asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of adults who receive State cash benefits by reason of mental and/or physical disability.

Including all benefits specifically for the sick and disabled administered by the Department of Health and Social Security, Department of Employment training allowances and Ministry of Defence disablement pensions for the inter-war years, we estimate that the number may be of the order of 2 million if no allowance is made for double counting. In fact, however, not all the benefits are mutually exclusive.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were on supplementary benefit at the latest available date; and what were the main categories.

As at 23rd April last about 2·75 million people were receiving supplementary benefit of whom about 1·8 million were supplementary pensioners. Of those beneficiaries who were below pension age about 279,000 were sick or disabled; 342,000 were unemployed and most of the remainder were women with dependent children.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the total amounts paid during each of the past five years for clothing, bedding and such other qualifying needs to persons who, although they are in the lower income groups, fail to qualify for the weekly supplementary benefit rates.

I regret that this information is not available but such payments are known to be comparatively rare.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the number of families in Great Britain, and in Wales, Scotland, and each of the English regions, whose income fell below current supplementary benefit level in each year 1966 to 1973.

Following are the estimates for Great Britain for families with children, where the head of the family was not receiving supplementary benefit, for 31st December of the years given.

Thousands (Great Britain)
1968	1969	1970	1971	1972
120	160	130	130	90

Because of sampling errors, estimates are possible only for Great Britain. Comparable estimates go back only to 1968. The information on which to base estimates for 1973 is not yet available.The estimates have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and are subject to sampling error.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the level of supplementary benefit scale as a percentage of the average full-time male manual weekly earnings for each year 1966 to 1973.

The information requested is contained in the following table:

SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT ORDINARY SCALE RATES AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS* OF MALE MANUAL WORKERS IN OCTOBER
Year		Single householder	Married couple
1966†	…	18·7(20·0)	30·9(32·8)
1967	…	20·1	33·0
1968	…	19·8	32·4
1969†	…	18·3(19·3)	30·0(31·6)
1970†	…	17·1(18·5)	28·0(30·3)
1971	…	18·8	30·6
1972	…	18·3	29·7
1973	…	17·5	28·5
* Taken from the inquiries conducted by the Department of Employment.
†In these years supplementary benefit scale rates were increased in November; the entries in parenthesis show the relevant percentage of the increased rate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will take steps to provide that supplementary benefit for the wives and children of men on strike shall be paid only to the wives and not, as at present, to the strikers themselves.

No. My right hon. Friend sees no advantage in amending the law in this way.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she intends to introduce the scheme to compensate those who have suffered hearing loss from industrial noise.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she intends to make benefit under the industrial injuries scheme payable for occupational deafness.

Subject to completion of the necessary administrative arrangements my right hon. Friend intends to bring the initial scheme into operation on 3rd February 1975. We have already referred to the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council for its advice draft regulations setting out details of the proposed scheme which closely follows the council's recommendations in its recent report on occupational deafness.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will retain the married woman's option in any future occupational pension scheme she may introduce.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she expects to be able to announce the Government's new plans for national superannuation; and if she will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend will publish as soon as possible a White Paper setting out the Government's pension plans, and I must ask hon. Members to wait till then for the details of our proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will now make a further statement on the future of occupational pension schemes.

The Government's proposals on the place of occupational pen- sion schemes in their pension plans will be set out in a White Paper which we intend to publish as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why her Department ordered a new batch of three-wheel cars for disabled drivers on 26th Fabruary 1974.

As the hon. Member is aware, the order was placed by the previous administration. The Government are now in consultation with interested organisations about the whole future of the vehicle service for disabled people and we shall announce our conclusions as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the provision of powered wheelchairs by her Department suitable for use on footways.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the provisions of Section 20 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 allowing the use of footways by powered invalid carriages, what progress is being made in the provision of such carriages by the Department in suitable cases.

Powered outdoor chairs for control by attendants are provided by my Department in suitable cases. Extension of provision to include powered chairs for occupant control must depend on safety factors which are the subject of research as well as on available resources.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services what progress she has made in consultations with representatives of disabled people on petrol allowances for invalid vehicles.

This is one of the matters arising from Lady Sharp's report which is the subject of on-going consultations with interested bodies. We have received a number of useful contributions from the organisations consulted. There is no intention to take decisions on any particular aspect until the consultations are concluded.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she can now say if her Department will continue to make checks to prevent the issue of national insurance cards to illegal immigrants.

My right hon. Friend has no power to prevent the issue of national insurance cards to persons liable or entitled to pay national insurance contributions but she is seeking to ensure that all first applications for cards are asked to produce documentary evidence of identity. Unlike the proposals put forward by the previous administration, the arrangements she has in mind will not be confined to immigrants but will include everyone applying for a card for the first time, whether born in this country or coming from abroad.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether any information is available as to the effects of treating educationally subnormal persons with glutamic acid.

