asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will tabulate the extra public sector personnel required by legislation passed between June 1970 and February 1974, and compare the total with the total employed in June 1970, giving the increase as a percentage of that total; and if he will give comparable figures in respect of legislation passed since 1st March 1974, including that currently before Parliament, and making a similar comparison with the total employed in March 1974.

Central records of the information requested are not available, though a broad analysis of public sector employment is given in the publication Economic Trends. The estimated effect of legislation is given in the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum to each Bill. For Civil Service manpower, which is my responsibility, the total staff in post figures on the dates in question were 702,000 on 1st July 1970, 697,000 on 1st March 1974 and 694,000 on 1st January 1975 the latest date for which staff in post figures are available. The provision for 1st April 1975 in the Estimates for 1975–76 was 706,000. Details about other parts of the public sector are a matter for the Ministers concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of rape have been reported in each of the last five years.

The number of offences of rape and attempted rape recorded as known to the police in England and Wales in the last five years is as follows:

1970	884
1971	784
1972	893
1973	998
1974	1,052

The available statistics do not distinguish offences of rape from those of attempted rape.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been tried for the crime of rape in each of the past five years; and what was the number convicted.

Figures for 1974 are not yet available. The following table shows for juveniles and for adults—the numbers proceeded against and the numbers found guilty in England and Wales:

	Magistrates' Courts*
	Proceeded against	Persons found guilty
1969	32	24
1970	31	13
1971	29	14
1972	34	20
1973	30	14

	Crown Court
	Persons for trial	Persons found guilty
1969	294	204
1970	362	292
1971	358	255
1972	359	261
1973	433	317
* All those found guilty in magistrates' courts were under 17, although some persons over 17 were proceeded against in magistrates' courts and had their charges withdrawn.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has of women not reporting rape.

I know of no reliable evidence about this occurring in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with other countries on problems connected with the law relating to rape.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to exclude a man's belief on irresponsible grounds as a defence in cases of alleged rape.

I am studying the House of Lords judgment which my hon. Friend has in mind. I must ask him to await the outcome of that study.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will conduct a review of the law as it relates to rape; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are committed to a programme of modernizing and codifying the criminal law, of which a review of the law on sexual offences will form an important part.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how far the municipalisation programme was overspent for the year 1974–75, over and above the provision made by the Chancellor in his March 1974 Budget.

A precise figure on such expenditure in 1974–75 is not yet available, but I estimate that it may have exceeded the original figure by £45 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further discussions he has had with the Greater London Council on its policy of municipalising privately rented property.

I have had no meetings concerning the nature of the GLC's municipalisation programme; but it has attended two meetings, including that with the local authority associations last Monday, at which the level of expenditure under this heading formed part of the discussion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of short-term implications for public expenditure of the Community Land Bill.

The level of expenditure for the first years will be considered in the light of discussions to be held with authorities about the implementation of the scheme, and in the light of the national economic situation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many dwellings have been constructed with high alumina cement in the United Kingdom.

The latest information I have is that in England and Wales over 61,100 dwellings, contained in some 13,300 buildings, have been identified as containing high alumina cement concrete.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of building bricks in store.

The Department's provisional figure for stocks of bricks at the end of March 1975 is 926 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with regard to the introduction of heavy lorry routes; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he is likely to reach a consclusion on the question of lorry routes.

My right hon. Friend is considering the very full response to his consultation paper on routes for heavy lorries. He hopes to reach conclusions later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been spent by the Property Services Agency on energy conservation projects since the publication of the NEDO report; what further projects are in hand; and what is the estimated saving in fuel consumption to date.

The relevant information in the NEDO report was compiled in mid–1974. Since then the Property Services Agency has installed optimum start controls in a further 800 buildings at a cost of some £400,000. This should save fuel worth a further £270,000 a year at current prices. Total fuel savings on PSA Votes in 1974–75 were worth £4 million.The agency is now undertaking a further programme which includes improved heating economy control equipment, more thermal insulation, draught proofing and training for staff who operate and maintain heating equipment. This will cost £5 million a year for the next five years in the civil and defence estates. When complete it should save over £20 million a year at current fuel prices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is now the total number of persons directly employed by each of the local authorities in England and Wales; and how this compares with the same date last year.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to expedite the publication of the figures relating to the numbers employed in local government in 1975.

