asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the fact that under Section 15 of the Water Act 1973 water authority maintenance staff visit rural sewerage works for regular maintenance and district council staff visit the same villages for maintenance of the pumping stations, and in view of the fact that this section of the Act ensures that two separate work forces with the same expertise on the same functions follow each other round in rural areas with the same frequency of visits, he will take immediate steps to remedy the situation.

The arrangements for local authorities to discharge the sewerage function on behalf of the water authorities are not as inflexible as the hon. Member suggests. Those arrangements will, however, be reviewed as part of the general review of the industry to take place in the New Year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the savings in labour, transport, supervision and administration in the Anglian Water Authority area if all local authorities terminated their agencies for the maintenance of sewage pumping stations and allowed this work to be done by the water authority, as in the case of the West Lindsey District Council.

The information on which to base a reliable estimate is not available and could not be obtained at reasonable cost. There are 57 agency arrangements in the Anglia RWA for which estimates would have to be calculated separately.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines the Government have laid down for local authorities in awarding major contracts.

Local authorities are responsible for their own contract arrangements, but my right hon. Friend and his predecessors have given authorities advice from time to time. This advice is now being reviewed in the light of the Wood Report, but the usual practice is and remains the use of selective competitive tendering.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, following representations made to him by the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, South on behalf of some of his constituents living in Leighton Buzzard, who have not received disturbance allowances under the Land Compensation Act 1973, he is now able to say whether such disturbance allowances may be paid by the South Bedfordshire District Council; and if he will make a statement.

I have written to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that no significant cuts in rail services are implemented until the transport policy review has been completed.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Spring-burn (Mr. Buchanan) yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times the Committee on Mineral Planning Control has met since August 1972; and when its first meeting was held.

Committee meetings were held on 123 days. The first was on 15th August 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received the report of the Committee on Mineral Planning Control under the chairmanship of Sir Roger Stevens.

The report was received by my right hon. Friend in May 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why there has been a delay in publishing the report of the Committee on Mineral Planning Control.

The report is a lengthy one with a number of appendices. Its size and complexity have caused considerable problems in design and printing, but it has now reached final proof stage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (I) what is his estimate of the total cost of research undertaken by the Stevens Committee for Mineral Planning Control; and what would be the cost of regular publication of all completed research;(2) what specialist research was commissioned by the Stevens Committee on Mineral Planning Control; what plans he has for publishing this research; if he will give details of the subject areas of research undertaken.

The committee did not undertake or commission any research which will fall to be published separately from its report. As regards work undertaken by the committee in carrying out its remit and any recommendation by the committee in relation to further research, I must ask the hon. Member to await publication of the report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many bodies submitted evidence to the Stevens Committee on Mineral Planning Control; and if he will list them in the Official Report.

These particulars will be given to the committee's report when it is published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of the work of the Stevens Committee on Mineral Planning Control.

The cost cannot be assessed until the report is published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the literature survey related to stone quarries and the large-scale opencast working of non-ferrous metals and methods of extraction and waste disposal and rehabilitation on and after-use of worked out mining sites, undertaken for the Stevens Committee on Mineral Planning Control; and, if so, when.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the studies into the environmental problems of large-scale opencast working of non-ferrous metals and stone quarries which have been undertaken for my Department by a research team at the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College. A report on this is expected to be published next year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what are the changes expressed in contract price terms and by percentage in local authority expenditure between the estimated outturn for 1975–76 and the figures used as a basis for the 1976–77 rate support grant calculations, after excluding any allowance for changes in interest loans and charges, in respect of each local authority service relevant to these calculations; and if he will make the same calculation for the change between the 1975–76 calculations and the estimated cost of planned expenditure before his standstill announcement;(2) what is the total amount of the changes expressed in contract price terms and by percentage in local authority expenditure between the estimated outturn for 1975–76 and the figures used as a basis for the 1976–77 rate support grant calculations after excluding any allowance for changes in interest loans and charges (a) excluding revenue account subsidy, (

I shall be issuing very shortly a circular setting out the figures of 1975– 76 estimated expenditure outturn and forecasts for 1976– 77 for local athority services. I would ask my hon. Friend to await the issue of this circular.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to provide more detailed advice to local authorities about their spending for 1976–77 in accordance with the statements which accompanies the issue of Circular 88/75.

Within the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied that present regulations governing the materials used in braking systems provide adequate protection against a combination of corrosion and fracture; and whether he will stipulate that on heavy goods vehicles braking pipes should be constructed of metal tubing encased in plastic.

