Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Tuesday 10th June 1975

Planning Policy Processes

Q5.

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied that his Government's forward planning policy processes are sufficiently open.

The Government's planning processes are very varied and subject to constant development. I am satisfied that they are in general as open as is appropriate to their subject matter and context.

Professional Organisations (Meetings)

Q6.

asked the Prime Minister if he will invite representatives of professional organisations to be present at his next meeting with the TUC and the CBI.

No. My next meeting with representatives of the TUC and the CBI will be on 17th June when I shall be taking the chair at a meeting of NEDC. It would not be appropriate to include representatives of the professional organisations on NEDC.

Prime Minister (Engagements)

Q7.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 10th June.

As well as a number of official meetings with my colleagues and others. I took the opportunity of the Israeli Prime Minister's transit through London to have a meeting with Mr. Rabin at London Airport this morning. Later today I shall be having an audience of Her Majesty The Queen.

Prime Minister (Broadcast)

Q9.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a transcript of his television broadcast of Sunday 11th May on the nation's economic and political problems.

Q15.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a transcript of the interview he gave on "The World this Weekend" on Sunday 11th May on the state of the nation.

Q17.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a transcript of his television broadcast on Sunday 11th May, on the state of the nation.

Q18.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the transcript of his broadcast on the television programme "Weekend World" on 11th May 1975.

Q36.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a transcript of his interview on "Weekend World" on Sunday 11th May.

I did so on 12th May.

Tuc And Cbi (Meeting)

Q10.

asked the Prime Minister what plans he has to meet the TUC and the CBI.

I shall be meeting representatives of the TUC and CBI at the next meeting of NEDC on 17th June.

Referendum

Q11.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on the result of the EEC referendum.

Q12.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the result of the referendum.

Q19.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the referendum result.

Q20.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the result of the national referendum on 5th June.

Q30.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the outcome of the referendum.

Q37.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the results of the referendum.

I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for West Stirling-shire (Mr. Canavan).

Ministerial Broadcasts

Q13.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a ministerial broadcast following the announcement of the result of the referendum.

Q32.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now make a further ministerial broadcast.

I have no plans to do so.

Social Contract

Q14.

asked the Prime Minister when he intends to have further joint discussions with the CBI and the TUC on the further refining of the terms of the social contract.

Q21.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans to meet the TUC and the CBI to discuss his views on the need for closer consultations with representative bodies before important economic decisions are taken.

Q23.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his plans for pre-Budget consultations with bodies such as the TUC and CBI.

Q28.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the TUC and the CBI; and if he will discuss with them his plans for pre-Budget consultations

Q29.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his plans for pre-Budget consultations with representatives of both sides of industry.

The CBI and leading members of the TUC have put forward suggestions, as I and my colleagues have done, about ways of developing the pay guidelines in the social contract. We shall be having discussions in the next few weeks with both the TUC and CBI about these ideas.

Motor Industry

Q24.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a further statement about the allocation of departmental responsibilities for the motor industry.

There are a number of Departments concerned with the motor vehicle industry. The Department of Industry has a general sponsorship responsibility for the industry's activities as a whole. The Department of the Environment has responsibility for policy and legislation relating to transport and environmental matters. The Department of Energy is involved through its overall responsibility for energy policy and conservation and the Departments of Employment, Trade, and Prices and Consumer Protection have their normal departmental responsibilities.

Commodity Marketing

Q22.

asked the Prime Minister if there has been any report from the Commonwealth group of experts appointed by the Heads of State Conference to examine his proposals for a general agreement on commodities.

Q25.

asked the Prime Minister when a report is expected from the Commonwealth group of experts which is studying his proposals for a general agreement on commodities.

Q34.

asked the Prime Minister when a report is expected from the group of experts appointed at the Commonwealth Heads of State Conference to examine his proposals on a general agreement on commodities.

Q35.

asked the Prime Minister when he expects to have a report from the Commonwealth group of experts which is examining the proposals he put forward to Commonwealth Heads of State for a general agreement on commodities.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bebington and Ellesmere Port (Mr. Bates).

Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference

Q26.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the communiqué issued by the Commonwealth Heads of Government at the end of their recent conference in Jamaica.

Q27.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will arrange to place a copy of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference communiqué in the Library of the House of Commons.

Q33.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the House of Commons Library a copy of the final communiqué from the Commonwealth Heads of State Conference in Jamaica.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for West Stirlingshire (Mr. Canavan) on 16th May.

Industrial Development (Minister's Speech)

Q31.

asked the Prime Minister whether the public speech on industrial investment made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at a May Day rally at Corby on 10th May represented the policy of the Government.

Yes.

European Community

Q38.

asked the Prime Minister if he has any plans to meet the EEC Heads of Government.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton).

Mr Paul Johnson

Q39.

asked the Prime Minister if he will invite Mr. Paul Johnson, the former editor of the New Statesman, to accept a special appointment to the Cabinet Office as adviser on relations with the trade unions.

No.

Trade Union Conferences

asked the Prime Minister if he has accepted any invitations to address trade union conferences.

I shall be addressing the annual conference of the National Union of Mineworkers on 7th July.

Cuba (Deputy Prime Minister)

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on his meeting of 22nd May with the deputy Prime Minister of Cuba.

I had a useful exchange of views with the Cuban Deputy Prime Minister. During our discussion, I drew his attention to the initiative taken by the United Kingdom on commodities at the meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers at Kingston and to the communiqué issued at the end of that meeting. Dr. Rodriguez responded with interest. I also expressed my pleasure at the conclusion of the Anglo-Cuban Economic and Industrial Co-operation Agreement which had been signed by my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary and Dr. Rodriguez on 21st May.

Home Department

Equal Opportunities Commission

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now in a position to announce whom he proposes to appoint as the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the proposed Equal Opportunities Commission.

Yes. I am glad to say that Miss Betty Lockwood has agreed to serve as Chairman and Lady Howe as Deputy Chairman of the proposed Equal Opportunities Commission.

Terrorism

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been detained under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act; how many have been subsequently charged with offences; and with what offences they have been charged.

I have approved an extension of the period of detention under Section 7 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act in 91 cases. A further 269 people have been detained for 48 hours or less under Section 7 of the Act. 270 people have been detained pending examination at the ports under the supplemental order made under the Act. 27 people have been charged with offences in Great Britain, eight of them with murder, one with conspiracy to cause an explosion, six with unlawful possession of explosives, four with conspiracy to possess explosives with intent to endanger life, four with theft, one with robbery, one with burglary, one with assisting offenders and one with causing criminal damage. In addition, one was returned to the Irish Republic and there charged with robbery.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been charged with offences under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act; and under which sections of the Act the charges have been brought.

Three in Great Britain, under Section 1(1)(b) of the Act. One was convicted and two were acquitted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been served with exclusion orders under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act; how many have been deported to (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the Republic of Ireland; how many have appealed against exclution orders; and how many appeals have been successful.

I have made 56 exclusion orders. Notice of the making of an order has been served on 49 people, 44 of whom have been removed, 27 to Northern Ireland and 17 to the Irish Republic. 13 of the 49 made representations objecting to the order, and I revoked the orders in five of these 13 cases.In addition, the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey has made three exclusion orders, and the people concerned were removed to Northern Ireland.

Entry Permits

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of limited period entry permits granted to visitors entering the United Kingdom over the last 12 months for which statistics are available their countries of origin and the numbers who have overstayed the period granted.

The information asked for in the first part of the Question is given in columns 3 and 4 of Tables 1(a) and 1(b) in the Immigration Statistics for 1974 (Cmnd. 6064), published on 28th May 1975. It is not possible to say how many visitors admitted in 1974 have overstayed.

Penal Institutions

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now consider reviewing the rôle and responsibilities of boards of visitors of penal institutions.

My right hon. Friend has no specific proposals in mind at present, but we shall be seeking the views of boards of visitors on the suggestions made in the recent report of the committee set up by Justice, the Howard League and NACRO.

Security Personnel

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will propose legislation to register all private security personnel.

My right hon. Friend has at present no proposals for such legislation.

British And European Courts

asked the Attorney-General if he is satisfied with the liaison between British and European courts.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Inverness (Mr. Johnston) on Monday 9th June.—[Vol. 893, c. 24.]

House Of Lords (Scottish Appeals)

asked the Lord Advocate whether in the last five years, all Scottish appeals to the House of Lords have had a majority of the judges qualified in Scots law.

Of the nine Lords of Appeal in Ordinary two are always appointed from the Scottish Bench or Bar.Appeals are normally heard by five Lords of Appeal, and I understand that every effort is made to ensure that the two Scottish Lords of Appeal are present in the case of a Scottish appeal. Both Scottish Lords of Appeal sat in 15 of the 18 Scottish appeals heard during the period 1970–74; one sat in two of the remaining three, and in one case no Scottish Lord of Appeal was present.

Shrieval And Supreme Benches

asked the Lord Advocate what are the criteria he uses in recommending persons for appointment to the Shrieval and Supreme Benches.

In making recommendations for any appointment to the Supreme Court or Shrieval Bench, I have regard to the qualifications for the particular appointment prescribed by statute, and to the quality, ability and experience of the persons having those qualifications who are available for appointment.

Civil Service

Epping Forest Act 1878

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many requests have been made since 1st January 1974 to Her Majesty's Stationery Office, both centrally and at bookshops, orally and in writing, for copies of the Epping Forest Act 1878; if printed copies were available during that period; how many photocopies they have supplied in that time; and what are the respective costs of a printed copy and a photocopy.

Printed copies of the Epping Forest Act 1878 were not available during the period. The information concerning written and oral requests for the Act is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. Only one photocopy of the Act has been ordered since 1st January 1974. The Act consists of 33 pages and the cost of a photocopy, at 7p a page, is £2·31. Given the very low demand for this Act a reprint could not be justified.

Education And Science

Teacher-Pupil Or Student Ratio

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the ratio of pupils and students to the total number of lecturers, teachers and other staff employed in education in 1950, 1960, 1970, 1973 and 1974.

Complete figures are not available for all staff employed in education but it is estimated that in 1970, 1973 and 1974 in England and Wales there were about 10 pupils and students in grant-aided schools and establishments and in universities per member of staff employed, counting part-time students and part-time staff as a full unit each. The equivalent ratio in 1950 is not available and is estimated at 16 in 1960. The major element in the change in this ratio has been the substantial increase in the number of part-time women non-teaching employees.

Colleges Of Education

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those colleges of education which may have to be closed or put to alternative use during the next two years.

It has so far been decided that the following colleges should cease to admit students to initial teacher training with effect from the dates shown:September 1975

Alnwick, Northumberland
Mary Ward, Nottinghamshire
Radbrook, Salop
Saffron Walden, Essex

September 1976

Coloma, Bromley
St. Paul's Newbold Revel, Warwickshire
Wentworth Castle, Barnsley.

