asked the Minister for the Civil Service what would be the cost to the Exchequer of permitting temporary service prior to 14th July 1949 in the Civil Service to count in full for the purposes of calculation of pension.

£13 million a year declining to about £7 million a year by 1990. The recalculation of lump sums already paid to existing pensioners would cost a further £30 million.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what would be the cost to the Exchequer of paying to the widows of all Civil Service pensioners full pension for three months at the rate applicable at the pensioner's death, thus ending the present anomaly by which only widows of pensioners more recently retired are so paid.

Records are not maintained in a form from which this information can be readily obtained and it would involve a disproportionate cost to public funds to carry out the necessary research.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service when he now expects to announce his decision on dispersal of Civil Service Departments to Scotland.

As I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, Central (Mr. Hamilton) and others on 24th June, I am conscious of the need to make an announcement as soon as possible. In order to achieve a distribution of Civil Service jobs to the areas of greatest need we have had to review the Hardman proposals. This is naturally taking some time, not least because of the large number of competing claims we have to consider.

asked the Minister for Civil Service if he will en sure that all documents which, but for the current industrial dispute, would have been available to hon. Members will be made available in their normal printed form when work resumes.

All documents of permanent interest will be made available in their normal printed form as soon as possible after normal work is resumed at the Parliamentary Press.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why a Royal Navy guided missile destroyer is to visit Jakarta on 19th July.

As I explained in my answer of 10th July to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens), HMS "Fife's" visit to Jakarta has no special significance and is simply a routine naval visit; it is being made in the course of the ship's deployment to the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, for each of the last 10 years, what was the number of cases where legal action has been commenced following absence without justifiable cause.

Legal action against parents in respect of irregular school attendance by their children is a matter for local education authorities; such action is not normally notified to the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the number of reported pupil assaults on teachers in each of the last 10 years.

This information is not regularly reported to my Department. In the survey of violence and indiscipline in primary and secondary schools which was conducted last year by the Association of Education Committees on behalf of my Department, the 100 local education authorities which responded to the questionnaire reported a total of 457 incidents of pupil to teacher violence and and 212 of threatened pupil to teacher violence during the school year 1971–72.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the percentage figures for unemployment in Irlam and Stretford, respectively.

On 10th June 1974, 109 people were unemployed in Irlam and 1,156 in Stretford. I regret that corresponding percentage rates of unemployment are not available. Irlam and Stretford are part of the Manchester travel-to-work area for which the rate was 2·4 per cent. Rates can be calculated for this larger area as a whole but not separately for its constituent parts.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the average remuneration paid in England and Wales in hotels and restaurants for cooks in each of the years 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1974.

Information in the form requested in not available from earnings surveys made by my Department. The New Earnings Survey provides some estimates for women classified as chefs or cooks but not limited to those employed in hotels and restaurants. They do not take full account of benefits in kind. The weekly earnings of women aged 18 and over employed full-time in Great Britain averaged about £12.50 in April 1970 and about £19.02 in April 1973 in this occupation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the industrial dispute which is preventing the use of the new grain terminal at the Seaforth dock at Liverpool.

As a settlement is still not in prospect within the industry's proce dure arrangements my Department's Conciliation Service is seeking to explore with the parties whether it can be of assistance in helping them to reach agreement on the outstanding issues.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will scrutinise all revelevant exploration data, including down-hole pressures, to ensure that it is technologically safe to produce, before issuing a production licence from an offshore oil platform.

Production licences enable licensees to search and bore for and get oil and gas; they must necessarily be issued before any drilling is carried out in the licensed area. Proposals for the drilling of wells and for the development of discoveries are subject to approval by the Department's Petroleum Production Inspectorate, which ensures that all operations are carried out safely in accordance with good oilfield practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the safety and pollution records of oil drilling and producing companies in their earlier global operations will be taken into account before exploration or production licences are issued.

