asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she is aware of the continual increases to prices and the failure of the Price Commission to deal with same; what action she proposes to take to deal with this situation; and if she will make a statement.

I am certainly aware of rising prices but I cannot agree that the Price Commission has failed to deal with them. The commission has conscientiously exercised the powers available, but those powers have not been sufficient. Steps are being taken to reinforce them.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection by how much the cost of living increased between 18th June 1970 and 28th February 1974.

Information is not available for those precise dates but over the period 16th June 1970 to 19th February 1974, the latest available date, the index of retail prices rose by 39·5 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will make special arrangements to protect consumers who live in low wage areas.

Consumers in low wage areas will benefit from general measures to restrain price inflation and to protect the consumer; for example, by the introduction of subsidies and maximum prices for key foods. Indeed, it is people earning low wages who will particularly benefit from these measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how she intends protecting the public from an increase in the price of tomatoes and cucumbers resulting from increased prices of oil and coal used in their production.

The Government are urgently considering the impact of increased fuel costs in this sector. The possible effect on retail prices is clearly an important factor which will be taken fully into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what price changes she recommends for confectionery products retailing at prices between 1p and 4p to comply with her policy of reflecting tax changes fairly in retail prices.

Customs and Excise has already issued advice about pricing the products affected by the extension of value added tax. This recognises that, because the smallest coin is ½p, traders will not be able to put up the price of each item by exactly 10 per cent. Some will go up more, some less, some not at all. But the average change, allowing for the pattern of sales, should be 10 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection, in view of the facts that prices of foodstuffs in Scotland are on average 5 per cent. above the average for the United Kingdom, that coal costs £1 per ton more than in England and that gas prices can be nearly 50 per cent. higher than in certain English regions, if she will take steps to equalise the differences.

The Government's first priority must be to restrain the rate of price rises.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if it is her intention that every individual item in discount food stores be separately labelled.

I would only expect to make decisions on this subject after discussions with retailers and other affected interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what will be the cost to the Exchequer in a full year of the milk subsidy announced in the Budget Statement.

About £134 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what steps she intends to take to give more positive powers to local authorities to establish consumer protection at local authority level.

Local authorities already have wide powers which can be used for this purpose and my right hon. Friend proposes to ask for their help in enforcing the labelling provisions of the forthcoming legislation on prices. As I told the hon. Member for Gloucester (Mrs. Sally Oppenheim) on 25th March I plan to meet local authority representatives to discuss programmes for providing consumer advice centres.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what has been the percentage increase in the price of beef since June 1970 and the latest available date.

On the basis of information collected for the purposes of the Index of Retail Food Prices, the price of beef rose by about 81 per cent. between 16th June 1970 and 19th February 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what arrangements she is making to implement the increase in the general butter subsidy authorised in the European Economic Community regulations.

As from today the general consumer subsidy on butter has increased to the equivalent of over 5½p per lb. The existing rate of £46½94 per long ton is being increased to £126½75 per long ton on all butter intended for retail sale. The additional cost in 1974–75 resulting from the increase in the subsidy is estimated at £33 million, which will fall within the overall limits indicated in the Budget Statement. A Supplementary Estimate will be presented to the House in due course.The Government's decision to increase the subsidy means that there will be no increase in the price of United Kingdom butter as a result of the decisions taken in Brussels on 23rd March on EEC farm prices for 1974–75. Since some imported butters had increased in price prior to the Community price decisions the increased subsidy can be expected to result in some reductions of prices of imported and blended butters in the shops.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will expedite the report on regional airports, and give primary consideration to the Leeds/Bradford Airport, with particular reference to considering extending the runway.

I understand that the Study on Central England Airports, commissioned by the Civil Aviation Authority, which includes Leeds/Bradford Airport, will be completed shortly. The authority will be letting my right hon. Friend have its recommendations on the study as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what effect the transfer of the noise monitoring function from his Department to the British Airports Authority will have on his Department's administrative involvement in the noise problem.

