156·9

184·2

217·6

205·5

124·9

117·1

105·0

125·1

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list the companies which obtained blocks in both the auction and discretionary part of the fourth round of licences for North Sea oil and gas, indicating the block numbers and the sums paid;(2) if he will list the companies which were allocated blocks in the discretionary

Company or Group			Blocks	Sums Paid £
Conoco/NCB Group	…	…	48/15*, 48/20b, 48/24b, 48/25b, 49/6b, 49/11b, 49/12b, 49/13.	475,150
BGC/Amoco Group	…	…	30/22*, 47/15, 48/11b, 53/3	1,091,577
Conoco/NCB/Gulf Group		…	3/2, 9/21, 15/14, 15/19, 16/6, 29/19, 30/28*, 102/25†, 102/29†, 210/3, 211/28.	1,609,771
Hamilton Group	…	…	9/8, 9/28, 9/29, 15/24*, 205/24†, 210/14	720,640
Phillips/Fina Group	…	…	16/17, 16/27*, 20/4, 30/27	677,590
Shell/Esso Group	…	…	3/12, 15/18, 15/25, 22/22b, 22/23b, 22/26b, 29/1, 39/12, 39/17, 49/9, 49/14b, 210/20 210/25 211/13, 211/14, 211/16. 211/21*, 211/23, 211/26.	21,194,185
Texaco North Sea (U.K.) Ltd.	…	…	13/22, 14/20, 15/7, 15/16, 15/23*, 20/5, 103/6†, 207/1†.	1,208,696
Total/Pict Group	…	…	3/1, 3/6, 3/18*, 3/19, 211/17*	147,522
Total/Elf Group	…	…	14/30*, 16/22, 29/30	963,064
* Auction block.
† Block not in North Sea.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many tons of oil at current prices f.o.b. would have to be produced from block 211/21 to produce royalties equivalent to the sum which Shell/Esso paid for their block in the fourth round of North Sea licences;(2) how many tons of oil at current prices f.o.b. would have to be produced from the four blocks surrounding 211/21 allocated to Shell/Esso in the fourth round of North Sea licences to produce royalties equivalent to the initial consideration for these blocks.

Based on an estimated well-head value of a typical North Sea crude oil, the production would have to be about 20 million tons from block 211/21 and 35,000 tons from the four other blocks referred to.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultation he has had with interested parties regarding the regime to be adopted in the next round of licences for the United Kingdom sector of the Continental Shelf.

Lists of companies awarded licences under both systems of licensing are available for reference in the Library. The following companies or groups of companies were awarded blocks under both the discretionary and auction systems in the fourth round of licensing.

Future licensing policy is currently under consideration by the Government. Consultation is with other Departments.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money Her Majesty's Government have given in aid to Hong Kong in each of the last three years.

British aid to Hong Kong for the financial years 1970–71, 1971–72 and 1972–73 was, respectively, £86,000, £397,000 and £166,000. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs also announced in Hong Kong in November 1972 that Her Majesty's Government would give £500,000 for books and equipment for the new polytechnic, as well as £400,000 which had previously been agreed for technical institutes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the action taken by the British Government towards the fulfilment of the aims of the Joint Declaration of Intent on the relationship between the EEC and India.

Implementation of the Joint Declaration of Intent is a matter for the Community as a whole.The Community is already negotiating a commecial co-operation agreement with India and an agreement on jute and coir textiles. We have played a constructive part in the negotiation of the agreement on jute and coir textiles, which it is expected will be formally completed soon. We shall do our best to bring about a similarly satisfactory outcome to

	£
3rd April	11·50
6th April	169·41
6th April	19·54
11th April	483·20
12th April	15, 421·35
16th April	35·94
18th April	3·41
25th April	4, 576·00
26th April	4·78
3rd May	319·95
3rd May	23, 646·63
7th May	488·92
9th May	27·43
15th May	10·70
16th May	45·54
18th May	13·35
29th May	303·76
29th May	0·31
5th June	5·52
6th June	3·07
13th June	9·97
29th June	350·37

The minor payments not identified individually above relate to the supply of miscellaneous items of equipment and ancillary charges against the 1968 loan.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what factors have led to the recent fall in English and Danish bacon prices, respectively.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on Friday 13th July to a Question from the hon. Member for Walthamstow, West (Mr. Deakins)—[Vol. 859, c. 464.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all payments of aid funds released to the Government of Uganda from 1st April to 30th June 1973, stating the date on which each release of funds took place and the purpose to which the money was to be applied.

