asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of derelict land schemes in the Gower constituency which have been held up due to the cutback in expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what financial provision was made for the current financial year with regard to derelict land schemes; how much has been spent or allocated; and if he will make a statement.

The grant provision for the reclamation of derelict land in Wales made in the Supply Estimates for 1973–74 is £1.7 million. Of this, about £0.5 million has so far been paid to local authorities. There has been no cutback in the resources available for derelict land reclamation in Wales and this year more money will be spent for this purpose than ever before. Schemes are now coming forward much faster and more elaborately than previously and I am considering what action should be taken. Five schemes in the constituency of the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Ifor Davies) are now under consideration.Following is the information:Pontardawe RDC: Cwmgorse Colliery and Brickworks; Ystalyfera; Canal Feeder Culvert, rear of Hodgesons Road;Llwchwr UDC: Elba Steelworks stages I and II;Gower RDC: Railway cutting, Penclawdd.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to publish the route of the Hawarden bypass; and if he will make a statement.

I am considering a report on possible routes. The preferred route will be announced when I have reached a decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number and location of (1) schools he has visited to date in Wales in 1973, (2) colleges of education in Wales, and (3) university colleges in Wales.

The list is as follows:Ysgol Glan Clwyd, St. Asaph;Lenten Pool Primary School, Denbigh;Ysgol y Dyffryn, Denbigh;Ysgol Twm o'r Nant, Denbigh;University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the anticipated date for the provision of a dual carriageway road from the English border to St. Asaph.

I cannot give a date, but I aim to carry out the work as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for expenditure on trunk roads in Cardiganshire in the next five years.

There are 11 trunk road schemes in Cardiganshire, estimated to cost nearly £1 million, in my firm programme. Subject to the necessary statutory procedures they should all be completed in the next five years. There are also three schemes, estimated to cost £2¼ million, in the preparation pool, which will be considered for advancement to the firm programme during this period.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of persons living in Wales is eligible to have free NHS prescriptions.

Precise figures are not available, but I estimate about 40 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for introducing employment other than factory work into the Mid-Wales area.

I shall continue to make every effort to introduce such employment into the Mid-Wales area.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what investigations his Department has carried out into trade, industrial and other changes that would arise out of the construction of a Channel tunnel.

My Department, along with other interested Departments, has been closely associated with the various studies initiated or commissioned by the Department of the Environment.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had concerning Government support for the HS146 project.

We have discussed various aspects of this project with Hawker Siddeley and with interested European Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is now able to make a statement regarding consultations with manufacturers about the sale of toothpaste in standardised prescribed quantities.

I hope very shortly to make the proposed order prescribing more closely the choice of units of measurement in which toothpaste is marked. Prescribed quantities require consultation not only with manufacturers but also within the Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, following the designation of certain areas of Great Britain, including intermediate areas, as central, for purposes of regional development, it is possible for Her Majesty's Government to change the classification of an intermediate area to a development or special development area without obtaining the prior consent of the Common Market Commission.

The Community's central area rules provide for changes in the permitted level of aid where problems have arisen in a particular area. There is no reason to believe that the Commission would dispute our decision to alter the classification of an area in which the situation had changed for the worse.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the percentage salary rise since June 1970 of scientists in all grades employed by the Atomic Energy Authority.

The pay of Atomic Energy Authority employees is a matter of the authority's day-to-day administration. I have therefore asked the chairman of the authority to reply to the hon. Member's Question direct.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he now has for a fuel policy.

I am continuing to keep energy problems under constant review in the light of developments at home and abroad; policy decisions are taken and announced as need arises.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the Government's estimate of the cost of building at Heathrow the extra passenger terminals and other handling facilities needed for using the airport to full capacity.

