asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement about relations between Great Britain and Rhodesia.

We have continued to keep in touch with the Rhodesian authorities, but we believe the races in Rhodesia must now try to work out a solution between themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on sanctions in respect of Rhodesia ; and if the individual member States of the EEC are complying fully with the policies of the United Nations in the application of sanctions.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend told the House on 8th November.—[Vol. 863, c. 1248–51.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his meeting with representatives of the Inter-Governmental Committee for European Immigration ; as a result of this meeting what undertaking he gave regarding the admission to the United Kingdom of foreign nationals leaving Chile ; and whether any such persons have already been admitted.

My right hon. Friend has had no meeting with the Inter-Governmental Committee for European Immigration. The question of any new undertaking on our part to admit foreign nationals from Chile to the United Kingdom does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Government of Hong Kong on the effect upon their trade of the European Community Generalised Scheme of Preferences ; and what action he has taken.

We have been in close touch with the Hong Kong Government about their expectations from the Community's Generalised Preferences Scheme. I have made it clear to the Community that in 1974 we shall be pressing resolutely for further concessions in favour of Hong Kong, including textiles and footwear, in addition to the improvements in the new Community GPS which take effect this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an official visit to Hong Kong.

My right hon. Friend has no present plans to visit Hong Kong.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will advise the cancellation of the proposed State visit to Indonesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will accompany Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of her State visit to Indonesia ; and what will be its duration.

No. I shall accompany Her Majesty the Queen during the visit, which will last five days.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current weekly tonnage of oil being loaded in Arab oil-producing countries (a) bound for the United Kingdom, and (b) bound for other EEC countries ; and what were the equivalent figures for each of the previous three months.

I regret that figures in the detail for which my hon. Friend has asked are not available. However, figures for the oil arriving in this country are given in the following table. The intake amounted roughly to 8 million tons in August, 5 million in September and 8 million in October. The variations which are given from month to month underline the caution with which monthly, let alone weekly, figures for oil movements must be treated. I should also point out that because of the time taken for oil tankers to travel from the Gulf, most of these figures would relate to cargoes loaded before the introduction of oil embargoes.

UNITED KINGDOM CRUDE OIL IMPORTS FROM ARAB COUNTRIES
(Thousand tons)
	August	September	October
Algeria	280	188	145
Tunisia	—	—	—
Libya	899	396	1,230
Egypt	207	—	—
Saudi Arabia	3,037	2,142	2,941
Kuwait	2,680	1,187	2,348
Qatar	506	294	585
Abu Dhabi	144	114	359
Dubai	200	195	58
Oman	81	138	67
Iraq	154	271	152
Total Arab Countries	8,188	4,925	7,885
Total all Sources	11,648	7,568	11,928

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it has yet been decided who will represent the United Kingdom at next year's conference on the Law of the Sea at Santiago.

The United Kingdom delegation will be led by Sir R. Jackling, formerly Her Majesty's Ambassador at Bonn and now an Ambassador within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The conference is now being held at Caracas.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any practical agreement has been reached with the support of Her Majesty's Government on energy policy in the EEC and on the transportation, storage and use of oil ; and if he will make a statement.

At their Council in May energy Ministers of the Community, including my hon. Friend the Minister for Industry, adopted a number of Commission proposals on practical energy matters. A scheme of support for Community products in the crude oil and natural gas sector was agreed. The energy Ministers also adopted a directive under which member States would take powers to control the use of oil stocks, restrain consumption and regulate prices, and would draw up contingency plans for implementing these powers in the event of an emergency. We have complied with this directive.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest progress of the talks on cooperation and security in Europe.

I have nothing to add to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 7th November.—[Vol. 863, c. 161.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to make an official visit to the European Parliament at its next plenary session in Strasbourg, 10th–14th December 1973, to make a statement on British policy on the next steps to be taken towards an EEC common foreign policy and the necessary administrative machinery required to support it.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Strasbourg at present. Her Majesty's Government continue strongly to support the development of common European positions on foreign policy issues.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will discuss with the Common Market countries the possibility of sanctions against all exports from the countries of the Nine to all Arab countries until such time as the oil embargo is lifted.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on his most recent discussions with representatives of the Arabian States ; and to what extent these talks included matters relative to the present energy crisis.

