asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps with the European Community to ensure that the New York dressed poultry trade within the United Kingdom will proceed beyond 1980; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the progress of his negotiations with the EEC over the New York dressed poultry trade.

As my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Secretary announced on 2nd May 1974—[Vol. 872, c. 520–1.]—we are seeking in Brussels to defer until February 1982 the application of EEC Directive 71/118 to our trade in uneviscerated poultry. Our negotiations on this are not yet completed but we are satisfied with the progress which is being made and are hopeful of a satisfactory outcome. Our consultations with producer and trade interests will continue and we will make an announcement as soon as a firm decision has been reached.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about Government policy towards metrication in the agriculture industry.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the then hon. Member for Truro, Mr. Piers Dixon, on 11th June 1974.—[Vol. 874, c. 516–7.]I have nothing to add to that statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost to public funds of the beef premium since its introduction; and how much of this has provided higher returns for producers and how much has produced lower prices for customers.

From the introduction of the Beef Premium Scheme on 5th August 1974 to the end of September the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce has paid out about £2,765,000. This excludes any administrative costs. As to the second part of the Question, payments under the scheme are made direct to producers. They therefore represent an additional return to the price received on the market. It must be conjectural whether payment of the premiums has an influence on market prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current evidence suggesting a link between the human Coxsackie B5 virus and the swine vesicular disease virus; and what are the implied consequences of any such link for the policy of animal slaughter.

These two viruses are known to be very similar, and it is a scientific hypothesis that Coxsackie B5 virus, which is prevalent in man throughout the world, may at some stage have adapted itself to a pig host and evolved into the specific pig virus which causes swine vesicular disease. Such a hypothesis has no implications or consequences for the Ministry's policy for dealing with swine vesicular disease as there is no evidence of Coxsackie B5 virus causing disease in pigs.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations he has had on the report of the O'Brien Committee on the export of live animals; and if he will make a statement.

We invited comments on the O'Brien Committee's Report from all interested parties in the United. Kingdom, and these are being studied carefully. This report has international implications and we have discussed it with officials of the Governments who gave the Balfour Assurances. Also we are in touch with the European Commission. Further discussions will be necessary before any further statement can be made.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations he has had with the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Ireland about the importation of cattle from Eire to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has discussed the situation with the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Irish Republic, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed it with the Prime Minister of the Irish Republic when they met last week.We shall continue to take all possible steps to avoid disruption of trade as a result of action by producers. The police have taken considerable measures to maintain law and order in very difficult circumstances, and their restrained action has been highly commendable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to prevent substantial exports of beef from the Irish Republic to the United Kingdom following the recent Brussels agreement; and whether he will make a statement on his proposals to defend the interests of British livestock producers in that regard.

I have nothing further to add at this stage to what my right hon. Friends said during the debate on Agriculture on 31st October, and the replies to Questions yesterday.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest estimate made by his Department of the amount of Commonwealth sugar committed for export to the United Kingdom during 1975; and at what price.

We expect that the negotiations between the Community and the developing sugar exporting countries of the Commonwealth will begin soon. It will become clear in these negotiations how much sugar the countries concerned will be prepared to supply in 1975 and at what price. I have no reason to suppose that they will not be prepared to supply the full 1·4 million tons if they consider that the price and other terms of the arrangements are satisfactory.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the mechanism whereby sugar will be supplied to the United Kingdom under the arrangements agreed at the meeting of the EEC Council of Agricultural Ministers on 21st and 22nd October, together with an estimate of the price at which it will be available, and the earliest expected date of shipment.

