asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set up a committee to investigate the effect of the regional employment premium on employment in the development areas.

No, Sir. The effect of the regional employment premium cannot be considered in isolation from the impact on employment of our other regional aids and the overall progress of the economy. These are all factors we shall be taking into account in coming to a decision on the rate and method of phasing out the regional employment premium.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will now announce the names of members of the Manpower Services Commission.

I have already announced the appointment of Sir Denis Barnes, KCB, to be the Chairman of the Manpower Services Commission. Consultations are still going on with the organisations concerned over the other nine members; and I expect to be able to announce their appointment shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment to what extent the revised level of allowances puts an unemployed 16 year old in a better financial position when undergoing industrial appreciation training than he would be simply drawing unemployment benefit or supplementary benefit.

A young man aged 16 years undertaking an industrial appreciation course of training arranged by my Department would receive a training allowance of £5.35 a week. This gives a lead over unemployment benefit of £1.30 a week. Rates of supplementary benefit depend upon the circumstances and needs of the individual concerned and are not, therefore, strictly comparable.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will now announce the date of publication of the Government Green Paper on worker participation.

The Government hope to publish a Green Paper on employee participation before the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what facilities are available for training for the building industry in the North-East; and what new facilities are proposed.

In the building industry as in others the main responsibility for training rests with the industry itself. The intake of apprentices in the Department's Northern Region in 1972 was 2,094. Some fall off may be expected this year with the raising of the school leaving age. The Government Training Opportunities Scheme at present provides 497 places in building trades in the North-East compared with 367 at the end of 1972. By mid-1974 a further 71 are planned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations have been made to him about redundancy in the newsprint industry.

My right hon. Friend has received no such representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he proposes to take to end the exploitation of home-workers described in Commission on Industrial Relations Report 49; and if he will pursue the recommendation of the report as a matter of urgency.

The Government have already placed before both sides of industry a proposal to set up a body to improve the capacity of industries to raise pay levels of the lower paid. In the short term, the Wages Inspectorate of my Department will investigate any cases reported to it where it is thought that less than the statutory minimum rates are being paid.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department was asked to intervene in the industrial dispute at the London Motor Show immediately prior to its opening; if he will list the occasions on which disputes requiring his intervention have taken place at previous Motor Shows; and if he will make a statement.

My Department was not asked to intervene in the industrial dispute affecting the London Motor Show, nor has there been any such intervention within recent years. The show opened on the scheduled date, although I understand that work on some stands had not been completed. The dispute related to pay proposals which, in the Pay Board's view, exceeded the stage 2 limit.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the method of negotiation carried out in regard to the wage rates paid to persons employed in industrial units and other centres for the handicapped.

Wage rates for severely disabled workers employed by Remploy are negotiated between the company and a consortium of seven trade unions. Wage rates for those employed in sheltered workshops for blind people are negotiated by the National Joint Council for Workshops for the Blind. A great variety of different arrangements obtain in the other sheltered workshops run by local authorities or voluntary bodies for severely disabled sighted workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the rates of payment made to persons employed in industrial units and other centres for the handicapped in Northumberland and throughout the country.

The basic rates for severely disabled men and women employed by Remploy outside London, including those in the factories at Ashington and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, are respectively £18.12 and £15.89 a week. Comparable figures for those employed in sheltered workshops for blind people, including those in the Palatine Products' Workshops for the Blind, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, are £21.80 and £20.19. A great variety of basic rates obtain in the other sheltered workshops run by local authorities or voluntary bodies for severely disabled sighted workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men in South Shields at the latest available date have been unemployed for 12 months or more; and what was the comparable figure for each of the last three years.

Following is the information for the area covered by the South Shields employment exchange: Males unemployed for over 52 weeks 8th October 1973 (Provisional) 663 9th October 1972 782 11th October 1971 676 12th October 1970 705

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will convene the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee.

Yes. I have set in hand arrangements for convening the committee, which I shall ask to reexamine the treatment of housing costs in the index and to consider the possibility of re-basing it and certain technical points on the method of construction of the index.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to provide for the payment of family allowances in respect of children born to unmarried parents, but living with them as members of existing families, thus amending statutory provisions which disallow such payments until the parents are married.

No. Children who are joint issue of unmarried parents or issue of the woman count in her family under the Family Allowances Act; where, less commonly, some children are issue of the man but not of the woman they may count only in his family. This situation is a consequence of defining the family unit on the basis of blood ties. Any other basis, such as the household, would need rules which would be too complex for what is essentially a simple scheme applicable to 7 million children.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he has altered the general pattern of appointments to area health authorities in the Brent/Harrow area by adding three additional places; why two university places have been allocated when, although some teaching as part of the Middlesex Hospital training is conducted, there is no teaching hospital in the area nor is it designated AHA(T); why the Medical Research Council has been allocated three places; and if he will make a statement.