The general view among experts appears to be that the efficacy of this acid in improving the intelligence of the mentally retarded is unproven.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in the light of current prices, she will adjust the allowance of 15p made for meals in calculations of expenses made in connection with the application of the earnings rule to retirement pensioners.

We have no proposals in this sense. Those pensioners who are affected by the earnings rule will benefit from the substantial relaxations in the earnings limits which will become operative next month.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision she is able to make for those people who are totally dependent upon night store heating for warmth and whose sole income comes from social security, following the recent announcement of the 70 per cent. increase in tariff.

We are providing for increases in pensions and benefits which will give substantial additional income to all pensioners and to others who are dependent upon social security benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is aware that, whereas the official estimate of the population of Inner London is 2,700,320, the number of patients on doctors' lists is 3,223,737; and if she will take action to deal with this discrepancy.

The former Inner London Executive Council began a special two-year check on lists in 1972. This operation was temporarily suspended during National Health Service reorganisation. Responsibliity for maintaining satisfactory lists has now passed to the new authorities and my Department is now writing to them about completion of the special check. It has, however, already resulted in the removal of 74,000 incorrect registrations. By the end of 1973 many thousands of notices were awaiting responses from doctors and some 150,000 further cases had been identified for removal action. There is undoubtedly scope for further removals and these will be processed as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations she has received from the Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled; what reply she has made; and if she will make a statement.

On the assumption that my hon. Friend is referring to the representations made by the joint committee about the possibility of responsibility for the invalid vehicle service being transferred to the social security side of my Department, I would refer him to my reply to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Dr. Winstanley) on 10th June—[Vol. 874, c. 478.] If, however, my hon. Friend is referring to Lady Sharp's report, I have received a detailed submission from the joint committee which I am now studying.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the waiting period for X-rays at Park Hospital, Davyhulme; and what steps she is taking to improve the situation.

On 31st December 1973, the latest date for which information is available, out of a total of 13 patients, eight had waited less than one month, four from two to six months and one over six months. Facilities will be expanded and improved with the completion of a new X-ray department at Park Hospital. This is included in the development begun in September 1972 and it is expected to be brought into use in 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the cases details of which have been sent to her Department by the hon. Member for Blackpool, South, she will encourage the provision of more remand and assessment accommodation outside the prison service for juveniles and young people.

Yes, but progress has to depend upon the resources that are available. Regional plans for the accommodation of children in the care of local authorities include proposals to increase the number of secure places for remand and assessment purposes. I have written to the hon. Member about the cases referred to.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how she accounts for the increase in notified cases of malaria in England and Wales in the period 1969–1973; and if she will make a statement.

Almost all the malaria notified in England and Wales during the period 1969 to 1973 was contracted abroad. The rise in the number of notifications is mainly due to increased travel to and from areas where malaria is endemic and improved surveillance.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she has assessed the merits of the fissure sealant treatment for the protection of the teeth of young people now being tried out by the schools dental service in Hackney; and if she will make a statement.

No. The work at Hackney is not yet complete and the results will have to be assessed in relation to investigations going on elsewhere in the country into other aspects of the use of fissure sealants.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she has made an assessment of the effects of the legislation on abortion on recruitment to the nursing profession.

No detailed assessment has been made of the effect of the Abortion Act 1968 on nurse recruitment. The committee on the working of that Act reported that from the professional nursing organisations there was evidence that the Act had had little or no effect on nurse recruitment but that there had also been evidence from other sources to the effect that staff had resigned because of it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will initiate a recruitment campaign for more volunteers to assist the social services in the home help and meals on wheels services.

The voluntary services already give substantial and very valuable help to the local authorities in the provision of the home help and meals services. It is for the local authorities to decide whether more voluntary help is needed and to see in what way it can best be recruited and used. I share the hon. Member's desire for an expansion of these services, and hope that it will be possible for local authorities to move in that direction as soon as resources permit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action she proposes to take to end the anomalies in conditions of service of staff now brought under the area health authorities.

Differences in terms and conditions of staff rest upon the personal protection of individual terms and conditions afforded to transferred staff under the National Health Service Reorganisation Act 1973. The pace and direction of rationalisation depends very much on future agreements of the Whitley Councils, which are aware of the problems of the staff involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will consider the payment of a London allowance for retirement pensioners living in the Greater London area.