The Council decided that measures should be taken to meet the whole of the EEC's deficit for 1974–75, but adopted a particular method only in respect of the first 200,000 metric tons. A number of the details of this method remain to be settled, but it seems probable that it will operate as follows.A series of tenders will be held at which Community traders will submit bids for rates of subsidy on the import from the world market of quantities of sugar nominated by them. They will be required to sell the sugar on the internal EEC market at a reasonable price. Successful bidders will acquire the right to export a corresponding quantity of Community sugar free of export levy during a subsequent period. The trader must, therefore, assess the present value of this right, and submit a bid for a rate of subsidy sufficient to cover the balance of the loss involved in the importation and sale of the sugar.The price at which the sugar is sold internally must be reasonable in relation to the EEC threshold price. It seems likely that the import licences issued immediately after each tender to the successful bidders will be valid for a given period from the day of their issue, so that the import of the sugar concerned could take place at any time during the period.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruiting offices there are in the United Kingdom; how many are in freehold and how many in leasehold property; and how many civilian staff are employed on recruiting.

There are 295 careers information offices in the United Kingdom of which 78 are in freehold property and 217 are in leasehold property. 396 civilian staff are directly employed on recruiting in careers information offices.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruiting offices for the Armed Forces have either been opened or closed during the past 12 months.

During the 12 months ending on 31st October 1974, 19 offices were directly replaced in the same area. Additionally three new offices were opened and one office was closed on other than a replacement basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many advertising agencies are used by the Services; and what is the total annual budget spent on Service advertising and public relations.

A total of seven advertising agencies are used by the Services. The total amount spent on recruiting publicity for the Services in 1973–74 was about £5·9 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the numbers of (1) air chief marshals, (2) air marshals, (3) air vice-marshals, and (4) air commodores and equivalent ranks in the other two Services now posted to the Ministry of Defence in the London area who have motor cars allocated to them for their official duties and therefore do not use any car pool.

The only cars permanently allocated are four to the Chiefs of Staff. Further cars from the Ministry of Defence pool are on call to holders of particular appointments at the Air Marshal or equivalent level and above.

asked the Secretary of State of State for Defence when he expects to receive the recommendation of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body on education allowances.

We expect that recommendations will be incorporated in the Fourth Report of the Review Body on Armed Forces Pay and that the report will be published in spring 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what applications for new school buildings he has under consideration for Bedfordshire; and what consents he expects to be able to give to assist in providing for the increased number of school-age children.

My right hon. Friend has already announced a lump sum authorisation of £2,950,000 for major school building projects to meet basic need in Bedfordshire for the period 1st July 1974 to 30th June 1975. The authority also has an allocation of £875,000 minor works for the same period, including £40,000 allocated this week.The authority submitted four proposals for projects at the Queen's Park Infant and Junior Schools in Bedford and at schools in Luton—Dunstable Road—and Caddington Slip End under the terms of Circular 10/74. These have now been considered and my Department wrote to the authority on 7th November informing it that the first three of these projects have been accepted for this limited programme.Resources for 1975–76 and subsequent years have yet to be determined. I am, however, aware of the gowing school population in Bedfordshire and this will be taken into account when the allocations are made.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the number of children in the county of Bedfordshire who are being educated in substandard or temporary accommodation and on the degree of congestion being experienced in Bedfordshire schools through lack of new schools or slippages in the school building programme.

My Department does not collect information in this form. It is estimated, however, that approximately 7,000 children, 12 per cent. of pupils aged 5–11, are being educated in primary schools built before 1903. Information received from the former county of Bedford in 1973–74 indicated that there were in that year, within the former county only, some 11,000 places provided in temporary accommodation at primary schools—32 per cent. of the total—and just over 2,000 places at secondary schools—11 per cent. of the total.My right hon. Friend appreciates that these figures indicate a degree of overcrowding in certain schools. In many cases this overcrowding is of a very temporary nature and will be relieved when reorganisation of the age ranges of the schools has been completed. The authority has in recent years received substantial allocations for school building.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many appeals he has received this year from parents dissatisfied with the allocation of school places by the education authority; and in how many instances he has supported the parents' case.

About 750 appeals have been received in relation to the allocation of school places for September 1974. A considerable number have, after correspondence between the Department and the local education authority concerned, been settled to the satisfaction of the parent, but the precise figure is not known.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what he estimates the cost both to the Exchequer and to local education authorities would be in the academic year 1974–75 of raising polytechnic teachers' pay to the same level as they would get at universities.

