asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what percentage of first-class mail is delivered on the day after posting; and what was the percentage in June 1970.

The latest Post Office figures show that for the 12 months ending September last 91 per cent. of first-class letters were delivered on the next working day after posting. For the 12 months ending June 1970 the figure was 93 per cent.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications whether he will now make a statement on how many days were lost in the recent industrial action taken by the Post Office Corporation's staff relating to pay anomalies.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he can now state the overall costs to the Post Office and the total loss of revenue to date of the current industrial action concerning the interpretation of phase 3 of the counter-inflation policy.

The Post Office tells me that selective action started on 16th October and was originally expected to be for a fortnight. Some staff resumed normal working at midnight on 2nd November but I understand that for other staff the period has been extended to the end of the current week. It is not possible to quantify the overall effect at this stage.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications if he will issue a general direction to the Post Office to accede to the proposal contained in paragraph 24 of the report by the Post Office Users' National Council dated September 1973 concerning a reduction of the rental of amplifying handsets for the telephone service of the hard of hearing.

The Post Office has already implemented this recommendation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give general directions to the appropriate nationalised industries not to cut off domestic energy supplies on Fridays in the winter months, in view of the hardship this can cause to families in the ensuing weekends.

A general direction would be inappropriate. The normal reason for reductions in gas pressure or electricity voltage, or actual disconnections, is that demand temporarily outruns capacity or a fault occurs in the distribution system. In such circumstances it is impossible to choose the exact day or time of reduction or to guarantee that domestic consumers will not be affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what would be the cost of acquiring the machine tool industry.

The latest Stock Exchange Fact Book gives the market value of the ordinary shares of quoted companies in the machine tool industry on 29th June 1973 as £161 million. I regret that I cannot provide an estimate of the cost of acquiring non-quoted companies in the industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if any consultation has taken place with the EEC about the regional employment premium; and, if so, with what result.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what amount was spent on food imports, including animal feeding stuffs, into the United Kingdom in the last 12 months for which figures are available; what percentage increase this represented over the preceding 12-month period; and what approximate proportion of the 1972–73 figure is attributable to sterling devaluation.

Monthly and cumulative figures for the year to date are published against Section O in Table II of each issue of the monthly "Overseas Trade Statistics"; for the year ended September 1973 the figures show an increase of 26 per cent. It is not possible to distinguish the effects of exchange rate movement on food imports prices from other factors.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were exports of oil and oil products to other EEC members for the latest 12 months for which figures are available; and what were imports from such States in the same period.

Following is the information for the year ended September 1973:

	UK exports to EEC million tons	UK imports from EEC million tons
Petroleum, crude and partly refined	2·3	3·5
Petroleum products	8·5	15·3
Petroleum gases (oil tonnage equivalents)	0·1	0·2

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) of the 109 projects approved by his Department under the 1972 Mineral Exploration Act, how many relate to the exploration for potash;(2) how many companies have been authorised to search for copper in the United Kingdom and have had a grant approved under the 1972 Mineral Exploration Act;(3) in which part of the United Kingdom occurrences of fluorspar have been discovered capable of commercial development.

None of the projects relates to potash. Seventy-six projects submitted by nine companies have the discovery of copper as an objective. Nineteen projects, all centred on North England and the Pennines, had the discovery of fluorspar as an objective; some of these are continuing but none has, so far, proved commercially viable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, (1) of the 109 projects approved for grants under the Mineral Exploration and Investment Grants Act 1972, how many are located in national parks; and how many grants have been allocated to companies separately in England, Wales and Scotland;(2) of the 109 projects approved by his Department under the 1972 Mineral Exploration Act, how many have received planning consents from local planning authorities.

Thirty-one projects relate to England, 61 to Scotland and 17 to Wales. Seventeen projects are in national parks. Before grants can be paid the Department has to be satisfied that planning permission has been obtained, or that it was not necessary to obtain it. Fifteen projects have received planning permission from local planning authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in tabular form and compare the type of aid national Governments grant to their domestic shipbuilding industries in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

I regret that it is not possible to make a meaningful comparison in the form requested. In addition to receiving direct assistance, shipbuilders may benefit, for example, from assistance given to shipowners or from general measures of industrial or regional policy. It is not practicable to isolate and evaluate the effect of such measures for the purpose of international comparisons. Descriptive surveys of some forms of assistance are, however, contained in the report "British Shipbuilding 1972" and in the OECD publication "Measures of Assistance to Shipbuilding". I am sending copies to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether an oil rig is a ship for the purposes of the draft directive proposed by the Commission on assistance granted by member States to shipbuilders.

I am not in a position to comment on the Commission's proposal, which has not yet been submitted to the member countries

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will discuss with the oil companies stopping the issuing of trading stamps or the offering of a discount to petrol station customers during the period when the public have been requested to economise in the use of petrol.

No. The use of trading stamps or other promotion techniques, including price cutting, to attract custom to one filling station rather than another should not have a significant effect on the total demand for petrol.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research has been undertaken in the United Kingdom to produce a new fluorescent lamp which will produce more light for the same power consumption.

