asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current number of civil servants in his Department; and what was the total in equivalent sections of departments in 1964 and the percentage increase or decrease between the two dates.

The total staff of the Home Office on 1st October 1975 was 32,327. The numbers in post in sections of the Department which existed on both 1st October 1964 and 1st October 1975 were 17,711 and 32,038 respectively. This represents an increase of about 81 per cent. between these dates.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to hold an investigation into the Greek and Turkish Cypriot Advice Centre; and, if so, on what grounds will the investigation be held.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has given instructions that persons going to the Greek and Turkish Cypriot Advice Centre should be questioned by the police as a result of their seeking the centre's assistance.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he intends to lift the ban on the Greek and Turkish Cypriot Advice Centre;(2) whether he will give the reasons for the refusal of Home Office Immigration Department officials to accept the staff of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot Advice Centre as representatives for immigrants whose cases are being dealt with by the Home Office.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 10th November to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mrs. Rose)—[Vol. 899, col. 513.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's civil servants are engaged on work in devolution.

None full-time, but the devolution proposals touch a number of Home Office responsibilities, and up to 30 staff can be engaged at any one time on the devolution aspects of their work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the active strength of the Metropolitan Police as compared with its approved establishment in each of the years 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970 and at the most recent convenient date in 1975.

The figures are:

	Authorised establishment	Strength for ordinary duty
31st December—
1955	19,973	15,931
1960	20,458	17,217
1965	25,617	18,743
1970	26,055	21,057
31st October 1975	26,628	21,120

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of serving CID officers in the Metropolitan Police area as compared with the approved establishment in each of the years 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970 and at the most recent convenient date in 1975.

The figures are:

	CID establishment	Strength
31st December—
1955	1,373	1,481
1960	1,599	1,646
1965	2,755	2,005
1970	3,246	3,298
31st October 1975	3,529	3,414

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of crimes of violence recorded in the Metropolitan Police area in each of the years 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969 and 1974.

The figures are as follows:

1954	1,322
1959	2,247
1964	4,002
1969	7,130
1974	9,585

The area of the Metropolitan Police District has altered since 1954, the main change being the absorption of the borough of Romford and Hornchurch Urban District from 1st April 1965.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for driving through red lights at pelican crossings there were during 1974.

The number of convictions in England and Wales for 1974 for all offences classified as neglect by a moving vehicle of Regulations governing pedestrian crossings was 13,366. The information requested is not separately available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners escaped from the main entrance of Wandsworth Prison in the past 25 years.

As I stated in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Perry) on 4th November 1975—[Vol. 899, c. 117–18.]—this information is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has had on police interview procedures following the quashing of the verdicts by the Appeal Court in the Confait murder case.

Apart from representations I have received from my hon. Friend and the motion on the Order Paper in the name of my hon. Friend and others, which I have noted, I have received five letters on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Gordon-Brown Committee on the tape recording of police interviews has met since it was set up; and at how many of those meeting the chairman was present.

The committee has held five meetings, all but one of them under the chairmanship of Mr. W. N. Hyde of the Home Office. Mr. Gordon-Brown was transferred to the Cabinet Office before the committee began its work. I am not aware that it was ever known as the "Gordon-Brown Committee".

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Gordon-Brown Committee on the tape recording of police interviews to report.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a Question by the hon. and learned Member for Runcorn (Mr. Carlisle) on 10th November.—[Vol. 899, c. 514.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he has made for a pilot project on the tape recording of police interviews to enable the Gordon-Brown Committee to test the effectiveness of this procedure.

None, but I am ready to consider any such requests the committee may make.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now issue extra administrative directions to Judge's Rules to safeguard mentally abnormal detainees during police interrogation.

I am considering, in consultation with chief officers of police, whether there is any further guidance I could usefully issue to the police on the questioning of mentally handicapped persons, but I have not yet reached any conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the current number of civil servants in his Department; and what was the total in equivalent sections of Departments in 1964 and the percentage increase or decrease between the two dates.

