asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the present position of the British horse-racing industry.

The state of the race horse industry was debated in this House on the Motion for the Adjournment on 27th October, and there is nothing I can usefully add at present to what was said on that occasion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the expenditure in 1974–75 on police and fire service pensions in England, Scotland and Wales; and what is the estimated expenditure in 1975–76.

Returns of expenditure made by police and fire authorities in England and Wales show that in 1974–75 benefits paid under the Police Pensions Regulations and the Firemen's Pension Scheme amounted to £51 million and £12·5 million respectively. Estimates of expenditure in 1975–76, made for the purpose of the rate support grant negotiations and based on current trends, are £64 million for the police scheme and £15 million for the firemen's scheme. I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland that, on the basis of preliminary returns, expenditure in Scotland in 1974–75 was £5·3 million for the police scheme and £1 million for the firemen's scheme and that estimates of expenditure in 1975–76 are not yet available.These figures take no account of contributions paid by members of the schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report requests from local authorities for urban aid in the North-West of England; if he will indicate those authorities which because of the current economic situation, have made no submissions or reduced ones; and if he will consider providing 100 per cent. funding for selected schemes.

Applications under Urban Programme Circular No. 14 have been received from the following authorities in the North-West of England:

Counties
Lancashire.	Merseyside.
Districts
Blackburn.	Rochdale.
Bolton.	Rossendale.
Burnley.	St. Helens.
Bury.	Salford.
Chester.	Sefton.
Ellesmere Port	Stockport.
Halton.	Tameside.
Liverpool.	Trafford.
Manchester.	Vale Royal.
Oldham.	Warrington.
Pendle.	Wirral.
Preston.	Wyre.

It is for local authorities to decide both the size and the content of their application for grant-aid under the Urban Programme. Only one authority in the North-West, Cheshire County Council, has informed the Home Office that it has made no application because of the current economic situation.All schemes approved under Circular No. 14 will be grant-aided at the rate of 75 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Her Majesty's Government will meet the total cost of security arrangements at trials of people charged with acts of terrorism; and if he will make a statement.

No. I do not think that it would be appropriate to make an exception in this particular sort of case to the general arrangements for financing policing costs out of police funds, to which of course the Exchequer already makes a substantial contribution both through the 50 per cent. specific police grant and through the rates support grant. But I welcome the proposal of the Association of County Councils that the cost of policing trials which have been transferred and require special security arrangements should be shared between the police authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1), of the charges brought against people initially held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, how many have been withdrawn before coming to trial; and what were the charges in these cases;(2) how many of the charges brought against people initially held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act have led to unsuccessful prosecutions; and what these charges were;(3) how many of the charges brought against people originally held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act led to successful prosecutions; what sentences were imposed in each case; and how many appeals against conviction are pending.

I regret that this information could not be made available without disproportionate effort.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the photographs and fingerprints of people who have been held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act are retained; if so, where they are filed; and who has access to them.

Photographs and fingerprints of persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act are being retained by the police while the provisions of the Act remain in force. Only the police have access to this material.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total paid by police forces in Great Britain during the latest 12-month period for which figures are available as reward for inside information regarding terrorist activities; and what was the largest single payment within that total.

This information is not centrally available, and even if it were it would not be in the public interest to publish it. I have therefore nothing to add to the statement made by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State during the debate on 26th November on the Second Reading of the Prevention of Terrorism Bill.—[Vol. 901, c. 996.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has considered the offer of a reward for information leading to the apprehension of the assassins of the late Mr. Ross McWhirter.

The conduct of the inquiries into the murder of Mr. Ross McWhirter, including rewards for information received, is a matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total of young people accommodated in borstal institutions on the most recent convenient date; what were the corresponding figures for each of the last three years; how many of those at present in borstal institutions will have reached the statutory school leaving age at the time of their discharge; and how many of those at present in borstal institutions were subject to care orders at the time of their committal to borstal.

On 15th November. 5,971 young people between the ages of 15 and 20 were held in borstals. The corresponding figures for the three preceding years were as follows:

1974	5,425
1973	5,026
1972	5,428

Some 320 trainees now serving sentences in borstals are below the statutory school leaving age, but, as the time spent in custody under a borstal sentence is indeterminate, we cannot say how many will have reached the statutory school leaving age by the date of their discharge. I regret that no information is readily available to indicate how many of those now in borstals were the subject of care orders when sentenced to borstal training.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average age of the inmates of borstal institutions at the most recent convenient date; and what was the figure for the corresponding dates in each of the last three years.

