asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will arrange for the clocks to revert to BST on Sunday 24th February.

No. I believe that most people are content with the present arrangements, under which British Summer Time starts during the third weekend in March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ban hare coursing.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring in a Bill to establish a national criminal records office for police use but under Home Office control and supervision.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps designed to avoid the public inconvenience caused by the

The traffic arrangements made by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis are designed to minimise the unavoidable inconvenience caused by street closures on ceremonial occasions. At the next State visit on 11th December the Commissioner proposes as an experiment until the arrival of the visitor at Victoria Station to allow some bus services to operate across the streets which are closed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from London taxi interests with a view to permission being granted to run taxis on a regular service basis between particular points.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the schemes submitted by the London borough of Lambeth in response to the latest urban programme circular, indicating which were approved and disapproved and showing the order of priority in the local authoritv list.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider the setting up of a body similar to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.

My right hon. Friend is not convinced that such a body is needed in this country. The Home Office, together with other Departments, has a continuing concern to ensure that goods sold to the public are safe. Moreover the newly appointed Director General of Fair Trading also has important duties in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to provide adequate safety for those enjoying sea and water sports and, in particular, to protect swimmers where speedboats, small craft and yachting leisure permits ate proliferating.

Local authorities already have power to make appropriate bye-laws. My right hon. Friend does not think that these powers are in general inadequate, but their efficacy will be reviewed by the working party on water safety whose appointment my right hon. Friend announced in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mrs. Sally Oppenheim) on 14th November.—[Vol. 864. c. 175.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek powers to ensure that a non-British EEC national, who has to be released after being involved in a road accident where blood analysis discloses excess of alcohol, can be subsequently served with summonses under United Kingdom law and made to answer to them.

The Government are considering problems of enforcing the law against drivers resident abroad who commit road traffic offences in this country. Practical and legal problems of considerable difficulty are involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has satisfied himself that Chileans admitted to the United Kingdom since the coup d'état will not lend themselves to subversive activities.

I am satisfied that no refugee from Chile has been, or will be, admitted if the evidence and information before us suggests that he may be a security risk.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will permit the eight Belfast prisoners, recently convicted at Winchester, to serve their sentences in prisons in Northern Ireland

My right hon. Friend has decided that it would not be in the public interest to grant the applications made by these prisoners. They are being so informed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the eight Belfast prisoners convicted at Winchester are on hunger strike ; how long they have been without food ; whether any are being force-fed ; by what method ; and on what grounds.

At the outset, seven of the eight prisoners refused normal prison food. On 23 rd November two resumed eating and on 28th November a further one did likewise. On 5th December four of the seven were still refusing food. Of these four

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will disclose the whereabouts of the eight prisoners recently sentenced at Winchester.

My noble Friend the Minister of State is writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the cutting of corners in police methods of questioning referred to by the Metropolitan Police in conducting their inquiries into the Old Bailey explosions.

No. My right hon. Friend is aware of no grounds for any action by him relating to the conduct of police inquiries in this case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average number of Commonwealth immigrants admitted into the United Kingdom during the years 1964 to 1969, inclusive ; and what is the average for 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973 in the latest available figures ;(2) how many Commonwealth immigrants have been admitted into the United Kingdom during 1973.

The numbers who arrived for settlement in 1964–69 and 1970–72, with annual averages, are as follows :

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek powers to ban performing animal acts in travelling circuses.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of experience gained in the operation of Sections 3(1) and 3(3) of the Criminal Justice Act 1961, limiting the power of a court to sentence a young person to imprisonment, and of judicial criticism, he proposes to seek to amend the present law in this respect ; and if he will make a statement.

I shall consider this matter in the light of a report on the treatment of young adult offenders which has recently been submitted to me by the Advisory Council on the Penal System. I should like to take this opportunity to record my gratitude to the council for the hard work and careful thought which it has devoted to this comprehensive review. The report will be published early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the result of his review of the law on picketing ; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Heffer) on 12th November.—[Vol. 864, c. 18.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners serving life sentences were imprisoned in open prisons in England and Wales on 1st November 1973 ; and what is his estimate of the number each year up to 1980.

46. It is not possible to estimate precisely the number who will be considered suitable for open conditions in future years but it is likely that by 1980 there will be between 100 and 150.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what criteria life-sentence prisoners are selected for transfer to open prisons for the last few years of their sentences.