I have no evidence that the materials used in the construction of braking systems are generally unsatisfactory; but an EEC Directive on braking, the implementation of which I am currently discussing with the industry, includes a requirement for braking systems to be designed and constructed to resist corrosion and vibration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will introduce a Miscellaneous Provisions Bill relating to local authority functions.

A Bill comprising some 30 non-controversial clauses, well precedented in local legislation, has been drafted and is ready for introduction. The actual timing of introduction and the method of handling in this House are under consideration at the moment. I am not yet in a position to make a forecast of the date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list his ministerial responsibilities in Scotland.

I have ministerial responsibilities in Scotland for: commercial ports; railways; road freight; licensing and testing of road vehicles, and regulations on their construction and use; driving tests; sponsorship of the construction industry; the provision, by the Property Services Agency, of accommodation and related services for Government Departments; and the management of defence lands.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the value, for insurance purposes, of the Palace of Westminster.

This answer could not be provided except at disproportionate cost. The Government carry their own risk for the Palace of Westminster and other Government buildings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will be in a position to announce Her Majesty's Government's views on the Sandford Report on National Parks.

The announcement will be made on Monday 12th January 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will seek powers to make it a defence to a charge of failure to display a vehicle excise licence that at the time of the alleged offence the duty chargeable was in the hands of the licensing authority.

I am considering this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the change in the rate in the £ sterling for 1976– 77 as compared with 1975– 76, on the assumptions made in the Department of the Environment's letter of 27th November to the London Boroughs Association, for each of the London local authorities, on each of the following bases: (1) no equalisation scheme, and no redistribution of needs element within Inner London (2) equalisation scheme at 2·5p, no double allocation for any outer borough, and no redistribution of needs element within Inner London (3) equalisation scheme at 5·0p, no double allocation for any outer borough, and 10 per cent. redistribution of needs element within Inner London, showing in each case the average for Greater London, Outer London, Inner London, and Inner London other than the City and Westminster.

I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will allow local authorities to make an economic charge for the issue of licences for the retail sale of milk.

I have been asked to reply.The Government have no plans at present to authorise the making of charges for the granting of licences to milk retailers.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development what was the total of United Kingdom aid, including technical aid, granted to the Sudan in each of the past five years and the amount actually committed to projects; and if he will list the projects which have benefited from British aid in the same period.

Total disbursements of United Kingdom aid in the past five financial years, with an estimate of disbursements for the current financial year, are as follows:

	£
1970–71	381,000
1971–72	723,000
1972–73	749,000
1973–74	705,000
1974–75	1,596,000
1975–76	5,057,000

The following are the major projects approved in the last five years, together with the amounts of United Kingdom aid committed to them:

	£
Road from Wad Medani to Kosti	9,049,000
Irrigation pumps, Northern Province	3,144,000
Rural development, South Darfur	839,000

	£
Grain stores, Southern Region	700,000
Dam gates and dredger, Sennar	630,000
Anti-rinderpest campaign	520,000
Landing system, Khartoum Airport	247,000

There have been over 100 other smaller projects approved, nearly all financed from our technical assistance programme.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development to what extent British public funds in the last three years have contributed to (a) agricultural development, (b) communications and (c) manufacturing in the Sudan.

Our aid programme to the Sudan has given priority to the development of natural resources and communications. As the hon. Member will see from my answer to his preceding Question, all the major projects approved in recent years have been in these sectors. We have not assisted at all in the manufacturing sector; opportunities in this sector are limited, and we consider that natural resources and communications should continue to have priority for the use of our funds.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will compare the total aid granted by the United Kingdom to the Sudan in the past year with that derived from other EEC countries.

The last year for which figures produced by OECD are available is 1974. The amounts disbursed in that year were as follows, in millions of $:

Belgium	0·04
Denmark	0·39
Germany	22·41
Italy	0·18
Netherlands	4·52
United Kingdom	2·71
EEC multilateral aid	2·62
Total	32·89

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will make a statement on the future of VCOAD.

I have not yet completed my consideration of the future of the Voluntary Committee on Overseas Aid and Development. I have received a paper from the committee and will give this full weight. If other bodies wish to contribute to the discussion I should be glad to hear from them and I would hope to make a statement in the new year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the reform of the common agricultural policy arising out of discussions on the EEC document R/635/75.

I would refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister to the hon. Member for Oswestry (Mr. Biffen) and my hon. Friend the Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Sillars) on 11th December.—[Vol. 902, c. 297.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at what meetings of the Council of Ministers further action relating to the stocktaking report on the common agricultural policy will be on the agenda.

The Council of Ministers (Agriculture) will be following up the issues raised in the stocktaking report during their forthcoming discussions on common agricultural policy support for 1976–77.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations have been made to the Commission or elsewhere in the EEC about the need to retain the Milk Marketing Board, the Hop Marketing Board and the Apple and Pear Development Council.

