asked the Secretary of State for Employment what response he has had to his inquiries of parties to collective agreements which disclosed inadequate progress towards equal pay by 29th December 1975.

I have received substantive replies to about two-thirds of my letters and I am considering what further action to take. The replies received indicate that the letters have served as a useful reminder to a number of industries of the need to remove discrimination from their agreements by the end of this year and that in others substantial progress towards equal pay is being achieved.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what consultations he has so far had with employers' organisations and trade associations on the subject of the Employment Protection Bill; what the response of those he has consulted has been; and whether he will make a statement.

A large number of employers' organisations and trade associations sent in comments on the consultative document. I have myself met representatives of the Confederation of British Industry and the Engineering Employers' Federation and my Department has had discussions with these and with several other employers' organisations All these representations, which cover a wide range of topics, are being considered along with others received.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, in the light of the recent report of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research on wage increases, he will reconsider the question of strengthening the social contract by applying statutory controls.

I respect the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, but I think it is over-pessimistic. Statutory controls would violate the whole spirit of the social contract.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with trade union leaders on the progress of wage rises within the terms of the social contract.

I am in regular touch with trade union leaders on these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take against attempts to disrupt industrial production.

The social contract has produced a framework within which free collective bargaining and negotiations to settle disputes can most effectively take place, which is reinforced by our programme of legislation on labour relations.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for further consultations with all sides of the newspaper industry.

I have no plans at present for further consultations with the newspaper industry on the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Amendment) Bill, but I am of course ready to consider any further representations which the industry may wish to put to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what further discussions he has had with those involved in the newspaper industry about the implications for Press freedom of closed shop agreements in order to see what safeguards can be agreed.

None this year. I have made clear to those involved in the newspaper industry that the best safeguards are likely to be those agreed in discussions within the industry for incorporation in any closed shop agreements, as has been proposed by the National Union of Journalists.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were unemployed in Scotland at the most recent date for which figures are available.

On 11th November 1974 there were 85,468.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will invite the Manpower Services Commission to provide special occupational guidance units for the benefit of persons over 50 years of age who become unemployed or redundant.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the staff of the Occupational Guidance Service are equipped to meet the vocational guidance needs of people of all age groups who need or wish to consider a change of occupation. In these circumstances, the commission has no plans to provide special units to serve separate groups in the population.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures available for the North West and Merseyside of persons wholly unemployed for 13 weeks or more compared with similar national figures by main category of industry and type of employment.

At 14th October, the latest date for which an analysis by the length of time unemployed is available, the numbers unemployed for more than 13 weeks in the North-West Region, the Merseyside Development Area and Great Britain were 51,335, 26,899 and 288,054 respectively. The figures include estimates for a small number of employment offices which did not render statistics in October. There is no industrial or occupational analysis of these duration figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the operation of the arrangements for finding workers jobs and housing in new towns.

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that, so far as it is concerned, the arrangements for finding workers jobs and housing in new towns are generally operating satisfactorily. However, some difficulties are being experienced at present, particularly in some of the London new towns, because the demand for houses exceeds supply. The provision of housing is, of course, a matter for the development corporation concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what further discussions he has had with the Chairman of the British Steel Corporation concerning labour relations; and what action is now being proposed.

My right hon. Friend has had no such discussions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of employees have had wage settlements involving increases of over 10 per cent. since September 1974.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the operation of his policies for restraining inflationary wage settlements in the context of industrial relations.

I am sure that the social contract is having a beneficial effect on industrial relations.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements he will be making for people to submit suggestions to the new research unit dealing with stress at work; whether this unit will be responsible to the Health and Safety Commission; and if he will make a statement.

The hon. Gentleman is no doubt referring to the Work Research Unit whose functions were described in my hon. Friend's reply of 9th December 1974 to my hon. Friend the Member for East Kilbride (Dr. Miller). The unit offers an advisory service on redesigning jobs and organising work in order to increase job satisfaction. These facilities are available to any management or trade union and they are already being well used. In this broad context, the unit will clearly be concerned with problems of stress at work.The unit is not responsible to the Health and Safety Commission; it is part of the Department of Employment and is responsible to my right hon. Friend. There is, however, very close co-operation between the unit and the commission's Employment Medical Advisory Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to amend the Health and Safety at Work Act so that absolute provisions of the Factories Act 1961 and the Mines and Quarries Act 1954 are preserved.

