asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the response from local authorities to the Government's proposals in "Neighbourhood Councils in England" has been generally favourable or unfavourable; and if he will give full weight to the reasoned criticism submitted by the borough of Islington as an authority actively fostering public participation through means other than those suggested by the Government.

In general, local authority reactions have leant against the establishment of statutory neighbourhood councils, while local statutory bodies have tended to favour this approach. A great many useful points have been made on both sides, however. All these—and certainly the views of the Islington Borough Council—will be given full weight.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will propose changing the provisions of Section 101 of the Road Traffic Act 1930 and Section 117 of the Road Traffic Act 1960 to enable local authorities to operate a public vehicle service as a contract carriage.

Local authorities with powers to operate public service vehicles are already able by virtue of the Transport Act 1968 to run them as contract carriages.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made by his Department's working party investigating the control of pets; and when it is expected to report.

The Department's Working Party on Dogs, which is presumably the one the right hon. Gentleman has in mind, has identified the main problem areas and is now consulting interested bodies and individuals so that their views can be taken into account in preparing its report. The working party hopes to report by the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce proposals to amend the law in relation to private street works.

We have no plans at present to introduce legislation on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the steps his Department is taking to protect retirement pensioners and those in receipt of supplementary benefit and family income supplement from increases in prices in the nationalised transport industries.

British Rail at present runs an extensive scheme of offpeak concessionary fares. I understand that it is at present considering a new tariff scheme for old-age pensioners. As regards buses, concessionary fares schemes are a matter for the local authorities, subject to the present severe constraints on public expenditure. The Government continue to give help to the railways in support of a passenger railway network for social reasons. Increased transport costs are one of the factors in the wider considerations determining the regular increases in social security benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to increase the financial assistance to building societies.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucestershire, West (Mr. Watkinson).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had with local authorities about the provision of housing advice centres; and if he will make a statement.

None. DOE Circular 18/74 issued a year ago said that, in areas of housing stress, authorities should, where housing advice centres do not exist, consider the need for one, or arrange for their housing department to provide a service which is, as far as possible, comparable. The number of centres set up by local authorities and voluntary organisations continues to grow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the approximate cost of producing the noise control map of the M6 motorway at Great Barr, Birmingham.

£9,100.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has of the response to his proposals for stimulating house building; and if he will make a statement.

It is too early to judge, but I was encouraged by the welcome that the building societies and the housebuilders gave to the proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses are scheduled for completion in 1974–75 in the area covered by the Macclesfield Borough Council; how many of these houses are built for sale and how many for rent; and how many houses for sale and rent, respectively, were built by the authorities which operated in the area now covered by the new Macclesfield Borough Council in 1971–72, 1972–73 and 1973–74, respectively.

Following are estimates of the numbers of dwellings completed in the area for renting by the new council's predecessors:

1971–72	70
1972–73	36
1973–74	20

Completions in Bucklow RD have been apportioned between Macclesfield and Greater Manchester. The district council has reported that 125 dwellings for renting were completed during the nine months to 31st December 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will propose amending the Rent Acts in order to allow small private landlords owning no more than two properties a right of repossession.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the motorways planned, and scheduled for development, originally designated three-lane dual carriageway, and now two-lane dual carriageway, indicating the mileage so affected by region and in total.

Following is the information:

	Kms
M27 Havant-Chichester	12·5
A3(M) Horndean-Bedhampton (part only)	6·8
M18 Wadworth-Hatfield	18·7
M180 Scunthorpe Southern Bypass	13·6
M11 A120-Stumps Cross	23·7
M11 Cambridge Western Bypass	22·4
M3 Popham-Winchester	18·0
	115·7

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now take steps to relax the regulations governing the use of minibuses on public transport routes in rural areas.

I am continuing my consultations about rural transport. I am not able to anticipate the outcome.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how the number of dwellings vacant, at the latest date for which the figures are available, compares with 12 months earlier; and what percentage this represents of the total housing stock.

The latest comprehensive information is from the 1971 census, which recorded approximately 628,000 dwellings in England as being vacant on census night, 3·9 per cent. of the total stock. Information relating to 1970 is not available. Limited sample information which has become available since is inadequate for estimating the situation nationally. Houses may be empty for many reasons. They may be in process of being let, sold, converted, or improved, or they may be vacant because of coming redevelopment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will set up an independent inquiry into the working of the Rent Act 1974.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether machinery exists for consultation between his Department and the Scottish Office over transport policy.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy towards the level of bus fuel grants during the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Government grant covers all duty at present paid on fuel used for stage carriage services. We have no proposals for changing these arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide financial assistance for the installation of suitably approved solar equipment for heating buildings.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many community councils are now operating under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972; what information he has about any difficulties they may be experiencing; and if he will make a statement.

