asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last 10 years convicted murderers released from psychiatric institutions have killed a second time; and if, in the light of the case of Mr. Bryan Knight once again jailed for life, and Mr. MacKay convicted of manslaughter, he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any case in the last 10 years where a person previously convicted of homicide and released from a psychiatric hospital has once again been convicted of homicide. Two women, however, have been convicted of homicide after discharge from hospital, each of whom had previously been charged with the murder of her child and who had then been found insane on arraignment and guilty but insane respectively. Bryan Knight and Patrick MacKay, both recently convicted of homicide, had not previously been convicted of this crime.At Leicester Assizes on 19th November 1970 Bryan Knight pleaded guilty to charges of causing grievous bodily harm and theft and, on medical evidence that he was suffering from psychopathic disorder, the court made an order for his detention in Broadmoor Hospital together with an order making him subject to the special restrictions in Section 65 of the Mental Health Act 1959 without limit of time. Knight was conditionally discharged from Broadmoor in August 1973, on the authority of the then Home Secretary, in the light of reports from two consultants that he had benefited enormously from treatment and was fit to leave hospital. He was subject on discharge to supervision by a probation officer and psychiatric oversight by a Broadmoor consultant.I fully understand the public concern caused by this case and other recent cases of grave crimes committed by persons previously convicted and detained in psychiatric hospitals, and the whole House will deeply sympathise with those who have suffered as a result. The difficult problems involved in the treatment of mentally disordered offenders are fully described in the report by the Butler Committee which was published recently. With my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services, I am considering the Committee's many recommendations, and I am giving specially urgent attention to their proposals for further safeguards in the procedures relating to those patients whose discharge or transfer are my responsibility by reason of a court order making them subject to the special restrictions under Section 65 of the Mental Health Act 1959. I share the Committee's view that in these cases there should be an extension of the existing arrangements for submitting proposals for discharge or transfer to the scrutiny of an independent advisory board, and I intend to introduce a wider procedure on these lines as soon as the detailed arrangements can be worked out.Patrick MacKay was not a patient for whose discharge I or my predecessors had any responsibility. He was convicted at Essex Assizes in October 1968 of robbery with violence and malicious damage and, on medical evidence that he was suffering from psychopathic disorder, the court made an order for his detention in Moss Side Hospital. The court did not order him to be subject to the special restrictions in Section 65 of the Mental Health Act. His subsequent discharge by a Mental Health Review Tribunal and readmission to psychiatric hospitals occurred under provisions in the Mental Health Act 1959 for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the procedure and principles which operated in the cases of the release from Broadmoor of Jack Dunlop and Nigel Bankford; and if he will now give an assurance that such procedures will be tightened up in the light of this and other recent experiences.

Ian Jack Dunlop was admitted to Broadmoor Hospital in pursuance of an order under Section 60 of the Mental Health Act 1959 made at Lewes Assizes in December 1964. The court also made an order making him subject to the special restrictions set out in Section 65 of the Act for a period of 15 years, the effect of which was to make his discharge or transfer, and the grant of leave, subject to the Home Secretary's consent. In May 1973 he was, with the consent of the then Home Secretary, transferred to Fair Mile Hospital, Wallingford. The responsible medical officer at that hospital was authorised to allow day parole and week-end leave, provided he was satisfied that there was no risk to others, but final authority for discharge from hospital had not been given at the time of Dunlop's arrest for the recent offences.Proposals for the discharge or transfer of restricted patients are considered with great care in the light of medical advice and all other available information. Regard is had to the mental condition and needs of the patient and the prospects for his rehabilitation in the community, but the paramount consideration is the safety of the public. Discharge or transfer is authorised only if it is considered safe to do so, but judgment of this is inevitably subject to the difficulties of predicting dangerousness which are fully described in the recent report of the Butler Committee.To improve the protection for the public the procedures for deciding upon the fitness of a restricted patient for discharge or transfer were strengthened in 1972 following the arrest of Graham Young. They were further revised in September 1973 on the recommendation of the Aarvold Committee. The Butler Committee has now proposed an extension of the Aarvold procedures for submitting a case to the scrutiny of an independent advisory board and, as I have already announced, I intend to introduce new arrangements on these lines as soon as the details can be settled.Nigel Bankford, then known as Gilbert Derek Croft, was admitted to Broadmoor Hospital in pursuance of an order under section 60 of the Mental Health Act 1959 made at Hailsham Magistrates' Court in June 1965. He was discharged from the hospital in March 1970 after a period of six months trial leave. Since he was not subject to the special restrictions under Section 65 of the Mental Health Act, it was not necessary to seek the consent of the Home Secretary before granting leave or ordering discharge. These decisions were made in accordance with provisions of the Mental Health Act for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she is satisfied that trading conditions in food supermarkets do not positively encourage shoplifting.

Trading conditions are a matter for the retailer. We have no evidence that theft by shoppers is more prevalent in food supermarkets than in shops selling other merchandise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions and convictions have taken place in the Manchester area in respect of cases of assault, criminal damage, etc., and other offences against public order committed in Manchester during 1973, 1974 and 1975 by members of a political group from Merseyside known as the British Movement.

This information is not separately recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what security checks are made at ports or airports on foreign embassy staff, who have diplomatic status in this country, following their return from visits abroad.

Persons with diplomatic status are normally immune from security checks, but personal searches may on occasion be made with permission of the person concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many category "A" prisoners have been granted parole since the inception of parole following the Criminal Justice Act 1967.

Parole is granted only when it is considered that release would involve no undue risk to the public and, to our knowledge, it has not been granted to a prisoner while he has been in category "A". But many prisoners formerly in that category have subsequently received parole.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specific policy, instructions or guidelines he has given to the Parole Board concerning parole consideration of category 'A' prisoners.