The constitution of the area health authority is set out in SI 1973 No. 1305. It takes account of the special work of the Clinical Research Centre at Northwick Park and the teaching functions of the Central Middlesex Hospital. Of the 12 members appointed by the regional health authority, four have been appointed on the recommendation of the Medical Research Council, the Middlesex Hospital Medical School and the Central Middlesex and North-wick Park Hospital Management Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the chairman of an area health authority elect is entitled to decide upon the boundaries for districts by a casting vote; in how many authorities boundary decisions have been made after a majority winning the vote; and if he will make a statement.

The procedure at meetings of area health authorities is governed by the National Health Service (Regional and Area Health Authorities: Membership and Procedure) Regulations 1973 (S.I. 1973 No. 1286) which provide for a casting vote by the presiding person. On districts, I have notified health authorities of the pattern which I wish them to implement initially for 1st April 1974, subject to later review. I am considering the very few cases where authorities have made representations on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what basis he intends to define the districts of the new Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow Area Health Authority; and what consultation has taken place between himself, the regional hospital board and the borough councillors and Members of Parliament of the three boroughs concerned.

I have already notified the area health authority of the definition of districts which I expect it to adopt initially on 1st April 1974, subject to later review. I took my decision in the light of a comprehensive report from the regional joint liaison committee, which is representative of all the bodies directly concerned in the reorganisation of the National Health Service. I was thus able to take account of all the arguments for and against each of the possible options.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he will not permit the area health authorities to make their own appointments for senior officers but has kept that responsibility for himself, with the advice of the Staff Commission.

The responsibility for making appointments to posts in the new health authorities rests with the authorities themselves. Preparatory work, including advertising of posts, receiving applications, appointing assessors and preparing short lists, had to be put in train before the new authorities were established, in order to enable them to appoint certain of their senior staff well before the appointed day. I accepted the NHS Staff Commission for England's offer to undertake this difficult task, acting under its statutory powers, and I am sure that it was indispensable and of great value to the new service.

The same requirements for the commission to undertake preparatory work do not generally apply to further appointments of staff, other than those I have referred to, for the new authorities. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of Circular NHSSC 3/73, which sets out the principles to be followed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will instruct the chairmen of all area health authorities that sub-committees established to deal with appointments must be freely elected by the members of the authority and not presented as a list drawn up by the chairman only needing formal approval.

The National Health Service (Regional and Area Health Authorities: Membership and Procedure) Regulations 1973 (S.I. 1973 No. 1286) give area health authorities power to establish any necessary committees or sub-committees and lay down rules as to the meetings and proceedings of authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take action to enable the Press to attend meetings of the area health authorities-elect which are held before 1st April 1974.

Area health authorities have discretion to admit the Press to meetings held before 1st April 1974 and I prefer to leave this to their judgment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue advice to all area health authorities regarding the status of the members appointed by local authorities, to the effect that their term of office rests entirely upon the decision of local authorities to withdraw or reappoint them annually and that they serve as representatives and not as individuals.

Copies of the National Health Service (Regional and Area Health Authorities: Membership and Procedure) Regulations 1973 (SI 1973 No. 1286) have been provided for all members of area health authorities under cover of circular HRC(73)22; paragraph 3 of the circular drew their attention to Regulation 5 which relates to the term of office of members appointed by local authorities. These members are appointed as individuals and the intention of the Government is that they should participate as other members do in the work of the area health authority, with the benefit of their direct knowledge of the complementary services for which the local authority is responsible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many teaching hospitals have taken action following his circular of February last concerning the rights of patients in regard to participation in teaching; and what percentage of the total number of teaching hospitals this represents.

All teaching hospital authorities in England have reviewed their practice since receiving the circular.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the £10 Christmas bonus for retirement pensioners will be extended to all persons living on social security benefits by reason of sickness or disability and those in receipt of supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to see that totally disabled persons and the chronic sick are also given the possibility of receiving £10 as a Christmas gift in the same way as the retirement pensioners.

As I explained to the House during the Committee stage of the Pensioners' Payments and National Insurance Bill on 19th October, the dividing line of pension age is the only one which is both equitable and practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will list the categories of people receiving social security benefits who will not receive the £10 Christmas allowance and who will be over pensionable age; and how many of these pensioners he estimates there will be.

The only social security beneficiaries over pensionable age who will not qualify for special lump sum payment will be those who have neither retired nor reached the age of 70 (men) and 65 (women). It is not possible to make an estimate of their number.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the cost of the £10 Christmas bonus for retirement pensioners.