The noise monitoring function at Heathrow and Gatwick will be carried out by the authority at its expense on terms agreed with the Department. But the Department's responsibility for policy, and its interest in noise monitoring, will continue undiminished.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will seek to arrange regular meetings with representatives of the fishing industry to keep them fully informed of the latest situation in the development of North Sea oil, and to hear their views on the subject.

Regular meetings take place between representatives of the fishing industry and officials of the Departments concerned. Should the need arise I or my colleagues in the Department would be happy to meet representatives and to hear their views.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish the latest estimate of the expected revenues to Her Majesty's Government from royalties in licence fees and taxation from North Sea oil and gas between 1974 and 1980, based on current tax and royalty rates.

I will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what would be the price of coal if all subsidisation were removed from the industry; and what is the comparative price of oil (a) per ton and (b) per therm.

The planned increases in pithead coal prices from 1st April and in the autumn should enable financial support to the National Coal Board in 1974–75 to be confined to not much more than £50 million. The delivered prices of both coal and oil to the consumer vary according to the amount and quality of the fuel he requires and his location. The exact form of the autumn coal price increases will be a matter for the NCB but the delivered prices of general-purpose coal and fuel oil for a typical industrial consumer are estimated to be of the following order:

	£ a ton	p a therm
Coal effective 1st April	9–12	4½–5½
Heavy fuel oil	31–35	7½–8½

Very large users such as power stations can obtain supplies at lower prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy to what extent he estimates that the current demand for electricity has been inflated because of uneconomic domestic tariffs.

I am examining this with the Electricity Council and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will seek powers to make legally enforceable the maximum resale charges for electricity which electricity boards are obliged to publish.

There is already provision under Section 29 of the Electricity Act 1957 for the recovery of sums charged in excess of the resale price fixed by the Electricity Board to be recovered by the person to whom the electricity is sold.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take appropriate action to set up a National Development Authority for Wales to initiate and coordinate economic development throughout the country, backed with an investment fund, for use in the establishment of economic growth centres.

No. I am responsible for the co-ordination of economic and other forms of development in the Principality and I see no need to establish a separate National Development Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales on what basis financial allocations have been made to the Welsh area health authorities; and why, in the case of the Gwynedd Health Authority, its percentage of the total Welsh allocation does not correspond to its percentage of the Welsh population.

The revenue allocations have been based on the best estimates possible at present expenditure on health services in each area in 1973–74, to which have been added a share of the 1973–74 budget of the Welsh Hospital Board in respect of its functions which the authorities will assume, a sum for pay and price changes, and a share of the resources available next year for improvements in services. Population considerations have been taken into account but to allocate throughout on the basis of population distribution only would not properly reflect the differing needs of the various area health authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales why the Welsh National Water Authority has agreed to lease for 999 years the Foel Tower, the filter beds, the engineering works in the Elan Valley, and 80 miles of pipeline to the Severn-Trent Water Authority at a rent of 5p per annum.