It will not be possible to say which other colleges will be similarly affected until discussions now underway with those concerned have been completed. As

			Scotland	England	Wales	Total
1st January 1973	…	…	None	3,232	4	3,236
1st January 1974	…	…	None	2,911	4	2,915
1st January 1975	…	…	None	2,883	4	2,887

My Department does not deal with education in Scotland or primary and secondary education in Wales, the responsibility for which rests with the Scottish Office and Welsh Office respectively.

Secondary Education

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which local education authorities have now submitted schemes for the reorganisation of secondary education.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 22nd May to a Question by the Member for Gravesend (Mr. Ovenden)—[Vol. 892, c. 563]. All authorities except those listed and Cumbria, which has since replied fully, have submitted a full response to Circular 4/74.

Employment

Scotland

46.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present level of unemployment in Scotland.

I explained in my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Wainwright) on 13th February—[Vol 886, c. 205–6.]—when a college of education ceases to admit students to initial teacher training the Government and the local education authority or voluntary providing body will whenever possible ensure that the vacated places remain in use for other educational purposes.

Departmental Staff

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many civil servants were employed in his Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974, and 1st January 1975; and if he will show how many of these were employed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively.

The figures are as follows:

On 12th May 1975 the rate of unemployment in Scotland was 4·5 per cent.

Disabled Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement concerning the success of the programme of rigorous enforcement of the quota scheme in six selected areas which he announced on 3rd December 1974.

It is too early to give a final view on this as the data available are incomplete and have not yet been fully analysed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what assistance with travel to work can be given to disabled people by his Department and the Employment Services Agency; what has been the cost of such assistance in the last 12 months for which figures are available; how many people benefited in that period; what action he is taking to publicise the help available; and if he will make a statement.

The Employment Service Agency gives financial assistance to severely disabled people in need of special conditions of employment in cases where, because of their disabilities, the cost of their fares is excessive. In the last financial year the total cost of this assistance was £49,934. The number of people being helped at any one time has risen from about 250 to about 300 during the last 12 months. Information about this scheme is contained in a variety of leaflets produced for disabled people, employers and doctors, and further leaflets being prepared by the Employment Service Agency will include information on the scheme, which is also brought to the notice of individuals by disablement resettlement officers.

Departmental Staff

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the extra civil servants that will

				Numbers employed in
			Total	Scotland	England	Wales
1st January 1973	…	…	34,437	4,096	28,336	2,005
1st January 1974	…	…	33,773	4,011	27,788	2,005
1st January 1975	…	…	18,395	2,226	15,251	918

The 1st January 1975 figures include the staff of the Health and Safety Executive.The reduction in figures between 1974 and 1975 is due to the creation of the Manpower Services Commission and its agencies.

Equal Pay

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the progress that is being made toward the implementation of equal pay.

There is evidence of considerable progress over the last year, but I shall not be satisfied until there is no discrimination in rates of pay between men and women.

National Dock Labour Board Scheme

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will exclude ports handling cargoes totalling less than 1 million tons per annum from the proposed National Dock Labour Board scheme.

be needed to enforce the Employment Agencies' Act when the licensing functions are transferred from local authorities; and what the cost of these civil servants would be in one year.

My Department will need 65 additional staff at an estimated annual cost of £318,000 to enforce the Employment Agencies' Act. It is anticipated that the cost of these staff will be offset by receipts from licence fees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many civil servants were employed in his Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974, and 1st January 1975; and if he will show how many of these were employed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively.

The number of non-industrial and industrial staff were as follows:

No. I do not believe that the inclusion of a port in the scheme can sensibly be determined by a fixed criterion in the way suggested.

Ilkeston, Derbyshire And Kilmarnock

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current unemployment figures for Ilkeston, Derbyshire, and Kilmarnock.

The following table shows the figures for the nearest corresponding employment office areas at 12th May 1975:

			Number unemployed	Percentage rate of unemployment
Ilkeston	…	…	619	3·1
Derbyshire	…	…	10,534	2·9^*
Kilmarnock	…	…	1,428	4·3†
^* The percentage rate relates to a group of travel-to-work areas which is slightly smaller than the county area.
† The percentage rate relates to the Kilmarnock travel-to-work area which comprises Kilmarnock and New Milns.

Environment

Transport Officials (Bristol)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ask LACSAB to investigate the appointments advertised by Avon County Council for 13 officers with transport responsibilities, in view of possible duplication of services with Bristol District Council.

No. Local authorities are responsible for the recruitment and appointment of the staffs needed to meet their statutory and other duties. However, the Government have instituted as part of the rate support grant settlement

NET EXPENDITURE AT OUTTURN PRICES BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES ON HOME HELPS, MEALS-ON-WHEELS AND SCHOOL MEALS FOR 1969–70–1973–74
				Home Helps^*	Meals in the Home^*	Meals at Centres^*	School Meals
				£	£	£	£
1969–70	…	England	…	21,936,261	1,700,440	967,689	75,600,000
		Wales	…	1,523,553	102,998	30,405	5,000,000
1970–71	…	England	…	25,552,483	2,136,542	1,132,492	82,100,000
		Wales	…	1,735,278	143,877	38,767	5,200,000
1971–72	…	England	…	32,876,810	2,758,963	1,536,964	90,700,000
		Wales	…	2,213,514	152,063	15,277	6,000,000
1972–73	…	England	…	37,320,311	3,096,004	1,402,331	116,100,000
		Wales	…	2,592,937	208,018	55,242	71,400,000
1973–74	…	England	…	48,331,021	4,115,386	1,742,089	162,700,000
		Wales	…	3,272,302	198,320	83,534	10,100,000
^* The figures include administration expenditure up to and including 1971–72, but exclude it in later years.

House Building (Direct Labour)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the local authorities which have received loan sanction to build dwellings by direct labour since 2nd Janu-

Local authority		Name of Scheme	Gross tender price	Number of dwellings
			£
Sunderland	…	Coal bank Terrace, Peat Carr Phase 3	457,120	60
Sunderland	…	Carley Hill	257,891	24
Easington	…	Charles Street/Sophia Street/Tempest Road/Northwood Road, Seaham	349,666	43
Easington	…	Sea View, Murton	1,098,158	130
Easington	…	Lee Terrace	34,309	1^*
Easington	…	Hawthorn Cottages, South Hetton	21,701	2
Derwentside	…	Selby Lodge, The Grove, Moorside, Consett	120,045	13
Derwentside	…	Site No. 1 Stanley Hall Phase 3	20,046	3
Derwentside	…	North of Chester Road, Stanley	478,246	58
Derwentside	…	Langley Park, Co. Durham	246,727	28
Derwentside	…	Hamsterley Phase 1	499,709	54
Wear Valley	…	Hunwick Phase 1	65,830	8
South Tyneside	…	Quay Area West (Stage 2), Hebburn	340,239	37
Chester le Street	…	Whitehall Park	109,819	6
Gateshead	…	Teams redevelopment Phase 5	1,411,503	185
Rotherham	…	Model Village, Maltby	410,743	60
Scunthorpe	…	Chatterton Crescent	133,708	19

for 1975–76 a joint system for watching local government manpower trends. Individual authorities are expected to avoid any expansion in present numbers beyond those needed to meet inescapable commitments.

Local Authority Expenditure

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the net expenditure of local authorities on school meals, home helps and meals on wheels services in England and Wales, respectively, in each of the last five available years.

The information is as follows:ary 1975, naming the scheme in each case, the gross tender price and the number of dwellings involved.

The information available to the Department up to 28th May 1975 is as follows:

Local authority	Name of Scheme	Gross tender price	Number of dwellings
		£
Kingston upon Hull	Bransholme Area NA1 and Part 2	1,443,023	242
Kingston upon Hull	Newland Avenue	158,435	28
Wakefield	Gipsy Lane, Normanton	327,880	66
Barnsley	Rose Tree Farm Estate, Cudworth Phase 2	452,895	55
Barnsley	High Street Development, Dodworth	411,452	52
Manchester	Old Elm Street	931,750	120
Manchester	Upper Lloyd Street, Moss Side	2,067,080	292
Manchester	Wembury Street, Harpurhey	1,543,202	199
Manchester	Sheltered Housing Block, Chalwood Street, Harpurhey	219,793	31
Manchester	Hatfield Street	2,292,519	309
Manchester	Elland Street extension, Gorton	243,613	38
Blackburn	Audley/Scotland Road redevelopment Phase A	1,226,676	150
St. Helens	Bradleigh Road Estate Phase 3	647,830	81
Barrow in Furness	Lower Hindpool	968,370	173
Wigan	Brimelow Farm, Gidlow Lane	305,707	45
Kettering	Buccleugh Street	76,174	12
Kettering	Cobden Street	144,826	24
Derby	Coleridge Street	17,307	2
North East Derbyshire	Dark Lane, North Wingfield	436,794	61
Stoke on Trent	Temple Fortune	241,218	33
Sandwell	Brook Road, Oldbury, Warley	989,544	77
Sandwell	Station Road, Langley, Warley	223,854	26
Walsall	Alfred Street, Clarendon Street	679,438	84
Walsall	Hall Street/Rose Hill	167,504	16
Cannock Chase	Site 25A, Wimbledon Road, Heath Hayes	167,230	22
Cannock Chase	Site 25B, Wimbledon Road, Heath Hayes	55,716	6
Birmingham	Castle Vale Areas 2 and 3	763,379	83
Birmingham	Chester Road, Moor End Lane, Erdington	258,418	35
Colchester	Magnolia Drive, Greenstead Estate	192,766	34
Colchester	Upton Close, West Bergholt	56,913	8
Colchester	Chapel Road, Great Tey	158,133	20
Harlow	Broadfields	916,000	116
Newham	Cundy Road Stage 3	1,610,035	154
Newham	Cundy Road Old Peoples dwellings	265,475	32
Newham	Wallace/Milner Road	41,173	4
Greenwich	Glyndon Phase 2 Stage 4 and Phase 5a Stage 1	5,047,750	384
Hackney	Darlington Road	2,318,281	153
Lambeth	Tulse Hill Phase 2	262,195	23
Wandsworth	Edgecombe Hall Estate	1,180,610	80
Dartford	Shaftesbury Lane	41,850	4
Dartford	Ingress Terrace	100,854	14
Reading	Oils Road Development Phase 1	490,000	54
Reading	Caversham	162,456	15
Reading	Windermere Road	97,353	12
Kennet	Avon Square, Upavon	42,230	6
Merthyr Tydfil	Ynysfach Stage 2	370,845	43
Swansea	Chemical Road, Morriston	391,306	48
^* The price includes provision of a community centre for old people.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the local authorities who received loan sanction to build dwellings for sale by direct labour in 1974, naming the scheme in each case, the gross tender price

Date of Approval			Scheme			Number of Dwellings	Gross Tender Price
							£
April 1974	…	…	Bell Street, Sunderland	…	…	20	133,900
February 1975	…	…	Normanton Hill, Sheffield	…	…	88	743,976

and the number of dwellings involved; and what are the equivalent figures during 1975.

Following is the information in the Department:

Housing Finance Agency

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it remains his intention to set up a national housing finance agency; and whether he will now make a detailed statement about the proposed administrative arrangements.