None. But the Board takes the security classification into account together with all the other factors relevant to parole.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish as much information as may be available giving the actual or estimated annual or weekly costs of keeping a prisoner in gaol; whether a convicted murderer serving a life sentence is more costly to the taxpayer than a criminal found guilty of robbery; and to what extent there is any variation in costs.

In the financial year 1974–75 the estimated average weekly cost of keeping an inmate in a prison service establishment in England and Wales was £62. It is not possible to isolate the cost of keeping prisoners serving sentences for paticular offences such as murder and robbery, since these prisoners are held, along with others, in a variety of types of prison with differing costs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to make otter hunting illegal.

We have no plans to introduce such legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants are employed exclusively on administering broadcasting receiving licence revenue; what is his estimated annual cost of administering these licences; and what is their estimated gross yield for the current financial year.

Seven civil servants in the Home Office and 700 Post Office employees in the National Television Licence Records Office are employed exclusively on administering the broadcast receiving licensing system. The estimated cost for 1975–76 of administering the licensing system is £18·5 million and the total estimated revenue £227 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are any circumstances in which a rebate is granted by his Department on a television licence in the event of such a licence being returned before the end of the 12-month period.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on 13th October to a Question by the hon. Member for Guildford (Mr. Howell).—[Vol. 897, c. 580–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take special steps to refund automatically the higher television licence fees obtained by the illegal revocation or by the threat of revocation of licences that were taken out before 1st April by those whose existing licences had not expired; and whether he will issue an apology to all those licence holders who have been inconvenienced by his Department's handling of this matter.

I hope to make a full reply on all these matters tomorrow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation increasing the fines on traders found guilty of selling tobacco products to persons under the age of 16 years.

The existing penalties, which were last increased in 1963 are: for a first offence, a fine not exceeding £25; for a second offence, a fine not exceeding £50: and for a third or subsequent offence, a fine not exceeding £100. We shall bear in mind the possible need to amend these, as other, monetary penalties when a suitable opportunity occurs; but we have no present plans for legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests and rosecutions there have been for breaches of the Incitement to Disaffection Act: in which years and under which sections of the Act; how many prosecutions have resulted in convictions; and what sentences have been imposed.

Records for the period before 1965 are not readily available: nor is information about whether defendants were arrested. Details of prosecutions since 1965—other than those where trial is in progress or pending—are as follows:

1972: 2 persons: Section 2; 1 canvisted and sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment, 1 acquitted.

1974: 1 person; Sections 1 and 2; convicted and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment (reduced on appeal).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what bodies concerned with law reform are considering the Incitement to Disaffection Act and related offences; and when they are expected to report.

The Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934 falls within the review which the Law Commission is conducting of the law of treason and other offences against the State. It is too early to say when the Commission's report will be available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to repeal the Incitement to Disaffection Act.

I do not consider that it would be appropriate to deal with this particular measure in isolation from the Law Commission's review of the law on treason and related offences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are (a) currently on trial and (b) awaiting trial for breaches of the Incitement to Disaffection Act; and, of those awaiting trial, how many are remanded in custody.

(a) 14; (b) 1 awaiting retrial; 6 awaiting committal proceedings; none is remanded in custody.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested and prosecuted under the Incitement to Mutiny Act 1797 in each year since 1934; how many prosecutions have resulted in convictions; and what sentences have been imposed.

Records for the period before 1965 are not readily available. There have been no prosecutions since 1965.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will agree to a BBC request to experiment with a local television service in North Staffordshire; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received the BBC's request for approval to mount an experimental local television service in North Staffordshire—mentioned in Section V of its evidence to the Annan Committee—and will make a statement as soon as a decision has been reached.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department, or, with his agreement, any other Government Department, has requested the Somerset Police Force or instructed it not to inform the Press concerning a recent case of which he has been informed; and by what authority such action was taken.

No such request or instruction has been given to the Avon and Somerset police force.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representation he has received from the hon. Member for Stretford in regard to the establishment of a system of rewards for information leading to convictions for acts of terrorism; and what is his reply.

I have received a telegram from the hon. Member. I have nothing at present to add to the reply I gave, on the subject of rewards for information, to the hon. Member for Croydon, North-West (Mr. Taylor) on 3rd December.—[Vol. 901, c. 584.]

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection, what the advertising budget for her Department is during the current year.

My Department is not undertaking paid media advertising in 1975–76 but attains wide publicity through leaflets, television fillers, radio tapes and posters.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she has an estimate of the date by which food subsidies will have ceased.

No date has been fixed for the termination of the food subsidies.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will make a statement on the Government's plans for the price and subsidisation of bread.

The price of the large sliced loaf rose by 1p on 1st December; 1p of this is due to the reduction in the bread subsidy which my right hon. Friend announced on 25th November and the other 1p is due to the increased costs of bread manufacturers. My right hon. Friend has no plans for further reductions in the immediate future.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will make a statement on her plans for metrication in the dairy trade.

The planning for metrication in the dairy industry, as in other industries, is one for the industry itself to settle in consultation with the Metrication Board, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and my Department as appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what action is being taken to accelerate the programme of price display and unit pricing.

Orders have recently been made requiring prices, or where appropriate the unit price, to be indicated for all fresh fruit and vegetables and for drinks offered or exposed for sale for consumption on licensed premises; these orders are already in force. Proposals will shortly be circulated for unit pricing to be applied to cheese and milk from vending machines and to be widely extended to prepacked frozen fish and to most types of wet fish. A pilot scheme for the unit pricing of fresh meat has been in operation since 1st October.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what progress she is making in the preparation of a statutory ingredient labelling scheme for toilet preparations; and if she will make a statement.

