asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to extend the Conciliation and Arbitration Service on a regional basis; and if he will make a statement.

The Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service has regional offices in six English regional centres, in Scotland and in Wales, in which about three-quarters of its total staff are employed. Staff resources are currently being strengthened to meet the increasing demands on the service for conciliation and advice.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will discuss with the TUC the question of management participation in trade union activity and decision-making.

As I told the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Rost) on 11th June last year—[Vol. 874, c. 1388–9]—where managers become members of appropriate trade unions, they have the usual opportunities to participate in the decision-taking and activities of those trade unions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current rate of unemployment in the Chester and Deeside area.

On 11th November 1974 the rate of unemployment in the Chester area was 3 per cent. and the rate for Shotton travel-to-work area was 3·4 per cent. Owing to industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency, figures for December 1974 and January 1975 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will increase rapidly the number of retraining places available in the West of Scotland in view of the increased number of redundancies now occurring.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the Training Services Agency plans in 1975 a 24 per cent. increase in the numbers completing courses under the Training Opportunities Scheme in the West of Scotland and aims to provide such additional training facilities as may be necessary to meet the retraining needs of redundant workers when those are known.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list by name the firms, public and private, in the Newton parliamentary constituency which are not complying with the statutory disabled workers quota.

No. I do not think it would be appropriate to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were registered as unemployed at the latest date for which he has statistics.

On 20th January 1975, approximately 742,000 people were unemployed in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of the registered unemployed in November 1974 were receiving neither unemployment benefit nor supplementary allowance.

At 11th November 1974, about 144,000 unemployed people in Great Britain were receiving neither unemployment benefit nor supplementary allowance. For the components of this figure I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Health and Social Security, on 5th February 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of men or women registered as out of work in the employment offices of Bury St. Edmunds, Haverhill and Newmarket at the following or nearest convenient dates: 1st April 1973, 1st August 1973, 1st December 1973, 1st April 1974, 1st August 1974, 1st

UNEMPLOYED IN EMPLOYMENT OFFICE AREAS
	Bury St. Edmunds		Haverhill		Newmarket
	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females
19th April 1973	381	86	132	31	135	18
13th August 1973	315	59	123	24	118	18
10th December 1973	271	50	108	20	101	16
8th April 1974	376	63	134	32	143	34
2th August 1974	369	66	129	25	143	28
11th November 1974	301	59	147	52	188	29

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many building workers are registered as unemployed in the Haverhill, Bury St. Edmunds and Newmarket areas; and how many were unemployed one year ago and two years ago, respectively.

UNEMPLOYED WHO LAST WORKED IN CONSTRUCTION
					Haverhill	Bury St. Edmunds	Newmarket
November 1972	…	…	…	…	21	72	17
November 1973	…	…	…	…	12	31	12
November 1974	…	…	…	…	29	63	49

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will indicate, in figures and as a percentage of the insured population, those men and women, respectively, who are signing the register for employment within the Heysham and Belfast districts; how he estimates that these figures are likely to be affected by the proposed withdrawal of the Belfast-Heysham ferry service; and if he will make a statement.

In November 1974, the latest date for which figures for Great Britain are available, there were 831 males and 274 females registered as unemployed in the Morecambe employment office area, which covers Heysham. The unemployment rates for the Lancaster travel-to-work area, which includes Heysham, were 6·6 per cent. for males and 2·7 per cent. for females. Unemployment figures in Belfast in January 1975 were

Owing to industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency, statistics were not compiled for December 1974 and January 1975. The figures for 10th February 1975 are due to be released on Thursday 20th February. Following is the available information:

The following table shows the numbers of unemployed persons who last worked in construction at November 1972, November 1973 and November 1974. Owing to industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency, figures for December 1974 and January 1975 are not available.6,687 males and 1,915 females. The unemployment rates were 5·3 per cent and 2·6 per cent., respectively.It is difficult to estimate how many workers would become unemployed on withdrawal of the ferry services, but the effect on these figures is likely to be small.All the facilities of the Manpower Ser vices Commission and of the Department of Manpower Services in Northern Ireland would be available in the event of closure.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the latest figures for those wholly unemployed and those on short-time working in the Plymouth area; and if he will make a statement.