No. The Act already makes it clear that changes must be designed to maintain or improve the standards of health, safety and welfare established by or under existing enactments and made only after consultation with appropriate bodies. As was explained fully during its parliamentary stages, to do more would defeat the whole spirit and purpose of the Act by making it difficult and legally risky to rationalise, update and improve upon existing legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will appoint a professional safety officer to the Health and Safety Commission.

I cannot yet say. My right hon. Friend will announce the appointment of the ninth member of the commission in the near future, when he has completed his consideration of the nominations put forward by a number of professionally interested organisations, including the Institution of Industrial Safety Officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has yet reached any conclusions on the representations made on the dispute between the National Union of Journalists and the Institute of Journalists and the likely effect on the freedom of the Press of his proposals for the operation of a closed shop in trade union legislation.

Under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act and the Amendment Bill, now in Committee, it is for the parties concerned within the industry to decide whether there should be a closed shop and to determine the coverage and terms of such an agreement. I am not convinced that any special legislative provision on the freedom of the Press is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement about the prospects for employment during the remainder of 1975.

On the level of employment determined by the level of economic activity which a country can sustain, I must refer the hon. Member to the Budget Statement of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Government will do all in their power to make the best and fullest use of available manpower but much will depend on the level of world trade and our ability at home to contain inflation and increase productivity.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the transfer of the Alkali Inspectorate to the Manpower Commission.

Yes. On 1st January 1975 the Alkali and Clean Air Inspectorate, together with other inspectorates concerned with health and safety at work, was transferred to the new Health and Safety Executive which is the operating arm of the Health and Safety Commission. These arrangements will combine in one organisation responsibility for the control of emissions to the atmosphere, both inside and outside industrial plants, of dangerous or offensive substances. I am satisfied that the arrangements are necessary to enable the commission to discharge its responsibilities effectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been trained and retrained in Government training centres since 1st March 1974 to the latest date, compared with the figures for the comparable period for 1973.

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that as these figures are collected quarterly the numbers for the period from 1st March to 31st March are not identifiable. A comparison of the figures for the periods from 1st January to 30th September is as follows:

Number who successfully completed course of training at skillcentres
1st January-30th September 1973	12,033
1st January-30th September 1974	13,129

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons have undergone courses of retraining under the aegis of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of these have found permanent jobs related to the training received.

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that 44,524 persons sucessfully completed a course of training under the Training Opportunities Scheme (TOPS) in the period October 1973 to September 1974. Of these, 84 per cent. are known to have entered employment related to the training received.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the unemployment trends in Scotland for the first quarter of 1975.

It is not the practice of this administration, nor has it been the practice of previous administrations, to publish forecasts of unemployment. However, the unemployment position of Scotland relative to Great Britain as a whole improved during 1974 and I hope that this trend will continue.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment for how long his Department has been circulating a leaflet entitled "DE News"; what is the circulation; and what is the cost to the taxpayer.

The "DE News" is a four-page newspaper for external distribution which was launched in February 1973. It has a circulation of 70,000 copies an issue. The production costs covering printing, paper and administrative handling charges of Her Majesty's Stationery Office for the 12 months ending December 1974 were £10,750. The cost of the editorial staff, who do other work including a number of publications, was for the same period an estimated £3,000. In addition, there is the cost of second-class postage for despatch of the newspaper and the staff time involved. This amounted to about £7,318 over the same period.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will consult interested organisations concerning the problems of employment encountered by the children of West Indian and other immigrant groups.

The Community Relations Commission published a report last summer on unemployment and homelessness with particular reference to the problems of young West Indians, and action is being taken to help the young people concerned with their employment problems. I should be glad to hear from any other organisation with interests in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if his Department has now completed the comprehensive review of publishing sub-regional industrial disputes statistics; and if he will report on his findings.

The review is still in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the average earnings of male manual workers and non-manual workers, respectively, in England in 1973–74.

The New Earnings Survey estimates of the average gross weekly earnings of full-time men aged 21 and over in England whose pay for the survey reference period was not affected by absence are:

	April 1973	April 1974
Manual men	£38·20	£43·70
Non-manual men	£48·40	£54·80

These estimates are subject to sampling errors and are given to the nearest 10p.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers of unemployed persons under the age of 18 years, male and female, in the mid-Northumberland local employment area at the latest available date.

The latest analysis of unemployed persons by age was made in July 1974 when 137 boys and 89 girls under the age of 18 were registered as unemployed in the mid-Northumberland area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those bodies for which he is responsible which either receive public funds or to which he makes appointments.