The Local Government Act 1972 provides for community councils in Wales, and the parallel Scottish legisla- tion provides for them in a somewhat different form in Scotland, but there is no statutory provision for such bodies in England. I am having a survey made of non-statutory community councils and similar bodies in England.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy towards financial support for the National Bus Company; and if he will make a statement.

The National Bus Company, in common with other bus operators, receives financial support from central Government through new bus grant and rebate of fuel duty. In addition, local authorities are empowered to give financial assistance towards the cost of bus operations in their area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Minister for Transport's official visit to Manchester to discuss the Greater Manchester Council's transport plans.

The visit gave my right hon. Friend a most useful chance to see at first hand something of Manchester's transport problems and to discuss with the council how it could make anearly start in building the Picc/Vic railway network.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have announced rate increases of over 50 per cent.; how many between 40 per cent. and 50 per cent.; how many between 30 per cent. and 40 per cent.; how many between 20 per cent. and 30 per cent.; and how many under 20 per cent.

The Department had by 25th February received 48 returns from local authorities confirming details of rates to be levied in 1975–76. These rates are inclusive of county precepts and district rates but exclude water and sewerage charges. The following figures taken from the limited number of returns received show the distribution of the increases in percentage terms comparing the 1975–76 rate levy with the 1974–75 levy actually paid, i.e. with, where appropriate, the effects on rate payments of the 1974–75 domestic relief scheme taken into account.

Domestic rate increase	Number
Less than 20 per cent.	6
20–30 per cent.	19
30–40 per cent.	15
40–50 per cent.	3
More than 50 per cent.	5

The distribution of non-domestic rate increases is:

Non-domestic rate increase	Number
Less than 20 per cent.	12
20–30 per cent.	31
30–40 per cent.	5
40–50 per cent.	—
More than 50 per cent.	—

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be able to give an estimate of the extra expenditure on transport facilities which will arise as a result of the decision not to build the Channel Tunnel.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what tonnage was carried by rail-borne container traffic in 1973 and 1974, compared with that estimated in the Beeching Report.

British Rail estimates that the total rail-borne container traffic both in 1973 and 1974 was 7·7 million tonnes. The Beeching Report contained no forecasts of the container traffic which would be carried, but estimated the potential market at about 40 million tonnes in 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the arrangements that have been made for allocation of the contributions from public funds towards the maintenance of historic churches.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister for Planning and Local Government said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Walker) on 30th January—[Vol. 885, c. 235–6.]—these arrangements are now to be discussed with the representatives of the General Synod and of the other denominations through the Churches Main Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to strengthen the powers of local authorities to control temporary or permanent developments by contractors on sites in the vicinity of motorways for which planning permission has not been obtained.

No. Temporary buildings needed in connection with the construction of motorways have planning permission granted by the General Development Order 1973. Permanent developments by contractors outside the motorway boundaries require planning permission in the normal way.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ask the contractor for M11 Contract No. 2 to move the site for his office and plant depot since it is close to residential development and on a bend on the A1161 road at North Weald and other more suitable adjacent sites are available on North Weald aerodrome.

It is for the contractor to make his own arrangements for the siting of his office and plant depot and my right hon. Friend has no standing in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to bring into force that section of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 which gives district councils the duty to empty private cesspools and septic tanks.

My Department is now discussing the implementation of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 with local authority associations, but we do not expect to be able to bring Section 12(5) into operation until present contraints on expenditure are eased.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the criteria applied to housing association applications for registration under provisions of the Housing Act 1974, and periodically the number of applications for registration and the number of such applications that are refused.

The statutory responsibility for registration lies with the Housing Corporation. It published criteria on 12th December 1974, and intends to issue monthly lists of housing associations which have been registered. I have arranged for copies of these documents to be placed in the Library. I understand that the corporation intends also to issue periodic Press statements of the numbers of applications made, and refused.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new local authorities have had armorial bearings transferred under Section 147(2) of the Local Government Act 1972; and what steps he is taking to see that the College of Arms make these transfers with minimum of cost as outlined in paragraph 28 of his Circular 51/73.

105 so far in England and Wales. My right hon. Friend is not responsible for the transfer of armorial bearings, but has no reason to doubt that the minimum cost arrangements referred to by the hon. Member are available in those cases where it is agreed that transfer should be made under the machinery provided by Section 247(2) of the Local Government Act 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take with regard to the London Rail Study—the Barran Report.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier today to the hon. Member for Southgate (Mr. Berry) and my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether there are any international obligations which preclude the establishment by the United Kingdom of a standard for car bumpers to which all vehicles built in the United Kingdom shall conform.

No. But there are practical considerations which are equally potent, as I indicated to the hon. Member in my reply to his Question on 12th February.—[Vol. 886, c. 138.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on any delays there may be to the completion of the M18 and M62 to the city of Kingston upon Hull.