Decisions on the rôle and functions of such an agency must await the outcome of the far-reaching review of housing finance generally on which the Government have now embarked.

Rates

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now list the district authorities in England and Wales where individual domestic ratepayers have had an increase of more than 25 per cent. over last year's figure, excluding the special rebate, taking into account county precept, district rate, RWA general service charge and water charge.

Details of water and RWA general service charges are not available for 1974–75. The following figures, based on reports to my Department, list those district authorities with increases over 25 per cent. in their 1975–76 average domestic rate poundage compared with that levied for 1974–75:

Authority			Increase Percentage
Doncaster	…	…	27
Rotherham	…	…	33
Coventry	…	…	26
Sandwell	…	…	28
Walsall	…	…	31
Bradford	…	…	29
City of London	…	…	68
Camden	…	…	49
Greenwich	…	…	35
Hackney	…	…	36
Hammersmith	…	…	44
Islington	…	…	48
Kensington and Chelsea		…	45
Lambeth	…	…	33
Lewisham	…	…	30
Southwark	…	…	49
Tower Hamlets	…	…	35
Wandsworth	…	…	34
Westminster	…	…	54
Barking	…	…	40

Authority			Increase Percentage
Barnet	…	…	37
Bexley	…	…	29
Brent	…	…	48
Bromley	…	…	57
Croydon	…	…	42
Ealing	…	…	66
Enfield	…	…	53
Harrow	…	…	44
Havering	…	…	27
Hillingdon	…	…	55
Hounslow	…	…	48
Kingston-on-Thames	...	…	44
Merton	…	…	26
Newham	…	…	61
Redbridge	…	…	44
Richmond-upon-Thames		…	46
Sutton	…	…	34
Waltham Forest	…	…	63
Bedford	…	…	26
Luton	…	…	45
Bracknell	…	…	28
Slough	…	…	29
Aylesbury Vale	…	…	31
Beaconsfield	…	…	37
Chilton	…	…	31
Milton Keynes	…	…	31
Wycombe	…	…	31
Caradon	…	…	30
South Lakeland	…	…	27
North Devon	…	…	34
North Dorset	…	…	29
Poole	…	…	35
Purbeck	…	…	35
Weymouth and Portland		…	30
Wimborne	…	…	35
Southampton	…	…	30
Redditch	…	…	27
Hertsmere	…	…	29
St. Albans	…	…	29
Watford	…	…	40
Canterbury	…	…	29
Gillingham	…	…	27
Tunbridge Wells	…	…	26
Leicester	…	…	37
Sedgemoor	…	…	33
Elmbridge	…	…	35
Epsom and Ewell	…	…	29
Guildford	…	…	39
Mole Valley	…	…	39
Reigate and Banstead	…	…	29
Runnymede	…	…	26
Spelthorne	…	…	29
Waverley	…	…	32
Woking	…	…	29
Alyn-Dee	…	…	46
Colwyn	…	…	54
Delyn	…	…	47

Authority			Increase Percentage
Glyndwr	…	…	56
Rhuddlan	…	…	39
Wrexham Maelor	…	…	50
Carmarthen	…	…	46
Ceredigion	…	…	53
Dinefwr	…	…	28
Llanelli	…	…	59
Preseli	…	…	37
South Pembroke	…	…	36
Blaenau Gwent	…	…	26
Monmouth	…	…	43
Newport	…	…	27
Aberconwy	…	…	45
Arfon	…	…	51
Dwyfor	…	…	61
Meirionnydd	…	…	42
Cynon Valley	…	…	50
Merthyr Tydfil	…	…	48
Ogwr	…	…	51
Rhondda	…	…	47
Rhymney Valley	…	…	47
Taff-Ely	…	…	67
Brecknock	…	…	34
Montgomery	…	…	41
Radnor	…	…	31
Cardiff	…	…	66
Vale of Glamorgan	…	…	46

						Scotland	England	Wales
1st January 1973	…	…	…	…	…	4,750	59.431	4,144
1st January 1974	…	…	…	…	…	4,538	57,776	5,426
1st January 1975	…	…	…	…	…	4,538	57,139	6.429

Northern Ireland

Trade And Fishing Policy

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what reply was given by the Government of the Irish Republic to Her Majesty's Government's request to make an assessment of the potential for developing trade through Londonderry and, secondly, to study fish conservation policies including the employment implications; and whether he will make a statement.

None, as yet.

Terrorists

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many persons have been detained in Northern Ireland under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Pro-

Authority			Increase Percentage
Afan	…	…	43
Lliw Valley	…	…	52
Neath	…	…	48
Swansea	…	…	84

Departmental Staff

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many civil servants were employed in his Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974 and 1st January 1975; and if he will show how many of these were employed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively;(2) how many civil servants were employed in his Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974 and 1st January 1975, respectively; and if he will break this figure down to those employed in Scotland. England and Wales.

The figures are as follows:

1st January 1973	…	…	69,919
1st January 1974	…	…	69,326
1st January 1975	…	…	69,664

Of these, the numbers employed in Scotland, England and Wales were:visions) Act; how many have subsequently been charged with offences; and with what offences they have been charged;(2) how many persons have been excluded from Northern Ireland under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act; and how many have been sent to Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, respectively;(3) how many persons have been charged under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act in Northern Ireland; and under which section of the Act.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons excluded from Great Britain under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Northern Ireland) Act have been sent to Northern Ireland; and how many have subsequently been detained or charged with offences in Northern Ireland.

Twenty-seven persons excluded from Great Britain under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1974 have been sent to Northern Ireland. Nine of these were held on arrival but all were released after questioning.

Detainees (Release)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many detainees he has released during the cease-fire; and how many of these were Loyalists and how many Republicans.

Since 22nd December I have released 247 detainees, of whom 19 were Loyalist and 228 Republican; a further 25 have been released by the commissioners or Detention Appeal Tribunal, of whom 10 were Loyalist and 15 Republican. In accordance with my policy, expressed in my statements to the House on 14th January, 5th February, 11th February and 12th March 1975, I have today released under the powers vested in me in the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1973, a further eight detainees.

International Engineering Limited

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to ensure continuance of employment in the computer firm of International Engineering Limited in Northern Ireland.

This company was established in 1972 in an attempt to preserve the jobs of some 1,700 people formerly employed by International Computers Limited. The Northern Ireland Department of Commerce took an 85 per cent. shareholding in the new company, the remaining shares being held by the Decision Data Computer Corporation of Philadelphia, USA.The attempt to maintain this employment has so far involved the Government in the expenditure of some £6 million in the purchase of the equity, in the payment of various forms of grant and also in the provision of a £1½ million guarantee to the company's bank.The company came to the Government in November 1974 saying that it needed a further injection of cash to keep going. The Government provided an additional guarantee to the bank—now standing at £2,350,000—and called for an independent examination of the company's prospects. This has made it clear that a fundamental reappraisal of its future is needed and that there is no hope of maintaining employment at its present level of 1,350.My right hon. Friend has, therefore, authorised the payment of an extra-statutory grant of £1,500,000 to cover losses in a four-month period ending 31st August next, to give the company time to prepare a plan for its future and for this plan to be considered by the Government and the trade unions. In the meantime, the company has announced redundancies of about 700, which are to take effect immediately.I have discussed the future of this company on two occasions with management, trade union officials and representatives of the shop stewards and I am satisfied that all concerned will co-operate in this attempt to find a viable future for this important, high technology industry.

Overseas Development

Commonwealth Fund For Technical Co-Operation

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what information she has regarding the contributions—expressed in sterling—in each of the past four years made by Commonwealth countries, including the United Kingdom, to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation.

Figures provided by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation show that since its inception in 1971 it has received contributions as follows:

Contributions in respect of CFTC financial year			Total	Of which United Kingdom
			£	£
1971–72	…	…	357,608	66,492
1972–73	…	…	845,990	186,802
1973–74^*	…	…	1,675,633	400,000
1974–75^*	…	…	3,383,792	700,000
^* Provisional figures.

These figures relate to CFTC's financial year which runs from 1st July to 30th June and show contributions against the year for which they were pledged.

Gilbert And Ellice Islands

asked the Minister of Overseas Development (1) what aid is currently given to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands; and how the programme is likely to be affected by the forthcoming inddependence of these islands;(2) whether the United Kingdom will continue grant-in-aid to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands after independence; and if any terminal date will be set for such financial assistance.

£2·14 million was disbursed in 1974. I expect our aid in the current financial year to total about £2·3 million, rather over half being development aid and the balance technical assistance. The territory does not receive grant-in-aid. In addition, I am considering the requirements for aid of the Ellice Islands after separation from the Gilberts.

There is no timetable for independence. Aid after independence would be determined nearer the time in the light of the islands' needs, taking into account the possibilities of aid from other donors, including the European Development Fund.

Oecd Countries

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will publish in the Official Report a table showing for all OECD countries the percentage of gross national product that was devoted to overseas aid for each of the years since 1955.

The following table shows the relationship to gross national product of official development assistance as reported by members of the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD for the years 1960 to 1973—the earliest and latest years for which these details are available.Similar information is not available in respect of OECD members who are not also members of the Development Assistance Committee.

NET FLOW OF OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FROM MEMBERS OF THE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE OF OECD AS A PERCENTAGE OF GNP

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

Australia

…

0·38

0·44

0·43

0·51

0·48

0·53

0·60

0·57

0·56

0·59

0·53

0·59

0·44

Austria

…

0·04

0·10

0·05

0·08

0·11

0·12

0·14

0·11

0·07

0·09

0·14

Belgium

…

0·88

0·76

0·54

0·57

0·46

0·60

0·42

0·45

0·42

0·50

0·46

0·50

0·55

0·51

Canada

…

0·19

0·16

0·09

0·15

0·17

0·19

0·33

0·32

0·26

0·33

0·42

0·47

0·43

Denmark

…

0·09

0·12

0·10

0·11

0·13

0·19

0·21

0·23

0·38

0·43

0·45

0·47

Finland

…

Figures not available

0·06

0·15

0·07

0·12

0·15

0·16

France

…

1·38

1·35

1·26

0·98

0·90

0·76

0·69

0·71

0·67

0·66

0·67

0·58

Germany

…

0·31

0·44

0·45

0·41

0·44

0·40

0·34

0·41

0·38

0·32

0·34

0·31

0·32

Italy

…

0·22

0·15

0·18

0·14

0·09

0·10

0·12

0·22

0·19

0·16

0·18

0·09

0·14

Japan

…

0·24

0·20

0·15

0·20

0·14

0·27

0·28

0·32

0·25

0·26

0·23

0·21

0·25

Netherlands

…

0·31

0·45

0·48

0·26

0·29

0·36

0·45

0·49

0·50

0·61

0·58

0·67

0·54

New Zealand

…

Figures not available

0·21

0·22

0·23

0·25

0·24

Norway

…

0·11

0·14

0·17

0·15

0·16

0·18

0·17

0·29

0·30

0·32

0·33

0·43

0·46

Portugal

…

1·45

1·73

1·25

1·46

1·48

0·59

0·54

1·29

0·67

1·42

1·79

0·59

Sweden

…

0·05

0·06

0·12

0·14

0·18

0·19

0·25

0·28

0·43

0·38

0·44

0·48

0·56

Switzerland

…

0·04

0·08

0·05

0·07

0·09

0·08

0·14

0·16

0·15

0·12

0·21

0·16

United Kingdom

…

0·56

0·59

0·52

0·47

0·52

0·47

0·46

0·43

0·40

0·39

0·37

0·41

0·39

0·34

United States

…

0·53

0·56

0·59

0·56

0·49

0·44

0·43

0·37

0·33

0·31

0·32

0·29

0·23

Notes:

1. New Zealand became a member of the DAC in 1973.

2. Finland became a member of the DAC in 1975.

3. Portugal withdrew from membership of the DAC in 1974.

Vietnam

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what policy she is proposing to adopt to assist the long-term reconstruction of both North and South Vietnam in view of problems facing both parts of the country after 30 years of war.