My right hon. Friend has indeed had discussions recently with representatives of Arab countries, notably from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, who have called on him in London. Oil was of course among the subjects we talked about.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the public on the question of British policies in connection with the treatment of prisoners of war by the Syrian authorities as a result of the latest Middle East conflict.

We have received a number of letters from the public about the prisoners of war in Syria. As I told the House on 7th November, we have urged all parties to the conflict to honour the prisoners of war and other conventions and we remain in touch with them and with the International Committee of the Red Cross.—[Vol. 863, c. 979–81.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many vouchers have been issued to United Kingdom passport holders in Kenya since 1st January 1973 ; and how many applications remain in hand.

It is not our practice to disclose how the global quota of special vouchers is allocated, at any particular time, between different countries.The number of applications for special vouchers in Kenya at the end of October not yet satisfied was just over 3,500.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the total assets held in Kenya by United Kingdom citizens ; and what proportion of these assets is held by Asians.

The latest available figures are for the end of 1971, when the book value of net assets attributable to direct investment by United Kingdom companies in Kenya was of the order of £60·5 million excluding oil, insurance and banking. I am not able to say what proportion of these assets are held by Asians. Figures are not available for the value of assets held in Kenya by United Kingdom passport holders resident in Kenya.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to seek to pay an official visit to Israel.

I have no plans to do so at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support the draft resolution tabled by Sweden at the General Assembly of the United Nations providing for the prohibition of the use of napalm.

On 22nd November the United Kingdom abstained in the vote at the United Nations on the Swedish resolution, after unsuccessful efforts to obtain alterations in the draft. These were designed to bring it into line with the resolution adopted on 12th November by the XXII International Conference of the Red Cross held at Tehran, which we supported. In particular, we wished it to be made clear that the proposed substantive discussions on the question of prohibiting or restricting the use of napalm and certain other weapons should be undertaken not by the Diplomatic Conference, to be held in Geneva next spring, but by a separate or subsidiary body. Substantive discussion in the Diplomatic Conference itself would in our view be likely to damage the chances of success of that conference in formulating important new protocols on humanitarian law.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date Mr. Donald Coles of Bere Regis in Dorset was seized by armed Zambian troops ; on what date he was first seen by the British Consul ; what was the nature of his injuries and how they were sustained ; how many days Mr. Coles was in hospital ; and what protest has been made to the Zambian Government, and what reply received.

Mr. Coles was apprehended by Zambian security forces on 15th November. He spent eight days in hospital in Lusaka before he was released and returned to Rhodesia on 24th November. A representative of the British High Commission in Lusaka visited Mr. Coles on 21st November and observed heavy bruising consistent with severe beating as reported in the Press. Mr. Coles did not give details of how he was arrested or how he came by his injuries.Our High Commission has expressed our concern to the Zambian Government about this incident and has asked for an explanation. It was told that the Zambian authorities were carrying out an investigation. The High Commissioner has discussed the case with the Zambian Prime Minister.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to seek to pay an official visit to Tunisia.

I have no plans to visit Tunisia at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his Department's continuing examination of special help for first-time home buyers with modest incomes, including the suggestions made to him on 10th September by the hon. Member for Harrow, East.

Good progress has been made in the discussions with the Building Societies Association to arrange for the early introduction of the deferred mortgage payments scheme to help first-time home buyers. I have, of course, noted the suggestions made by my hon. Friend. These could, however, involve a substantial subsidy for some home buyers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to require all substantial shop and commercial developments in London and other cities to provide a fixed proportion of the total floor space for residential accommodation for employees.