It has been necessary to redesign the two sections of the M18 between Wadworth and Hatfield in accordance with the revised standards for new roads announced last June. Owing to delays in the supply of steel, the fuel crisis and the three-day working week in the early part of last year, the contract period for the construction of the bridge to carry the M62 over the River Ouse has been extended to April 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent alumina was used in constructions other than schools; and who will bear the cost of testing and any remedial work that needs to be carried out on such buildings.

About 17,000 buildings other than schools have so far been identified as containing high alumina cement concrete, but the total number could be in the region of 50,000. The cost of testing and necessarily remedial work will fall in the first instance on either the owner or the occupier, depending on the terms of any lease or agreement relating to the building.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now able to announce his conclusions as a result of his departmental review of mobile home dwellings; and whether his review includes caravan owners and holiday sites.

The review I am conducting is still in progress. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made it clear in announcing my terms of reference on 10th December 1974—[Vol. 883, c. 148–9.]—that my remit included examination of relevant legislation affecting both site owners and residents. He also explained that the review would not cover holiday caravans, but that Ministers with responsibilities affecting holiday sites would be kept closely in touch with progress.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how members of rent tribunals are selected; and what are the terms of their appointment.

Rent tribunal members are appointed by presidents of rent assessment panels from among their members. Panel members are appointed in the first place by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and by the Lord Chancellor, on the basis of advice and recommendations from many sources, including professional associations, trade unions and social service organisations. Appointments as panel members are normally for three years, and members are paid on a daily fee basis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what stage his talks with local authority associations and both sides of the bus industry as to improving public transport in rural areas have reached; when a decision is likely; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport on 5th February to the hon. Members for Chippenham (Mr. Awdry) and Norfolk, South (Mr. MacGregor) to which I have as yet nothing further to add.—[Vol. 885, c. 504–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will promote a study of the problems and deficiencies of rural transport.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply earlier today to the hon. Member for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (Mr. Steel).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish development corporations on the model of new town development corporatins to develop derelict city areas; and if he will make a statement.

No. Powers already available to local authorities are adequate for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what cutback the Government have made in the national road programme; and how much money and how many miles of motorway are involved in this policy.

The recent White Paper "Public Expenditure to 1978–79" (Cmnd. 5879) showed a reduction of nearly 40 per cent. in expenditure in 1976–77 on new construction and improvement of roads in England, compared with the 1972 White Paper (Cmnd. 5178). Resources are being concentrated on the completion of a basic 3,100 mile network of strategic routes by the early 1980s, rather than the 3,500 mile network announced in 1971. The length of motorway which is being deferred is about 120 miles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the effect of decisions taken to reduce the design standards of new road schemes since his declaration of the new policy in this respect on 17th June 1974, particularly in respect of the schemes in which the numbers of carriageway lanes have been reduced or single carriageways have been substituted for dual carriageways.

There has been some slippage in the timetable for those road schemes which have had to be redesigned in the light of the revised standards.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a copy of the recommendations made to him in the Central Transport Consultative Committee's Report about the proposed withdrawal of the Heysham to Belfast car ferry service; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 21st February to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr. Bidwell).—[Vol. 886, c. 533.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will meet representatives of the Sheffield and District NUR on the question of the projected M67 motorway proposals.

I am frequently in Sheffield and shall be glad to meet them if they care to get in touch with me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to issue a consultation paper on homelessness.

Soon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for free or reduced price driving tests for those disabled persons previously using a Ministry three-wheeler who at their own expense buy and have adapted a conventional motor car for their use.

Given the broad principle that the costs of the driving test organisation have to be recovered by fees. I regret that I cannot extend the longstanding concession for drivers of invalid carriages to those who elect to purchase their own vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will convene a meeting of representatives of motor traders and other interested organisations to discuss the possible introduce- tion of a voluntary scheme to collect and recycle used motor oil.

Not at present. The Green Paper "War on Waste" (Cmnd 5727) encouraged local authorities to co-operate with industry in setting up suitable collection schemes for used oils wherever this was practicable. DOE Circular 101/74 recommended the use of Civic Amenity Act sites as waste oil collection depots, and I have asked the Waste Management Advisory Council to study the possibilities further.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received from Bedfordshire on the M1-A1 link road; and if he will identify the organisations which have written to him.