My right hon. Friend makes appointments to the following bodies: Health and Safety Commission; Manpower Services Commission; Remploy Limited; Wages Councils.In addition the following bodies are in receipt of public funds through my Department: Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth; Industrial Arbitration Board; Youth Employment Services (via local authorities); Industrial Tribunals, Office of the Umpire; Sheltered workshops—through local authorities and voluntary bodies; National Association of Youth Clubs—for Community Industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he proposes to take to facilitate the Prime Minister's publicly declared intention of preventing manifestly avoidable stoppages of production in the motor car industry due to the withdrawal of labour.

Any reduction in the number of industrial strikes, in the motor car industry as in any other, must depend in the main on the attitude of unions and management and on their willingness to use established arrangements for settling differences between them. The Government have established the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service which is always available to give any assistance it can at the request of the parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if any work study has been done on work stations for disabled whether in factories, workshops, offices or at home; if the Department has a document or book of advice regarding possible optimum work stations; and if he will make a statement.

The term "work stations" is not included in the glossary of work study terms published by the British Standards Institution, but I assume that the Question is concerned with ergonomics, or the adaptation of jobs, for disabled people. This field has been studied by a number of bodies in this country and abroad. The International Labour Office published an extremely useful handbook on the subject in 1969 and this handbook is issued to the disablement resettlement officers of the Employment Service Agency and is, of course, available to employers and others interested in resettling disabled people.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, in the light of recent accidents in Newport and other parts of South Wales involving heavy cranes, if he will take steps to strengthen regulations so as to reduce the number of accidents.

The two particularly serious crane accidents which have occurred in South Wales recently—on 10th January at Newport and 11th January at Port Talbot—are being investigated by officials of the Health and Safety Executive. The Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission assures me that any legislative deficiencies revealed by these investigations will be rectified in future proposals for regulations on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the number of building and construction workers that are unemployed (a) nationally; (b) in the South-West Region; (c) in the North-West Region and (d) on Merseyside.

At 11th November 1974 the numbers were 111,709 in Great Britain, 8,242 in the South-West Region, 19,757 in the North-West Region and 10,085 in the Merseyside development area. The figures include estimates for a small number of employment offices which did not render statistics in November. Information for December 1974 is not available because of industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to publish a code of practice for the use of vinyl chloride in factories; and if he will make a statement.

I have been informed by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that it is anticipated that the Vinyl Chloride Code of Practice for Health Precautions will be published in temporary format during February 1975. This code will deal with the manufacture of vinyl chloride and its subsequent polymerisation to polyvinyl chloride.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will take action to allow free rental of telephones by retirement pensioners and disabled and chronic sick persons.

It is open to local authorities to use their powers under Section 45 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 to assist in the provision of a telephone where this is considered necessary in the interests of the welfare of an elderly person. Under Section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, local authorities have a duty to provide such assistance if the person is substantially and permanently handicapped and they are satisfied of the need. The Supplementary Benefits Commission will consider help with telephone expenses where a supplementary pensioner living alone is housebound and must rely on the telephone as a means of contact in an emergency.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the estimated cost to the National Health Service in 1974 of treatment provided to visiting foreign nationals coming from countries that do not provide any reciprocal health service facilities to visitors from Great Britain.

Records are not kept of the nationality of people receiving treatment under the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many patients had been waiting for operations at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, for more than three, six, nine and 12 months, at the latest convenient date; and for which types of operations the waiting lists are longest;(2) how many hours of normal operating time are available at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, per week; and by how much this falls short of the amount of time for which consultants engaged at that hospital are contracted to be available to carry out operations.

The information is not yet available. I shall write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will increase the fees paid to general dental practitioners who undertake hospital dental work.

The Doctors and Dentists Review Body is currently considering increases in the remuneration of doctors and dentists, and these fees will be included in the review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many workers in Welsh stone quarries have been registered during the last 10 years as suffering from pneumoconiosis.

Information is available only from 1967. The table below shows the number of persons first diagnosed for industrial injury purposes at the Welsh pneumoconiosis medical panels as having pneumoconiosis which was attributed to slate quarrying or mining, slate splitting or other stone quarrying.

	Slate quarrying	Slate splitting	Other quarrying
1967	8	13	4
1968	18	24	6
1969	21	15	4
1970	15	24	3
1971	5	11	2
1972	10	18	1
1973	5	16	1
	82	121	21

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the practical difficulties involved in improving existing invalid vehicles mentioned in her answer of 13th December 1974, Official Report, c. 291.