As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State announced last week, public service bodies have been invited to consider urgently with the Housing Corporation ways in which land they own in London could be used to help their employees and increase the overall housing stock. A rigid requirement on the lines suggested in the Question would not be appropriate, though authorities often successfully negotiate with developers the provision of housing accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in view of the fact that small businesses can be squeezed out when redevelopment takes place, if he will draw the attention of planning authorities to the desirability of making provision for such firms in development plans.

Advice to local planning authorities on providing accommodation for displaced businesses is already given in Planning Bulletin No. 3 and Circular 61/72. I am sending copies to my hon. friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in his review of pedestrian crossing criteria, he will change the basis for traffic counts in deciding the need for such crossings and consider other danger factors and local opinion.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to changing the present policy of building new houses without chimney flues ; and whether he will vary the present cost yardstick to enable local authorities to provide flues in their new houses.

All new local authority housing must comply with the minimum Parker Morris standard for heating. The method which individual authorities choose to meet that standard is a matter for them, but there is nothing in the Department's cost control procedures which discriminates against the use of solid fuel heating.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it a condition of grant-aid for the new rapid transport system planned in Newcastle-upon-Tyne that arrangements are made for its use by handicapped and disabled people.

The Passenger Transport Executive is providing many special facilities for the handicapped and disabled, but this is not a condition of grant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what area of new factory and commercial building is currently being undertaken in the Bishop Auckland constituency area.

I regret that the information is not available. However, I understand that during the year ended July 1973 planning permission was granted for 13 industrial developments in this constituency area involving a total of 26,000 square metres of accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to set up, at national and first tier local authority level, committees of public and private transport operators to assess the likely increase in need for public transport, given possible rationing of petrol, and to make provision for services to match this need.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what procedure has to be adopted by a disqualified driver to ensure that he gets his driving licence restored on the date that the disqualification expires ; how long in advance of the end of the disqualification period the person concerned is advised of such procedure ; and what steps are taken designed to ensure that such persons receive their restored driving licence to operate from the date when disqualification ceases ;(2) if he is aware of drivers who have been disqualified, who make application for restoration of licence before the end of the period of disqualification, then may have to wait for more than 10 days before they receive their new licence though they have applied in advance ; and if he will take steps to ensure that the period of disqualification ordered by the courts is not extended through delays at the Swansea Computer Centre or other agency issuing the new licence.

Application is made to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre which issues the new licence which runs from the same date as the old licence. If the old licence has run out the new one runs from the day after the disqualification ends provided that the centre has received the application before that date.The driver is entitled to drive from the day after the disqualification ends whether or not he has received his new licence unless he is ineligible to hold a licence or his old licence has run out and he has failed to apply for a new one.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to ascertain the number of municipal tenants in Birmingham receiving rent rebates, the total net effect on the rent receipts of the city council for the latest period, and the forecast figures.

Information on the first two points of this Question will be published in the annual Housing Statistics of the Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants. The next issue, relating to May 1973, should be published about Christmas and copies will be available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the dispute at the new grain terminal in the Container Dock at Crosby, Liverpool ; and whether he is prepared to instruct his Department to intervene.

The dispute is concerned with the allocation of jobs in the terminal, manning scales, wages and hours of work.The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company informs me that it will continue its endeavours to reach agreement to the opening of the terminal before the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will install weighbridges at convenient points on motorways to enable easier checking of overloaded lorries.

I am consulting local authorities about this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the names of those members of the British Waterways Board whose appointments terminate on 31st December 1973 ; if he has made any appointments for the vacancies so caused ; and what are the qualifications of any persons so appointed other than previous membership of the board.

The appointments of the Hon. A. L. Hood and Mr. B. C. Gillinson expire on 31st December 1973. No new appointments have been made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total membership of the proposed Channel Tunnel Authority ; how many members will come from each national board ; and what is the maximum number of members of the authority who can be nominees of the "nominated constructors" of the tunnel.

The Treaty and Agreements published as Cmnd 5486 provide for a maximum membership of the Channel Tunnel Authority of 16, eight from each national board. The maximum number of members who can be appointed by the two Channel Tunnel Companies is three each.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further action is proposed to reduce risk on the A57 in the parish of Aston-cum-Aughton.