Yes. We shall publish these figures as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has yet concluded his discussion with the interested authorities on the Dobry Report; and if he will now circularise local authorities urging them to take action.

I have not yet completed my consultations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he proposes to take to curb the rate of increase in the amount of subsidy paid to public transport.

I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's answer on Wednesday 16th April to the hon. Member for Oswestry (Mr. Biffen).—[Vol. 890, c. 100–1]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many individuals have bought the right under the Road Traffic Act 1972 (Section 144) to drive vehicles on public roads without insurance.

Section 144 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 provides that persons, or bodies of persons, who deposit £15,000 with the Accountant General of the Supreme Court may use motor vehicles on a road without insurance against liabilities for personal injury to third parties. There are eight depositors. I would also refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Tonbridge and Mailing (Mr. Stanley) on Thursday 27th March 1975.—[Vol. 889, c. 262.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to announce plans for the improvement of rural transport.

The prime responsibility in this rests with the county councils. Circular 43/75 makes clear that, in considering their submissions this year for transport supplementary grant, my right hon. Friend will give relatively high priority to proposals to provide or maintain minimum public transport services in the less densely populated areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated cost of building a three-bedroomed council house in Southern England, on the latest available information.

The estimated average cost, including land, will be about £12,500 for two-storey, five-bedspace houses completed during 1975 for authorities, other than the GLC, in the South-East Region.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, to avoid the desecration of country and town by old disused cars, he will seek to reimburse the last year's taxation payment to car owners who provide a certificate showing that they have surrendered their car at a local authority breaking-up yard; and if he will make a statement.

To scatter the countryside and towns with disused cars is anti-social. It is also illegal. But the proposed concession would cost up to £40 million a year and would not be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Government's policy in relation to the mortgage interest rate for borrowers.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has to report on the formation of the local authority consultative council to consider expenditure on local government services.

I shall be meeting representatives of the local authority associations and the GLC on 12th May to discuss the formal arrangements and procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the classes of employees of local authorities who are permitted to serve as elected representatives on local councils or as co-opted members of local authority committees.

The position at the moment is that a local authority employee is entitled to serve as a member of the council or of a committee of any local authority other than that by which he is employed. Otherwise he is disqualified from service save that special provisions apply to teachers and persons otherwise employed in educational establishments maintained or assisted by a local education authority; they are entitled to be co-opted on to any committee of that authority dealing with functions connected with education, libraries and museums.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the provision of housing for disabled people; what steps he is taking; and if he will make a statement..

It was because of my dissatisfaction with the amount of housing suitable for disabled people actually being provided that I followed up my circular issued 12 months ago by announcing a new drive earlier this year. The Department's regional officers are in touch with local authorities throughout England in pursuit of this objective. I intend to make a full statement when the range of initiatives I set out have had time to have effect. I welcome this opportunity of emphasising the importance I attach to rapid progress in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what accommodation has been made available to those who have lost their homes in Cyprus.

Help is available to homeless refugees in the same way as to other homeless people. Local authorities in the Greater London area, where most of the refugees from Cyprus have arrived, have been able to provide accommodation for a number of them on this basis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek specify details of the "modest real contribution to housing costs in 1976–77" which rents must make, announced by the Chief Secretary in the Budget debate.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Mid-Oxon (Mr. Hurd) today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the increasing shortage of accommodation for students; and if he will encourage the Housing Corporation to foster the development of housing associations for student communities.

While primary responsibility for student accommodation as such rests with the Department of Education and Science I have asked my officials, in consultation with it, to identify places where the shortage of student accommodation aggravates the general housing shortage. In such situations housing associations schemes for single young people, including students, will be considered for grant. Local authorities, too, may, and I hope will, provide such accommodation as part of their general housing programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had during the current year with the Jockey Club and the Horserace Betting Levy Board concerning the problems facing the racing industry; and if he will make a statement.

I am frequently in touch with representatives of the horse racing industry, both within and outside the Jockey Club, about problems which it faces.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to prevent persons who have been convicted of drug or drink offences from serving as drivers or guards on trains.

No. This is a matter for the appropriate railway management to decide, since they, and not the Government, are responsible for the safety and efficiency of their undertakings and for the terms of service of their employees.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has now reached any decision concerning the programme for the eradication of Japanese seaweed; and if he will make a statement.

