asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his current discussions and initiatives with Third World countries on the extension of British nuclear expertise to such countries for peaceful purposes.

As a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) we have undertaken to facilitate the fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for peaceful purposes in this field. We do this both in bilateral exchanges with many countries and as a contributor to the technical assistance programme of the International Atomic Energy (IAEA). We require IAEA safeguards on all nuclear material we supply to non-nuclear weapon States.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on British relations with the Sultanate of Oman.

Britain has close political and economic relations with Oman. Within our resources we are assisting the Sultan's forces against the Dhofar rebels who threaten the security of both Oman and the Gulf. We provide technical assistance for Oman's extensive domestic development programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a further statement about the Middle East situation.

Her Majesty's Government continue to give their full support to the efforts being made to bring about a just and lasting settlement in the Middle East. We have warmly welcomed the signature of a disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is now in a position to make a statement on his policy on the status of Namibia.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdare (Mr. Evans) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the purpose and outcome of the recent talks between officials of the Spanish and British Foreign Offices, respectively, in Madrid.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newport (Mr. Hughes) on the 26th June.—[Vol. 875, c. 1536–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give a progress report upon the Law of the Sea Conference which began on 20th June in Caracas.

The conference, which is still at an early stage, has made a good start. On 27th June it adopted its rules of procedure without having recourse to voting. This is an encouraging indication of its intention to proceed by consensus. A number of leaders of delegations have made general statements. I addressed the conference on 4th July, when I outlined the Government's general approach to the conference and our policies on specific issues. I am placing a copy of my speech in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about Anglo-Rhodesia relations and progress towards a settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his talks with representatives of the Rhodesian African National Council.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North-West (Mr. Brocklebank-Fowler) earlier this afternoon.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to change the name of Southern Rhodesia to Zimbabwe with effect from 1st September.

I think we must try to change not the name but the circumstances of Rhodesia, by promoting a settlement worked out with and supported by the African majority. Thereafter the people of the country can decide for themselves on its name.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to relieve the plight of the Biharis in Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement.

The future of the Biharis in Bangladesh remains the subject of discussion between the Governments of Pakistan and Bangladesh. We are concerned about the welfare of this and other displaced communities in both Pakistan and Bangladesh. We have provided funds to assist the relief work of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and have also supplied air transport to assist in the transfer of populations following the Delhi agreement. We are ready to consider additional ways of helping.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to bring Anguilla within the scope of the United Nations trusteeship system, provided the people of Anguilla are prepared to agree to this.

Her Majesty's Government have the question of the review of Anguilla's constitutional status under active consideration. I have no reason to believe that United Nations trusteeship status would be acceptable to the people of Anguilla.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common. wealth Affairs whether he has yet reached a decision regarding the future of the contract between the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Commission and Rio Tinto Zinc for the supply of uranium from Namibia; and if he will make a statement.

The position remains as in the reply I gave on 26th June.—[Vol. 872, c. 447.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the office hours of the British Embassy in Lisbon are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. which are quite unsuitable to local requirements.

As I told the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Redmond) on 10th July, these hours were introduced as an experiment and will be reviewed in a few weeks' time. We have received no complaints.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy toward the proposal for an "Economic Observatory" to keep watch on raw materials markets as proposed by the United Nations General Assembly to its Economic and Social Council.

The proposal for an "Economic Observatory" is one of a number of proposals which the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly has referred to the Economic and Social Council. The possibility of merging certain of these proposals is being considered by their sponsors, and it is not yet know, therefore, in what form the present meeting of the Economic and Social Council in Geneva will be asked to consider the proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the creation of a permanent commission on multinational corporations as proposed to the United Nations Economic and Social Council in July; and whether the United Kingdom would be prepared to take part in the work of such a commission.

In my speech to the Economic and Social Council on 8th July, I indicated that we should in principle be glad to participate in the work of a United Nations commission on multinational corporations. But the report of the Group of Eminent Persons which was set up to study various aspects of this subject has only just been published, and the council has not yet discussed its proposals in detail. We shall certainly consider all views put forward in the discussion when formulating our own attitude.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid is given to Zambia to offset the effects of the economic boycott against Rhodesia.