I am keeping this matter under close review but am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether she will give a detailed report on the allocation of funds provided by her for relief aid to Vietnam, in particular the items purchased and despatched to South Vietnam.

Of the £1 million which I announced in the House on 9th April. £250,000 was given to the joint appeal by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and UNICEF for their Indo-China relief programmes which include work in both North and South Vietnam, and £250,000 to the International Red Cross for its work in both places.£250,000 has been given to the British Disasters Emergency Committee, on which all the major British voluntary societies are represented. That committee has used this money to pay part of the cost of two aid freight consignments of medical supplies, one to Saigon and one to Hanoi. A further £75,000 is committed to the purchase of 500 tons of rice and its consignment to Da Nang. £10,000 was given to the Medical Aid Committee for Vietnam towards the dispatch of medical supplies and £1,000 to the Unified Buddist Church through the Fellowship of Reconciliation in support of its work primarily with children.The remaining £250,000 of the £1 million has not yet been committed and I am considering how best to use it.

Laos And Cambodia

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether she is proposing to continue her aid programmes to Laos and Cambodia.

I am keeping a close watch on developments in both countries. Although there are many uncertainties I am planning on the basis that our present aid programme in Laos will continue. Our aid programme to Cambodia has had to be suspended because of the recent fighting and the consequent change of Government.

Commonwealth Development Corporation

asked the Minister of Overseas Development when the 1974 annual report and accounts of the Commonwealth Development Corporation will be published.

The report and accounts will be published by the Corporation on 11th June. I am arranging for copies to be laid before the House.

Mozambique

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether Her Majesty's Government will respond to the appeal for Mozambique from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Yes. The High Commissioner has appealed for $7·15 million, designed to assist the repatriation and resettlement of Mozambiquans who fled to neighbouring countries during the fighting; he will also assist the resettlement of those who were gathered into camps to restrict their possible liaison with the Frelimo followers and who now need to be returned to their own homes. I propose to make a contribution of £300,000 in response to this appeal. I would like to take this opportunity to correct an answer I gave on 7th April to Questions from my hon. Friends the Members for Greenwich (Mr. Barnett) and Aberdare (Mr. Evans)—[Vol. 889, c. 815.]. I then said that

"£10,000 has also been contributed to UNDRO towards the cost of seeds from Tanzania to replace damaged crops".

The matter was certainly considered at the time, but in the event not proceeded with.

Bangladesh

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether she will make a statement on the conclusions she has drawn from her examination of the UNICEF Special Appeal for Bangladesh.

I am ready to respond to the Special Appeal for Bangladesh, subject to parliamentary approval, by contributing £250,000. This will be spent on providing Vitamin A capsules and on well maintenance and repair in rural areas.I intend to seek provision for this expenditure in the Summer Supplementary Estimates, and it may be necessary to seek recourse to the Contingencies Fund.

Scotland

Disabled War Veterans

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of homes and hospitals which cater specifically for disabled war veterans; what is the estimated cost of maintaining these establishments; and what contribution the Government make to their upkeep.

There are no homes or hospitals for which I am responsible catering specifically for disabled war veterans. As regards Government contributions to voluntary hospitals, I would refer to the reply given to the hon. Member on 9th June by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.

Doctors-Administrative Staff Ratios

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the ratios of administrative staff to doctors in (a) Scotland and (b) Morayshire and Nairnshire in the years 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975 to the last known date, respectively.

The ratios were as follows:

	1972	1973	1974
(a)Scotland	1·2:1	1·3:1	1·5:1
(b) Moray and Nairn	1·0:1	1·0:1	1·0:1

Figures for 1975 are not available. The increase for Scotland in 1974 was largely attributable to the transfer of local health authority staff not included in the 1972 and 1973 figures.

Prison Officers

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prison offi- cers in Scotland had leave of absence in 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1974 for more than two weeks for the treatment of nervous disorders.

The information is as follows:

1971	…	…	…	…	10
1972	…	…	…	…	11
1973	…	…	…	…	16
1974	…	…	…	…	12

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons were recruited as prison officers in Scotland in 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1974.

The information is as follows:

1971	222 and 8 temporary female staff
1972	233 and 12 temporary female staff
1973	94 and 12 temporary female staff
1974	143 and 20 temporary female staff

Perth Prison

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average number of prisoners at any one time in Perth Prison in 1945; and what is the number of prisoners currently serving life sentences in Perth Prison.

The information requested in the first part of the Question is not available for 1945. In 1948, the first post-war year for which information is available, the average daily number of prisoners in Perth Prison was 113. Fifty-six prisoners are currently serving life sentences in Perth Prison.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the ratio of prison officers in Perth Prison in 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1974.

The information is set out in the following table:

Year			Prison Staff in post	Average daily number of inmates	Ratio of Staff to inmates
1971	…	…	182	633	1:3·5
1972	…	…	203	614	1:3·0
1973	…	…	192	570	1:3·0
1974	…	…	207	504	1:2·5

Defence

Departmental Staff

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants were employed in his Department as at 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974, and 1st January 1975; and if he will show how many of these were employed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively.

The total number of civil servants within the Ministry of Defence—including those employed in the Royal Ordnance Factories and those locally engaged overseas—at the dates in question were:

1st January 1973	…	…	317,600
1st January 1974	…	…	315,200
1st January 1975	…	…	316,600

Of this total the numbers employed in England, Scotland and Wales were:

England	…	226,100	223,300	222,200
Scotland	…	21,600	22,000	21,800
Wales	…	9,900	9,700	9,800

Military And Civilian Personnel

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he can now make a statement as to which bases will be affected by the cut-down in personnel, both military and civilian, following his Defence statement of 3rd December.

I have at present nothing to add to the information given in the statement on the Defence Estimates (Command 5976) published in March.

Requirements

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is now able to make a statement on future defence requirements following the consultations he has had with (1) NATO allies and (2) Commonwealth parties and other Governments to which he referred in his statement of 3rd December 1974.

I have nothing to add to the information given in the statement on the Defence Estimates (Command 5976) published in March and to what I said in the debate on the statement on 6th May.—[Vol. 891, c. 1225–43.]

Park Hall Camp, Oswestry (Shooting Incident)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now make a statement on the shooting incident at Park Hall Camp, Oswestry, indicating if he is satisfied that all security procedures were complied with and showing what disciplinary action was taken subsequent to the incident.

I have received the report of the Army board of inquiry which was set up to establish the facts of the incident in which, on the evening of 9th September last year, a member of a civilian duck shooting party was shot and injured by soldiers guarding Park Hall Camp, Oswestry. The conclusion of the board, which I fully accept, is that the incident arose from a genuine misunderstanding and that at the time the soldiers concerned fully thought themselves under armed attack. I have already written to the hon. Member outlining the findings of the board.The police carried out their own investigations and the Director of Public Prosecutions directed that no criminal proceedings should be instituted. I am satisfied that all the security procedures in force were complied with, and in all the circumstances no disciplinary action has been taken against any of the military personnel involved in the incident. I have, however, accepted that in the light of this incident a number of measures are to be taken to reduce even further the risks of any recurrence of a similar misunderstanding. Claims for compensation have been received from solicitors acting for the three duck shooters, and these are being dealt with.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Cyprus

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions have been taken or recommendations made by the Committee appointed by the Commonwealth Conference to assist and advise on the implementation of United Nations resolutions on Cyprus (Command Paper No. 6066, paragraph 11).

The Commonwealth Committee has not yet met. It is expected that a first meeting will take place in July.

Rich And Poor Countries

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the findings of the group of experts appointed by the Commonwealth Conference to draw up a programme of practical measures to close the gaps between rich and poor countries (Command Paper No. 6066, paragraph 27) will form the basis of any considered resolution or set of proposals to be presented by Commonwealth Governments to the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The group of experts is holding its first meeting in London this week. It will meet again for two weeks in Ottawa during July. It will be its aim to submit an interim report on the results of its work in time for this to be discussed at a meeting of Commonwealth Ministers in August, and taken into account by Commonwealth Governments before the Seventh Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September. Until the interim report has been considered it is not possible to anticipate further action.

Palestine Liberation Organisation

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the light of the declaration by the Commonwealth Conference (Command Paper No. 6066, paragraph 12) that it was necessary that the authentic and legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people take part in peace negotiations in Geneva, Her Majesty's Government will now formally recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation under the leadership of Yasser Arafat.

No. As my right hon. Friend said in the House on 25th March, we do not think we are called upon to express a view as to who should represent the Palestinian people. It is a matter for those more directly concerned.

Diego Garcia (Military Installations)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review the policy of expanding military installations on Diego Garcia, in the light of the Commonwealth Conference communiqué calling for the implementaion of United Nations resolutions declaring the Indian Ocean a zone of peace.

This it not necessary. Our agreement to the limited expansion of the United States facilities at Diego Garcia takes account of the need for both peace and security in the Indian Ocean. The facilities at Diego Garcia cannot be used without our agreement. We share the desire of Commonwealth Governments for some form of arms limitation in the area, and we support the proposal by the Australian Government for mutual restraint by the United Sates and the Soviet Union.

Turkey (Arms Supplies)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give an assurance that no arms will be supplied to Turkey until all foreign troops are withdrawn from Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend told the House on 21st May on the sale of arms to Turkey.

Diplomatic Service

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the expenditure on the Diplomatic Service in each of the last five years.

The net figures are as follows:

1970–71	£50·3 million
1971–72	£53·8 million
1972–73	£59·8 million
1973–74	£67·1 million
1974–75 (provisional)	£83·0 million

This includes expenditure on home staff whose work is integrated with that of the Diplomatic Service. In constant prices there has been little or no net change over the five-year period.

National Finance

National Loans Fund

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present average lending rate of the National Loans Fund.