It is my intention to have regulations relating to the safety of cosmetic products prepared as soon as the proposed EEC directive on cosmetics is adopted. The draft directive requires the presence of certain ingredients to be indicated on the label, and we have recently proposed that the list of these should be extended. I hope that the directive will be adopted early in 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what effect on food prices she estimates shoplifting has at food supermarkets.

There is no reliable evidence on this subject. The report of the Working Party on Internal Shop Security published in October 1973 found that retailers admitted to losses ranging from nil to 6 per cent. of turnover. But many had no accurate knowledge of their own losses from this cause.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what effect, in terms of percentages, the recent increase in the price of oil and its derivatives is likely to have on inflation.

It is expected that the 10 per cent. rise in the dollar price of crude oil, effective from 1st October, will eventually have an overall effect of approximately ½ per cent. on the RPI.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will seek powers to prevent breweries and licensees from displaying fake and ornamental beer dispensing equipment in their houses when real ale is not being served.

If the display in public houses of equipment of a particular type gives a false or misleading indication of the method of production or physical characteristics of the beer being served, this may be an offence under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. Enforcement is the responsibility of local weights and measures authorities. But it is for the courts to decide whether in a particular case the display of ornamental equipment is misleading.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will take steps to ensure that all electric fireguards receiving Government approval and carrying the safety hallmark as in "The Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Regulations 1973" (S.I., 1973, No. 2106) and BS 1945: 1971, are designed to prevent a hand being placed through them.

The Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Regulations 1973, which superseded the less stringent Regulations made in 1953, require guards on electric fires to comply with the relevant provisions in British Standard 1945/1971. These are designed to prevent young children from grasping the hot elements of radiant fires and I am not aware of any evidence which suggests that they are inadequate in this or in any other respect. If the hon. Member knows of any accident in which a hand has been inserted through a guard made to this standard, I should be glad if she would let me have details.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will prohibit the sale in the United Kingdom of the coffee pot which caused 2,000 accidents in one year in Denmark and has now been withdrawn there.

I have been unable to identify the coffee pot in question. If the hon. Member will let me have further information about it, I shall be pleased to look into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what is her latest estimate of the rate of increase in retail prices during the current financial year.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Morrison).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if his Department will give further consideration to scaling down its fees in relation to the liquidation of Nation Life.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (Lord James Douglas-Hamilton) on 20th October 1975. The matter is kept continually under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to publish the Inspectors' report on the collapse of London and County Securities Limited.

I am unable to say when I expect to be in a position to publish the Inspectors' report in this matter, but it will be as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement about the observance, or otherwise, of noise limits at London Airport, with particular reference to the Greater London Council's survey on noise from the Concorde airliner and the effect of aircraft noise on the lives of residents in the surrounding areas.

About 2 per cent. of aircraft taking off from Heathrow exceed the prescribed noise limits. We are examining ways of further reducing the infringement rate. The Concorde monitoring results released by the Greater London Council are broadly consistent with those published earlier by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations have been made to him about the time required to answer the 24-hour questionnaire entitled "Inquiry into Wholesaling and Dealing for 1974" issued by the business statistics office in Newport.

One previous written Question and a few cases dealt with in correspondence by Ministers. The questions for completion by businesses take up 12 pages of the full questionnaire. There is a shorter form for smaller firms.—[Vol. 882, c. 570–1].

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the estimated annual increase in aircraft movements at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, respectively, resulting from the cancellation of the Maplin Airport project; and how increased passenger capacity is to be provided and at what cost to meet the extra demand.

I would refer the hon. Member to the consultation document: "Airport Strategy for Great Britain Part 1: The London Area", which was published on 20th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the cause of the collision in the English Channel between the Soviet vessel "Gorizont" and the Moroccan vessel "Ifini"; in what circumstances the survivors were rescued; why British salvage vessels were not available to undertake the task; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon Friend made a written statement to the House on this subject on 3rd December. We have no jurisdiction to investigate the cause of the collision, which was between two foreign vessels well outside our territorial waters. With the agreement of the Russian Government, a diving survey has been carried out to try to ascertain the precise position and attitude of the ship, so far without success owing to bad visibility following storms. Further attempts will be made although the wreck is no longer a hazard to surface navigation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps he is taking to secure acceptance by other EEC countries of the Capenhurst Universal Medium Voltage Jointing System in order to increase the export possibilities of this British product.

I understand that steps are well in hand for marketing the system in Europe and no action is required at present by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the estimated cost of direct imports of tinplate to the United Kingdom and the estimated value of tinplate exports for the most recently available date.

This information is published in the October 1975 issue of the "Overseas Trade Statistics of the Unite, I Kingdom" against code numbers 7313 3425 and 7312 2592 at pages IV 59 and 60 for imports and VII 49 for exports. These headings exclude trade in tinned sheets, lacquered tinplate, and the like.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations have been made to him by the Fidelity Life Assurance Company for action to be taken in respect of that company under the Policyholders' Protection Act; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that an application has been made to the Policyholders Protection Board on behalf of Fidelity Life Assurance Limited for assistance under Section 16 of the Policyholders' Protection Act 1975. It is for the Board to decide whether or not to exercise its powers under these provisions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is his latest estimate of the extra costs which have been incurred by the British Airports Authority in building the underground rail link to London Airport; and when he expects passengers using the airport to be able to use the final stage of this rail link.