The Northern Ireland Office was set up as a Department of State in 1972 to take over the functions of direct rule. The Department now has 247 United Kingdom civil servants. It is not possible to make a meaningful comparison between the functions and the staff of the Northern Ireland Office today, and the corresponding situation in 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, in the light of his policy concerning special category prisoners in Northern Ireland, he will make a statement on his position in relation to forced feeding of prisoners in Northern Ireland prisons.

I have nothing further to add to the policy statement on the artificial feeding of prisoners made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department on 17th July 1974.—[Vol. 877, c. 451–2.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to control the price of milk sold through vending machines.

We have no plans at present to control the price of milk sold through vending machines.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of cod caught by British vessels is under one year old.

The minimum landing size of cod is 30cm while the maximum length of cod of up to one year in age is about 26cm. Minimum mesh sizes of trawls used by United Kingdom vessels in cod fisheries allow the escape of small cod. Those accidentally caught must be returned to the sea.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease were confirmed in England, Scotland and Wales respectively during 1953 to 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1975; and if he will make a statement.

Between 1953 and 1968 the number of outbreaks were:

England	2,805
Wales	496
Scotland	105
Total	3,406

No outbreaks have occurred since June 1968. This is the longest period of freedom from foot-and-mouth disease this century, and is mainly attributable to the change in meat import policy introduced in December 1967, when imports of mutton, lamb and pig meat from countries where the disease was endemic were banned. This ban was extended in 1968, on the recommendation of the Northumberland Committee, to imports of beef other than boned-out beef from those countries. Our defences against the disease have also been reinforced by the Diseases of Animals (Waste Food) Order 1973 under which the regulations governing the use of waste food as animal feed have been made more stringent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated tonnage of adult fish in the main herring source areas of the North Sea; and what was the tonnage catch of herring in 1974.

The estimated stock bio-mass of herring in the North Sea at 1st January 1975 is 346,000 tons, of which the adult stock represents 241,000 tons. The total catch in this area in 1974 was 252,690 tons, of which 105,442 tons was made up of adult herring.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what was the estimated total cost of running the home Civil Service during each of the last five years.

I would refer the hon. Member to the published Departmental Supply Estimates for the last five years, which include provision for such costs.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether those members of the staff of the devolution unit who have been transferred or seconded from other departments of the Civil Service have been replaced in their previous positions by further internal appointments or whether there has been a net addition to the Civil Service as a whole as a result of the formation of the unit.

There are 32 staff in the Cabinet Office Constitution Unit. Twenty-two of the staff were transferred or seconded from other Departments, five were transferred from within the Cabinet Office, and five were directly recruited. All but six of the staff transferred or seconded have been or are being replaced in their previous positions, so that there is a net addition to the Civil Service of 26.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the statement in the Queen's Speech, during which month he proposes to issue new licences for exploration and development of offshore oil and gas.

As my right hon Friend has announced, he proposes to invite applications in 1976. He hopes to award licences in the latter months of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he proposes to take to ensure that corrosion by seawater of vital equipment on British offshore production equipment does not lead to loss of life, comparable to the accident which occurred recently in the Ekofisk Field.

Since 31st August 1975 every installation operating in United Kingdom waters has been required to obtain a valid certificate of fitness from one of five certifying authorities appointed by me. Thorough surveys of every installation and its associated equipment were made by the certifying authorities, both above and below sea level, before issuing a certificate.Immediately after the Ekofisk accident my Department wrote to companies operating in the North Sea reminding them of the dangers of corrosion, asking them to carry out an additional urgent check of their pipeline risers around sea level, where the danger of corrosion is greatest. The operators were also asked to ensure that all personnel know the correct procedure for launching the survival craft which every United Kingdom installation is required to have.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current number of civil servants in his Department; and what was the total number in the equivalent sections of Departments in 1964 and the percentage increase or decrease of the total between the two dates.