On 11th November 1974 there were 4,343 registered unemployed in the Plymouth travel-to-work area. Owing to industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency, figures for December 1974 and January 1975 are not available. There are currently only about 30 workers known to my Department to be on short-time working. The rise in unemployment during the autumn was particularly noticeable in construction and the seasonal industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure that regulations made under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 have full regard to the need to eliminate the abuses of self-employment.

I am giving careful consideration to the manner and extent to which the regulations can be brought to bear on this matter.Following are the details of the proposed regulations:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the responsibilities of his Department with regard to the well-being of the self-employed in the United Kingdom.

The employment and training services provided by the Manpower Services Commission and its agencies are available to the self-employed, as is the protection provided through the Health and Safety Commission. These commissions are responsible to the Secretary of State for Employment but are no longer part of the Department of Employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest unemployment rate at the Caernarvon. Pwllheli and Porthmadog employment exchanges respectively.

On 11th November 1974, the rate of unemployment for the Caernarvon travel-to-work area was 7·2 per cent. and the rate for the Pwllheli travel-to-work area, which includes Porthmadog, was also 7·2 per cent. Owing to industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency, figures for December 1974 and January 1975 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Government will take action to assist employers faced with industrial action as a result of their refusal to concede claims for improvements in wages or other terms of employment in excess of those permitted under the social contract.

We have established the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service to help resolve industrial disputes irrespective of their cause. The TUC guidelines recommend negotiators to make full use of all the services of the ACAS to help towards a quick solution of disputes, and I very much welcome this.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure for industrial redundancies declared in the North London area; and whether he will make a statement.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that during January 1975 redundancies affecting some 1,480 people have been recorded as due to occur in manufacturing industry in North London.In addition, redundancies notified to the Employment Service Agency are likely to affect some 4,700 people during the period February to December 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made towards establishing a Government training centre at Ipswich; and whether he will make a statement.

The Manpower Services Commission informs me that tenders have been invited for the construction of a new skillcentre at Ipswich. Initially the Training Services Agency hopes to provide 112 training places at the centre, with reserve space capable of increasing the capacity to 136. The estimated completion date for the project is early 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the loss of employment opportunities for key workers in the car industry as the result of the transfer of particular operations to overseas subsidiaries by multinational companies.

The information we have does not indicate that the loss of employment opportunities for key workers in the United Kingdom car industry arises from any transfer of work to overseas subsidiaries. Our legislative proposals are intended to obtain for Government and interested unions information in advance of any proposals by a company to reduce the number of jobs available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of juveniles unemployed at the latest available date in the area of the Knowsley metropolitan borough.

At 11th November 1974, the latest date for which information is available, 864 unemployed young people were registered at careers offices in the area. These numbers may include some young people aged 18 and over, while other young people may have registered at employment offices.An age analysis of the unemployed is normally made in January and July each year. Owing to industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency, figures for December 1974 and January 1975 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure on the number of unemployed in Kirkby; and what percentage this is of those at work.

On 11th November 1974, 3,781 people were unemployed in Kirkby. I regret that a separate unemployment rate for this area is not available. Rates of unemployment are calculated for travel-to-work areas by expressing the number unemployed as a percentage of the estimated total number of employees, including the unemployed. Kirkby is part of the Liverpool travel-to-work area for which the rate of unemployment at November was 6·8 per cent. Owing to industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency, figures for December 1974 and January 1975 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons left school in England and Wales in the summer of 1974 to seek employment; and how many of them were unemployed on some convenient date in September 1974, October 1974, November 1974, December 1974 and January and February 1975.

It is estimated that in England and Wales 396,000 young people left school for employment at the end of the 1974 summer term. The numbers of school leavers registered as unemployed in England and Wales in the following months were:

September 1974	33,491
October 1974	14,738
November 1974	8,616

Although these statistics do not define the term or year of leaving school, the great majority of those unemployed from September 1974 onwards would be 1974 summer term leavers.I regret that owing to industrial action the counts were not taken in December 1974 and January 1975. The figures for February 1975 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek to amend the provisions of Section 20(2)(j) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 relating to the inquisitorial powers of inspectors in order to limit questions to those which are reasonable and germane to matters under investigation.