The ownership of all the works in the Elan Valley, include-

DOMESTIC ELEMENT RATE SUPPORT GRANT 1974–75
District		Previous Proposals	Gain (+) or Loss (-) under new proposals	Gain (+) or Loss (-) in Grant	Gain (+) or Loss (-) per head of populatio
		P	P	£'000	£
CLWYD
Alyn-Dee	…	18·50	+15·00	+ 514	+ 7·52
Colwyn	…	19·50	+14·00	+ 390	+ 8·47
Delyn	…	25·50	+ 8·00	+ 238	+ 4·00
Glyndwr	…	19·50	+14·00	+ 242	+ 6·29
Rhuddlan	…	17·00	+16·50	+ 460	+ 9·23
Wrexham Maelor	…	16·50	+17·00	+ 809	+ 7·58
				+ 2,653	+ 7·18
DYFED
Carmarthen	…	37·50	+ 4·00	- 71	· 1·42
Ceredigion	…	37·00	- 3·50	- 80	- 1·45
Dinefwr	…	34·00	- 0·50	- 6	- 0·15
Llanelli	…	33·50	—	—	—
Preseli	…	26·00	+ 7·50	+ 178	+ 2·87
South Pembrokeshire	…	25·00	+ 8·50	+ 134	+ 3·60
				+ 155	+ 0·48
GWENT
Blaenau Gwent	…	16·50	+ 17·00	+ 475	+ 5·64
Islwyn	…	17·50	+ 16·00	+ 379	+ 5·74
Monmouth	…	17·50	+ 16·00	+ 451	+ 6·68
Newport	…	15·50	+ 18·00	+ 1,228	+ 9·03
Torfaen	…	17·00	+ 16·50	+ 618	+ 6·95
				+ 3,151	+ 7·14
GWYNEDD
Aberconwy	…	18·00	+ 15·50	+ 428	+ 8·60
Arfon	…	29·50	+ 4·00	+77	+ 1·43
Dwyfor	…	28·50	+ 5·00	+ 56	+ 2·19
Meirionnydd	…	27·00	+ 6·50	+ 95	+ 3·07
Ynys Mon	…	28·00	+ 5·50	+ 146	+ 2·36
				+ 802	+ 3·60

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the impact upon Wales of the arrangements for domestic rate relief contained in the Rate Support Grant Order 1974, showing the comparison with the previous proposals for each district; and if he will make a statement.

The details are shown in the following table. Wales' share of rate support grant was increased by over £16 million as a result of the introduction of a fat rate domestic relief of 33½p.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the position of firms facing difficulties in regard to the return of industry to a five-day week.

Industrial recovery appears to be proceeding swiftly. My Department is in constant touch with industry as part of its day-to-day activities and is ready to consider what steps may be possible to ease particular difficulties.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will now make a statement about the future of tracked hovercraft at Earith with particular reference to the recommendations of the Select Committee on Science and Technology in the last Parliament.

The Government have not yet formed a view on the future of tracked hovercraft and it would therefore be inappropriate to make a statement at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish a table showing which 10 category one firms, including nationalised industries, earned the highest net profits, expressed as a percentage of capital employed, and which 10 earned the lowest net profits, over the period of 1960 to 1973.

The information sought by the hon. Member would require a disproportionate amount of time and effort to compile. I am writing to the hon. Member about this.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish a table showing trading profits expressed as a percentage of capital employed for the 20 largest industrial firms in the country since 1960 to the latest available date, distinguishing between pretax and post-tax profits at both historic and replacement cost, and also showing in each case how much profit was attributable to overseas earnings.

The information sought by the hon. Member is either not available or, to the extent that it is, would require a disproportionate amount of time and effort to compile. I am writing to the hon. Member about this.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how the prices of the principal steel products of the British Steel

BSC prices = 100
Product		West Germany	France	Italy	Belgium	Netherlands	Luxembourg
Billets	…	121	101	118	130	—	—
Medium Plates	…	110	110	105	139	119	148
Boiler Plates	…	121	117	108	161	132	—
Beams Structural	…	109	96	116	110	—	113
Steel for Reinforcement	…	111	86	113	120	123	120
Hot Rolled Strip	…	97	93	97	104	107	102
Hot Rolled Coil	…	100	101	101	130	100	—

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he has any new plans to provide new industries in the Preston area; and whether he will make a statement.

I am considering what further measures may be needed to stimulate industrial development in the regions. In the meantime I am glad to note that unemployment in Preston is below the national average.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, what effect the import of Japanese bearings and the production of Japanese bearings in the United Kingdom will have on employment in the United Kingdom bearing industry.

I do not expect either of these matters to have a significant effect on employment in the British bearing industry in the foreseeable future. The establishment by a Japanese company of a factory in an assisted area will bring new employment to that area.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what steps he proposes to take with a view to easing the prob-

The following table provided by the British Steel Corporation compares published home trade prices in other countries of the European Communities with British Steel Corporation prices on 28th March 1974, after the increases announced in the Budget. It does not cover prices charged by United Kingdom private sector steel producers:lems arising from the continuing shortage of scrap for the steel industry;(2) what is the latest position regarding the supply of scrap to the steel industry.