Assistance to help Zambia offset the effects of IDI amounted to nearly £24 million between 1965 and 1968. In 1969 and 1972 Her Majesty's Government agreed to release Zambia from certain obligations in connection with the financing of the Kariba hydroelectric scheme. The resulting commitment for Her Majesty's Government amounts contingently to approximately £15 million spread over the period 1972–89. In 1973 a £1·014 million interest free loan was made to Zambia for road transport equipment following the closure of the Zambian-Rhodesian border. This loan is additional to our normal aid programme to Zambia which in all its forms is currently running at about £7 million per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he now expects to complete the process of renegotiation of our terms of accession to the EEC.

I am not yet able to say.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement outlining the Government's attitude towards the budgetary powers sought by the Strasbourg Assembly.

At the Council of Ministers' meeting on 4th June Her Majesty's Government lifted their reserve on a package of proposals relating to the budgetary powers of the European Assembly and the establishment of an Audit Court. My right hon. Friend explained to the Council that ratification by the United Kingdom of the consequential treaty amendments would not be possible until progress had been achieved on our renegotiation of the entry terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the proposals for political union in the Common Market.

There is nothing to add to the answers I gave to the hon. Member on 1st May.—[Vol. 872, c. 1123–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet the Agricultural Commissioner of the EEC.

I have no plans at present for a meeting with Mr. Lardinois, but my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture meets him regularly at Council of Ministers' meetings.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects that negotiations within the Council of Ministers to establish a regional fund will be completed.

It is too early to tell. Discussions about the fund are continuing at official level, aimed at identifying what prospects there are for progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with the EEC Commission with reference to its setting up of a sub-office in England.

I am not aware of any plans to set up an EEC sub-office in England. The Communities Office in London has been operating in one form or another since 1956. Decisions to open offices in Edinburgh and Cardiff were taken last year and we are keeping in touch with the Commission on this.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the proposals for a common energy policy recently approved by the European Commission.

The Commission's proposals have been forwarded to the Council of Ministers who will have a preliminary discussion of them at their meeting on 22nd-23rd July.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what research has been undertaken on the gasification of coal; and what he assesses is the cost per therm using present technology.

Decline in research during the 1960s was due primarily to competition from gas made from oil and the subsequent discovery of natural gas. Interest in coal gasification has revived recently, the United States of America taking the lead in research and development aimed at making a substitute natural gas and low Btu fuel gas from coal. The main effort in this country is devoted to contracts placed by American agencies with the British Gas Corporation and the National Coal Board aimed at substitute natural gas, but the NCB recently started work on gasification under an ECSC contract.The processes under development promise to improve upon the works cost of gas-making with established technology which with current coal prices lies in the range 8p to 11 p per therm depending upon the scale of operation and the properties and purity of the finished gas.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on current research and development into new methods of winning and using of coal to conserve energy.

The National Coal Board recently reviewed its research and development programme and decided to mount a substantially increased effort in coal winning which will include the study of new methods. In addition the board has proposed a £40 million development programme on coal conversion processes in which energy conservation is implicit through the objective of seeking to use coal more efficiently. The coal conversion proposals are being studied by the Working Group on Research and Development of the Coal Industry Inquiry under my chairmanship.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the imports of natural and enriched uranium which he expects will take place in the period 1974–1984 inclusive from Canadian, South African, Australian and other sources, respectively.

During the period 1974–1984 some 700 tonnes of uranium on average will be delivered each year from Canada. A contract between the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and Rossing Uranium Ltd. covers supply of a similar quantity of uranium from Namibia in six of the ten years. This contract is included in the Government's review of policy on Namibia and I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the Question by the hon. Member for South Angus (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne). There are no contracts with other producing areas. Under the existing contracts no uranium will be imported in enriched form.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken, following the publication of the most recent OECD report on uranium supply, to enlarge the uranium exploration programme;(2) what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken, following the publication of the most recent OEDC report on uranium supply, to encourage further investment, in either private or the public sector, in the exploration for uranium;(3) what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken, following the publication of the most recent report of the US Atomic Energy Commission on the liquid metal fast breeder reactor, to encourage investment in the mining of uranium throughout the Commonwealth.

The Government continue to play their part in international studies of uranium supply and demand and in the promotion thereby of further exploration. My Department is currently reviewing the prospects for meeting United Kingdom requirements for uranium.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what were the total natural and enriched uranium imports of all types for the period 1968–1973 from the United States of America, Canada, Australia, South Africa and other areas, respectively.

