asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many new applications to join the brucellosis eradication scheme have been received during the last six months in the county of Northumberland; and whether the number of such applications is increasing or decreasing.

69 new applications to join the brucellosis incentives scheme in Northumberland were received during the six months ending 28th February 1974 compared with 70 in the previous six months and 169 in the six months before that.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many breakdowns have occurred in herds participating in the brucellosis eradication scheme in the county of Northumberland during the last six months; and by how much the proportion of breakdowns exceeds or falls short of the average for the whole of England.

Breakdowns have occurred in 29 accredited herds participating in the brucellosis scheme in Northumberland during the last six months.The breakdown rate for Northumberland for 1973 is approximately double the average breakdown rate for the whole of England for the same period.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many withdrawals there have been from the brucellosis eradication scheme in the county of Northumberland during the last six months; and by how much the proportion of withdrawals exceeds or falls short of the average for the whole of England.

There have been 28 withdrawals from the brucellosis schemes in Northumberland during the last six months. The withdrawal rate for Northumberland is more than double the average withdrawal rate for the whole of England for the same period.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied that the level of incentive payments under the brucellosis eradication scheme is sufficient to ensure its continued operation.

Yes. Applications under the brucellosis incentives scheme are running at a lower rate than in earlier years but this largely reflects the progress already made and I do not consider that an increase in the level of incentives is necessary at this stage.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will refer the case of agricultural workers' pay to the Pay Board to be considered under the relativities procedure.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment gave to the hon. Member for Honiton (Mr. Emery) on 19th March 1974.—[Vol. 870, c. 59–60.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many agricultural workers have taken proficiency tests; and with what results.

These tests are the responsibility of the National Proficiency Tests Council. The council's report for the year ended 31st March 1973 shows that 8,764 tests were conducted, and that in 7,042 cases the candidates were successful. The corresponding figures for the previous year were 6,812 and 5,447 respectively. I am asking the council whether it can supply my hon. Friend with further details showing, in particular, how many of the candidates were farm workers; how many tests were taken by these farm workers; and with what results.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to assist horticulturists in meeting the additional cost of coal.

I see no need for such action. The area of glass heated by solid fuels represents a very small and declining percentage of the total.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial assistance is given by their respective Governments to the glasshouse growers in France, Holland and Germany.

CRAFT CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY AGRICULTURAL WAGES COMMITTEES IN ENGLAND AND WALES
1				2	3
Sector				Certificates issued up to 28th February 1974 (provisional)*	Column 2 as proportion of full time agricultural workers†
				Number	Per cent.
Milk production	…	…	…	6,417	4·1
Beef production	…	…	…	4,822	3·1
Sheep production	…	…	…	2,371	1·5
Pig production	…	…	…	2,557	1·6
Poultry production	…	…	…	896	0·6
Machinery operation and maintenance	…	…	…	25,231	16·0
Fruit production	…	…	…	1,007	0·6
Glasshouse crops production	…	…	…	833	0·6
Bulb and corn production	…	…	…	94	0·1
Plant nursery practice	…	…	…	440	0·3
Outdoor vegetable production	…	…	…	443	0·7
* At 28th February 1974 about 37,000 workers in England and Wales had gained craft certificates, some of them having qualified in more than one craft.
† Based on the 157,637 regular whole-time hired workers in England and Wales at June 1973.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many agricultural workers have been classified as craftsmen by employers.

Up to 28th February 1974 county agricultural wages committees in England and Wales had furnished about 37,000 agricultural workers with craft certificates on the basis of employers' declarations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many agricultural workers have been refused classification by their employers as craftsmen.

Departmental statistics on this are confined to situations where the agricultural worker concerned has utilised the agricultural wages committee's conciliation facilities. Up to 28th February 1974 there had been 55 such cases.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 21st March to the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South (Mr. Spicer).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many agricultural workers have been classified as craftsmen in the various grades; and if he will express each figure as a percentage of the total number of agricultural workers.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many agricultural workers have taken advice from county agricultural wages committees.