On 30th June this year and on the same date in 1974 and 1973, the average age of young offenders serving sentences in borstals was 18 years. Comparable information for 1972 is not readily available, but there is no reason to think that the figure for that year would be significantly different.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase the number of school crossing patrols.

We have at present no plans to do so, but outside the Metropolitan Police District it is for the local authorities concerned to determine the level of service they can provide with the resources at their disposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fires involving polymeric materials have been reported for each year since 1965.

In 1972 and 1973, the only years for which figures are available, the number of fires in the

DEATHS AND RESCUES FROM FIRES ATTENDED BY LOCAL AUTHORITY FIRE BRIGADES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1962–73
						Rescues from fires
Year					Deaths in fires	By Fire Brigade personnel	By others	Total
1962	…	…	…	…	667	591	1,129	1,720
1963	…	…	…	…	818	705	1,277	1,982
1964	…	…	…	…	681	628	1,300	1,928
1965	…	…	…	…	703	720	1,448	2,168
1966	…	…	…	…	780	836	1,370	2,206
1967	…	…	…	…	779	807	1,447	2,254
1968	…	…	…	…	865	974	1,831	2,805
1969	…	…	…	…	861	981	1,651	2,632
1970	…	…	…	…	839	1,017	1,641	2,658
1971	…	…	…	…	822	1,056	1,752	2,808
1972	…	…	…	…	1,078	1,321	1,993	3,314
1973	…	…	…	…	1,041	1,424	2,258	3,682

The 1974 figures are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the fire at the Central Cold Storage Company, Walsall, on 22nd November, which was estimated as having caused £10 million of damage.

In the morning of 22nd November the West Midlands fire United Kingdom in which the first ignited material was polymeric was as follows:

	1972	1973
Wood, chipboard	8,083	7,704
Hardboard, fibreboard	452	360
Plastics—
foam	57	68
other	1,196	1,368
Textiles (natural)	862	614
Textiles (man-made)	37	30
Materials compounded with oil	301	244
Rubber—
foam	96	68
other	488	526
Paper	5,452	5,810
Fibreglass, GRP, fibre-reinforced plastic	140	132
Foam, unknown whether
plastic or rubber	30	96
Totals	17,194	17,020

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths from fire have occurred since 1962; and how many persons have been rescued from the scene of a fire since 1962.

The information for each of the years in question is given in the following table:brigade was called to a fire at the Central Cold Storage Company, Leamore Lane, Walsall. The premises comprised a single-storey brick building, with a corrugated asbestos roof and polystyrene and steel insulation panels. The building contained a large quantity of fats, butter, meat and vegetables. The fire, which is thought to have been caused by the ignition of polystyrene panels by sparks from oxyacetylene equipment used during construction work, severely damaged the building and its contents, and 10 firemen suffered minor injuries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the statutory restrictions regarding the keeping of a puma as a domestic pet; and whether he is satisfied with their effectiveness.

There are no restrictions which regulate the keeping as such, but it is an offence at common law to cause a public nuisance by keeping animals to the danger of the public. We are not satisfied on the information at present available that any further legislation is required.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the cruelty involved in the trapping of wild birds, he will take steps to put an end to the practice.

The Protection of Birds Acts 1954 and 1967 already make it illegal to use, without authority, a wide range of devices for trapping birds.Licences for such trapping permit only the use of those methods which involve the least possible suffering.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost per inmate for one month and one year of approved schools, borstals, prisons and maximum security prisons, respectively.

In the financial year 1973–74, the latest year for which information by category of establishment is available, the estimated average cost per inmate in prison service establishments in England and Wales was as follows:

		£
	monthly	annual
Male borstals	219	2,629
Cat. A/B maximum security prisons	315	3,784
Other male prisons	165	1,979

Information about the cost of female establishments by category is not available: the estimated average annual cost for female inmates was £2,773, or £231 a month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he makes of the number of persons each year since 1968 whose plea of manslaughter is accepted when prior to the abolition of the death penalty they would have been charged with murder; and how many of these are annually paroled after serving sentences, respectively, of less than five and 10 years on the grounds that their offence was one of manslaughter, not murder.