Rates of interest on loans from the National Loans Fund are determined for individual loans or classes of loans and vary from time to time according to the method of repayment and the period for which the money is borrowed. It would not be possible to calculate the average rate of interest on existing loans without disproportionate time and effort. The present rates of interest on new advances from the National Loans Fund came into effect on 7th June 1975 and are as follows:

		Rate of Interest
Period (Years)		Annuity	Maturity
		(Per cent.)	(Per cent.)
Up to 1	…	—	9⅞
Over 1 but not over 5	…	11	11
Over 5 but not over 10	…	11	13
Over 10 but not over 15	…	12	14⅛
Over 15 but not over 25	…	13¾	14⅝
Over 25	…	14½	14¾

Sterling Holders Overseas

47.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what currency exchange guarantees or similar undertakings Her Majesty's Government, or persons authorised to act on their behalf, have given to overseas holders of sterling since October 1974 which have not been disclosed, both in total and in detail.

None.

Departmental Staff

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants were employed in his Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974, and 1st January 1975; and if he will show how many of these were employed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively.

The numbers employed in the Treasury at the 1st January in each year are as follows:

		1973	1974	1975
Scotland	…	—	—	—
England	…	1,071	997	1,063
Wales	…	—	—	—
Overseas	…	3	3	2
Total	…	1,074	1,000	1,065

Tax Evasion (Civil Servants)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each of the last five years the number of civil servants, temporary or otherwise, who have been dismissed from their jobs for tax evasion, the Departments in which they were employed and their nationality.

I have been asked to reply.There are no central records kept of the number of cases but inquiries are being made and I shall write to my hon. Friend.

Domestic Credit

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish an estimate of domestic credit expansion for the first quarter of 1975.

The figure will be published in the June issue of the Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin, which it is expected will be available by 20th June.

Prices And Consumer Protection

Licensed Premises (Drinks Prices)

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what study she has made of the evidence supplied to her by the hon. Member for Cannock of the prices charged for beer and other drinks in public houses; and if she will now take steps to compel licensed premises to display lists showing the prices of all their drinks.

The information supplied by my hon. Friend has been passed to the Price Commission and I understand that the increases made by the brewery company mentioned were in accordance with the terms of the Price Code.On the question of the display of price lists I refer the hon. Member to the answer given yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose) by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Prices and Consumer Protection.

Goods And Services (Controls)

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will list the commodities or classifications of goods and services which are price controlled by Her Majesty' Government and the dates when such controls expire.

I have responsibility for price controls in three main areas. First, there is the Price Code (SI 2113 of 1974, as amended) which applies to the prices of all goods and services supplied to the United Kingdom home market unless they are specifically exempted. Paragraphs 5 to 11 of the code define those goods and services whose prices are exempted: major exemptions are the prices of exports, prices paid on the first sale into the United Kingdom of imports and the prices paid to producers at home or overseas for fresh foods. The power contained in the Counter-Inflation Act 1973 for the Price Commission to restrict prices which are not in accordance with the Price Code expires on 31st March 1976.Secondly, the prices of certain subsidised foods—bread, butter, cheese and tea—are regulated by orders made under the Prices Acts 1974 and 1975: these orders are of unlimited duration. The price of milk has of course been controlled for many years by agricultural departments.Thirdly, following adverse reports by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, the prices of a number of goods have been controlled either by undertakings negotiated with the relevant parties or by order. Such controls may be for particular or unspecified periods of time and are subject to variation or repeal.Other Ministers have powers to control charges for specific services and products, notably in the transport field. It has not been possible to check the expiry dates of these powers in the time available.

Departmental Staff

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how many civil servants were employed in her Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974, and 1st January 1975; and how many of these were employed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively.

The number on 1st January 1975 was 293, of whom two were employed in Scotland, 289 in England, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland. These figures do not include the staffs of the Metrication Board, the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, the Office of Fair 'Trading and the Price Commission. On 1st April 1974, the first date on which information was collected following the creation of my Department on 5th March 1974, the number was 209, all of whom were employed in England.

Social Services

Attendance Allowance

14.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will reduce the six-month waiting period before which a person can claim the attendance allowance.

I gave careful consideration last year to the possibility of reducing the six-month qualifying period for attendance allowance but, given the higher priority of other claims on limited resources from disabled people, I had to decide regretfully not to reduce the period. This is still my view.

Vaccine-Damaged Children

15.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will take steps to assess the number of vaccine-damaged children; and whether she will make a statement.

As indicated in my reply to the hon. Member for Dunbartonshire, East (Mrs. Bain) on 19th May, several research studies have been initiated to supplement existing information.—[Vol. 892, c. 273.]

Supplementary Benefit (Form Al24)

16.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the progress and reaction to experimental form Al24 "How your Supplementary Benefit has been worked out".

The field work for this experiment has been completed, and it is hoped to have the full results in the autumn.

Trade Union Officials (Meetings)

17.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she last met officials from COHSE and NUPE; and if she will make a statement.

My hon. Friend the Minister of State met the National Executive of COHSE on 13th May for a wide-ranging discussion about present and future developments in the NHS. This meeting was one of many which my hon. Friends and I have with representatives of staff interests as a means of informing ourselves of the views of health workers about developments of the service.

Expenditure

18.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans she has instructed her Department to draw up for cuts in social services.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to the hon. Member for Cornwall, North (Mr. Pardoe) on 29th April.—[Vol. 891, c. 74–6.] I am still considering the content of the capital programmes for 1976–77, on which the bulk of the cuts fall.

Retirement Pensions

19.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what increase in the level of national insurance retirement pension would be necessary to restore its purchasing power to the level it represented at the time that the last up-rating of benefits was announced.

None. On the basis of the April prices figures, which are the latest available, the pension of £11·60 introduced in that month was 39p higher than the April 1975 equivalent of the £10 pension in payment when the increase was announced in November 1974.

35.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will ensure that future increases in the pension rates for single persons are related to a cost-of-living index based on a single householder's budget.

My hon. Friend presumably has in mind the index of retail prices for one-person pensioner households. To restrict the uprating of pensions in this way, however, would be less favourable to pensioners than the statutory obligation in the Social Security Act 1975, which provides that increases in pensions should be linked to the general movement in earnings or prices, whichever is the greater.

Private Pension Funds

21.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she has any plans to meet representatives of the National Association of Pension Funds or the Life Offices Association in the near future.

I have met representatives of the various pensions interests, including the National Association of Pension Funds and the Life Offices Association, on a number of occasions over the past few months for consultations on the Government's pensions proposals. There are at present no immediate plans for further meetings, but these can easily be arranged as necessary.

Hospital Finance (Control)

20.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is aware that the Royal Free Hospital was allocated £500,000 to spend in tranches not exceeding £1,000; and what improvement in the system of control of hospital finances she proposes.

There was no stipulation that all expenditure should be in tranches not exceeding £1,000. The present rules, which we are currently hoping to revise, allow expenditure of revenue money on single items of equipment which otherwise would be chargeable to capital up to a limit of £1,000. We have been able to introduce this year flexibility to the limited extent of ½ per cent. of moneys allocated to revenue to be spent on capital and up to 5 per cent. of capital to be spent on revenue. Ideally I would like even greater flexibility.

Geriatric Beds (Nuneaton And Bedworth)

23.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals exist for increasing geriatric beds for the Nuneaton and Bedworth areas.

The West Midlands Regional Health Authority and the Warwickshire Area Health Authority are at present considering ways of meeting the shortage of geriatric beds in the North Warwickshire—Nuneaton—health district, but have not yet made any firm proposals.

National Insurance (Self-Employed Persons)

24.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations she has received in recent months from self-employed persons regarding national insurance contributions; and what replies she has sent.

About 2,500 since 1st November 1974. In replies, I have corrected a number of misunderstandings and explained that, as announced by my right hon. Friend in her reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury and Radcliffe (Mr. White) on 26th February—[Vol. 887, c. 157–8]—we are currently re-examining the problems involved in a fully earnings-related system of contributions and benefits for the self-employed.

Eye Hospitals

25.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many specialist NHS eye hospitals are currently using two operating tables at the same time in one theatre.

I regret that the information is not available centrally. This is, however, an undesirable practice to be avoided wherever possible.

Departmental Posts (Blackpool)

26.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement about progress in connection with the relocation of some 980 posts in her Department in the Blackpool area.

Three small blocks of work totalling 86 posts have already been transferred from Headquarters to Blackpool and the detailed work needed to identify the posts by grades for the main dispersal is well advanced. Plans are now being drawn up for some redevelopment of the Blackpool Central Office site at Norcross to accommodate the dispersed staff, and it is expected that building will start in the first half of 1976 for occupation some two years later. It may, however, be possible to transfer some further small blocks of work at an earlier date.

Speech Therapists

27.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of fully-trained speech therapists at the latest convenient date; and how this compares with the requirements set out in the Quirk Report.

The number of people qualified to practise speech therapy was 3,048 at 1st June 1974. At 30th September 1973, the latest date for which figures are available, the number working in the hospital service, school health service and community health service in England and Wales was 907 whole-time equivalent. This represented increases over the previous year of about 10 per cent. and 6½ per cent. in the hospital and school health service respectively. The Quirk Report recommended a target of 2,500 to be reached within 20 years.

Hearing Research

28.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress is being made over establishing a national institute of hearing research.

Discussions with the Medical Research Council are continuing, but I hope that very soon it will be possible to make an announcement about the form of the institute.

Psychiatric Patients (Discharge)

29.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients were discharged from psychiatric hospitals into the care of the local authorities in the last 12 months.

In 1973, the latest year for which mental health inquiry statistics are available, there were about 16,000 discharges from mental illness hospitals and units in England and Wales in which some form of local authority social services care was arranged.

Doctors (Emigration)

30.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the most recent figures for doctors emigrating from this country.

The provisional estimate for the year ending September 1974 is of 800 British or Irish doctors emigrating, partially offset by 500 returning. However, as my right hon. Friend said in her reply to the hon. Member on 29th April—[Vol. 891, c. 76–7.]—there ale signs that emigration may have been increasing.

Hospital Pay Beds

31.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will make a statement on the progress of her discussions concerning her proposals to phase out private beds in National Health Service hospitals.

I hope that the discussions I announced in the debate on pay beds on 5th May—[Vol. 891, c. 1092–1l03]—will begin soon.

Children And Young Persons Act 1969

32.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps she is taking to provide more resources for the purpose of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969.

In present economic circumstances additional health or social services resources for a particular purpose can only be provided by reducing provision for other purposes. In order to take account of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's recent Budget Statement, my Department is reviewing in consultation with the local authorities the current social services building programme. This already gives the highest priority to community home projects. We shall be considering revenue expenditure priorities in this year's public expenditure survey and rate support grant negotiations.

Medical Skills (Deployment)

33.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the evidence provided for her by the hon. Member for Cannock showing that 10 per cent. of doctors are employed in private practice which serves less than 5 per cent. of the population, if she will produce a scheme designed to encourage the wider availability of medical skills; and if she will make a statement.

I shall continue to have this point very much in mind during discussions with the profession on revision of the consultant contract, arrangements for phasing out private beds from NHS hospitals, and other matters.