The cost of the special payment to retirement pensioners and the other social security beneficiaries over pension age is estimated to be £80 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek powers to grant a £10 Christmas bonus to those disabled people receiving the attendance allowance, and to those people who have been on supplementary benefit for more than two years.

Attendance allowance recipients over minimum pensionable age and supplementary pensioners are among the categories who will qualify for the special payment. As regards others, the dividing line of pensionable age is, as I explained more fully in reply to another Question by the hon. Member today, the only one which is both equitable and practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of giving a £10 Christmas bonus to those (a) receiving invalidity pension, (b) receiving invalidity pension and supplementary benefit, (c) receiving invalidity pension, supplementary benefit and the long-term addition, (d) receiving supplementary benefit and the long-term addition, (e) who have been on supplementary benefit for more than two years, (f) receiving either the full or reduced rate attendance allowance and (g) receiving attendance allowance and supplementary benefit.

The approximate costs, for persons under pension age, would be as follows: (a) £5.8 million, (b) £1.8 million, (c) £0.9 million, (d) £3.6 million, (e) £4.7 million, (f) £0.6 million, (g) £0.2 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received on the desirability of extending the categories entitled to the £10 Christmas bonus; and what reply he has given.

We have received a number of representations, including one from the Disablement Incomes Group, about extending the categories of those entitled to the £10 special payment.

In our replies we have pointed out that the primary intention of the operation is to help the elderly and that the difficulty about going below pension age is that it would be almost impossible to find a defensible stopping point. It would also be difficult to identify, and make proper arrangements for paying, the people concerned, many of whom might be entitled to several of the qualifying benefits. The Government therefore came to the conclusion that pensionable age was the only dividing line which was both equitable and practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many signatures, letters and other representations he has now received concerning the closure of the emergency and accident unit at the Victoria Memorial Jewish Hospital, Manchester.

To date I have received the petition with some 12,000 signatures from the hon. Member, 14 letters, four telegrams and one other inquiry from the hon. Member for Salford, West (Mr. Orme) on this issue.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whom he has now consulted concerning the closure of the emergency accident unit at the Victoria Memorial Jewish Hospital, Manchester; and whether he has individually consulted any of the 11,000 persons whose signatures have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley.

Manchester Regional Hospital Board with my approval has consulted the following bodies in the area who have an interest in this matter: the right hon. and hon. Members for Manchester, Cheetham (Mr. Harold Lever), Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon), Manchester, Exchange (Mr. Hatton), Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Marks), Middleton and Prestwich (Mr. Haselhurst), Manchester, Openshaw (Mr. Charles R. Morris), Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun), Salford, West (Mr. Orme), in addition to the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose), the local authorities, executive councils, local medical committees, trade unions, other hospital authorities, and the Lancashire Federation of Women's Institutes. A statement was also sent to local papers and Press agencies.

None of the signatories whose representations I have received from the hon. Member has been consulted as an individual. No decision will be made about the proposed closure until full consideration has been given to the views expressed both by individuals and by associations by the Manchester Regional Hospital Board, whose report I await.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why it is not regular departmental practice to issue pensioners receiving four-weekly or quarterly payments with Form BR464 automatically, which identifies them as retirement pensioners.

The number of requests for this form is not sufficient to justify its automatic issue to all pensioners paid four-weekly or quarterly, many of whom can produce other evidence to show that they are over pension age.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what number of nurses completed their training in England and Wales in each of the years between 1945 and 1972.

The number of withdrawals from the General Nursing Council indices of student and pupil nurses on completion of training, and, in the case of student nurses passing the final examination was: Year ending 31st March Total 1952 10,274 1953 12,282 1954 12,534 1955 12,740 1956 12,761 1957 13,065 1958 13,734 1959 14,426 1960 15,662 1961 15,843 1962 15,868 1963 15,470 1964 16,367 1965 17,514 1966 18,094 1967 17,472 1968 19,624 1969 21,202 1970 21,088 1971 20,734 1972 21,186 Figures for earlier years are not readily available

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will instruct all his officers that recipients of benefits should also be given grants towards school uniforms and sports uniforms where applicable.

If, as I assume, the hon. Member is referring to supplementary benefit, these are matters for the Supplementary Benefits Commission under the exercise of its discretionary powers. The commission's policy is to help where appropriate with the cost of essential ordinary clothing, but not to pay for school uniforms or other distinctive clothing in view of the powers available to local education authorities for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance he issues to local authorities designed to ensure that their departments of social services co-ordinate the work of social workers and health visitors in the field of mental health, to ensure that health visitors are involved in after-care of patients at home.