Each individual case is considered on its merits and no such transfer is made until a full study of the prisoner's history and offence, together with reports, including medical reports, on his behaviour and progress in prison, and of his prospects for release, confirm that he is suitable and ready for open conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made by the chemical industry to provide round-the-clock advice and assistance to the emergency services in incidents involving hazardous chemicals ; and if he will make a statement.

A scheme, prepared by the Chemical Industries Association Ltd, will come into operation on 1st January 1974, under which companies despatching dangerous chemicals by road will maintain, either independently or on a joint basis, an emergency telephone, the number of which will be marked on all vehicles and containers used for this purpose. That number will be manned round-the-clock by a trained person who will locate the employee with the relevant expertise to advise on the containment or disposal of any chemical involved in an accident.To meet cases where a vehicle is involved in an accident at some distance from its point of despatch, a "pooling" scheme is being developed under which companies will share information about one another's products, so that, if an expert is required at the scene of an incident, a nearby depot will be able to provide one.There will be cases where remedial action lies outside the immediate resources of the emergency services. A register has accordingly been prepared of stocks of neutralising agents and other equipment held by chemical companies and other bodies throughout the country, so as to enable the emergency services to call on the nearest specialised personnel and the stocks of equipment held locally by the participating companies.To supplement these arrangements a national advice centre will be established at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell. The centre will be able to send its own crew and equipment to incidents occurring within a reasonable distance of Harwell and will build up data in computerised form of all chemicals known to be used and transported in the United Kingdom.The Government welcome these proposals, which have been prepared in consultation with representatives of the emergency services, and greatly appreciate the work of the Chemical Industries Association Ltd, in preparing this scheme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to encourage research and development of machinery suitable for harvesting soft fruits, including raspberries ; and if he will make a statement.

Considerable research and development efforts are being devoted by the Agricultural Research Service and the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service to mechanical harvesting of soft fruit, and encouraging progress has been made. The Horticulture Board of the Joint Consultative Organisation is reviewing the needs of the industry in the light of present research and development work, and the Ministry will take account of the board's advice in deciding what are the critical areas where work should be commissioned in the future.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will confirm the Government's intention to adhere to their original programme of eradication of brucellosis.

My right hon. Friend sees no reason at this stage to depart from the programme for extension of compulsory eradication of brucellosis which he announced on 22nd May in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Mr. Farr).—[Vol. 857, c. 58.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the size of the average dairy herd in Wales ; and how this compares with the average for England.

On the basis of results of the June 1972 census the average size of dairy breeding herds in Wales is 25 compared with 39 in England.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the specific causes for the increase in the price of many diabetic foodstuffs.

Diabetic food prices have been affected by many of the same raw material and other cost increases as manufactured foods generally, but unit costs are, in any case, higher for these foodstuffs which are supplied for a limited market and have short production runs.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much higher the average cost of production per gallon of milk is in Wales compared with in England.

The most recent university survey data of costs and returns in milk production which is available relates to the year ending 31st March 1969. This showed no significant difference in the average cost of production per gallon of milk between England and Wales. The results for the year 1972–73 are expected to be available very shortly, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as they are.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he has suggested any revisions to EEC directive 71/118 that the Commission of the European Communities might propose to the Council of Ministers ;(2) whether he has raised the question of the EEC directive 71/118 with his colleagues in the Council of Ministers ; and whether he now expects it will be possible to prevent its introduction in the United Kingdom in February 1976.

The directive has so far been under discussion at official level with the Commission. As I stated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Raison) on 27th November last, we are seeking a postponement of the date of February 1976 for New York dressed—i.e., unevis-cerated—poultry.—[Vol. 865, c. 114.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has had from interested consumers' or producers' organisations concerning EEC directive 71/118 ; and what reply he has given them.

I have received representations from the British Poultry Federation, the National Farmers' Union, the National Federation of Meat Traders Associations and individual producers and consumers about various matters arising from this directive. The majority of the representations have related to the provisions of the directive which would, from 1976, preclude the sale of unevis-cerated poultry. In reply I have said that I recognise the problems which the directive could create for this area of our domestic trade and I have explained that I am seeking in Brussels to find a solution to this problem.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to introduce regulations for the labelling of meat substitutes in food ; and if he will make a statement.

Legislation already in force provides safeguards relating to information to the consumer when meat substitutes have been used in food. The need for any further regulations is one of the points on which I hope to have the advice of the Food Standards Committee when it reports on novel proteins in the New Year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now appoint a committee like the Wilberforce Committee to investigate the dispute in the mining industry.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many work permits have been issued to citizens of Mauritius since 1st January 1973.