				Installation of Telephones	Personal Aids	Adaptations to Dwellings
Warwickshire County Council	…	…	…	0·36	3·45	0·19
Birmingham	…	…	…	0·41	0·74	0·37
National Average	…	…	…	0·38	2·58	0·62

Comparisons between authorities can be misleading as, in the case of personal aids, provision may also have been made by health departments and/or voluntary organisations. Similarly housing authorities may also have carried out adaptations to council housing.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what salary scale is proposed for secretaries of community health councils; and to what range of administrative posts in the health service this scale most nearly corresponds.

It is expected that salaries will generally be within the range of £2,676–£3,801, to which would be added a cost-of-living threshold payment, and if appropriate a London weighting allowance. This corresponds to the senior and principal administrative assistants of health authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many com

No. The national insurance scheme is a contributory one and people in all parts of the country pay the same rates of contributions to qualify for the same rates of benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many (a) telephones, (b) personal aids, and (c) adaptations of buildings have been provided by the Warwickshire County Council per 1,000 population, under the provisions of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970; and how these figures compare with Birmingham, and the national average, respectively.

Figures for the 12 months ending 31st March 1973, the latest period for which information is at present available, include provision under Section 45 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 as well as Section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. The number of households assisted per 1,000 of the population was as follows:—munity health councils have now been appointed.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply yesterday to the right hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Surrey, East (Sir G. Howe).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make it her policy to end the employment of all agency staff in the National Health Service, and announce a date by which this is to be achieved.

I expect employing authorities to restrict any employment of agency staff to the minimum necessary to maintain services to patients. I am reviewing the use of agency nurses in the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will take into account the decision of the Royal College of Midwives that, for humanitarian reasons, they will not strike or take part in any industrial action in furtherance of their pay claim when deciding on an award for their profession at the same time as dealing with the nurses' claim.

I welcome the opportunity of paying tribute to the loyalty and devotion of the midwifery profession—and indeed of a great majority of nurses—at this time. The pay of both nurses and midwives has been referred to the independent inquiry recently set up under the chairmanship of Lord Halsbury.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of newly-trained midwives during each of the past 10 years.

The number of newly trained midwives during each of the past 10 years was as follows:

Year ending				Number
31 March 1965	…	…	…	3,556
31 March 1966	…	…	…	3,616
31 March 1967	…	…	…	3,703
31 March 1968	…	…	…	3,398
31 March 1969	…	…	…	3,702
31 March 1970	…	…	…	3,872
31 March 1971	…	…	…	3,876
31 March 1972	…	…	…	3,749
31 March 1973	…	…	…	3,539
31 March 1974	…	…	…	3,770

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she has received a letter from Mr. Peter Thompson about conditions in Broadmoor dated 10th April 1974; what response she has made; if she will conduct an inquiry into the conditions now existing in Broadmoor; and if she will make a statement.

My Department sent a letter to Mr. Thompson on 22nd May. The conditions at and the problems facing Broadmoor Hospital are well known to me without my initiating an inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will consider the advisability of gradually reducing the retirement age of men to bring it into line with that of women; and if she will give an estimate of the cost.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock (Mr. Roberts) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the level of retirement pension as a percentage of the average full-time male manual weekly earnings for each year from 1966 to 1973.

The information requested is as follows:

			The standard rates of retirement pension as a percentage of gross earnings
Year (October)		Gross earnings*	Single person	Married couple
		£
1966	…	20·30	19·7	32·0
1967	…	21·37	21·1	34·2
1968	…	23·00	19·6	31·7
1969†	…	24·83	20·1	32·8
1970	…	28·05	17·8	28·9
1971	…	30·93	19·4	31·4
1972	…	35·82	18·8	30·4
1973	…	40·92	18·9	30·5
* Average earnings of male, adult, full-time manual workers in manufacturing and certain other industries as determined by the Department of Employment's regular October enquiry.
† The comparison is with the pension rate introduced on 3rd November 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the total cost of increasing retirement pension to £15 a week for a single person and £20 a week for a married couple.

Without allowing for accompanying changes in other benefits, the cost would be about £1,520 million a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the total cost of introducing a retirement pension of £10 a week for every single male person at 60.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock (Mr. Roberts) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied with the availability of assistance for National Health Service patients who are suffering from chest disease by the provision of portable breathing appliances.

Portable breathing appliances are issued on loan by health authorities to patients for whom they are prescribed by hospital consultants and I am satisfied that this is the best way of providing an effective service to the patient.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action she proposes to take on the recommendations of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council relating to compensation for byssinosis among cotton and flax workers.