The number of civil servants in my Department is currently 1,402 compared with approximately 940 in broadly equivalent sections of Departments in 1964. This represents an increase of approximately 49 per cent., mainly attributable to North Sea developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what inquiries he has made into the relative costs of British and Japanese manufacture of plastic token prepayment electricity meters;(2) when he expects to have the Electricity Council's appreciation of plastic token prepayment electricity meters available; and whether he will place this in the Lobrary.

The electricity industry is evaluating the latest developments in plastic token operated prepayment meters. My right hon. Friend has asked to be informed of its conclusions, and he will consider whether it would be appropriate for a copy of its report to be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy in how many cases during each of the last five years for which records are available have representatives of electricity boards broken into or otherwise entered private homes without permission from the householder, so as to disconnect electricity where the electricity bill has not been paid.

Representatives of electricity boards do not enter consumers' premises to disconnect electricity supply without first obtaining the householder's permission, or a magistrate's warrant where such permission is refused.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether he will issue a general direction to the Electricity Council to stop the cutting off of electricity supplies from the homes of unemployed consumers other than in exceptional cases;(2) whether he will issue a general direction to the Electricity Council to stop the cutting off of electricity supplies from the homes of consumers who are receiving supplementary benefits;(3) whether he will issue a general direction to the Electricity Council to stop the cutting off of electricity supplies from the homes of consumers on the advice of local social services departments.

I am confident that the area boards will continue to deal with each case on its merits and act in a sympathetic and humane manner within the guidelines of the present liaison arrangements with the Department of Health and Social Security, Supplementary Benefits Commission and welfare organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is the average cost of disconnecting the supply of electricity from the home of a consumer, resulting from non-payment of charges;(2) what is the average cost of reconnecting the supply of electricity to the home of a consumer, cut-off through non-payment of charges;(3) what is the average, the minimum and the maximum charge for reconnecting the supply of electricity to the home of a consumer, disconnected through non-payment of charges.

It is not possible to quote average charges as the circumstances of disconnection and reconnection vary considerably. The electricity area boards aim to do no more than recover costs. A typical cost of disconnection and re-connection of supply at present is some £3 for each operation, where there is access to the consumer's premises. If external work has to be done, such as excavating and rejoining, the cost can be considerably higher.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many disconnections of electricity due to non-payment of charges have been carried out to the homes of consumers during each of the past 10 years for which records are available; how many such disconnections have been carried out during each of the latest 36 months for which records are available; how many and what percentage of such homes were reconnected within a period of seven days or less, 14 days or less, one month or less, three months or less, six months or less, and 12 months or less, respectively; and how many and what percentage of such homes remain disconnected.

Figures for each of the past 10 years of disconnection due to non-payment of electricity accounts are not available. However, for those years when a review of disconnections has been carried out, the figures are as follows:

1969	125,000
1970	121,000
1971	119,000
1974–75	120,000

Area boards estimate that some 70 per cent. of consumers disconnected are reconnected within two days and nearly 90 per cent. within a month.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many claims for loss of fishing gear due to oil related debris have been received by his Department; and how many claims for compensation have been paid to date.

No claims for loss or damage to fishing gear due to oil related debris have been received by my Department. Her Majesty's Government are not in possession of complete information about the settlement of claims to date, but I understand that the Fisheries Departments in England and Scotland have been notified of 33 instances where claims for compensation have been paid.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of the United Kingdom's energy requirements is expected to be met by nuclear power by 1980 and 1990, respectively.

I would refer the hon. Member to annex C of my Department's memorandum on conservation given in evidence to the Select Committee on Science and Technology: Sub-Committee on Energy Resources session 1974–75 and published by them (155–viii). From the figures in Table I of that annex it can be estimated that the proportions of the United Kingdom's energy requirements expected to be met by nuclear power in 1980 and 1990 lie between 6 per cent. and 7 per cent. and between 10 per cent. and 23 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about his recent meeting with heads of industries involved in the nuclear power programme.