The number of work permits issued to citizens of Mauritius from 1st January to 30th November 1973 was 50.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will seek to provide separate waiting facilities for jurors attending trials at the Central Criminal Court, in view of the undesirability of the present practice whereby serving jurors, defendants on bail and defence witnesses may now mingle freely outside each court.

The design of the Central Criminal Court building does not readily lend itself to the provision of separate waiting facilities for jurors, but in the few cases where this is particularly desirable special arrangements are made.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what inspection he has made within the last three months of imported Japanese mackerel, in the light of the occurrence of Minamata disease transmitted by mercury-polluted fish.

Japanese mackerel, in common with all other foods imported into this country for sale for human consumption, is subject to inspection under the Imported Food Regulations 1968, which require such foods to be sound, wholesome and fit for human consumption. In addition, the Working Party on the Monitoring of Foodstuffs for Heavy Metals which was set up by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1971 has already asked the Laboratory of the Government Chemist to carry out analyses of a wide variety of canned Japanese fish purchased from retail outlets together with additional samples supplied by the port health authorities. The preliminary results of this survey show that all the samples of mackerel examined had minimal levels of mercury—less than 0·1 ppm. There is, therefore, no evidence to suggest that the levels of mercury found in fish imported from Japan present any hazard to the public health.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will take steps to ensure that an early meeting of the nurses' Whitley Council will consider meals charges ;(2) if he will put a ban on all increased charges for nurses' meals consumed in hospitals until such time as the matter has been agreed by the Whitley Council ;(3) if he will revise his instructions to hospitals which make it necessary to raise charges for meals of nurses to keep pace with the rises taking place in food costs and overhead services.

I understand that the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council will be having an early discussion of meal charges. Its agreements provide for nurses to pay meals charges determined centrally for standard meals and locally for other meals. The charges for the standard meals are those negotiated periodically in the Ancillary Staffs Council ; these meals are available to hospital staff generally, the present charge for a main meal being 18½p plus l½p VAT I see no reason to change the arrangements

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the 14,000 women aborted in Greatments for local provision of alternative meals at prices varying with the cost of ingredients.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of beds for geriatric patients in hospitals in the London borough of Wandsworth.

On 4th December 1973, 649 beds were available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the hospitals in the London borough of Wandsworth for which money has been allocated, together with the amount, during each of the last five years.

The information requested is set out below with capital and revenue expenditure shown separately :Britain from foreign countries during the first three months of 1973 received the medical service free of charge in the National Health Service ; and how many were refused the service.

In the first quarter of 1973 14,222 notifications were received in respect of abortions performed in England and Wales on women whose usual place of residence was outside England and Wales : 14,175 of these operations were performed in private nursing homes approved under the Abortion Act 1967. Of the 47 non-resident women who had abortions in National Health Service hospitals, 16 came from other parts of the British Isles, 20 from countries in the European Economic Community and 11 from other parts of the world. Details of the basis for treatment in individual cases are not centrally collected ; some of them may have been entitled to treatment under the National Health Service as emergency cases whilst others may have been treated as private patients. The figures may also include members or dependants of British Service personnel serving overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what extent the 14,000 abortions for foreign persons delays the services in hospitals from

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many places are provided by Warley CBC in temporary accommodation for the homeless, both in total and in family units.

There were 46 families comprising 203 people in temporary accommodation provided by Warley County Borough Council on 30th June 1973, the latest date for which figures are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the numbers of people in each local authority area who receive meals on wheels one, two, three, four, five, six and seven days a week, respectively ; what taking in patients for other medical services; and how many foreign persons are normally waiting for abortion operations.

Out of the total of 14,222 notifications received in the first quarter of 1973 in respect of abortions performed in England and Wales on women whose usual place of residence was outside England and Wales, 47 were treated in National Health Service hospitals. It is not known how many of these were treated as emergency cases or as private patients but the overall impact of such a small number would be negligible. To the best of my knowledge, there are normally no non-resident women awaiting abortion operations in the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of home helps in the Warley area; and what numbers per 1,000 population over 65 years of age this figure represents.

The figures for the county borough of Warley are as follows :action he is taking to increase the service; and if he will make a statement.