Agricultural workers or their representatives may variously seek formal or informal advice from the chairmen, members or secretaries of agricultural wages committees, but no overall statistics of such approaches are maintained.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to be able to announce his decision on requests for retrospective awards to pig farmers in view of the losses they have sustained.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Oswestry (Mr. Biffen) on 15th March.—[Vol. 870, c. 5.]

asked the Minister for the Civil Service (1) whether he will now seek to institute negotiations between his Department and the Defence Police Federation on the pay of Ministry of Defence Police;(2) whether it is the policy of the Government that there should be parity between the pay of Ministry of Defence Police and that of other police forces.

I am pleased to be able to announce that arrangements have been made for discussions to resume with the Defence Police Federation. This has been made possible by the Pay Board agreeing that the circumstances of the review of the pay of the Ministry of Defence Police appear to be such that they would satisfy the criteria of the Price and Pay Code for correcting "anomalies" outside the pay limit for stage 3. The federation's claim is for parity of pay and allowances with other police forces, and this will be one of the matters for discussion.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has any plans for the extension of Northolt Airport in the foreseeable future.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the prototype multi-rôle combat aircraft will make its first flight; and whether he will make a statement on its progress.

The first prototype is now at the flight test centre at Manching in Germany. It would not be customary to disclose our target date for the first flight but the final stages of ground testing leading up to the flight programme are proceeding well. The second phase of development is due to begin after the first flight. Before launching this phase we shall review progress with our German and Italian partners.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that all contracts awarded to suppliers include identification of the sums to be expended directly on drawing office work and that such sums will not be permitted to be charged as part of the overheads of the supplier.

In competitive work we do not investigate the way in which prices are made up but rely on competition to ensure that they are fair and reasonable. In non-competitive work such sums are normally identified. By agreement with industry only a selection of non-competitive contracts are post-costed, but where this is done a check is made that costs have been recovered on the same basis as that agreed when the contract prices were negotiated.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve military communications systems; and whether he will make a statement.

There are a number of projects in progress designed to improve military communications systems. They include a new integrated communication system, ICS3, for Her Majesty's ships; and a new generation of combat net radio equipment, known as Clansman, primarily for the Army.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is satisfied that the ground-to-air defences of the United Kingdom are effective irrespective of the direction from which the attack may come; and whether he will make a statement.

This is one of a number of issues connected with air defence which is currently under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to present the Defence White Paper.

I will consider a White Paper when I have completed the review of current defence commitments and capabilities which I mentioned in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ilkeston (Mr. Fletcher) on Thursday, 21st March.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what applications have been made to him for financial assistance for the Pontville Residential School, in order to bring it up to acceptable modern child care standards; and if he will make a statement.

An application was submitted to the Department in March 1972 by the Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary for a capital grant towards improving the premises at this school for ESN boys. The cost was estimated by the Department at about £15,000. Before a decision had been reached on the rate of grant the Order substituted proposals to carry out extensive adaptations costing at least £160,000. Discussion with representatives of the Order in June 1973 showed that further thought would have to be given to the long-term future of the school; and in October 1973 the Order informed the Department that it did not wish to continue with the project because of its intention to close the school.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will reinstate in the major school building programme 1974–75 the 280-place replacement primary school at Desford, Leicestershire, in view of the need for school places in this town.

My right hon. Friend is reviewing the school building programmes. I regret that it is not possible to comment meanwhile on the position of individual projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the average numbers of free school dinners claimed in each year since 1948.

The following table shows for each year since 1956 the number of free school dinners received by pupils in maintained schools in England and Wales on a day in the autumn term each year. I have no information about the position in Scotland, and figures for years before 1956 are not available.