It was an informal meeting with the chairmen of the main organisations involved, to review progress on our nuclear power programmes. My predecessor held such meetings from time to time and I shall be doing the same.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much money has been spent by his Department on research and development into solar panels since January 1970.

A study at an estimated cost of £30,000 has been carried out for the Department by the Energy Technology Support Unit at Harwell. This study assesses the prospects for using solar energy in the United Kingdom and identifies where further work may be needed. Its results will be considered by my Advisory Council for Research and Development. Proposals for research by my Department will take into account work pursued by other Departments and the international programmes on solar energy research.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the projected number of gas-cooled reactors expected to be in operation by 1980, 1985, and 1990, respectively.

We expect all five of the AGR stations in the programmes of the electricity generating boards to be in operation by 1980. There are nine Magnox stations operated by the boards. The cost of the Magnox reactors which were built in the early 1960s will be fully depreciated by the late 1980s, but their low cost of production may well encourage the boards to keep them in operation beyond that time.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much money has been spent on research and development into gas-cooled nuclear reactors by Government Departments since December 1960.

In full commercial cost terms, net expenditure on this by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in the period 1st April 1961 to 31st March 1975 was some £160 million. In the same period the United Kingdom has also paid, through the UKAEA and by direct Government contributions to the Euratom budget, some £18 million towards the Dragon project.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects the first advanced gas-cooled reactor to come on stream.

I understand from the CEGB that Hinkley Point B is currently expected to start producing electricity in April 1976. I further understand that the SSEB's Hunterston B power station is also expected to deliver commercial power in April 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he intends to pursue the recommendations of the Select Committee on Science and Technology on energy conservation.

The recommendations in this report are being studied carefully by my Department in close consultation with the other Departments concerned. The Government will reply to the report as soon as possible after this work has been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about progress on the repair and recommissioning of British Nuclear Fuel Limited's Windscale plant for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel.

The information relates to the day-to-day management of the plant, and I have asked the Chairman of British Nuclear Fuels Limited to write to the right hon. Member about it.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what communications he has had from the Director-General of the NEDO about fluctuating and irregular ordering of mining machinery and coal preparation equipment; and what replies he has sent.

The National Economic Development Office has written to my Department and to the Treasury passing on the views of the Council of Underground Machinery Manufacturers and the Coal Preparation Plant Association about the current level of National Coal Board ordering. The National Economic Development Office has also been in touch with the National Coal Board, and I understand that the Chairman of the Board has now written to the Director-General dealing with the specific points raised.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he has received a report on wave-generated energy from the National Laboratory at East Kilbride; and whether it will be published.

The report on wave-generated energy prepared for my Department by the National Engineering Laboratory at East Kilbride was received in March of this year. It was presented to the Advisory Council on Research and Development (ACORD) in June together with a parallel paper by the Central Electricity Generating Board. Discussion by ACORD led to the setting up of a steering committee to direct a national programme to investigate wave energy possibilities. Copies of the reports have already been made available to a number of organisations which have an active interest in the subject. The question of general publication is under consideration by the committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in what specific ways he intends to co-ordinate the recently announced measures to alleviate unemployment in the construction industry with the Government's campaign to eliminate labour-only sub-contracting in the industry.

The provisions against abuses in the Finance (No. 2) Act 1975 should substantially reduce the size of the lump. The Construction Industry Manpower Board, which is to be set up shortly, will advise on the effect of this and other measures to increase stability of employment in the industry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the criteria to be considered by local authorities in deciding whether to recommend the provision of pedestrian crossings.

Broadly, traffic flow, pedestrian need, traffic speed, and the characteristics of the road and its environment. The criteria are set out in detail in a circular (Roads No. 19/74) to local authorities. I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total space in square feet occupied by Government Departments and the total annual cost; what were the totals in 1964; and what are the percentage increases between the two dates.

In 1964 Government Departments occupied 39·3 million sq. ft. of net office space. The annual rent bill was £12¾ million. The corresponding figures for 1975 are 60·5 million sq. ft. and £80 million, representing increases of 54 per cent. and 527 per cent. The figures are not strictly comparable because of changes in the proportions of leased and Crown accommodation and the composition of the Civil Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total floor area of offices occupied by the Civil Service in Greater London, the total rates paid on all such offices, the proportion rented, and the annual cost of such rents.