The British Airports Authority is responsible for constructing the subways from the underground station to the airport terminals, and I have drawn the attention of the chairman to the hon. Member's question about the costs it has incurred. The London Transport Executive, which is responsible for building the underground rail link, has said it expects this final stage to be open for passengers in the autumn of 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what consultations he has had with the Federation of Manufacturers of Construction Equipment and Cranes about the dumping of Russian-made tipper trucks.

None. We have, however, had extensive discussions on dumper trucks as a result of which the Federation has made a formal application concerning the alleged dumping of such trucks from the USSR. This application has been accepted for full investigation and an announcement to this effect was made on 23rd October 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will tabulate the noise levels expressed in EPNdB at take-off and landing of DC8–50, Boeing 707/320C, and Concorde under similar conditions; and if, in the same table, he will show the number of movements of each of the three aircraft expected, weekly, at Heathrow in 1976.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 10th November.—[Vol. 899, c. 175–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what offices of the ICFC are located in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow; and if he will list the number of employees in each case.

This is a matter for the Chairman of ICFC.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from bus operating subsidiaries of the National Bus Company about the effect of the prices code on their revenues and their consequent need for increased subsidies and if he will make a statement.

The National Bus Company has told the Department of problems it saw arising from the Price Code, in relation to fares increases. These increases are determined by the independent Traffic Commissioners, who are required to have regard to the Code. I have no reason to suppose that they see its purpose as being to force any undertaking to operate at a loss. It is for each NBC subsidiary to make the case for whatever fares increases it judges necessary, and to seek to show that these do not conflict with the principles of the Code.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will initiate discussions with aerosol manufacturers with a view to agreeing a programme for switching from the use of aerosols to less potentially environmentally hazardous containers.

The British Aerosol Manufacturers Association is co-operating with our current appraisal of the fluorocarbon situation. The case for further action will be considered in the light of the appraisal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list

(a) Working days lost by labour disputes: 1965–1974
Thousand
					1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
Milford Haven		…	…	…	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
London	…	…	…	…	4	43	256	27	64	209	16	256	42	12
Liverpool*	…	…	…	…	55	27	302	44	198	244	55	235	58	71
Southampton		…	…	…	—	—	9	1	52	30	1	45	5	1
Medway	…	…	…	…	1	1	—	—	1	5	—	10	—	—
Tees/Hartlepool		…	…	…	—	—	—	1	—	14	2	14	3	1
Immingham/Grimsby			…	…	—	—	1	4	—	62	10	12	2	9
Clyde	…	…	…	…	2	—	—	—	2	15	1	23	1	2
Manchester		…	…	…	1	5	19	7	38	32	26	30	2	3
Forth	…	…	…	…	—	—	—	—		10	—	10	1	—
Other Ports	…	…	…	…	42	58	19	30	66	98	61	125	40	23
Total working days lost			…	…	105	134	606	114	421	719	172	760	154	122
* Liverpool, Birkenhead, Bromborough, Garston and Widnes.
—Less than 500 days.

(b) Traffic handled: 1965–1974
Million Tonnes
					1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
Milford Haven		…	…	…	25	29	28	30	40	41	43	46	53	60
London	…	…	…	…	58	57	57	57	56	57	53	48	51	46
Liverpool*	…	…	…	…	32	31	29	30	29	29	32	27	27	28
Southampton		…	…	…	24	25	27	28	29	28	28	29	29	28
Medway	…	…	…	…	22	26	26	27	26	27	23	27	27	25
Tees/Hartlepool		…	…	…	12	11	12	19	22	23	22	23	26	25
Immingham/Grimsby			…	…	7	9	9	12	15	23	18	20	24	22
Clyde	…	…	…	…	12	11	11	13	13	15	17	15	17	17
Manchester		…	…	…	15	16	16	16	16	16	16	16	16	16
Forth	…	…	…	…	8	8	7	8	8	8	9	10	10	10
Other Ports	…	…	…	…	89	86	88	85	84	85	88	91	97	91
Total traffic		…	…	…	304	309	310	325	338	352	349	352	377	368
* Liverpool, Birkenhead, Bromborough and Garston.

(c) Net surplus/(deficit): 1973
£'000
						1973
Milford Haven		…	…	…	…	259
London	…	…	…	…	…	1,521
Liverpool*	…	…	…	…	…	(4,353)
Southampton		…	…	…	…	739
Medway	…	…	…	…	…	252
Tees/Hartlepool		…	…	…	…	745
I mmingham/Grimsby			…	…	…	1,327
Clyde	…	…	…	…	…	1,277
Manchester		…	…	…	…	3,427
Forth	…	…	…	…	…	805
* Liverpool and Birkenhead.

There is no generally accepted definition of principal ports. The available data on the 10 largest ports, in terms of through-put tonnes in 1974, are shown below. These ports accounted for 75 per cent. of the total through-put for all ports in 1974, and, with the exception of Milford Haven, which is a specialised oil port, they are all in the National Dock Labour Scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of rear seat passengers killed or injured over the last five years; and what consideration he has given to the compulsory fitting of seat belts in new cars.

The numbers of passengers killed and seriously injured in the rear seats of cars and vans under 30 cwt. during the past five years are as follows:

	Killed	Seriously Injured
1970	520	8,692
1971	510	8,364
1972	533	7,181
1973	467	6,899
1974	421	6,230

If seat belts had been fitted and worn, about half these casualties could have been avoided. An EEC directive now in draft would require manufacturers to fit rear seat belts in new cars.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will raise the pass figure for MOT test brake requirements to 70 per cent. to build in a reasonable time/safety factor.

I do not think that this would be practicable. The present requirement, that the braking system must produce a retarding force of half the weight of the vehicle, represents a satisfactory standard for use on the roads.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will institute a physical examination of all brake pads and linings.