The British Airports Authority plans to spend approximately £75 million on terminal facilities at Heathrow and Gatwick to cater for the increased volume of traffic expected up to 1980. No detailed estimates have so far been made of costs that would be incurred at either of these airports to cater for an increased demand beyond 1980, but this is a point which will be considered in the promised report on the Maplin project.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation to ensure that anyone taking action which is deliberately intended to restrict, prejudice or obstruct the operation of safety services such as the fire, ambulance or other rescue services at airports or seaports, shall, unless proper notice has been given, be guilty of a criminal offence.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is aware that papers and documents concerning a public company, details of which have been supplied to him, were on the public file on 13th, 14th and 15th June, but that these were missing on 18th June, what are the results of his investigations into these missing papers; why he has had to have duplicates provided to him by a private company; and whether he will make a statement.

I am aware of these matters. The company concerned is a private company. The documents in question disappeared from the public file while it was being inspected by the public and have not yet been found. The duplicates could be provided only by the company itself.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for advancing the completion date of the metrication programme.

As my hon. Friend knows, this will be the subject of tomorrow's debate, and I do not want to anticipate this.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to establish an oil-fired power station at Connah's Quay, East Flintshire; and if he will make a statement.

It is for the Central Electricity Generating Board to make proposals for the construction of power stations. No application has been submitted in respect of an oil-fired station at Connah's Quay.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will review his policy with regard to consents for new power stations in the light of the discovery of large coal deposits in Yorkshire.

No. I already take full account of the availability of alternative fuels when considering proposals for new power stations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much factory construction is now taking place in the Bishop Auckland constituency; and what is the number of jobs likely to be created therefrom.

I have no information about private building, but a site has been selected for the Government advance factory approved at Bishop Auckland, and we are negotiating with tenants for our two vacant factories who may provide up to 250 jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations his Department has received from the West Midlands Tourist Board about the Government's policy towards tourism; what has been the reply; and whether he will make a statement.

The chairman of the board wrote supporting the view that grants under Section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act should be extended to all parts of the country. The reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State was, in essence, the same as that which he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock (Mr. Cormack) on 10th July.—[Vol. 859, c. 325.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total British investment in Zambian copper; and in what other States there is significant British investment in the mining or the production of cuprous ores.

British investment in Zambian copper is in the form of portfolio investment or investment in companies domiciled in third countries which have subsidiaries in Zambia, for which separate figures are not available. Other countries in which there are British interests in copper mining include the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Rhodesia and Zaire.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will be in a position to finalise expenditure plans to alleviate the threatened fuel and energy shortages likely to arise in the next 20 years.

In this time scale the energy problem is likely to be more that of obtaining supplies under satisfactory economic and political conditions than of a physical shortage. Current expenditure plans in the energy sector are, of course, already designed to ensure that future demand is met.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will authorise an inquiry into the recent accident at the Cynheidre Colliery, North Llanelly.

The accident will, of course, be fully investigated by Her Majesty's inspectors of mines and quarries with the co-operation of the National Coal Board and the trade unions concerned.I am sure I am speaking for the whole House in expressing our deepest sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of the victim, and admiration of the strenuous efforts of those who worked so hard to get to the trapped men.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what convenient figures he has available to show the mortality rate of men working in North Sea oil rigs, between 1968 and 1971, compared to men working in coal mines, and average shore-based industry.

The total number of persons killed in the four years was 10 out of a labour force which probably aver- aged rather more than 1,000, giving an annual mortality rate of about two for 1,000 persons employed. Precisely comparable figures are not available, but over the same period deaths per 1,000 employees in other industries were approximately as follows: trawlermen 3.7; coal mines 0.3; construction industry 0.2; and manufacturing industry 004. The figures for trawlermen includes deaths arising from the loss of three trawlers in 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees have been killed or severely injured while working at North Sea oil operations since work first started in this new industry.

There have been 28 deaths including 13 in the loss of the "Sea Gem" in 1965, and 209 injuries, excluding minor injuries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT as much detailed information as may be readily available, giving for the longest period of time, the time and dates when the Dollar Land Holdings Ltd., and its subsidiary companies failed to publish their annual accounts on time, to have properly elected directors, to hold proper meetings, to register their accounts, and did not, for whatever reason, meet the requirements of the Companies Act; on how many occasions and by whom his Department was requested to take action; and what action was taken in each instance.