Based on current salary scales and estimated average salaries for teachers in polytechnics and universities the estimated total cost from public funds would be of the order of £11 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in making estimates of the number of teachers required in the next decade, what value has been placed on each of the following factors: staff wastage, school populations for each of the years concerned, the projected number of nursery places and the number of school places provided by private education, respectively.

All these factors are taken into account, as are others such as re-entry to teaching and school population projectionst.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he now expects to receive the report of the Houghton Committee on teachers' pay.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects the Houghton Report on teachers' pay to be published.

Lord Houghton and his colleagues expect to complete their report by the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he is taking to initiate a national programme of energy conservation.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Bedford (Mr. Skeet) on 31st October—[Vol. 880, c. 7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of ex-employees of Court Line Aviation who are still registered unemployed; what proportion this figure represents of all ex-employees of Court Line Aviation; and what are the numbers of those still unemployed in each job category.

Of 1,120 Court Line Aviation workers made redundant consequent on the company's collapse, 326 or 29 per cent. were still registered as unemployed on 4th November 1974. An analysis of this figure according to job category is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is currently the total net cost to public funds of the employment exchange service.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the estimated total net cost of the placing and advisory services which are now being provided by the Employment Service Agency is currently about £60 million per year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how much money will be spent in the current year on industrial training and retraining under Government auspices; and how this compares with Germany and France.

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that expenditure for Great Britain in the current financial year 1974–75 is estimated to be £91 million. This covers Exchequer expenditure only. I regret that corresponding figures for Germany and France are not available to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of the 123,900 men and women registered as unemployed for over 52 weeks on 12th August 1974 were (1) aged ever 55 years and unskilled, (2) aged over 55 years and disabled or chronically sick, (3) occupational pensioners, (4) chronically sick or disabled, and (5) immigrants.

Of the 123,900 males and females unemployed for over 52 weeks at 8th July 1974, 23,850 were disabled persons registered under the Disabled Persons Employment Acts; of these 11,718 were aged 55 or over. The unemployment figures do not include the chronically sick. The other information requested is not available from regular statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many working hours were lost through industrial disputes in August, September and October 1973; and what are the comparable figures for each of the three months in 1974 since the introduction of the social contract.

In the official statistics, loss of time caused by industrial stoppages is measured in terms of working days. In August, September and October 1973 the number of working days lost were respectively 378,000, 699,000 and 702,000. For August and September 1974 provisional figures of working days lost are 517,000 and 985,000 respectively. Figures for October 1974 are not yet available.The implementation of the social contract commenced when the Government took office in March this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment of the 613,000 unemployed, how many are, (a) wholly unemployed for over eight weeks and (b) over the age of 60 years; and what is the number of job vacancies.

The total of 613,000 is a revised figure for October, incorporating adjustments not made to the detailed analyses. Of the unrevised total—of 622,634–358,988 had been unemployed for over eight weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list the persons whom he has so far appointed to the Health and Safety Commission.

The following have been appointed: Mr. Bill Simpson, Chairman; Mr. Martin Jukes, Deputy Chairman; Mr. Martin Cobb; Mr. Peter Jacques; Mr. Glyn Lloyd; Mr. Terence Parry; Mr. Ray Richards.Three further members will be appointed as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will set out in tabular form, for each region, the number of unemployed workers who previously worked in the construction industry, by trade, and the number of reported unfilled vacancies in each case.

For occupations in construction, statistics of the numbers unemployed relate to males who last worked in the industry and are registered at employment offices. The corresponding vacancy statistics relate only to vacancies notified to employment offices and do not measure the total unsatisfied demand for labour. The figures do not include unemployment and vacancies at careers offices. Following is the available information:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with existing arrangements for securing suitable employment, and the provision of protected employment where this is deemed necessary, for sufferers from chronic schizophrenia; and whether he considers that a review is desirable of standard local office procedures for employment placing of schizophrenics with the development of closer links with the industrial doctor services.