The British lighting industry has an extensive and continuing programme of research aimed at improving the efficiency of fluorescent lamps. Over the past 30 years the light output for a given power consumption has been increased threefold.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to encourage inward investment from EEC member States.

The Government welcome investment from abroad, especially in the assisted areas. Over the last year my Department, in consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has increased its efforts to secure such investment. Among EEC countries, we have been most active in West Germany, which I have visited twice and plan to visit again in a few weeks' time. Development councils representing the various assisted areas are active also in EEC countries in close association with the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish figures showing the extent of the coal industry's loss of manpower in the last two years.

Net reduction of manpower in the coal industry over the last two years to the latest date for which statistics are available is: October 1971 to October 1972, 15,409; October 1972 to October 1973, 17,145.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from the Stock Exchange and other City of London institutions about the decision to move Companies House from London to Cardiff.

The views of the major users of Companies House were sought before the decision to move was taken; since the decision was announced, representations have been received from the Stock Exchange, jointly from the Law Society and the City of London Solicitors Company, and from the Holborn Law Society. Some individuals and individual firms have also made representations. My Department is arranging to discuss with the main bodies concerned how their needs can best be met in the context of the dispersal plan.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department has completed its preliminary inquiry into the grounding of the vessel "Conoco Britannia"; and, if so, what steps it has taken arising out of its conclusions.

The report was received last Friday; it is being studied.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department's survey of who boarded the tanker "Conoco Britannia" when aground in the Humber in June 1973 ascertained whether the deviation book for the magnetic compass had been regularly filled in; and what was the result of their investigations into this matter.

Yes; he found that deviations of the magnetic compass had been regularly entered in the ship's log, and in the compass deviation book, although less frequently in the latter.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department will declare as unsafe all tankers which have only one source of electrical power serving the compass and steering equipment on the vessel.

The international Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea requires that all ships over 500 tons which depend upon electricity for essential services, which would include steering, must be equipped with at least two generators; if over 5,000 tons they must be equipped with two separate feeder circuits from the main switchboard to the steering gear. There is at present no mandatory international requirement for an electrically operated gyro compass.

				Acquisition of continental EEC companies by UK companies		Acquisitions of UK companies by continental EEC companies
				Number acquired	Value £ million	Number acquired	Value £ million
1969	…	…	…	10	10·0	2	1·0
1970	…	…	…	24	33·4	1	0·3
1971	…	…	…	18	16·3	2	0·5
1972—
1st half	…	…	…	26	39·4	—	—
2nd half	…	…	…	22	11·1	1	0·2
1973—1st half*		…	…	32	53·7	—	—
*Excluding Republic of Ireland

asked thse Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will hold immediate consultations with the manufacturers and wholesale salesmen of fireworks to ensure that steps are taken forthwith to eliminate the risk of certain types of firework being mistaken in the vicinity of the sea, estuaries, harbours and other waterways as signals from ships, boats or aircraft in distress; and whether he will make a statement.

Although there are occasional false alarms there is no evidence of

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress made in the formulation of a European regional policy.

The Commission has prepared detailed proposals which are now being considered with the member States.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many continental companies within the EEC were acquired by British companies in the first six months of 1973; what was their value; what were the comparable figures for the preceding 10 half-year periods; and what are the corresponding figures for acquisitions of British companies in numbers and value by continental companies within the EEC during each of these periods.

The information available on direct acquisitions reported in the financial Press is given in the table below:marine distress signals being mistaken for fireworks and I do not consider that such consultations are necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now list in the Official Report or place a copy in the Library of the 39 firms with parent companies in the Common Market countries which, since 1st January 1973, have taken decisions to set up or expand operations in Great Britain.

No. I have already indicated that it is for the individual companies concerned to publicise their plans if and when they consider it to be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what powers he has to prevent United Kingdom companies from falling under foreign control; and if he will use those powers in the case of Shipping Industrial Holdings Limited.

The main powers I have in relation to a change in the controlling interest in a United Kingdom company derive from the merger provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973. If a bid were made for Shipping Industrial Holdings it would be considered for reference to the Monopolies Commission like any other proposal satisfying the criteria in the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has had discussions with the Italian Government or any other party about the affairs of Shipping Industrial Holdings; if he contemplates having any such discussions; and if he will make a statement.

Some preliminary discussions have taken place with my officials.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek powers to make it a criminal offence for directors of financial institutions to fail to disclose to the boards of companies for which they act as financial adviser that they are seeking to arrange a ware-housing operation—as defined in Command Paper No. 5391—in the shares of those companies.

The proposals in the White Paper indicate how the Government propose to deal with warehousing attempts. I have no evidence to suggest that any such operation has been attempted in the particular case which I understand the hon. Member to have in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in his proposals for the reform of company law, he will seek powers to require financial institutions that have accumulated a stake of 5 per cent. or more in another United Kingdom company not to dispose of that holding for a minimum period of three years.