The company was in default in the presentation of accounts to shareholders between January 1970 and October 1972. The company is, however, now up to date with its returns and accounts.The question whether a company's directors are validly appointed is for the courts to determine but the company's management itself conceded that there were no directors between 1st January and 4th June 1970. The remainder of the hon. Member's Question could not be answered without disproportionate expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to oppose the formation of an international iron ore producers group, designed on the same lines as OPEC, to co-ordinate joint action on prices and marketing policies, unless the policy of the group is such that it has regard to and invites as members both producer and consumer interests.

I understand that a private meeting of experts of some iron ore-producing countries has taken place at which the setting up of a consultative organisation was discussed. However, I know of no firm proposals.

asked the Secretary of State and Industry if he will list those countries which export iron ore pellets to the United Kingdom and other industrialised States, give the percentage of British participation in ore developments in each State, and identify any country which is a member of OPEC.

A list of the main exporters of iron ore and pellets is shown below; Algeria and Venezuela are members of OPEC.The question of British participation in ore developments in the exporting countries is a commercial matter for the companies concerned.MAIN EXPORTERS OF IRON ORE AND PELLETS

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the amount of textiles imported into the United Kingdom and EEC countries, respectively, for 1972.

£370 million for the United Kingdom and £1,717 million for the other eight members of the EEC. The latter figure includes trade between member States; it has been converted into sterling from data in international publications.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of the vacant Government-built factory at Penygroes, Caernarvonshire.

My Department is considering an application for this factory. Discussions are also being held with other interested industrialists against the possibility of the first application not proceeding.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many shuttleless looms were installed by firms in the British wool industry in each of the last five years; how many of these were imported; and how many were of British manufacture.

No information is available from official sources. According to information published in the Wool Industry Bureau of Statistics' Monthly Bulletin of Statistics for May 1971 there were 422 weaving machines installed and capable of operation as at 31st March 1971; of these 81 were of United Kingdom manufacture and 341 of foreign manufacture.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the total imports of each of the member countries of the EEC was represented by timber in each of the last three years; and what were the comparable figures for Great Britain.

Following is the information: †

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans there are for the establishment of new industry in the Porthmadog-Deudraeth area.

This area is part of the Welsh Development Area and will be brought to the attention of all suitable industrialists seeking locations in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the number of drilling rigs presently in use in the North Sea and their location by licensed block reference.

There are 18 drilling rigs in use in the United Kingdom portion of the North Sea. At present they are located in blocks 211/18, 211/23, 211/28, 211/29, 3/4, 3/15, 3/19, 3/29, 9/13, 9/28, 15/17, 30/17, 49/12, 49/27, 48/6 and 52/5.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the terms of trade between the United Kingdom and the rest of the Common Market for the six months ended June 1973; and how this compares with the same period of 1972.

The unit value index numbers for imports and exports, from which the terms of trade are calculated, are not compiled for individual countries or areas. However the main factor affecting the terms of trade this year has been increases in the prices of food and raw materials which, taken together, are less important in our imports from the EEC than from the rest of the world.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the advance factories presently unoccupied in Scotland and the length of time each has been unoccupied.

The information relating to completed advance factories still awaiting a first occupier and unallocated is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has been asked to consider any proposals from Loganair Ltd. which would involve the company taking over any of BEA's internal Scottish services.

No. Any such proposals would have to be the subject of a route licensing application to the Civil Aviation Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has had concerning London's trade exhibition facilities; and whether he is satisfied that they meet the requirements for trade promotion now that Great Britain is in the enlarged market of the EEC.

I have received a number of such representations. London's facilities cannot be looked at in isolation and the new National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham will provide an important and timely addition to United Kingdom exhibition facilities. But I will continue to look carefully at all proposals for additional facilities in the London area.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the licence granted to the Candecca Company for oil exploration in West Lothian, Lanarkshire, Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire is an exclusive licence.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking in co-operation with the management of Short Bros. and Harland to promote sales of their aircraft.