No. Section 20(1) of the Act makes it clear that the powers may be used only for the purpose of carrying into effect the relevant statutory provisions within the field of responsibility of the enforcing authority. The Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission informs me that similar powers were given to mines and quarries and factory inspectors under previous Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing for each major industry in the United Kingdom the number of tied houses.

Statistics of this kind are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek to amend the provisions of Section 40 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 relating to the burden of proving limits of what is reasonably practical to ensure that, in ciminal cases, the onus of proof is not placed on the accused but is laid on the prosecution.

No.The section was included to put beyond doubt the burden of proof in cases where the offence is failing to comply with a duty or requirement to do something so far as is practicable or reasonably practicable. Defendants in such cases will already have considered as part of their statutory duty what means are practicable to protect the health and safety of others.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many offices of profit are within his gift whose incumbents are not recruited through the normal Civil Service channels; and what is their value.

Production of a full list would involve a disproportionate cost to public funds. There are some 650 salaried and fee-paid appointments in the gift of the Secretary of State whose incumbents are not recruited through the normal Civil Service channels. The annual cost of salaries and fees is of the order of £600,000. Not all of the cost falls directly on my Department's Vote.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she expects to be able to start paying the £4 a week mobility allowance to all severely disabled people so described by her in her announcement of 13th September 1974 and speech of 21st November 1974 on the Second Reading of the Social Security Benefits Bill.

As my right hon. Friend indicated in her statement of 13th September 1974, we hope to introduce legislation in the current Session and—subject to parliamentary approval—to start the first payments during the financial year 1975–76.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many voluntary activities such as meals on wheels, at present the work of the WRVS in the hospital services, are now being closed down and run at the expense of the National Health Service.

None, to my knowledge.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the number of claimants using the family income supplement passport scheme for free school meals, free dental and optical care, free prescriptions, and free welfare milk and foods, respectively, for each year since the scheme was introduced.

The numbers of such claimants in Great Britain for exemption from dental and optical charges were:

	Dental	Optical
1971*	1,193	1,011
1972	6,512	4,024
1973	7,259	3,613
1974†	6,449	2,917
* From 24th March 1971.
† To 31st October 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what increase in his net weekly spending power, defined as in the reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North on 28th January 1975, Official Report, column 96, a man with a wife and two children would receive if his gross weekly wage of £25 were to be increased by 20 per cent.

On the assumptions in the hon. Member's Question the family

Hospital Region					1963	1965	1970	1973
Newcastle—
Cancer	…	…	…	…	6,485	6,763	7,175	7,663*
Bronchitis	…	…	…	…	2,107	2,082	1,966	2,027*
Leeds—
Cancer	…	…	…	…	7,065	7,434	7,789	8,089*
Bronchitis	…	…	…	…	2,564	2,195	2,045	1,808*
Sheffield—
Cancer	…	…	…	…	9,097	9,340	10,517	10,835*
Bronchitis	…	…	…	…	3,341	2,964	3,004	2,666*
East Anglia—
Cancer	…	…	…	…	3,399	3,563	4,000	4,331*
Bronchitis	…	…	…	…	857	741	738	681*
North West Metropolitan—
Cancer	…	…	…	…	9,152	9,566	10,019	10,092*
Bronchitis	…	…	…	…	2,715	2,141	2,105	1,870*
North East Metropolitan—
Cancer	…	…	…	…	7,427	7,644	8,127	8,107*
Bronchitis	…	…	…	…	2,633	1,970	1,897	1,725*
South East Metropolitan—
Cancer	…	…	…	…	8,466	8,585	9,461	9,482*
Bronchitis	…	…	…	…	2,713	2,071	2,219	1,895*
South West Metropolitan—
Cancer	…	…	…	…	7,554	8,206	8,558	8,587*
Bronchitis	…	…	…	…	2,465	1,881	1,914	1,584*
Wessex—
Cancer	…	…	…	…	4,235	4,451	5,032	5,377*
Bronchitis	…	…	…	…	1,284	937	955	899*
Oxford—
Cancer	…	…	…	…	3,283	3,420	4,008	4,072*
Bronchitis	…	…	…	…	945	784	856	819*

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many deaths there were, to the latest available date, from cancer, bronchitis and pneumoconiosis in each of the regional health authorities; and what were the figures for 1970, 1965, 1960, 1955 and 1950, respectively.