The available information relating to a sample week in November 1972 is contained in my Department's statistical table A/F72/9—"Meal Services"—a copy of which is in the Library. I seek to encourage local authorities to expand this important service in a variety of ways. The report of a short-term study into ways of increasing output from the existing resources used by the meals on wheels service was recently sent to local authorities under cover of DHSS Circular 52/73. I hope to mount further studies of the longer-term possibilities for expansion of meals provision. A manual of guidance in the day-to-day running of the service is in course of preparation.In recent years the number of meals provided has been expanding at an annual average rate of between 12 and 15 per cent. a year, and this is reflected in the estimates of expenditure on personal social services in 1974–75 on which the recent rate support grant settlement was based.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he can now state when he expects to receive the report of the Finer Committee on One-Parent Families.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Huddersfield, West (Mr. Lomas) on 8th November.—[Vol. 863, c. 248.]

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with the division of responsibility at present on hearing research which rests with the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Health and Social Security.

I have been asked to reply.Yes. There is the closest possible co-operation between the two Departments concerned and the Medical Research Council in the field of hearing research.

asked the Prime Minister when he next intends to seek to meet the President of France.

I have been asked to reply.In Copenhagen, on 14th and 15th December.

asked the Prime Minister how many Ministers have requested leave to resign from his Government since 20th June 1970.

I have been asked to reply.Twenty-two, including eight Whips.

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with the coordination between Government Departments which are responsible for negotiating London allowances for public employees.

I have been asked to reply.Yes.

asked the Prime Minister if he has yet met the Leader of the Greater London Council.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend will be meeting the Leader of the Greater London Council on 19th December.

asked the Prime Minister whether the public speech on the economy made by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to Rank Radio International in Plymouth on 16th November represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

I have been asked to reply.Yes.

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

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether the public speech made by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry at Liverpool on 17th November concerning the coal industry dispute represents Government policy.

asked the Prime Minister if the public speech of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry at Liverpool on 17th November on British industry represents Government policy.

I have been asked to reply. Yes.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now wind up the Central Policy Review Body.

I have been asked to reply. No.

asked the Prime Minister how many visits he has made in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively, during 1973.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has made 27 official visits in England, outside inner London, one in Wales and four in Scotland.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has received the communication dated 1st December from the hon. Member for West Ham, North regarding the miners' pay dispute ; when he intends to reply ; and whether he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has received the hon. Gentleman's letter and he will reply to it as soon as possible.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the further information sent to him on 3rd December 1973 showing that Ministers are taking more than five weeks to reply to letters from Members of Parliament on matters which could be settled and replied to within one or two weeks, he will move to appoint a committee to investigate this matter.

No. I have instructed Ministers to ensure that replies to Members' letters are sent at the earliest possible date, but this will naturally vary, depending, among other things, on the nature of the letter.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has received a further interim report from Mr. Speaker's Conference on Electoral Law ; and if he will make a statement.

The proposals of the conference in relation to the timing of by-elections are contained in a letter from Mr. Speaker dated 26th November 1973, which has been published today as a Command Paper. My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House will be arranging through the usual channels for the House to consider these proposals.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service, now that the Government have announced an increase of £250 per annum retrospective to April 1973 in the salary of the Head of the Home Civil Service, why he will not increase the salaries of all civil servants in the Home Department by the same amount, retrospective to April 1973.

All non-industrial civil servants have received a stage 2 increase effective from 1st April 1973, determined in each case, subject to the relevant provisions of the stage 2 code, by the established means for those concerned.

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will list the categories of employment of the 136 civilians employed at Lulworth Camp and the Dorset coastal tank ranges, indicating whether they are in full-time or part-time employment.

On 3rd December, 135 civilians were employed full-time at Lulworth ; 28 were non-industrial and 107 were industrial. In addition, five industrial personnel were employed on a part-time basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the proceeds of the museum charges to be collected and allocated to the national museums and galleries will figure in the appropriation-in-aid in the year 1974–75.

No. Following the change in arrangements announced by my right hon. Friend in the debate on museum charges on 20th November, the institutions will no longer be separately accountable for their total expenditure and receipts. Subject to parliamentary approval of the Estimates, they will henceforth be accountable for the difference between their estimated total expenditure and their estimated receipts—apart from the separate grant-in-aid for acquisitions—with the result that, if receipts exceed the estimates, the additional sums will be available to the institutions to supplement their resources.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many accidents on rural roads take place during the daylight hours compared to night time.