I shall include in the Companies Bill provisions for dealing with warehousing and insider trading. It would be wrong indiscriminately to freeze the holdings of financial institutions in particular companies as suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek powers to make it a criminal offence for a financial institution, or its directors or employees, simultaneously to act as financial adviser to another company and to hold and acquire shares in that company.

I propose to make it a criminal offence for insiders, including professional advisers, to deal in a company's shares for profit when in possession of confidential price-sensitive information.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek powers to impose appropriate sanctions in cases where financial institutions have been involved in major conflict of interest situations; and if he will make a statement.

I shall be including in the Companies Bill proposals for dealing with misuse of inside information and other potential sources of conflicts of interest. If the hon. Member has any concrete evidence of such misuse, I would be glad if he would let me know.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the number of cattle, excluding breeding stock, exported from the United Kingdom for slaughter overseas to all countries, including Eire, for the latest available quarter.

Cattle for slaughter are not consistently distinguished in the export statistics but, in categories believed to be for that purpose, 18,082 were exported in the period July-September 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many travel agents or tour operators were prosecuted under the Trade Descriptions Act in each of the last 24 months for which records are available; in how many of such cases the defendants pleaded guilty; in how many and in what proportion of cases the defendants pleaded guilty and not guilty, respectively; and in how many and in what proportion of cases in which the plea was not guilty the defendant was acquitted.

69 such prosecutions were notified to me by local weights and measures authorities during the two years ending 31st August 1973; 56 of those prosecutions resulted in a conviction. More detailed information is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he is aware that on 31st October 1973 the average national wage for men was £40 per week and for women £23; whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed list giving the numbers and grades of civil servants and all other types of Government employees who fall below these amounts of weekly pay; and what wage rates these employees were receiving on this date.

Detailed information about the earnings of each individual civil servant as opposed to rates is not readily available, and could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what action he is taking to ensure that industrial and non-industrial civil servants do not suffer special disadvantages as a result of phase 3; what action he is taking to put right the anomalies in pay from which such civil servants are already suffering; and whether he will make a statement.

Civil Service pay has been and will continue to be dealt with under the provisions of the counter-inflation programme, which have general application. The Pay Board has identified anomalies arising from the standstill and provision is being made in stage 3 for their correction.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service for what grades in the public service moneys are paid in respect of individual expenses without the need for the individual concerned to account for the expenditure in detail.

I have no information about the remainder of the public service, but so far as the Civil Service is concerned individual expenses incurred in the course of employment are reimbursed on the basis of specific itemised claims. Certain expenses such as those covered by motor mileage allowances or subsistence allowances are reimbursed at standard rates which are based on the average expenses incurred.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many persons of assistant secretary rank or above have, in each of the last 10 years, left the Civil Service and taken jobs in industry; how many members of the Inland Revenue department have, each year over this period, transferred to jobs in company finance departments; and if he will place in the Library details of a comprehensive group of recent cases.

As I said on 11th April in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for South Angus (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne), is it not the practice to record centrally cases handled by Departments within their own discretion. I regret, therefore, that the information requested in the first part of the hon. Member's Question is not available. In June of this year I had placed in the Library details of those cases where the CSD had been consulted from 1968 to 1972 inclusive. I am arranging for a supplementary table to be placed in the Library giving details of such cases that have arisen so far this year.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil servants of each rank have been placed on secondment in industry or commerce during each year since 1960; how many persons from industry or commerce during each of these years have been seconded for work within the Civil Service; and what industrial rank they were and what work they did in the Civil Service.

I am having inquiries made to supplement the information on centrally arranged exchanges which is held by my Department. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as these inquiries have been completed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list his statutory powers to bring in a special review of agricultural prices; and if he will make a statement.

There are now no such powers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take to ensure that domestic supplies of liquid milk are not short during the winter.

The total production of milk this winter will be more than adequate to meet demand for liquid consumption.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will have discussions with the Common Market, in pursuance of the Government's counter-inflation policy, with a view to stopping the 8 per cent. tariff on imports of mutton and lamb from third countries due to be imposed on 1st January 1974.

No. No realistic estimate can be made of the contribution which postponement of the first step towards the common Community tariff for imports of third country mutton and lamb would make to the aims of the Government's counter-inflation programme.

asked the Minister of State for Defence, in view of the fact that there is a shortage of employees in 20 different trades in Her Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport, if he will consider allowing qualified men and women who in the past have been debarred because they have had a court sentence to be able to be taken on or reinstated in the dockyard.

Ex-offenders are not automatically debarred from Ministry of Defence employment. Applicants with criminal records are considered on their merits bearing in mind both the nature of their offences and the duties to be filled.

asked the Minister of State for Defence when it is proposed to commence the building on the Raglan Barracks site; and if he will allocate one and a half acres to the British Legion for needed accommodation for ex-Service men and women.

Building on the Raglan Barracks site commences in April 1974.I will write to my hon. Friend very shortly about the possibility of allocating land to the British Legion.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations she has received concerning the operation of Statutory Instrument 1234 which came into operation on 1st September 1973.