Cafés And Restaurants (Hygiene)

34.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will seek new powers to combat infestation and other hygienic problems in the kitchens of cafés and restaurants in the West End of London.

Cafés and restaurants, like other food premises, are subject to the comprehensive requirements of the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1970 which the local authorities enforce. The regulations require, among other things, food rooms to be kept in such good order, repair and condition as to prevent, as far as is reasonably practicable, any risk of infestation. These provide strong powers of control, but my right hon. Friend has, nevertheless, undertaken to consider introducing nationally the registration of catering premises when the Food and Drugs Act comes under review.

Invalid Tricycles

36.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she has now placed further orders with the manufacturers for the supply of invalid tricycles.

Yes. Contracts have recently been placed to meet requirements to the end of the current financial year. Tenders for supplies in 1976–77 will be invited next month.As the hon. Gentleman knows, our policy for the future is to provide a cash benefit with vehicles as an alternative. At this stage, however, without new orders a large number of severely disabled people would be immobilised.

Fostering And Boarding-Out Allowances

37.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the erosion of boarding-out allowances by inflation, if she will now make a statement about the work of the departmental committee on fostering and rates of boarding-out allowances.

The Working Party on Fostering Practice was set up to compile a guide for practitioners and it expects to complete it later this year. It has also been asked to consider the payments made to foster parents, but it is up to the working party what recommendations, if any, it decides to make.

Medical Certificates

38.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will investigate the issuing of medical notes and the signing of other claims for payment of social security benefits by medical practitioners.

The issue of medical certificates of incapacity for work was among the questions examined by the Committee on Abuse of Social Security Benefits which was set up by, and reported to, my predecessor. I have formed no plans for a further investigation of this kind, but if the hon. Lady has any specific aspect in mind I should be grateful if she would let me know.

Supplementary Benefit (Fuel Allowance)

39.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she can yet say whether special increases in supplementary benefit are contemplated in order to compensate persons dependent on supplementary benefit for the rise in the price of gas and electricity.

As indicated in my right hon. Friend's statement to the House on 22nd May—[Vol. 892, c. 1623–1630.]—supplementary benefit scale rates are being increased with effect from 17th November, as, too, are the special additions payable to people in need of extra heating.

New Towns (Medical Facilities)

40.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in her consideration of the question of providing medical facilities for new towns on the same lines as the provision for education facilities; and if she will make a statement.

There has been continuing close liaison between Departments over the provision of facilities in new towns, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has indicated to regional health authorities that she would be willing to authorise starts on five major schemes in new towns in 1975–76. The programme for 1976–77 onwards has not yet been drawn up.

School Nurses

41.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will end the situation whereby school nurses with health visitors' certificates earn up to £1,000 per annum more than school nurses without that certificate, though they both do the same work.

School nurses who do not hold the Health Visitors Certificate may not, under statute, undertake the full range of a health visitors' duties which can be expected of those holding this qualification. Their salary and grading are for the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council to determine. I have, nevertheless, received representations from the Staff Side of the Council about these salaries and I shall be writing to them shortly.

Dental Auxiliaries

42.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied with the number of dental auxiliaries in training; and what proposals she has for increasing the number.

There is no shortage of applicants for places in the one training school in the United Kingdom. Since dental auxiliaries are concerned with the treatment of children, I would prefer, before considering whether training facilities need to be increased, to await the report of the committee under Professor Court which is reviewing the child health services.

Derriford Hospital, Plymouth

44.

asked the Secretary of of State for Social Services if she will announce, as a matter of urgency, whether the South-West Regional Health Authority will be permitted to go ahead with phase 2 of Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

The South-Western Regional Health Authority and the Devon Area Health Authority are currently considering further development on the Derriford site as part of a general review of service needs in the region. The outcome of the review will be discussed with my Department, but it is for the South-Western Regional Health Authority to determine the relative priority to be given to the many demands on the limited capital resources available.

Royal Victoria Hospital, Folkestone

45.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the waiting times for out-patient clinics at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Folkestone, for the three general medical practitioners, the two ENT surgery practitioners and the two genito-urinary practitioners, respectively.

There are five general practitioners who assist in out-patient clinics at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Folkestone, but it is not possible to identify individual waiting times for them. There are, however, hospital consultants working in the specialties described; their waiting times are as follows:

General Medicine (2)	…	7 weeks
General Medicine (1)	…	16 weeks
ENT (1)	…	18 weeks
ENT (1)	…	22 weeks
Genito-urinary (1)	…	51 weeks

There is another general surgeon who occasionally accepts genito-urinary cases, but it is not possible to identify these waiting times separately. Emergency cases are not of course subject to delay.

Personal Incomes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish a table, on the same basic assumptions as in the Writtten Reply given to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North on 15th May 1974—c. 464–70—showing the net weekly spending power for a week's work after 39 weeks and when unemployed after 39 weeks at the appropriate wage rate for a single person, for a married man with a wife and no children, and for a married man with a wife and one child, two children, three children and four children, assuming in each case gross weekly earnings of £20, £25, £30, £35, £40, £45, £55 and £60, respectively; if she will bring the earlier information up to date in line with tax changes announced in the Chancellor's recent Budget, with increases in unemployment benefit, and with any other relevant changes which may have occurred since May 1974; and if she will show, in each case, for how many weeks the unemployed person will receive income tax rebates.

The information requested is set out in the tables below. The assumptions used are: rent of £6, rates of £2; expenses associated with work—where relevant—75p (all weekly figures); no tax allowances other than personal allowances; post-April 1975 national insurance contributions; earnings in previous years the same as current earnings. When employed, the man is assumed to be working in week 41 of the current tax year; when unemployed he is assumed to have become unemployed in week 39 of the same tax year, but the tables show the position in week 41, the first week in which earnings-related supplement to unemployment benefit would be payable. Unemployment benefit is at the rates which my right hon. Friend announced on 22nd May would come into force in the week beginning 17th November 1975. Net income is defined as: earnings or unemployment benefit (UB) as appropriate, plus family allowances (FAM), family income supplement

(1) SINGLE MAN
Unemployed
£ per week
Normal Earnings				UB	Tax^*	Rent Rebate	Rate Rebate	Net Income	No. of weeks tax refund continues
20	…	…	…	14·70	-4·75	4·76	1·57	17·78	14
25	…	…	…	16·43	-4·75	4·33	1·44	18·95	14
30	…	…	…	17·95	-4·75	3·95	1·31	19·96	14
35	…	…	…	18·73	-4·90	3·76	1·25	20·64	14
40	…	…	…	19·51	-4·90	3·57	1·19	21·17	14
45	…	…	…	20·29	-4·90	3·44	1·15	21·78	14
55	…	…	…	20·47	-4·90	3·41	1·13	21·91	14
60	…	…	…	20·47	-4·90	3·41	1·13	21·91	14
^* A negative figure indicates a tax refund.

Employed
£ per week
Normal Earnings						Tax	N.I.	Rent Rebate	Rate Rebate	Net Income
20	…	…	…	…	…	2·45	1·10	3·49	1·16	12·35
25	…	…	…	…	…	4·20	1·37	2·64	0·86	14·18
30	…	…	…	…	…	5·95	1·65	1·79	0·56	16·00
35	…	…	…	…	…	7·70	1·92	0·94	0·26	17·83
40	…	…	…	…	…	9·45	2·20	—	—	19·60
45	…	…	…	…	…	11·20	2·47	—	—	22·58
55	…	…	…	…	…	14·70	3·02	—	—	28·53
60	…	…	…	…	…	16·45	3·30	—	—	31·50

(2) MAN, WIFE, NO CHILDREN
Unemployed
£ per week
Normal Earnings				UB	Tax^*	Rent Rebate	Rate Rebate	Net Income	No. of weeks tax refund continues
20	…	…	…	18·00	-6·50	5·79	1·90	24·19	4
25	…	…	…	22·10	-6·50	4·76	1·57	26·33	14
30	…	…	…	24·85	-6·50	4·08	1·35	28·78	14
35	…	…	…	25·63	-6·50	3·88	1·29	29·30	14
40	…	…	…	26·41	-6·50	3·69	1·23	29·83	14
45	…	…	…	27·19	-6·65	3·52	1·17	30·53	14
55	…	…	…	27·37	-6·65	3·50	1·16	30·68	14
60	…	…	…	27·37	-6·65	3·50	1·16	30·68	14
^* A negative figure indicates a tax refund.

(FIS), rent and rate rebates, and the value of free school meals and welfare milk; less tax—or plus tax refunds—national insurance contributions (NI), rent, rates and work expenses, if relevant. Supplementary benefit is not payable in any of the cases covered in the tables.

The comparisons implied in the tables are not, however, representative because, in particular, it would be very unusual for weekly earnings to conform to the assumption of no change in them for a period of nearly three years, which the hon. Gentleman made in his earlier Question.

Employed
£ per week
Normal Earnings						Tax	N.I.	Rent Rebate	Rate Rebate	Net Income
20	…	…	…	…	…	0·50	1·10	5·29	1·74	16·68
25	…	…	…	…	…	2·25	1·37	4·04	1·34	18·01
30	…	…	…	…	…	4·00	1·65	3·05	1·00	19·65
35	…	…	…	…	…	5·75	1·92	2·20	0·70	21·48
40	…	…	…	…	…	7·35	2·20	1·35	0·40	23·45
45	…	…	…	…	…	9·10	2·47	0·50	0·10	25·28
55	…	…	…	…	…	12·60	3·02	—	—	30·63
60	…	…	…	…	…	14·35	3·30	—	—	33·60

(3) MAN, WIFE AND 1 CHILD (UNDER 5)
Unemployed
£ per week
Normal Earnings		UB	Tax*	FIS	Rent Rebate	Rate Rebate	Free Welfare milk	Net Income	No. of weeks tax refund continues
20	…	21·50	—	5·80	4·48	1·48	0·42	25·68	—
25	…	22·10	-8·15	3·30	4·95	1·63	0·42	32·55	4
30	…	26·52	-8·25	0·80	4·47	1·48	0·42	33·94	12
35	…	29·13	-8·25	—	4·02	1·33	0·42	35·15	14
40	…	29·91	-8·25	—	3·82	1·27	—	35·25	14
45	…	30·69	-8·25	—	3·63	1·21	—	35·78	14
55	…	30·87	-8·40	—	3·59	1·20	—	36·06	14
60	…	30·87	-8·40	—	3·59	1·20	—	36·06	14
^* A negative figure indicates a tax refund.