The following is the information:

Local Authorities	10
Bedfordshire County Council.
Bedford District Council.
Bolnhurst and Keysoe Parish Council.
Colmworth Parish Council.
Great Barford Parish Council.
Knotting and Souldrop Parish Council.
Little Staughton Parish Council.
Milton Ernest Parish Council.
Podington Parish Council.
Stagsden Parish Council.
Organisations	7
Bedfordshire Association of Architects.
North Bedfordshire Preservation Soviety.
North Bedfordshire Action Group.
Regional Branch Country Landowners Association.
Bedfordshire Branch Conservation Society.
Bedford Group Friends of the Earth.
Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire Naturalists Trust.
Members of the Public	561

asked the Secretary or State for the Environment when he expects his consultations with local authorities to be far enough advanced for him to be able to make a statement on the best ways of achieving the restraint on local authorities' expenditure, needed to limit this to accord with the growth rates indicated in Command Paper No. 5879.

I hope shortly to issue a circular spelling out the consequences of those figures in the Public Expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 5879) which relate to local authority expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to impose strict controls on the amounts that may be expended by local authorities on ceremonial and entertaining.

I have no such proposals. But local authorities have been strongly advised to impose such strict controls themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what grant in aid will be made to the Sports Councils of the United Kingdom, Scotland and Wales for 1975–76; and how this compares with 1974–75.

Subject to the approval of Parliament the grant in aid for the Sports Council in 1975–76 will be £7·85 million compared with £6·7 million in 1974–75. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales are responsible for the Scottish Sports Council and the Sports Council for Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to encourage the design and production of cheaper and smaller passenger and goods vehicles using diesel, economic petrol engines, or electric drive using either direct pick-up and/or battery charging techniques to encourage the use of rubber tyre on tarmac or concrete in order to make the best use of the existing road network and justify continued expenditure on providing for this type of flexible transport.

As announced in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Smith) on 19th February—Vol. 886, c. 413–14.]—the Transport and Road Research Laboratory has published a report showing that even on a cautious basis the total number of vehicles is forecast to continue to rise substantially. There is, therefore, no evidence of any risk of lack of use of the existing road network in the short- to medium-term. The Department is engaged in a research programme to establish for the longer term, the parameters associated with use of different types of fuel for passenger and goods vehicles. Encouragement of the development and design of cheaper vehicles offering economy in energy consumption is the responsibility of the Department of Industry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, when reviewing the Highway Code, in view of the need to maintain uniform standards in different situations, whether he will consider the adequacy of the length of wavy lines before each pedestrian crossing, bearing in mind different speed limits, and the different speeds of oncoming traffic.

Local authorities may already extend the standard length of the zigzag areas at zebra crossings to approximately 38 metres, depending on the visibility of the crossing to approaching drivers and actual approach speeds. Guidance on the laying of markings was given in 1971 and I am sending a copy of the circular to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he makes grants under the Railways Act 1974 for the building of railway sidings in respect of freightliner terminals.

Grant under Section 8 of the Railways Act 1974 is available to Freightliners Ltd. on the same basis as to any other claimant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish, in reasonable detail, British Rail's proposals for a less costly Channel Tunnel rail link.

The Channel Tunnel project was abandoned before any such proposals were ready for publication.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the report of the Cairncross Committee on the Channel Tunnel.

The report is not yet ready. A decision as to publication will be taken when it is received and after discussions with Sir Alec Cairncross and his colleagues.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to ensure that disabled people are aware of the help available to them in adapting their homes under Sections 56 and 65 of the Housing Act 1974; if he will ask local authorities to give maximum publicity to this new form of assistance; and if he will make a further statement.

I hone that local authorities will lose no opportunity to publicise these provi:sions. Copies of a general booklet on the new house renovation grants will shortly be available for distribution through a variety of agencies, including local authorities, which have already been provided with advance copies. I am urgently considering with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services what further measures are needed to alert disabled people to the existence of this new form of help.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish annual statistics of the number and value of grants paid to registered disabled persons by each local authority for which they would not have been eligible if they had not been registered disabled.

I am arranging for this information to be obtained from local authorities periodically under general arrangements for monitoring the system of house renovation grants and will gladly make the results available annually.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to make it necessary for local authorities to obtain his permission before embarking on airport extensions.

No. There are adequate powers in existence.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the amount of unemployment benefit payable in a situation in Scotland of (a) 100,000 unemployed, (b) 110,000 unemployed, (c) 120,000 unemployed, (d) 130,000 unemployed, and (e) 140,000 unemployed.

The estimated amounts, at the rate of benefit due to come into force in April 1975, are £47 million, £53 million, £60 million, £67 million and £74 million respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the last review of Section 5 hospital pay beds was completed; what was the percentage of under-occupancy which was revealed at that time, the present number of beds to designated, and the under-occupancy by paying patients in the last year; and if she will make a statement.

The last major review of hospital pay beds began in 1966, when average daily occupancy by paying patients of the 5,670 authorised pay beds was 2,830—50 per cent. There are now 4,570 pay beds, and this figure has not changed since the end of 1973. Average daily occupancy of pay beds by paying patients in 1973, the latest period for which figures are available, was 2,380—52 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many United Kingdom residents suffer from haemophilia; if she will give the number, on an annual basis, over the last three years and the number estimated to undergo regular home treatment.