United Kingdom natural uranium imports during the period 1968–1973 from Canada and South Africa were respectively 4,900 and 5,200 tonnes of uranium. There were no imports from other areas and none of this uranium was enriched. The figures exclude uranium for experimental purposes and uranium temporarily imported for processing in this country and re-export.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are his approximate estimates for the use of coal for

	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
Diving fatalities:—
Reported under the Factories Act 1961	1	1	1	1	—
Reported under the Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971	—	1	1	1	2

Fatalities not required to be reported include those arising from pipelaying operation outside territorial waters.Questions of the adequacy of diving regulations made under the Factories Act

Bearing in mind the uncertainties of the current energy situation, particularly in respect of the availability, security and cost of individual fuels, I feel that it would be misleading to give forecasts of future coal requirements for electricity generation and future requirements of the other main sources of energy.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much coal he estimates will be required by the Central Electricity Generating Board in the year 1974–75 and 1975–76.

Even relatively short-term estimates of the CEGB's requirements for particular fuels are subject to considerable uncertainty because of fluctuations in market conditions, electricity demand and plant availability. However, my Department estimates that the coal burn by the CEGB will be broadly about 65 million-70 million tons in 1974–75 and slightly higher in 1975–76.

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 oilfields; 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.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 12th July 1974], gave the following information:are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy proposes to lay before the House shortly diving regulations to be made under the Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act. I am aware of the views expressed at the recent inquest into the death of Mr. William Norris; the new regulations will require divers to undergo stringent medical examinations.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the cost to the British taxpayer in taxation on loans raised overseas of financing the exploitation of Great Britain's oil and gas resources up to 1985 following his Commons statement of 11th July.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 16th July 1974], gave the following information:The cost will depend on the outcome of negotiations for participation, and so I cannot give precise figures at this stage. However, the Government will have recouped its initial investment after a very short time and thereafter will be earning substantial net revenues.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what evidence he has based his view that the United Kingdom will have only 14 per cent. of the gross national product of the EEC in 1980 to support her contribution of 24 per cent. to the Community budget.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker) on 10th June.—[Vol. 874, c. 417.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, for the purposes of his policy on tax evasion, he will seek to ascertain how many companies have been registered in the Isle of Man from 1970 to the nearest convenient date; how this figure compares with the figure for the previous four years; and how many of such companies had previously been registered elsewhere.

Neither the Inland Revenue nor the Department of Trade keeps records of Isle of Man company registrations. I will certainly look for any information which it is practicable to get if it will help to prevent tax avoidance or evasion, but I do not think that the sort of statistics mentioned by my hon. Friend would of themselves contribute to this end.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much extra income tax, expressed in pounds and pence, a married man with two children earning £10,000 would have to pay if the basic rate of income tax were increased by⅓percentage point;(2) how much extra income tax, expressed in pounds and pence, a married man with two children earning £10,000 would have to pay if the basic rate of income tax were increased by 3⅓percent;tage points;(3) how much extra income tax, expressed in pounds and pence, a married man with two children earning £10,000 would have to pay if the basic rate of income tax were increased by 6⅔ percentage points;(4) how much extra income tax, expressed in pounds and pence, a married man with two children earning £1,500 would have to pay if the basic rate of income tax were increased by ⅓percentage point;(5) how much extra income tax, expressed in pounds and pence, a married man with two children earning £1,500 would have to pay if the basic rate of income tax were increased by 3⅓ percentage points;(6) how much extra income tax, expressed in pounds and pence, a married man with two children earning £1,500 would have to pay if the basic rate of income tax were increased by 6⅔ percentage points;(7) how much extra income tax, expressed in pounds and pence, a married man with two children earning £2,000 would have to pay if the basic rate of income tax were increased by ⅓ percentage point;(8) how much extra income tax, expressed in pounds and pence, a married man with two children earning £2,000 would have to pay if the basic rate of income tax were increased by 3⅓ percentage points;

Assuming that the children are under 11 the figures for 1974–75 are as follows:

Basic rate of income tax increased to:
Earnings	33⅓%	36⅓%	39⅔%
£ p.a.	Additional tax payable (£p)
1,500	0·85	8·46	16·92
2,000	2·52	25·13	50·26
2,500	41·8	41·80	83·60
3,000	5·85	58·46	116·92
4,000	9·18	91·80	183·60
5,000	12·52	125·13	250·26
10,000	15·00	150·00	300·00

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now announce his final decision about the future of the 2½p coin.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I have to a similar Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Lambeth, Central (Mr. Lipton) on 16th July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider relieving contraceptives from value added tax, in line with the exempt status already accorded false teeth, glasses and other appliances obtainable on NHS prescription.