It is not possible to make any reliable estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parents were prosecuted in respect of the non-attendance of children at schools in Inner London in each of the years 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974; how many of these cases resulted in convictions; how many were in respect of second or subsequent offences; what was the average fine imposed; and what is the maximum fine in respect of: (a) first offences and (b) second or subsequent offences.

Under Section 40(1) of the Education Act 1944, as amended, the maximum fine which may be imposed on a parent who fails to comply with a school attendance order or to secure a child's regular attendance at school is, for a first offence against the relevant section of the Act, £10, and, for a second or subsequent offence against that section, £20. I regret that the other information requested is not available as the criminal statistics do not distinguish these offences from others under this and related Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the total amounts paid in fees to solicitors and barristers, showing separately criminal cases and those heard before juvenile courts, magistrates' courts, crown courts and appeal courts in each of the years 1970 to 1974 and to the latest convenient date in 1975; what was the total legal aid awarded in such cases, the amount of such costs recovered from dependants, and the annual amounts written off as irrecoverable in each of those years.

The total cost of legal aid for criminal proceedings in all courts for the years 1970–71 to 1974–75 was as follows—these figures include disbursements as well as fees:

	£
1970–71	8,102,919
1971–72	9,540,408
1972–73	14,090,205
1973–74	16,500,399
1974–75	23,827,966

The cost as between magistrates' courts and higher courts was as follows:

(1) Magistrates' courts
	£
1970–71	2,749,220
1971–72	3,379,303
1972–73	4,363,781
1973–74	6,209,283
1974–75	9,445,297

(2) Crown Court and other higher courts
	£
1970–71	5,353,699
1971–72	6,161,105
1972–73	9,726,424
1973–74	10,291,116
1974–75	14,383,669

The figures for the Crown court and other higher courts include payments made to local authorities in respect of legal aid expenditure incurred prior to 1972.The available figures do not distinguish between expenditure in respect of cases dealt with in juvenile courts and other magistrates' courts, or between the Crown court and other higher courts; or between payments to barristers and to solicitors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek to make it a statutory requirement for members of the legal profession, who receive private remuneration in cases which subsequently come before the courts and attract legal aid, to disclose such remuneration and the purpose for which it was received when making claims upon the legal aid scheme.

We have been considering such a proposal in the context of wider revision of the Criminal Proceedings (Fees and Expenses) Regulations 1968. Consultations are still proceeding.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why no provision is made to ensure that solicitors' costs and barristers' fees, in respect of legal aid in criminal cases at all court levels, together with moneys received by solicitors from private sources in connection with such cases, are not centrally supervised and consolidated so that effective comparison, control and audit is made both to avoid duplication of claims and waste of public money; and what action he proposes to take to end the present laxity.

The taxation of the costs of legally aided defendants in criminal cases in the higher courts is a matter for the court itself. Such costs incurred in cases disposed of in magistrates' courts are taxed by the Law Society. There is central supervision and audit, but centralised taxation would be more expensive and less efficient. Any evidence of laxity in the use of public funds will be carefully investigated. Allegations of professional misconduct by solicitors or counsel are for the appropriate professional body to consider.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the Metropolitan Police force is under strength; by how many; and what steps he is now going to take to give that body the forces it needs to perform its duties.

On 31st October 1975 the force was 5,508 below its establishment of 26,628. The primary cause of the long-standing deficiency has been the reluctance of young people to enter and remain in a police career, involving shift and weekend work, especially in London and other large towns. In recent years police pay and conditions of service have been considerably improved. An extensive campaign has been conducted to draw the attention of suitable young people and those who advise them to the improved conditions and to the satisfying nature of a police career. So far this year the Metropolitan Police has had a net gain of 270, and recruitment of police officers and cadets is at a high level.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will be confirming the order for new ward boundaries for the Kingswood District Council; and if this will be done in time for the 1976 elections to be fought on the new boundaries.

Because the statutory minimum period for receiving objections to the Boundary Commission's Report has only just expired, we have not yet taken a final decision on the new electoral arrangements for this district. We should expect, if all goes well, to be able to make an order in the New Year in time for the May 1976 elections.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases an oral hearing before the adviser has been refused to a person making representations against an exclusion order under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1974.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications by the police for exclusion orders under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1974 have been refused.

Seventeen.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1974 between its coming into force and 24th November 1975; and how many of them have been served with exclusion orders which have been carried out.