The number of patients suffering from haemophilia in Great Britain is estimated to be approximately 3,000. A small proportion undergo regular home treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what arrangements, including the provision of money, are being made by regional health authorities to secure supplies of the Factor VIII concentrate, used to supplement supplies made available by the blood transfusion service, in the treatment of haemophilia;(2) what financial resources has each regional health authority for securing supplies of Factor VIII concentrate which are privately produced.

My Department has negotiated arrangements under which Factor VIII may be bought from certain commercial firms in the normal way by health authorities. They will decide on the proportion of their financial allocation to be devoted to this purpose, having regard to the other claims on their resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what contact there has been getween the Department and private manufacturers on the amount of Factor VIII concentrate to be bought by regional health authorities.

There are at present two suppliers which have received product licences for Factor VIII. The Department has arranged annual running contracts with these firms, and it is from them that haemophilia centres order their requirements. One contractor obtains supplies from America and the other from Austria.Two other firms have applied or are applying for product licences.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is being done to increase the amount of the Factor VIII drug produced by the blood transfusion service known as cryoprecipitate.

As I told my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Cunningham) on 22nd January, I have authorised the allocation of special finance of up to £500,000, about half of which would be recurring, to increase the existing production of Factor VIII within the National Health Service. The first effect of this will, I hope, be felt by the end of the year.At present, part of the demand for AHG concentrate is being met by imported material, but this is very expensive and, for reasons which I well understand, health authorities feel that they cannot afford to buy as much as they would wish to, given the various claims on their resources.I believe that it is vitally important that the National Health Service should be come self-sufficient as soon as practicable in the production of Factor VIII, including AHG concentrate. This will stop our being dependent on imports and make the best known treatment more readily available to people suffering from haemophilia.—[Vol. 884, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations have been made to her Department about the availability of Factor VIII, produced by the Blood Transfusion Service and private manufacturers.

Representations have been received from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents, and from several directors of haemophilia centres.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will set up a working party into hormone replacement therapy and the general practitioner's rôle in providing this.

No, I do not at present see justification for so doing, but I should be happy to consider any arguments for further study which my hon. Friend may wish to send me.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will introduce legislation to give public health authorities the power to inspect hospital kitchens and prosecute under the same terms as they can prosecute commercial establishments.

Not unless statutory power was shown to be necessary, and I gather that the present arrangements are generally satisfactory. As I told my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton (Mr. Magee) in my reply to him on 19th February, health authorities were told some time ago to encourage environmental health officers to inspect their catering arrangements in all their premises, to allow access when this is requested, and to take prompt action where this is recommended. The Association of Environmental Health Officers has been asked to notify my Department if there are difficulties.—[Vol. 886, c. 435.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has

ENGLAND—HOSPITAL SERVICES (WHOLE TIME EQUIVALENTS)
						1970	1971	1972	1973
Ratio Administrative and Clerical to Medical and Nursing	…	…	…	…	…	1:5·1	1:5·0	1:5·0	1:4·7
NOTES:
(1) Administrative and clerical staff under the purview of the NHS Administrative and Clerical Staff Council in hospitals, regional hospital boards, hospital management committees, boards of governors, mass radiography units and blood transfusion centres.
(2) Medical and nursing staff excluding locums and including midwives.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the estimated numbers receiving free welfare through the family income supplement benefits other than free school meals and supplementary benefit "passport" and by separate application on the

						Passport arrangements
Welfare benefit						Supplementary benefit	Family income supplement	Low income
Welfare foods		…	…	…	…	230,000*	60,000†	15,000†
Dental services‡		…	…	…	…	274,200	6,400	89,400
Optical services‡		…	…	…	…	552,200	3,000	126,100
Wigs‡		…	…	…	…	200	§	300
Fabric supports‡		…	…	…	…	1,800	§	2,300
* Beneficiaries at August 1974.
† Provisional estimate of beneficiaries at November 1974.
‡ Number of payments made by Department during 1974 until 31st October 1974.
§ Included in low income payments, separate figures not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultants were employed in each of the districts within the Cheshire Area Health Authority area at the start of the consultants' work-to-contract; how many were

A				B	C	D	E	F
District				Whole-time consultants	Maximum part-time consultants	Part-time consultants not included under C	Honorary consultants	Vacancies
Chester		…	…	20	6	28	1	0
Crewe		…	…	20	8	13	2	0
Halton		…	…	14	1	8	0	1
Macclesfield		…	…	16	6	14	0	0
Warrington		…	…	18	2	18	1	5
Note: Under B and C are included consultants who may also have been employed in another district or area.