Contraceptives prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmaceutical chemist are already zero-rated for VAT while contraceptives otherwise supplied in connection with the medical services provided by a doctor or State registered nurse are exempt.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the effect of VAT on the amount of emoluments chargeable to income tax under Schedule E.

Yes. The Inland Revenue is now advised that where a director or employee is liable to income tax in respect of payments made to him or on his behalf by his employer or in respect of expense incurred by the employer in providing him with a benefit, the liability is on the full amount of the expenditure incurred, inclusive of VAT. This is so whether or not the employer may subsequently recover all or part of the VAT. The change in the basis of measuring benefits—from VAT-exclusive to VAT-inclusive—which is now required will apply to benefits received in 1974–75 and subsequent years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Inland Revenue will seek to establish the extent to which the official allowances of the mayors and chairmen of the new local authorities are not spent on official entertaining and expenses so that they may be assessed to tax on any surplus.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 11th July 1974], gave the following information:—

VALUE OF PRODUCTION PER HEAD OF POPULATION
(£ sterling
			1960	1965	1970	1972
Industrial (1)
United Kingdom (2)		…	207	267	337	404
France (3) (4)	…	…	229	350	581	665
Germany (5)	…	…	253	381	704	850
Sweden (6)	…	…	252	381	611	732
Primary (7)
United Kingdom (2)		…	17	19	23	28
France (4) (8)	…	…	45	54	73	89
Germany (5)	…	…	27	30	40	48
Sweden (6)	…	…	48	59	68	76

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of industrial production and primary production per head of population in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Sweden in 1960, 1965, 1970, 1972 and 1973.

The information available is given below; figures for 1973 are not yet available. The figures given, however, cannot be regarded as comparable since the basis of valuation for the estimates of production at present available vary from country to country. The figures at producers' values are exclusive of most indirect taxes whilst those at factor cost or basic values are inclusive of indirect taxes. The estimates have been converted into £ sterling on the basis of official rates of exchange. Where a parity changed in the course of a given year, figures have been converted by using an average exchange rate weighted according to the number of days at which each different rate was in existence. Official rates of exchange do not necessarily reflect differences in the internal purchasing power of national currencies.

asked the Secretary of State far Trade what assistance has been given to the proposed trade mission to Cuba, organised by the West India Committee and led by Lord Walston.

Assistance to this mission is being offered under the standard terms of the British Overseas Trade Board's Outward Mission Scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will now set up a departmental committee to study the possibility

PRICE INDEX NUMBERS OF MAJOR BASIC MATERIALS IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM
1970 = 100
						1972
				July	August	September	October	November	December
Iron Ore	…	…	…	112·2	112·2	112·2	112·2	112·2	112·2
Tungsten Ore	…	…	…	48·1	47·5	46·6	45·1	45·9	49·9
Non-Ferrous Base Metals:
Aluminium Ingots†		…	…	86·0	86·0	86·0	87·6	89·9	89·9
Nickel†	…	…	…	100·7	100·5	114·4	117·7	117·7	117·7
Copper	…	…	…	71·7	72·4	73·6	72·6	72·5	73·6
Zinc†	…	…	…	124·5	125·0	125·0	125·0	126·2	135·2
Tin	…	…	…	99·9	100·0	101·7	102·6	102·9	103·8
Lead	…	…	…	98·1	95·9	97·8	97·8	99·5	103·8
Soya Beans	…	…	…	110·9	111·3	116·0	120·3	127·8	129·1
Groundnut Oil	…	…	…	106·1	106·3	108·5	108·3	109·6	117·8
Hides and skins	…	…	…	155·5	179·0	190·7	216·7	229·8	223·5
Textiles:
Raw Cotton	…	…	…	112·8	109·1	106·2	111·5	124·0	130·0
Raw Wool	…	…	…	136·4	154·9	179·9	231·3	218·6	236·8
Jute	…	…	…	100·1	101·7	101·8	101·8	101·3	102·3
Timber:
Softwood	…	…	…	111·3	114·2	116·1	116·3	119·5	120·9
Hardwood	…	…	…	122·0	124·5	127·7	133·4	136·0	138·1
Plywood	…	…	…	112·9	112·9	121·1	128·5	130·1	131·1
Natural Rubber	…	…	…	84·0	80·3	81·9	94·3	99·6	106·8
Woodpulp	…	…	…	105·4	105·4	105·4	107·5	109·5	109·7
Sulphur, Crude	…	…	…	89·0	89·0	89·0	89·0	89·0	89·0