No. This could not be done without dismantling the vehicle's braking system, and would add disproportionately to the cost of the MOT test.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the cost of providing bed and breakfast accommodation for the homeless from public funds for 1974–75.

Some housing authorities pay for bed and breakfast accommodation under general local government powers, but it is more usually provided or funded by social services authorities, along with many other preventive and supportive services, under Section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963. A proportion of the total cost may come out of individual payments of supplementary benefit. It is not therefore practicable to make a reliable total estimate. I hope that local authorities will increasingly be able to avoid having to use this unsatisfactory sort of provision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has introduced ceilings on expenditure by district councils on improvement grants to either private or council housing.

The total expenditure incurred by housing authorities on improvements and conversions to their own dwellings is subject to an annual capital limit under Section 105 of the Housing Act 1974. Proposals for an identical measure were contained in the Housing and Planning Bill introduced by the previous administration. Expenditure on renovation grants to private owners is not subject to a comparable overall ceiling, although individual grants have always been subject to statutory limits under successive Housing Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of his overall responsibility for safeguarding the environment and his quasi-judicial powers in respect of planning, he has sought information in respect of the leakage of methane gas stored on Canvey Island; what discussions he has had, or plans to hold, about the future location of such storage; and what co-ordination exists between the planning functions of his Department and the Health and Safety Commission to ensure that existing risks to the safety of the residential population of Canvey Island are not compounded by the introduction of new high fire risk installations and an increase in the handling and transportation of dangerous and inflammable products.

I have already written to the hon. Member about the methane gas stored on Canvey Island.There is full co-operation between my Department and the Health and Safety Commission on safeguarding the population on Canvey Island. The Health and Safety Commission is advised by a Committee studying types of installations which may present major hazards to employees or the public. My Department is represented on this Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the working of the Rent Act 1974 in relation to the reduction in rented accommodation for letting.

My right hon. Friend is intending to carry out a review of the Rent Acts to start within and follow on from the main Housing Finance Review. The review will cover both the purposes and the administrative framework of the Rent Acts and will have regard to any available evidence of their workings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set up an inquiry into the operation of the agency system between metropolitan district and county councils.

General advice on agency arrangements was given to local authorities by circular in December 1972 after consultation with the associations of local authorities. That advice still stands, and it is for the local authorities to work out between themselves what particular arrangements to make in the light of local conditions and experience.

					Formal applications
Region					On hand 31st March 1972	Received	Approved	Rejected	Withdrawn	On hand 31st March 1975
Yorkshire and Humberside				…	1	42	24	5	Nil	14
Northern	…	…	…	…	7	93	56	4	7	33
North West		…	…	…	1	63	40	2	2	20
South West		…	…	…	7	13	14	2	3	1
Wast Midlands		…	…	…	9	13	8	2	Nil	12
West Midlands		…	…	…	Nil	1	1	Nil	Nil	Nil
Total		…	…	…	25	225	143	15	12	80

Formal applications approved in principle are treated as not yet approved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will require ability to read to be essential before taking a driving test.

No. I have no evidence to suggest that inability to read has any significant bearing on driving ability.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will require a more detailed test of vision when he is reviewing the driving test.

I have at present no evidence that this would significantly reduce the accident risk. The Road Research Laboratory is undertaking research to determine what effective tests are practicable, using, for example, a test of dynamic acuity.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report particulars of each English region concerned of the progress during the period 1st April 1972 to 31st March 1975 in deciding applications for grant under Section 7 of the Local Employment Act 1972 towards the cost of roadworks, and the amount of grant approved.

The figures which follow correct some errors in those given in my reply dated 10th July 1975. The Act came into force on 10th March 1972. The periods covered are not, therefore, identical.The amount of grant was £1,372,801.Informal applications approved in principle are not included.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he has made for monitoring local authority spending on sport and recreation.

The White Paper on Sport and Recreation—Cmnd. 6200—acknowledged the need for further statistical information on expenditure on sport and recreation by local authorities. Studies are in progress about what information should be collected and how it is to be gathered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the total cost of the underground rail link to Heathrow Airport is to be borne by the Government; and what proportion is to be borne by the Greater London Council and London Transport, respectively.

On expenditure incurred up to 31st March 1975, this Department contributes 25 per cent., the Greater London Council 25 per cent., and London Transport 50 per cent. Under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1974, responsibility for the scheme was transferred to the Greater London Council from 1st April 1975. Estimated expenditure by the Council as from that date qualifies for transport supplementary grant at a rate of 70 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria his Department uses for selecting local authority schemes in West Yorkshire for submission by his Department for aid under the EEC Regional Development Fund; and whether he will publish these criteria to the local authority concerned.

The main criteria used in the selection of infrastructure projects for submission to the Fund in 1975 were the provisions of the Fund Regulation, particularly the requirement of an industrial link and the priority for development areas, and the economic and employment circumstances of the Area. The local authorities concerned are aware of these criteria.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about temporary measures to prevent accidents on the A1 at Felton, Northumberland; and whether he proposes to take any action in the light of them.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received two representations as a result of the recent accidents on the Al near Felton. One is from a private individual and the other from Felton Parish Council.It is not possible to comment on the two most recent accidents which have occurred since the circumstances surrounding them are sub judice. The Regional Controller (R & T) has, however, initiated a full investigation, on the completion of which any measures thought necessary will be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to require householders to separate newspapers and periodicals from other domestic refuse for recycling and to require local authorities to use paper sack systems for the collection of refuse.

