asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek powers to give additional help to small dairy farmers threatened by the rising cost of feeding stuffs.

No. I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Alfred Morris) on 16th October.—[Vol. 861, c. 94–6.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what statutory authority he ended the feed formula arrangements for pigs.

The feed formula arrangement was terminated from 1st August 1973 under authority provided by paragraph 11(1) of the Fatstock (Guarantee Payments) Order 1973 (S.I.1973 No. 352).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to prevent speculation in the prices of imported foods and feeding stuffs.

Forward buying and selling are an integral part of most commodity markets and are generally beneficial to the efficient marketing of foodstuffs. There is always some element of speculation in world commodity trading, but we have no evidence that this has had any significant impact on the price of United Kingdom imports.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether the Seaking helicopters ordered from Great Britain and paid for by Saudi Arabia for Egypt are suitable and intended for use in anti-submarine warfare; and whether anti-submarine equipment for use with the helicopters has been or is to be supplied by Great Britain to Saudi Arabia or to Egypt.

Details of sales of British defence equipment to individual countries are confidential and it has been the policy of successive Governments not to disclose them.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will give for the week preceding the Government's announcement of conservation of oil and fuel supplies the amount of oil fuel used in total and that by the RAF in separate detail; and how these figures compare with the week following the announcement.

Appropriate administrative guidance has been issued in conformity with my right hon. Friend's statement; the effect on consumption could not be measured over such a short period without disproportionate cost and effort.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many smoke control orders, involving how many premises, have been confirmed during 1970, 1971 and 1972; and how progress to date during 1973 compares with this.

Following is the information:

	Number of Orders Confirmed	Number of Premises Covered
1970	212	300,310
1971	203	321,225
1972	314	456,821
1973 January-September	299	445,978

It is already clear that 1973 will be an excellent year for smoke control and it may turn out to be the best year since its inception in 1956.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now reached a conclusion on the first report of the Thomson Committee on Criminal Procedure; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Advocate and I have considered the recommendations for amendment of the Criminal Appeal (Scotland) Act 1926 in the light of the comments we have received from legal bodies in Scotland. We have decided to accept the report as the basis of legislation to be introduced at a convenient parliamentary opportunity. I cannot say when the Government will be in a position to introduce legislation, but the House may find it useful to know that, on the two matters on which the committee was divided, the preparation of legislation will be on the basis that the present test be retained for grounds of appeal against conviction,

BSC prices = 100
Product		BSC	West Germany	France	Italy	Belgium	Netherlands	Denmark	Luxembourg
Billets	…	100	159	136	125	130	—	—	—
Medium Plates	…	100	159	148	140	148	137	140	179
Boiler Plates	…	100	177	165	144	166	159	153	—
Beams Structural	…	100	152	137	152	151	—	—	161
Steel for Reinforcement	…	100	146	134	159	160	164	150	160
Hot Rolled Strip	…	100	143	124	135	135	140	—	150
Hot Rolled Coil	…	100	142	120	137	140	138	—	—

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will consider legislation to safeguard personal information about individuals which is stored by commercial enterprises on their computers.

The Consumer Credit Bill which is being introduced today will impose licensing requirements on credit reference agencies and will give individuals rights of access to information held about them by such agencies. The wider aspects of the need for safeguards to protect the privacy of personal information held in computers were among those discussed in the Younger Report on Privacy, Cmnd. 5012. The Government have promised to set out their conclusions on this report in a White Paper, which is now being prepared. I suggest that my hon. Friend awaits the publication of this White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will compare representative steel prices in the United Kingdom with those prevailing in the Common Market; and what percentage on average would be required to align United Kingdom steel prices with those in the Community.

The following table provided by the British Steel Corporation compares home trade prices in the countries of the European Communities with British Steel Corporation prices on 1st October 1973. It does not cover prices charged by United Kingdom private sector steel producers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has received the report of the Monopolies Commission on the supply in the United Kingdom of plasterboard; and when it will be available in the House.

Yes. The report will be laid before Parliament and published as soon as possible. In reaching my decision on the recommendations I shall take account of any advice on it which I receive from the Director General of Fair Trading.