The technical ability of companies applying for licences to search, bore for and get petroleum is one of the criteria which has been taken into account in the past when considering applications for licences. The criteria for future licensing rounds is under review at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what estimate he has made of the reserves of production of gas from the Continental Shelf towards the end of the present decade;(2) in terms of gas reserves in the United Kingdom part of the North Sea, what are the forecasts for production and consumption by the 1980s.

As stated in the recently published "Brown Book", it is estimated that there are about 41·5 trillion (10¹²) cubic feet of gas remaining in known discoveries in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf. These reserves should support a production rate of about 5,000 mcfd in 1980, and with gas from the Norwegian part of the Frigg field should be sufficient to meet expected premium demand and allow for some short-term sales in non-premium markets.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps are taken by his Department to ensure compliance with safety regulations by drilling companies or operators working in the Scottish sector of the North Sea.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 10th July 1974], gave the following information:Compliance is ensured in the course of normal day-to-day administration of the relevant Acts, regulations and licence provisions and through regular inspections undertaken by staff of the Department's Petroleum Production Inspectorate.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he intends introducing regulations to ensure that oil companies do not leave debris on the bed of the North Sea and how many instances of damage caused by such debris have been reported to him.

On 27th June the Dumping at Sea Act 1974 received Royal Assent. It prohibits, except by licence, the permanent deposit of any substance or article in the sea, and sets out penalties for offences. This will enable the United Kingdom to ratify the Oslo and London Conventions for the prevention of marine pollution by dumping at sea. In most cases of damage attributed to seabed debris the evidence produced has not conclusively pointed to a particular company or industry as having responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what investigations in his Department have been made or are being made or will be made into the setting up of a compensation fund by the oil companies for providing damages to fishermen in cases of (1) damage and (2) loss of fishing grounds.

The Submarine Telegraph Act 1885, as amended by the Continental Shelf Act 1964, makes provision for payment of compensation to fishermen who sacrifice their gear in order to avoid damage to a pipeline. It is expected that this and other questions of compensation will be discussed by the new consultative body involving the fishing industry, the offshore oil industry and Government Departments, which will shortly be established.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will state the number of divers killed at work in each of the last four years in British coastal waters or in British controlled marine oil fields; whether he will set up an inquiry into the adequacy of the present safety regulations; and what action he proposes to take following the criticism recently expressed by the coroner at the inquest into the death of Mr. William Norris.

I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will have consultations with the British Chess Federation with a view to ensuring the continuation of the annual Hastings Chess Congress.

Grant aid to the British Chess Federation is at present provided by the Department of Education and Science, but the Hastings Chess Congress does not receive assistance because it is not organised by the federation. I have asked the Sports Council to consider taking over responsibility for grant aiding chess; and I hope that means will be found of ensuring that the annual chess congress continues to be held.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish his Department's study of the effect of salt and other additives on the growth of plants on verges and central reservations.

The study, which is over a period of three years, is being undertaken by the Imperial College of Science and Technology on behalf of the Transport and Road Research Laboratory. It is expected that some findings will be published at the end of 1975, and that a fuller report will be made after completion of the study in mid-1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement concerning the proposed Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation improvement scheme.

The British Waterways Board is promoting a Bill to obtain the necessary enabling powers to carry out this scheme. A decision whether or not to proceed with the scheme will depend on the outcome of consultations which my Department will be having with local interests.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to improve the A57 between the boundary of Irlam, Salford, and the M6.

None. The A57 is a principal road and any improvement would be a matter for the Greater Manchester Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to introduce a White Paper on the nationalisation of urban development land.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend in reply to Questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdare (Mr. Evans) and the hon. Member for Melton (Mr. Latham) on 31d July.

asked the Secretary of St ate for the Environment what would be the cost of limiting the maximum percentage increase in the domestic rate for the year 1974–75 in the county of Cheshire to (a) 65 per cent., (b) 60 per cent., (c) 50 per cent., and (d) 30 per cent.