One, 171 and 55, respectively, in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the offices and number of relevant employees for which he has executive or advisory responsibility in each of the following: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

There are immigration offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow with five, eight and 21 staff respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will request a further report from the Law Commission on the law with regard to trespass.

The report of the Law Commission on the law of conspiracy in England and Wales, which will include proposals on offences of entering and remaining on property, is expected in January.

asked the Attorney-General if he will list in the Official Report the names and relevant qualifications of the members of the appeals tribunals of each of the special hospitals.

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor appoints as members of a mental health review tribunal persons who are suitably qualified in accordance with the First Schedule to the Mental Health Act 1959. This provides that the Lord Chancellor shall appoint a number of persons having such legal experience as he considers suitable; that he shall, after consultation with the Secretary of State, appoint a number of persons being medical practitioners; and that he shall, after consultation with the Secretary of State, appoint a number of persons having such experience in administration, such knowledge of social services or such other qualifications or experience as he considers suitable.The names of the members of the tribunals having jurisdiction in the areas in which the special hospitals are located are too many to list here, but a list has been placed in the Library.

asked the Attorney-General whether the study commissioned by the Lord Chancellor into the problems of unmet need for legal services is to be published; and, if so, when.

My noble Friend has not yet received the report of the study. When he does, he will consider the advice contained in it and decide in what form the conclusions he reaches can best be made known to hon. Members.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what was the expenditure in 1974–75 on Civil Service pensions in current price terms; and what is the estimate for 1975–76.

Actual gross expenditure, ignoring receipts by way of contributions, on pensions and lump sum benefits for retired civil servants and their dependants, amounted to some £203 million in 1974–75. The estimate for 1975–76 is £259 million, which takes account of the additional pensions which will fall to be paid during the current financial year.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish, under appropriate classifications, the absolute and percentage increase in the print setting requirements of Parliamentary Papers from 1964 to 1974 and similar figures to illustrate changes in the numbers and/or space required for Written Answers in the Official Report.

Print setting requirements of Parliamentary Papers for the House of Commons, including the Vote, Bills, Reports, Standing Committees and Journals, in 1964 amounted to 45,085 pages and in 1973, to 89,159 pages. The percentage increase was 97·7 per cent.The House of Lords

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will bring up to date the table of Civil Service staff increases which he provided in answer to the hon. Member for Melton on 28th October; and whether he will specify, briefly, for each Department of State, the legislative or policy reasons which have caused a variation in staff manpower between 1st July 1975 and 1st October 1975.

The number of staff in post, by Department, on 1st March 1974 and 1st October 1975 is given below.The reasons for the major variations in staff between 1st July 1975 and 1st October 1975 are as follows:

asked the Minister for the Civil Service when a new list of members of public boards will be published.

As I explained to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, North East (Mr. Edelman) on 5th August 1975, I intend to publish an up-to-date version of Cmnd 5609 as soon as practicable after the Government have taken a decision about the salaries of nationalised industry chairmen and members in the light of the report on higher incomes by the Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees of his Department are currently scheduled for transfer from Greater London to Wales as part of the Government's policy for dispersal of Civil Service jobs; what is the maximum allowance payable to these persons in regard to (a) household removal expenses, (b) legal expenses, (c) assistance with fares between London and Wales, and (d) any other assistance or grant; and what is the total estimated cost of transferring these persons in regard to the above items.

In accordance with the Government announcement in July 1974, we are planning to disperse 5,000 Ministry of Defence posts from London to South Wales. The transfer allowances vary according to salary, marital status, size of family and whether the civil servant is a householder or not. It is not possible, therefore, to estimate the total transfer costs at this stage because it is too early to say how many staff will actually transfer with the work and what their family circumstances will be at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) industrial and (b) non-industrial workers were employed in the General Manager's Department at Chatham Dockyard on 1st March 1974 and 1st November 1975, respectively; and what will be the number of jobs in the new establishment after 31st March 1976.

The figures are as follows:

	1 st March 1974	1 st November 1975
(a) Industrial employees.	4,825	4,517
(b) Non-industrial employees.	1,703	1,720

The planned average strength of the work force during 1976–77 is 6,230

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, following the collapse of negotiations between R. J. Renolds Industries and Burmah Oil Company in relation to the proposed purchase of Burmah's North American subsidiary, what offers have now been made for the subsidiary; and what is its current value.