The Handsworth to Howarth Hall section of the Sheffield-Rotherham Link will open on 29th November. This should reduce the number of heavy goods vehicles using the A57.In order to improve conditions for pedestrians, further consideration is being given to the possible rearrangement of bus stops on the A57 in Aston-cum-Aughton. I shall write to the hon. Member letting him know the outcome.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the recent visit of the Minister for Housing and Construction to Liverpool.

My recent visit to Liverpool was the first of a series of visits I am making to a number of large cities outside London. My aim is to discuss, with elected members and officers of the present and future authorities, policy and programmes for tackling older housing, in the light of our White Paper "Better Homes : the Next Priorities". I found my visit to Liverpool encouraging and instructive.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to introduce the building Bill amending and bringing up to date the building regulations.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to his similar Question yesterday.—[Vol. 865, c. 100–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce a new regulation under the general development orders requiring owners of all garages and filling stations to propose a scheme covering paintwork and facias to be agreed with the local planning authority, implement it by a set date and thereafter maintain it subject to any alteration subsequently agreed.

Facias which are advertisements are subject to the advertisement regulations. In so far as other facias materially affect the external appearance of a building they already require planning permission.Painting, other than for the purpose of advertisement, announcement or direction, is permitted development under the general development order, but can be brought into control by a direction under article 4 of the order.Both facias and painting can be controlled by conditions attached to planning permissions relating to the premises. It seems, therefore, that local planning authorities have adequate powers to control these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will introduce a new regulation under the general development orders controlling the positions and sizes of advertisements on petrol filling stations and garages ;(2) if he will introduce a new regulation under the general development orders so that there is more effective control of temporary advertisements.

Following an approach by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment, the trade organisations and companies concerned with petrol-filling and service stations are working on a code of conduct for the display of advertisements at these premises. I have just asked for a progress report on their negotiations before consideration is given to amending the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1969 as they affect such advertisements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce a new regulation under the general development orders controlling the display of motor vehicles, caravans and boats, etc., on the forecourts of garages and other premises, offering them for sale.

Local planning authorities already have power to control the display for sale of motor vehicles, etc., on forecourts by means of conditions attached to planning permissions relating to the premises. Where such display amounts to a material change of use at existing premises planning permission is required and, in default, enforcement action can be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will require the classes of advertisement at present classified as permitted developments to be subject to control, in view of the abuses that take place.

Almost all advertisements displayed with deemed consent under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1969 are subject to the service by the local planning authority of a notice requiring discontinuance of the display. I shall, however, be consulting the local authority associations and other representative bodies for their views on problems arising under the regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest official estimate of the number of vehicles using that stretch of the A5 between the Gailey intersection and the Shropshire border on a weekday.

A recent count showed that an average of 12,729 vehicles used this section of the A5 on a weekday.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes he proposes to make in the forms of application for driving tests.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will require an applicant for a driving test to indicate on the application form whether he holds a full, qualified or provisional licence. :

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps lie proposes to take to prevent a black market in applications for driving tests.

To reduce waiting periods, my Department is recruiting additional examiners as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce a new regulation under the general development orders governing the permitted intensity of light from exposed and external fittings in a similar way that consent to display an illuminated advertisement can require a level of illumination to be limited.

Though the installation of outside illumination of premises, which is not for advertisement purposes, may not necessarily require planning permission, it can nevertheless be controlled by means of conditions attached to planning permissions relating to the premises.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give an assurance that any EEC proposal to impose VAT on books, magazines or newspapers will be vetoed in the Council of Ministers.

The draft Sixth Directive as submitted by the Commission to the Council makes explicit provision for the continuation of all the United Kingdom's existing zero rating, including that on books, magazines and newspapers, until the Council of Ministers by unanimous decision decides otherwise, but not later than the abolition of fiscal frontiers. The latter would also require a unanimous decision by the Council. My right hon. Friend has no plans to impose VAT on books, magazines or newspapers, but he cannot, of course, give an assurance which would bind Chancellors of the Exchequer in the future.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the yield from VAT levied on repairs to historic buildings in the first quarter of the current financial year.