During the negotiations prior to the United Kingdom accession it was accepted by the Community that a producers' organisation is free to carry out marketing functions like those of the Milk Marketing Boards, provided that it acts within the Treaty of Rome and legislation deriving from it. Discussions have been taking place on the policy for hops during which the United Kingdom representatives have emphasised the important function of the Hops Marketing Board in concentrating supply and adapting output to the needs of the market. The Commission is aware of the services provided for producers by the Apple and Pear Development Council and that these are financed wholly by producers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what sum of money is held in lieu of unknown ownership of land at Peacehaven Estate. Sussex, following compulsory purchase under Section 85 of the Agriculture Act 1947; how many separate plots of land are involved; and what would be the amount of money held if the purchasing power were maintained at the value prevailing at the time of compulsory purchase.

Of the £8,425 paid into court in 1960 in respect of 2,805 plots at Peacehaven Estate, Sussex, £7,834 representing the balance of 2,608 unclaimed plots remains. At the 1960 purchasing power of the pound sterling, the equivalent sum in October 1975 would be £22,511.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers on Bodmin Moor are at present eligible for hill cow and sheep payments under the existing United Kingdom head-age payment scheme; and how many of these it is estimated will receive a lower level of hill assistance as a consequence of the introduction of the EEC hill livestock compensatory allowances system based on payments per hectare.

198 farmers on Bodmin Moor have been eligible for hill cow and sheep subsidy payments under the hill farming schemes. Until next year's claims are received from these farmers it is not possible to say how many will be affected by the overall limitation of the compensatory allowances payable under the new regulations, but it is not likely to exceed 5 per cent.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether the civil servants servicing the Welsh National Assembly, as outlined in the White Paper, Command Paper No. 6348, will have clear lines of responsibility to the executive members of the Assembly, and not to the Secretary of State for Wales; and whether those civil servants with clear responsibility to the Secretary of State for Wales will be called upon to act in any direct capacity on the instructions of the Assembly.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes". and to the second part is "No".

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will clarify whether the Welsh ombudsman referred to in paragraph 218 of the White Paper, Command Paper No. 6348, will be empowered to investigate legislative aspects of subjects for which the Welsh National Assembly has executive responsibility.

The Welsh Assembly Commissioner will be able to investigate action taken by or on behalf of the Welsh Assembly by members, committees or officers in the exercise of executive powers conferred on them by the devolution legislation or subsequent legislation. The purpose of the Commissioner's investigations will be, as in the case of the Parliamentary Commissioner, to establish whether maladministration has taken place and not to review the merits of legislation or the policies embodied in it.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will clarify his intention in paragraph 219 of the White Paper Command Paper No. 6348, as to whether it is intended to permit the Welsh National Assembly to open its own representative office in Brussels to liaise with officials of the EEC Commission, or to prohibit it from doing so.

As Cmnd. 6348 made clear, the United Kingdom Government will remain responsible for the conduct of all aspects of international relations. There can, therefore, be no question of the establishment of separate Welsh diplomatic representation in Brussels.

asked the Lord President of the Council what is the annual rental of the new photocopying machines on the interview floor.

The total annual rental of the photocopying machines, including sorting attachments, on the interview floor is £10,320.

asked the Lord President of the Council what is the annual cost of stationery for servicing the Palace of Westminster.

The expenditure in 1974–75 from the Vote for Stationery and Printing on supplies and services for administrative purposes of both Houses of Parliament was £258,143. Of this, £174,728 was for the House of Commons, and £83,415 for the House of Lords.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many travel-to-work areas have different rates of Government assistance, such as special development, development or intermediate area schemes, available within them, such as exists between Ormskirk and Skelmersdale New Town.

Seven. These are Bathgate; Kirkcaldy; Llandudno; Newport; Ormskirk; Pontypool; and Port Talbot.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present percentage of male unemployed in the North-West; and how this compares with the South-East, the Midlands and the national average.

Following is the information:

Percentage rates of unemployment for males at November 1975
North-West	8·2
South-East	4·7
West Midlands	6·5
East Midlands	5·4
Great Britain	6·3

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimated number of unemployed skilled and unskilled workers in the building and construction trade in (1) Cheshire, (2) the area covered by the Macclesfield constituency, (3) Macclesfield, and (4) Congleton, respectively, at the latest convenient date.