Employed
£ per week
Normal Earnings				Tax	N.I.	FIS	Rent Rebate	Rate Rebate	Free Welfare milk	Net Income
20	…	…	…	—	1·10	5·80	4·85	1·60	0·42	22·82
25	…	…	…	0·70	1·37	3·30	4·22	1·40	0·42	23·52
30	…	…	…	2·45	1·65	0·80	3·60	1·20	0·42	23·17
35	…	…	…	4·20	1·92	—	2·89	0·95	—	23·97
40	…	…	…	5·95	2·20	—	2·04	0·65	—	25·79
45	…	…	…	7·70	2·47	—	1·19	0·35	—	27·62
55	…	…	…	11·20	3·02	—	—	—	—	32·03
60	…	…	…	12·95	3·30	—	—	—	—	35·00

(4) MAN, WIFE, 2 CHILDREN (1 CHILD UNDER 5, 1 AGED 5–10)
Unemployed
£ per week
Normal Earnings		FAM	UB	Tax*	FIS	Rent Rebate	Rate Rebate	Free School Meals	Free Welfare milk	Net Income	No. of weeks tax refund cont.
20	…	1·50	23·50	—	6·80	4·36	1·45	0·75	0·42	30·78	—
25	…	1·50	23·50	—	4·30	4·99	1·65	0·75	0·42	29·11	—
30	…	1·50	26·52	-8·95	1·80	4·86	1·60	0·75	0·42	38·40	8
35	…	1·50	30·94	-8·95	—	4·20	1·39	0·75	0·42	40·15	14
40	…	1·50	31·91	-8·95	—	3·97	1·31	0·75	—	40·39	14
45	…	1·50	32·69	-8·95	—	3·77	1·25	—	—	40·16	14
55	…	1·50	32·87	-9·10	—	3·72	1·24	—	—	40·43	14
60	…	1·50	32·87	-9·10	—	3·72	1·24	—	—	40·43	14
^* A negative figure indicates a tax refund.

Employed

£ per week

Normal Earnings

FAM

Tax*

N.I.

FIS

Rent Rebate

Rate Rebate

Free School Meals

Free Welfare milk

Net Income

…

1·50

—

1·10

6·80

5·24

1·72

0·75

0·42

26·58

…

1·50

—

1·37

4·30

4·61

1·52

0·75

0·42

27·98

…

1·50

1·60

1·65

1·80

3·99

1·32

0·75

0·42

27·78

…

1·50

3·35

1·92

—

3·32

1·10

—

26·90

…

1·50

5·10

2·20

—

2·47

0·80

—

28·72

…

1·50

6·85

2·47

—

1·62

0·50

—

30·55

…

1·50

10·50

3·02

—

34·23

…

1·50

12·25

3·30

—

37·20

(5) MAN, WIFE, 3 CHILDREN (1 AGED UNDER 5, 2 AGED 5–10)
Unemployed
£ per week
Normal Earnings		FAM	UB	Tax*	FIS	Rent Rebate	Rate Rebate	Free School Meals	Free Welfare milk	Net Income	No. of weeks tax refund continues
20	…	3·00	25·50	—	7·80	4·25	1·41	1·50	0·42	35·88	—
25	…	3·00	25·50	—	5·30	4·87	1·61	1·50	0·42	34·20	—
30	…	3·00	26·52	-9·65	2·80	5·25	1·73	1·50	0·42	42·87	4
35	…	3·00	30·94	-9·65	0·30	4·76	1·57	1·50	0·42	44·14	11
40	…	3·00	33·91	-9·65	—	4·10	1·36	1·50	0·42	45·94	14
45	…	3·00	34·69	-9·65	—	3·90	1·29	1·50	—	46·03	14
55	…	3·00	34·87	-9·80	—	3·85	1·28	—	—	44·80	14
60	…	3·00	34·87	-9·80	—	3·85	1·28	—	—	44·80	14
^* A negative figure indicates a tax refund. Employed

Employed

£ per week

Normal Earnings

FAM

Tax

N.I.

FIS

Rent Rebate

Rate Rebate

Free School Meals

Free Welfare milk

Net Income

…

3·00

—

1·10

7·80

5·62

1·85

1·50

0·42

30·34

…

3·00

—

1·37

5·30

5·00

1·65

1·50

0·42

31·75

…

3·00

1·05

1·65

2·50

4·37

1·45

1·50

0·42.

32·09

…

3·00

2·80

1·92

0·30

3·75

1·25

1·50

0·42

31·75

…

3·00

4·55

2·20

—

2·90

0·95

—

31·35

…

3·00

6·30

2·47

—

2·05

0·65

—

33·18

…

3·00

9·80

3·02

—

0·35

0·05

—

36·83

…

3·00

11·55

3·30

—

39·40

(6) MAN, WIFE AND 4 CHILDREN (2 AGED UNDER 5,2 AGED 5–10)
Unemployed
£ per week
Normal Earnings		FAM	UB	Tax*	FIS	Rent Rebate	Rate Rebate	Free School Meals	Free Welfare milk	Net Income	No. of weeks tax refund cont.
20	…	4·50	27·50	—	8·50	4·21	1·40	1·50	0·84	40·45	—
25	…	4·50	27·50	—	6·30	4·77	1·57	1·50	0·84	38·98	—
30	…	4·50	27·50	—	3·80	5·39	1·77	1·50	0·84	37·30	1
35	…	4·50	30·94	-10·35	1·30	5·15	1·70	1·50	0·84	48·28	8
40	…	4·50	35·36	-10·35	—	4·37	1·45	1·50	0·84	50·37	14
45	…	4·50	36·69	-10·35	—	4·04	1·34	1·50	—	50·42	14
55	…	4·50	36·87	-10·50	—	3·99	1·33	1·50	—	50·69	14
60	…	4·50	36·87	-10·50	—	3·99	1·33	—	—	49·19	14
^*A negative figure indicates a tax refund.

Employed

£ per week

Normal Earnings

FAM

Tax

N.I.

FIS

Rent Rebate

Rate Rebate

Free School Meals

Free Welfare milk

Net Income

…

4·50

—

1·10

8·50

6·00

2·00

1·50

0·84

33·49

…

4·50

—

1·37

6·30

5·39

1·77

1·50

0·84

35·18

…

4·50

0·20

1·65

3·80

4·76

1·57

1·50

0·84

36·37

…

4·50

1·90

1·92

1·30

4·14

1·37

1·50

0·84

36·08

…

4·50

3·65

2·20

—

3·34

1·11

1·50

—

35·85

…

4·50

5·40

2·47

—

2·49

0·81

—

36·18

…

4·50

8·75

3·02

—

0·79

0·21

—

39·98

…

4·50

10·50

3·30

—

41·95

Breast Cancer

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether agreement has been reached between the National Health Service and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund for developing a more advanced method of detecting breast cancer.

My Department is waiting to hear further from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund about developments on its proposal to mount a breast cancer screening trial in South London. The health departments for England, Scotland and Wales arc already sponsoring five research projects on breast cancer screening and, in consultation with the Medical Research Council, are taking steps to establish feasibility studies in certain areas to determine the optimum form any service might take.General diagnostic facilities for breast cancer are provided widely through outpatient clinics and radiological and pathological departments in hospitals; any woman who discovers suspicious symptoms should seek a prompt consultation with her doctor.

Child-Minders

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of registered child-minders; and what is his latest estimate of the number of child-minders who are not currently registered.

At 31st March 1974, the most recent date for which figures are available, 30,200 persons were registered to care for children, of whom 25,596 were providing full day care, and 4,604 sessional care. It is not possible to make an informed estimate of the number of unregistered child-minders.

Hertfordshire And Essex Hospital (Maternity Unit)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the views of the East Hertfordshire Community Health Council have been taken into account by the Hertfordshire Area Health Authority in the consideration of the latter body on the propriety, or otherwise, of the proposed closure of the maternity unit at the Hertfordshire and Essex Hospital.

I understand that these views were taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the views of the Hertfordshire Area Health Authority on the proposed closure of the maternity unit at the Hertfordshire and Essex Hospital have yet been transmitted to the regional health authority; and if she will make a statement as to her reconsideration of the matter of such closure.

The views of the Hertfordshire Area Health Authority have not yet been received by the North East Thames Regional Health Authority and therefore I am not able to make a statement.

Heating Allowances

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her Department's latest estimate of the proportion of those entitled to discretionary heating allowances who apply for and receive such allowances.

As at February 1975, extra heating additions were in payment to 744,000 recipients of supplementary benefit—28 per cent. of all recipients at that time. Since the Supplementary Benefits Commission is not dealing with a static situation there is no way of estimating how many beneficiaries may be entitled to such an addition and do not receive it, but there is no evidence to suggest that the numbers involved are large.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the percentage increase in the discretionary allowances for extra heating since 1st March 1974 is greater or less than the percentage increase in the cost to the domestic consumer of electricity, gas and coal, respectively; and what are the figures.

Extra heating additions are being increased by 371 per cent. with effect from 17th November 1975, giving an overall increase since 1st March 1974 of 83 per cent. The national average percentage increase in the cost of domestic electricity, gas and coal, including price increases announced but not yet implemented, is as follows:

Domestic electricity	…	87 per cent.
Domestic gas	…	12 per cent.
Domestic coal	…	59 per cent.
		(41 per cent. with summer discount)

Hospital Beds

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will take the necessary steps to enable electrically-operated beds to be prescribed on the National Health Service for people who are bedfast, are frequently left alone and who suffer from bedsores.

Such beds may at present be prescribed if they are needed for continuation of medical treatment or as part of home nursing services.

Blind Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will introduce extra allowances for the blind and the severely disabled in order to offset their inability to shop around and thereby take advantage of the cheapest prices available.

My hon. Friend will be well aware of the many new and improved benefits for the disabled which are either already available or on their way. I have no further proposals to make at this stage.

Chronically Sick And Disabled Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she expects to receive the report from the department of social administration of Birmingham University into the methods adopted by the former local authorities in implementing Section 1(1) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

Although I am doing what I can to expedite matters, I regret to have to inform my hon. Friend that production of the cross-tabulations which form an integral part of the report has been held up due to an industrial dispute involving computer operators. The report is not now expected until the autumn.

Departmental Staff

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many civil servants were employed in his Department as at 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974, and 1st January 1975; and if he will show how many of these were employed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively.

The figures are as follows:

		1st January	1st January	1st January
		1973	1974	1975
Total staff	…	76,537	80,940	86,707
Scotland	…	6,040	6,567	6,886
England	…	66,856	70,519	75,657
Wales	…	3,570	3,782	4,093

A small number of staff are employed outside Great Britain.

Widows' Pensions

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the increase in the pension payable to the widow of a private soldier, the widow of a captain and the standard widow's pension since 1944; and how many times each pension in these categories has been increased.

The war pension payable to the widow of a private soldier has increased by £13·38—weekly—that to a captain's widow by £692—annually—and that to the national insurance widow by £11·10—weekly. The pensions in question have been increased on 14, 13 and 15 occasions, respectively.

National Health Service (Administration Costs)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the costs of the administration of the National Health Service in so far as these can be separated from the operating costs, for the years 1972, 1973, 1974 and the last period of 1975 for which figures are available.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Isle of Ely (Mr. Freud) on 11th March—[Vol. 888, c. 97.] As yet no later information is available.

Energy

Atomic Waste

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is satisfied with the safety precautions applied in dealing with atomic waste from Great Britain and other countries at Windscale and Calder Hall; if he will initiate a departmental inquiry into this matter; and, pending its report, if he will halt further importation of nuclear waste from other countries.