This information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the yield from VAT levied on sales by registered charities in the first quarter of the current financial year.

This information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make provision for costs incurred by taxpayers in seeking professional advice concerning their tax returns to be an allowable deduction for the purposes of calculating income tax.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion. But I should point out that successive Governments—following the line of argument advanced by the Royal Commission on the Taxation of Profits and Income, which examined the merits of the matter carefully—have taken the view that no such allowance would be justified.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will compare the total net weekly income of a man with a wife and two children under 11 years of age with a weekly wage of £20 per week with persons in similar circumstances earning (a) £25 per week, and (b) £35 per week, assuming that in all cases the previous year's earnings were at the same rate and allowing for relevant tax payments or repayments and welfare benefits in the following circumstances : for a week's work after 39 weeks at the appropriate rate and when unemployed after 39 weeks and when qualifying for earnings-related benefit, and in each case showing the net income when unemployed as a percentage of that when in employment.

The figures are :

Weekly wage	A	B	C
	£	£	Per cent.
£20	19·49	18·58
FIS	1·60	1·60
	21·09	20·18	95·7
£25	22·89	28·03	122·5
£35	29·39	30·33	103·2

Column A shows the net weekly income when at work for week 40 in the tax year.Column B shows the net weekly income derived from unemployment benefit including earnings-related supplement for week 42—on the assumption that this is the third consecutive week of unemployment—and where appropriate tax refunds.Column C shows column B as a percentage of column A. The figures take account of family allowances and national insurance contributions but they do not include any supplementary benefit that might be receivable during unemployment.Family income supplement payments are shown separately and appear under column B as well as column A because a man who becomes entitled to FIS will receive it for the period of the award regardless of whether he becomes unemployed during that period.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each of the last 20 years the annual income derived from Crown lands made over to the Exchequer ; and how much each yearly total exceeds the amount voted by Parliament to Her Majesty for the same period.

The income from surplus revenues of the Crown Estate paid into the Consolidated Fund for each of the last 20 years is as follows :

Year ending 31st March	Payments into Consolidated Fund
	£
1954	1,130,000
1955	1,170,000
1956	1,270,000
1957	1,270,000
1958	1,440,000
1959	1,530,000
1960	1,790,000
1961	2,020,000
1962	2,190,000
1963	2,380,000
1964	2,470,000
1965	3,200,000
1966	3,525,000
1967	3,600,000
1968	3,725,000
1969	4,050,000
1970	3,800,000
1971	3,850,000
1972	4,550,000
1973	4,700,000

In the same period the amount provided by Parliament for Her Majesty's Civil List was £475,000 each year up to 31st December 1971, and £980,000 a year from 1st January 1972.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if any further works of art have recently been accepted in lieu of estate duty.

Yes. Six items of porcelain, a Harbour Scene in coloured chalks by J. McNeil Whistler, and a pen and ink and wash drawing by Canaletto of an Architectural Fantasy with Roman Amphitheatre near a Lagoon, have been accepted under these provisions. The total cost borne by the National Land Fund after allowing for exemption from estate duty and capital gains tax is £9,640.The Paymaster-General, after taking advice from the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries, will in due course announce the destinations of these works of art.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance is being issued to persons and organisations responsible for public and semi-public places such as church halls which are heated by electricity or gas ; and if he will issue a general direction to the boards of the nationalised industries concerned to make clear and definite announcements about times and places of cuts caused by disruption of one kind or another.