No. Industry is likely to require substantially increased supplies of recyclable waste paper from household collections over the next few years, but even so it is unlikely to be able to use all that might be available. I would not in any case wish to resort to legislation to secure the expansion that will be needed, nor would I wish to impose centrally a requirement for local authorities to adopt particular methods of collection.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the increase in the initial allocation of needs element of rate support grant to London for 1976–77 as compared with the estimated total final allocation for 1975–76—without adapting the figures for changes in the value of money; and how much cash this represents per domestic ratepayer in inner London.

The estimated figure is £104 million. £63 million of this figure relates to inner London, representing approximately £69 per domestic hereditament.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state in cash terms the initial allocation of rate support grant for 1976–77, the initial value of needs element, the initial value of resources element, the initial value of domestic element, and of each of the other items comprised in the total.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Rate Support Grant Order 1975 and the Report on that Order, copies of which were laid before the House on 5th December.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the distribution in cash terms of the total final allocation of needs element as between London and other local authorities in 1975–76; and what are the equivalent figures for the initial allocation of needs element in 1976–77, expressing the figures in both cases without adjustment for any fall in the value of money.

The final 1975–76 England and Wales needs element total, allowing for Increase Orders still to be made, is likely to be of the order of £3,491 million. The shares for London and for the rest of the country will be about £582 million and £2,909 million respectively. The initial needs element total for 1976–77, which has been fixed at November 1975 prices, will be £3,565 million. The shares for London and for the rest of the country will be about £686 million and £2,879 million respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the figures showing the proportion of the total local government expenditure for each of the inner and outer London boroughs which was borne by the rates for 1973–74, 1974–75 and 1975–76.

Comprehensive information for 1974–75 and 1975–76 is not yet available. Information for 1973–74 is available in the published accounts of the authorities concerned, and accounts for 1974–75 will probably be published by the end of 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the timetable for the remaining procedures for settling the London rate equalisation scheme for 1976–77.

I am awaiting the views of the London Boroughs Association. My right hon. Friend will announce his decision when these have been received and the consultations required by statute have been completed. I cannot say how soon this will be, but I am conscious of the need for this issue to be settled in good time for the London local authorities to fix their rates for 1976–77.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he took, before turning down the appeal by the May Bridge Chemical Company, to satisfy himself that adequate housing existed at Trevillett, Tintagel, for the skilled staff needed by the company to fulfil its potential and to increase its exports.

The company argued as part of its written representations that there was a special need for the dwelling-house which was the subject of this appeal. However, the Inspector to whom the appeal was transferred for his decision did not consider that this was adequate justification for allowing the proposed development in the face of the planning objections to it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with the leaders of the Liverpool City Council and the leaders of the Sefton District Council concerning the future of the Grand National.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether it remains Government policy that any applications for the major racecourses of the United Kingdom, including Aintree, will be called in for determination by him;(2) whether the principle of the plan announced by the Minister of Sport in 1968 to ensure the future Aintree race course as a joint racing and community recreational venue based upon partner ship between local authorities, the Sports Council and the Horserace Betting Levy Board, still remains the Government's objective;(3) what financial constraints apply to the purchase of Aintree racecourse by local authorities or other public bodies; and how such a transaction would be affected by the provisions of the Community Land Act.

My right hon. Friend adheres to the statement announced in 1965 that he would call in for his own decision any application for planning permission which local authorities were minded to approve for development of Aintree and other major race courses for non-recreational purposes. I am not aware that any such application has been made with regard to Aintree. My hope is still that Aintree may be developed to provide recreational facilities for Merseyside people as well as horseracing, based on a partnership between the local authorities, the Sports Council and the Horserace Betting Levy Board. I made these views clear to the local authority representatives whom I met last week. Government approval would be required for permission to borrow money for the purchase of the racecourse by the local authorities. The basis of any such purchase by public bodies would be the district valuer's assessment of current market value. As such acquisition would not be for private development it would not fall within the new key sector for the common land scheme. Subject to the availability of funds, adequate powers already exist for local authorities to buy the land.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated value of production and consumption of lamb in Wales and England, respectively.

Information on which to base an estimate of the value of production of lamb in Wales and England separately is not collected. The farmgate value of output of sheep, including the value of exports of live sheep, the value of by-products and any guarantee payments in 1974–75, was £123 million for England and Wales as a whole.Very approximate estimates of the total value at retail level of household consumption of home-produced and imported mutton and lamb—bought as such—may be derived from National Food Survey data and de-facto population figures, although the National Food Survey sample for any one year is designed to provide averages for the whole of Great Britain rather than the separate countries. For England the data indicate an estimate of some £296 million in 1974 and for Wales some £17 million. These figures exclude the value of any mutton or lamb included in meat products, and do not cover the additional consumption of mutton and lamb—in any form—in meals taken outside the home in catering establishments.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the quota system adopted by the North East Atlantic Fisheries' Commission is working effectively; whether there has been any evidence of abuse of the new quota scheme and, if so, if he will make a statement; and what methods he uses to ensure effective monitoring and enforcement of the quota system.

The NEAFC quota schemes are relatively new, but my right hon. Friend and I believe they will prove to be an effective method of fishery conservation. It is for national Governments to fulfll their obligations under these schemes, but our fisheries inspectors may board vessels of other member countries and report any infringements to the Government concerned. The NEAFC is at present examining ways of improving the reporting and enforcement procedures of member states.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to increase Government financial aid to fox destruction societies; and if he will make a statement.

I am satisfied there are no grounds for increased public expenditure here.

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

Outbreaks of sheep scab in Great Britain were confirmed as follows:

	England	Scotland	Wales
1953 to 1972	Nil	Nil	Nil
1973	38	Nil	4
1974	9	7	1
1975—to 4th December 1975	59	3	1

During 1975, the compulsory dipping of all sheep, coupled with movement restrictions, was imposed in parts of the South West and the West Midlands of England: and from 3rd December movement restrictions were imposed on an area consisting of 16 English counties with Humberside and South Yorkshire in the north and with Avon, Gloucestershire and Berkshire in the south. In consultations with the farmers' unions, local authority associations and other interests, urgent consideration is being given to more extensive measures which may be necessary to eradicate the disease.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what proposals he has for turning non-contributory Civil Service pensions into contributory pensions.