The specialist employment and training services provided by the Manpower Services Commission for disabled people in Great Britain, and the provision of sheltered employment, have recently been reviewed comprehensively in consultation with the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Disabled People. In this review due regard has been paid to the special needs of people who are mentally ill, including those suffering from chronic schizophrenia; and in developing those services in the future every effort will be made to take these special needs fully into account. I am satisfied that the links between the resettlement service and the Employment Medical Service are close and effective.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has designed to encourage public and private housing starts in Northumberland.

The disastrous collapse in new housebuilding in 1973, which affected Northumberland and the rest of the country, cannot be reversed overnight, but our policies of encouraging local authorities and housing associations to provide more homes for rent have already led to a substantial recovery in new housing starts. We will continue to pursue those policies vigorously. Following the introduction of the £500 million loans scheme for building societies, the level of building society monthly net new commitments has more than doubled. This should increase the level of sales of houses for owner occupation. The Government will take action to secure a stable and adequate flow of mortgage lending.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to introduce legislation to give caravan dwellings the same security of tenure as house dwellers.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight (Mr. Ross) on 4th November 1974.—[Vol. 880, c. 51.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many positions in Scotland involving payment for part-time or full-time public service are under his patronage; and what is the total annual sum involved.

Four, involving approximately £10,600 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to announce the reactions to his consultation paper on neighbourhood councils in England.

The consultation paper has aroused a great deal of interest amongst local authorities and existing community groups; a substantial number of very thoughtful and diverse reactions are still being received, and further ones are still to come. Some of the reactions have already been published in the Press, but I would expect to issue some form of summary or commentary in due course, probably when the Government's decisions are announced. Decisions cannot be taken until at least the great bulk of the reactions have been received and evaluated, and it is too early to put a date on that.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, what has been the average rate of return for the landlord of privately rented domestic accommodation, (a) unfurnished and (b) furnished, net of tax, capital consumption and stock appreciation, for each year since 1950.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is currently taking to implement the assurance given that the sewerage charge on those without mains drainage would be abolished at the end of this financial year.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him and to the hon. Member for Mid-Oxon (Mr. Hurd) on Tuesday 5th November 1974.—[Vol. 880, c. 128]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions since the inception of the scheme in 1967 the housing cost yardsticks have been increased by his Department; what is the total average increase in that period; and what has been the total average increase in housebuilding costs during that time.

The published level of the housing cost yardstick has been increased seven times since it was introduced in 1967. The total average increase is 138 per cent.The Department's index of the cost of new construction which provides a measure of the changes in the cost to clients of new building, not confined to housebuilding, and civil engineering works shows a total average increase of 102 per cent. from the second quarter of 1967 to the first quarter of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in view of the concern about the standard of heat insulation in new buildings, particularly houses, if he will take steps to improve the situation; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he is making with his revision of the building regulations so as to reduce the thermal transmittance coeffi- cient for external walls; and what action he is taking to meet the concern recently expressed to him by the Committee of Aggregate Block Producers.

I am considering a revised regulation and expect to come to a conclusion shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what dates have been fixed over the next 12 months for examinations in public of structure plans.

The examination in public of the structure plans for the former county of Leicestershire and the former county borough of Leicester is due to start on 3rd December. The examination in public of the structure plans submitted by the former county boroughs of Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Warley and Birmingham is expected to start on 4th March 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on which structure plans he has already announced his decision; and on what dates.

My right hon. Friend has not yet announced his final decision on any structure plans, but he published on 11th September his proposed modifications to the structure plans for the former county boroughs of Coventry and Solihull and the former county councils of Warwickshire and Worcestershire. There is a period of six weeks allowed for making objections to the proposed modifications. My right hon. Friend will issue decisions on these plans as soon as possible after objections have been considered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many public hearings into structure plans have taken place since the conclusion of the hearing into the Worcestershire plan on 7th February; for which local authority areas; and on which dates.