In the absence of complete information on rate increases in Cheshire it is not possible to make such estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a general direction to the British Waterways Board to ensure that locks are so manned that water wastage is reduced to a minimum in order to maintain navigable conditions during dry weather.

This is a matter of management for the British Waterways Board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his plans to assist the brick industry.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Members for Bedford (Mr. Skeet) and Mid-Bedfordshire (Mr. Hastings) on 9th July 1974 and to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens) on 10th July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen and policewomen have resigned the police force during the past 12 months.

In the year ended 31st May 1974 total losses, including retirement on pension, were 5,298 men and 676 women.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen and policewomen have been recruited to the Metropolitan Police force during the past 12 months.

In the year ended 31st May 1974, 1,025 men and 120 women.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen and policewomen have been recruited in the past 12 months.

In the year ended 31st May 1974, 5,715 men and 875 women.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average amount of expenses claimed daily, weekly and annually by magistrates in England and Wales in (a) loss of earnings, (b) subsistence allowances and (c) travelling allowance for 1971, 1972 and 1973.

I regret that this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been, in the past 12 months, for alleged infringement of the quarantine regulations relating to the import of animals into the United Kingdom; and how many are now pending.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can now announce the membership of the Committee of Inquiry into the Future of Broadcasting.

The members of the committee will be: Lord Annan, Chairman; Mr. Peter Goldman; Professor Hilde Himmelweit; Mr. Tom Jackson; Mr. Antony Jay; Miss Marghanita Laski; Mrs. H. M. Lawrence; Mr. A. Dewi Lewis; Sir James MacKay; Mrs. Charles Morrison; Mr. Dipak Nandy; Mr. G. J. Parkes; Mr. John D. Pollock; Professor G. D. Sims; Mr. Phillip Whitehead, MP; Sir Marcus Worsley, MP.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give the average amount of financial public aid per head to private industry in Scotland for each year between 1967 and 1973, inclusive.

The information, to the nearest £, is as follows:1967–68, 15; 1968–69, 21; 1969–70, 25; 1970–71, 27; 1971–72, 24; 1972–73, 21.The greater portion of the aid was in the form of investment grants and regional employment premium, and the decline after 1970–71 is due mainly to the phasing out of the investment grants scheme. Figures for 1973–74 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether a factory carrying out the manufacturing process of tyre retreading is included in the standard industrial classification as a manufacturing process eligible for grants under the Industry Act.

Tyre retreading does not qualify for grant under the Industry Act. The qualifying activities are principally the activities described in Orders II to XX of the Standard Industrial Classification but with certain specified exceptions all repair activities are expressly excluded. Tyre retreading is included in Order XIX but since it is not one of the specified forms of repairing which qualify it is caught by the general exclusion of repair activities.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a further statement about the progress of his discussions with Triumph Motor Cycles and former employees of Beaver-brook Newspapers in Scotland, respectively, regarding financial assistance from public funds.

Following further discussions with the parties concerned I am now prepared in principle to provide financial assistance to enable a co-operative to be formed at Meriden to produce motor cycles there. Some features remain to be considered with representatives of the proposed co-operative and Norton Villiers Triumph Limited and with the Industrial Development Advisory Board whom I will be consulting. I hope to make a full statement in the House shortly.My Department is continuing its assessment of the application by former employees of Beaverbrook Newspapers in Glasgow for assistance under Section 7 of the Industry Act towards a new newspaper.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the extent of Government aid and grants to the iron and steel castings industry, excluding remissions of tax, over each of the past 10 years.

Records of expenditure on investment grants and under regional assistance schemes are not kept on an industry basis. Grants towards the financing of the two research associations which serve the ferrous castings industries were as follows:

Year	Iron Castings R&D	Steel Castings R&D
	£000's	£000's
1964–65	74·000	37·500
1965–66	75·424	37·182
1966–67	83·104	50·545
1967–68	99·433	49·968
1968–69	89·573	49·062
1969–70	100·405	67·376
1970–71	113·057	78·845
1971–72	100·629	80·679
1972–73	129·781	66·043
1973–74	140·000	73·626

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the names of those hon. Members he invited to a meeting on 22nd May 1974 asked for by the hon. Member for Newton; and if he will also list the hon. Members who actually attended the meeting, the purpose of which was to discuss the unemployment and associated problems arising from the closure of Irlam steelworks in the Newton constituency.