Data by hospital regions are available only for the period from 1963 and for the areas of the former regional hospital boards. Numbers of deaths were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the infant mortality rate in each of the regional health authorities; what is the national

Hospital Region					1963	1965	1970	1973
Newcastle		…	…	…	22·9	20·1	18·8	17·7
Leeds	…	…	…	…	24·3	21·8	20·4	19·9
Sheffield		…	…	…	21·2	19·1	18·9	16·0
East Anglia		…	…	…	17·8	15·9	15·8	13·5
North West Metropolitan				…	18·1	16·8	17·0	15·3
North East Metropolitan				…	19·6	17·7	16·3	16·6
South East Metropolitan				…	19·7	17·9	16·8	15·0
South West Metropolitan				…	19·0	18·0	17·3	16·2
Wessex		…	…	…	19·8	17·4	15·3	14·6
Oxford		…	…	…	17·7	15·9	15·1	13·7
South Western			…	…	18·5	17·3	17·0	15·0
Welsh	…	…	…	…	24·6	20·3	18·7	16·4
Birmingham		…	…	…	20·9	19·6	18·9	19·1
Manchester		…	…	…	24·6	22·5	20·9	19·2
Liverpool		…	…	…	25·5	20·9	21·1	20·1
England and Wales			…	…	21·1	19·0	18·2	16·9

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the Government's proposals to inflation-proof graduated pensions under the present graduated pensions scheme as set out in the White Paper "Better Pensions" (Command Paper No. 5713) are proposals to price-protect post-retirement benefits on the value of pre-retirement contributions.

We are proposing that price protection cover both graduated pensions in payment and the accrued rights to pension of people not yet re-

Data by hospital regions are available only for the period from 1963 and for the areas of the former regional hospital boards. Death rates of infants aged under one year per 1,000 live births were as follows:tired. These assumptions were in the costs which I gave the hon. Gentleman in my reply of 22nd January—[Vol. 884, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action she has taken to implement the intention she announced when introducing the White Paper "Better Pensions" of asking the Occupational Pensions Board what further safeguards are needed to end discrimination against women in occupational pension schemes.

I have today sent a letter to Sir Philip Allen, Chairman of the Occupational Pensions Board, requesting the board to consider, in the light of the Government's proposals for the future of pensions and in particular their intention to end discrimination against women in occupational pension schemes, what further steps are necessary, whether by legislation or otherwise, to implement the principle of equality of status for men and women in such schemes; and to report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of crediting married women with contributions whilst they are at home looking after children, as in paragraph 20 of the White Paper on "Better Pensions".

Paragraph 20 of the White Paper "Better Pensions" proposes that the pension rights of people who remain at home because of family responsibilities should be protected, even though they do not pay contributions. The exact cost of this cannot be given at present as it depends, in particular, on the outcome of the Government's consultations on phasing out the married women's contribution option.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what facilities exist in the National Health Service for the holding of trade union meetings.

I would expect health authorities normally to provide reasonable facilities, including accommodation, for relevant trade union meetings. If my hon. Friend has any evidence to the contrary I shall be happy to look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied with the appeals machinery in the National Health Service following the dismissal of staff.

On 27th January the General Whitley Council concluded an agreement on dismissals procedure which will replace arrangements promulgated in 1951 and considered to be inadequate. The new agreement continues to provide a right of appeal to the employing authority. Provision for further right of appeal to an independent body is still under negotiation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many official strikes have taken place in England in the National Health Service since reorganisation.

Industrial action with official support has occurred in a number of areas involving various categories of staff. As local action has often been related to a national dispute, it would be difficult to give a meaningful total figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff have been dismissed in England in the National Health Service for holding unauthorised union meetings since the reorganisation.

National Health Service staff are the employees of area or regional health authorities and information about dismissals is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will consider making a charge for the use of National Health Service notepaper by those consultants who write to patients or potential patients suggesting that pressure should be applied to Members of Parliament to bring about an increase in pay for the consultant concerned; and if she will make a statement.