There is no evidence as yet that this weed is causing serious damage. I am advised, however, that it could become a threat and that research into possible means of eradication is desirable. I propose, therefore, to commission a research programme, and discussions are proceeding with Portsmouth Polytechnic. I hope the work can start next month. In the meantime, hand picking to contain the weed should continue, and my Department's officials are getting in touch with the local working party about this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from district council and other local authorities on schemes which protect the landlord's ability to regain letted accommodation.

No representations have been received on this subject. However, I am examining the scope for local authorities to take leases of private property with a guarantee to the landlord of vacant possession on due notice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the reduction in loan transfer for modernising local authority dwellings under Section 105 of the Housing Act 1974.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier today to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight (Mr. Ross).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what decision he has reached on the application from the London borough of Lewisham for subsidy approval for its proposed purchase of properties in Coniston Road, Bromley.

Approval for the purchase of the properties for subsidy purposes was given on 24th April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of housing associations registered since 1st April under the new housing legislation; how many applications for registration have been rejected; if reasons will be divulged for non-registration; and if he will make a statement.

Fifty-two housing associations have so far been registered with the Housing Corporation, 24 of them since 1st April. Two applications have been rejected. If housing associations ask why registration has been refused they will normally be given an explanation, but there could be cases where the corporation would conclude that there were overwhelming objections to disclosure of its reasons. The statutory responsibility for advising the Housing Corporation on registration rests with the Housing Associations Registration Advisory Committee appointed under Section 14 of the Housing Act 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the paper sacks provided by local authorities for the collection of refuse is made from waste paper.

I understand from the Paper and Sack Development Association, whose members produce the vast majority of paper sacks in this country, that the proportion is approximately 50 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce amending legislation to reduce the rating burden of recognised charities, in view of the House of Lords Appeal decision in the case of Oxfam v. Birmingham District Council.

Not at present. But I am quite ready to consider the matter in the context of legislation on local government finance following the report of he Layfield Committee. In the meantime. I am advised that Section 40(5) of the General Rate Act 1967 enables rating authorities, at their discretion, to grant rate relief in the relevant circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects work on Prospect Road, Hythe, to commence.

Not before the spring of 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government will make a further contribution to European Architectural Heritage Year by instituting a full study into the effects on historic buildings of traffic vibration; what information is currently available to the Government on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

A fair amount is know about the effects of vibration from traffic and other sources on buildings in general, but there have so far been virtually no studies concentrated upon historic buildings as such. My Department is, however, currently negotiating an extra-mural research contract on this latter topic.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, before the issue of licences for night motor rallies to he held in the countryside, he will take steps to consult in advance the area affected.

The RAC, acting as the Secretary of State's agents, must notify appropriate police forces before authorising any rally, and organisers normally give advance notice to residents on the route. The Motor Rallies Advisory Committee will be meeting shortly to consider possible improvements to the control system.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the light of his energy saving policy, he will reconsider his policy of continuing to grant licences for night car rallies.

No. Participants in rallies are already subject to the same measures designed to save petrol as any other driver.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) under what provisions the fund was set up which made available a grant to build an adventure children's playground adjoining the Amesbury high-rise block; and if he will confirm that all local authorities are eligible for grants for similar purposes;(2) from what funds the grant was made available by his Department for the building of the adventure playground adjoining the Amesbury high-rise block.

The GLC's Amesbury tower in Lambeth was provided with a children's play space by Wandsworth London Borough Council on adjacent land owned by that council. Subsidy for the play space was granted under the arrangements outlined in Circular 79/72. These arrangements do not cover adventure playgrounds, which are, however, often included in the wide range of projects on which local authorities apply for grant aid under the urban aid programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning applications have been approved as a result of appeal in each of the last 10 years; and how many of these approvals included residential development.

Following is the information requested:

Year	Number of planning appeals allowed	Number allowed concerning residential development
1964	2,001	954
1965	1,763	842
1966	1,982	845
1967	1,974	815
1968	1,778	672
1969	1,901	797
1970	1,578	690
1971	1,311	507
1972	1,539	642
1973	2,504	1,344
1974	2,844	1,505
TOTALS	21,175	9,613

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take further steps to encourage more use of public transport.