About 50 letters were received from various sources. A number of these concerned the allowance for the first child where there is no adult dependant. The weekly rate of this allowance in respect of term-time has since been increased from £2·02 to £4·81.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the criteria on which it was decided to transfer the control of the Llanelli town library from the local council to the new Dyfed County Council.

The main criterion on which my right hon. Friend reached this decision was the effect which an order establishing Llanelli as a library authority would have on the service which is to be provided by the council of the new county comprising the district.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has for the years October 1964 to October 1973 inclusive showing the hours which have to be worked to purchase, at current prices in each of the years concerned, a representative sample of goods or commodities normally included in the cost-of-living index, including foodstuffs.

I regret that I am at present unable to add information for October 1973 to the figures for the years October 1964 to October 1972 which I gave in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, Langstone (Mr. Ian Lloyd) on 9th July.—[Vol. 859, c. 253–254]. I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will seek to ascertain the number of occasions when action has been taken against company directors for failing to implement the Government's incomes policy so far as their own salaries and commissions were concerned; and with what results.

The Pay Board has not made any orders relating to company directors who have failed to implement the Government's incomes policy so far as their own salaries and commissions are concerned and information on the exact number of occasions when other action has been taken is not readily available. However, I am assured that the Pay Board always follows up complaints and that, if necessary appropriate action is taken to ensure compliance with the code. Furthermore, visits to companies to check that any increases in remuneration of top management comply with the code are included in the programme of spot checks by Pay Board officials and also the remuneration of management frequently comes under inspection in the course of the vetting of pay settlements by the board.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether any proceedings have been taken against those employers discovered on spot checks to be infringing the pay code, and referred to in paragraph 19 of the Second Report of the Pay Board.

As a result of infringements discovered on spot checks, the Pay Board has issued 13 notices of intention to restrict increases and consideration is now being given to representations made to the Pay Board in response to these notices.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment figures for Stockport, classified as to men, women, and school leavers.

On 8th October 1973 there were 1,618 men and 211 women unemployed in the Stockport area. In addition there were 53 young people unemployed, of whom 11 were school leavers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that additional payments are made for those officers giving additional service consequent upon the reorganisation of the National Health Service, comparable to those now being given to officers consequent upon the reorganisation of local government.

There is provision in the stage 3 pay code for extra payment for additional work in connection with the forthcoming statutory reorganisation of public services.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will institute a departmental inquiry into the comparable pay and conditions of local government officers with extra duties consequent upon reorganisation and officers similarly engaged in the National Health Service.

No. The object of the stage 3 code is to give negotiators the maximum freedom possible within the overall limits laid down to negotiate their own pay and conditions. There is provision in the code for extra payment to be made for additional work in connection with the forthcoming statutory reorganisation of public services.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take to ensure that training and education resources are available to meet the North Sea oil and gas development needs.

The Government have now received and considered a report by a working party of officials from interested Departments, the University Grants Committee and the Petroleum Industry Training Board on education and training needs arising from offshore developments around the United Kingdom.The main conclusions of the report are the need to create new educational and training facilities in the United Kingdom for petroleum engineers, drilling technologists and divers working in deep water; and to develop work already begun jointly by the Petroleum ITB and the industry to increase the facilities for training the crews of drilling rigs. It also recommends an examination of safety and health training offshore; further studies on the supply of education and training for occupations of technician, craft and operator level; and the further develop- ment of work on projections of employment in this area.My right hon. Friend and the Secretaries of State for Education and Science, Scotland and Trade and Industry have accepted the recommendations addressed to their Departments. The University Grants Committee has accepted in principle those for which it is responsible. The Government commend to the Petroleum ITB and the industry the recommendations with which they will be concerned. The Departments will be taking concerted action to implement the report.Copies of the report are available to Members in the Vote Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the workforce in, respectively, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, each EEC country, Sweden and Japan currently receive paid holidays of less than two weeks, two but less than three weeks, three but less than four weeks, four but less than six weeks, six but less than eight weeks, and more than eight weeks.

I regret that information is not available for countries other than the United Kingdom. The following table gives estimates of the basic annual holiday entitlements of manual workers in the United Kingdom at the end of 1972. The proportion of workers engaged in industries in which there was provision for additional days of holiday because of long service with one employer is estimated to be about one in eight.

Annual Paid Holiday Basic Entitlement at end of 1972	Percentage of workers
2 weeks	8
Between 2 and 3 weeks	16
3 weeks	39
Between 3 and 4 weeks	33
4 weeks or more	4

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common-wealth Affairs whether, having regard to the direct transfer to Egypt of British military helicopters, ordered and to be paid for by Saudi Arabia, and to the training of Egyptian military pilots during the war between Arab States and Israel, he will now release the ammunition and spare parts for Centurion tanks ordered and paid for by Israel; and whether he will extend to Saudi Arabia any existing or future embargo on the delivery of armaments to the Middle East.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what criteria were used to determine, for purposes of an arms embargo, which States were combatants in the recent Middle East war;(2) if Her Majesty's Government regarded Saudi Arabia as a combatant in the recent Middle East war for the purposes of his policy in relation to such combatants.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend told the House on 18th October.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who is the United Kingdom representative on the Political Committee of EEC member States; and which Minister is responsible for his activities.