I have asked health authorities to investigate any cases of apparent misuse of National Health Service property.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many notifiable diseases were recorded in each of the regional health authorities; and what were the figures for 1970, 1965, 1960, 1955 and 1950, respectively.

Data by hospital region are available only for the period from 1963 and for the areas of the former regional hospital boards. Notifications of infectious diseases in 1973 were as follows. Figures for previous years have been published in Table 31 of the Registrar General's Statistical Review of England and Wales, Part I:

CORRECTED NOTIFICATIONS OF CERTAIN INFECTIOUS DISEASES BY HOSPITAL REGION FOR 1963, 1965, 1970 AND 1973
1973
Area				Typhoid fever	Paratyphoid fever	Acute meningitis	Scarlet fever	Whooping cough	Diphtheria	Tetanus	Ophthalmia neonatorum	Dysentry (amoebic and bacillary)	Measles
Newcastle	…	…	…	1	2	123	407	301	—	—	7	346	5,625
Leeds*	…	…	…	6	7	201	1,292	76	1	—	15	1,659	5,732
Sheffield*	…	…	…	7	2	174	1,997	60	—	—	57	629	17,504
East Anglian		…	…	7	2	51	330	75	—	1	6	214	7,148
North West Metropolitan*			…	36	20	125	921	164	—	1	22	539	12,491
North East Metropolitan			…	13	13	162	964	240	—	2	29	600	16,131
South East Metropolitan*			…	12	7	135	746	214	—	4	21	292	13,230
South West Metropolitan*			…	12	15	80	478	193	1	—	6	679	9,188
Wessex	…	…	…	2	1	92	558	78	—	2	11	129	4,020
Oxford	…	…	…	5	5	73	387	43	—	—	2	76	3,888
South Western		…	…	2	4	117	547	137	—	3	8	372	9,763
Welsh	…	…	…	4	9	225	567	38	—	—	10	274	12,242
Birmingham	…	…	…	18	9	172	971	196	—	6	88	1,421	20,870
Manchester*	…	…	…	24	7	217	1,179	201	—	3	41	706	6,823
Liverpool	…	…	…	—	4	156	689	421	—	—	43	96	7,827

1973
				Acute poliomyelitis		Acute encephalitis
Area				Paralytic	Non-paralytic	Infective	Post-infective	Leptospirosis	Infective jaundice	Food poisoning	Respiratory	Tuberculosis Meninges and C.N.S.	Other
Newcastle	…	…	…	—	—	1	1	1	413	388	640	3	110
Leeds*	…	…	…	—	—	7	2	2	853	637	619	16	166
Sheffield*	…	…	…	2	—	5	8	3	1,042	590	730	12	209
East Anglian		…	…	—	—	3	1	3	116	143	125	5	39
North West Metropolitan*			…	1	—	12	13	—	583	757	1,185	12	374
North East Metropolitan			…	—	—	6	7	—	384	553	695	5	245
South East Metropolitan*			…	—	—	2	6	1	239	333	522	2	102
South West Metropolitan*			…	—	1	10	2	2	310	346	601	13	176
Wessex	…	…	…	—	—	3	7	—	269	147	214	4	47
Oxford	…	…	…	—	—	4	9	3	237	309	288	2	82
South Western		…	…	1	—	12	9	1	554	536	344	5	86
Welsh	…	…	…	—	—	3	6	1	205	442	487	3	94
Birmingham	…	…	…	—	—	6	8	1	586	802	1,023	4	335
Manchester*		…	…	—	—	5	—	2	1,538	739	891	11	240
Liverpool	…	…	…	—	—	13	—	2	726	337	346	1	43
* Anthrax cases notified (3): Leeds 1, Manchester 1, North West Metropolitan 1.
Smallpox cases notified (5): North West Metropolitan 4, South West Metropolitan 1.
Cholera cases notified (5): Leeds 1, Sheffield 1, North West Metropolitan 1, South East Metropolitan 1, South West Metropolitan 1.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the recent strike in Merseyside hospitals following the dismissal of two shop stewards.