The Government's continuing commitment to public transport is reflected in their support for experimentation and research in this area and in the increase in expenditure on public transport as a proportion of total surface transport expenditure over the next five years forecast in the White Paper on Public Expenditure published last January. At local level the key lies in the policies adopted by local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent goods traffic is being diverted from roads to railways; and whether he will set up an inquiry to consider what action should be taken to assist this diversion.

In the 1974 Railways Act I introduced a new support system for railways and grants towards the provision of private siding and related equipment. These will provide incentives to transfer suitable freight to rail, but it is too early to estimate their effect. I do not believe an inquiry is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to fund capital improvements or additions to commercial waterways traversed by public or privately owned cargo or passenger carrying craft in the same manner as capital for roads; and if he will give the reasons why these forms of common track are not financed in the same manner at present.

No. The method of financing investment in different forms of transport must depend partly on the way in which users are charged. Road users cannot generally be charged directly; only via taxation. Canal users do not pay equivalent taxes, but they can and do contribute directly, in tolls, to the cost of the facilities they use. The Government contribute, in grants, some 70 per cent. of the costs of the British Waterways Board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those sections of the M18 which he expects will be completed and open for traffic by New Year's morning 1976.

The sections of the M18 between the M1 and the A1 and between Hatfield and Thorne are already open to traffic. The section between Thorne and East Cowick is also expected to be open to traffic before New Year 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received the report of the Working Party on the Transfer of Rented Housing in New Towns.

I have received the report, which will be published tomorrow. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. I shall be circulating copies to those who seem likely to be interested, and I shall be discussing it, in particular, with the New Towns Association, the appropriate local authority associations and staff representatives.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the receipts of Welsh and English farmers, respectively, were accounted for by cereals.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the trend of egg imports based upon the latest available evidence; what further representations he has received concerning the subsidies affecting these imports; what action he proposes; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Helens (Mr. Spriggs) on 6th May.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any proposals for legislation to give security of tenure to the near relatives of deceased agricultural tenants in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

As I told my hon. Friend the Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Roderick) in a written reply on 7th March—[Vol. 887, c. 531]—this is under con- sideration at the present time. It was a previous Labour Government who gave security of tenure in 1968 to the immediate relatives of deceased tenant farmers in Scotland. An undertaking to give further attention to the possible extension to England and Wales of rights of family succession of tenant farmers on the Scottish pattern was included in Labour's programme for Britain 1973. We have now started consultations with the representatives of the agricultural industry and the professional bodies concerned.These are complex matters. For example, the essential issues concern the relationship in law between landlord and tenant and that of securing a balance of adequate safeguards for the interests of each. Again, any changes in this area have implications for the long-term structure of the industry which also have to be considered. I must emphasise that no conclusions have been reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many community development projects have taken place in Scotland; and if he will make a statement on them.

One, located in the Ferguslie Park district of Paisley. The project is operated by Paisley Town Council and assisted by a 75 per cent. Exchequer grant under the urban programme. It came into effective operation in January 1973 with the aim of assessing the needs of the locality and encouraging local residents to take some initiative themselves towards resolving local problems. The project team works in conjunction with a research team from Glasgow University. Progress so far includes the establishment of a community newspaper produced by the residents themselves, an information and action centre partly staffed by local residents, and the development of neighbourhood groups concentrating on and developing different aspects of community life.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will next be meeting the Chairman of the British Steel Corporation.

I have no early plans to meet the Chairman of the British Steel Corporation in the near future. My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scottish Office, attended the tripartite discussions in relation to Scotland on 17th and 18th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the paper sacks used by Scottish local authorities for the collection of refuse is made from waste paper.

This information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Armed Forces are trained to a level sufficient to merit being classified as "skilled manual" in civilian life.

The term "skilled manual" is not easily applied to Service tradesmen, who are often trained for jobs which have no exact counterpart in civilian life. By agreement some trades unions and professional bodies recognise Service men with certain technical qualifications as eligible for admission on leaving the Armed Forces. About 54,000 Service men have such qualifications.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate for defence expenditure for the current financial year, together with the actual outturn for the year 1974–75 and the broad planning estimate for the year 1976–77.