The United Kingdom representative on the Political Committee of the Member States of the European Communities is Mr. J. O. Wright, a Deputy Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Minister responsible for his activities is my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why he will not arrange for the publication of a document setting out the advantages and disadvantages of EEC political union.

The political case for membership of the European Communities was set out in paragraphs 26–39 of the White Paper of July 1971 on the United Kingdom and the European Communities (Command 4715).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Group of "Correspondants" mentioned in Command Paper No. 5432 will be considering steps towards EEC political union.

The institutions of the Community will be primarily responsible for drawing up the report on European union which the Paris summit decided should be prepared before the end of 1975 for submission to a summit conference. The responsibilities of the Group of "Correspondants" within the political co-operation machinery are set out in Part II, paragraph 3, of Cmnd. 5432.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the explanatory statements on EEC draft instruments, he will ensure that it is made clear whether a proposed instrument providing for the harmonisation of laws is one stemming directly from the EEC treaty, or is one in respect of harmonisation not directly affecting the establishment or functioning of the EEC.

I see no need to do so, since Members who are interested in this distinction can always ascertain it from the preamble of the instrument itself.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the level of, respectively, private aid and official aid as percentages of gross national product for each of the 16 Development Assistance Committee countries for each year since 1960.

The levels of both private and official flows—with the official development assistance element of the latter shown separately—as percentages of the gross national product of the 16 member countries of the Development Assistance Committee over the past 13 years, are as follows:

THE TOTAL NET FLOW OF RESOURCES IN RELATION TO GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT 1960 TO 1972 DAC COUNTRIES ONLY