A recent dispute at New-sham Hospital led to 14 days' strike at that hospital and to a 24-hour strike at other hospitals in Liverpool and wirral by catering and portering staff belonging to the National Union of Public Employees. Some inconvenience to patients resulted, which I regret, but essential services were maintained. The dispute, about the rights or wrongs of the dismissal of some shop stewards, has now been referred to arbitration, and normal working has been resumed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish the plans that have been prepared by her Department for a new accident and emergency department to replace the casualty facilities already existing at the Pembury Hospital and the Kent and Sussex Hospital, Tunbridge Wells; and what is the estimated cost of implementing the scheme immediately.

These plans are being prepared by the South East Thames Regional Health Authority and, although they have not been finalised, preliminary indications are that the cost of implementation would exceed £2 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the provisions of Hospital Building Note No. 22 represent Government policy; and whether she is aware that the joint accident and emergency department of the Kent and Sussex Hospital and the Pembury Hospital occupy less than one-third of the area stipulated by that note.

The information in hospital building notes provide guidance for use by health authorities in planning new developments and I am aware of the shortcomings of the joint accident and emergency department in Tunbridge Wells.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what proposals she has for the improvement of the facilities of the casualty department at Pembury Hospital; and when she expects to implement them;(2) what proposals she has for the improvement of the facilities of the casualty department at the Kent and Sussex Hospital, Tunbridge Wells; and when she expects to implement them.

South East Thames Regional Health Authority plan to rationalise and improve the accident and emergency service for the Tunbridge Wells Health District by integrating the present joint departments at Pembury Hospital and the Kent and Sussex Hospital in a new unit at the Kent and Sussex Hospital. The timing of this development is uncertain due to the need to take account of competing claims on resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations she has had from the Kent Health Authority as to the adequacy of the casualty department at the Pembury Hospital, and the Kent and Sussex Hospital, Tunbridge Wells; and how long she proposes that each should continue with its present facilities.

The South East Thames Regional Health Authority, as the appropriate body responsible for the overall planning of services in the region, has received representations from the Kent Area Health Authority about the deficiences in the present department, but because of constraints on resources the regional health authority is unable to say how quickly these deficiencies can be remedied.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary benefit claims are at present subject to the wage stop; and what is the average amount of the reduction in benefit.

In November 1974, the number of claimants who had their supplementary allowances limited by a wage stop is provisionally estimated at about 8,000. In November 1973, the latest date for which such information is available, the average wage stop reduction was £2·01.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will introduce legislation to place a limit on the amount by which supplementary benefit may be reduced by the wage stop rule.

We have, at present, no plans to introduce such legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will review the methods used to determine wage levels used in calculating wage stop deductions from supplementary benefits.

It is for the Supplementary Benefits Commission to determine the wage levels used in calculating wage stop deductions and it has recently authorised higher figures for use in cases where the claimant's normal earnings cannot be ascertained.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary benefit claimants who are subject to the wage stop are registered as disabled people.

The information is not available. Claimants who have substantial disablements would not normally have their benefit wage-stopped.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish a breakdown of the figures for supplementary benefit claimants subject to the wage stop by family size.

In November 1973, the latest date for which such information is available, the breakdown was as follows:

No. of Children	No. of Claimants
None	176
One	176
Two	698
Three	1,402
Four	1,876
Five or more	6,007

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will arrange for an independent analysis of all accident report forms relating to motor invalid tricycles with manually operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission, electrically propelled invalid tricycles and four-wheeled vehicles provided by her Department, respectively, for the years ended 30th September 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974 to assess the incidence both of accidents possibly attributable to the design of the vehicle and of severe or slight injury to the driver.

A detailed analysis of a sample of accident report forms was done last year by officers of the Department of the Environment and their conclusion was that it was not possible to determine the extent to which the accidents were due to the vehicle rather than the driver. However, my Department, with participation by the Department of the Environment, is undertaking a further detailed study of the reports of injury and overturnings in the past 12 months to see if more generally any lessons might be learned to help reduce accidents involving the Department's vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish in the Official Report the full accident statistics relating to motor invalid tricycles with manually operated gearbox, motor invalid tricycles with automatic transmission, electrically propelled invalid tricycles and four-wheeled vehicles, respectively, for the years ended 30th September 1973 and 1974, listing all categories of information relating to vehicles on issue, numbers of accidents, types of accidents, incidence of overturning, drivers injured and drivers killed.