						Employment Office areas in Cheshire	Macclesfield and Congleton Employment Office areas	Macclesfield Employment Office area	Congleton Employment Office area
Site and other managers, agents and clerks of works, general foremen (building and civil engineering)					…	42	2	2	—
Carpenters and joiners (construction sites and maintenance)				…	…	102	3	3	—
Maintenance fitters (non-electrical) plant and industrial machinery					…	37	—	—	—
Electricians (installation and maintenance) premises and ships				…	…	38	3	—	3
Cable jointers and linesmen				…	…	—	—	—	—
Plumbers, pipe fitters			…	…	…	81	2	—	2
Heating and ventilating engineering fitters	…	…	…	…	…	10	3	3	—
Gas fitters		…	…	…	…	—	—	—	—
Steel erectors		…	…	…	…	29	2	2	—
Scaffolders, stagers			…	…	…	25	2	1	1
Steel benders, bar benders and fixers					…	18	—	—	—
Painters and decorators				…	…	106	8	8	—
Bricklayers		…	…	…	…	110	12	8	4
Fixer/walling masons			…	…	…	—	—	—	—
Plasterers		…	…	…	…	43	3	2	1
Floor and wall tilers, terrazzo workers						1	1	1	—
Roofers and slaters			…	…	…	12	1	1	—
Glaziers	…	…	…	…	…	—	—	—	—
Asphalt and bitumen road surfacers					…	1	—	—	—
Other roadmen		…	…	…	…	5	1	1	—
Concrete erectors/assemblers				…	…	2	—	—	—
Concrete levellers/screeders				…	…	2	—	—	—
Mains and service layers and pipe jointers (gas, water, drainage, oil)					…	3	—	—	—
Mechanical plant drivers/operators (earth moving and civil engineering)				…	…	48	5	5	—
Crane drivers/operators				…	…	8	1	1	—
Fork lift and other mechanical truck drivers/operators			…	…	…	5	—	—	—
All other occupations, including labourers		…	…	…	…	1,929	153	112	41
Total, all occupations				…	…	2,657	202	150	52

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimated number of unemployed skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled textile workers (1) in the area covered by the Macclesfield constituency, (2) Congleton and (3) in Macclesfield, respectively, at the latest convenient date.

The Macclesfield and Congleton employment office areas correspond broadly to the Macclesfield constituency. At November 1975, 138 unemployed people in the Macclesfield employment office area and 36 in the

The Macclesfield and Congleton employment office areas correspond broadly to the Macclesfield constituency. The following table shows for November 1975 an occupational analysis of unemployed males registered at employment offices who last worked in construction.Congleton employment office area, a total of 174, last worked in textiles, Order XIII of the Standard Industrial Classification. I regret that analyses are not compiled showing the occupations of those who last worked in these industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many construction workers were registered as unemployed during each of the last six months; and how many of these were registered as unemployed for the first time during each respective month;(2) how many woollen and worsted textile workers were registered as unemployed during each of the last six months; and how many of these were registered as unemployed for the first time during each respective month.

Statistics of the unemployed identify the industry in which registrants last worked but do not show how many were registered for the first time. Following is the information available which relates to the numbers unemployed on the day of the monthly counts.

	Number unemployed who last worked in Construction	Number unemployed who last worked in Woollen and Worsted
13th November 1975	184,734	5,407
9th October 1975	175,344	5,030
8th September 1975	169,409	5,027
11th August 1975	163,558	4,721
14th July 1975	156,737	4,041
9th June 1975	149,834	3,815

Construction is Minimum List Heading 500 of the Standard Industrial Classification and Woollen and Worsted is Minimum List Heading 414.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take against any company which does not have equal pay by 29th December 1975.

As from 29th December 1975, individual women will be able to enforce their rights to equal pay before an industrial tribunal. It has always been our intention that breaches of the Act should normally be dealt with in this way, although the Equal Opportunities Commission will have powers to assist individual complainants in appropriate cases and to conduct investigations where, for example, it believes that a company may not be complying with the provisions of the Act. Where, however, it comes to the notice of my right hon. Friend that a company is a party to a discriminatory collective agreement or is operating a discriminatory pay structure he will not hesitate to use his powers under Section 3 of the Equal Pay Act to refer the agreement or pay structure to the Industrial Arbitration Board—the Central Arbitration Committee after 1st February 1976—provided that he has adequate details of the agreement or pay structure and of the provisions in it which are believed to be discriminatory.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the support his Department is giving to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Factories in overcoming safety problems associated with large companies who operate via subsidiaries whose only common denominator is their balance sheets.

Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate now forms part of the Health and Safety Executive under the Health and Safety Commission. My Department gives to the Health and Safety Commission all such support as is necessary in carrying out its responsibilites.The Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission informs me that the standard of health and safety in subsidiaries of large companies is a problem which the Factory Inspectorate is considering at the present time and to which it will be giving increasing attention. It is, however, in the first place a matter for the parent companies themselves, under the requirements of Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, to ensure that effective safety policies are devised and implemented.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that each year the Health and Safety Commission publishes a report on the subjects on which it has received advice from the Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and the nature of the advice received.