Since the conclusion of the examination in public of the Worcestershire structure plan on 7th February two examinations have started. The examination in public for the south Hampshire structure plan, comprising the areas of the former Portsmouth and Southampton county boroughs and adjacent areas in Hampshire started on 15th October. The examination in public for the structure plans comprising the areas of the former county boroughs of Stoke-on-Trent and Burton-upon-Trent and the former county of Staffordshire started on 22nd October. Both examinations are likely to be finished by the end of November. No other examination in public has been held since February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the local planning authorities, as constituted under the Local Government Act 1972, which have submitted structure plans to him in respect (a) of all their area, and (b) of part of

No structure plans have been submitted since 1st April 1974. However, structure plans submitted before 1st April 1974 are deemed to have been submitted by the new authorities as constituted by the Local Government Act 1972. Where the plans straddle the new boundaries they are deemed to have been submitted jointly by all the authorities whose area extends into the area covered by the plan.Submitted structure plans now fall into the following categories; (

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made in his discussions with the construction industry about publishing more information about indivi-

The National Consultative Council's Sub-Committee on Construction Work for the Public Sector discussed this matter at a meeting on 3rd October. In order to help further consideration of the problem the industry members were invited to write to the Department explaining the nature and form of the information they wished to have, and the use which would be made of it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many bricks have been produced so far in 1974; and what estimate he has made of the likely total level of production this year.

In the first nine months 40 of 1974 the total production of bricks in Great Britain was 4,282 million. The Department considers that production of bricks for 1974 as a whole is likely on present trends to be about 5,500 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will set out in tabular form the level of stocks, production and deliveries of bricks for each month of this year, and the equivalent month of 1973.

The levels of stocks, production and deliveries of bricks for each month this year up to September, and for the same months last year are shown below:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has yet met the Chairman of the EDC for Building to discuss that body's forecast of 245,000 housing starts and 300,000 completions in 1974; and whether he will make a statement.

I am fully aware of the views of this committee on the prospects for housebuilding and of its forecasts for 1974. I am also keenly conscious of the disastrous policies which caused the virtual collapse of new housebuilding in 1973 and from which it will take time to recover.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the light of the fact that two officials of his Department are members of the EDC for Building, he accepts any degree of ministerial responsibility for the conclusions of that body; and whether the officials are nominated by him to serve, or invited to do so in a personal capacity by the EDC.

The Department's officials of the EDC for Building are nominated by the Permanent Secretary. The degree of Ministerial commitment to the conclusions reached by an EDC will depend on the circumstances of each case and the views expressed at the EDC by the officials.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to amendment the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 to enable more effective enforcement action to be taken against fly-posting in contravention of the Control of Advertisement Regulations.

Fly-posting problems will be covered in discussions we are having with local authority associations and other interests about the Town and Country Planning (Control of Avertisements) Regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how far ahead in point of time the London rent offices are fixing dates for hearings of current applications for determination of fair rents, giving the details area by area.

Details area by area are shown below:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to ascertain whether enough rent officers have been recruited to deal with the additional volume of work created by the Rent Act 1974; and the extent of any shortage both in absolute numbers and in percentage terms.

I expect that increases in the flow of work to the rent officer service arising from the Rent Act 1974 will be offset by a loss of work resulting from impending rent legislation. There should be no shortage of rent officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in view of the fact that further education students are unable to find furnished rented accommodation consequential upon the effects of the Rent Act 1974, if he will take immediate action to remedy this by seeking powers to exempt student accommodation from the requirement to be registered with a recognised educational institution.

I am not aware of evidence, as distinct from allegations, that any current shortage of accommodation available to students has arisen from the provisions of the Rent Act 1974; but as I undertook during the debates on the Act I am considering the possibility of measures to exclude registered student lettings from full security of tenure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how long it takes in Greater London for an appeal to be determined by a rent assessment committee from the date of a rent officer's decision giving the details area by area.

Figures area by area are not immediately available, but I will make inquiries to see whether I can provide fuller information for the hon. Member, and will write to him.At present, the time between a rent officer's decision and a rent assessment committee's decision is on average eight and a half months, which includes an average of two and a half months between the rent officer's decision and submission of an objection.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish such figures as are available to him showing the comparison between the government costs in England and Wales before and since reorganisation taking account of charges caused by function transference.

These figures are not available. We have as yet no final ex-expenditure figures for 1974–75, the first year of reorganised local government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made on the feasibility study of water storage in the Wash.