My Department's circular letters LASSL 33/71 and LASSL 39/71, issued in August 1971, drew the attention of local social services authorities to the importance of close working relationships at all levels between the staff of the newly-established social service departments and those of health departments. As I told the hon. Member in my reply to him on 11th June a forthcoming circular to local authorities about services for the mentally ill will emphasise the importance of a team approach on the part of the caring professions. This was also stressed in the White Paper "Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped" (Cmnd. 4683) published in 1971.—[Vol. 857, c. 266. ]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will seek powers to make grants available to hotels to adapt their premises to cater more easily for disabled persons and their vehicles;

(2) if he will seek powers to provide loans to hotels to adapt their premises to cater more easily for disabled persons and their vehicles, in the same way as loans have been supplied for them to conform to fire precautions.

I am not aware that lack of loans or grants for this purpose is acting as an impediment, and I understand that many hotels have already taken appropriate action. But if the hon. Member would let me have details of any particular case, I will arrange for inquiries to be made by those responsible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many house-holds he estimates are disqualified from entitlement to a death grant because the breadwinner, for reasons of prolonged illness or for any other reason, has not been able to make sufficient national insurance contributions to establish entitlement.

Very few; as death grant can be paid on the basis of contributions paid or credited, the rights of households with breadwinners suffering from prolonged illness or unemployment are fully safeguarded.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if lie will state the number of cases of food poisoning known to his Department for each year for the last ten years; and how many resulted in death each year.

The total numbers of cases of food poisoning published in the chief medical officer's annual reports are as follows: d Food Poisoning Cases Deaths Associated with Food Poisoning England and Wales 1963 9,695 15 1964 7,907 10 1965 8,313 15 1966 6,581 20 1967 7,655 26 1968 7,110 52 1969 8,598 49 England only 1970 8,088 43 1971 6,910 48 1972 5,958 32

The numbers of deaths recorded above include not only those caused directly by food poisoning but also those where food poisoning was a secondary cause of death.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many applications he has received this year for health centres loan sanction; and how many he has refused or deferred;

(2) how many proposals for health centres he has vetoed in the last six months.

Up to 30th September, 94 applications had been received; 83 were approved, 11 were rejected because the lowest tender received greatly exceeded the cost which we consider appropriate for buildings of this type and size. Approval in principle requested at an earlier stage of planning was deferred in 38 cases. All these rejections and deferrals occurred in the last six months.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT those health centres in Derbyshire that have had loan sanction refused by his Department for 1973–74.

A start has been deferred on two schemes, at Long Eaton and at Buxton, details of which had been submitted for approval by Derbyshire County Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scial Services whether he will institute a study on the subsequent effects of induced abortion, upon the mother, upon subsequent pregnancies, and upon children born subsequently.

I recognise the need for such a study. Steps are being taken to determine the criteria and controls required for such a project and I hope it will be possible to complete this necessary stage early in 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women normally resident in the Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Liverpool Regional Hospital Board areas, respectively, had abortions performed privately in approved places in 1972; and what the percentage was of the total number of abortions notified for each area.

The number of notifications of abortions performed in 1972 were as follows: Hospital Region of Residence Number non-NHS Total Number ( a ) as percentage of ( b ) ( a ) ( b ) Birmingham 8,910 11,486 78 Leeds 2,724 5,117 53 Sheffield 3,918 7,872 50 Liverpool 2,144 3,966 54

These figures are published in the Appendix to the Registrar General's Weekly Return No. 34 of 1973 for the week ending 24th August 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many retirement pensioners today have, in addition to their State pension, an occupational pension of respectively 10p-99p, £1.00-£1.99, £2.00-£2.99, £3.00-£3.99, £4.00-£4.99, £5-£10, £10-£20, and over £20 per week; and how does this compare with, respective five and ten years ago.

I regret that information is not available in this form, but the following table may be of interest to the hon. Member: Range of occupational pension 1965 1971 Per cent. Per cent. Less than £1.00 21 14 £1.00-£1.99 25 21 £2.00-£2.99 14 12 £3.00-£3.99 10 10 £4.00-£4.99 7 8 £5.00-£9.99 17 20 £10.00-£19.99 5 12 £20.00 or more 1 3 100 100

These two distributions are not strictly comparable as the populations sampled were selected differently. The 1965 figures, based on the "Report on the Financial Circumstances of Retired Persons", comprised persons in Great Britain, over pensionable age and in receipt of retirement pensions. The 1971 figures, based on the Family Expenditure Survey, comprised persons in Great Britain and Northern Iceland, over pensionable age (whether or not in receipt of retirement pensions) and excluded those in institutions, old peoples' homes, hotels, etc. As to numbers, the Government Actuary's Surveys show that in 1971 the estimated number of all persons in receipt of an occupational pension (whether or not in receipt of a State retirement pension) was about 3 million, compared with 1.8 million in 1963.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to implement in England and Wales the proposals of the Denny Report on the future of the artificial limb service and of the Mair Report on medical rehabilitation.