PUPILS IN MAINTAINED PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND AND WALES RECEIVING FREE SCHOOL DINNERS.
Year	…	…	…	…	Number (000)
1956	…	…	…	…	216
1957	…	…	…	…	218
1958	…	…	…	…	238
1959	…	…	…	…	254
1960	…	…	…	…	247
1961	…	…	…	…	238
1962	…	…	…	…	260
1963	…	…	…	…	289
1964	…	…	…	…	281
1965	…	…	…	…	308
1966	…	…	…	…	330
1967	…	…	…	…	404
1968	…	…	…	…	841
1969	…	…	…	…	594
1970	…	…	…	…	627
1971	…	…	…	…	805
1972	…	…	…	…	850
1973	…	…	…	…	795

Notes:1. Average figures for the years shown are not available.2. The high figures for 1968 reflect the concession, withdrawn after a year, under which all fourth and subsequent children in a family had entitlement to free school dinners.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many secondary schools in Cornwall were in use in each year between 1964 and 1974; and how many pupils there were at these schools for the same period;(2) what was the pupil-teacher ratio in secondary schools in Cornwall in each year from 1964 to 1974.

Information for 1964–73 is as follows. Figures for 1974 are not yet available.

MAINTAINED SECONDARY SCHOOLS
		Number of Schools	Number of Pupils	Pupils per Teacher*
At January
1964	…	51	20,859	19·2
1965	…	50	20,156	18·5
1966	…	50	19,753	17·8
1967	…	50	19,795	17·7
1968	…	50	20,075	17·4
1969	…	48	20,637	17·3
1970	…	48	21,507	17·5
1971	…	48	22,451	18·4
1972	…	44	23,617	18·4
1973	…	42	24,663	17·2
* Taking account of the full-time equivalent of part-time teachers. For 1971 and subsequent years only qualified teachers have been taken into account in the ratios.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what effects the recent cuts in public expenditure, made by the previous administration, have had on primary and secondary schools, respectively, in Cornwall;(2) what are the latest available figures for primary and secondary schools, respectively, in Cornwall which have been approved for remodelling or replacement; and what is the proposed rate of replacement and remodelling to bring these schools up to approved standards.

The following primary school improvement projects programmed to start during 1973–74 and 1974–75 are subject to deferment under the terms of the Department's Circular 15/73 until after 30th June 1975

• Porthleven County Infants School
• St. Austell, St. Stephen Churchtown County Primary School
• Indian Queens, Queens County Primary School
• St. Ives County Junior School
• Illogan County Infants School
• Wadebridge County Primary School
• Penzance, St. Paul's County Junior School
• Camborne, Crane C. of E. Aided Junior School
• Tresillian County Primary School
• Sticker/Polgooth County Primary School
• Redruth, Treleigh County Primary School
• Lanner County Primary School
• Ludgvan, Crowlas County Primary School
• Truro, Tremorvah C. of E. Aided Junior School.

Six major projects to replace or improve old primary schools in Cornwall have been approved since April 1971. I am reviewing the school building pro- grammes and giving particular attention to the date from which it will be possible to resume giving approval to school improvement projects. I regret that it is not possible to comment meanwhile on the position of individual local education authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what was the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools in Cornwall in each year between 1964 and 1974;(2) how many primary schools in Cornwall were in use in each year between 1964 and 1974;(3) how many primary school pupils there were in Cornwall in each year between 1964 and 1974.

Information for 1964–1973 is as follows. Figures for 1974 are not yet available.

MAINTAINED PRIMARY SCHOOLS
		Number of Schools	Number of full-time pupils	Pupils per Teacher*
At January
1964	…	276	26,883	28·6
1965	…	273	28,131	29·0
1966	…	274	29,149	29·0
1967	…	271	30,010	28·7
1968	…	271	31,122	28·8
1969	…	270	32,138	28·6
1970	…	268	33,134	28·6
1971	…	267	34,229	28·2
1972	…	266	35,775	26·5
1973	…	265	37,484	26·9
* Taking account of the full-time equivalent of part-time teachers. For 1971 and subsequent years only qualified teachers have been used to calculate pupil/teacher ratios.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what was the value of projects approved in primary schools in Cornwall in each year between 1964 and 1974, and the value of projects approved for 1974, 1975, and 1976;(2) how many individual projects have been approved, and what was the number of places provided by each, in primary schools in Cornwall, in each year between 1964 and 1974;(3) how many secondary school places became available as a result of new construction in Cornwall in each year between 1964 and 1974;

The information for major projects is summarised in the following table for the years 1964–65 to 1973–74. Information for years from 1974–75 onwards is not yet available:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many direct grant schools there are in Cornwall; and how many pupils there are in them below and above 15 years of age, respectively.