Aircraft sales are the responsibility of the company. My hon. Friend will be aware that Shorts have won the Queen's Award to Industry for export achievement for seven successive years. The full range of Government services to exporters is of course available to the company.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the number of people at present employed by Short Bros. and Harland, in Belfast, and what numbers the company expects to employ in its aircraft and missile divisions over the next two years.

At present, Short Brothers and Harland Ltd. employs about 5,300 people in the Belfast area. The future level of employment will depend on the company's workload, but I understand that significant changes are not expected over the next two years.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will initiate discussions with the major oil companies designed to ascertain to what extent small independent petrol outlets are being threatened with closure by the major companies denying them supplies; how many petrol outlets have closed during the last two years; whether the major companies are applying pressure on the small independents to evict them from tenancy and replace them with managers; and if he will make a statement.

My Department is in constant touch with the major oil companies, and I understand that there is at present no shortage of petrol for filling stations. According to figures compiled by the Institute of Petroleum the number of retail outlets dropped by 2,500 in the years 1971 and 1972, but this reflects many factors, mainly in the improvement in distribution techniques, higher throughput per outlet and the elimination of sites which are uneconomic to operate. I am prepared to consider any evidence that the right hon. Member may have of undue pressure being applied by oil companies to replace tenants by managers. The Government will continue to keep the general supply situation under close and continuing review.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many licences have been granted in each of the last three years to explore for minerals in England and Wales, Yorkshire, and the Colne Valley constituency, respectively.

Licences permitting exploration for petroleum have been granted as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what regulations he imposes on ships registered in United Kingdom ports or owned by British companies for the obligatory fitting of equipment that will burn combustible refuse when at sea and compress or bale non-burnable waste.

I have at present no power to make regulations of this kind. The International Conference on Marine Pollution, to be held in London in October, is expected to agree upon proposals for dealing internationally with the problem of refuse disposal from ships and I shall consider after the conference what powers it would be appropriate for me to take to give effect to its recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the decision of the EEC Commission to contest the awarding of certain grants by his Department to the Clydeside oil rig building firm Messrs. Marathon.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave in answer to a Private Notice Question from the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Robert Hughes) on 19th July.—[Vol. 860, c. 709–12.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if anyone in his Department has had discussions with British and Commonwealth Shipping Ltd. or any of its subsidiary companies on any proposals regarding a transfer of ownership of the helicopters division of BEA.

No. The future of British helicopter services has been discussed in general terms with both the main operators.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what increase in electricity produced from nuclear, coal-fired and oil-fired power stations, respectively is calculated over the next 10 years.

Estimates of contributions to be made to electricity production by nuclear, coal-fired and oil-fired power stations over the next 10 years cover a range of possibilities to take account of alternative sytem developments, the relative prices of fuels during the period and other assumptions. They are, therefore, subject to frequent revision, and it would be misleading to quote any single set of estimates in isolation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will indicate how much spare coal-firing generating capacity is readily and permanently available on the CEGB National Grid.

The amount of coal-fired plant available for use but not in operation at any time varies according to the demand for electricity, the availability of non-coal-fired plant and the relative price of coal and other fuels.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what coal stocks were available at the end of June 1973; and if he is satisfied that the amount is adequate to meet extraordinary demand during the coming winter.

Total recorded stocks on 30th June 1973 were 35.6 million tons, of which 22.3 million tons were held by consumers. Stocks should be adequate to meet all normal demands which can reasonably be expected during the coming winter.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to alleviate the shortage of scrap for the special steels sector of the industry in Sheffield; and if he will set up a departmental or other inquiry into the problems, covering the methods of collection as well as sources of supply, meanwhile restricting the export of such scrap.

Steel scrap used in the manufacture of special high-alloys steels, like other high-grade scrap, is already banned for export. Because this scrap commands a high value there is already every incentive to ensure its collection and sale to steelworks for reprocessing. I am not convinced that setting up an inquiry would help to collect any more scrap.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will arrange for an official English translation to be made available of the EEC Commission's proposals for the future structure of limited liability companies in the EEC (known as the Fifth Directive), and if he will state his attitude to these proposals, particularly those concerning the appointment of a supervisory board, one third of whose members are to be appointed by workers or their representatives.