These reports refer to the Scottish health service, which differs in important respects from that in England and Wales; the question of their implementation outside Scotland does not arise.

asked the Secretary 0/ State for Social Services how many married women he estimates at the present time are subject to the half-test as a result of not electing to take up the married woman's option; and of these how many he estimates in any recent year lost their entitlement to a pension in their own center through not fulfilling the half-test condition after contributing, respectively, for up to 10, 20, 30, 35 and 40 years.

I regret that the information on which to base an estimate could not be obtained without undue expenditure of time and effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the population of the United Kingdom today and 10 years ago,

Population ( millions ) Percentage Increase Area 1961 1971 1961–71 United Kingdom … … … 52.8 55.6 5.3 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics … … 218 245 12.3 United States of America … … … 183.7 207.1 12.7 China … … … 647 787 21.6 Indian sub-continent* … … … 544 680 25.1 South East Asia … … … 224 282 26.3 South America … … … 149 195 30.9 Africa … … … 261 354 35.6 * India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. The mid-1972 United Kingdom population was 55.8 million, an increase over 10 years of 4.7 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons of pensionable age he estimates are currently in receipt of concessionary transport permits; what is the annual cost; and what plans he has to extend the introduction of such permits on a mandatory basis.

Information about numbers of permits issued is not collected centrally, but I understand that the total cost of concessionary fare schemes for the elderly in England was of the order of £10 million in 1972–73 and may reach £20 million in 1974–75. We have no plans to make such schemes mandatory.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue a circular to hospital boards recommending a system of discussion and consultation with staffs and hospitals listed for closure.

Comprehensive guidance on the procedure for handling proposals to close or change the use of hospitals is already available to regional hospital and show how this compares with population changes in the United States, South America, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Indian sub-continent, the whole of Africa, South-East Asia, and China, for the same 10 year period.

The latest period for which the comparison between the United Kingdom and the areas specified can be made is 1961–71. The figures published by the United Nations are as follows:

boards: this recommends consultation with and staff and other interested local bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the working party's recommendations on the problem of obtaining emergency dental treatment outside normal working hours.

The Working Party on the Dental Services, jointly representing the British Dental Association and the health departments of Great Britain, has sent my center hon. Friends an interim report about this and arrangements for publication are in hand. They are considering the working party's recommendations but are not yet able to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present level of incomes below which patients are entitled to exemption from prescriptions; if time has been used on television to publicise the changes and how to obtain free prescriptions; and if he will make a statement.

The level of income below which patients are entitled to exemption from prescription charges varies with the size of family and the age of any children; no; full details are to be found in the October 1973 edition of leaflet PC11, "Free prescriptions or refund of charges on income grounds", and every prescription form tells patients that this is available at local social security offices and post offices.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement in regard to the pensions bonus attached to the miners' pension scheme.

It is not proposed that payments under the mine workers' pension scheme shall be qualifying benefits for the purpose of the special payment of £10. Miners who are over pensionable age—65 for a man—and in receipt of national insurance retirement pension or one of the other qualifying benefits will however receive the special payment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to reduce the six months qualifying period for constant attendance allowance payments.

No. Attendance allowance is intended for persons whose illness or disablement is long-term. Six months is considered to be a reasonable measure of what is long-term.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much the cuts in public expenditure announced on 21st May 1973 and 8th October 1973 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister, respectively, will affect the social services department of the Derbyshire County Council.

The effect on particular local authority departments of the savings announced by my center hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 21st May will depnd on local authorities' decisions to be taken in the light of the outcome of the rate support grant negotiations now in progress. I am reviewing the social services budding programme, which will be affected by the deferment announced by my center hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 8th October, and will inform local authorities as soon as possible of the effect on their projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what her latest estimate is of the yearly income likely to accrue to the Treasury from entrance charges to the national museums and galleries taking into account the reduction in some of these charges since the scheme was first proposed and the current attendance figures.

Gross annual receipts from admission charges are estimated at about £1.2 million, of which £1.1 million will be appropriated directly in aid of the Votes of the museums and galleries and £0.1 million will be due to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise as value added tax, though a roughly equivalent sum of input tax will be recovered by the museums and galleries because they charge for admission. The cost of collecting the charges will be about £0.2 million, most of which will be the cost of staff borne on the Votes of the museums and galleries.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what her estimate is of the net Government expenditure on the national museums and galleries during the fiscal year 1973–74.