I would refer the hon. Member to Table 1A of the Memorandum by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Cmnd. 6009). The figure for 1976–77 has since been reduced by £110 million at 1974 Survey prices, as announced in the Budget Statement of 15th April.—[Vol 890, c. 295.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now consider publishing statistics of flying accidents in the three Services.

Yes. For the calendar year 1974, the military flying accident rates per 10,000 flying hours, together with the total assessed costs, were as follows:

	Accident rate (Per 10,000 Assessed flying hours)	Assessed cost £ million
Royal Navy	1·48	3·57
Army	0·40	0·27
Royal Air Force	0·32	12·9

The differing rates between the three Services reflect the different types of flying and aircraft involved. In particular, the figures for the Royal Navy reflect the short duration of most of the flights, and the higher risk of accidents occurring over water resulting in the loss of, or major damage to, the aircraft.For this purpose an accident is defined as an occurrence where the aircraft is missing, destroyed, damaged beyond repair or is not repairable on site.It is our intention in the future to publish an annual table of accident rates similar to that for 1974 given above.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated difference in cost in maintaining a British battalion and a Gurkha battalion in Hong Kong; and what are the reasons for any difference in cost.

The estimated difference is about £2½ million a year and is due principally to higher costs of pay and allowances for the British battalion.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about recent scientific developments which would make the manufacture of materials for the construction of atomic weapons cheaper and more simple and in particular about techniques involving the use of laser beams; and if he will make a statement.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th May 1975; Vol. 891, c. 342], gave the following information:Developments of this nature are of potential significance in the future and we are watching them closely.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the forecasts of the National Advisory Council on the Training and Supply of Teachers of the numbers of teachers that would be needed in 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1980.

I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the numbers of teachers in maintained schools in 1960, 1965 and 1970; and what is his forecast for 1980.

The number of qualified teachers, full-time and full-time equivalent of part-time, in the maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England and Wales at 31st March in each year was:

1960	268,000
1965	292,000
1970	347,000

The Government are planning for a teaching force of 480,000–490,000 by 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and

ANNUAL PERCENTAGE INCREASE† IN HOURLY WAGE RATES IN MANUFACTURING
				1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
United Kingdom	…	…	…	12·7	11·2	14·0	12·3	24·1
Germany	…	…	…	15·7	8·1	7·6	10·2	12·3
Netherlands*	…	…	…	12·1	14·2	12·4	15·0	19·1
* Adults only, aged 23 to 64 years.
† December to December; for Germany, fourth quarter to fourth quarter.
Sources:
United Kingdom—Department of Employment
Germany—Main Economic Indicators, OECD.
Netherlands—Bulletin of Labour Statistics, International Labour Office.

I am considering the arrangements for parental contributions in the current review of student grant rates for the academic year 1975–76.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the performance of Welsh national teams in sports and athletics.

I am very pleased by the generally high standard of performance of Welsh sportsmen and women in international competition.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the percentage wage rise for 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974 in Great Britain; and what was the percentage wage rise for each of those years in West Germany and Holland.

The table below gives the annual percentage increase in hourly wage rates in manufacturing industries in the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands for each year from 1970 to 1974

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the amount of income taken (a) in income tax and surtax, (b) in national insurance contritions, and (c) in all reductions, from (1) a single person, (2) a married couple, (3) a married couple with two children aged under 11 years, (4) a married couple with four children, two aged under 11 years, and two over 11 years, earnings £750 a year in 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960 and each year since 1964; and if these sums could also be expressed at 1945 prices;(2) what was the amount of income taken

I have written to my hon. Friend.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what authority VAT is being charged on British Rail passes for the elderly designed to allow them reduced fares when fares generally are zero rated.

I am reviewing the position and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the weight of a balloon to be taken into account in deciding whether or not it is liable to the higher rate of VAT is that of the balloon deflated or inflated.

Balloons are usually designed for use for recreation or pleasure and, as such, are chargeable at the higher rate of VAT, irrespective of their weight.The weight of any other balloon would be taken to relate to the maximum load of the balloon, derived in accordance with the provisions of its certificate of airworthiness.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give such information as he has showing the lending by building societies in England and Wales in each year since 1965, together with corresponding figures for revenue including investment by depositors and repayments of interest and capital.