My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State, in accordance with his practice in reviewing the British Steel Corporation's proposed closures, discussed the future of Irlam steelworks with my hon. Friend and the hon. Members for Manchester, Ardwick (Mr. Kaufman), Rossendale (Mr. Bray), Warrington (Mr. Williams), Manchester, Withington (Mr. Silvester), and Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris). He received apologies for unavoidable absence from the meeting from the right hon. and hon. Members for Altrincham and Sale (Mr. Barber), Eccles (Mr. Carter-Jones), Leigh (Mr. Boardman), Farnworth (Mr. Roper), Fylde, North (Mr. Clegg), Runcorn (Mr. Carlisle), Salford, East (Mr. Allaun), Salford, West (Mr. Orme), Stretford (Mr. Churchill), Liverpool, Wavertree (Mr. Steen), and Wigan (Mr. Fitch).

asaked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give an assurance that his proposals for a wealth tax will not cause any individual taxpayer to pay more than 100 per cent. of his income in any year by way of income tax and wealth tax.

My right hon. Friend has no intention of forming any conclusion about details of the wealth tax in advance of the further public discussion which will follow publication of the forthcoming Green Paper.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received to exempt children's school uniforms from VAT; and what action he now proposes to take.

I have received a few representations from Members on this subject. I have noted the hon. Member's interest.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has yet completed his review of the liability for VAT of persons building their own homes for the purchase of materials; and whether he will introduce an appropriate amendment to Schedule 4 to the Finance Act 1972 to remedy their position.

The matter is still under review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will examine ways of assisting professional men who have to do a lot of work over a long period before their fees can be collected, and are no longer able to treat interest on an overdraft as a business expense.

The Finance Bill provisions do not affect the deductibility for tax purposes of overdraft interest wholly and exclusively laid out or expended for the purpose of a profession.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated number of employees earning more than £5,000 in the current financial year.

About 500,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the estimated outflow of profit from Northern Ireland earned by companies in Northern Ireland which are or have been assisted by the Northern Ireland Finance Corporation or the Northern Ireland Government, and whose headquarters are not in the Province; how much of those profits have gone to Great Britain; and how much to foreign countries, including Eire;(2) whether he will institute an inquiry to ascertain how much of the profits made by the companies operating in Northern Ireland are removed from the Province and go to Great Britain or to foreign countries, including Eire.

As there are no reliable estimates available my Department has started some research into these matters. It may not be possible, how-over, to produce precise figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total cost of the painting of the exterior of Woburn Borstal, Millisle.

£4,900.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent in each of the past five years on renovation work and new work, respectively, at the Woburn Borstal, Mill-isle, indicating the work carried out.

The cost of maintenance and renovation work at the Woburn Borstal, Millisle, for each of the five years ending March 1974 was as follows:

1969–70	£3,524
1970–71	£7,103
1971–72	£22,985
1972–73	£13,760
1973–74	£9,473

Much of the expenditure was on normal maintenance, but repairs and renovations were necessary to the main building following damage caused by Borstal boys in 1972.The cost of new works at the Woburn Borstal, Millisle, for each of the years ending March 1974 was:

1969–70	£5,408
1970–71	£2,404
1971–72	£1,087
1972–73	£8,087
1973–74	£753

New works carried out included completion of a gymnasium, the erection of separate accommodation for special grade boys, the erection of a boilerhouse and provision of a new boiler, an extension to the kitchens and the construction of staff garages.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans Enterprise Ulster has to institute a scheme to clean up the foreshore of the Ards Peninsula, County Down.