About £23 million, for national museums and galleries in England, Scotland and Wales and including the British Museum (Natural History) and the Geological Museums. This includes the estimated net extra cost arising from special purchase grants, pay increases already authorised in stage 2 of the counter-inflation programme and the shortfall in receipts consequent upon the postponement of the introduction of admission charges until 1st January, 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will make arrangements for adequate room and staff to be available in all schools to deal with cases of sudden sickness or accident.

Regulations already require the provision in schools of suitable accommodation for the medical inspection and treatment of pupils, and my Department has published advice on first aid in schools.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the figure of 335,221 hours overtime worked at Brixton Prison during the year ended 18th August last is the highest for any prison in the whole of England and Wales; and what steps he is taking to remedy this state of affairs.

Primarily because Brixton Prison has the largest staff of all the prison service establishments in England and Wales and because of the peculiarly heavy incidence of duties connected with London courts. Improvement depends on increasing the strength of the prison service generally and the provision of additional quarters in the area, matters to which my center hon. Friend continues to give urgent attention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now consider increasing the number of home leaves for prisoners serving three years or more.

My center hon. Friend is keeping the categories of prisoners eligible for home leave under review, but he has no plans to introduce any general addition to the number of home leaves for which prisoners may be eligible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will institute an inquiry into the circumstances under which Miss Mary Ranson was wrongly arrested, detained in custody, and accused of the kidnapping of a baby.

Responsibility for deciding whether to arrest and to bring a criminal charge in such a case rests with the police. It was made clear in court on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions that his decision to offer no evidence against Miss Ranson had been taken in the light of material information received after she had been charged, and that this decision implied no criticism of the action of the Metropolitan Police in bringing the charge. The legality of an arrest can ultimately be determined only by the courts, and it would not be center for my center hon. Friend to make any comment on an issue that might become the subject of legal action. My center hon. Friend, is, however, satisfied, after studying a full report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, that there is no action which it is necessary or appropriate for him to take, whether by instituting a formal inquiry or otherwise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how soon he intends to introduce legislation to give equal opportunities for men and women, having regard to the urgency occasioned by the implementation of the Equal Pay Act in 1975.

The Government's proposals are set out in the Consultative Document "Equal Opportunities for Men and Women", on which comments have been requested by 30th November. We intend to introduce legislation as soon as possible thereafter, consistent with the need to consider the comments received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that those Ugandan Asians at present resident in this country with husbands still abroad are reunited here as soon as possible.

Under the immigration rules, a man does not have a center to enter this country for settlement on the ground that his wife is resident here. This was made clear at the time to the wives who were allowed to come here when Asians were expelled from Uganda.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what number of Ugandan Asians is still living in camps in the United Kingdom awaiting offers of employment and housing; and what proportion of the total number of Asians that entered camps this figure represents.

On 22nd October, of the 21,986 refugees who have spent some time in the Uganda Resettlement Board's resettlement centres, 513—2.3 per cent.—were being accommodated in the one remaining centre at West Mailing, Kent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of policemen and women who left the Metropolitan Police force in each of the years between 1969 and 1972.

The following is the information: Men Women Total 1969 834 73 907 1970 755 96 851 1971 821 86 907 1972 1,145 87 1,232

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that the proposed occupants consider the flats too small, if he will reconsider his decision to buy a block of former police flats in Penge to rehouse prison officers at Brixton.

These flats meet the space standards agreed with the staff association concerned, and in view of the pressing need for quarters for prison officers in the London area my center hon. Friend is satisfied that their purchase should proceed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the security precautions which are being taken to safeguard the Egyptian helicopter pilots and helicopters destined for Egypt currently in Dorset.

This is the responsibility of the chief officer of police concerned. Appropriate measures are taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of council dwellings in Great Britain; how many, approximately, of these tenants are normally receiving rent allowances from the Department of Health and Social Security; and how many, apart from such tenants, are now receiving rent rebates under the Housing Finance Act.

For the first part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to "Housing and Constructions Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library. For the second part I would refer him to the answer for England and Wales given to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 18th October.—[Vol. 861, c. 293–4. ]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will arrange for an exhibition between the 3rd and 14th December 1973 in the Upper Waiting Hall of an information retrieval system by means of visual display units devised by International Business Machines Limited (United Kingdom Branch).

I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the number of cases heard during the last 12 months at rent tribunals in the Greater London Council area where rent reductions were sought by tenants.

In the period from July 1972 to June 1973 rent tribunals in London heard 2,961 cases in which tenants had applied for rent reductions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the number of people living in unfurnished accommodation who are eligible for rent allowances in the 32 London boroughs;

(2) if he will give the number of rent allowances granted to unfurnished tenancies in the last six months in each of the 32 London boroughs to people not in receipt of supplementary benefit, and also to those who are in receipt of supplementary benefit.