As I explained in the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton) on 1st December, before being attributed to the equivalent Civil Service grade, all pay rates provided by the Civil Service Pay Research Unit for broadly comparable outside employment are specifically reduced by the precise superannuation contribution paid for personal benefits by those in such employment; and a further deduction is made to take account of differences in superannuation benefits. Civil Servants therefore forgo pay to help meet the cost of their pensions equally as if their pensions were contributory. A contributory scheme would thus imply correspondingly higher pay. It would also require a more complex and costly administrative machine to operate it. For these reasons, the Government are not convinced that there is a case, at the present time, to change the non-contributory basis of the scheme.—[Vol. 901, c. 355.]

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he is satisfied that the Civil Service Pay Research Unit's figure of 1·75 per cent. of salaries is adequate to take account of differences in pension benefits between civil servants and the private sector in the light of a current actuarial calculation, based on a 10 per cent. interest-rate, of the cost of providing inflation-proofing of salaries up to a maximum of only three per cent. per annum as 10 per cent. of salaries; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of the full range of assumptions underlying the hon. Member's calculations, but I am advised by the Government Actuary that the contribution rate he quotes is, at face value, a considerable exaggeration. I am satisfied that the pay agreement works in a way which is fair to both the civil servant and the taxpayer. That agreement provides for the revision of the adjustment to take account of differences in benefits between the civil servant's pension benefits and those of the comparable employee in private industry and if any revision is found to be necessary it will, of course, be made when the pay agreement is again operating. It is estimated that the cost of the increase in Civil Service pensions paid from 1st December 1975 will be less than 2 per cent. of the total salary bill.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether, when a civil servant decides to retire early, inflation-proofing applies to the lump sum which is then credited to him but which is not paid until his normal retirement age is reached; and whether the whole of the sum is eventually paid tax-free.

The preserved lump sum of a civil servant who resigns before the retiring age is an integral part of his pension entitlement. Its purchasing power is therefore maintained in the same way as that of the continuing pension. Lump sum payments which form part of a superannuation benefit payable at the normal retiring age are tax-free under all approved pension schemes, whether in the public or the private sectors.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service, in view of the fact that unemployment in the West Midlands has trebled during the last two years, if he will now re-examine the programme of devolution of Civil Service staff so as to include the West Midlands area in the programme.

It is Government policy that priority should be given wherever possible to the assisted areas in the dispersal and the setting up of new work away from London. However, as already announced this year a capital tax office is to be established in Solihull, comprising about 200 posts. I do not think it would be appropriate to re-examine the major dispersal programme announced in July 1974.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if, for the central Government computer orders listed below, he will give the name and price of the supplier to whom the orders were awarded and what estimate he has made of the lowest price for which the equipment could have been obtained from any other source in each case: Department of Industry Computer Centre, Eastcote, Department of the Environment Water Data Unit, Reading, Department of Employment, Runcorn, Building Research Station, Garston, Department of Health and Social Security, Reading, Department of Health and Social Security, Livingstone, and the Home Office, Metropolitan Police Joint ADP Unit.

All the computers in question are 19045 systems on order, or the subject of current tenders, from International Computers Limited. The 1904S is more powerful than Atlas and, in accordance with the computer purchasing policy announced in the House of Commons on 2nd March 1971, procurement is by way of single tender. It is not the practice to disclose prices; but in each case the price to be paid will not exceed the Company's commercial list prices.The machines will replace or extend existing ICL 1900 series installations and procurement from other sources would have involved substantial costs which are avoided by continuing with compatible ICL machines.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service why he gave instructions to the management side of the Community Relations Commission not to attend a meeting held under the auspices of ACAS during a recent salary dispute.

I have given no such instructions. I understand that when the meeting was suggested the normal procedure for dealing with this claim—which included the opportunity for reference to an ad hoc arbitration tribunal—had not been completed. I am pleased to say that the pay offer made by the management side was subsequently accepted.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on his policy concerning the involvement of ACAS with grant aided bodies whose staff are paid on Civil Service scales.

This would be a matter for the grant-aided body and, where appropriate, the sponsor Department. If, however, a body operates by analogy with Civil Service procedures, which include provision for arbitration, advice would be given, if it were asked for, as to the way those procedures operate in the Civil Service.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will list the seven special advisers to the Prime Minister, the period for which each has been appointed and the extent to which, if at all, each will become entitled, under existing Regulations, to a pension, whether inflation proof or not.

The names of the Special Advisers are listed below.Six have limited period appointments which are of not more than five years from their respective dates of appointment and which in any case cease when the present Administration ceases to hold office. The seventh is serving on a period of secondment which is due to be reviewed at the end of one year.Of these only two are covered by the principal Civil Service Pension Scheme. If either of these were to complete five years' service he would become entitled, on reaching age 60, to a pension under the terms of that scheme.Dr. B. DonoughueMr J. C. Corr.Mr. A. W. M. Graham

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the release centres for all sections of the Armed Forces stating the total number of personnel engaged prinpically in the performance of the release procedures; and whether he is satisfied with the efficiency and convenience of these procedures.