Information about the lending and revenue of building societies in England and Wales is readily available only for the years 1966 to 1973 and no figures of interest received from borrowers are available. The following is the information:

year	Lending by building societies in England and Wales (£ million approx.)	Investment by depositors in England and Wales, excluding interest credited to accounts (£ million approx.)	Repayment of principal by borrowers in England and Wales (£ million approx.)
1966	1,184	559	549
1967	1,402	900	623
1968	1,507	538	691
1969	1,466	610	734
1970	1,916	1,114	887
1971	2,609	1,569	1,100
1972	3,461	1,661	1,218
1973	3,319	1,379	1,454

asked the Attorney-General how many staff are currently serving as clerks to supplementary benefit tribunals, national insurance local tribunals, industrial tribunals, and magistrates' courts, respectively.

I have been asked to reply.There are 120 supplementary benefit appeal tribunals, which are served by 28 full-time clerks; a further 20 officers are designated as reserve clerks and are employed as clerks when the necessity arises.Each national insurance local tribunal, of which there are 189, is served by a part-time clerk.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will provide an allowance for those sufferers from agoraphobia who are unable to travel by public transport, so as to enable them to be mobile through operating their own transport.

We have no plans for introducing any special allowance to meet this particular type of case. In so far as my hon. and learned Friend may have in mind the proposed mobility allowance, there is nothing that I can usefully add to the reply I gave him on 27th March.—[Vol. 889, c. 275–6] My hon. and learned Friend will be aware that, under the provisions of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 and the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, local authorities have powers and duties to assist mentally ill people in a variety of ways, some of which may be of benefit to those suffering from agoraphobia.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the cost of a mobile chest X-ray unit on a capital basis and on a revenue basis.

A current estimate of the initial capital cost of a mobile unit is £35,000. Revenue costs for individual units are not available, but the total revenue expenditure, excluding the costs of medical staff, in England in the year ended 31st March 1974 on mass radiography provided from 43 mobile units and 36 static units was £827,509.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many abortions between 20 and 23 weeks after conception were carried out in NHS hospitals in the years 1972, 1973 and 1974, respectively;(2) how many abortions between 16 and 20 weeks after conception were carried out in NHS hospitals in the years 1972, 1973 and 1974, respectively;(3) how many abortions over 23 weeks after conception were carried out in NHS hospitals in the years 1972, 1973 and 1974, respectively.

Abortions carried out in NHS hospitals of England and Wales on women resident in those countries were as follows:

	Stated weeks of gestation
	16–19	20–23	24 and over
1972	3,000	484	97
1973	2,653	487	91
1974	Not available

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions were carried out on mothers 16 or more weeks pregnant, during the year 1974, under the National Health Service.

I regret that data for 1974 are not yet available in this form.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortions were carried out within the National Health Service in 1974.

55,859 notifications of legal abortions were received from NHS hospitals in England and Wales in 52 weeks ending 1st January 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list in the Official Report the 36 parliamentary constituencies in Wales in order, according to the number of self-employed persons in each as revealed by the 1971 census; and if she will give the figure for each of these constituencies.

According to a 10 per cent. sample from the 1971 census the estimated number and percentage of self-employed persons in each of the 36 parliamentary constituencies in Wales listed in order according to the number, were as follows. The figures exclude 290 self-employed persons in Wales who gave an inadequate description of their industry and whose distribution between parliamentary constituencies has not been analysed.

Parliamentary Constituency	Number of self-employed persons aged 15 and over	Percentage of self-employed persons in the population in employment aged 15 and over
Carmarthen	7,760	25·9
Pembroke	7,550	20·4
Denbigh	6,060	20·5
Cardigan	6,010	30·1
Brecon and Radnor	5,840	19·4
Monmouth	4,840	11·4
Montgomery	4,780	27·3
Flint, West	4,140	13·7
Caernarvon	3,900	20·7
Anglesey	3,650	16·7
Conway	3,400	13·7
Flint, East	3,290	8·4
Barry	3,110	7·9
Wrexham	2,960	7·2
Swansea, West	2,940	8·3
Pontypridd	2,900	7·2
Llanelli	2,830	8·3
Merioneth	2,810	21·7
Gower	2,790	9·3
Ogmore	2,440	6·5
Newport	2,350	5·0
Caerphilly	2,250	7·4
Cardiff, West	2,060	6·4
Aberavon	1,960	5·6
Rhondda	1,800	5·3
Swansea, East	1,720	5·0
Pontypool	1,700	5·5
Cardiff. South-East	1,700	4·7
Bedwellty	1,620	5·9
Cardiff, North	1,610	7·0
Cardiff, North-West	1,610	6·1
Neath	1,590	5·6
Abertillery	1,230	6·3
Aberdare	1,200	4·7
Merthyr Tydfil	1,040	4·8
Ebbw Vale	860	4·4