The total floor area of office accommodation occupied by the Civil Service in Greater London is approximately 18,891,000 sq. ft., of which 68 per cent. is rented at a cost of £42·7 million in the current year. The total sum payable as a contribution in lieu of rates for all Government occupied property in Greater London is £48 million. It is not possible to give rates for office accommodation only without disproportionate effort.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has given further consideration to the difficulties caused by the individual rating of caravans; what action he is planning to take; and if he will make a statement.

I am hoping to introduce legislation under which site operators, rather than individual caravan owners, would be responsible for collection and payment of rates to the rating authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to prevent charabancs using the outside lane of three-lane motorways.

I hope to make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what, and how many, circulars the Government have issued this year in relation to loans for home ownership.

Circular 64/75 dated 9th June 1975 is the only circular relating to local authority lending for house purchase which has so far been issued by my Department this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will ensure that any increase in royalty charges by the Ordnance Survey section of his Department is in accordance with the prices code.

The Price Code does not apply to Government fees and charges, but similar disciplines are applied. The forthcoming changes and restructuring of Ordnance Survey royalty charges were introduced to meet increased costs falling on the Ordnance Survey and to pro-vide a more equitable structure of charges as between different classes of user.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has requested or received details of the research being carried out in the United States of America on the effect of fluorocarbon on the ozone layer of the atmosphere; and, if so, what conclusions he has reached about the research results.

My Department is aware of the research at present being carried out in the United States of America, and receives details of results as they become available. These will be taken into account in the course of our current appraisal of the possible effects of chlorofluorocarbons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce a register of builders, in conjunction with such bodies as the Federation of Master Builders and the National Federation of Building Trades Employers, in order to ensure that all those persons and companies calling themselves builders and contractors meet basic requirements of skill, viability and integrity.

I should require the advice of the Construction Industry Manpower Board, which will be set up shortly, on any proposal for the establishment of a register of builders. The National House Building Council provides some protection for purchasers against failure by builders to comply with its house building standards.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals to assist purchasers of newly-built properties where the developer became bankrupt prior to completion and the liquidator refuses to honour outstanding contracts.

I am not aware of a general problem here, but if the hon. Member cares to let me have details I will gladly consider them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that the NHBC provides adequate protection for purchasers of new privately-built houses.

Yes. The adequacy of the National House-Building Council's scheme is of course kept regularly under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects work to commence on erecting the noise barrier on the elevated section of the M6 motorway at Great Barr and Perry Beeches, Birmingham.

There has been some delay in delivery of steel uprights for the viaduct sections of the barrier. Delivery is expected next week, and the work of erection will start as soon as they are received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many zebra crossings there are in Great Britain; and what is the average number of accidents occurring at zebra crossings each month.

At the last count—in 1971—there were 10,664 zebra crossings. Comprehensive accident information is not available for zebras, but pedestrian casualties on uncontrolled pedestrian crossings, mostly zebras, averaged 362 per month in 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many municipally-owned units of accommodation were empty, at the most recent date for which figures are available, in each of the Inner London boroughs, and in each of the metropolitan districts in Merseyside, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, West Midlands and Strathclyde.

Provisional estimates from the Department's latest relets survey are that at 31st December 1974 about 1 per cent. of council dwellings in Greater London and less than 1 per cent. in Merseyside, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire were vacant and available for letting. Dwellings undergoing modernisation, repair, or conversion were about 1½ per cent. of the stock in Merseyside, about 1 per cent. in Greater London, and less than 1 per cent. in the other three counties. Information is collected on the basis that returns of individual authorities are aggregated and not published separately. My right hon. Friend does not collect information about vacant council dwellings in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many older units of accommodation have been rehabilitated by the GLC, by the council of each of the Inner London boroughs, and by the relevant authorities in Merseyside, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire.