To do so would require the complete stripping and rebuilding of every vehicle. Apart from the vast expense, the scale and complexity of the operation could not be accommodated within our existing repair and manufacturing arrangements, and many users would inevitably be deprived of mobility for long periods.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the fact that applications for medical training as doctors are in the proportion of 500 applications for each place, if she will propose a large increase in training facilities so as to provide extra medical staff for the National Health Service.

I understand that, after eliminating duplicate applications, the ratio of appropriately qualified school leavers to medical school places is 4 to 1. Medical school intake has already increased from 2,695 in 1970 to an estimated 3,280 in 1974, and is planned to reach about 4,000 by the end of the decade. This will considerably enhance our capacity to maintain and develop the medical staffing of the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated annual administrative cost per child in residential accommodation for children in care in England and Wales.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the public expenditure on advertising the family income supplement in each year since its introduction; and what has been the estimated level of take-up of the benefit in each year.

The expenditure on advertising was:

1971	£310,000
1972	£325,000
1973	£161,000
1974	£124,000

It is very difficult to produce any useful figures of take-up, because the number fluctuates from month to month and because estimates of the number entitled to the supplement are based on very small samples. Recent study of the problem suggests that in 1972 the take-up was about half, and in 1973 it was more than half. An estimate for 1974 is not yet available. No estimate can be made for the first months of the scheme in 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of average weekly earnings of male industrial workers with £2 earnings disregard for supplementary benefit represented when it was introduced in November 1966; what it represents now; and what equivalent percentage the £4 earnings disregard proposal in the Social Security Benefits Bill will represent.

The £2 earnings disregard represented 9·9 per cent. of the average weekly earnings of male industrial workers in November 1966, and 4 per cent. in October 1974, which is the latest month for which estimates of average industrial earnings are available. A disregard of £4 would represent 8·1 per cent. at October 1974. It is not possible to say what the percentage would be at any later date.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the number of people who suffer from incontinence, she will consider the establishment of regional incontinence clinics; and if she will make a statement.

I understand that a few specialist clinics already exist. Whether more should be set up is something which health authorities have to consider in the light of other competing claims on their resources, but I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his suggestion and I shall see that it is given full consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is aware of the work being done at Northwick Park on incontinence; if, in view of the importance of this subject, she is satisfied with the effort and back-up support given for this research project; and if she will make a statement.

My Department is supporting a controlled trial of decubitus ulcers/incontinence control (DUPIC) underpads which is being carried out at Northwick Park Hospital. The project started in November 1973 and is due to be completed by May 1975. The cost is £9,200. I have no reason to be dissatisfied with the effort being put into this project, or with the back-up support being provided.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list all handling tests which have been carried out by her Department in conjunction with the Motor Industry Research Association to the Model 70 invalid tricycle, either formally or informally; and if she will publish or make available to interested parties, any reports or test results.

The only handling tests carried out at MIRA have been concerned with the effects of cross-winds, and the results have already been published.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list what tests have been carried out by her Department in consultation with the Motor Industry Research Association to assess the effect upon the wind performance and stability of the Model 70 invalid tricycle of fitting roll-over structural bars; if she will publish the results of any such tests; and if she will make a statement.

No such tests have yet been carried out. I am advised that the strengthening of the body structure by fitting a protective roll-over bar would not materially influence the stability of the vehicle.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of ambulances at present on order by the new regional health authorities has been placed with (a) United Kingdom manufacturers and (b) foreign manufacturers, including the Republic of Ireland; what are the numbers involved in each case; and how these figures compare with the previous year.

Since 1st April 1974 the responsibility for purchasing ambulances has been with regional health authorities, and before that date with local authorities. In neither case is the information asked for kept centrally or could be made readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what effect the intention to reduce the strength of the Army by 13,000 men, announced in December 1974, will have upon Great Britain's capacity to reinforce BAOR by 68,000 troops and in a support rôle in keeping with its NATO commitment, in the event of mobilisation.

While consultations are proceeding with our allies I am unable to say anything more regarding the effects of our proposed reductions on specialist reinforcements than was outlined by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 3rd December. I can say, however, that our proposed reductions will in no way adversely affect our capacity to reinforce BAOR in the event of mobilisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the recent armed clash in Oman in which two members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces were killed.