Percentages

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972*

AUSTRALIA

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·38

0·44

0·43

0·51

0·48

0·53

0·53

0·60

0·57

0·56

0·59

0·53

0·61

All Official Flows

…

…

0·38

0·44

0·43

0·51

0·50

0·54

0·54

0·64

0·56

0·56

0·61

0·55

0·62

All Private Flows

…

…

—

—

—

—

0·07

0·10

0·09

0·10

0·17

0·18

0·54

0·83

0·33

Total

…

…

0·38

0·44

0·43

0·51

0·57

0·64

0·63

0·74

0·73

0·74

1·15

1·38

0·95

AUSTRIA

Official Development Assistance

…

…

—

0·03

0·10

0·05

0·08

0·11

0·12

0·14

0·14

0·11

0·07

0·07

0·09

All Official Flows

…

…

—

0·04

0·19

0·02

0·16

0·33

0·32

0·24

0·19

0·13

0·14

0·05

0·09

All Private Flows

…

…

0·09

0·26

0·23

0·05

0·08

0·17

0·16

0·20

0·44

0·50

0·53

0·51

0·46

Total

…

…

0·09

0·30

0·42

0·07

0·24

0·50

0·48

0·44

0·63

0·63

0·67

0·56

0·55

BELGIUM

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·88

0·76

0·54

0·57

0·46

0·60

0·42

0·45

0·42

0·50

0·46

0·50

0·55

All Official Flows

…

…

0·88

0·76

0·54

0·58

0·46

0·60

0·45

0·50

0·50

0·52

0·46

0·51

0·59

All Private Flows

…

…

0·71

0·59

0·37

0·68

0·60

0·70

0·53

0·34

0·66

0·60

0·73

0·58

0·57

Total

…

…

1·59

1·35

0·91

1·26

1·06

1·30

0·98

0·84

1·16

1·12

1·19

1·09

1·16

CANADA

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·19

0·16

0·09

0·15

0·17

0·19

0·33

0·32

0·26

0·33

0·42

0·42

0·47

All Official Flows

…

…

0·19

0·16

0·13

0·23

0·27

0·24

0·37

0·34

0·32

0·40

0·49

0·49

0·59

All Private Flows

…

…

0·18

0·07

0·14

0·08

0·03

0·09

0·10

0·10

0·14

0·09

0·28

0·51

0·39

Total

…

…

0·37

0·23

0·27

0·31

0·30

0·33

0·47

0·44

0·46

0·49

0·77

1·00

0·98

DENMARK

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·09

0·12

0·10

0·11

0·11

0·13

0·19

0·21

0·23

0·38

0·38

0·43

0·45

All Official Flows

…

…

0·10

0·12

0·10

0·12

0·12

0·13

0·23

0·23

0·23

0·38

0·36

0·44

0·47

All Private Flows

…

…

0·54

0·38

0·10

0·01

0·23

0·02

-0·04

-0·03

0·44

0·68

0·18

0·35

0·10

Total

…

…

0·64

0·50

0·20

0·13

0·35

0·15

0·19

0·20

0·67

1·06

0·54

0·79

0·57

FRANCE

Official Development Assistance

…

…

1·38

1·35

1·27

0·98

0·90

0·76

0·69

0·71

0·67

0·67

0·66

0·66

0·67

All Official Flows

…

…

1·37

1·41

1·32

1·02

0·92

0·79

0·71

0·72

0·69

0·68

0·67

0·69

0·68

All Private Flows

…

…

0·78

0·69

0·56

0·47

0·55

0·52

0·51

0·43

0·66

0·53

0·57

0·31

0·38

Total

…

…

2·15

2·10

1·88

1·49

1·47

1·31

1·22

1·15

1·35

1·21

1·24

1·00

1·06

Percentages

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972*

GERMANY

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·31

0·44

0·45

0·41

0·44

0·40

0·34

0·41

0·41

0·38

0·32

0·34

0·31

All Official Flows

…

…

0·49

0·74

0·52

0·46

0·40

0·41

0·39

0·44

0·44

0·34

0·39

0·41

0·38

All Private Flows

…

…

0·38

0·28

0·16

0·19

0·27

0·23

0·25

0·48

0·79

0·98

0·40

0·47

0·29

Total

…

…

0·87

1·02

0·68

0·65

0·67

0·64

0·64

0·92

1·23

1·32

0·79

0·88

0·67

ITALY

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·22

0·15

0·18

0·14

0·09

0·10

0·12

0·22

0·19

0·16

0·16

0·18

0·08

All Official Flows

…

…

0·30

0·21

0·25

0·15

0·07

0·16

0·18

0·22

0·20

0·17

0·19

0·30

0·21

All Private Flows

…

…

0·55

0·45

0·64

0·49

0·36

0·29

0·81

0·19

0·53

0·85

0·54

0·56

0·34

Total

…

…

0·85

0·66

0·89

0·64

0·43

0·45

0·99

0·41

0·73

1·02

0·73

0·86

0·55

JAPAN

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·24

0·20

0·14

0·20

0·14

0·27

0·28

0·32

0·25

0·26

0·23

0·23

0·21

Add Official Flows

…

…

0·33

0·41

0·29

0·25

0·26

0·40

0·45

0·48

0·46

0·48

0·58

0·52

0·50

All Private Flows

…

…

0·24

0·30

0·20

0·14

0·10

0·15

0·16

0·18

0·27

0·27

0·34

0·43

0·43

Total

…

…

0·57

0·71

0·49

0·39

0·36

0·55

0·61

0·66

0·73

0·75

0·92

0·95

0·93

NETHERLANDS

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·31

0·45

0·49

0·26

0·29

0·36

0·45

0·49

0·49

0·50

0·61

0·58

0·67

All Official Flows

…

…

0·32

0·45

0·48

0·26

0·29

0·37

0·45

0·50

0·53

0·53

0·66

0·59

0·68

All Private Flows

…

…

1·79

1·16

0·37

0·66

0·40

0·88

0·77

0·50

0·60

0·79

0·79

1·04

0·74

Total

…

…

2·11

1·61

0·85

0·92

0·69

1·25

1·22

1·00

1·13

1·32

1·45

1·63

1·42

NORWAY

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·11

0·14

0·14

0·17

0·15

0·16

0·18

0·17

0·29

0·30

0·32

0·33

0·41

All Official Flows

…

…

0·23

0·19

0·13

0·35

0·27

0·17

0·17

0·19

0·27

0·39

0·33

0·34

0·37

All Private Flows

…

…

—

0·36

—

0·02

0·09

0·38

0·05

0·17

0·38

0·38

0·26

0·16

—

Total

…

…

0·23

0·55

0·13

0·37

0·36

0·55

0·22

0·36

0·65

0·77

0·59

0·50

0·37

PORTUGAL

Official Development Assistance

…

…

1·45

1·73

1·26

1·46

1·48

0·59

0·54

0·54

0·54

1·29

0·67

1·42

1·91

All Official Flows

…

…

1·46

1·63

1·43

1·66

1·83

0·57

0·59

1·04

0·70

1·46

0·90

1·69

2·11

All Private Flows

…

…

—

—

—

—

—

0·25

0·38

0·70

0·27

0·33

0·26

0·42

0·38

Total

…

…

1·46

1·63

1·43

1·66

1·85

0·82

0·97

1·74

0·97

1·79

1·16

2·11

2·49

Percentages

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972*

SWEDEN

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·05

0·06

0·12

0·14

0·18

0·19

0·25

0·25

0·28

0·43

0·38

0·44

0·48

All Official Flows

…

…

0·05

0·05

0·12

0·14

0·18

0·18

0·25

0·25

0·28

0·43

0·38

0·44

0·48

All Private Flows

…

…

0·31

0·31

0·12

0·18

0·18

0·17

0·23

0·25

0·22

0·33

0·36

0·23

0·18

Total

…

…

0·36

0·36

0·24

0·32

0·36

0·35

0·48

0·50

0·50

0·76

0·74

0·67

0·66

SWITZERLAND

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·04