The information in respect of 1970–73 is as below:—grounds of low income; and what are the numbers involved in each category of benefit.

Reliable estimates are not available of the number of persons who have obtained free prescriptions. The following table sets out the information about the other welfare benefits:employed whole-time; how many were employed part-time; and how many posts were vacant.

The number of consultants employed and the number of vacancies in each of the districts in the Cheshire Health Area as at 2nd January 1975 was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many extra consultants and how many extra junior medical staff she estimates would need to be employed in each of the districts within the Cheshire Area Health Authority if the present consultants' work-to-contract were to be continued indefinitely.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reduction there has been in each of the districts within the Cheshire Area Health Authority area in the number of operations performed weekly since the start of the consultants' work-to-contract.

The average number of operations carried out weekly in the last three months of 1974, and in the week ending 16th February 1975, in each of the districts in the Cheshire Health Area were as follows:

District	Weekly average 1st September 1974 to 31st December 1974	Week ending 16th February 1975
Chester	238	212
Crewe	128	67
Halton	—	—
Macclesfield	98	82
Warrington	172	133

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many civil servants were employed by her Department on 1st January 1975 and on the same date in each of the three preceding years.

The figures are as follows:

1st January1975	86,707
1st January 1974	80,940
1st January 1973	76,537
1st January 1972	74,549

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will consider amending the Social Security Act 1973 to provide for an earnings-related percentage contribution for Class 3 non-employed contributors to replace the flat rate contribution of £1·90 per week.

No. A contribution related to earnings could have no application to people without earnings.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what directives have been issued by the Council or Commission of the Common Market concerning manufacture of medicinal products; and what steps she contemplates in order to comply with such directives.

The Council of Ministers of the Community approved in principle on 11th February a draft directive relating to the approximation of legal and administrative requirements relating to the marketing of proprietary medicinal products, which contains provisions relating to manufacture. These require the holding of a manufacturer's authorisation and the observance of minimum conditions designed to safeguard, in the interests of public health, the quality of the proprietary medicinal products that are authorised to be on the markets of the countries concerned.Member states would have 18 months from the date when adoption of the directive is formally notified in which to take any measures necessary to apply it. Practically all the requirements are already satisfied by the existing arrangements in the United Kingdom under the Medicines Act 1968. No decisions have yet been taken with regard to the remainder.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she can estimate the number of persons living in homes for the mentally ill who could leave those homes if more suitable hostel or similar accommodation was available; and if she will make a statement.

No reliable estimates are available. It is recognised that a range of residential accommodation is required, together with appropriate day care facilities and social work support, so that people may be placed according to their individual needs. There are some who may never be able to face the pressures of living independently and who will need long-term care.The question of residential care will be covered more fully in the forthcoming White Paper on Services for the mentally ill.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if it is her intention to publish a White Paper on the question of improved services to meet the needs of the mentally ill; and, if so, when publication can be expected.

Yes, in the early summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the allocation of funds by her Department to the NACRO-LANCE project in Manchester during the coming financial year.

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE—ENGLAND AND WALES
	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968
Administrative and Clerical Staff	46,718	48,016	50,338	52,930	54,684	55,802
Professional and Technical Staff	25,973	27,062	28,440	29,860	31,367	32,384

	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973
Administrative and Clerical Staff	58,191	61,566	64,808	69,027	73,219
Professional and Technical Staff	33,957	35,932	37,594	39,613	41,557
Notes:
1. All figures relate to whole-time equivalents.
2. Administrative and clerical staff under the purview of the NHS Administrative and Clerical Staff Council including staff employed at hospitals, regional hospital boards, hospital management committees, boards of governors, executive councils, mass radiography units, blood transfusion centres joint pricing committees and the Dental Estimates Board.
3. Professional and technical staff employed at hospitals, regional hospital boards, hospital management committees, boards of governors, mass radiography units and blood transfusion centres.
4. Prior to 1970, some specialised grades were included under the purview of the NHS Ancillary Staffs Whitley Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she is satisfied with progress in the implementation of her Department's Circular 37/72, "Homeless Single Persons in Need of Care and Support"; and if she will make a statement.

Since the circular was issued many local authorities have shown an increased awareness of the needs of homeless rootless people and some readiness to assist projects designed to help them. My Department has also made increasing financial contributions to projects in this field. Bearing in mind local authorities' former limited involvement with this group and their present financial problems, this progress is not unsatisfactory.

As in previous years, my Department proposes to pay the central administrative costs of the project in full at a level to be agreed. The Department's revenue contribution will continue to be closely linked to the contributions of the local authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish a table showing the number of administrative staff and technical and professional staff employed by the National Health Service in each year from 1963 onwards to the nearest convenient date.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will take steps to correct the imbalance of the provisions of qualified medical personnel between the regions of the United Kingdom.