Burmah says that it expects to receive offers from other interested parties. Questions about other bidders and the value Burmah places on the assets are matters for the Company.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current value of Burmah's BP shares held by the Bank of England; and whether any offers have been made for the Burmah BP shares.

On the uncertain assumption that so large a holding could be sold at the current market price, the value of the holding at the close of business on 28th November was £434·1 million.No decisions have been taken on the disposal of these shares.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will take steps, in relation to the nationalised industries for which he is responsible, to correct the deteriorating cost trends discussed in paragraphs 2.6 to 2.10 of the Price Commissioner's Report for the period 1st June to 31st August 1975.

I am satisfied that the nationalised industries for which I am responsible are doing everything possible to reduce costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, in view of the prolonged delays in reaching agreement on the design of the SGHWR's for Sizewell and Torness, and the fact that the designers are now contemplating major changes from the Winfrith prototype, e.g., in the fuel pin assemblies, he will make a statement upon the difficulties which are holding up progress.

It has long been recognised that there would have to be some design changes from the Winfrith prototype for a commercial reactor—for example, because of its larger size. Following its review of key aspects of the design, the Nuclear Power Co. has made firm recommendations to the electricity boards and is discussing them with them.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will undertake an analysis of the reasons why, when the Germans have been able to complete the Biblis A nuclear power station of 1146 MWe in 58 months between starting site-work and generating power, the Hartle-pool AGR, of 625 MWe, will have taken 114 months to make the same progress; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the SGHWR programme proceeds at a speed comparable to Great Britain's main competitors' programmes.

The problems with the AGRs are well-known, as are the problems which certain other countries, including the Federal Republic of Germany, have had with the construction of some of their power reactors. Reorganisation of our nuclear design and construction industry has been designed to strengthen our capability for the future. All the responsible organisations are committed to launching the SGHWR as a commercial system and are working to that end.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out in the Official Report a list of the 14 oilfields currently under development in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf, stating in each case the date of first discovery, the date on which a development programme was announced, the date on which production started or is expected to start and the anticipated peak production in barrels per day.

Appendix 9 of the 1975 Brown Book sets out, in respect of the 13 oil fields then considered to be commercial, the date of discovery, the operators' estimated date of production start up, and the operators' estimated level of peak production. Not all companies make announcements when they begin development activity. Since the Brown Book was published the United Kingdom Statfjord field has attained commercial status and the Norwegian and United Kingdom licensees are discussing joint development of the field, which straddles the median line. Other developments are that the Argyll and Forties fields have now started production, in June and November respectively, the Auk field is expected to start producing this month and the Beryl field in January 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he intends to publish at regular intervals as White Papers or otherwise reports updating the document Energy Review: Policy Framework and Forecasts which appeared as Annex C to his Department's memorandum on Energy Conservation, dated 6th March 1975, submitted to the Energy Resources Sub-Committee of the Select Committee on Science and Technology.

The Department conducts energy reviews at intervals, so as to have available an up-to-date background to major policy decisions. The forecasts in Annex C of the Department's memorandum to the Energy Resources Sub-Committee of the Select Committee on Science and Technology were based on one of these reviews. Though I cannot undertake to publish a regular series, my Department will publish background material on energy matters as and when it can.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the number of staff. and the total cost in sterling of each embassy and high commission, maintained by the United Kingdom, in 1974–75 and in 1964–65, respectively; and if he will express the totals as a percentage of gross national product in each year.

I regret that it is no longer possible to estimate the cost of individual missions for 1964–65 as accounts records are destroyed after seven years. It will take some time to compile the information required for 1974–75, but I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the supply of information or the granting of patent licences to South Africa.

I have been asked to reply.

			India	Pakistan	Bangladesh*
1970—
United Kingdom-based	…	…	20	25	3
Locally-engaged	…	…	39	25	10
1971—
United Kingdom-based	…	…	20	24	3
Locally-engaged	…	…	40	35	11
1972—
United Kingdom-based	…	…	16	26	3
Locally-engaged	…	…	39	41	13
1973—
United Kingdom-based	…	…	18	25	7
Locally-engaged	…	…	40	40	12
1974—
United Kingdom-based	…	…	18	29	11
Locally-engaged	…	…	40	34	25
1975—
United Kingdom-based	…	…	20	31	16
Locally-engaged	…	…	46	33	34
* The figures attributed to Bangladesh for 1970 and 1971 show staff at Dacca which was then in Pakistan.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing all applications for assistance from the European Economic Community Regional Fund indicating where grants have been applied for, where they have been rejected and where they are still pending, giving the size of the grant as well as the total cost of the project and

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff are wholly or mainly employed in the consideration of applications for immigration into the United Kingdom in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; and what are the corresponding figures for each of the previous five years.