						1973
				January	February	March	April	May	June
Iron Ore	…	…	…	112·2	112·2	112·2	121·4	121·4	121·4
Tungsten Ore	…	…	…	49·9	50·3	55·6	57·9	55·6	51·6
Non-Ferrous Base Metals:
Aluminium Ingots†		…	…	89·9	89·9	89·9	89·9	89·9	91·4
Nickel†	…	…	…	117·7	119·9	116·2	114·2	113·8	111·6
Copper	…	…	…	80·3	86·5	103·5	108·3	103·9	114·8
Zinc†	…	…	…	135·2	135·2	141·9	148·5	148·5	155·2
Tin	…	…	…	105·2	108·3	113·6	112·5	112·3	115·1
Lead	…	…	…	106·3	110·3	119·0	122·9	123·5	130·5
Soya Beans	…	…	…	131·0	137·8	150·8	144·3	153·4	186·0
Groundnut Oil	…	…	…	120·2	121·9	121·0	117·9	123·4	125·7
Hides and skins	…	…	…	222·9	219·1	199·7	204·7	206·6	194·2
Textiles:
Raw Cotton	…	…	…	133·7	131·9	137·1	143·5	154·7	162·7
Raw Wool	…	…	…	293·1	333·2	403·1	325·3	318·8	344·7
Jute	…	…	…	103·1	104·5	105·6	105·6	105·4	104·6

In consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and with the Civil Aviation Authority and the British Airports Authority I keep under continuing review the organisation of airports in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will publish an up-to-date table showing the price index numbers of major basic materials imported into the United Kingdom for the year ended June 1973 and June 1974.

The information is provided in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the United kingdom Trade deficit, seasonally adjusted,

The visible trade deficit, seasonally adjusted and expressed as an annual rate, was £5,468 million in the second quarter of this year and £5,192 million in the first quarter.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will arrange for civil servants who have been transferred from London to Glasgow to meet representatives of civil servants based in London who may be transferred to Glasgow under the Hardman recommendations.

Such arrangements have been freely available since the Hardman Report was published in June of last year. Representatives of staff who may be transferred to Glasgow have

			1st April 1973		1st April 1974
			Staff in Post§	Salary‡	Staff in Post§	Salary‡
				£		£
Permanent Secretary	…	…	23	16,000*	21	16,350*
Second Permanent Secretary		…	17	15,000	22	15,350
Deputy Secretary	…	…	141	10,750	144	11,100
Under-Secretary	…	…	518	8,500	527	9,000
Assistant Secretary	…	…	1,147	5,550–7,476	1,182	6,300–8,338†
Senior Principal	…	…	505	5,122–5,764	592	5,900–6,582†
Principal	…	…	3,778	3,635–4,908	4,115	4,360–5,775
* The salaries for the Secretary to the Cabinet, the Head of the Home Civil Service and the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, were £17,000 at 1st April 1973 and £17,350 at 1st April 1974.
† With effect from 7th November 1974 these scales will be £6,700-£8,850, £6,000-£7,050.
‡ The rates for Under-Secretary to Principal attract London weighting as appropriate.
§ The figures for Under-Secretary and Permanent Secretary are Estimates provisions.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will amplify the answer given on 28th June to the hon. Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) about the lifting of the moratorium on grants and loans for fishing vessels in respect of the reference to current prices, and of the reference to approvals related to expenditure to which the applicant is himself committed.

The White Fish Authority and Herring Industry Board, in counting approvals against the £13 million limit, will do so on the basis of the current price at the time the approval is given.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what were the numbers of civil servants employed in each of the normal ranks down to and including principal on 1st January 1973 and 1st January 1974; and what was the salary range for each rank.