None at the present time, but I understand that the possibility is being kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many companies have been assisted by the Northern Ireland Finance Corporation since its establishment or the Northern Ireland Government during the past five years; how many of these companies subsequently ceased to operate; how many companies have had directors who have resigned or have been removed as a result of intervention by the Finance Corporation and the Northern Ireland Government; and what has been the total loss to public funds in the past five years.

The information requested is not immediately available. I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many companies operating in Northern Ireland which are assisted by the Northern Ireland Finance Corporation or the Northern Ireland Government pay taxation to the Government in London and not to the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland.

Under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, as under the 1920 Constitution, corporation tax is the responsibility of the United Kingdom authorities, irrespective of whether a company has received assistance from public funds.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will take steps designed to ensure that projects in Indonesia financed by British aid do not depend on the labour of political prisoners gathered in work camps and used as an unpaid or a cheap work force.

My information is that this is not the case. I would not agree to the use of British aid in such circumstances anywhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is now able to announce the membership of the Committee of Inquiry into Truancy and Indiscipline in schools in Scotland.

I have appointed the following members to serve on the committee under the chairmanship of Professor Pack of the University of Strathclyde:

• Councillor Mrs. A. L. Ballantyne, Glasgow. Bailie A. H. Braebender, Gourock.
• Mr. J. R. Clark, Director of Education, Aberdeen.
• Dr. June Cockburn, Principal Education Psychologist, Child Guidance Centre, Dundee.
• Mr. J. Cook, Headteacher, Fyvie Secondary School.
• Mr. L. Demarco, Youth and Community Worker, Edinburgh.
• Mr. D. C. Dewar, Reporter to Lanarkshire Children's Panel.
• Mr. C. Forde, Headteacher, Kenmure St. Mary's Boys' School.
• Mr. A. Forman, Vice-Chairman, Scottish Trades Union Congress.
• Mr. J. M. Hamilton, Rector, Harris Academy, Dundee.
• Mr. J. N. Hunter, Headteacher, Larbert High School.
• Mr. J. Kernaghan, St. Pius' RC Secondary School, Glasgow.
• Mr. K. G. McInnes, Deputy Rector, Queen Anne High School, Dunfermline.
• Miss C. McMeekin, Principal Teacher (Guidance), St. Mary's (Calton) RC Secondary School, Glasgow.
• Mr. D. Mackin, School Attendance Officer, Kirkcaldy.
• Dr. Sheila Mitchell, Department of Sociology, University of Stirling
• Mr. W. A. Ratcliffe, formerly Assistant Chief Constable, Glasgow.
• Miss Iris Short, Director of Social Work, East Kilbride.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will consider setting up a central and independent body to hear and be responsible for complaints from nurses and others to do with hospital administration and treatment; and if she will make a statement.

No. There is already the Health Service Commissioner to deal with complaints within his remit, including complaints put to him by NHS staff on behalf of patients. The Davies Report on Hospital Complaints Procedure, which my right hon. Friend is currently studying, reviews the whole question of the handling of complaints relating to matters affecting patients including complaints by staff. We shall announce our views on this report as soon as practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the increase in the number of pensioners receiving supplementary pension since February of this year.

As at 29th January, 1974 a total of 1,827,000 people were receiving a supplementary pension. By 23rd April, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of supplementary pensioners had fallen to 1,821,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she

			Hospitals and Units for the Mentally III		Hospitals and Units for the Mentally Handicapped
Year			Informal	Compulsory	Informal	Compulsory
1971	…	…	145,396	28,005	10,553	853
1972	…	…	148,793	26,500	11,077	846

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how far she is satisfied with the service available in local offices of her Department for making financial assistance immediately available to battered wives finding themselves in distressed circumstances.

I am satisfied that local offices make immediate payments of supplementary benefit where entitlement exists and the circumstances warrant it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what the total annual amount would be if every adult receiving treatment in hospital paid (a) £5 per week, (b) £7·50 per week, and (c) £10 per week per hospital place.