Private sector steelmakers have generally adequate stocks but the British Steel Corporation's stocks of scrap are low and this temporarily affected steel production at its electric steelmaking plant in Sheffield recently. The corporation is improving the distribution of scrap amongst its plants and is increasing the proportion of new iron in steelmaking in place of scrap. I am also advised that scrap supplies to steelworks should recover to normal levels now that industry has returned to full time working. Exports of scrap are already restricted by licensing to comparatively small tonnages of the grades which British steelmakers find difficult to use. I am further reducing the quota for exports for the quarter beginning 1st April 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he is aware of the action of manufacturers of baler twine in refusing to release supplies until new price increases come into effect on 1st April 1974; and if he will take steps designed to ensure that these stockpiles are released at the previous price

I have no evidence that this is true but would be willing to look into any examples which the hon. Member may be able to provide. The manufacturers are doing their utmost to produce enough twine for the needs of the harvest and, I am assured, are delivering it to merchants at a regular rate.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will take steps to improve the level of imports of copper.

This is a matter for negotiation by users.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the Government's attitude towards the proposal to establish a European Patents Office in Munich; and what they are prepared to accept as the appropriate status of the Patents Office in London.

I have been asked to reply.This is a matter to which I am still giving consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has to prevent price increases for sugar in view of the fact that the present arrangements for the sugar refining subsidy terminate in June.

I have been asked to reply.As my right hon. Friend made clear in his statement to the House on Monday 25th March, improved arrangements have been agreed for the refining margin for our cane sugar refiners. From 1st July these new arrangements will enable refiners to secure an adequate refining margin without recourse to the present Exchequer subsidy, and without increasing their selling prices in relation to the United Kingdom intervention price.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the role of home food production and the part it can play in safeguarding the interests of the housewife and consumer.

As my right hon. Friend said in his speech on the Address, it is in the national interest to reduce our dependence on imported food by the encouragement of an expansion of British agriculture where that can be achieved efficiently and economically. This will be in the interests of the consumer as well as of the economy generally.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any proposals to encourage retailers and manufacturers to accept the return of glass and plastic containers for reuse.

I have been asked to reply.Many bottles are already returned and reused. The food and drink industries are aware of the need to extend the reuse of containers where this is economic and technically possible and my officials are keeping in touch with certain studies in industry which have now started.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give an undertaking that before making a decision on reconstituting the North Pennines Rural Development Board he will agree to have consultations with representative bodies in the area.

The required procedure laid down in paragraphs 1 to 5 of Part I of Schedule 5 to the Agriculture Act 1967 provides full opportunity for interested parties to express their views before the necessary order may be made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek powers to regulate the charges made by banks to their customers, in view of the profits made by banks over the past few years.

Bank charges are already subject to regulation under the Price Code.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing, for each of the nationalised industries, since nationalisation and up to the latest date for which the figures are available (a) total accumulated net annual profits after interest payments, at

TABLE A
NATIONALISED INDUSTRIES: SURPLUS/DEFICITS (£m.)
	1945–46	1946–47	1947–48	1948–49	1949–50	1950–51	1951–52
National Coal Board	—	-0·2	-23·3	1·7	9·5	8·3	-1·8
Electricity Boards (England and Wales)	—	—	—	4·4	7·2	6·6	2·9
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board	—	—	—	—	0·1	—	—
South of Scotland Electricity Board	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
British Gas Corporation	—	—	—	—	0·5	2·6	2·8
British Steel Corporation	—	—	—	—	—	—	8·0
Post Office	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
BOAC	-5·4	-8·1	-7·1	-5·8	-8·7	-3·5	0·9
BEA	—	-2·2	-3·6	-2·8	-1·4	-1·0	-1·4
British Airports Authority	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
British Transport Commission	—	—	—	-4·7	-20·8	-14·1	0·1
British Railways Board	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
London Transport Board	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
British Transport Docks Board	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
British Waterways Board	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Transport Holding Company	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
National Freight Corporation	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
National Bus Company	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scottish Transport Group	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Actual Totals	-5·4	-10·5	-34·0	-7·2	-13·6	-1·1	11·5
Totals at 1973 Prices	-17·6	-33·4	-101·3	-19·9	-36·7	-2·9	27·7