I am anxious to see the imbalance corrected. In my letter of 11th February to the consultants I repeated the Government's desire to discuss proposals—originally set out in the offer of a new contract on 20th December—for new remuneration supplements to recognise special efforts to maintain or develop-NHS services, particularly in specialties or geographical areas where understaffing has created special difficulties. Preference is already given to understaffed regions in allocating new consultant posts, and I am reviewing the methods of allocating financial resources to regions to make them more responsive to relative need.For general medical services, statutory responsibility for regulating the distribution of general practitioners rests with the Medical Practices Committee, and there is a system of incentive allowances for under-doctored areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied with present procedure for the appointments of consultants to the National Health Service.

By agreement with the professions' representatives, a large majority of NHS consultant vacancies have since 1955 been advertised on a "whole-time or maximum part-time" basis, successful applicants having the right to opt after appointment between a maximum part-time contract, carrying an entitlement to do private practice, and a whole-time contract, with no private practice entitlement.As I indicated in my letter of 11th February to the consultants' representatives, I am not seeking any change in this agreement provided that the other part of the compromise contained in the 1955 agreement is maintained, namely, that the consultant who opts for private practice undertakes to give to the NHS substantially the whole of his time. This obligation is an essential part of the option agreement, which would cease to meet the needs of the National Health Service if the health authorities could not continue to expect as much from a consultant on a maximum part-time contract as on a whole-time contract.Procedures for advertisement and selection for consultant posts are laid down in the Appointment of Consultant Regulations 1974. I am consulting the professions and other concerned about possible changes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost of raising the £1 disregard allowance to £2.

The cost of raising the present £1 disregard in the supplementary benefit scheme to £2 would be of the order £10 million a year. The Social Security Benefits Bill at present before Parliament provides for a revised and improved system of disregards which it is proposed to bring into operation as soon as praticable after the main uprating of benefits takes place in April.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the new general hospital at present under construction in Eastbourne will contain a radiotherapy unit.

The requirement for radiotherapy services does not justify the inclusion of a special unit in every district general hospital, and none will be included in the development at Eastbourne, whose service will continue to be provided at Brighton.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of elderly persons within the United Kingdom, living outside sheltered accommodation, are in touch with or receiving assistance from the social and welfare services at the latest convenient date for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Information in the form requested is not available. In the 1970–71 general household survey it was estimated that in England and Wales some 10 per cent. of people over age 65 living in their own homes or in sheltered housing were using one or more of the following services: health visiting, home nursing, chiropody, home help, meals on wheels and social work.It is the Government's policy to enable elderly people to live in their own homes for as long as possible, with the support of the domiciliary services where necessary. My Department is considering ways in which these services might be more effectively deployed in order to make the best use of the resources available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue instructions to enable current family allowance books to be used after the new rates of family allowances are effective merely by permitting the Post Office to overstamp the new rate, in order to reduce postage and labour costs.

No. Overstamping these books is the proper responsibility of my Department and is now almost completed. It would not be appropriate for the Post Office to change the rates shown on order books because, for example, of exceptional cases which require special treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in the United Kingdom have byssinosis.

The figures available relate to diagnoses in Great Britain in connection with claims to industrial injury disablement benefit. The latest available figure shows that 3,210 people were receiving benefit on 30th September 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many widows forfeited their pension in 1974 because of the operation of the cohabitation rule.

I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind national insurance and industrial injuries widows' pensions. There were 1,023 forfeitures of the former and 58 of the latter in 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women were refused supplementary benefit in 1974 because of the operation of the cohabitation rule; and from how many benefit granted was subsequently withdrawn because of this rule.

It is estimated that benefit was refused in about 2,700 cases and withdrawn in about 5,300 cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will introduce a scheme to meet the whole or part of the cost incurred by disabled persons in having a motor car adapted to their use, such as by the introduction of hand controls.

Contributions towards the cost of converting cars from foot to hand controls were discontinued in 1972, when the £100 per annum private car allowance was introduced as a contribution towards disabled drivers' general motoring costs, and we have no plans to restore them. Our priority is the new mobility allowance, which will bring help to a much wider range of disabled people than at present and be usable in whatever way best suits each individual's needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish a full list of all safety tests, including handling tests, impact tests and noise level tests, as carried out by her Department other than the formal reports commissioned from the Motor Industry Research Association, in respect of the following tricycles, respectively, Model 57 (A.C.), Model 59 (Tippen), Model 66 (Invacar), Model 67 (A.C.), Model 70 (A.C.) and Invacar.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Arundel (Mr. Marshall) on 30th January.—[Vol. 885, c. 297–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she expects the Joint Contracts Tribunal to publish the necessary contracts clause for use with the standard form of building contract, as envisaged in paragraph 1.03 of "A Guide to the Practical Application of the Formulae" published by NEDO in 1974.