An English translation of the EEC's draft of a Fifth Directive on the structure of public companies was published in Supplement 10/72 of the Bulletin of the European Communities and is available through Her Majesty's Stationery Office. I am considering my attitude in consultation with my colleagues and with interested parties. I shall be discussing some aspects in my forthcoming White Paper on Company Law Reform.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many inquiries have been received from Yorkshire and Humberside under Section 8 of the Industry Act;(2) how many inquiries from Yorkshire and Humberside have been dealt with under Section 8 of the Industry Act; how many have led to Government aid, and in respect of which industries.

As Yorkshire and Humberside is an assisted area most applications from that region for selective financial assistance under Part II of the Industry Act arise under Section 7. Up to 30th June four inquiries were received under Section 8. None was pursued.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs have been created in Yorkshire and Humberside under the Industry Act, and how many are the subject of negotiation.

3,700 new jobs are expected to arise from offers of regional selective assistance under the Industry Act made to 30th June. A further 4,500 new jobs are involved in applications under consideration. Additional job opportunities are also arising from payments of regional development grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a table showing the amounts of regional development grants and selective financial assistance which have been approved under the Industry Act for Barnsley, Doncaster, Halifax, Huddersfield, Keighley, and York, with the numbers of jobs involved, including a breakdown of office jobs.

I regret that the information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from engineering trade associations about the quality of his Department's industrial and trade statistics.

My officials maintain regular and mutually beneficial contact with the major trade associations about the quality of the official statistics relating to the industries which they represent. In recent months two engineering trade associations have expressed concern about the amount of detail published; in both cases suppression of detail was necessary in order to avoid disclosure of the activities of individual firms. A third association made representations about the accuracy of certain figures; the underlying difficulties have been satisfactorily resolved following consultation with the association.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the latest date of industrial trade statistics made available to the British Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturers' Association.

The latest published statistics of sales of internal combustion engines relate to the third quarter of 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the latest date of industrial trade statistics made available to the Machine Tool Trades' Association.

The latest published statistics of deliveries and orders of metal working machine tools relate to February of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the latest date of industrial trade statistics made available to the British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers' Association.

The latest published statistics of sales of domestic appliances relate to the fourth quarter of 1972. Similar information for electrical machinery and for wiring accessories and miscellaneous electrical goods covering the third and fourth quarters of last year will be published soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for improving his Department's revised Business Monitor series of information bulletins.

My Department is continually striving to improve the quality and timeliness of publication of the Business Monitors.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of export of live sheep and cattle for the last three available years.

Information is given in Table IV of Volume I of the Annual Statements of Trade for 1970 and 1971 and in Table VI of the December 1972 issue of the Overseas Trade Statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much Her Majesty's Government has funded Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited to pay the receiver following the announcement of a settlement on 26th June 1973.

A loan of about £62.3 million has today been made to Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited to enable the company to pay the balance of the purchase price of the assets which it has bought from the receiver and manager of Rolls-Royce Ltd. The company will repay £27 million of this loan during the next three months, and arrangements for the longer-term financing of the balance will be made as part of the longer-term capital structure of the company which will be established shortly.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he is yet able to announce a target rate of return for Post Office investment.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 9th April.—[Vol. 854, c. 229–30.]

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will ensure that modifications are made to the television transmitter now being built at Eyemouth to enable it to serve poor reception areas in north Northumberland.

No. The area to the south of Eyemouth will fall within the coverage of the high-power UHF station at Chatton, which is expected to open next year.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will issue a general direction to die Post Office to permit political parties to frank their mail with slogans of their choice.

No.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will give a general direction to the Post Office to relax the criteria by which it determines whether to close a sub-post office.