Section 2(15) to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 provides that the Health and Safety Commission shall make an annual report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on the performance of its functions during the year and that the Secretary of State shall lay the report before Parliament. I am informed by the Commission that the reports will include appropriate information about advice given by the Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons from Londonderry city and county are at present serving prison sentences for murder committed in connection with IRA and Protestant para-military activity during the current troubles.

Nine persons from the city or county of Londonderry are currently serving prison sentences or are detained during the Secretary of State's pleasure under the Children and Young Persons Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 for offences of murder connected with the present security situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons have been murdered in South Armagh since 10th February 1975.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th December 1975; Vol. 901, c. 760], gave the following information.Twenty-four.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what proportion of the membership of Final Selection Boards for Administration Trainees and mature principals held in 1975 have had working experience of industrial management.

All Final Selection Boards for Administration Trainees and Principals include a nonacademic member from outside the Civil Service. At 72 per cent. of these boards in 1975 this member had had working experience on either the trade union or the management side of industry or commerce. Information is not available about the number of boards where any of the other members—the chairman, an academic outside member and two civil servants—had also had such experience.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now review the political advice his Department offers to British firms trading in South Africa.

There has been no change in our policy on normal trade with South Africa since the Government's review of our policy towards Southern Africa, the conclusions of which my right hon. Friend reported to the House in his statement of 4th December 1974. Any advice my Department gives in response to inquiries from British firms trading in South Africa would accord with that policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the recent contract by British Marconi to supply the South African Defence Department with long-range military communication equipment, there has been a change in his policy regarding the supply of arms to South Africa.

Our policy remains to embargo the supply of arms to South Africa in accordance with our international undertakings, as indicated in my right hon. Friend's statement to the House on 4th December 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he expects to attend the World Energy Conference as an observer or spokesman.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the outcome of his discussions with British representatives at the Paris energy conference.

As my hon. Friends will know, I attended the Conference on International Economic Co-operation yesterday and today and spoke, as a member of the Community delegation, of Britain's special experience. I have placed a copy of my speech in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek an early meeting with Mr. Gromyko.

Mr. Gromyko has accepted, in principle, an invitation to visit the United Kingdom. I hope he will be able to come to the United Kingdom in the first half of next year. My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet him before then.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit Vienna.

My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will reconsider their decision to withdraw from the European Youth Foundation.

We are considering ways in which we can continue to participate in the European Youth Foundation and provide some measure of financial support.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the progress towards internal self-governing status of the Solomon Islands.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my hon. Friend, the then Under-Secretary, on 9th June 1975. The necessary order conferring internal self-government was made on 12th November 1975 and it is being brought into operation on 2nd January 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the implementation of the Helsinki agreement on security and co-operation in Europe.

At last week's meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers particular attention was given to the need for wholehearted implementation of the provisions of the Final Act by all Governments. Since the summer Her Majesty's Government have been trying in a number of specific ways to encourage other Governments to join in making the decisions of the conference a practical reality for ordinary people. Progress is slow. But the House will be glad to know that we are on the point of an exchange of Notes with the Soviet authorities about multiple entry and exit visas for journalists. I hope that will quickly lead to other improvements.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs if he will make a statement about Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the negotiations between Mr. Smith and the ANC; and whether he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer given this afternoon to the hon. Members for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) and Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the latest position in regard to Dr. Sheila Cassidy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement about the current position of Dr. Sheila Cassidy, now in detention in Chile.

The Chilean authorities have informed Her Majesty's Government that their consideration of Dr. Cassidy's case will be completed by Christmas. We have been informed that, provided no serious charges are made, any penalties will be commuted to expulsion. Her Majesty's Government have made repeated and vigorous protests to the Chilean authorities about this case. Any further delay will be regarded as inexcusable and unacceptable.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Her Majesty's Government have refused to make a contribution to the work of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research; and if this represents a change of policy with regard to its support for United Nations agencies.

Her Majesty's Government pledged a regular annual contribution of £42,000 to UNITAR for the five-year period 1970 to 1974. Because of the urgent need to make economies it was decided, in the course of a review of all grants made by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to outside bodies, that the renewal of the grant to UNITAR could not be justified. This decision does not represent any change in our policy of support for the United Nations and its agencies.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the level of grant for 1977–78 to the British Youth Council will be made known.

As soon as practicable in 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will print in the Official Report a forecast of business in the Council of Ministers of the EEC during the month of January 1976.