Wide publicity has been given to the orders affecting the use of electricity for space heating and to the concession given in respect of places of worship and religious education. If cuts become necessary, the electricity area boards give as much notice as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will publish figures showing the extent of the coal industry's loss of manpower in each of the four years ending in October 1973, showing how many cases were due to having reached retirement age, how many to incapacity grounds, and how many to voluntary resignations ;

MANPOWER WASTAGE FROM NATIONAL COAL BOARD COLLIERIES
		1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973
Deaths	…	2,593	2,470	2,204	1,866	1,602	1,606	1,422	1,434	1,449
Retirement	…	8,178	7,809	7,307	6,186	4,153	3,823	3,542	3,337	3,135
Medical reasons	…	10,079	9,762	7,577	6,208	4,997	4,255	4,000	2,958	2,631
Dismissals and redundancies	…	4,488	5,843	10,969	29,084	12,870	9,986	7,704	9,477	8,290
Voluntary wastage	…	44,902	39,893	28,168	29,175	24,673	22,812	17,248	10,186	17,889

NEWLY EMPLOYED RECRUITS TO NATIONAL COAL BOARD COLLIERIES
1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973
13,163	13,127	11,384	6,144	9,650	11,009	15,048	5,670	7,920
The figures for 1965–1969 inclusive are for year ending 31st December
The figures for 1970–1973 inclusive are for year ending 30th September

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will give a list of the dates when he has had discussions with the National Coal Board on its general plans, including future capacity of the industry ; what were the results of these discussions ; and what action he has taken regarding the same.

We have frequent discussions with the board about its general plans, but, as my right hon. Friend informed the hon. Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Sillars) on 2nd November—[Vol. 863, c. 37.]—the decisions about the future capacity of the industry are much too important to be rushed. A statement will be made when they are concluded.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for how long the review into the matter of compensation for the victims of mining subsidence has now been continuing ; when he expects it to be concluded ; and whether he expects to follow the report with proposals for legislation.

I am sorry that I am still unable to make a statement, but I hope to do so soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the effect of

Following are the latest available figures for manpower wastage :removing controls on the imports of cotton yarn on short-term or long-term unemployment in the North-West.

Removing present controls would be likely to affect some jobs. However, I would expect the affected areas to benefit from the selective industrial assistance available under the Industry Act My Department has already offered selective assistance for 97 projects which are likely to create some 7,200 new jobs and safeguard a further 1,000 in the North-West over the next few years ; applications in respect of an additional 135 projects offering approximately 8,200 jobs are under consideration. A significant proportion of these jobs are expected to be in areas where the textile industry is concentrated.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to prevent the use of executive jets for journeys without the majority of the passenger capacity being used so that fuel may be saved ; and if he will advise those intending to travel by this means to use scheduled flights if available.

The arrangements for allocation of fuel announced to the House last week apply to the operators of executive aircraft. Separate legislation to cover such cases would not be appropriate. I am discussing priorities for oil allocation with the civil aviation industry, and I would certainly ask anyone contemplating travel by executive aircraft to use scheduled flights wherever they are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide a table showing total Commonwealth trade as a proportion of the United Kingdom's total world trade in 1952, 1962 and 1972, and the comparable figures for the United States of America and the European Economic Community.

Following is the information :

	percentage of trade with
	Commonwealth*	U.S.A	EEC†
United Kingdom
Imports
1952	38	9	18
1962	30	10	22
1972	19	11	32
Exports
1952	37	7	18
1962	28	9	27
1972	18	12	30
* Excludes Pakistan
† Enlarged EEC

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he is unable to ascertain the average price paid to producers for wheat for denaturing as opposed to other categories of cereals.