Releases during this period were as follows:Ancillary chargesReimbursement of local costs—Kayonza tea factory projectEquipment, seed multiplication schemeEquipment, Co-operative Development Institute Reimbursement of local costs, main road development projectAncillary chargesEquipment, Co-operative Development InstituteEquipment, seed multiplication scheme

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many food price increases have been authorised during the past six months.

I would refer the hon Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. Duffy)—[Vol. 856, c. 1688–9.]—on 17th May in relation to price increases authorised during stage 1 of the counter-inflation programme. Information about price increases approved during stage 2 is a matter for the Price Commission, which makes announcements about its Work from time to time. The commission's first report giving full details of its activities during April and May has just been published.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the recent storm damage to cereal and fruit crops.

There has been local storm damage to cereals, especially barley, but, given reasonable weather between now and harvest time, overall yields should not be seriously affected. Apart from slight damage to soft fruit and some apples in certain districts there has been little adverse effect on the fruit crop.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to promote new schemes for the utilisation of straw.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgwater (Mr. Tom King) on 18th June.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he estimates that the British trawler fleet will have caught the tonnage quota laid down by the International Court in The Hague as the amount the British fleet is entitled to take from Icelandic-claimed waters.

Estimates of catches at this time of year, which is usually a peak period for fishing at Iceland, are subject to a very wide margin of error, and I therefore cannot at this stage provide a date that could be relied on.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the quantity and value of United Kingdom annual trade in New York-dressed poultry; and if he will make a statement about progress of discussions on the draft EEC directive on this trade.

Separate figures are not collected on this trade, but it is estimated that consumers' expenditure on New York-dressed poultry in 1972 was about £55 million. Its volume is estimated at about 120,000 tons.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of land in England and Wales, respectively, is tenanted by private tenants.

According to the June 1972 Agricultural Census, 48 per cent. of agricultural land in England and 36 per cent. of that in Wales was let to tenants. The statistics do not distinguish between private and other tenants.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made following the Treasury Minute on the Reports from the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 1971–72, in respect of the economic and financial benefits from a reorganisation of the sugar industry; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the replies given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Mr. Skeet) on 28th June, and the hon. Member for Liverpool, Scotland (Mr. Marsden) on 9th July.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing imported major basic food commodities, country of origin in each case, and the point of entry price for June of each year from 1963 to the nearest available date.

The statistics requested are not readily available. They are being extracted as quickly as possible, and I will send them to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider introducing legislation for the ending of the tied cottage system in agriculture, in view of the increase in evictions which has followed the sharp rise in land and property values.

No. My information does not support the suggestion that there has been any recent increase in the very small number of evictions.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will take steps to ensure that Civil Service secretarial and clerical staff are recruited through the Department of Employment rather than through private employment agencies.

As I said in my reply to the hon. Lady on 25th June, Government Departments hire temporary staff from private employment agencies, but secretarial and clerical grades are recruited as civil servants by means of open competitive interviews or tests advertised in the Press. All these vacancies are notified to the local office of the Department of Employment.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what are the supplemental and extra costs associated with the printing of House of Commons documents, including the Votes, during the currency of strike action by Government employees; what is his estimate of the financial burden entailed during the period of the latest strike to the latest convenient date; what instructions he has given to the Alfred Marks Bureau; and what are the conditions of co-operation by that company in its stand-in arrangements.

The estimated additional cost of producing the essential papers during the period 11th June to 30th June is £22,000. Temporary staff were recruited for this work on a day-today basis at normal rates and conditions.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether, in view of the fact that out of more than 520 applications by retiring civil servants for permission to take up employment in businesses with which their Departments had dealings over the past 10 years only 20 have been refused, he will increase the stringency of the application of the rules.

No. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 2nd April 1973 in reply to a Question on this subject, the rules have in general worked satisfactorily; they are kept under review; and there are at present no proposals to alter them.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what progress has been made in the study of the uses of telecommunications within the Civil Service.

The research project conducted by the Communications Studies Group at University College, London, was sponsored jointly by my Department and the Post Office Corporation. It considered the use of telecommunications to replace face to face meetings. A final report will be issued in September. The main findings have been used by Sir Henry Hardman in his review into the dispersal of Government work from London and have been summarised in the Report, Appendix 7, pages 75 to 80.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what were the total numbers of civil servants on 30th June 1964, 30th June 1970, and 30th June 1973, or the latest available date.

The information is as follows: 1st July 1964, 655,408 (excluding Post Office staff); 1st July 1970, 701, 790; 1st April 1973, 700, 152.Departments now make regular returns every quarter. The figure for 1st July 1973 should be available in two or three weeks.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he is satisfied that the present random selection of Questions is being conducted on a basis fair and equitable to all right hon. and hon. Members of the House.

I believe that the present selection procedure operates fairly, but if the hon. Member has any evidence to the contrary I will certainly look into the matter. The procedure used has been carefully examined by Select Committees in recent years and there has been no suggestion of any misuse.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will ask the Services Committee to study the desirability of constructing a footbridge or subway across St. Margaret's Street to ensure better access and greater safety for Members between offices in Old Palace Yard and the St. Stephen's entrance of the Houses of Parliament.

I would have no objection to the Services Committee looking at this if it wished to do so.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he intends to make any further underground nuclear test explosions.

I have nothing to add to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr. Atkinson) on 22nd May.—[Vol. 857, c. 201.]

asked the Minister of State for Defence how much land in the West Riding of Yorkshire is owned or leased by the Armed Services.

The Ministry of Defence owns or leases about 5,872 acres of land in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations have been made by, and what discussions she has had with, representatives of the Workers Educational Association regarding the Russell Report; what reply she has sent; and if she will make a statement.

In reply to a request from the association for an early discussion on the Russell Report, my right hon. Friend has said that she will arrange discussions with the main interests, including the association, as soon as the Department's preparatory work is complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance she will give to local education authorities preparing estimates for 1974–75 on the need for an extension of adult education.

My right hon. Friend will consider whether to issue guidance to local education authorities on the development of adult eduction when she has completed her analysis of the Russell Report and discussed its main recommendations with the bodies most closely concerned, including the local authority associations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she has received the comments and observations on the Russell Report prepared by the Association for Adult Education; and if she will make a statement.

Yes. My right hon. Friend will take the association's views into account during her consideration of the Russell Report's recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she has studied the Report on Provincial Museums and Galleries from the Committee appointed by the Paymaster- General; how soon she expects to give her comments; and if she will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Robert Cooke) on 28th June.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will seek powers to establish a special fund to support the publication of catalogues and other publications for provincial museums.

No. The arrangements for publications for local museums are a matter for the local authorities and other local bodies which administer them.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers are currently in training; and what were the figures in the comparable month in each of the last three years.

Approximately 120,000 full-time students from the United Kingdom were enrolled in courses in initial teacher training as at October 1972; firm figures are not yet available. The totals for the previous three years were 112,700 in 1969, 115,600 in 1970 and 118,300 in 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in her Department, who sits in another place, will reply to the letter addressed to him by the hon. Member for Oxford on 19th June asking him to receive a deputation from the local education authority on the subject of South Oxford School.

My noble Friend replied on 13 th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what steps are being taken to revise and expand the part of the code of practice which deals with the disclosure of information; and when it is expected that those steps will be completed;(2) with what interested organisation it is intended that prior consultation should take place before Section 56 of the Industrial Relations Act is implemented; and what steps have been taken in order to effect such consultations;(3) what steps have been taken to prepare regulations prescribing the contents of the annual statement to be issued by major employers to their employees; and when such steps will be completed;(4) with what interested organisations it is intended that prior consultation should take place before Section 57 of the industrial Relations Act is implemented; and what steps have been taken in order to effect such consultation.