I presume that my hon. Friend is referring to recent newspaper reports of fighting between the Sultan of Oman's armed forces and rebels in the Dhofar province of Oman on 6th January. During an engagement a British officer serving as a volunteer on loan to the Sultan of Oman was seriously wounded; another is missing. I am pleased to say that the wounded officer is making a satisfactory recovery, but regret that there is no further news of the missing officer.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many consultants and doctors are employed in the Services; and what is the number who are full-time and part-time, respectively.

The numbers of consultants and doctors serving in each of the Services at 1st January 1975 were as follows:

	Consultants	Doctors	Total
Royal Navy	48	255	303
Army	146	377	523
Royal Air Force	86	371	457
Total	280	1,003	1,283

All these officers are full-time. The numbers include officers undergoing postgraduate courses, but exclude those undergoing training at a medical school under a medical cadetship scheme, or serving in pre-registration appointments after graduation from medical school.In addition 164 civilian doctors are currently employed in looking after Service personnel and families. Sessional doctors are also sometimes employed on a part-time basis according to local need.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will purchase Middleton Army post, County Armagh, which is the property of a citizen of Eire.

I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many privately-owned properties in Northern Ireland have been requisitioned for use by the Army in Northern Ireland.

Nineteen privately-owned properties in Northern Ireland are at present requisitioned for use by the Army.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if it remains his Department's policy that firms accepted for Ministry of Defence contracts or subcontracts should be those operating trade union recognition and paying wages of at least up to the average rate for the district.

Firms accepted for Ministry of Defence contracts or subcontracts are required to observe and fulfil the obligations specified in the Fair Wages Resolution passed by the House of Commons on 14th October 1946.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether the Government now have any proposals to amend the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1972 and the Ministers of the Crown Act 1974, in respect of ministerial salaries.

There are no plans to do so at present, but amendments may be required later in the year as a result of the recommendations to be made by the Top Salaries Review Body which is examining the remuneration of Members, Ministers and office-holders.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what progress is being made on the dispersal of Civil Service departments to Merseyside; and what plans he has to disperse additional jobs to the area.

The programme announced by the Lord President on 30th July 1974 concerning the relocation of some 31,000 Civil Service posts outside London included 3,400 posts which are to go to Merseyside. The five Departments involved in dispersal to Merseyside are now engaged in the necessary detailed preparation, and consideration is being given to the selection of sites for new office accommodation. Since the July announcement some 280 posts not included in the figure of 3,400 in Her Majesty's Customs and Excise have been established in Liverpool. There are currently no further plans to disperse work from the London area to Merseyside.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will hold urgent consultations with the relevant authorities about the short-time work situation in the knitwear industry in Hawick.

Officials of my Department are in close contact with the Hawick Knitwear Manufacturers' Association. I should be glad to consider any proposals on how the present difficulties might be alleviated.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what aid is being granted to private industry to further the development of data transmission.

No aid is being granted directly to private industry by the Department of Industry to further the development of data transmission. The Department is, however, supporting a number of activities which are expected to influence United Kingdom industrial competence in the subject. Departmental support for ICL is being used to assist with its general computer development work, and some of this lies in the field of computer communications. The Department funds research and development work in computer communications at some Government establishments, and on the international scene it is involved in the European Informatics Network and is helping to fund experimental work being done at London University using a link to a research network in the United States of America. The Post Office is pursuing a number of activities in the field of data transmission, for some of which it makes use of industrial firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, in view of the economic and cultural importance to the United Kingdom of the export trade in books, and the possible effect on this trade of the proposed increase in postal charges on books mailed abroad, if he will give a general direction to the Post Office to reintroduce a special and lower postage rate on the mailing of books.

No. I understand that the Post Office has now put to the Post Office Users' National Council fresh proposals which modify those originally submitted for postal charges on books mailed abroad, and that a reduced postage rate for printed papers, including books, will in any case be retained.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list those firms and projects in the county of Cornwall that have derived specific financial aid through EEC policies and finances.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will seek to obtain the implementation of Article 84 of the Treaty of Rome before initiating any programme for the State ownership of sectors of the ship construction, ship repair and air transportation industries.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) how many domestic washing machines were produced in the United Kingdom during each of the last 10 years; what was their total value; and what were the names of the principal manufacturers or brand names;(2) how many domestic refrigerators were produced in the United Kingdom during each of the last 10 years; what was their total value; and what were the names of the principal manufacturers or brand names.

The information so far as it is available is shown in the following table. The statistics, which relate to United Kingdom manufacturers' sales, are available only for the years 1963 and 1968, when there were full censuses of production, and for 1973, the first complete year for which similar information is available from the new quarterly inquiry run by the Business Statistics Office. The names of the contributors to these statistics cannot be given since this would contravene the Statistics of Trade Act 1947. No information on brand names is collected or available.