Two. Together they have 452 pupils aged 15 and over, and 828 under 15; 232 of the latter are pupils of primary age in respect of whom no grant is payable.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many secondary school classes in Cornwall had 1 to 30, 31 to 40, 41 to 50, and 51 and over pupils, respectively, in each year between 1964 and 1974;(2) how may primary school classes in Cornwall had 1 to 30, 31 to 40, 41 to 50, and 51 and over pupils, respec

CORNWALL
NUMBER OF CLASSES BY SIZE IN MAINTAINED PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS
		Primary school classes as registered Number of pupils					Secondary school classes*Number of pupils
		1–30	31–40	41–50	51 and over	All classes	1–30	31–40	41–50	51 and over	All classes
At January
1964	…	428	407	67	—	902	431	292	12	1	736
1965	…	422	435	66	—	923	471	264	7	—	742
1966	…	431	449	69	—	949	509	225	5	—	739
1967	…	434	458	81	—	973	718	142	5	7	872
1968	…	390	498	102	—	990	†	†	†	†	895
1969	…	423	500	103	1	1,027	790	161	2	1	954
1970	…	422	541	93	—	1,056	782	177	7	2	968
1971	…	444	572	76	1	1,093	787	208	4	1	1,000
1972	…	546	571	67	1	1,185	811	194	10	6	1,021
1973	…	571	611	54	—	1,236	933	180	5	2	1,120
* "As registered" for the years 1964 to 1966. From 1967 the classes are "as taught".
† Not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make provision for the replacement of Hartington and Swire Smith Schools in Keighley.

I am reviewing the school building programme and in particular when it will be possible to resume school replacement and improvement projects. I regret that it is not possible to comment meanwhile on the position of individual projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy with regard to the proposed cuts in the school building programme announced in December.

The school building programme is under review. I have no further statement to make at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to implement the recommendations of the report of the working party on superannuation contributions and war ser

Information for 1964–73 is as follows. Figures for 1974 are not yet available.vice, in view of the widespread concern in the teaching profession about delay of its publication; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy with regard to reducing the contribution paid by teachers to their superannuation scheme; from what date such a reduction should operate; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend will honour his predecessor's acceptance on 28th November last of the principle of reducing to 6 per cent. the teachers' superannuation contribution. As agreement has not yet been reached in the working party on the effective date of the change, he has made a regulation reducing it from 1st April 1974, without prejudice to the possibility of implementing later any future agreement in respect of the period before that date. He has nothing to add at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to alter the Immigration Rules on work permits so as to establish criteria which are related to labour shortage or surplus in a particular industry.

The criteria for issuing work permits to persons requiring them under the Immigration Act 1971 are not laid down in the Immigration Rules but are decided by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in consultation with his colleagues. The current criteria, which were announced by the previous administration on 25th January 1973, provide that in general permits may be issued only for work requiring a professional qualification, skill or experience and where the employment of an overseas worker is necessary. They are not issued if suitable resident labour is available to fill the post offered or if the wages and conditions offered are less favourable than those obtaining in the area for similar work. Commonwealth citizens and aliens, other than EEC nationals, are generally eligible for permits on the same terms. The Government will keep the criteria under review, so that they can be revised at any time if this appears necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment under which section of the Counter-Inflation Act he has made,

GROSS WEEKLY EARNINGS OF FULL TIME ADULTS IN ALL OCCUPATIONS IN ALL INDUSTRIES IN GREAT BRITAIN WHOSE PAY FOR THE REFERENCE PERIOD WAS NOT AFFECTED BY ABSENCE
				Lowest decile		Lowest decile as percentage of corresponding median
				Men aged 21 and over	Women aged 18 and over	Men aged 21 and over	Women aged 18 and over
				£	£
1968	…	…	…	15·50	8·40	65·7	67·0
1970	…	…	…	17·80	9·70	65·4	66·4
1971	…	…	…	19·70	11·00	66·1	66·6
1972	…	…	…	21·90	12·20	65·5	65·6
1973	…	…	…	25·20	14·10	65·6	67·4