My right hon. Friend has decided that the occupational cover for industrial injury benefit for byssinosis should be extended to workers engaged in all processes up to and including winding and beaming. This will give cover for the first time to spinners, winders and beamers. My right hon. Friend has also decided that the 10-year qualifying period should be reduced to five years and the condition that disablement must be permanent should be abolished, so as to enable people with grade 2 byssinosis to qualify for benefit. These changes go further than the recommendations in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council's report which were that the winding and beaming processes should be covered and that further investigations should be made into the question of whether the spinning processes should be covered and whether there was a case for giving benefit for grade 2 byssinosis. After consideration my right hon. Friend has now concluded that it would be right to introduce all these changes. Draft regulations providing for these changes have been referred to and approved by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council and will shortly be laid before the House.It is estimated that perhaps 1,000 people will become entitled to benefit for the first time, and thereafter perhaps an extra 100 people a year. The changes will take some time to complete as each claimant has to be examined by two specially qualified doctors, of whom there is a shortage, but I hope the new benefits will be paid before the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will authorise the raising of the earnings limit on retirement pensions to become operative from the date when she has announced that retirement pensions will be increased, even if the payment of the increased rates of pension is delayed.

The new earnings rule will come into effect on 22nd July. It may have to be applied retrospectively where there is delay in paying the pensions at the new rate or where inquiries of the pensioner are necessary before an adjustment can be made, but it is hoped that only a few cases will be affected in this way.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the fact that in terms of net weekly spending power all married men, as defined in the hon. Member for Norfolk, North's Question on 15th May, earning up to £40 per week and also all single men with gross earnings of up to £30 per week can now be better off, up to £8·92 per week, out of work than when employed, what is her estimate of the figure involved; and if she will take action to remedy this situation.

The figures given in reply—[Vol. 873, c. 464–70.]—to the hon. Member's earlier Question are not true of all married or single men, but only of those whose actual circumstances exactly match the large number of assumptions made for the purposes of the calculations. Because of the wide range of individuals' actual circumstances it is not possible to produce an estimate of the numbers whose income while unemployed might exceed their income while working. The Government will keep the situation, which arises from the combined operation of the systems of income tax and benefits, under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the greatest distance between any two nearest available casualty departments in England and Wales open to the public on the basis of 24 hours a day service with a qualified medical practitioner on duty;(2) how many additional casualty departments in England and Wales available to the public for 24 hours a day have been opened in each of the past 10 years;(3) how many casualty departments in England and Wales available to the public for 24 hours a day have been closed in each of the past 10 years;(4) how many casualty departments in England and Wales are available to the public on the basis of 24 hours service daily.

Not all the information requested is readily obtainable and I would not feel justified in asking hospital boards to undertake a special statistical survey particularly at this time when they face all the problems of reorganisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if she is satisfied with the standard of service provided by those firms supplying surgical shoes to hospitals within the area of the South-East Thames Regional Health Authority;(2) what is the average waiting time for surgical shoes within the area covered by the South-East Thames Regional Health Authority.

The service provided in the South-East Thames area is generally satisfactory. Most of the surgical footwear is supplied in six to eight weeks, but in some instances, because of material or labour shortages, delivery may take three months. If the hon. Member knows of any case presenting particular difficulty, we shall be pleased to investigate on receipt of details.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she intends to deploy available funds between regional health authorities in such a way as to ensure that each authority receives a share of such funds in proportion to the population it serves.

I am considering the extent to which present methods of allocating available funds can be adjusted so as to be more responsive to the needs of different parts of the country. Population is, of course, among the many factors to be taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of clerical grade officers and senior officers employed by the London Executive Council in 1973 to check the exemption from prescription charges; what was their estimated annual cost; what was the number of prescriptions checked during the year; what was the number of patients found not to have been entitled to exemption; and what was the total of the charge recovered from those patients.

Staff time spent checking exemption from prescription charges cannot be readily identified or costed in the Inner London Executive Council area. Checks were completed on about 60,000 prescription forms; 837 patients were found to be not entitled to exemption and £274 was recovered from them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of clerical grade officers and senior officers employed by the Middlesex Executive Council in 1973 to check the exemption from prescription charges; what was their estimated annual cost; what was the number of prescriptions checked during the year; what was the number of patients found not to have been entitled to exemption; and what was the total of the charge recovered from those patients.

In terms of whole-time equivalents, one-fifth of a senior grade officer and one and a half clerical grade officers at an annual cost of about £2,500; checks were completed on about 40,000 prescription forms; 113 patients were found to be not entitled to exemption and £50 was recovered from them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount spent by the Central Middlesex Group Hospital Management Committee in each of the last three years in advertising for vacancies in hospital employment.

They were as follows:

For year ending 31st March 1972	£6,544
For year ending 31st March 1973	£10,422
For year ending 31st March 1974	£16,034

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount spent by the North-West Metropolitan Hospital Board in each of the last three years on advertisements for nurses.