The steps for revising the Code of Industrial Relations Practice are prescribed by Section 3 (3) to (6) of the Industrial Relations Act. They include consulting the Trades Union Congress and Confederation of British Industry, seeking and publishing the advice of the Commission on Industrial Relations, and submitting the draft revision for approval by both Houses of Parliament. Other interested organisations, will also be consulted.Regulations under Section 57 also require parliamentary approval, but are not subject to statutory requirements about consultation. Consultations will however be on similar lines to those for Section 56 and the revision of the code.I cannot yet say when these processes will be completed.

	Percentage of economically active males in 1966 in
Area		Skilled manual occupations	Semi-skilled manual occupations	Unskilled manual occupations
Hull Employment Exchange	…	31·4	16·4	14·9
Development areas	…	32·6	16·5	10·3
Great Britain	…	31·5	14·9	8·3

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimate of new jobs created in the Hull exchange area for each year since 1970 to the present; and what proportion is as a result of Government regional policies.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his present estimate of the number of young people expected to leave school in the Newark careers office area this summer; and what action he is taking to assist in their securing employment.

About 390 young people are expected to leave school this summer. Employment prospects continue to improve and with the help of local careers officers the majority should find jobs without difficulty.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies have been recorded by the Hull employment exchange area since 1st January 1970.

Redundancies recorded by my Department as due to occur in the Hull employment exchange area during the period 1st January 1970 to 30th June 1973 involved 6,170 workpeople.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of those employed in the Hull employment exchange area is skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled; and how this compares with development areas and the national average.

The available information on levels of skill is provided by the Census of Population and relates only to males, inclusive of the unemployed. The most recent results are for 1966, the small area analysis for the 1971 Census not yet having been completed.The full figures are not available, but an estimate, based on jobs arising in projects which received industrial development certificates, is as follows:

	Jobs estimated to arise
1970	990
1971	340
1972	540
1973 (to date)	1, 350

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what recommendations are made as to early consultation of employees before any close-down, relocation or collective redundancies occur, in any literature passing from his Department to employers.

My Department's recommendations follow the Code of Industrial Relations Practice which, as regards closures and redundancies, requires management to consult employees or their representatives before taking the final decision to make any substantial reduction in the workforce unless exceptional circumstances make this impossible.The consultations should cover the practicability of alternative measures such as redeployment within the firm, work sharing, restricting recruitment, or retirements. Where redundancy is necessary, the consultations should also cover the arrangements for handling it.Relocation is covered by the code requirement that major changes in working arrangements should not be made by management without prior discussion with employees or their representatives.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his provisional estimate of the number of people employed in the wool textile industry in June 1972; and what were the corresponding figures for June 1971 and June 1970.

Following is the information:

Estimated numbers of employees in employment in woollen and worsted (Minimum List Heading 414 of the Standard Industrial Classification): Great Britain.
June 1972*	114,000
June 1971	120,100
June 1970	142,000
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if self-employed persons are covered by the reciprocal medical arrangements within the EEC.

I have been asked to reply.No. The EEC regulations on social security for migrant workers apply to employed persons and their dependants and to pensioners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made, as part of his study of available land for housing in the London area, of the acreage of British Rail land in and near London which is not put to use.

An exercise conducted by my Department with the British Rail Property Board and London authorities last year resulted in the identification of some 227 acres of land within the GLC area which could be released over a period of three years. Some 160 acres of this land is likely to be used for housing purposes, together with a further 100 acres already on offer to London authorities at the commencement of the exercise. British Rail's land holdings are kept under constant review and it is likely that further releases will be made from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek power to prohibit or restrict heavy commercial vehicle traffic during certain periods of weekends in the summer, as has been done in a number of other countries; and if he will publish any studies undertaken by his Department on this problem.

Since the proportion of heavy vehicles using the roads at weekends is relatively limited, I am not yet satisfied that the additional powers would be useful. I shall, however, continue to study the matter.