MANUFACTURERS' SALES
	Domestic Washing Machines		Domestic Refrigerators
	'000	£ million	'000	£ million
1963	1,319	47·6	815	21·5
1968	952	36·9	1,100	23·2
1973	1,216	70·5	1,205	32·4
1974 (First half)	542	34·3	601	18·8

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many telephone subscribers have not received telephone directories for (a) 1972, (b) 1973 and (c) 1974; and if he will give a general direction to the Post Office to grant a refund to those subscribers.

The Post Office tells me that numbers of subscribers who would normally have received a new directory but who did not do so were as follows:

(a) 1972—0·8 million.

(b) 1973—1·7 million.

(c) 1974—5 million.

However, up-to-date telephone number information was always available, if not through directories held by the subscribers then through the free directory inquiry service. The answer to the last part of question is "No".

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many official meetings have been held between his Department and the Motor Agents' Association since March 1974.

I am advised that since the Department of Industry was created in March 1974 my officials have met representatives of the Motor Agents' Association on some six or seven occasions. In addition, there has been frequent consultation in correspondence and by telephone arising from the normal operation of the Department's sponsorship responsibility for the garage trade. My officials have also attended a number of meetings held by other Departments on matters within the responsibility of their Ministers at which the Motor Agents' Association has been represented, and have regular contact with the association at the meetings of the Economic Development Council for Motor Vehicle Distribution and Repair.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether, in view of the Government's decision to relocate the laboratory of the Government Chemist in Cumbria, it will be necessary to construct new laboratories or other facilities.

The problems involved in moving the laboratory of the Government Chemist to West Cumbria are still being examined. It is too early to say what facilities will be required, but new construction may well be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the forthcoming Employment Protection Bill, he will propose extending the right to picket to non-industrial situations.

We have this matter under consideration, but it might not be appropriate to the Employment Protection Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of additional immigrants, from all sources, expected to enter the United Kingdom during 1975 as a result of the concessions announced by the Government in 1974 to allow the admission of new categories of immigrants, including husbands and fiancés of women who are already settled in the country, and applicants under the amnesty arrangements for illegal immigrants.

It has never been the practice to publish estimates of future immigration since any estimate may well be falsified by subsequent changes in a wide variety of factors. Statistics of spouses admitted for settlement will be published quarterly, and those relating to illegal entrants seeking to benefit under the terms of my announcement of 11th April 1974 are already so published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps will be taken to combat the increasing number of cases of damage to public and private property by vandals.

A police presence is usually the best defence against lawless behaviour. Chief officers of police are doing what they reasonably can with the resources available to them to control vandalism and to bring offenders to justice. The Home Office Standing Committee on Crime Prevention is considering what further practical measures could be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of illegal immigrants who have so far taken advantage of the Government's amnesty.

Up to 10th January 1,479 applications had been received, 452 applicants have been found eligible to benefit, 184 ineligible, and 843 are still being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria which are adopted under the Immigration Rules in deciding that a genuine visit is intended in respect of persons wishing to enter the United Kingdom as visitors for a short stay.

In accordance with the Immigration Rules a passenger seeking entry as a visitor is to be admitted if he satisfies the immigration officer that he is genuinely seeking entry for the period of the visit as stated by him and can, without working, support himself and any dependants for this period and meet the cost of the return journey.The rules further provide that leave to enter should be refused if the immigration officer is not so satisfied, and in particular where there is reason to believe that the passenger's real purpose is to take employment here. In deciding whether or not a genuine visit is intended the immigration officer takes full account of all the relevant circumstances of the particular case.The rules further provide that the power to refuse leave to enter is not to be exercised by an immigration officer acting on his own, but that the authority of a chief immigration officer or of an immigration inspector, confirming his intention to refuse leave to enter, must always be obtained.In addition, where leave to enter is refused there is a right of appeal to the immigration appeal authorities, which has to be exercised from overseas if the passenger did not obtain an entry clearance before coming here.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the amount of money received by the United Kingdom Immigration Advisory Service from the Home Office doubled between 1970–71 and 1973–74.

The Immigration Appeals Act 1969 came into operation on 1st July 1970, and the first full year of operation of the UKIAS was 1971–72, when the grant in aid was £75,000. The increase in grant in the two following years was primarily attributable to increased expenditure on salaries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total income of the UKIAS in the years 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73 and 1973–74, respectively.