No. I understand that the criteria are applied with due regard to local circumstances, and that in the case the hon. Member may have in mind the Post Office has agreed to provide another office when suitable accommodation can be found.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has had from the owners of Chinese restaurants to replace on a temporary quota from Hong Kong their ageing work force; and what replies he has sent.

I have had no formal representations about any such arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the mean and median wages of, respectively, males and females, in the Yorkshire and Humberside region.

The following estimates of average gross weekly earnings in the Yorkshire and Humberside region are taken from the New Earnings Survey and related to April 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the mean and median wages of, respectively, males and females, in the woollen textile industry at the latest convenient date.

The latest available estimates of mean weekly earnings in the woollen and worsted industry are provided by my Department's regular October inquiries. The figures for October 1972 are

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the average weekly wages in England and Wales, Yorkshire and Humberside and the Huddersfield employment exchange area, respectively, at the latest convenient date.

The latest available estimates relate to October 1972 at which time average weekly earnings of full-time manual men in England and Wales were £35.94 and in the Yorkshire and Humberside region were £33.64.I regret that no estimate is available for average earnings in the Huddersfield employment exchange area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why the Sheffield district of the Employment Service Agency is to be part of the East Midlands Area; and where the headquarters of the Employment Service Agency for the Yorkshire and Humberside region is to be located.

The Sheffield and Doncaster districts will be part of the East Midlands Employment Service Area. The general policy is that separate metropolitan countries should be included in separate management areas, as in the case of the South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire metropolitan counties. The Employment Service Area office for West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Humberside—the East Pennine area—will be in Leeds.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1), in view of the concern of man-made textiles and fibres companies presently doing their own training about their future training programmes and the possible withdrawal of Government support, whether he will make a statement about the continuity of Government training grants;(2) what discussions he has had with firms engaged in man-made textiles and fibres about the continuity of Government training grants.

The operations of the Man-made Fibres Industrial Training Board will continue to be financed by the industry until April 1975. My officers are currently discussing with the board what arrangements should operate thereafter in the light of the proposed changes set out in the recent White Paper on Employment and Training and embodied in the Bill now before Parliament.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what study he has given to the figures on bank lending to mid-June published by the clearing banks; and whether he is satisfied that the implications of these figures for the growth of money supply during the month of June are in conformity with the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

My right hon. Friend has, as always, given careful study to the latest banking figures. But, as my hon. Friend will know, monetary statistics fluctuate considerably from month to month and it is never wise to draw conclusions from the figures for a single month.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total paid respectively by industry in corporation tax, and income tax deducted from dividends.

The net receipts from Corporation Tax for 1972–73 were £1,533 million. Schedule 9 income tax payments for 1972–73 were £993 million of which about £800 million is estimated to relate to dividends.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now instruct Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to discuss the problems arising from value added tax on antiques and works of art with dealers and auctioneers who are not represented by the Fine Art Trade Working Party, bearing in mind that the membership of the working party is limited to representatives of the British Antique Dealers' Association, the Society of London Art Dealers, Christie's and Sotheby's.

No instruction from me is necessary. Customs and Excise has always been and continues to be ready to discuss value added tax problems with any trader concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is satisfied with the working of the requirement that art and antique dealers must obtain the signature of customers to the certificate required under section 5 of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise Notice No. 712 where this is appropriate to a transaction within the scheme.

I have no evidence at present to indicate that this is not working satisfactorily.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the provisions which relate to tax relief on employees' contributions to the State Reserve Scheme for pensions; and if he will make a statement.

Section 22 (2) of the Finance Act 1970 as amended by Section 74 (3) of the Finance Act 1972 allows tax relief in respect of ordinary annual contributions paid by employees under any statutory scheme established under a public general Act. Under Section 26 (1) of the Finance Act 1970 a "statutory scheme" means a retirement benefits scheme, and under Section 25 (1) a "retirement benefits scheme" does not include any national scheme—which would include the Reserve Pension Scheme proposed under the Social Security Bill. The result is that tax relief will not be allowable on employee contributions to the Reserve Pension Scheme. The whole question of the allowance of tax relief on such contributions was fully discussed at the Committee and Report stages of the Social Security Bill and I have nothing to add to what was then said.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of exempting retirement pensioners with incomes up to £2,000 from income tax.