This information should be sought from the local authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals have been granted affecting green belt land in Bedfordshire during the past two years, the total acreage covered and the percentage thereof covering North Bedfordshire.

Nine, affecting some 50 acres in total. None of the sites is in North Bedfordshire.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the surface area of Hampshire is represented by designated green belt land.

No part of Hampshire has yet been formally designated as green belt. Proposals for a Hampshire Coast Green Belt, covering about one quarter of the geographical county, have been submitted by the County Council; this land will remain subject to green belt restrictions until the proposals in structure and local plans are decided.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the United Kingdom's surface acreage is represented by designated green belts.

Some 7 per cent. of the total land area of England, Scotland and Wales is within approved or proposed green belt areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what number of council houses were built in the Nottinghamshire areas of Southwell RDC, Newark RDC and Newark borough, respectively, for each year 1968 to 1972; and what numbers are planned for 1973–74 and 1974–75.

As to the years 1968 to 1972, I would refer the hon. Member to Table 5 of Local Housing Statistics Nos. 9, 13, 17, 21 and 25, copies of which are available in the Library. As to plans for building in 1973–74 and 1974–75, I would suggest that the hon. Member should approach the local authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many additional staff have been engaged in England and Wales by local authorities in order to implement the Housing Finance Act.

This information should be sought from local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Plant a Tree in 1973 scheme; and whether he is satisfied with the progress being made.

Tree Planting Year has undoubtedly been a success so far. Two special features which promise well for the future are the development of long-term planting programmes in many areas and the active interest which has been taken by school children. My center hon. and learned Friend is considering how best to sustain public enthusiasm for tree planting this autumn and in future years, and hopes shortly to make a further statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the maximum period over which income can be assessed for rent rebate purposes under the Housing Finance Act.

In determining the likely level of a person's income during the rent rebate period local authorities may make an assessment over any appropriate period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received a communication from the Darlington Borough Council requesting him to meet a deputation from the council to discuss deferring the proposed rent increases until the rent scrutiny board's reports on fair rents for Darlington council houses are received; and what reply he has sent.

I am sending the lion. Member a copy of the reply to this communication.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the gross domestic product he estimates will be absorbed by the cost of the Channel Tunnel; and if he will set out the estimate as an annual table covering the tunnel's construction.

The United Kingdom share of the cost of the Channel Tunnel is estimated at some 0.04 per cent. of gross domestic product over the period 1973 to 1980. The annual break-down is given in the table below: Percentage of GDP 1973 .005 1974 .010 1975 .031 1976 .039 1977 .088 1978 .085 1979 .059 1980 .014

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of public expenditure was invested in inland waterways during the years 1971 and 1972.

Government grant-in-aid for the inland waterways of the British Waterways Board was £2.5 million in 1971 and £3 million in 1972. The board's capital expenditure was £0.9 million and £1.1 million respectively. Total public expenditure in each of those years was about £25,000 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, on the principle that shopkeepers receive compensation for loss of business in the event of a compulsory purchase order, he will extend due compensation to coal merchants who lose custom when an area is declared a smokeless zone under one of the Clean Air Acts.

No. Smoke control orders impose the statutory requirement not to emit smoke. Owners and occupiers are free to choose by what means they will comply. Any trade loss which a local fuel merchant suffers is the result of private decisions to convert to fuels other than solid smokeless coal and is not directly attributable to the statutory requirement.

There can be no analogy with compensation paid for the compulsory purchase of business premises because no interest in land is being acquired. Compensation is not generally paid where a restriction is primarily for reasons of public health or safety.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the report of the committee looking at rail communications in London; if written and oral evidence on submissions to that committee will be published or made public; and if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the main business and industrial interests of the chairman.

The London Rail Study team is expected to report next summer; it is for the team to decide how to deal with evidence submitted to it. The answer to the third part of the Question is "No".

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to introduce a preferential mortgage repayment scheme for first-time home buyers which will maintain a level of 2½ per cent. below the normal applicable or then current mortgage interest rate, which latter rate shall not be deemed to fall below 7½ per cent., so that the benefit of such preferential interest rate shall continue for a period of five years from the due date of the first repayment.

My center hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 8th October that discussions were taking place with mortgage lenders on a selective scheme for first-time house purchasers based on the deferment of interest. Under this scheme, at present mortgage interest rates, the gross mortgage interest rate would be reduced to 8.5 per cent. in the first year with a progression over the first few years of a loan to the full rate normally payable. The gross mortgage interest rate payable is already substantially reduced in practice by tax relief on mortgage interest or the option mortgage subsidy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has about the extent and amount of increases of ground rent and other charges for mobile homes on residential caravan sites.