The UKIAS accounts give the following details of income:

	£
1970–71	51,795·47
1971–72	75,264·84
1972–73	86,923·02
1973–74	106,655·37

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff have been employed by the UKIAS in each of the years 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73 and 1973–74.

I understand that the number of staff employed has varied between 30 and 50 during these years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UKIAS has made any donations, loans or grants or contributions of any sort whatsoever to any other body or group in each of the last four years, specifying each and every such body or group and the amounts involved.

I understand that the UKIAS has made no such payments during the last four years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants have used the services of the United Kingdom Immigration Advisory Service in the years 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73 and 1973–74, respectively.

The annual reports published by the UKIAS give the following statistics of cases in which people have availed themselves of their services:

1970–71	6,011
1971–72	12,008
1972–73	19,991
1973–74	24,651

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will reconsider the regulations concerning the safe custody of juveniles sent to assessment centres, in the light of the case of which details have been sent to him by the hon. and gallant Member for Winchester.

I have been asked to reply.I assume that the hon. and gallant Gentleman has in mind the Community Homes Regulations 1972. Those regulations, made under Section 43 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969, require the approval of the Secretary of State to be obtained to the provision and use of accommodation for the purpose of restricting the liberty of children accommodated in community homes and prescribe the arrangements under which a child may be placed in such accommodation. The present disturbing case, about which I shall be writing to the hon. and gallant Gentleman within the next few days, may illustrate the need for more secure accommodation at assessment centres but does not in my view call for a reconsideration of the regulations themselves.

asked the Prime Minister if he has yet fixed a date for his proposed visit to Scotland.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (Mr. Steel) on 14th January.

asked the Prime Minister when he next expects to pay an official visit to the City of London.

I have no immediate plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make an official visit to the area covered by the Goole parliamentary constituency.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make an official visit to Nuneaton.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister how many visits he has made to Scotland since February 1974; and if he will list the dates and places.

I visited Glasgow on 5th May and 23rd September and Edinburgh on 5th October last year. I shall be returning to Scotland on 27th and 28th February for discussions with the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has any further plans to meet the French President; and if he will make a statement.

I met the French President on 3rd December and again at the EEC Heads of Government meeting in Paris on 9th and 10th December. I have at present no plans for a further meeting outside the framework of the European Council.

asked the Prime Minister if the public statement by the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection in Washington on inflation on 10th December represents Government policy.

asked the Prime Minister whether the public statement by the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection at a Press conference in Washington, USA, on inflation on 10th December represents Her Majesty's Government's policy.

asked the Prime Minister whether the remarks of the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection at her Press conference on inflation in Washington, DC, on 10th December represent Government policy.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton) on 19th December.

asked the Prime Minister when he next intends to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when he is next meeting the TUC.

I have no immediate plans for a further meeting but I am, of course, regularly in touch with representatives of the TUC whom I met yesterday at a meeting of the TUC/Labour Party Liaison Committee.

asked the Prime Minister if he will appoint a specialist on energy conservation to the Cabinet Office.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave him on 14th January.

asked the Prime Minister whether the public speech of the Secretary of State for Trade on the United Kingdom's economic prospects at the annual dinner of the Chamber of Shipping on 11th December, represented Government policy.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister if he has had any meetings with representatives of the TUC or CBI since 20th December.

Yes. I met representatives of the TUC and CBI at the NEDC meeting which I chaired on 8th January. I have also had separate meetings with representatives of the CBI on 10th January and with representatives of the TUC yesterday.

asked the Prime Minister when he next intends to meet officially the EEC Heads of Government.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Huckfield) on 17th December.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has received any representations from the Shirt, Collar and Tie Manufacturers' Association; and what reply he has sent.

Yes. I received a letter from the Chairman of the Shirt, Collar and Tie Manufacturers' Federation on 2nd January. In my reply on 13th January I expressed the Government's concern at the difficulties facing the industry. The reply pointed out that imports of most woven shirts from sources which threaten disruption are already restricted consistently with the GATT Multi-Fibre Arrangements on Trade in Textiles and that we support negotiation between the EEC and the principal suppliers on restrictions on disruptive exports of knitted garments and clothing of fibres other than cotton and polyester-cotton. My right hon. Friends will continue to watch the situation closely and will be prepared to take whatever further action might be needed.

asked the Prime Minister what items of equipment or gifts Her Majesty's Government propose to present to the new Chamber of the Maltese House of Representatives.