0·08

0·05

0·05

0·07

0·09

0·09

0·08

0·14

0·16

0·13

0·11

0·22

All Official Flows

…

…

0·04

0·24

0·04

0·05

0·08

0·03

0·01

0·02

0·11

0·13

0·13

0·11

0·22

All Private Flows

…

…

1·79

1·95

1·47

1·69

0·78

1·35

0·72

0·83

1·28

0·51

0·54

0·86

0·36

Total

…

…

1·83

2·19

1·51

1·74

0·86

1·38

0·73

0·85

1·39

0·64

0·67

0·97

0·58

UNITED KINGDOM

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·56

0·59

0·52

0·48

0·53

0·47

0·46

0·44

0·40

0·39

0·37

0·41

0·39

All Official Flows

…

…

0·57

0·60

0·51

0·49

0·53

0·49

0·48

0·43

0·41

0·39

0·37

0·42

0·40

All Private Flows

…

…

0·65

0·57

0·41

0·35

0·45

0·54

0·37

0·29

0·30

0·64

0·64

0·63

0·56

Total

…

…

1·22

1·17

0·92

0·84

0·98

1·03

0·85

0·72

0·71

1·03

1·01

1·05

0·96

UNITED STATES

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·53

0·56

0·56

0·59

0·56

0·49

0·44

0·43

0·37

0·33

0·31

0·32

0·29

All Official Flows

…

…

0·55

0·65

0·62

0·60

0·53

0·50

0·45

0·45

0·40

0·34

0·32

0·33

0·31

All Private Flows

…

…

0·20

0·21

0·14

0·15

0·29

0·27

0·20

0·26

0·28

0·17

0·31

0·32

0·33

Total

…

…

0·75

0·86

0·76

0·75

0·82

0·77

0·65

0·71

0·68

0·51

0·63

0·65

0·64

TOTAL DAC COUNTRIES

Official Development Assistance

…

…

0·52

0·53

0·52

0·51

0·48

0·44

0·41

0·42

0·37

0·36

0·34

0·35

0·34

All Official Flows

…

…

0·54

0·63

0·57

0·53

0·49

0·46

0·44

0·45

0·42

0·39

0·40

0·41

0·40

All Private Flows

…

…

0·35

0·32

0·23

0·23

0·30

0·31

0·27

0·28

0·38

0·36

0·39

0·42

0·37

Total

…

…

0·89

0·95

0·80

0·76

0·79

0·77

0·71

0·73

0·80

0·75

0·79

0·83

0·77

Official Flows include Official Development Assistance and Other Official Flows (the latter comprising official economic transactions that do not meet all the criteria of the DAC with respect to the developmental character of flows to developing countries). Private Flows include both transactions on market terms and, from 1970 grants by voluntary agencies.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further help Her Majesty's Government intend to afford to the Government and people of Ethiopia to relieve suffering in that country.

I refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply which I gave on 2nd November to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, West (Mr. Judd).—[Vol. 863, c. 17–18]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Rhodesia.

We have made it clear on a number of occasions that Her Majesty's Government believe it is for the Rhodesians themselves to come together and reach agreement on the basis for a settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to ensure that the maximum benefits of political asylum are available at the British Embassy in Chile to those who seek it, following the recent military coup.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2nd November to the hon. Member for Hackney, Central. (Mr. Clinton Davis)—[Vol. 863, c. 21–22].

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the future development of St. Helena; and if he will make a statement.

The Governor's development adviser is completing the draft of a development plan for the island, for presentation to the Governor when he arrives in this country in early December.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the OFFICIAL REPORT the text of the instrument by which the present Chairman of the Crown Agents was appointed, together with any relevant information on the terms of the appointment.

The chairman was appointed in accordance with normal practice by the then Minister of Overseas Development, and an announcement was made at the time. The terms of the appointment are analogous to those of senior officials in the Civil Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Crown Agents have placed funds with a financial institution in the Cayman Islands; and, if so, to what extent the funds derive from those raised by the Crown Agents on the market in their own right and for the application of which they are not answerable to overseas principals.

I understand that the Crown Agents have placed funds in institutions in the Cayman Islands, but it would be wrong for me to disclose the day-to-day arrangements of their finances, whether as agents or otherwise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken or intends taking to assist the Dutch Government to overcome their problems resulting from the fuel embargo imposed by the Arab Governments on the supply of oil to the Government of Holland.

I have no doubt that the situation in the Middle East, including oil matters, will be discussed when my right hon. Friend meets his colleagues in Brussels tonight.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new houses or flats for police officers have been provided in Surrey since 1st January 1973; and how this compares with previous years.

The number of houses or flats provided this year is eight. The provision in previous years was:

1972	25
1971	2
1970	12
1969	19

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen and policewomen retired from the Metropolitan Police force in each of the years between 1969 and 1972.

Following is the information:

	Men	Women	Total
1969	316	5	321
1970	115	8	123
1971	217	5	222
1972	405	3	408

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen and policewomen retired from the force in England and Wales in each of the years between 1969 and 1972.

Following is the information:

	Men	Women	Total
1969	1,363	54	1,417
1970	1,145	33	1,178
1971	570	30	600
1972	1,496	23	1,519

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the net recruitment to the Metropolitan Police force and to the West Midlands and West Yorkshire police forces in the quarter July to September 1973.