I would refer the hon. Member to my replies to my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Mr. Lewis) on 4th November 1974.—[Vol. 880, c. 87–90.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will give details in the Official Report of the procedures that registered chronically sick and disabled persons should adopt in order to get disabled aids fitted in owner-occupied property; and whether she is satisfied that those entitled to such aids are receiving them without undue difficulty.

Any person who is substantially and permanently handicapped may apply to the social services department of his local authority to have such aids fitted; registration is not a prerequisite. If the local authority accepts the need, it has a duty to meet it. Where the aid is a nursing aid which can be provided by the area health authority a person may approach his family doctor. If the hon. Member has any particular cases in mind where undue difficulty has been experienced, I shall be very glad to look into them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she is aware that, due to the shortage of theatre technicians at Hillingdon Hospital, only two out of the six theatres are in use at any one time; and what action she proposes to take to remedy this situation.

Two out of the theatres regularly in use cannot be used temporarily because of the shortage of staff. Of the establishment of 15 operating theatre assistants and orderlies, 11½ are at present in post, but two are on sick leave. This difficulty has been aggravated by an unusually high staff turnover. Two new staff under training are due to take up employment soon and it is hoped to aid recruitment by organising the training programme on an area basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will now raise the limit for industrial development certificates in the London area.

No. It is less than six months since the limits were reduced and I have no plans at present to make any further changes. My hon. Friend may be interested in the supplement on the IDC control which was published in the journal "Trade and Industry" on 13th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement outlining the consequences of the Treaty of Accession for the right of establishment in the United Kingdom of domestic and foreign—EEC and non-EEC—privately-owned steel companies.

Under Section 15 of the Iron and Steel Act 1967, the establishment of certain production facilities for iron and steel, whether by domestic or foreign-owned companies, required the consent of the Secretary of State for Industry. This section was repealed by the European Communities Act 1972, as a consequence of the United Kingdom's joining the European Coal and Steel Community.As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs indicated in his speech on 4th June 1974, the objectives of renegotiation include the question of the powers which we require to pursue effective regional and industrial policies.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will outline the criteria adopted by the European Commission for the grant of regional aid; and how they differ from those laid down by Her Majesty's Government.

The regulation establishing the regional Development Fund has still to be adopted by the Council of Ministers. Until the work of preparing this regulation has been completed the criteria to be used in dealing with applications for assistance from the fund cannot usefully be compared with those applying to United Kingdom regional arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, what steps he is taking to stimulate the employment prospects on Merseyside in (a) the short-term and (b) the long-term.

The Government have already taken steps to encourage development and employment in Merseyside and other areas of high unemployment. The granting of special development area status to Merseyside, the doubling of the regional employment premium and the strengthening of IDC control should help to improve the situation. Twelve advance factories have also been allocated to Merseyside in the past year, the last in a new programme of factories announced on 14th February. Looking further ahead, Merseyside is to receive nearly 3,500 jobs as a result of Government dispersal plans. My Department is also taking over a 21-acre site at Gill-moss, Liverpool which we intend to redevelop with modern factories. More generally the proposed National Enterprise Board will be able to act to create employment by launching new ventures or undertaking joint commercial ventures with private companies. The new system of planning agreements will also be concerned, among other things, with the distribution and balance of investment and employment. The success of our regional policies, however, will be greater if the general economic outlook improves and this is one of the Government's top priorities.

asked the Prime Minister if he will appoint a Minister with special responsibility for the self-employed.

No.

asked the Prime Minister when he next intends to pay an official visit to Singapore.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what arrangements he has made for the expected visit of Mr. Tindemans.

There are no plans yet for M. Tindemans to visit the United Kingdom.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will place in the Library a transcript of his television broadcast in Washington on 2nd February on oil and other matters.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will place in the Library a copy of his television interview on 2nd February in Washington on oil and other matters.

I did so on 6th February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will dismiss the Secretary of State for the Environment.

No. The House may assume that unless and until I make a statement to the contrary I do not intend to appoint any new Ministers or dismiss any existing Ministers.