Figures of the number of dwellings approved for Government assistance towards the costs of conversion or improvement works carried out by local authorities appear in Local Housing Statistics, copies of which are available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will remove from priority status the provision of garages for older council properties.

The provision of garaging on existing council estates is already subject to rigorous scrutiny by the Department. Local authorities are currently encouraged to provide open hard-standings for car parking, garaging provision being considered necessary only in limited circumstances comparable to those stated in paragraph 15 of the Annex to Circular 24/75, "Housing: Needs and Action."

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many pelican crossings there are in Great Britain; and what is the average number of accidents occurring at pelican crossings each month.

There are about 2,000 pelican crossings in Great Britain. Accident data for them are not available light-controlled crossings sited away from separately, but they form the bulk of junctions, on which an average of 32 pedestrian casualties a month occurred in 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies have taken place to ascertain the extent of the problem of spray from the wheels of vehicles on wet roads; and what were the conclusions of these studies.

While it is clear that mud and spray is a nuisance, it is difficult to measure exactly its importance as a cause of accidents. However, a report published by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory estimated that interference with the driver's vision by water or mud on the windscreen was a contributory factor in about 1 per cent. of all motorway accidents in wet weather. This represents one in 245 of all motorway accidents.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of non-manual local authority employees in each of the inner London boroughs, and in each of the metropolitan districts in Merseyside, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands, expressed per 1,000 of population.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will take steps to relieve the burden of rates on small businesses for the year 1976–77; and if he will make a statement;(2) what representations he has received concerning the increasing burden of rates on small businesses throughout England and Wales.

I have recently received several letters from hon. Members resulting from a campaign organised by the National Chamber of Trade, which is asking for revisions to the rating system to relieve, in particular, the rate burden on small businesses. As I have informed them in my replies, this is a matter which must await the report of the Layfield Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied that proposed investment by British Rail is sufficient to move as much traffic as possible from road to rail and to develop public transport to make the public less dependent upon the private car.

The balance between road and rail is only one of many factors taken into account in determining the size of the investment programme. The rail investment programme is at present larger in real terms than at any time since the mid 1960s.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will hold discussions with trade unions and the British Railways Board before issuing his comprehensive statement on transport policy.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many fatal accidents and how many non-fatal accidents have been reported during each of the past five years for which records are available which were attributed to faults in retread or in remould tyres, respectively.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average price of petrol in Gwynedd at the most recent available date; and how this compares with corresponding figures for Liverpool, Birmingham and London.

I have been asked to reply.The retail prices of petrol vary according to such factors as the terms of supply and the marketing policies of oil companies and retailers as well as the location of the retailer. I regret that average prices are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost of employing (a) qualified and (b) unqualified nurses in the National Health Service during 1974.

Information is not available in the form requested. In 1973–74, the last complete year for which figures are available, the cost to the hospital service in England of the pay of nursing staff both qualified and unqualified was approximately £416 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total number of qualified nurses employed within the National Health Service on 30th September 1975; and what percentage this represented of the total nursing force.

I regret that figures for 30th September 1975 are not yet available. On 30th September 1974 there were, in whole-time equivalent terms, 156,040 qualified nurses and certified mid-wives, employed by the National Health Service in England. This represented 51·8 per cent. of the total nursing and midwifery force.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many qualified nurses were appointed to posts within the National Health Service during each month of 1975; and how this compared with the figures for the previous two years.

I regret that information in this form is not available.The number of qualified nurses and certified midwives in post in England was, in whole-time equivalent terms, as follows:

On 30th September 1972	151,264
On 30th September 1973	152,178
On 30th September 1974 (latest available)	156,040

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many student nurses were recruited to the National Health Service during each month of 1975; and what advance this represented on the figures for the previous two years.

I regret that figures are not available in the form requested.The report of the General Nursing Council for England and Wales, which will shortly be laid before Parliament, will give figures for student nurses commencing training for the year ended 31st March 1975, with a comparison with previous years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses, expressed in terms of whole-time equivalents, were supplied by nurses' banks on 31st March and 30th September 1975, respectively.