Permanent staff engaged in immigration work in the three countries, including supervisory and support staff, but excluding seasonal reinforcement, are as follows:indicating the nature of the project, in the following categories, industrial, providing more jobs, industrial plant, infrastructure, transport and communications, or energy supplies in Northern Ireland.Mr. Orme: It is not possible, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, to give details of industrial applications under the Fund and it is not desirable to publish details of other applications which are still under consideration. When decisions are taken on applications announcements will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to implement in Northern Ireland the proposals in the White Paper, "The Attack on Inflation", for encouraging the setting up of consumer advice centres.

The Northern Ireland Department of Commerce will be initiating as quickly as possible a pilot scheme under which two multi-purpose Advice and Information Centres will be established in Belfast and Londonderry respectively. The aim will be to provide consumer advice in relation to shoppers' problems and queries; and also advice or information in other fields.The experiment will be devised and conducted in close co-operation with the district councils and the main voluntary organisations concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements the Northern Ireland Department of Commerce proposes to make to compensate those creditors who traded with International Engineering Limited, now in receivership, in good faith, in view of the Department's statement that it was supporting the company.

The Northern Ireland Department of Commerce will meet those legal liabilities of this company which were incurred after 5th July 1972 and have been properly authenticated and vouched, where the Department is satisfied that the use of public funds is justified. Any liabilities of the company to Decision Data Computer Corporation or any of its associate companies or subsidiaries will not be covered by this undertaking.

Specialty		Hereford	Bromsgrove/Redditch	Kidderminster	Worcester	Totals
General Medicine	…	—	—	—	11	11
Rheumatology	…	—	183	—	—	183
Geriatrics	…	18	24	—	125	167
General Surgery	…	1,213	392	707	554	2,866
Ear, Nose and Throat	…	49	103	63	99	314
Trauma and Orthopaedics	…	52	122	221	303	698
Ophthalmology	…	99	147	76	136	458
Gynaecology	…	200	185	71	199	655
Totals	…	1,631	1,156	1,138	1,427	5,352

asked the Lord President of the Council what is the cost of the production and printing of the Register of Members' Interests; and what amount it is estimated will be recovered from sales revenue.

The cost of printing and publishing the Register of Members' Interests was approximately £4,500. It is estimated that a sum of £1,500 will be recovered from sales revenue.

asked the Lord President of the Council what steps he proposes to take in respect of the register of Members' Interests where a member purposely refuses to participate.

This is no doubt a matter which the Registrar and the appropriate Select Committee of the House will wish to consider.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what figures are available for the waiting time and waiting lists and admissions to hospitals in the Hereford and Worcester Area Health Authority; what steps she has taken to reduce these waiting lists; and if she will make a statement;(2) what is the number of waiting days that non-urgent general surgical patients have to wait for an operation in the Worcester hospital district; and how this compares with the number of days they had to wait in 1973 and 1974.

The following table sets out waiting lists by major specialties for the four health districts as at 30th September 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the annual cost of the £10 petrol allowance to disabled drivers; and whether this will continue to be paid to new beneficiaries.

About £300,000 in England. The allowance will continue to be paid, as now, to users of invalid vehicles and cars supplied by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many medical and administrative vacancies exist for staff at the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital, Thanet.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when work is expected to start on the building of additional operating facilities at the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital, Thanet.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to his Question on 11th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list, by type of operation, the numbers of people currently on the waiting lists for non-emergency operations at the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital, Thanet, the number of each type of non-emergency operations which are carried out each week and the average time each patient spends on the waiting list before their non-emergency operation.

Following are the figures:

Number on waiting list
Orthopaedic	627
+177 delayed by mutual agreement.
Urology	40
+130 delayed by mutual agreement.
Number of operations carried out each week
Orthopaedic	12
Urology	8
Average waiting time	days
Orthopaedic	480
Urology	234

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of those who have abortions are estimated subsequently to be sterile.