None. A present is normally given when a country becomes independent in the Commonwealth but not on the occasion of a later change from a monarchy to a republic in the Commonwealth.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he is satisfied that there can be no conflict of interest in the appointment of the same company as liquidators for both Nation Life and Willstar Securities.

The choice of a liquidator in an insolvency rests largely on the views of the creditors and I have no responsibility for it. I know of no evidence indicating any conflict of interest in these cases but if a difficulty of this nature arose interested parties would be at liberty to bring the matter before the court.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish in the Official Report figures showing the value at constant prices of exports of cars to and imports of cars from the eight other member countries of the EEC for each of the past five years and for each month of 1974.

Estimates at constant prices are not made for exports or imports of individual commodities from individual countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) how many domestic washing machines were imported from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway during each of the last 10 years; what was their value imported from each country; and what were the names of the principal manufacturers or the brand names;(2) how many domestic refrigerators were imported from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway during each of the last 10 years; what was their value imported from each country; and what were the names of the principal manufacturers or the brand names.

Following is the available information:

DOMESTIC WASHING MACHINES
					1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970		1971		1972		1973		January-November 1974
					£'000 (c.i.f.)	£'000 (c.i.f.)	£'000 (c.i.f.)	£'000 (c.i.f.)	£'000 (c.i.f.)	Thousand	£'000 (c.i.f.)	Thousand	£'000 (c.i.f.)	Thousand	£'000 (c.i.f.)	Thousand	£'000 (c.i.f.)	Thousand	£'000 (c.i.f.)
Spain	…	…	…	…	—	0	—	0	0	—	—	0	2	2	93	15	820	16	1,015
Italy	…	…	…	…	937	486	1,162	1,839	1,030	63	2,021	89	3,159	180	6,346	355	15,606	272	15,043
France		…	…	…	2	4	8	11	5	9	272	24	565	13	515	22	1,180	20	1,194
West Germany			…	…	218	283	265	385	260	5	256	11	614	22	1,358	29	2,393	21	2,459
Netherlands		…	…	…	21	33	65	113	43	0	0	0	0	0	5	3	167	2	125
Denmark		…	…	…	0	1	0	37	11	1	32	0	23	0	5	0	11	0	2
Sweden		…	…	…	1	0	2	1	6	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	3
Norway		…	…	…	2	2	1	—	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	0	0	0	1
Belgium		…	…	…	0	0	5	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	9	0	2

DOMESTIC REFRIGERATORS
					1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970		1971		1972		1973		January-November 1974
					£'000 (c.i.f.)	£'000 (c.i.f.)	£'000 (c.i.f.)	£'000 (c.i.f.)	£'000 (c.i.f.)	Thousand	£'000 (c.i.f.)	Thousand	£'000 (c.i.f.)	Thousand	£'000 (c.i.f.)	Thousand	£'000 (c.i.f.)	Thousand	£'000 (c.i.f.)
Spain	…	…	…	…	0	0	—	1	2	6	158	28	870	25	801	18	732	18	1,025
Italy	…	…	…	…	1,282	19,001	2,810	5,745	4,094	339	6,595	419	8,781	494	11,900	619	17,046	444	17,477
France		…	…	…	23	18	30	3	9	3	101	2	63	2	78	2	90	5	232
West Germany			…	…	850	66	42	64	175	19	544	12	426	17	562	27	1,148	15	810
Netherlands		…	…	…	69	50	75	134	142	0	4	3	104	0	10	3	95	1	55
Denmark		…	…	…	19	13	15	175	670	2	80	1	34	3	107	7	431	4	303
Sweden		…	…	…	127	161	137	185	278	371	1,172	40	1,624	18	999	29	1,796	45	3,479
Norway		…	…	…	9	3	3	27	25	0	21	0	18	3	176	12	875	5	420
Belgium		…	…	…	1	3	0	1	3	1	26	0	3	0	1	1	28	0	3
Note: Quantity figures before 1970, and details of manufacturers' or brand names, are not available.
—=nil; 0=less than 500, or less than £500 as appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will review the appropriateness of Section 332 of the Companies Act 1948 in the context of the William C. Leitch Bros. Ltd. decision and the responsibility of directors against the general background of the financial difficulties of business and the delays inherent in the provision of Government financial assistance under the Industry Act which can have the effect of exposing directors to charges of fraudulent trading.

I am not persuaded that a change in this provision in the context cited would be beneficial in present circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects the committee on the review of the Queen's Award to report.