My center hon. and learned Friend has received representations on this subject, some mentioning considerable increases but has no evidence on which to base a general picture.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what sum out of his departmental budget is currently devoted to the investigation of experiments with, and practice of, the recycling of waste materials and substances.

Investigations relating to the recycling of waste materials are carried out in the main by the industries concerned and by the Department of Trade and Industry. On the advice of my Department's Standing Committee on Research into Refuse Collection, Storage and Disposal, a copy of whose first report I am sending to the hon. Member, support is being given to the following projects in which questions of both disposal and reclamation are involved: 1. Experimental work concerning mechanical separation of material from house refuse. 2. Experimental work on the pyrolysis of house refuse. 3. Used tyres—survey of arisings, and re-use and disposal practices.

My Department's current annual expenditure committed on these projects is £98,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of applications for sewage disposal schemes received since June 1970 that have been brought to the attention of his Department involving the dispersal of treated sewage into coastal or estuarine waters; how many of such schemes have been the subject of public inquiries; and what are the number and locations of those schemes that he has sanctioned during this period.

I regret to say that no central record is kept of this information, which can be produced only at disproportionate expense.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent the public expenditure cuts of 21st May and 8th October will affect the highways department of the Derbyshire County Council.

Decisions on possible deferment of any principal road schemes will be taken by the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce a decision following the planning inquiry at Catthorpe, Leicestershire.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar question from my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Mr. Farr) on 19th October, 1973—[Vol. 861, c.331.]

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he is satisfied with the arrangements which exist to keep him informed about the activities of the intelligence and counterintelligence branches of the security forces.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will remove the prefix "Royal" from the title of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many community relations officers there are in the Royal Ulster Constabulary; and what plans he has for increasing this number, in particular for work with teenagers in areas where there are clashes between children coming home from school.

The Police Authority for Northern Ireland and the Chief Constable are conscious of the fundamental importance of the work of the community relations branch of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and its strength and deployment are kept under constant review. The branch comprises one chief inspector, five inspectors, eight sergeants and four constables, but all members of the force have a positive rôle to perform in this field. In difficult areas in Belfast members of the force are actively involved in improving relationships between children from different schools, and the community relations branch has, in particular, organised day and weekend outings for children from these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many working days have been lost through illness in Northern Ireland in each month over the last year; and if he will break the figures down between short-term and long-term illness.

Statistics of the number of days lost through sickness are not available on a monthly basis. However, analysis of a 20 per cent. sample of claims for sickness benefit indicates that there were some 13.6 million days lost through certified incapacity in the year ending 31st May 1972. Further analysis suggests that of this total just under half arose from periods of absence of less than six months.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals now in Saudi Arabia are servicing British aircraft sold to Saudi Arabia; and whether, in pursuance of the Middle East arms embargo, these British nationals will be withdrawn.

At present 670 British nationals are servicing aircraft of the Royal Saudi Air Force. There is no intention of withdrawing them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking following receipt of the Brazilian Note informing him of Brazil's interest in concluding a trading agreement with the EEC.

We have informed the Brazilian Government that we share their interest in an early conclusion of an agreement between Brazil and the EEC.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements Her Majesty's Government have made to observe United Nations Day on 24th October which has this year also been designated as World Development Information Day.

As in the past years, Her Majesty's Government are arranging for the United Nations flag to be flown in Parliament Square from 22nd to 26th October to mark United Nations Day.

World Development Information Day will be marked by the first showing, at the National Film Theatre, of a film on development made on behalf of the Overseas Development Administration and by the issue as a White Paper of a memorandum on the United Kingdom aid programme.

In addition, this year sees the 25th anniversary both of the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Centers and the founding of the World Health Organisation. To mark these anniversaries Her Majesty's Government have published, in co-operation with the United Nations Association, a commemorative poster and a pamphlet.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now seek to make an official visit to New Zealand.

I look forward to visiting New Zealand again when a suitable opportunity occurs but I have no plans for such a visit at present.

asked the Prime Minister what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to establish the Anglo-German Foundation for the Study of Industrial Society in accordance with the agreement he signed with the Federal German Chancellor on 2nd March 1973; and if he will make a statement.

Agreement on the content of the Royal Charter was reached with the Federal German Government on 27th September. The draft charter will be submitted to Her Majesty on 24th October. The German and British trustees have been selected and their names published. Arrangements are being made for the board of trustees to meet as soon as possible. The generosity of the Federal German Government, whose initiative this is, will support the foundation's activities for its first years.

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Redditch.

I visited Redditch last February but I have at present no plans for a further visit.