They were as follows:

For year ending 31st March 1972	£29,998
For year ending 31st March 1973	£36,212
For year ending 31st March 1974	£39,560

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will consider the siting of an office of the Department of Health and Social Security in the Liverpool, Garston constituency.

The Liverpool, Garston constituency is at present served by an all-purpose office in Garston. My Department and the Department of the Environment are considering building an additional all-purpose office in the Belle Vale area of the constituency, and it is hoped to establish an inquiry office in the meantime.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why applications for advance rent are refused to young mothers who acquire accommodation.

If my hon. Friend is referring to provision for rent in advance for people who are entitled to supplementary benefit, the situation is that the Supplementary Benefits Commission is required by paragraph 13 of Schedule 2 to the Supplementary Benefit Act 1966 to include in its assessment of requirements only the rent payable for one week. Nevertheless, I understand that the commission is prepared exceptionally to make a payment for additional rent in advance when suitable accommodation cannot otherwise be obtained. If my hon. Friend is concerned about the circumstances of a constituent and will send me the details, I shall be glad to have inquiries made.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many agency nurses and midwives, respectively, are being employed by the Trent Regional Hospital Board at the latest available date; and what are the rates of pay given to these agency nurses and midwives in comparison to the regular staff.

16 agency nurses and 12 agency midwives. The national salary scale for NHS staff nurses was set out in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Mrs. Colquhoun) on 8th May.—[Vol. 873, c. 186.] The comparative salary scale for midwives is £1,368 to £1,755 per annum. There are no fixed rates of pay for agency staff; but salaries for agency hospital nurses and midwives working in the Trent Region and based on a 40-hour week would fall between £1,362-£1,664 per annum and between £1,664-£1,872 per annum, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses and midwives, respectively, are registered within the National Health Service in the Trent Regional Hospital Board area at the latest available date; and how many are required to bring numbers up to the full complement.

As at 30th September 1973, 21,788 nurses and 1,375 midwives— whole-time equivalents—were employed in hospitals by the former Sheffield Regional Hospital Board and by the former Board of Governors of the United Sheffield Hospitals. The planning objective nurse staffing level of the regional hospital board, to be achieved over a number of years, was 25,546 at the same date. Comparable figures for the successor Trent Regional Health Authorrity, whose geographical area of responsibility excludes South Humberside, are not available.

	Rate	Date last revised
(1) Travelling expenses:
Actual cost of the journey by public transport, normally 2nd class, if by rail; or, if own car is used, a mileage allowance at the public transport rate	2·7p per mile	1st August 1973
(2) Day subsistence allowance, based on the time spent away from home:
For an absence of 2½ hours or more but less than 5 hours	20p	1st May 1972
For an absence of 5 hours or more but less than 10 hours	35p	1st May 1972
For an absence of 10 hours or more	70p	1st May 1972
(3) Night subsistence allowance in addition if the attendance involves a night's absence from home for which free bed and board is not provided—e.g. in hospital:
If the attendance is in London within a 4-mile radius of Charing Cross	£2·70	1st May 1972
Elsewhere	£2·40	1st May 1972
(4) Compensation for loss of earnings, subject to a daily maximum	Up to £5·50 a day	25th June 1973

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the value of family allowances as a percentage of the average full-time male manual weekly earnings for the years 1966 to 1973, expressed for two-, three-and four-child families.

The information is as follows:

		FAMILY ALLOWANCES FOR TWO, THREE AND FOUR CHILD FAMILIES AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE EARNINGS* FOR EACH YEAR FROM 1966 TO 1973
October each year		Two-child family	Three-child family	Four-child family
1966	…	2·0	4·4	6·9
1967	…	1·9	4·2	7·7
1968	…	3·9	8·3	12·6
1969	…	3·6	7·7	11·7
1970	…	3·2	6·8	10·3
1971	…	2·9	6·1	9·4
1972	…	2·5	5·3	8·1
1973	…	2·2	4·6	7·1
* Average earnings of male manual workers in manufacturing and some of the principal non-manufacturing industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the total cost of increasing

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish a list in the OFFICIAL REPORT of the varying expenses allowances paid to individuals attending medical appeals tribunals, medical boards, medical panels—for industrial diseases—and local appeals tribunals, and give the date when these payments were last revised.

The information is as follows:family allowances to £3 a week free of tax for all children.

About £2,100 million a year, or about £1,880 million a year if other social security benefits for children were reduced.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will tabulate the relative rates of pay, and overtime when appropriate, for assistant catering officers and assistant cooks in hospitals in the North-East Thames Health Region; and if she will also outline the respective responsibilities and duties normally involved in the two posts.

The information is as follows:Assistant Catering Officer—

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will now take steps to increase the maternity grant.