About (a) £80 million, (b) £120 million and (c) £160 million. These figures take no account of the ability of patients to pay, any effect on social security benefits and the cost of collection.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the contribution to the balance of payments in 1973 deriving directly from treatment of foreigners as private patients in National Health Service hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the benefit to the balance of payments of the fees paid by foreigners for pay beds in NHS hospitals and of the con

The numbers of admissions to hospitals in England in 1971 and 1972 for treatment for mental disorder are shown below. Figures for 1973 are not yet available.sequent fees paid to foreigners to consultants using those pay beds.

We have no information on which to make such an estimate. It is no part of the Government's policy to prevent patients who wish to obtain private medical treatment in this country from doing so in private hospitals or clinics.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much income the National Health Service received in 1973 from the treatment of private patients in National Health Service hospitals.

In the year ended 31st March 1973 income from the treatment of private in-patients and out-patients at National Health Service hospitals in England was about £12·5 million. The comparable figure for the financial year 1973–74 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the total number of persons covered by private medical schemes.

I have no direct information on the subject, but according to "Provident Scheme Statistics 1972" 2,169,000 persons were insured in that year with British United Provident Association, Private Patients Plan, and Western Provident Association.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average number of patients allocated to dentists in Basildon and district corporation area and how this compares with the average in Essex, the South-East Region and the national average.

Under general dental services arrangements patients are not allocated to a particular dentist but may seek treatment from participating dentists anywhere. The population per dentist providing general dental services from surgeries within the areas in question is:

Basildon District	4,683
Essex	4,706
South-East Region	3,257
England	4,243

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she proposes to introduce a White Paper on nationalising the pharmaceutical industry.

I have nothing to add at present to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, Central, (Mr. Hamilton) on 1st July.—[Vol. 876, c. 21.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will make a statement about the present position regarding hospital services in northeast Essex.

If the hon. Member will be more specific I will gladly arrange to let him have such information as is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the private fees received by consultants having patients in NHS hospitals; and whether this figure has been included in her estimate of £17 million for the cost of phasing out pay beds.

I have made no estimate of private medical earnings. In its 1974 Report, however, the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body estimated the average net private earnings in 1971–72 of part-time consultants as £2,755. Only a portion of these fees will, however, come as a direct result of having private patients in NHS hospitals since it includes fees for patients treated in private hos pitals and also consultations in private consulting rooms. This figure is quite separate from the £17 million which it is estimated will be paid to health service authorities in the current financial year by private patients for accommodation and services in NHS hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Munro Committee's Report on Children's Footwear.

The Government have carefully considered the Munro Committee's Report on Children's Footwear.The report explains that, however desirable, approved standards for the manufacture of children's footwear will not achieve their purpose unless the footwear conforms sufficiently to changing fashion trends to be acceptable to the consumer; is discarded when worn out or outgrown; is available in sufficient sizes and widths; and is sold through retail outlets which maintain good fitting services.Well designed shoes, and shops with good fitting services, are already available parents who care about foot health and want their children to have shoes which fit properly can buy them. The problem, as the report pointed out, is to educate all parents and children to want such footwear. The Government think it best to proceed not by the development of formal standards which may be rejected by the customer, but by influencing the development of consumer demand for well designed footwear.The report said that shoes which were exempt from purchase tax were more suitable for children than those which were not, and recommended that a similar relief should continue under VAT. This recommendation was accepted by the previous administration and, subject to a few technical amendments as a result of recommendations from the trade, has been implemented. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer thinks it right to continue relief from VAT for young children's footwear on this basis.With the approval of my right hon. Friend, the Health Education Council has agreed to give a higher priority within its estimates to its expenditure on foot health education in the current financial year, and will consider sympathetically the continuation of a similar level of expenditure. Steps will also be taken to remind those concerned at local level of the importance of foot health, which is already one of a wide range of topics covered in health education in schools and by health education officers, school medical officers, health visitors and school nurses. Similar arrangements will be made in Scotland.The Government are pleased to note the committee's acknowledgement of much good work already being done by the footwear industry to promote foot health and commends its development.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will institute an immediate inquiry into the bonding requirements of the travel industry.