The British Nuclear Fuels Limited's plant at Windscale is licensed under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. Conditions attached to the licence, which is granted by the Health and Safety Executive, provide the necessary safety standards for the handling, reprocessing and storage of all nuclear waste received at Windscale. These conditions are enforced by the Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate which exercises strict control. My center hon. Friend is satisfied with these arrangements.

Coal Subsidies (European Community)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the latest subsidy per ton of coal projected in the Common Market countries of West Germany, France, Belgium and Holland; and what is the total figure involved.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 6th May 1975; Vol. 891, c. 425], gave the following revised information:

For 1974 the latest figures are:

					£
West Germany	…	…	…	…	2·06
France	…	…	…	…	5·70
Belgium	…	…	…	…	7·67
Holland	…	…	…	…	9·47

The total figure involved is £424 million.

Industry

Valves

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the value of soft-seated valves manufactured in 1974 in the United Kingdom; and what was the value of the imports of soft-seated valves in 1974.

Soft-seated valves are not separately distinguished in the statistics. United Kingdom manufacturers' sales of mainly industrial ball and butterfly valves, however, which incorporate soft valve seats, totalled £40 million in 1974. Other valves may include some with soft seats but the values cannot be estimated. No estimate for imports is possible.

Departmental Staff

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many civil servants were employed in his Department as at 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974, and 1st January 1975; and if he will show how many of these were employed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively.

The number on 1st January 1975 was 10,239, of whom 1,231 were employed in Scotland, 7,582 in England and 1,426 in Wales. On 1st April 1974, the first date for which information was collected following the creation of my Department on 5th March 1974, the number was 10,149, of whom 1,250 were employed in Scotland, 7,504 in England and 1,395 in Wales. Included in those totals are more than 4,000 staff providing various common services for my Department and the Departments of Trade and Prices and Consumer Protection.

Nationalised Industries (Manpower)

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give figures for manpower levels in nationalised industries within his departmental responsibility for 1964 and 1974, together with estimates over the next five years.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on Monday, 9th June to the hon. Members for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (Mr. Steel) and Rochdale (Mr. Smith).

Trade

Departmental Staff

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many civil servants were employed in his Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974, and 1st January 1975; and if he will show how many of these were employed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively.

The number on 1st January 1975 was 7,303, of whom 214 were employed in Scotland, 6,820 in England, 227 in Wales and 42 elsewhere. On 1st April 1974, the first date for which information was collected following the creation of my Department on 5th March 1974, the number was 7,016, of whom 220 were employed in Scotland, 6,522 in England, 232 in Wales and 42 elsewhere.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Food Supplies (Vietnamese War Effects)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies his Department has made of the effect on world food supplies, especially rice, of the end of warfare in Vietnam.

My Department monitors factors affecting world markets for agricultural commodities of importance to the United Kingdom, including rice, but has made no specific study of the effect on those markets of the end of warfare in Vietnam.

Departmental Staff

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many civil servants were employed in his Department on 1st January 1973, 1st January 1974, and 1st January 1975; and if he will show how many of these were employed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively.

The total number of stall employed in my Department on each date was as follows:

1st January 1973	…	…	15,394
1st January 1974	…	…	15,042
1st January 1975	…	…	15,195

A complete breakdown by countries is not available at these dates; such records are keyed to 1st July and the following gives the information for that date in the last three years:

1st July 1972—Total 15,736; of these 340 were in Scotland, 14,067 in England and 1,329 in Wales.
1st July 1973—Total 15,213; of these 341 were in Scotland, 13,588 in England and 1,284 in Wales.
1st July 1974—Total 14,927; of these 357 were in Scotland, 13,288 in England and 1,282 in Wales.

The figures for England include stall stationed in Northern Ireland, currently 19.

The figures do not include staff employed by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland.

Sheep Scab

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the continued existence in Great Britain of sheep scab, and bearing in mind the shortage and high cost of gamma benzene hexachloride, what response he has made to the offer of various chemical companies to assist in the research necessary for the development of other, modern dips which he could approve for the purpose of orders relating to sheep scab and sheep dipping.

Development work on dips containing ingredients other than gamma benzene hexachloride is a matter for the chemical companies themselves. If new dips are to be approved against sheep scab, trials using some 30 to 40 infected sheep are needed, and since sheep scab is a notifiable disease involving statutory action the conditions under which trials can be permitted need careful consideration to ensure that the sheep scab mite does not escape from the trial premises. Three companies are known to be interested in establishing trial premises and are about to be informed of the specification that my Department has prepared for the construction and operation of such premises.

European Community (Farm Fund)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make an up-to-date statement on the steps being taken by the EEC to combat farm fund frauds in the EEC member countries in 1974 and 1975; and what was the total amount of such frauds uncovered in 1974.

I welcome this opportunity of providing the following information.2. In October 1974 the Commission introduced a number of measures to tighten up financial control with particular reference to FEOGA revenue and expenditure. The Director General for Agriculture was instructed to institute a system of random inspections; the Directorate General for Financial Control was instructed to conduct sector by sector investigations; it was decided to create special inspection teams and to set up documentation centres to deal with information on laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to Community revenue and expenditure collected and incurred in the member States.3. The necessary additional posts were authorised under the Communities' 1975 Budget, and the Directorate General for Financial Control will have two additional divisions to which the special inspection teams will be assigned.4. The Commission's Directorate General for Agriculture is going ahead with random inspections of supporting documents and centralised accountancy data and is checking that transactions have in fact taken place. Up to mid-February 1975 inspections involving the Guarantee Section of FEOGA represented a total of 121 inspector/days.5. Sector by sector inspections are being carried out by special inspection teams attached to the Commission's Directorate General for Financial Control to establish whether national implementing arrangements conform to the rules, to investigate suspected irregularities and, in the most serious cases of suspected fraud, to launch full-scale inquiries. Despite the fact that the special inspection teams were not fully operational in 1974 the Directorate General for Financial Control carried out 27 investigations representing 76 inspector/days.6. The Commission's Special Committee of Inquiry which was set up in October 1973 to examine the possibility of fraud and irregularities in the management of Community funds has reported to the Commission on the milk products sector and on the oil seeds and olive oil sectors. These reports contain general as well as specific recommendations for the avoidance of irregularities. They have been drawn to the attention of the Council, the European Assembly and the Audit Board and have been examined by the Select Committee on European Secondary Legislation. The Special Committee has now started to examine the beef and veal sector.7. In the light of the Committee's findings on the milk products sector the Commission decided to study the possibility of using computers to administer and supervise the Guarantee Section of FEOGA; to speed up discussions of the proposal for a regulation on mutual assistance between competent national authorities and between the latter and the Commission for ensuring the correct application of Community customs and agricultural regulations and for the proposed directive on mutual assistance in the recovery of sums wrongly paid in connection with the agricultural policy, agricultural levies and customs duties; to tighten up the application of Council Regulation (EEC) 283/72 concerning irregularities and the recovery of sums wrongly paid in connection with the financing of the CAP.8. The Commission has in fact paid particular attention to the operation of Regulation 283/72 which is concerned with irregularities and the recovery of sums wrongly paid in connection with the financing of the common agricultural policy and the organisation of an information system in this field. An Expert Group of the FEOGA Committee and the Committee itself, both composed of representatives of member States and the Commission, have been examining irregularities reported by member States with a view to identifying weaknesses in existing regulations so that these can be corrected and to encourage member States to intensify their efforts to prevent fraud and to detect it when it has occurred.

9. In addition member States have decided that a convention embodying common rules on improving co-operation in the prevention and punishment of offences against Community economic law should be drafted and should be ready for signature before the end of this year.

				Number of cases	Sums wrongly paid	Amount recovered	Amount being recovered
					£ million^*	£ million	£ million
Guarantee Section	…	…	…	87	4·9	3·8	1·0
Guidance Section	…	…	…	150	0·17	0·08	0·08
^* Converted from units of account at the rate of £1 =2·4 u.a.

European Surpluses

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in how many instances Common Market food surpluses that have been sold off at less than economic prices to East European countries were first offered to countries of the Third World; in how many such instances such surpluses were offered at prices advantageous to Third World countries as those governing sales to Eastern Europe; if he will seek to persuade the EEC in future to give priority to poor countries when disposing of surplus; and if he will make a statement.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23rd May 1975; Vol.

10. I regret that information is not yet available about the total amount of fraud and irregularities in relation to FEOGA which were uncovered in 1974, but in the years 1971, 1972 and 1973, taken together the situation was as summarised below:

892, c. 720], gave the following information:

In general intervention stocks exported outside the EEC are disposed of by open sale on fixed terms or by invitation to tender and are not offered to particular countries or traders in advance—though an arrangement was made in April 1973 to sell butter from intervention stocks to the USSR with the help of a subsidy over and above the normal export refunds. Intervention stocks of butter, skimmed milk powder and cereals have contributed substantially towards the Community's food aid programme, and the disposal of such stocks in future is one of the questions which will be considered in the stocktaking review of the common agricultural policy.

Volume 893: debated on Tuesday 10 June 1975

Written Answers To Questions

Planning Policy Processes

Professional Organisations (Meetings)

Prime Minister (Engagements)

Prime Minister (Broadcast)

Tuc And Cbi (Meeting)

Referendum

Ministerial Broadcasts

Social Contract

Motor Industry

Commodity Marketing

Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference

Industrial Development (Minister's Speech)

European Community

Mr Paul Johnson

Trade Union Conferences

Cuba (Deputy Prime Minister)

Home Department

Equal Opportunities Commission

Terrorism

Entry Permits

Penal Institutions

Security Personnel

British And European Courts

House Of Lords (Scottish Appeals)

Shrieval And Supreme Benches

Civil Service

Epping Forest Act 1878

Education And Science

Teacher-Pupil Or Student Ratio

Colleges Of Education

Secondary Education

Employment

Scotland

Departmental Staff

Disabled Persons

Departmental Staff

Equal Pay

National Dock Labour Board Scheme

Ilkeston, Derbyshire And Kilmarnock

Environment

Transport Officials (Bristol)

House Building (Direct Labour)

Local Authority Expenditure

Housing Finance Agency

Rates

Northern Ireland

Trade And Fishing Policy

Terrorists

Departmental Staff

Detainees (Release)

International Engineering Limited

Overseas Development

Commonwealth Fund For Technical Co-Operation

Gilbert And Ellice Islands

Oecd Countries

Vietnam

Laos And Cambodia

Commonwealth Development Corporation

Mozambique

Bangladesh

Scotland

Disabled War Veterans

Doctors-Administrative Staff Ratios

Prison Officers

Perth Prison

Defence

Departmental Staff

Military And Civilian Personnel

Requirements

Park Hall Camp, Oswestry (Shooting Incident)

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Cyprus

Rich And Poor Countries

Palestine Liberation Organisation

Diego Garcia (Military Installations)

Turkey (Arms Supplies)

Diplomatic Service