We have no proposals to do so at present. We have given first priority to the substantial increase in the main national insurance benefits which comes into effect next month.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she can now publish the report of the committee of inquiry into the smallpox outbreak in London in 1973; and if she will make a statement.

Yes. The report is published today as a Command Paper (Cmnd. 5626).My predecessor appointed Mr. P. J. Cox, QC, Professor K. McCarthy and Dr. E. L. M. Millar to be a committee under Section 70 of the National Health Service Act 1946 to hold an inquiry into the origin of the outbreak of smallpox in London in March and April 1973 and the steps consequential upon that outbreak.The circumstances leading to the committee's appointment were that a graduate laboratory technician employed at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital, Harrow Road on 16th March 1973 suffering from suspected meningitis or glandular fever. As there was no suspicion that she might be suffering from a pox virus infection she was admitted to an open ward where she came in contact not only with other patients in the ward but with two visitors, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hurley, who subsequently contracted smallpox and tragically died.As the committee rightly points cut there was serious public disquiet

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the projects for the replacement of High Southwick junior school and Redby infants' school in Sunderland.

As my right hon. Friend said in the House on 2nd April, the school building programme for 1974–75 will deal entirely with basic needs rather than with improvement projects. These two replacement projects will not, therefore, be eligible to start in 1974–75.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the extension of the National Gallery is likely to be completed.

Work on the structure should be completed by the autumn and it is expected that the new accommodation will be ready for use next spring.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to make a definitive statement on the issue of school transport.

My right hon. Friend is still awaiting the views of some of the bodies which were consulted by the previous Government on the School Transport Working Party's recommendations. He will make a statement on the matter when he has received and considered fully the views of these bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to be in a position to make a statement about increased grants for postgraduate students.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to announce new rates of grant for postgraduate students in about a month's time.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement about his policy towards the replacement of postgraduate grants by a system of loans.

My right hon. Friend has no present plans to introduce a system of loans in place of grants for postgraduate students.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now refuse an export licence for the manuscript of Thomas Heywood's play "The Most Pleasant History of Tom a Lincoln".

The applicants for an export licence have agreed that the application should be regarded as in suspense for the time being. No question of issuing or refusing a licence therefore arises at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department will produce a programme budget for education.

My Department produces annual programme budgets for education on the lines suggested in Education Planning Paper No. 1, 1970. These are internal documents used in connection with the regular annual review of public expenditure and in the Department's general policy planning activities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to announce his decision on the proposals of Coventry Education Authority to reorganise its grammar schools as comprehensive schools.

My right hon. Friend has these proposals under consideration and will announce his decision as soon as possible. The authority has asked him to receive a deputation on the matter, however, so a very early decision cannot be expected.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why he will not consider introducing legislation to give discretion to local education authorities where there are shortages of teaching staff to allow school students to leave school on reaching their sixteenth birthday rather than waiting for the expiration of the term after they reach 16 years.

The present leaving dates ensure at least two full terms of schooling for all pupils in the final compulsory year. The change proposed would threaten disruption of classes and courses in the schools affected without necessarily bringing appreciable savings in staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in his examination of ways of including integral elements of a school-based curriculum outside school premises, he will consider arrangements for voluntary community service to the old, the lonely and the handicapped.

Local education authorities and schools are already free to decide whether and to what extent community work of this kind should form part of the secondary curriculum. Many already include it.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, of the number of young people who leave school to go into employment, how many and what percentage are released for further education.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Luton, East (Mr. Clemitson) on 23rd May 1974.—[Vol. 874, c. 242–243.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps are taken to ensure that employers are made aware of the value of further education facilities.

There is a diversity of arrangements which serve this purpose. For example, locally, colleges provide varied publicity material, employer representatives sit on college governing bodies and there is much personal contact between college staff and staff in industry. Regionally, the regional advisory councils and their committees assemble a broad range of interest and experience. Nationally, bodies including the Manpower Services Commission, the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry have wide and continuous relationships with the education system.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the education of the 16 to 19 years age group as a whole.

My right hon. Friend has explained on a number of recent occasions the importance he attaches to this part of our education system and has expressed his willingness to receive and consider views. The issues will require much study and consultation before decisions can be reached, and it would therefore be premature to make a statement at this time.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement about measures taken before the grant of export licences for works of art or items of historical national interest to ensure that all potentially interested institutions are notified at the earliest possible moment and to give them every opportunity of making representations or appealing for funds.

The position is that if on the recommendations of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art it is decided to withhold an export licence for an item of national importance for a period, to enable a public collection to make an offer to purchase it, the Expert Adviser to the Department of Trade notifies those public collections which he considers likely to be interested.I am happy to tell my hon. Friend that I have decided that in future these arrangements will be supplemented by a brief announcement to the Press giving the name of the object, the period during which an offer to purchase can be made and the person who should be contacted by collections wishing to make such an offer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it a condition of future loans to the building societies that no such loans are made unless all building societies refrain from putting up their mortgage rates.