About £220 million for 1973–74.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he accepts the National Art Collections Fund as an appropriate institution or body to be specified in a will as a recipient by a testator who directs that works of art should be offered in satisfaction of estate duties conditionally on their passing to the fund, and whether he will give an assurance that ineligibility of the fund for this purpose will not be adduced as a ground for Treasury rejection of such an offer.

Yes. I have already written to the Chairman of the NACF assuring him that the fund will be eligible for this purpose.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to negotiate an appropriate double taxation agreement with Brazil in view of the importance of this market to our trade.

Steps have already been taken to negotiate a full double taxation agreement with Brazil. Further talks will be held this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to announce the cost to public funds incurred by Mr. Francis Bennion in his private prosecution of Mr. Peter Hain.

I understand that the solicitors' bill is under scrutiny by the appropriate taxing authority. I cannot yet say how soon the matter will be finally resolved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of times and the statutes in which retrospection has been authorised in Acts originating in his Department which have received the Royal Assent in the past three years.

Of the Acts originating in the Home Office which have received Royal Assent in the past three years the only one which contained provisions having effect from a date prior to its passing was the Northern Ireland Act 1972. This provided that limitations on the power of the Stormont Parliament contained in the Government of Ireland Act 1920 should not have effect, and should be deemed never to have had effect, so as to preclude the inclusion in legislation passed by Stormont of certain provisions relating to Her Majesty's Forces. The Immigration Act 1971, while not containing any provisions which render illegal any acts which were legal at the time they were committed, does provide power to remove illegal immigrants who previously could not be removed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were in 1972 for driving with faulty tyres; and how many of these prosecutions were in respect of the tyre tread being below the minimum required standard of one millimetre.

Information is not available in precisely the form requested. In 1972 in England and Wales there were 115,576 prosecutions for contravention of, or failure to comply with, Regulation 83 of The Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1969, which relates to the condition and maintenance of tyres.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, following incidents in which private security firms have employed alsatian dogs against pickets, he will now seek powers to ban the use of dogs by private security firms in industrial disputes.

No, but if the hon. Member has any particular incident in mind I shall be glad to look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in respect of persons discharged from prison in 1970, 1971 and 1972 after committal in default of payment of a fine, he will indicate, in categories of length of sentence, how many persons served more than 10 per cent., 50 per cent., 80 per cent. and 95 per cent. of their sentences.

My noble Friend the Minister of State is arranging for an analysis of the available information and will write to the right hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet completed his consultations with the appropriate bodies on the Maxwell Stamp Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further discussions he proposes to hold with the cab trade about the proposals in the Maxwell Stamp Report.

A number of issues arising from the report have still to be resolved in consultations with those concerned, including the cab trade.

The information which relates to England and Wales is set out in the table below:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons committed to Broadmoor after killing men, women or children have since been released and after how long; and how many have been recalled after release and for what reasons.

The available information is being collated. I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representatives of the gun trade, sporting interests, gun collectors, museums and auction rooms and dealers in antique and veteran firearms sit on his working party on the control of firearms; and how these interests will be represented on his working party.

The working party on whose report the Green Paper on control of firearms is based is no longer in being. Its membership, which was set out in the answer which I gave on 19th June to a Question by the hon. Member for Bradford, North (Mr. Ford), did not include representatives of the interests referred to, but it took account of views expressed by the Long Room Committee, representing the gun trade and sporting interests, and the Imperial War Museum. The Green Paper was published to allow all those interested to comment on the Government's provisional proposals, and

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many cough mixtures are potentially addictive;(2) how many people are known addicts of cough mixtures, in particular of a mixture whose name has been supplied to him;(3) if he will arrange for warnings to be provided about the addictive dangers of certain cough mixtures; and if he will make a statement.