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Wessex.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit Wales.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Flint, West (Sir A. Meyer).

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Kirkby.

As my hon. Friend knows, I am frequently in Kirkby but I have at present no plans for an official visit.

asked the Prime Minister how many civil servants report directly to him on industrial matters.

asked the Prime Minister how many civil servants report direct to him on the United Kingdom motor industry.

asked the Prime Minister how many civil servants report to him directly about the car industry.

I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton) on 11th February.

asked the Prime Minister whether he expects to attend the February meeting of the TUC Liaison Committee.

asked the Prime Minister when he next proposes to meet the Trades Union Congress.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East (Mr. Lamond) on 11th February.

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Foreign Office, the Department of Trade, and the Department of Industry in respect of the EEC renegotiations.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about his discussions in Moscow.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Salford, East (Mr. Allaun).

asked the Prime Minister if he will appoint a Minister with particular responsibility for the self-employed along the lines of the Belgian appointment.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Reigate (Mr. Gardiner).

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Crichel Down.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if the public speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the economy to the Electrical Contractors' Association on 11th February represents Government policy.

Yes.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will give for the longest and most convenient stated period of time the total amounts of £40 per day as drawn by each of the Members of Parliament for their recorderships; and whether these payments are conditional on the forgoing of any part of parliamentary remuneration.

The total amounts of £40 per day as drawn in 1974 by each of the following Members of Parliament for their recorderships are:

	£
F. P. Crowder, QC	2,080
E. L. Gardner, QC	800
W. P. Grieve, QC	1,760
H. E. Hooson, QC	400
E. Lyons, QC	640
W. G. O. Morgan, QC	400
I. Percival, QC	1,560
D. C. Waddington, QC	80
W. T. Williams, QC	200

These payments are not conditional on the forgoing of any part of parliamentary remuneration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is now in a position to announce his decision on whether he will reintroduce the subsidy on heating oil for the horticultural industry.

I shall be making an announcement very shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce regulations to require the amount of erurcic acid in cooking oils to be restricted to a stated percentage, and to require cooking oil labels to state the amount of erurcic acid in the product.

The Government's medical advisers are keeping a continuous watch on the situation in the light of information becoming available throughout the world. They have not so far seen any evidence of a hazard to the health of consumers from erurcic acid in food which would justify the imposition of requirements of the kind suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many dairy farms in Somerset have taken up the EEC dairy herd conversion scheme; and how many cows are involved.

The latest return shows that 143 applications from Somerset farmers have been approved involving 5,684 cows.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many rabbits were destroyed by members of rabbit clearance societies in Great Britain during 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971 and 1970, respectively.

The information is not available; nor would any estimate necessarily be realistic. The hon. Member will appreciate that these societies rely extensively upon gassing of burrows to secure effective rabbit control.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many active rabbit clearance societies there are in Great Britain.

Our estimate is that there are some 190 active rabbit clearance societies or equivalent organisations in Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements are being made to dispose of the 14·26 tons of beef at present in intervention cold storage in the United Kingdom.

None.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set out the various grades of milk that may be sold in the Common Market, stating the appropriate regulations, the articles in the Accession Treaty that exempt the United Kingdom from such provisions, and when they expire; and what steps he has taken to extend exemptions or amend the regulations, respectively.

EEC Regulation 1411/71 specifies four main types of liquid milk which may be sold to the consumer. They are raw milk, whole milk, semi-skimmed milk and skimmed milk. Raw milk is assumed to be "as it comes from the cow". For the other three types, which must have been heat treated, the regulation sets standards for the fat content which they must contain. Whole milk is required to have a fat content naturally equal or superior to 3·5 per cent., or which has been brought to at least that level. Apart from this, member States are authorised to provide for an additional whole milk category with a fat content fixed by them of not less than 3·8 per cent.Under Article 89 of the Treaty of Accession the United Kingdom has a derogation allowing the supply to consumers until 31st December 1975 of whole milk with a natural fat content of less than 3·5 per cent. We have not so far sought either the extension of this derogation or an amendment of the regulation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from British poultry and egg organisations on the problem of foreign imports; and what action he is taking designed to safeguard the poultry and egg industry.