The agreed condition is that any building society participating in one of the monthly loan tranches shall not during the ensuing month increase or resolve to increase its ordinary investment rate or mortgage rate, these being the rates in force on 9th April 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce a comprehensive Bill which will fully compensate people who suffer adverse affects from high level noise whether from motorways, railways or aircraft; and if he will indicate the time scale of his plans in this regard.

The Land Compensation Act 1973 already has compensation provisions where the value of an interest in land is depreciated by noise arising from the use of new or altered public works, including highways, rail works and aerodromes. If my hon. Friend has any particular instances in mind where excessive noise is causing concern perhaps he will give me the details.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek an early meeting with the local authority associations to discuss the reform of the rating system.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek a meeting as soon as possible with the local authority associations to discuss reforming the rating system.

I am always willing to consider suggestions by local authority associations for reforming the rating system. A meeting would come best after I have studied any such suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what grant aid would have been required in Bedfordshire to enable the local authorities in the county to maintain on average the rates of 10 per cent. above the previous year's figure; and if he will compare this figure with the amount granted.

Rates depend on the revenues and expenditures of local authorities as well as on rate support grant. Complete information on 1974–75 rates and expenditure in Bedfordshire is not available to the Department.

PERCENTAGES OF RATEABLE VALUES IN ENGLAND
Year				Domestic Per cent.	Commercial Per cent.	Industrial Per cent.	Miscellaneous Per cent.
1963–64	…	…	…	48·34	23·59	15·64	12·43
1964–65	…	…	…	47·50	22·89	15·14	14·47
1965–66	…	…	…	47·77	22·68	14·83	14·72
1966–67	…	…	…	47·91	22·70	14·58	14·81
1967–68	…	…	…	47·88	22·76	13·86	15·50
1968–69	…	…	…	48·23	22·72	13·75	15·30
1969–70	…	…	…	48·19	22·73	13·59	15·49
1970–71	…	…	…	48·11	22·80	13·43	15·66
1971–72	…	…	…	48·11	22·78	13·34	15·77
1972–73	…	…	…	48·19	22·85	13·24	15·72
1973–74	…	…	…	49·17	26·01	11·95	12·87
The figures given for 1973–74 do not reflect the revaluation of Crown property

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average rate precept in the £ for, (a) non-metropolitan counties in England, and, (b) metropolitan counties; what is the precept for the three highest and the three lowest in each case for the year 1974–75; how much each county received by way of rate support grant; and what amounts were lost to them as a result of the redistribution formula.

The average precepts for 1974–75 for (a) non-metropolitan counties in England and (b) metropolitan counties are estimated at 40·6p and 18·3p in the pound respectively. The highest and lowest precepts are as follows:

(a) Non-metropolitan counties (England)
			p in the £
Highest
Cleveland	…	…	52
Durham	…	…	47·92
Bedfordshire	…	…	47
Lowest
Cornwall	…	…	36·5
Berkshire	…	…	36
Cumbria	…	…	36
(b) Metropolitan counties			p in the £
Tyne & Wear	…	…	24
Merseyside	…	…	19·9
South Yorkshire	…	…	17·8
Greater Manchester	…	…	17·5
West Yorkshire	…	…	17·5
West Midlands	…	…	16·8

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the percentage of rateable value in England payable by (a) domestic, (b) commercial, (c) industrial and (d) miscellaneous subjects for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

The information is as follows:Only the domestic element of the rate support grant 1974–75 was redistributed by the present Government; this element is not paid to county councils.The amounts of grant payments to counties were given in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Evans) on Tuesday 9th April.—[Vol. 872, c. 115.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is now in a position to say whether it will be possible to exempt from sewerage charges in 1975–76 those householders who do not have main sewerage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he can now say whether it will be possible to exempt from sewerage charges in 1975–76 those householders whose properties are not connected with the main sewerage system.

I would refer my hon. Friends to my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Braintree (Mr. Newton) on 12th June.—[Vol. 874, c. 550.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the proposed M59 Preston—Liverpool motorway is to be constructed; what is the line of route; and where the proposed junction with the A50 is to be.

The Liverpool—Preston A59 improvement scheme is at an early stage of planning and investigations are proceeding into all practicable solutions. It is too early to announce details of routes under consideration or to give a date for a start of works.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review his decision to cancel the public inquiry set up to hear objections to the proposed Macclesfield North-South relief road in the light of blight and uncertainty created by this decision.