Because of reclassification of some grades there are inconsistencies in the figures for 1st January 1973 and 1974; figures are given, therefore, for 1st April showing the information as requested for the main grades in the Administration Group and in the Open Structure:The scheme requires them, before the contract is made, to approve the relevant plans and specification, the tender for expenditure to be incurred, and the form of contract. Relating an approval to expenditure to which the applicant is himself committed means that there will not be a commitment to aid any subsequent work not expressly covered by the contract in question. The extent to which a later price increase on the work contracted for would rank for grant will be a matter for the authority or board, having regard to the terms of any cost variation clauses in the contract originally approved by them.Where a loan is approved similar considerations will apply, but the percentage of approved expenditure so covered will, as hitherto, be at the discretion of the authority or board.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to ensure adequate supplies of sugar to holiday areas suffering from the present shortage.

Although less than the usual quantities of sugar have been available this year from Commonwealth countries, which are the normal source of our imported supplies, the gap is being made good from other, mostly more expensive, sources. We therefore cannot accept that there is an overall shortage. But the refining companies have been obliged to allocate the reduced supplies of normal-priced sugar, both for retail sale and for food manufacture, between their customers.It would be impracticable for us to attempt to control this system of allocation in detail so as to increase supplies in particular areas. Our officials are, however, in touch with the refining companies and the sugar merchants, who are the first-hand purchasers of most sugar in retail packs, with a view to seeing what can be done to meet the problem.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the carcinogenic properties of nitrosamines arising from the use of nitrites and nitrates in cured meats, whether he will now make a further statement following the limitations placed upon their use by the regulations introduced by his predecessor in March 1971.

The Food Additives and Contaminants Committee is informed of progress on the extensive programme of

			Guaranteed prices determined after the Annual Review 1974	Price change	Revised guaranteed price
Wheat (per ton)	…	…	£39·62	£1·65	£41·27
Barley (per ton)	…	…	£35·73	£1·53	£37·26
Oats (per ton)	…	…	£34·20	£1·47	£35·67

The EEC Commission has been informed of these revised determinations.For pigs, the Agricultural Ministers propose to make a revised determination later in the year to come into effect when the rise of 8 per cent. in EEC prices for pigmeat takes place.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from United Kingdom farmers regarding an increase in sugar beet prices for 1974–75; and if he will adopt the EEC price level in order to maintain production of this crop.

The National Farmers' Union has urged a substantial increase in the price for the 1975 crop. I nave at present nothing to add to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Cambridge. shire (Mr. Pym) on 11th July.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes will be made in the determinations announced after the 1974 annual review in the light of the farm prices fixed by the EEC for 1974–75.

The Agriculture Ministers have made the following revised determinations for cereals for the 1974–75 guarantee year which begins on 1st August next in the light of the EEC prices fixed for cereals for 1974–75:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the progress being made on flood protection works on the Kent bank of the Thames necessitated by the proposed Thames barrage and the 2,000 year tide.

Since April 1974 the flood protection work on the Kent bank of the Thames has been the responsibility of the Southern Water Authority. Preparatory work is continuing and the first contract should be let in October 1974. The water authority plans to complete the work by the time the barrier becomes operational. This will give protection against a surge tide with a return period of 1 in 1,000 years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the discussions between his Department and the Greater London Council concerning the contribution to be made by that council towards flood prevention works on the Kent bank of the Thames.

The Thames Barrier and Flood Prevention Act 1972 requires the GLC to reimburse the Southern Water Authority for that part of the cost of improving the Kent flood defences which is necessary to contain the effects of operating the barrier to be constructed at Woolwich. The extent of the GLC's liability has recently been discussed at two meetings between officials of the Ministry, the GLC and the water authorities concerned. I hope that agreement in principle will be reached very shortly.

			Year
			1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973
Staff Ashore	…	…	878	864	879	877	852	892	918	907	918	891
Staff Afloat	…	…	908	859	788	815	758	776	752	790	631	640

The reduction in staff numbers at sea reflects the phasing out of the older, less efficient vessels of the Service, and the introduction of modem craft requiring smaller crews.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many vessels are available to the Hydrographer of the Royal Navy to fulfil his duties, how many such vessels are less than five years old, five to 10 years old, 10 to 15 years old, 15 to 20 years old and over 20 years old, respectively.

The three ocean survey ships and four coastal survey vessels are between five and 10 years old. The five

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the expenditure of the hydrographer's department of the Royal Navy for each of the last 10 years, measured in current monetary values and in constant value, respectively.