In the Metropolitan and West Midlands forces there was a net wastage of 93 and 15 respectively; in the West Yorkshire force a net recruitment of five.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the 1972 and 1973 (30th June) figures for the size of the police force in England and Wales; and what numerical increase the total for each year represents over the figure for the preceding year.

Following is the information:

	Strength (including central services)	Increase during year
30th June 1972	98,600	3,514
30th June 1973	100,372	1,772

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students from developing countries have come to the United Kingdom in the past 10 years to study medicine; and how many were allowed to stay to practise medicine after they had qualified.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the Government's intentions on the implementation of the recommendations in the Cunningham Report on the Fire Service.

Implementation of the Cunningham inquiry's outstanding recommendations is primarily a matter for the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Fire Brigades. My right hon. Friend met both sides of the council today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of firms of solicitors listed as being prepared to undertake criminal legal aid work by each of the Inner London magistrates' courts.

I do not think that this would be helpful. The preparation and maintenance of any such lists—in order to assist defendants who do not choose a solicitor independently—is a matter for the courts themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement detailing the discussions which have taken place between his Department and the Inner London magistrates' courts and the advice given by his Department relating to the system of allocation of criminal legal aid work by such courts.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the assignment of solicitors to the minority of applicants who do not make their own choice. No advice has been given by the Home Office on this matter. The chief magistrate and the principal chief clerk are considering whether some greater uniformity of practice could be achieved, bearing in mind the variations between different court areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the most recent figure for the number of probation officers and training places; and what increase this represents over the number which obtained in June 1970.

On 30th September 1973 there were 4,381 whole-time and 106 part-time probation officers, compared with 3,321 and 84 respectively on 30th June 1970. This represents an increase of about 32 per cent.Seven hundred and thirty-two training places were reported as available for acceptable candidates in 1973 compared with 424 in 1970, an increase of about 73 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the reasons for the recommendation made to prisoners in custody awaiting trial that they should confine letters to two pages of ordinary notepaper, even to their professional advisers, in the light of the right of such persons to prepare their defence without unnecessary impediments being placed in their way.

Unconvicted prisoners are advised that domestic letters exceeding four sides of ordinary notepaper may be delayed in censorship but this does not relate to letters to their legal advisers. If the hon. Member is aware of any case of difficulty in this respect and will let my noble Friend the Minister of State have the details, he will be glad to look into it.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will seek powers to transfer responsibility for the pay and conditions of all staff of the House of Commons to the Services Committee.

I do not think it would be right to make any radical changes before the review of administration has been completed, the terms of reference of which were announced by Mr. Speaker on 22nd October.

asked the Secretary of state for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans to redefine the word "remuneration" in the Northern Ireland Local Government Superannuation Regulations so as to bring the definition into line with the relevant legislation in England and Wales.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many grants have been awarded by the Ministry of Health and Social Services to managers attending approved management courses in, respectively, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Eire; and what has been the total sum in each case.

The information is as follows:

Grants to managers attending approved management courses in	Numbers of grants	Total sum paid £
(1) Northern Ireland	1,503	25,409
(2) Great Britain	170	8,669
(3) Republic of Ireland	16	784

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Northern Ireland orders it is intended to introduce in the present Session of Parliament.

My right hon. Friend hopes that his discussions with the political parties in Northern Ireland will enable him at an early date to lay before Parliament draft orders relating to the devolution of legislative powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Orders relating to local government reorganisation and appropriation will be laid before the Christmas Recess.It is not possible at this stage to forecast what other orders may need to be laid at Westminster this Session.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why the basic entitlement for sick teachers to full pay has not been nationally increased since 1926.

Sick leave entitlement for teachers in Northern Ireland was reviewed in 1947 when new arrangements broadly comparable to the present provisions were introduced. The question of sick leave entitlement is a matter for consideration in the first instance by the Standing Committee on Teachers' Salaries. Although it is open to either the teachers' or employers' side at any time to ask the committee to discuss these arrangements no proposals for their alteration have been put forward since 1969, when a scheme of sick leave entitlement for full-time temporary teachers was introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in view of the fact that teachers in Northern Ireland who are ill are at a serious disadvantage financially when compared with teachers holding similar appointments in England and Wales, if he will take the appropriate action.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25th October to a Question from the hon. Member for Antrim, North (Rev. Ian Paisley)—[Vol. 861, c. 579.].

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement about the delays being experienced in introducing the model scheme for sick pay for teachers in Northern Ireland and on any arrangements he is making for back pay for those career teachers who have been on half pay during illness for any length of time since 4th January 1973 when his Department first received a request for parity with England on this matter.

This matter was raised in January 1973 by a teacher who was advised to take it up with the Teachers' Salary Council. The council has now asked for this item to be on the agenda for the next meeting of the Standing Committee on Teachers' Salaries. The Northern Ireland Ministry of Education, which makes regulations governing this matter, will give careful consideration to any recommendation which the committee may make.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of his decision not to have admission charges to the National Gallery of Scotland during the month of January, what alternative employment will be undertaken during January by staff employed to collect admission charges.

How their staff are used is a matter for the trustees.