A forecast of business likely to appear on the agenda of the Council in January has been deposited in the House.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to complete his investigation with regard to the imposition of the 25 per cent. VAT rate on certain works of art made of precious metals and stones; and whether he will make a statement.

My study of the financial position of the arts will cover all relevant issues, including taxation. The study is a wide-ranging one, and I will seek to complete it as early as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many civilians, and of what skills, are at present involved in British defence projects in each standard industrial region and in each standard industrial grouping;(2) how many civilians, of what skills and in which locations, are engaged in the development and production of arms for export;(3) how many civilians are at present involved for the majority of their working hours in developing and manufacturing the anti-submarine warfare cruiser; and how many of these people are classified as professional, skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled for this project in each standard industrial region.

Firms engaged in defence projects either as contractors or subcontractors are not required to report this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilians are at present involved for the majority of their working hours in developing and manufacturing the multirole combat aircraft; and how many of these people are classified as professional, skilled, semiskilled and unskilled for this project in each standard industrial region.

At present some 5,500 BAC workers are employed on the airframe, mainly in Lancashire, and about 4,000 Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited workers are engaged on the engine, mainly at Bristol. In addition there are a large number of subcontractors working on the MRCA throughout the country. It is not possible to classify those employed in the way my hon. Friend asks.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the latest estimates of the development and production costs of the antisubmarine warfare cruiser, and the life-cycle cost.

It is not the practice to disclose estimates of cost for warships before acceptance into service.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence which are the main contractors for work on the anti-submarine warfare cruiser; and which are the main contractors for work on the hull, the engine and the superstructure.

The anti-submarine warfare cruiser HMS "Invincible" is being built by Vickers Shipbuilding Group Limited. It is the main contractor for the vessel, including the hull and superstructure. The main propulsion machinery is being provided by Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if production orders have been made for further antisubmarine warfare cruisers.

The first anti-submarine warfare cruiser was ordered in April 1973. The second has not yet been ordered.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence which are the main contractors for the Maritime Harrier and the Lynx and the Skua and Sea-Dart missile systems.

The main contractors for these systems are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence apart from Members of Parliament, to whom is the Defence White Paper issued free; how many copies of the pictorial version of the 1975 Defence White Paper were printed; how many copies were distributed to schools, colleges, universities and careers offices; how many copies of the Price of Peace version of the 1975 Defence White Paper were printed; and how many copies were issued to local political parties.

The Statement on the Defence Estimates is on sale at HMSO and is not distributed free except for official use.Of the 35,000 copies of the Defence Pamphlet printed, 2,900 copies were supplied to the Department of Education for distribution to schools and 8,000 were distributed to the Service Directorates of Recruiting.7,000 copies of "Our Contribution to the Price of Peace" were printed and approximately 700 were sent to local political parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to continue the current Royal Navy schools' visits and recruiting programme.

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Schools Presentation Team's tour which was concluded on 3rd December, a week earlier than originally anticipated, will be resumed in 1976. In the meantime the content of the Presentation is being reviewed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what strategic criteria he applies to the sale of military equipment to Communist countries which are not members of the Warsaw Pact; and how this compares with the criteria applied to countries that are members of the Warsaw Pact.

Proposals for the export of defence equipment to Communist countries are considered individually in relation to the normal criteria and, in particular, to our obligations to our NATO allies.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with providing British television programmes for British Service men and their families in Germany.

An interim recorded service available to Service men and their families in the Celle area began transmission on 18th September. The London Control Centre should be completed by May 1976 and the service gradually extended to most troops in West Germany by 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will consider granting those on active service in Northern Ireland a telephone call home at concessionary rates for either Christmas or the New Year.

Service personnel in Northern Ireland may already make a number of free telephone calls each week to their families in Great Britain or Germany. They may also make calls to Great Britain, at half the cheap rate, at any time.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many candidates obtained A-levels passes in (a) Ger-nan, (h) Spanish and (c) Italian in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975.

Following are the number of GCE A level passes in each year.

	1972	1973	1974	1975*
German	5,816	5,708	5,923	6,128
Spanish	1,999	1,955	1,923	2,307
Italian	712	693	640	661
* Provisional figures for the summer examinations only

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the TUC's request for a Government grant for training trade union representatives.

The TUC request for assistance with trade union education and the issues it raises are still being considered by my Department together with the others concerned. I am, therefore, not in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in view of the uncertainty facing parents in selecting secondary schools for their children, he will now announce a decision on the reorganisation of secondary education in Ormskirk.