£ million seasonally adjusted
		1972				1973
		1st quarter	2nd quarter	3rd quarter	4th quarter	1st quarter	2nd quarter	3rd quarter	4th quarter
EEC	…	-132	-139	-146	-164	-204	-264	-338	-362
Rest of World	…	-179	-94	-318	-219	-349	-400	-574	-908

The "crude" balance is not a good measure of the balance of trade in goods because, inter alia, of differences in valuation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade on what statistical information he based his assertions made on 11th June that the United Kingdom deficit on visible trade aggregated for all other member countries of the European Economic Community is currently running at an annual rate of £1,500 million.

The latest figures published on 11th July indicate that in the first half of 1974 the crude trade deficit, i.e. the difference between exports fob and imports cif, was running at an annual rate of £2,000 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales by what approximate date he expects the Welsh National Water

We are reviewing the present arrangements with the Civil Aviation Authority and the Association of British Travel Agents to discover whether any adjustments may be desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the statistics showing the trend of the balance of visible trade with all other countries of the European Economic Community over the four quarters of calendar 1973 compared with the equivalent figures in 1972; and if he will give the parallel statistics for the non-European Economic Community trading countries, in aggregate, for both these years by quarters.

Quarterly estimates of the balance of trade with the EEC are not available on a balance of payments basis. Details of the "crude" balance, i.e. the difference between exports fob and imports cif, are given below:Development Authority, working in conjunction with the Welsh district councils, to have identified all, or substantially all, the properties in Wales which receive no sewerage service yet are subject to a sewerage rate.

It is too early to say when all the properties in Wales without main drainage will be identified, but I hope that the water authority and the district councils will deal with this with all possible speed.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to increase the availability of capital financial sanction to local authorities in tourist areas—such as the Arfon and Dwyfor districts—so that locally determined schemes for tourist purposes receive additional resources over and above existing limits.

Locally determined schemes allocations are distributed according to a formula agreed with the local authority associations. If local authorities wish to have different distribution formula arrangements it is for them to put their views to their appropriate associations.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will immediately reintroduce free milk in schools for children between the ages of 7 and 11 years.

Catering arrangements in schools are currently under consideration.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will refer to the Director of Public Prosecutions with a view to prosecution under Section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925 those responsible for the publication of the photograph of Ian Ball entering Bow Street magistrates' court.

No. Having regard to all the circumstances of this case, which he and I have both considered with care, the Director of Public Prosecutions has come to the conclusion, with which I agree, that the public interest does not in this particular case call for a prosecution. But I will take this opportunity to emphasise, first, that Section 41 is still effective and, in my view, an important safeguard and secondly, that it prohibits the taking or publication of a photograph of a judge, juror, witness or party, not only when he is in court but also when he is entering or leav ing the court or the precincts of the building in which the court is held. Accordingly, the test is the position of the subject of the photograph, and not the place where the camera is positioned for that photograph.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will investigate, with a view to instituting proceedings, the conduct of the news media arising out of reports published while proceedings were pending in the case of R. v. Ball.

I have already done so. After very careful consideration, I have concluded that no action is in this particular case required of me, since in the circumstances of the case no prejudice can in fact have arisen. But I must exphasise that the mere fact that an accused person in the event pleads guilty is not necessarily a justification for the publication of prejudicial material whilst the proceedings are pending or imminent. Indeed, the prejudice may be so extensive that a fair trial becomes impossible.Accordingly whilst proceedings are pending or imminent nothing should be published which might in any way prejudice the accused or the prosecution or which might interfere with the course of justice. This applies particularly to photographs or other material relevant to identity and to reports of interviews with potential witnesses upon matters which may later form the subject of their evidence. Material of this nature was in fact published whilst the proceedings in the Ball case were pending.