Following is the information :

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what he estimates would be the cost to local authorities if they carried out the recommendation of the Warboys Committee and the Road Research Laboratory in carrying out the recommendations concerning kerbside markings.

No such estimate can be made except at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of payments made by his Department to individual member firms of the Management Consultants Association for each of the last three years.

It is not normal practice to publish the fees paid to individual firms of management consultants.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his plans for grant aid for the Bedford-Bletchley railway line in view of the Government's recent reappraisal of the national network.

I am reviewing the situation in the light of my statement last week.—[Vol. 865, c. 397–407.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in how many cases a tenant has been reinstated in his accommodation following the decision of a court in the Greater London Council area that the tenant had been unlawfully evicted.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange with the Department of Health and Social Security to enclose a leaflet about rent allowances in every pension book sent to a new claimant.

I understand that there are substantial technical difficulties about enclosing leaflets with pension books, but my right hon. Friend is considering what other possibilities there are.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will investigate the sewerage system of Bawtry, with a view to exercising his powers to improve it.

No. Responsibility for providing such public sewers as may be necessary for effectually draining their district and for making provision for the disposal of sewage from the sewerage system rests with the local authority, in this case the Doncaster Rural District Council. I am satisfied that the council is mindful of these duties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give instructions for all lighting on motorways to be extinguished forthwith.

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry yesterday.—[Vol. 865, c. 1262–77.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to issue any guidance to district councils on the carrying out of the duty to review the parishes in their area under Section 48(8) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it is his intention to use the powers conferred on him under Sections 48 and 49 of the Local Government Act 1972 to ensure the early review of proposals for detailed adjustments of boundaries which was referred to in paragraph 6 of the annex to his Department's Circular 58–71.

No. The review of proposals for detailed adjustments of boundaries referred to in the annex to Circular 58–71 is only one of the tasks before the Local Government Boundary Commission, which is under a statutory duty to give priority to the review of local government electoral areas in accordance with Schedule 11 to the Local Government Act 1972.The Commission proposes, however, to carry out an early review of the priority cases listed in its Report No. 6, which was published yesterday and a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what he estimates to be the number of those who, not previously having taken out a motor vehicle licence, have been induced to do so in order to obtain petrol coupons.

More motorists than usual appear to have taken out December licences in advance, but the total number of December licences is, of course, not yet known.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the aspects of amenity development in new towns which it is his policy to finance through development corporations.

Amenities are regarded as embracing anything that makes the town pleasant to look at or an attractive place to live and work in, including facilities for the enjoyment of leisure. But each new town has different problems and requirements and it is for the development corporation to decide which activities and operations to support within their financial quota, subject to my right hon. and learned Friend's approval of all major projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans exist for the construction of an underground railway system in Hong Kong ; what is the likely capital expenditure ; how it will be raised and how repaid ; what overall transportation studies were made prior to the production of the rapid transit proposals ; and when and by whom any final decision will be made.

Due to the length of a full reply, I will be writing to the hon. Member and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

asked the Lord President of the Council what payment is made each day to hon. Members who attend the European Parliament by way of attendance allowance and travel and subsistence expenses.

The responsibility for these matters lies with the European Assembly and I am not able to undertake to answer detailed questions about them.I understand that, in addition to the payment of salary in respect of their membership of their respective Parliaments,

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the current rates of duty on the different grades of petrol.

All grades of petrol are liable to duty at the rate of 22½p per gallon.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will adopt tax policies designed to increase efficiency in the use of energy.

I have my hon. Friend's thought very much in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the yield of taxes on property passing on death in countries of the Common Market, including the United Kingdom, in each of the last five years.

For the five years 1967–1971, the most recent period for which comparable figures are available, the yields were :

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for each month since June 1970, what has been the total level of loans outstanding to overseas creditors ; what percentage of this total for each month represented loans outstanding, respectively, to central Government, local authorities and nationalised industries ; and what proportion of these loans were, respectively, short-term, medium-term or long-term.