For 10 per cent. of the women who have an abortion, the termination of pregnancy is accompanied by a sterilising operation at the time of the operation or immediately afterwards; the percentage is highest for married women for whom it is 25 per cent.A prospective study of the long-term effects of therapeutic abortion in this country is being financed by the Department and conducted by the Royal College of General Practitioners Research Unit, but it will be some time before results become available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost to the Exchequer for the month of November of paying earnings related and unemployment benefit to the 160,000 building workers who are at present out of work.

Unemployment benefit expenditure is not recorded by industry. However, assuming that the proportions of unemployed building workers who are entitled to unemployment benefit or supplementary benefit are representative of the unemployed register as a whole, it is estimated that 160,000 men registered as unemployed throughout November would have received about £7 million in flat-rate unemployment benefit and earnings-related supplement, and a further £5 million in supplementary allowances.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the earliest date on which a disabled housewife will be able to receive a disablement pension.

The housewives' non-contributory invalidity pension, to which I assume the hon. Member is referring, is not a disablement pension as such but a benefit for those housewives who are incapable of paid work and of doing their housework. As I explained my reply to the hon. Member for Hastings (Mr. Warren) on 25th November, it is not yet possible to say when payment can begin.—[Vol. 901, c. 148.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will take steps to ensure that there is provision of equal benefits for women and men under all national insurance and social security schemes at the time of the enforcement of equal pay legislation.

The rates of benefit under the industrial injuries, war pensions and supplementary benefit schemes do not discriminate as between men and women. As regards national insurance benefits, the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 which comes into effect on 6th April 1978 provides that women will pay the same contributions as men with the same earnings and will receive the same rates of benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list in the Official Report the number of claimants of supplementary benefit prosecuted for failure to maintain themselves and/or their dependants for 1970 and all subsequent years.

Following is the information:

Year	Number
1970	58
1971	64
1972	17
1973	8
1974	24
1975 (to 30th September)	18

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the receipts to public funds in each of the past two years in respect of the medical treatment of traffic casualties under Section 154 and Section 155, respectively, of the Road Traffic Act 1972; what were the administration costs involved in respect of each category in each year; and what estimate she has made of the number of staff wholly or partly involved in administration of these provisions.

Income under Sections 154 and 155 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 is accounted for as a whole and it is not possible centrally to identify the separate components. For the financial years 1972–73 and 1973–74 respectively, the latest years for which complete information is available, the amounts received at hospitals in England under the combined provisions were £1·199 million and £1·191 million.No information or estimate is available centrally of the administrative costs of collecting this income or of the numbers of staff so engaged.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales why the grant in aid to the Wales Tourist Board has been increased by a smaller percentage than the grants to the English and Scottish Tourist Boards.

The grant in aid to the Wales Tourist Board was increased in 1975–76 by the maximum amount consistent with the public expenditure situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what payments have been made in respect of the annual cost of maintaining Chirk Castle.

None, but the Government have paid a total of £63,086 over the years towards the cost of repairs to the castle.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Welsh Language Council, with the Gwynedd Area Health Authority, with the Llandaff Technical College and with the Welsh Language Research Unit of the University of Wales, concerning the provision of speech therapists trained to deal with Welsh speaking patients.

Officials of my Department and of the Department of Education and Science have had discussions with representatives of the Welsh Joint Education Committee and of the Llandaff College of Technology where there are facilities for training Welsh speaking students to practice speech therapy through the medium of the Welsh language. If full advantage is taken of these facilities it will go far towards ensuring an adequate supply of speech therapists capable of giving treatment to Welsh speaking patients.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what correspondence he has recently received from the Welsh Anglers' Council concerning commercial estuarial salmon netting and other matters; and what response he has given to representations on this matter.

I am considering the council's request for a meeting to discuss these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to pro mote health education and preventive medicine in the Principality, including financial assistance and staff numbers involved.

Area health authorities are already active in these fields; general practitioners have a very positive role to play; and I contribute to the cost of the Health Education Council. The Government intend to publish a consultative document on preventative health in the new year.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he proposes taking to implement the recommendations of the Welsh Language Council concerning Government help for Welsh language magazines for children and young people.

The question of Government help is related to recommendations addressed to local education authorities and the Welsh Arts Council. I have the position under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will approve the application recently made by Gwynedd County Council, in association with the Post Office, for the provision of a new site on the trunk road at Felinheli, Gwynedd, for a telephone kiosk.