My right hon. Friend expects to be able to announce a decision on Lancashire's proposals for secondary reorganisation in Ormskirk early in the New Year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will issue a circular to education authorities directing them not to charge the parents of schoolchildren for examination fees for CSE and O and A level examinations;(2) under what statutory provision local education authorities are enabled to charge the parents for the examination fees for CSE and O and A level examinations taken by schoolchildren;(3) how many local education authorities ask the parents of schoolchildren to pay the examination fees for CSE, O and A level examinations.

I do not believe a circular to authorities is called for. Section 61(1) of the Education Act 1944 provides that no fees shall be charged in respect of the education provided in schools maintained by local education authorities, and I am advised that, in general, authorities are, therefore, responsible for paying examination fees for candidates entered for examinations by such schools. A number of authorities have been advised of the Department's view of the effect of Section 61(1) and I am not aware that any have adopted a policy of asking parents to pay examinations fee.My Department does not collect information about the extent to which authorities refuse to pay fees in individual cases. My understanding is that such cases are comparatively rare. Nevertheless there may be circumstances in which such refusal would be reasonable—e.g., where a pupil is entered in the same year for CSE and GCE 0-level examinations in the same subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the contract between the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and Rio Tinto Zinc for the mining of uranium in Namibia.

The contracts for the supply of uranium from Namibia have been transferred to British Nuclear Fuels Limited and the UKAEA is no longer a party to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many times the Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee has met since the enactment of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act; what are its current terms of reference and membership; and if he will make a statement.

During 1975 the Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee has met four times, and its sub-groups have held several other meetings on individual aspects of nuclear safety. Its terms of reference are:

"To advise the Secretary of State for Energy and the Secretary of State for Scotland on any matters affecting the functions of these Ministers in relation to safety under the Nuclear Installations Acts 1965 and 1969 which might be referred to them by either of these Ministers or which, in the Committee's opinion, ought to be brought to the notice of either Minister, apart from any such reference."

The committee has not yet been formally reconstituted to take account of the new situation created by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 but is in practice giving advice to the Health and Safety Executive and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.The members of the Committee are:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will call for reports from chief constables of police on their compliance with the procedures recommended by his Department for identification parades.

No, but if the hon. Member has a particular case in mind, and will send my noble Friend details, he will have inquiries made. We will be considering whether there is any need for the issue of further guidance to the police on identification parades in the light of the report of the Committee on Identification Procedures under the Chairmanship of Lord Devlin which we expect to receive early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the review of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

A review of this legislation has been carried out within the Departments affected, and, together with my colleagues, I am studying its results in conjunction with the recommendations of the Employment and Social Services Sub-Committee of the Expenditure Committee under the chairmanship of my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short). We hope to be able to report to Parliament in the fairly near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average period served as a result of a life sentence for murder between 1955 and 1965; and what was the average between 1965 and 1975.

The average period served by persons convicted of murder who were released from prisons in England and Wales between 1st January 1955 and 31st December 1964 was 8 years and 6 months, to the nearest month. The corresponding figure for the period from 1st January 1965 to 30th November 1975 is 9 years and 6 months.These figures relate only to the initial release of prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment and do not take account of additional time served by those prisoners who have subsequently been recalled to prison. They provide no indication of the time likely to be served by any individual life sentence prisoner, since they do not show the range of the sentences served, which have varied from six months in one case to over 20 years in others. Nor do they take into account the length of time served by those who have not yet been released.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many persons were cautioned in the Metropolitan Police area as an alternativ to prosecution in respect of malicious and criminal damagein each of the years 1965 to 1971; and how many of these were (a) under 14 years of age (b) 14 and under 17 years of age (c) 17 and under 21 years of age and (d) 21 years of age and over;(2) how many prosecutions for malicious and criminal damage were brought in the Metropolitan Police area in each of the years 1965 to 1971: and how many of the persons proceeded against were (

I regret that this information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of criminal damage, excluding arson, were reported to the Metropolitan Police in each of the years 1972, 1973 and 1974.

The number of offences of criminal damage of value over £20, excluding arson, recorded as known to the Metropolitan Police in these years as is follows:

1972	7,237
1973	9,371
1974	13,243

No information is available on the number of criminal damage offences of value £20 or less.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of malicious and criminal damage were reported to the Metropolitan Police during each of the years from 1965 to 1971.

The number of offences of malicious damage of value over £20 recorded as known to the Metropolitan Police in each year between 1965 and 1971 is as follows:

1965	2,077
1966	2,436
1967	2,379
1968	2,517
1969	3,674
1970	4,171
1971	5,539

No information is available on the number of malicious damage offences of value £20 or less.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the statutory provisions under which magistrates' courts have power to hold parents responsible for fines and compensation orders imposed on young offenders convicted on charges of criminal damage excluding arson; and how many times were these powers used by magistrates' courts in the Metropolitan Police area during each of the years 1972. 1973 and 1974.