The average price paid for denatured wheat is not available because the corn returns, which provide details of cereal prices paid to producers, do not separately identify wheat sold for denaturing. The returns

CHANGES IN AVERAGE RETAIL MILK PRICES AND FEED INGREDIENT PRICES IN EEC COUNTRIES BETWEEN 1972 AND 1973
				Month of Measurement		Unit		1972	1973
Retail milk prices
Belgium	…	…	…	September	…	Francs per litre	…	10·43	10·90
Denmark	…	…	…	September	…	Krone per litre	…	1·55	2·09
France	…	…	…	August	…	Francs per litre	…	1·17	1·24
Irish Republic	…	…	…	August	…	Pence per pint	…	4½	5
Italy	…	…	…	June	…	Lire per litre	…	159·3	164·2
Netherlands	…	…	…	August	…	Guilder per litre	…	0·74	0·79
West Germany	…	…	…	September	…	D.mark per litre	…	0·86	0·92
United Kingdom	…	…	…	September	…	Pence per pint	…	5½	5½

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the butter which is being made available on favourable terms to charities can be used for their work in the relieving of famine overseas ; and on what terms.

No. Butter sold by intervention agencies at a reduced price to non-profit-making organisations must be consumed within the Community.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much butter has been imported from non-EEC countries in the first nine months of 1973 ; and what is the average price per ton.

127,147 tons of butter were imported into the United Kingdom from non-EEC countries during the first nine months of 1973. The average unit value was £370·5 per ton c.i.f. United Kingdom ports.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the average retail price of milk rose between September 1972 and September 1973 ; by how much the price of feeding stuffs rose ; and how these figures compare with the average in European Economic Community countries.

The information is set out in the following table. The prices for individual countries cannot be directly compared because of the different basis of the various quotations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the inquiry into the management of the State veterinary service and the action which it is proposed to take.

Various matters affecting recruitment and career opportunities in the Ministry's veterinary service were recently examined by a joint working party representative of management and the veterinary officers. Its conclusions are now being urgently considered and my right hon. Friend is taking a close and continuing personal interest in this.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the proportion of the 44·8 per cent. food price increases since 1970 that can be accounted for by increased remuneration, at least in sterling terms, received by workers concerned with the production and transport of food.

I regret that sufficiently detailed and up-to-date information about the cost structure of food production and distribution is not available.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil servants of Government Departments worked in Dorset in 1968 ; how many now work there ; and what steps he is taking to persuade Departments to make more use of the facilities there.

The information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.The facilities of Dorset will continue to be kept in mind when further relocation of Civil Service work takes place.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the instructions recently issued to Service personnel in ships in home ports with reference to preparation for aid to civil powers in Great Britain ; whether he will specify the nature of the equipment to be issued to such personnel ; and whether he will make a statement.

No such instructions have been issued to Service personnel in ships in home ports.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he is aware that the Royal Yacht "Britannia" is using a ton of furnace fuel oil about every seven miles ; and, in view of the Government's call for the universal conserving of fuel, what action he has taken, or proposes to take, to reduce the use of fuel by restricting the use of this yacht and its accompanying vessels.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21st November.Instructions have been issued to the Royal Navy to ensure that fuel consumption is reduced in line with the Government's measures to conserve energy. Her Majesty's Yacht "Britannia" is included in these instructions.—[Vol. 864, c.

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will give either a detailed list or summary of the rules, regulations, directives, duties and levies as imposed by the Common Market which affect his Department in any way ; and to what extent these have increased or decreased prices and costs or made any difference to the expenditure of his Department, the consumer or taxpayer for which he has ministerial responsibility.

No. The English texts of the Community secondary legislation, adopted before the enlargement of the Community, are published in the special English edition of the Official Journal. An index to the edition has been published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Secondary legislation adopted since 1st January 1973 is listed on the front pages of the issues of the Official Journal in which the texts are published. All of these publications are available in both the Vote Office and the Library.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will name the Trustees of the Greenwich Hospital.

The Secretary of State for Defence holds all property of Greenwich Hospital in trust for Her Majesty. The management of the hospital is in practice delegated to the Admiralty Board.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what were the profits accruing to the Greenwich Hospital over the last five years.

The surplus of receipts over expenditure has been as follows :

	£
1968–69	37,278
1969–70	45,571
1970–71	8,857
1971–72	16,309
1972–73	1,500
	(estimated)

asked the Minister of State for Defence what are the purposes to which profits accruing to the Greenwich Hospital have been put over the last five years.