The amounts are rounded to the nearest 10 pence and are subject to sampling error.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, having regard to the present conditions in London public services, if he will immediately arrange to meet leaders of the Greater London Council and the London Boroughs Association to discuss use of his powers under the Counter-Inflation Act to make an interim award in London weighting, pending publication of the final report on

The power to consent to increases in pay which are or would be subject to restriction under the stage 3 pay code is contained in Schedule 2(6) to the Counter-Inflation Act 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the wages of the lowest decile of adult male and female workers for each year since 1964, and express the total as a percentage of median earnings.

Results of the New Earnings Surveys include the following estimates for September in 1968 and April in 1970 to 1973. They exclude part-time workers, youths and boys under 21, girls under 18 and full-time men and women whose pay for the survey reference period was affected by absence. The earnings include overtime pay, bonuses and other additional monetary payments but generally exclude the value of income in kind and gratuities and earnings from subsidiary jobs. Corresponding information for 1964 to 1967 is not available.London weighting; and if he will take steps to allocate more Pay Board staff to the project to reduce the delay in resolving this matter.

I hope to see in the near future a delegation representing both sides of the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Administrative, Professional, Technical and Clerical Services and representatives of the Greater London Council. As I made clear to the House on 18th March the Pay Board has been urged to speed up its investigation into London weighting but it is not possible for it to complete it and report before the middle of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the future of the industrial training levy.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 19th March to the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Huckfield).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider seeking to amend paragraph 56 of the Third Schedule to the Water Act 1945 to provide that a reduction in water rate is effective from the same date as a reduction in the general rate.

I shall be glad to consider my hon. Friend's suggestion when further legislation about charges for water services is in prospect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in order to ensure that the freeze on rents is not breached upon a change of tenant, if he will seek powers to make compulsory the registration of all rents with the rent officer.

No. It would not be practicable to introduce an effective register of the kind the hon. Member has in mind in the context of the present rent standstill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will seek powers to alter existing building regulations in order to enforce higher standards of thermal insulation on all new construction;(2) what plans he has to improve thermal insulation standards on new private and public buildings, and on existing buildings.

Proposals for improving the thermal insulation of new housing under existing powers have been circulated for consultation to the interested bodies, whose replies are still being received. The Health and Safety at Work Bill will provide for building regulations, covering buildings, generally, to be made in the interests of fuel conservation, and I am considering measures to improve insulation in existing buildings. I am keenly interested to secure progress in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional increase in the rates he estimates will be payable by the people of Weymouth, consequent upon his recent decision to reduce rate relief to rural areas in order to help the cities.

The rates levied are a matter for the local authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in view of the effect of the introduction of the proposed standard 13p domestic rate relief grant on ratepayers within the new Calderdale Council, and the administrative difficulties and extra cost caused by the short notice of the change, if he will offer authorities additional assistance to overcome consequential expenditure and special assistance to authorities, whose domestic subsidy is being reduced under this proposal, which are anxious to extend industrial development within their area.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the differing additional burdens in similar areas imposed by his rate support proposals, he will alter the incidence of domestic rate relief to help young house purchasers, such as those in the metropolitan districts of Leeds and Bradford.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will modify his proposals for rate relief so that urban areas receive as much benefit under the new proposals as they did under the previous ones.

The majority of urban areas will receive more under the new proposals than they would have done under the previous ones.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will receive a delegation without delay from Stoke-on-Trent to discuss the consequences of the new proposals for rate relief.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many district councils with populations greater than 200,000 will have their rate relief reduced by the introduction of the 13p flat rate compared with the previous proposals.

26 in England and Wales. However, 20 district councils, and 18 London borough councils, with populations over 200,000, will have their domestic rate relief increased.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take any necessary steps to ensure that domestic ratepayers in Stoke-on-Trent receive the same benefits as those in most other urban areas.

I have done so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider allowing housing associations to charge a fair rent to new tenants, irrespective of the rent paid by the previous tenant.