The estimated provision for the Hydrographer of the Navy included in Supply Estimates for each of the financial years 1965–66 to 1974–75 is as follows:£M—65–66, 5·4; 66–67, 4·3; 67–68, 5·3; 68–69, 3·8; 69–70, 3·7; 70–71, 4·1; 71–72, 5·5; 72–73, 6·8; 73–74, 7·0; 74–75, 8–3.In terms of primes used for determining the 1974–75 estimates, these figures are:£M—65–66, 10·0; 66–67, 7·6; 67–68, 9·1;68–69, 6·3; 69–70, 5·8; 70–71, 5·9; 71–72, 7·4; 72–73, 8·2; 73–74, 7·9; 74–75,8·3.The fluctuation is due almost wholly to construction costs of ships in the Survey Fleet.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been employed in the hydrographer's department of the Royal Navy in each of the last 10 years.

The numbers of staff of the Hydrographic Department, naval personnel and civilian, were as follows for the years 1964–1973:inshore survey craft are between 15 and 20 years old.A new ocean survey ship is expected to be accepted into service this autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are taken to ensure that the Hydrographer of the Royal Navy is provided with up-to-date vessels and equipment to carry out his duties.

The major vessels of the survey fleet are purpose built and equipped for hydrographic surveying, and are among the most modem of their kind in the world. A new vessel of the same class as the existing ocean survey ships, HMS "Herald", is to be accepted into service this autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the work of the hydrography department of the Royal Navy he estimates to be necessary for civil maritime purposes; and what percentage exclusively for military purposes.

In view of the critical importance of hydrography in consultation with the Department of Trade and other Departments principally concerned, the Ministry of Defence has now set up a special study group to assess the future civil hydrographic requirement. British shipping interests and other chart users have been invited to participate in the vital work of the group. The military requirement is being assessed as part of the Defence Review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to protect the work of the hydrographer's department of the Royal Navy from reductions in defence expenditure under current determination; and if he will make a statement.

As I explained to the House on 3rd May 1974—[Vol. 872, c. 556–7]—

		Date of most recent edition
		Before 1900	1900–49	1950–59	1960–69	1970 onwards
Number of charts	…	132	599	642	1,160	732
Percentage of Admiralty series	…	4	18½	19½	35½	22½
		per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the rates of pay of civilians employed at the Simonstown base.

The Ministry of Defence employs 14 locally engaged civilians on the staff of the Senior British Naval Officer South Africa in Simonstown. The rates of pay are as follows:

	Rand per annum
3 Clerks Grade A	2,484–4,788
1 Clerk Grade B	2,028–3,468
1 Temporary Typist	2,028–3,468
1 Charge-hand Driver	3,024–3,504
2 Skilled Labourers (Grade 2)	1,236–2,004
5 Skilled Labourers (ungraded)	1,236–1,932
1 Driver	2,910

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if it is his policy to introduce legislation to hold a referendum on the desirability of any further significant cuts in defence services, and whether he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the charts currently on sale from the hydrographer's department of the Royal Navy are based on surveys made or revised in the last five years, the last five to 10 years, the last 10 to 15 years, the last 15 to 20 years and over 20 years, respectively.

Information is not available in the form requested, since most charts are based on a number of surveys made at different times. The rate of revision of charts is indicated in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many graduates from Scottish universities in 1973 are still unemployed.

According to figures supplied by the University Grants Committee 196 students who obtained first degrees from universities in Scotland in 1972–73 were believed to be unemployed when last contacted between graduation and December 1973. In addition there were 153 in temporary employment while awaiting permanent employment or further study. I regret that we have no more recent figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much Government financial aid has been given to research specifically aimed at the further development of alternatives to the use of experimental animals.

The Medical Research Council makes no allocation of funds for this purpose. It considers that alternative methods are best developed in close and continuing contact with research projects for which animals would otherwise be used.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will conduct an investigation into the problems of deaf school leavers with a view to ensuring that the majority are not siphoned off into dead-end jobs, and sometimes no employment at all.

The Warnock Committee may be expected to consider the problems of deaf school leavers within its general remit to review educational provision for handicapped children and young people and arrangements to prepare them for entry into employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many households there are in Scotland whose annual income is less than three-quarters of the average annual household income for the United Kingdom.

An estimate of numbers of households in Scotland with a specified range of annual income is not available. The latest available information is from the Family Expenditure Survey for 1972 from which it is estimated that 43 per cent. of households in Scotland had weekly income less than three-quarters of the average weekly household income in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the average earnings of adult male and female unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled workers in manufacturing industry in the Calderdale area of West Yorkshire compared with national average earnings for the same groups.

I regret that the information is not available.