	1952–53	1953–54	1954–55	1955–56	1956–57	1957–58	1958–59
National Coal Board	-8·1	0·5	-3·5	-19·6	12·8	-5·3	-3·5
Electricity Boards (England and Wales)	7·3	13·2	18·8	12·2	11·7	16·1	27·3
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board	—	—	0·3	-0·8	-0·2	—	-0·1
South of Scotland Electricity Board	—	—	—	0·6	1·2	0·5	0·1
British Gas Corporation	4·8	1·5	2·6	0·8	3·8	2·8	-1·5
British Steel Corporation	16·4	—	—	—	—	—	—
Post Office	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
BOAC	-0·3	0·9	—	0·9	0·4	-3·5	-11·7
BEA	-1·5	-1·8	0·1	0·6	0·2	1·1	0·2
British Airports Authority	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
British Transport Commission	4·5	4·2	-11·9	-30·6	-54·4	-63·5	-89·0
British Railways Board	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
London Transport Board	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
British Transport Docks Board	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
British Waterways Board	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Transport Holding Company	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
National Freight Corporation	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
National Bus Company	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scottish Transport Group	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Actual Totals	23·1	18·5	6·4	-35·9	-24·5	-51·8	-78·2
Totals at 1973 Prices	52·2	41·3	14·0	-76·2	-49·8	-102·0	-149·9

The annual surpluses and deficits of the nationalised industries with the total for each year converted to 1973 prices are shown in table A following. The amounts of capital debt and revenue deficits written off are shown in table B.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what study he has made of the yield per head of the population from wealth tax, succession duty, and other taxes on personal capital, in the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Sweden and Italy; and how they compare with the same figure for the United Kingdom.

My right hon. Friend is fully aware of the rates and structure of the taxes on personal capital in other Western European countries. For 1971, the latest year for which comparable figures are available, the approximate yields per head of population of personal taxes on wealth, capital gains, gifts and inheritances for each of the countries mentioned are as follows (using rates of exchange current in that year):

	£
West Germany	6
France	2
Sweden	8
Italy	2
United Kingdom	10

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce a system whereby persons owning or having the use of more than two residences will pay a penal taxation on all residences in excess of two.

My right hon. Friend will consider my hon. Friend's suggestion, together with any other representations he may receive, in connection with the Green Paper he proposes to publish on the wealth tax. In the meantime my right hon. Friend has announced in his Budget speech his intention to limit relief in future for mortgage interest payments to interest incurred on loans to purchase or improve a taxpayer's principal place of residence.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider making arrangements in his Budget to raise the value of luncheon vouchers.

I do not think that an increase in the tax-free limit for luncheon vouchers would be justified.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek powers to base the United Kingdom money system on the 50p unit.

No, Sir. The choice of system was made by Parliament after much debate; to change now would involve the Government and all sections of the community in very substantial additional expenditure and a great deal of disruption which could not be justified.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has had to introduce proposals to reduce mortgage interest rates.

Since coming into office I have received 38 representations seeking either the reduction of mortgage rates or the prevention of any further increases.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his practice to issue separate statistics on Scotland's balance of payments; and if not, why not.

I regret that it is not possible to compile estimates of this kind. Insufficient information is available on transactions between the residents of Scotland and those of other countries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has had requesting him to reduce or abolish the tax on widows' pensions.

I have received a considerable number of letters on this subject. I do not think, however, that it would be justifiable to reduce or abolish the tax on all widows' pensions, regardless of the size of the widow's income. Widows will of course share in the increases which have been announced in all national insurance pensions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has had requesting him to increase the sum which retirement pensioners can earn free of tax or reduction in their pension; and what replies he has given.