The surpluses have been used to earn further income as a contribution towards meeting expenditure, principally on the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, which has increased from £524,414 in 1968–69 to an estimated £707,850 in 1972–73.

asked the Minister of State for Defence what new measures he is considering to assist Service men in nontechnical arms, on release from the Services, to obtain satisfactory employment.

I have at present no plans to extend the schemes operated by the Ministry of Defence for giving resettlement advice and training ; but the Training Opportunities Scheme recently introduced by the Department of Employment is likely to be of particular benefit to Service men. Placing discharged Service men in civil employment is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will hold consultations with British airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority to determine what improvements could be made to air traffic control procedures where these are complicated by Ministry of Defence requirements, so that savings in aviation fuel can be effected during the present emergency.

Consultations have already begun.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will relax current limitations on the minor works programme, specifically in order to enable more local education authorities to adapt existing educational buildings in the interests of disabled children, students and teachers ; and if she will make a statement.

The information available suggests that local education authorities are showing proper regard for Section 8 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 over sanitary facilities, access and car parking when preparing proposals for new or remodelled school buildings. My Department is not aware of any particular difficulties relating to such provision arising in connection with the minor works programme. Local education authorities allocate their minor works resources according to their own priorities, and are free to include projects to meet the needs of handicapped children, students and teachers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many disabled persons were registered as unemployed at the Dunfermline, Inver-keithing and Cowdenbeath employment exchanges, respectively, at the latest available date.

On 8th October 1973 the numbers of unemployed registered disabled persons at these exchanges were 55, six and 127 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what recent discussions his Department has held with management and unions at BAC, Filton, Bristol ; if he is satisfied with the present industrial situation ; and if he would consider investigating the present position and subsequently publishing a report.

On 23rd October my Department discussed with management and the foremen's association the question of overtime pay. During the past two weeks my officers have also heard informally about difficulties arising from the proposed changes in the company's staff pension scheme. My officers are keeping in touch with the parties and are ready to help at any time. I am not satisfied that an investigation and the publication of a report is the best way to improve the present industrial situation at the Filton plant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hotels and boarding houses in England and Wales are required to apply for a fire certificate under the Fire Precautions Act ; and how many have done so, to the latest date for which figures are available.

On 31st August last fire authorities in England and Wales had received about 43,000 applications for fire certificates in respect of hotels and boarding houses. The fire authorities estimated that about 30,000 applications were still to come.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases in England and Wales in 1970, 1971, 1972 and to date in 1973 orders were issued by Crown court judges depriving persons while in custody of the right to receive prison visits on the grounds that it would be undesirable to do so while another person is facing trial.

I regret that this information is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will detail in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of baby seals culled in each of the last three years for which figures are available and the method used for their slaughter.

Under licences issued under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, there were killed in 1971 300 common seal pups, in 1972 380 common seal pups and 575 grey seal juveniles and pups, and in 1973 380 common seal pups. The licensed method of killing was by shooting by rifle.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he is satisfied that the interests of salmon conservationists have been properly taken into account in planning the drainage scheme for 1·6 miles of the upper reaches of the Owenkillew River in County Tyrone ; that the purity standard of the water in this section of that river will be determined and tested before the scheme is allowed to proceed ; and that effort will be made to minimise the damage by the drainage machinery to the natural stock of pearl-holding freshwater mussels in this river bed.

The Northern Ireland Ministry of Agriculture, which is the drainage authority for Northern Ireland, is required by statute to provide protection for fisheries which may be affected by drainage work and in practice consults in advance the appropriate fisheries interests.The Foyle Fisheries Commission has been consulted about the proposed works on the Owenkillew River, which are of a relatively minor nature. The commission. on the understanding that adequate protection will be provided at all stages and that any necessary rehabilitation measures will be taken, has raised no objection.Inevitably some damage, usually temporary, is done to fisheries when drainage work is carried out. Every effort is made by the Ministry to keep such damage to a minimum and this will apply in the case of the Owenkillew as regards mussels and all other fish species.