In the 10 regions for which figures are available, and the London postgraduate teaching hospitals, 331 nurses were supplied by nurse banks on 31st March 1975 and 867 on 30th September 1975, in whole-time equivalent terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many nurses' banks were in existence on 1st October 1975; what was the total cost of administering these banks; and how many qualified nurses were primarily engaged in their administration.

There were 107 nurse banks in existence on 1st October 1975 in England. I regret that information is not available centrally about the staff engaged in their administration or the cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average total hourly remuneration worked for a State registered nurse in a National Health Service general ward, with three years' qualified nursing experience, at the fourth incremental stage on the Whitley Council pay scale, taking into account employers' contribution for insurance and superannuation, uniform, and laundering excluding holidays and week-ends, and the total hourly remuneration per hour worked of an agency nurse in comparable circumstances.

It is estimated that the hourly rate of a State registered nurse in a National Health Service general hospital ward outside London on the basis given is £1·58 and that for an agency nurse £1·42. The agency commission has been calculated at the rate of 12½ per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the costs on 31st August and 31st October 1975, respectively, of staffing one nursing position in a National Health Service general ward for 52 weeks each of 40 hours by a State registered nurse with three years' qualified nursing experience, at the fourth incremental stage on the Whitley Council pay scale, taking into account employers' contribution for insurance and superannuation, uniform, laundering, and provision for replacement during the holidays through sickness and administration, and by a state registered agency nurse in comparable circumstances.

The cost of staffing one position in a National Health Service general hospital ward outside London by a State registered nurse on the basis given is estimated, on both dates, to be £3,328 per annum, assuming replacement for annual and sick leave absences by a nurse at the same point on the salary scale, etc.Due to a wide variation in nurses agencies charges it is not possible to give an estimate of the average costs of an agency nurse at 31st August 1975. The cost of staffing one position with an agency nurse on 31st October is estimated to be £2,948 per annum. The agency commission has been calculated at the rate of 12½ per cent.It is not possible to give an estimate of the cost of administration involved in either case.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost of employing agency nurses within the National Health Service on 31st August and 31st October, respectively.

The information is not available centrally. Payments to nurses agencies in 1973–74 totalled £9·9 million in England.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average age and qualified experience of State enrolled and State registered nurses employed within the National Health Service at the latest convenient date.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many qualified nurses directly employed in the National Health Service are primarily engaged in administrative duties.

In England about 12,300 nurses and midwives, in whole-time equivalent terms, out of some 300,000 nursing staff on 30th September 1974, the latest date for which information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many agency nurses have transferred to (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment within the National Health Service since 1st October.

In the 11 regions for which figures are available, and the London postgraduate teaching hospitals, 177 agency nurses have transferred to full-time employment in the National Health Service and 30 to part-time employment. In one further region, 101 agency nurses transferred full or part-time.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many qualified nurses left the National Health Service during the three months ended 30th September 1975.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients were receiving care in National Health Service hospitals on 1st September, 1st October and 1st November, respectively.

I regret that the information is not available centrally in respect of these dates.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many general, special and geriatric wards, beds, intensive care units and operating theatres in National Health Service hospitals have been closed since 1st October 1975.

I regret that detailed information of this kind relating to hospital wards and facilities is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients have been removed from general practitioners' lists in (a) St. Helens and Knowsley Health Authority and (b) Rainford, at the general practitioner's request in 1973, 1974 and 1975.