Foreign currency borrowing by the nationalised industries and local authorities is not official borrowing by the Government. It is presented separately in the statistics set out below. Table I sets out the outstanding amounts of official short- medium- and long-term debt at end-quarters from June 1970. Foreign currency borrowing for domestic

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much extra taxation would accrue to the revenue in the case of a married man with no children with an annual earned income of £4,000, £5,000, £10,000 and £20,000, respectively, if all income over £3,500 were to be taxed at 100 per cent. ;(2) how much extra taxation would accrue to the revenue in the case of a married man with two dependent children with an annual earned income of £4,000, £5,000, £10,000 and £20,000, respectively, use by the nationalised industries and local authorities can be regarded in general as medium-term. Table II sets out the outstanding principal on such borrowing at end-quarters from June 1970.if all income over £3,500 were to be taxed at 100 per cent. ;(3) how much extra taxation would accrue to the revenue in the case of a single man with an annual earned income of £4,000, £5,000, £10,000 and £20,000, respectively, if all income over £3,500 were to be taxed at 100 per cent.

pursuant to his reply—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 4th December 1973 ; Vol. 865, c. 353]—gave the following information :If tax rates were increased so that no one was left with a net income in excess of £3,500 the additional tax in the circumstances asked for would be as follows :

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons are having allocations deducted from unemployment benefit under the Emergency (Debts) Provision Acts 1972 in payment of rent or arrears.

On 7th November 1973 the number of people from whose unemployment benefit such deductions were being made under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 was 230.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons have had deductions made from their earnings without their consent under the Emergency (Debts) Provision Act.

Up to 27th November 1973 the number of people from whose earnings such deductions had been made under the provisions of the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 was 186.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will hold a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the abduction of Bernard and Gerard Taggart from St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Training School, Belfast, by the IRA at lunchtime on 12th November 1973, and the subsequent death of one of the boys from gunshot wounds.

No. Criminal investigations are proceeding into this incident and it is not considered that a public inquiry would serve any useful purpose.

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications how many men and women, respectively, are employed in the Post Office's mail delivery service.

The Post Office tells me that in October there were about 88,000 postmen employed full-time and 2,600 postmen employed part-time, and 1,300 postwomen employed full-time and 7,600 postwomen employed part-time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will consider devolving the power to declare local public holidays to the new district local authorities.

The only such power of which I am aware is in Section 94 of the Factories Act 1961 which provides that in burghs town councils shall fix two—out of six—days in each year as holidays for women and young persons. Under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 this power will no longer be limited to burghs and will be exercised by the new district councils.Apart from this provision local holidays in Scotland are settled by agreement in accordance with the customs and traditions of the locality. The introduction of formal statutory arrangements would raise much wider issues and I have no proposals in mind for doing so.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is (a) the number of teachers in receipt of extra payments for teaching in designated schools in Lanarkshire and (b) the cost per year of operating the system of extra payments for teaching in designated schools in Lanarkshire.

I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the present shortage of teachers in primary schools in Lanarkshire.

The education authority's estimate is 37.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, in the future interests of taxi drivers and of the public due to the irregularity of public transport, he will consider declaring taxis "public transport" and eligible for fuel for their unrestricted use.

No. I am considering whether there is anything I can or should do to help taxi drivers given the competing claims of other users.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the allocations of oil supplies to oil companies and independent wholesalers in Derbyshire under his arrangements with the oil industry.

Deliveries of all the main oil products to oil companies and independent wholesalers throughout the country have been reduced by 10 per cent. compared with the corresponding period in 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is satisfied with the present distribution system of petrol and fuel oil to retailers and consumers ; and when he will announce the start of rationing.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement on 5th December.—[Vol. 865, c. 1262–77.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take immediate steps to investigate delays in the transportation of perishable foodstuffs from civil docks, in particular that at Portsmouth, to market caused by the shortage of lorry fuel ; whether he will take immediate action designed to overcome any such delays ; and whether he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any instances where shortage of motor fuel has caused delays in the transportation of perishable foods from the civil docks at Portsmouth. If the hon. Member has any specific case in mind, if he will let me have details I will gladly look into the matter immediately.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will consider issuing official permits to persons, such as farmers, who legitimately require to purchase petrol in cans.

The Motor Fuel (Restriction of Supplies) Order 1973 does not restrict the sale of petrol in cans to farmers if this has been their customary method of purchase, provided the fuel is acquired in a normal quantity from the purchaser's normal supplier and is not for use in a private motor vehicle. The question of the issue of official permits does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in the event of petrol rationing being introduced, he will make provision to ensure that the elected representatives on the new county and district councils are allowed to have enough petrol coupons to carry out their duties as councillors.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is aware of the difficulties which could face district councillors in rural areas in getting to council meetings in the event of petrol rationing ; and if he will ensure that they will be able to receive adequate coupons for this purpose.