I have received a number of such suggestions. As the hon. Lady will be aware, it is proposed in the Budget to increase the income limits for age exemption to take account of increases in the national insurance retirement pension. As regards the earnings rule, I would refer the hon. Lady to the statement my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services made on 27th March.—[Vol. 871, c. 452.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total number of civil servants employed in the administration of value added tax; and what is the total cost of administration to date since its inception.

Currently about 7,700. The total cost of the administration of the tax for the year beginning 1st April 1973 is estimated to have been about £35 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many approved crossings and unapproved crossings exist on the Co. Armagh frontier.

There are six approved routes across the land boundary in Co. Armagh, and, ignoring footpaths and farm tracks, there are 48 unapproved roads in the same area.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Middletown frontier post, formerly situated at Ardgonnel, has been moved some three miles away from the frontier; what steps are being taken to control the movement of vehicular traffic across the frontier and the subsequent dispersal which can now take place unchecked by Her Majesty's Customs; and whether this change represents a general policy of withdrawing from the frontier.

Middletown post has been moved temporarily in order to provide more suitable facilities in present conditions; but this does not imply any change of general policy as regards the siting of Customs controls on the land boundary. Customs staff in patrol cars are responsible for the interception of persons and vehicles seeking to evade the controls by the use of unapproved routes or by travelling outside approved hours.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the EEC proposal, dated 8th January, Ref. R/20/74 (FIN 6), to amend the conditions for the provision of short-term monetary support.

The EEC short-term credit facility is an arrangement made between the Community central banks, and administered by the Board of the European Monetary Co-operation Fund, to extend credit for not more than six months to members which are in balance of payments difficulties. The proposal referred to was adopted as a Resolution by the Council of Ministers on 18th February 1974, which was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 5th March. This was put into effect by the EMCF Board on 12th March. It has the result of doubling the basic amount each central bank may borrow, quadrupling the amount each central bank is committed to provide and increasing the additional common pool available to borrowers to 1,500 million units of account.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the real value of £2,000 on 26th March 1964 and 26th March 1954, expressed in terms of current purchasing power.

The value at February 1974 prices of the goods and services which could have been purchased for £2,000 in March 1954 and March 1964 was about £4,800 and £3,700 respectively. Information on prices in March 1974 is not yet available. The estimates are based on the changes in the consumers' expenditure deflator between 1954 and 1962 and thereafter in the General Index of Retail Prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the nominal and market value of War Loan 3½ per cent. needed to produce an income of £2,000 per annum on 26th March 1974, 26th March 1964, and 26th March 1954, respectively.

A holding of £57,143 nominal value of 3½ per cent. War Loan provides a gross income of £2,000 a year. The market value of £57,143 nominal value of War Loan on 26th March 1954, 26th March 1964, and 26th March 1974 was respectively £49,714, £34,000 and £15,143.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the regulations relating to exemption of payment of vehicle excise duty, particularly the requirement that a vehicle must be conspicuously and permanently adapted, as this is precluding those in Northampton suffering from multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy from enjoying this exemption, and consider amendment.

Vehicle excise duty exemption for the disabled will be reconsidered against the background of Lady Sharp's Report.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the approximate cost of ceasing to tax maintenance payments to divorced and separated wives as if they were investment income, if the investment income surcharge were applied, (a) at £1,000 as proposed in the Budget Statement or (b) at £2,000 as in 1973–74.

The information on which to base an estimate is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the 50 per cent. increase in advance corporation tax, as announced in the Budget Statement, is to apply retrospectively in relation to dividends paid by companies between January and March 1974.

The additional payment announced in my right hon. Friend's Budget Statement will arise on the advance corporation tax becoming due from companies in the financial year 1974 which begins today, including advance corporation tax in respect of dividends paid from January to March 1974. Companies will not, however, be required to pay over this additional sum before August.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is now his estimate of the cost to the reserves of the guarantee given to overseas official sterling holdings under the six-month scheme which expires this month.