Housing associations may charge a fair rent to new tenants, in accordance with the Counter-Inflation (Private Sector Residential Rents) (England and Wales) Order 1974 only where the accommodation was not subject to a tenancy at any time within a period of 12 months beginning on 8th March 1973. I have no proposals for amending this provision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will exempt housing associations from the order freezing rents.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision on the planning application in respect of Berwick shipyard.

My right hon. Friend expects to announce his decision very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has now received the Matthew-Skillington Report; whether he will publish it; and whether he will make a statement.

I have not yet received the complete report. When I have received it and considered it as a whole, I will announce the action I propose to take.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the report of the Misselbrook Working Party on the building programme; and whether he will publish it.

I understand that the Chairman of the Working Party on Self-Employment and Associated Issues in the construction industry hopes an interim report will be made very shortly. I will consider the distribution of the report after I receive it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why groups of employees of his Department are being refused payment of productivity awards due to them unless all concerned are members of a trade union.

No groups of employees in my Department are being refused payment of productivity awards on these grounds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is aware that only three of the 10 members of the Welwyn Hatfield Local Committee proposed by the Commission for the New Towns are local councillors; and whether he will give his approval only subject to an increase in this proportion.

The proportion of local councillors is an important factor which I shall take into account in considering the proposals for membership of the Welwyn Hatfield Local Committee which the commission has invited me to approve.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will accelerate the issue of work vouchers to United Kingdom passport holders who have no other nationality.

The issue of work permits is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment. In addition, special vouchers are issued to United Kingdom passport holders within the global quota of 3,500 a year for heads of household which was fixed in May 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to ascertain how many postal ballot papers were issued throughout the United Kingdom in the recent General Election and the breakdown between those issued because of change of address, infirmity, and other reasons.

The number of postal votes will be included in the Return to an Address of the House, in respect of which a motion appeared on yesterady's Order Paper. An analysis of these figures for the whole country would entail a disproportionate amount of work for electoral registration officers, but I shall seek to obtain a representative sample and shall write to my hon. Friend when this is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to allow taxis to charge fuel surcharges, in view of the rise in the price of petrol.

This would require legislation, except in London and where, as in Rochdale, local Act powers can be used for this purpose. Elsewhere fares can be charged only by byelaws. My right hon. Friend is considering the feasibility of legislation to streamline the procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of pensions payable under the enactments relating to pensions of the Royal Irish Constabulary.

2,884, of which 2,022 are paid to former officers and 862 are paid to widows.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of pensions payable under regulations made under Section 1 of the Royal Irish Constabulary (Widows' Pensions) Act 1954.

Nine. The regulations also provide for the payment of supplementary allowances to some widows who receive pensions under earlier enactments; 320 such allowances are in payment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police dwellings are comprised in Charles Rowan House, Merlyn Street, Islington; and how many are currently unoccoupied.

96 flats. All but three are unoccoupied as Charles Rowan house is being emptied prior to disposal as surplus to police requirements. The Greater London Council and Islington Borough Council have been informed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will consider extending expiry dates for building grants in cases where unavoidable delays are caused by shortage of materials.

No. Applications for building grants under Section 3 of the Local Employment Act 1972 were required to be submitted before completion of the work or occupation of the building. The closing dates for all such applications have now passed. Delays in construction caused by shortage of materials will not prevent the payment of grants where applications were lodged in time.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what arrangements are available through the EEC for assisting redundant British steel workers.

Article 56 of the Treaty of Paris enables the European Commission to share with member Governments on certain conditions up to half the net cost of providing financial assistance to steel workers, engaged in the production of products embraced by the treaty, who lose or have to change their jobs or who undergo retraining. By way of indirect assistance the same Article provides for loans by the Commission towards industrial projects capable of absorbing redundant steel workers. Under Article 46 of the same treaty assistance can be provided towards studies of re-employment possibilities for redundant steel workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give early consideration to the expansion of Moss-hill Industrial Estate.

There are no present plans to build further advance factories on the Mosshill Industrial Estate, but the needs of the area are being kept under close review.