Details of this proposal have not yet been received by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing all applications for assistance from the European Economic Community Regional Fund indicating where grants have been applied for, where they have been rejected and where they axe still pending, giving the size of the grant as well as the total cost of the project and indicating the nature of the project, in the following categories, industrial, providing more jobs, industrial plant, infrastructure, transport and communications or energy supplies in Wales.

It would not be proper, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, to give details of industrial applications to the Fund, neither would it be desirable to publish details of other applications which are under consideration. When decisions are taken, announcements will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he has given to district council housing authorities in Wales who have to give notice to tenants to vacate their council houses because

					Local Authority Homes	Voluntary Homes	Total
Clwyd	…	…	…	…	26	—	26
Dyfed	…	…	…	…	—	—	—
Gwent	…	…	…	…	—	—	—
Gwynedd	…	…	…	…	10	—	10
Mid Glamorgan	…	…	…	…	—	—	—
Powys	…	…	…	…	—	—	—
South Glamorgan	…	…	…	…	51	—	51
West Glamorgan	…	…	…	…	10	10	20
Wales: Total	…	…	…	…	97	10	107

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial assistance is being provided to local authorities for improved thermal insulation and more energy-efficient heating systems.

None specifically.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the response in Birmingham to the half and half mortgage scheme approved by his Department.

The Government wish to see a wider variety of social tenures, including

None, but if the hon. Member has any specific case in mind he may care to write to me about it.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales 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 Wales.

The total number of places reported to the Welsh Office as being available at 31st March 1975 in Wales in voluntary and local authority homes and hostels for those who are, or have been mentally ill is shown in the table below:co-operative and shared equity schemes which can be established under the terms of the Housing Rents and Subsidies Act 1975. Birmingham's scheme relates to 139 new dwellings. So far I understand that leases have been agreed or are being negotiated on 64 dwellings. Birmingham is considering extending the scheme to a further development to be built by the Housing Corporation (1974) Ltd. A considerable number of other authorities have made inquiries about such schemes, and the Working Group which I announced in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Graham) on 20th November will examine further the scope for shared equity and other forms of social ownerships and tenure.—[Vol. 901. c. 6–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to alter the law so that more flexible transport schemes will be possible in rural areas.

My right hon. Friend, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, intends to promote a number of experimental schemes in Great Britain. These will test on the ground what can be done to help rural communities within the public service vehicle licensing code. A short Bill will also be introduced, when an opportunity presents itself, to provide for modest relaxation of licensing for a limited period within the areas of these schemes.The consultations with interested parties on rural transport have confirmed that there is no general agreement about the extent to which alterations to the present licensing code would offer rural communities an assurance of an improvement in transport provision.What is now needed is a careful assessment on the ground of what can be done in rural communities, both within the existing licensing code and through modest relaxations of that code. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, therefore intends to promote experimental projects in three or four selected areas in England, Scotland and Wales where rural transport problems exist. The design of these projects will be the responsibility of working groups which will be set up under the chairmanship of officials from the appropriate Departments, and will include representatives from the local authorities, the bus operators, the unions and other bodies concerned. The groups will act under the general guidance of a steering committee which will embrace similar representation.The experimental areas will be determined after consultations through the machinery of the steering committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to move traffic from road to rail and water and to develop public transport to make the country less dependent on the private car.

Both these matters are being carefully studied in the current review of transport policy. It is already the Government's policy to encourage transfer of freight from road to rail and water where this is sensible on economic and environmental grounds. The Railways Act 1974 included measures designed to encourage transfer of suitable freight to rail. In the year 1975–76 the Government are contributing over £450 million to the support of public passenger transport.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a further statement on railway policy.

The railways will be covered in the statement my right hon. Friend will make at the conclusion of the transport policy review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to bring forward proposals to amend the law in respect of the rating of caravans.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his proposed changes regarding the rating of caravans.

I hope to introduce a Bill shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of people who will be killed or seriously disabled each year if no provision is made to make the wearing of car safety belts compulsory.

I estimate that during 1975 the compulsory wearing of seat belts would have saved the lives of about 1,000 drivers and front seat passengers and saved over 11,000 people from serious injury.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on his proposals for cash limits on Government grants to local authorities in 1976–77.

My right hon. Friend announced on 21st November a cash limit on Exchequer grants to local authorities in 1976–77 of £480 million as part of the rate support grant settlement.—[Vol. 901, c. 10.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what overall reduction in local authorities staff is expected in the next financial year.