The figure of £80 million given in Table 5 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report for payments in 1974–75 under the sterling guarantee arrangements is the present estimate of the cost of the six-month scheme which expired at the end of March.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the schedule of capital and interest payments on moneys borrowed by the local authorities, the nationalised industries and Her Majesty's Government to finance the payments deficit since the beginning of 1972.

No drawings have yet been made under Her Majesty's Government's foreign currency loan facility. Amounts drawn will be repayable in four equal annual instalments from the seventh year after the drawing. Repayments of principal on loans raised in foreign currency for domestic purposes by nationalised industries and local authorities since 1st January 1972 are due as follows:

	US $ million
1978	537
1979	784
1980	841
1981	684
1982	418
1983	377
1984	118
1985	18
1986	20
1987	22
1988	25

It is not possible to estimate precisely the amounts payable in interest since a large part of this borrowing is on floating rate terms. At present rates, interest payments up to the end of 1977 would amount to some $375 million a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is now his estimate of the percentage share of national resources to be pre-empted by the public sector in 1974–75, including transfer payments but excluding debt interest.

The ratio of total public expenditure, including transfer payments other than debt interest, to gross domestic product at factor cost in 1974–75 is estimated at from 48 to 49 per cent. Transfer payments do not of course represent the direct pre-emption of resources by the public sector, although they do entail additional final expenditure in so far as they are used for consumption and investment by the private sector.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what he estimates will be the effect of the increases in domestic coal prices announced in his Budget speech on the retail price index by December 1974 and April 1975;(2) what he estimates will be the effect of the increases in electricity prices, postal and telecommunication charges, and transport charges, respectively, announced in his Budget speech, on the retail price index by September and December 1974 and April 1975;(3) what he estimates will be the effect of the increases in industrial coal prices announced in his Budget speech and those previously announced to take effect from 1st April 1974 on the retail price index by September and December 1974 and April 1975;(4) What he estimates will be the effect of the increases in steel prices announced in his Budget speech on the retail price index by September and December 1974 1974 and April 1975.

As I said during the debate on the Budget Statement, we estimate that by the end of the year the effect on the RPI of the nationalised industries' price increases will be about 2 per cent. Some of the figures for individual increases are provisional, in particular those which are pending applications to the Price Commission. Subject to this, the direct effects are calculated to total 1¼ per cent.:

	per cent.
Domestic electricity	0·7
Postal and telecommunications	0·2
Rail fares	0·1
Domestic coal	0·25

Estimates of the indirect effects are bound to be less specific both as to amount and timing, but my total of about 2 per cent. by the end of the year made allowance for them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what he estimates will be the effect of the increases in nationalised industry prices announced in his Budget speech on the retail price index by July, October and December 1974 and April 1975;

pursuant to his replies [OFFICIAL REPORT, 29th March 1974; Vol. 871, c. 228], gave the following information:It is not possible to quantify the effect of all the changes mentioned in the Budget in relation to particular months, especially looking forward into 1975. The net effect of the indirect tax changes, food subsidies, rent freeze and increases in nationalised industries' prices by the end of 1974 is estimated to be roughly 1 per cent., as set out below. The increase in employers' national insurance contributions will have some indirect effect on the index but the size and timing of this effect is uncertain.

	Approximate Effect on Retail Price Index by end 1974
	per cent.
Food subsidies	-1·5
Rent freeze	-0·7
	-2·2
Indirect taxes	1·75
Nationalised industries' prices	2·0
	3·75
Net effect	1·55

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT Table 4 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1974–75 on the same basis as Table 4 was published in the corresponding document for 1973–74, with a similar breakdown for various time periods in absolute and percentage terms.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 29th March 1974; Vol. 871, c. 228], gave the following information:No. The table is in substantially the same form as last year. The greater degree of rounding of the figures in absolute and percentage terms and the omission of figures for the first half of next year both mark the greater than usual uncertainties in the economic outlook.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate discussions with supermarket chains and self-service shops to ensure that layouts are designed to prevent busy shoppers stealing by accident.