This information is not readily available by calendar years, but the numbers in the financial years to 31st March are as follows:

	St. Helens and Knowsley Family Practitioner Committee	Rainford
To 31st March 1973	871	6
To 31st March 1974	770	3
To 31st March 1975	2,506	220
1st April to 30th September 1975	575	4

In the year 1st April 1974 to 31st March 1975, three exceptional occurrences inflated the totals. Following National Health Service reorganisation, 41 doctors practising in the Lancashire area, with 916 patients in the St. Helens and Knowsley area, chose not to come on the medical list of the latter, and therefore asked for these patients to be removed. A further 1,200 patients were removed when a branch surgery was closed. The Rainford total results from a change in the practice area of one partnership, which has ceased to provide services in Rainford.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements are made for patients struck off a general practitioner's list at his request in areas like Rainford, Merseyside, where one general practitioner has a monopoly in the village.

The arrangements for a place in the area of only one general practitioner will vary with individual circumstances, but there will clearly be practical limitations on the freedom of choice of both patient and doctor. In Rainford, however, there are three doctors practising in partnership, and another 16 doctors practising in St. Helens have Rainford patients on their lists.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will consider extending the entitlement of the unemployed to flat-rate unemployment benefit until suitable employment is offered to them.

Extension of the present maximum period for flat-rate unemployment benefit would involve substantial additional expenditure. I have no proposals on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will lift the ceiling on earnings-related contribution to today's equivalent of the £69.

The upper earnings limit for Class 1 national insurance contributions will be raised to £95 a week from 6th April 1976. This, along with other changes in the rates and levels of contributions, is provided for in the Social Security (Contributions, Re-rating) Order 1975 (1975 No. 1829).I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Walsall. South (Mr. George) on 23rd October.—[Vol. 898, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans she has to introduce legislation further to restrict cigarette advertising.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Cornwall, North (Mr. Pardoe) and my hon. Friend the Member for Dagenham (Mr. Parker) on 6th August—[Vol. 897, c. 253–4.] In the Government's view, what is needed if progress is to be made in reducing the risks to health from smoking is a framework of law analogous to that provided in the Medicines Act 1968; within this statutory framework the Government would, however, seek to reach with the industry voluntary agreements to cover, inter alia, the advertising and promotion of cigarettes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied with the charges made by doctors for cremation certificates.

Doctors, whether in hospital or general practice, are not required by their terms of service to give the second certificate on a cremation form. If they do provide such a certificate they are entitled to charge fees. The amount of any fee is a private matter between the relatives and the doctor, but I understand that the British Medical Association gives guidance to doctors on the level of fees regarded as reasonable for this purpose. I understand that the currently recommended fee is £4·45 and was approved by the Price Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the administration of cremation certificates will be included within the National Health Service.

No. The decision to undertake cremation instead of burial is a private matter for the relatives of the deceased. It is not appropriate, therefore, that certification for cremation purposes should be a function of the National Health Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children have had to be received into care under Section 1 of the Children Act

PLACES IN STAFFED AND UNSTAFFED HOMES FOR THE MENTALLY ILL 31ST MARCH 1975
					Local authority homes	Voluntary homes†	Total
NORTHERN REGION*
Non-Metropolitan Counties
Cleveland	…	…	…	…	32	—	32
Cumbria	…	…	…	…	29	—	29
Durham	…	…	…	…	30	—	30
Northumberland	…	…	…	…	4	—	4
Metropolitan County: Tyne and Wear Districts
Gateshead	…	…	…	…	—	—	—
Newcastle upon Tyne	…	…	…	…	55	—	55
North Tyneside	…	…	…	…	4	—	4
South Tyneside	…	…	…	…	26	—	26
Sunderland	…	…	…	…	47	—	47

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children have had to be received into care under Section 1 of the Children Act 1948, between 1970 and 1975, by local authorities on account of the premature discharge of a mentally ill parent from hospital.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many beds in hostels and lodging houses, voluntary and statutory, are available to people discharged from psychiatric hospitals in each of the major local authority areas in England and Wales.

The total numbers of places available on 31st March 1975 in England in voluntary and local authority residential homes and hostels for those who are or have been mentally ill are shown in the following table. These include places for those discharged from psychiatric hospitals, for whom separate figures are not available. A number of places are also available in private and commercial establishments. Information about numbers in Wales is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend, the Secretary of State for Wales.