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what additional revenue is expected in a full year from the abolition of low-rate national insurance contributions for those in full-time work under 18 years of age and its replacement by the new full contribution rate; and how many teenagers in full-time employment are affected by this measure.

On the assumption that 850,000 boys and girls under 18 will be liable for national insurance contributions in 1975–76 the additional yield from the contributions payable by them and by their employers, compared with what might have been expected had the flat-rate contribution system not been replaced, is estimated at about £50 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her latest estimate of the number of children, the number of adults aged 16 to 65 years, and the number of adults aged 65 years plus, respectively, who use a wheelchair; and how many in each group are confined to a wheelchair.

The information in the form requested is not available. The general situation is that a significant number of wheelchair users are over 65 years of age and that only a minority of users are absolutely confined to a wheelchair. I am hopeful that an analysis of some recent statistics will be of help to my hon. Friend and I will write to him as soon as the necessary work has been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will reconsider her decision not to fund the development of the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre site, in view of the potential dangers to cancer sufferers in the Birmingham area resulting from the lack of radiotherapy facilities there.

To date, additional radiotherapy facilities have been planned as an integral part of a major development of the Queen Elizabeth site. It is not possible to include this development in this year's capital programme, and the prospects of financing it within the next few years are poor. The health authorities are now considering ways of providing the radiotherapy facilities as a separate scheme, but it is too early to forecast a likely starting date.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which categories of, and how many, disabled people would not be able to use the adapted mini-car which is at present supplied for war-disabled persons.

The main categories are people who, because of arthritis or spondilitis, cannot bend sufficiently to get into adapted production cars, and people who, because of limited ability to move their arms, need special steering controls. The numbers could not be firmly estimated without comprehensive testing. They are certainly a minority, but a substantial one.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what date she received knowledge of the overturning of an invalid tricycle at the time of tests being conducted by MIRA.

The incident occurred on 4th September 1973, the day before the wind gust test. As I said in reply to my hon. Friends the Members for Dearne Valley (Mr. Wainwright) and Eccles (Mr. Carter-Jones) on 29th April—[Vol. 891, c. 86–7.]—the vehicle which overturned was being reversed by a member of the association's staff who was not familiar with tiller or handlebar steering. My Department was informed of the incident immediately, before the wind gust test, and we were subsequently shown the driver's account of the incident. I know the hon. Gentleman will be pleased to learn that reports of the vehicle having overturned during testing are unfounded.I have now placed in the Library a copy of the report on the wind gust test, from which all commercially confidential information has been deleted by the Director of MIRA. It was on his advice. given because other makes of vehicles were involved in the tests, that earlier information about the test was limited to the synopsis placed in the Library on 25th March 1974. As soon as the present fuller report became available I made immediate arrangements for it to be placed in the Library. I think hon. Members who read it will agree that the main points in the report had been fairly brought out in the synopsis.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if, in connection with the support arrangements for the Burmah Oil Company, he will detail the Government's conditions for the deal and state if it was open to Burmah shareholders or for foreign banking interests to buy BP shares.

The Government have agreed to indemnify the Bank of England against any losses the bank may incur as a result of the support which the bank has undertaken to provide to the company. Initially, Burmah's unpledged holdings in BP were to be charged to the bank as security but subsequently the company approached the bank for substantial further assistance and in the time available the urgent requirements of the company could be met only by the sale of the BP holding to the Bank of England.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the newspapers available in reading rooms attached to United Kingdom Embassies, consulates and other missions abroad.