I regret that no figures are available in answer to the first two Questions. Reports of persons who have become dependent on cough preparations, including the one in question, have been very few in number. All three active ingredients in that preparation are currently restricted to pharmacy sale at the levels at which they are contained in it, and the Medicines Commission, in its recent review, saw no reason to recommend the imposition of stricter controls.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many persons were found guilty of murder, attempted murder, threat or conspiracy to murder, and manslaughter, respectively, in 1972; and what were the comparable figures for the years 1962 and 1967;(2) by what percentage the total number of convictions for murder, attempted murder, threat or conspiracy to murder and manslaughter, respectively, in 1972 exceeded or was less than the comparable figure for 1962.

Following is the information:To require preparations to be labelled with a warning of the dangers of dependence might have an opposite effect to that intended. I shall be writing to my hon. Friend about the particular case that give rise to these Questions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the statement made by his Department's Permanent Secretary during the meeting of the departmental Whitley Council on 17th July which was followed by the withdrawal of staff side representatives was made with his authority; and what action he will now take.

The statement by my Permanent Secretary, which was followed by the withdrawal of the representatives of one constituent association at the departmental Whitley Council meeting, was properly made on his own responsibility, speaking for the official side in the council. He neither sought my authority for what he said nor would I have expected him to do so in this context. I see no need for me to take any action.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received about the difficulties of hospital recruitment of permanent medical secretaries in view of the competition from more highly paid temporary agency staff; how much he estimates to be the expense to the National Health Service of the employment of temporary secretarial staff; and what action he proposes to take.

I have had representations from London teaching hospitals about their difficulties in recruiting secretarial staff, particularly medical secretaries. Information about numbers of temporary secretaries is not available centrally, but the total 1972–73 salary bill for hospital secretarial and typing staff in England was about £20 million, of which something over £1 million was paid in respect of agency staff. Recruitment of secretaries is particularly difficult in London and I am considering the position further with the hospital authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the building of the proposed health centre to serve Whitwick and Thringstone in Leicestershire has been postponed; and when this project will now be started, and completed.

I understand that there have been difficulties in obtaining a site. Although these are expected shortly to be overcome, the preparation of sketch plans has been deferred until the site is in the county council's possession. Consequently the scheme is not at present at the stage at which it can be considered for approval for building to start.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the building of the proposed health centre in Hinckley has been postponed; and when this project will be started and completed.

I understand that the county council is awaiting the outcome of a study by the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board as to whether it is feasible to accommodate a health centre on a site adjacent to Hinckley and District Hospital. Consequently it has not yet sought my approval for building.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many health centres are planned to be opened in 1973–74, 1974–75 and 1975–76; and how this compares with the previous two years.

Eighty-three were opened in 1971 and 94 in 1972. I expect that the number will be not less than 100 in 1973 and I hope that the number will remain at about this level in each of the next two years. The information relates to calendar years; it is not available for financial years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local authority applications for health centre schemes have been submitted for approval during 1973–74 and 1974–75; and how many of these have been turned down or postponed.

The record number of 115 health centres have been approved for building to start during 1973–74. A further 40 are at present postponed. My Department has been consulted about approximately 200 other schemes which are at an earlier stage of planning and not yet ready to be considered for approval for building.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will consider assisting single women with one or more dependent relatives who are compelled by the physical incapacity of such relatives to give up their jobs and spend their whole time looking after such relatives, by making payments to any occupational pension fund in which such women have been contributors until retirement age or their earlier return to work and by taking powers to preserve the pension rights of such women during their enforced absence from work.

The making of payments of this kind to an occupational pension fund would not be an appropriate way of helping women who have had to give up their jobs and would in any event be unfair to women similarly placed who had not been contributors to an occupational pension fund. But the Social Security Act 1973 includes provision, due to take effect in April 1975, for pension rights to be preserved where a member of an occupational scheme who has attained the age of 26 leaves after at least five years' pensionable service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the value of family allowances expressed as a percentage of average earnings.

The family allowances payable for families containing two, three or four children amount respectively to 2.4, 5 or 7.6 per cent. of the average earnings of male manual workers estimated as in May 1973.