In the Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, service men are in most cases discharged from their units, where release procedures are carried out as part of normal personnel administration. In the Royal Navy the majority of ratings are discharged from one of three release centres in Portsmouth, Plymouth and Rosyth, where a total of 13 personnel are engaged principally in the performance of release procedures. This arrangement is necessary because it would be impracticable to carry out the release procedures in individual warships. The release of service personnel is carried out as quickly as the tasks involved allow and I have no evidence of general dissatisfaction on the part of retiring servicemen.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list in the Official Report those lands which have been added to defence land holdings since 1970 and those lands which have been released.

Since 31st December 1970 some 38,000 acres have been added to defence land holdings on more than 300 sites and about 33,000 acres on over 700 sites have been disposed of by the Property Services Agency on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. It is not possible to provide a list of the very large number of properties involved without disproportionate effort.The figures of additional holdings include 32,000 acres of land and property which became vested in the Ministry of Defence under the Ministry of Aviation Supply (Dissolution) Order.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many habitable units of accommodation owned by his Department within the United Kingdom are vacant; and what proportion of these units was previously off-camp married officers' quarters.

The latest available figures showed that about 9,750 married quarters were vacant of which about 2,750 were officers' married quarters. Information is not available to show what proportion of the latter were off-camp.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish details, respectively, of the estimated cost of the Army-wide married quarters central heating conversion from solid fuel to gas firing, of the number of married quarters which are affected throughout the United Kingdom and of the likely saving to the inhabitants.

The present programme to improve Army married quarters standards by installing central heating was started in 1970 and covers some 22,000 older properties. It will be completed next year at a cost of approximately £13 million, which includes ancillary work to improve insulation standards. The type of installation varies and is determined by such factors as economy, house design and local conditions; in all, about 75 per cent. are gas installations. It is not possible to give any average of fuel costs to occupants. These depend upon the type of quarters occupied and the standards of heating they adopt.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in the light of current difficulties in the National Health Service, he will reconsider his decision to close the military hospital in Colchester; and failing this, if he will make a statement on the future of the hospital, specifying the earliest date on which closure could take place, the state of negotiations with the Department of Health and Social Security concerning their possible assumption of control of the hospital and the arrangements made to cater for the future medical care of the service personnel in the Colchester area and their dependants and the arrangements made to provide for the care and attention of the civilian personnel who at the moment are permitted to utilise the facilities of the military hospital.

The intention to close the military hospital at Colchester, as set out in the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1975—Cmnd. 5976—remains unchanged. No date for the closure has yet been fixed. Discussions with DHSS on future hospital facilities in the area continue. The Army is considering plans to set up a medical reception station with support facilities for service personnel after the hospital has closed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence:(1) What courses, other than immediate resignation, are open to officers of the Services who disagree with the policies of Her Majesty's Government; and what effect such resignations will have on the terms of their pensions and retirement benefits:(2) What are the terms under which senior officers may resign their commissions if they are in disagreement with their political masters;(3) On what, if any, grounds an officer of general rank may resign his commission prematurely without forfeiting his normal pension entitlement.

It is open to any officer of the Armed Forces who wishes to leave the Service for any reason to seek the consent of the Defence Council to his premature retirement. In the hypothetical case of a senior officer wishing to retire on grounds of policy disagreement, consent would not be unreasonably withheld. Retired pay and other terminal benefits appropriate to the length of service given would normally be paid without abatement, provided the officer was aged 50 or over and had given satisfactory service.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the total of the redundancy payments which are to be made to local civilians becoming redundant as a result of the RAF withdrawal from Gan; and what is the average per employee.

Figures for the MOD, DOE and NAAFI employees are about £134,000 in total and £145 per employee.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of civilian personnel employed at each of the following defence establishments: RAF Uxbridge, RAF Northolt, RAF West Drayton, MOD Procurement Executive and AQD Laboratories, Hare-field, and the Admiralty Engineering Research Laboratory, West Drayton.

The total number of civilians, for which the Secretary of State has responsibility, employed at each of the following defence establishments is:

RAF Uxbridge	189
RAF Northolt	176
RAF West Drayton	77
MOD Procurement Executive AQD Laboratory, Harefield	264
Admiralty Engineering Laboratory, West Drayton	272

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen are attending training courses run by the Services in this country from Chile, South Africa and Oman, respectively; what type of training course is undertaken; what is the period of training; what are the circumstances under which this country accepts Servicemen for training from these particular countries; and whether he will make a statement.

I will arrange for the information to be published in the Official Report in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) industrial and (b) non-industrial civil servants are currently employed by his Department.

Including the Royal Ordnance Factories and locally-engaged civilians abroad, the total number of industrial and non-industrial civil servants currently employed by the Ministry of Defence is 172,400 and 145,600 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the daily average of head-checks, random checks of people in the streets (P checks), screening operations and searches carried out by the 3rd Brigade in Northern Ireland in the three months before and after 10th February 1975.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th December 1975; Vol. 901, c. 745], gave the following information:The number of searches carried out by 3 Infantry Brigade in the three months before and after 10th February 1975 were 99,148 and 124,213 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds he has applied for planning permission on 600 acres of land at Ranskill, Retford, Nottinghamshire; whether it is his intention to sell the land in the future if it is not used for defence purposes; and whether, in order to alleviate public anxiety, he will make a statement as to the proposed future development of the area.

I have been asked to reply.The disposal of the former Royal Ordnance Factory at Ranskill, which is surplus to Defence and other Government requirements, is being dealt with by the Property Services Agency of my Department. The Agency is following the normal policy of offering the site to local authorities and of asking for an indication of the future uses the local planning authority would permit before considering any open market sale.Any future development of the area is primarily a matter for the local planning authority, but the views of the Department of Industry are also being sought.

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Department of Employment and the Treasury in the arrangements for announcing the dates for statutory holidays in the next 18 months.

Yes.