This is a matter for the tribunal. I am informed by the secretary that it hopes that publication of the new clauses and related material will take place about the end of April.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated number of widows with children in receipt of supplementary benefit at the latest convenient date, and the estimated annual cost of these payments.

On the basis of a provisional estimate of the position as at November 1974, about 20,000, at an annual cost of about £5 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many retirement pensions have been granted to Ugandan Asians or Indian nationals who are now living in this country but who have not paid the necessary yearly average of contributions under the national insurance, widows' benefit and retirement pension regulations.

National insurance retirement and widows' pensions are not payable if the necessary contribution conditions are not satisfied. If the hon. Member has in mind the number of supplementary pensions payable to the people he mentions, I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she has any plans to provide earnings-related pensions for the self-employed.

The Government are in favour of earnings-related benefits in return for earnings-related contributions for the self-employed as well as for other earners, but practical difficulties have so far ruled this out under successive Governments. I am about to present a Bill, based on the White Paper "Better Pensions", which will provide earnings-related pensions for employees. Accordingly I now propose to commence a detailed re-examination of the problems involved in establishing for the self-employed a system of earnings-related pensions with corresponding contribution rates. When all the possibilities have been examined I shall present my conclusions to the House along with any proposals for further legislation on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will initiate an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the condition of Mrs. Price of Pound Lane, Laindon.

I am obtaining details about this matter and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is now in a position to make a statement on services for the mentally handicapped.

We have considered whether it would speed progress in the mental handicap services to make radical changes in their organisation. In particular, careful consideration has been given to the possibility of a national service for the mentally handicapped which would bring together present hospital services with those of local authorities, including their educational activities, which would be financed by central Government and would operate with a social service and not a sickness service emphasis. We are in no doubt that a social and educational emphasis is right. However, we are also satisfied that at present further reorganisation would create more problems than it would solve. We have also considered whether overall progress could be speeded up by transferring existing mental handicap hospitals, or at least their residential and training facilities, to local authority social services departments. But again this would throw up great problems of strain on social services departments, new—and undoubtedly unpopular—burdens on the ratepayers, and probably a serious effect on the morale on the very large numbers of existing hospital staff who would be affected by the transfer.We have concluded, therefore, that the right course for the present is to reaffirm the philosophy and general approach of the 1971 White Paper "Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped", with health and local authorities continuing to share responsibility for mental handicap services. Now that reorganisation has been carried through both sets of authorities can and should use to the full the new machinery for co-ordination which has been established between them.We have, however, also decided to take a series of measures designed to stimulate changes in attitudes, to put us in a strong position to pursue the objectives of the White Paper and also to work out solutions to the outstanding problems to which the White Paper provided only interim answer, for example, on the balance between hospital and community care.First, I propose to establish a National Development Group for the Mentally Handicapped

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to bring in the designation order applying the new standards of the Fire Precautions Act 1972 to residential homes for the elderly.

We shall await the report of the committee of inquiry into the fire at the Fairfield Old People's Home last December.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he set up the steering committee to consider the feasibility of an experiment in the tape recording of police interrogations; how many meetings it has had; and whether he will name the members of that committee.

Nominations to the steering committee had all been received by the end of last October. The process of appointing the committee was completed in January this year, and the first meeting will take place shortly. The membership of the committee is as follows:

• Mr. A. D. Gordon-Brown (Chairman), Home Office.
• Mr. J. Marriage, QC, Bar Council.
• Mr. J. D. Clarke, Law Society.
• Mr. D. H. Kidner, Clerk to the Justices, Coventry, Justices' Clerks' Society.
• Mr. W. J. Richards, CBE, QPM, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, Association of Chief Police Officers.
• Mr. C. H. Cooksley, CBE, QPM, DL, Chief Constable of Northumbria, Association of Chief Police Officers.
• Mr. C. P. J. Woods, CBE, Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police, Association of Chief Police Officers.
• Mr. F. J. McLaren, Chief Probation Officer, Northumbria.
• Mr. K. Dowling, Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
• Mr. C. Jones, Lord Chancellor's Office.
• Miss E. M. Chadwell, Home Office.
• Mr. D. J. Belfall (Secretary), Home Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are in open prisons in the United Kingdom in 1975; and what were the numbers in 1974, 1973, 1972, and 1971, respectively.

On 31st January 1975 there were 3,047 prisoners in open prisons in England. The equivalent numbers in earlier years were:

31st January 1974	3,225
31st January 1973	3,567
31st January 1972	3,673
31st January 1971	3,877

There are no open prisons in Wales, and responsibility for prisons elsewhere in the United Kingdom rests with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners spent some time in an open prison before being released, in 1974, 1973, 1972 and 1971, respectively.