The daily and Sunday newspapers available in reading rooms attached to United Kingdom Diplomatic Service posts are selected, within prescribed quotas, by the heads of these posts according to local requirements. The titles supplied include the following:

• Birmingham Post
• Daily Express
• Daily Mail
• Daily Mirror
• Daily Telegraph
• Financial Times
• The Guardian
• The Observer
• The Scotsman
• The Sun
• Sunday Express
• Sunday People
• Sunday Telegraph
• Sunday Times
• The Times
• Western Mail
• Yorkshire Post.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the companies which have been taken into public ownership by the six original members of the EEC since the Common Market was formed.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22nd April; Vol. 890, c 273], gave the following answer:The information cannot be presented fully within a reasonable space and is not available in complete detail for all the countries concerned, but the following is a summary of the main points.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection, for every £1 spent in the shops on food, how much goes to British farmers, to imported foodstuffs, and to wholesaling, processing, transport and retailing, respectively.

The average £1 spent by the consumer on food can be approximately apportioned as follows:

Home production (farmgate)	25p
Imported foodstuffs (shipside)	21p
Processing and distribution (including transport and taxes)	54p

It is not possible to divide the amount for processing and distribution further.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she is satisfied that the public are adequately protected against misleading claims made by finance houses offering loans on second mortgage, and with the extent to which those offering such loans are required to inform their borrowers of unreasonable rises in their interest liabilities.

The Consumer Credit Act, when fully effective, should provide all necessary protection in such matters. In drawing up regulations to implement the Act, I am ready to consider any point that my hon. Friend cares to bring to my attention.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he is satisfied with the operation of the Development of Tourism Act 1969.

The Act is an instrument by which Government assists the development of tourism to, and within, Great Britain, and as such I am for the present satisfied with the way it is working.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what estimate he has as to the effect upon the export trade of a diminution in production of small boats in Great Britain, following the new rate of VAT.

The increase in VAT does not apply to exports. No estimate is available of the indirect effects of the increase in the tax rate on the exports of small boats but any estimate would need to take into account a number of factors, including the state of overseas demand and the relative price competitiveness of our small boats, as well as the state of domestic production.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what safeguards have been introduced regarding the carrying of dangerous chemicals or gases following the accident on the "Asia-freighter".

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether his inspector has completed his inquiries into the leakage of toxic gas on the "Asiafreighter"; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. My inspector's report shows that although the two cylinders of arsine gas bore poison labels and were properly notified as dangerous cargo to the forwarding company in the USA, that company and its agents allowed the cylinders to be loaded into an unmarked container and gave no notice to the Master of the "Asia-freighter" of the presence of this dangerous cargo, which was then stowed in an inaccessible position below deck. Investigations undertaken by the United States authorities confirm these findings.When the container was opened in the presence of my inspector, the two cylinders were found to be lying loose and the walls of the container were seen to have suffered damage consistent with buffeting by the cylinders. The evidence suggests that the cylinders were originally laid on a wooden pallet, between baulks of wood, without being secured in any other way. One cylinder was full, the other empty. The valves on both were open, but in one case the gas had been contained by the valve screwed dust cap. The National Engineering Laboratory's tests on the cylinders showed that, whilst the valves themselves were undamaged, they would open spontaneously under repeated shocks. I am satisfied that this is what occurred on the "Asiafreighter". The results of these tests are being made widely known.Generally speaking, the record of the container shipment method is good and I believe that in this country it is generally well controlled, as, indeed, it is in the United States. Nevertheless, I am exam- ining the procedures in this country in the light of this report to see whether new legislation is justified. The regulation of container traffic is ultimately an international matter, however, and my Department is therefore pursuing urgently the lessons learned in this case through the Inter-Government Maritime Consultative Organisation.Largely on the initiative of the United Kingdom the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code has been reinforced by the inclusion of a new section dealing with the carriage of dangerous goods in freight containers. The United Kingdom will implement the recommendations forthwith and an amendment to the Department's Blue Book will be produced as a matter of urgency.I am sure the House would wish me to reiterate on its behalf the sympathy it expressed with those members of the crew who were affected by this gas; the House will be glad to know that three of them are now understood to be at work again, and that the fourth, who is still under medical care, is reported to be making good progress. It is greatly to be hoped that they suffer no lasting ill-effects.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement about the chairmanship of the British Overseas Trade Board.

Sir Frederick Catherwood has accepted my invitation to become Chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board with effect from today. He succeeds Lord Thorneycroft who, after serving a full three-year period, resigned on taking up his new appointment.