No. I am writing to the hon. Member explaining the reasons for my decision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has given to the Council for British Archaeology as to the desirability of establishing a recognised professional institution for archaeologists.

Our advice has not been sought; at this stage the matter is one for the council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will not begin work on landscaping New Palace Yard until the House has had a further opportunity of debating the matter;(2) what is his policy towards the Services Committee's rejection of the plan to make New Palace Yard an open paved area.

The final decision is a matter for the House and there is no question of any departmental action being taken in advance of a debate. It would not be appropriate at this stage to express a view on any alternative proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authorities in the Northern Region concerning the effect of the rate support grant revision for 1974–75, and of the future structure of Government grants; what replies he has sent; and if he will make a statement.

We have received a number of representations from local authorities in the region. Their views will be considered in the present review of the basis of the rate support grant. In addition, I hope to visit some authorities in the region shortly for discussions on next year's rate support grant settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether consideration has been given to the continued efficacy, following the formation of larger local government units, of Section 28(2)(b) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 which provides for applications for planning permission in conservation areas to be advertised within the locality; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. George Dobry, QC, is presently looking at the arrangements for publicity for planning applications as part of his review of the development control system.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department last issued guidance to agent authorities on the maintenance of trunk road verges; and what response there has since been to his recommendation that all highway authorities should adopt similar standards.

The Department last issued guidance to its agent authorities on the maintenance of trunk road verges in November 1973. It is too early to say what response there has been to the recommendation that all highway authorities should adopt similar standards.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details in the OFFICIAL REPORT of the procedures by which complaints may be sent to the Commission for Local Administration in England, and the addresses to which they should be sent.

Complaints must be in writing and must specify the action alleged to constitute maladministration. They have normally to be referred to a local commissioner by a member of the authority concerned. For the time being, a complaint against an authority anywhere in England should be sent to The Local Commissioner, 47 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2NB.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps designed substantially to increase the volunteer forces industry, the TAVR, police, civil defence, fire and ambulance services so that adequate numbers are trained and available to meet any further extensions of terrorism in Great Britain.

Much as I value the work of the volunteer forces, I believe that measures to counter terrorist activities must remain primarily in the hands of the regular emergency services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation providing for the restoration of capital punishment in the case of persons convicted of murder or attempted murder in Great Britain committed while acting as a member of the IRA or other terrorist organisation.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy not to permit Irish Republican Army or other military or paramilitary organisations to parade in uniform through the streets whether at funerals or on other occasions.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to a Private Notice Question by the right hon. Member for Lowestoft (Mr. Prior) on 10th June.—[Vol 874. c. 1223.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research is being undertaken into possible health hazards from colour television sets; and if he will make a statement.

In 1969 and 1970 a study of British and imported colour television sets by the Radiological Protection Service of the Medical Research Council showed that X-ray emissions were well within the stringent limits of the relevant British Standard. More recent tests, conducted by the British Electro-technical Approvals Board, have shown a similar result. There appears to be no need for further research at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to remove from citizens of the Irish Republic their special rights to enter this country without a passport or other papers and to vote in elections in this country.

Citizens of the Republic of Ireland who arrive in the United Kingdom from outside the common travel area consisting of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Republic are under the same obligation as other passengers to produce passports or other identity documents when required to do so, but the Immigration Act 1971 provides that arrival on a local journey from another part of the common travel area is not subject to immigration control, apart from certain exceptions set out in Section 9(4). I have no proposals at present for altering these arrangements or for changing the voting rights of citizens of the Republic resident here.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy in relation to anti-discrimination; and how soon he expects to present his proposals to Parliament.

I hope to indicate the scope and nature of my proposals for securing equal status for women in the course of the summer with a view to introducing a Bill in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many infringements of the London Cab (No. 2) Order 1973 have been reported in the Metropolitan Police area since the order was made; how many of such reports were from the public and how many from the police themselves; and what percentage resulted in a prosecution being brought.

One hundred and sixty-two infringements have been reported, 24 by the members of the public and 138 by police offices. Of these, 25–15·5 per cent.—resulted in prosecutions, and 56 are still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department following the recent IRA funeral demonstration in London, what evidence was discovered that persons seeking to board Dublin-bound aeroplanes at Heathrow Airport were in possession of ammunition; and what action was taken by the police.

I understand that a passenger travelling to Dublin on 9th June voluntarily surrendered to a civilian security officer one cartridge case and one live round, which were then handed to the police. It appeared that the passenger had no connection with the funeral. The police were satisfied that he did not have the ammunition for an unlawful purpose and they therefore took no action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the publication of the report by the inter-departmental working party set up as a result of the Speaker's Conference on Electoral Law with particular reference to the electoral rights of patients in mental hospitals.