Under Section 55 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, as amended, where a child or young person is found guilty a court may, and if the offender is a child shall, order a parent or guardian to pay any fine, damages, costs or compensation imposed on the offender unless the court is satisfied that the parent or guardian cannot be found or has not conduced to the commission of the offence by neglecting to exercise due care or control of the child or young person. Information on how many times this power has been used by courts in the Metropolitan Police area in recent years is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average waiting time for determining immigration appeal cases for visitors refused entry at the Port of Dover; and what steps he is taking to reduce this.

Persons who are refused leave to enter the United Kingdom when holding a current entry clearance or work permit are entitled to exercise their right of appeal before removal. These appeals are normally determined by adjudicators within two or three days.Persons without an entry clearance or work permit must exercise their right of appeal from abroad. Such cases normally come before an adjudicator between four and six months after the date on which the appeal is received.Steps have been taken to increase the staff dealing with immigration appeals and to introduce certain procedural simplifications. More part-time adjudicators are being appointed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received the report of the Boundary Commission for England upon its review of the constituencies of Kensington and Chelsea, Chelsea, and Kensington and Chelsea, Kensington.

This report has now been received, and I have laid it before Parliament. I propose accepting the Commission's recommendation for retaining the present boundaries between the constituencies concerned, and thus no Order-in-Council is required.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the position of a person receiving an invalidity benefit which becomes a retirement pension at the age of 70 years, so as to maintain the tax exemption applicable to the invalidity benefit.

No. To allow retirement pensioners who have been receiving invalidity benefit up to age 70 to draw their retirement pension tax free could be regarded as unfair by other pensioners whose incomes are no larger.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what income tax would be payable by a man with a wife and two children under 11 years of age and with no mortgage, life insurance or superannuation allowances who earns £50, £60, and £70 per week, respectively.

The weekly tax payable for 1975–76 would be £8·19, £11·69 and £15·19 respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of owner-occupiers who received tax allowance by virtue of mortgages held (a) in Scotland (b) in England and Wales, for the financial year 1974–75.

The available information about numbers of taxpayers receiving mortgage interest relief for 1974–75 relates only to building society mortgages and does not include mortgages with local authorities, banks and insurance companies. On this basis the estimated numbers receiving relief for 1974–75 are as follows:

	Building Society Mortgages Nos. (000)
Scotland	200
England and Wales	4,300

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current time-lag between the end of the quarter's figures for the amount of quarter and the production of that Treasury Bills outstanding; what are the reasons for the delay: and if he will take steps to reduce it.

Figures for the amount of Treasury Bills outstanding at the end of the quarter are available on the next working day and are published in the London Gazette on the first convenient occasion thereafter. Figures for market holdings of Treasury Bills are available at the same time, but these are not published until three months later in Financial Statistics for market management reasons.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek powers to extend the payment of the regional employment premium to all employees in the construction industry in development areas.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what amount of home responsibility payment could be made if the married man's tax allowance were withdrawn and if this were paid as weekly cash payments to mothers with children under 5 years of age;(2) what is his estimate of the amount of revenue lost in allowing the married man's tax allowance in the current financial year;(3) what amount of home responsibility payment, paid as weekly cash payments to mothers with children under 5 years of age, could be made if the married man's tax allowance were withdrawn where his wife is under 55 years of age.

I will let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to implement the recommendations of the World Plan of Action adopted at the International Women's Year Conference in Mexico City for the period 1975 to 1980 in connection with ensuring the recognition of the economic value of women's work in the home, and in voluntary activities not traditionally enumerated and rectifying anomalies in taxation which adversely affect women.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12th December 1975; Vol. 902, c. 407], gave the following information:There are no detailed practical recommendations in the proceedings of the World Conference of the International Women's Year, held at Mexico City, which touched upon the recognition of the economic value of women's work in the home and in voluntary activities not traditionally remunerated, or upon anomalies in taxation adversely affecting women. The Government do, however, keep the tax system under constant review and are of course concerned to prevent anomalies unfairly affecting women, or any other group.As regards the value of unremunerated women's work, the Government have always taken the view that this deserves the widest recognition. The fact that it is not included in the National Accounts, which cover only items usually exchanged for money, reflects an accounting convention applied in all other major countries. In no way does this treatment imply that unremunerated women's work is not of value to the household and to the community at large.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will publish in the Official Report details of his letter to Mr. Hallgrimsson, the Icelandic Prime Minister, dated 28th November 1975 and the reply thereto.

I do not think any useful purpose would be served by publishing my letter at the present time. Mr. Hallgrimsson's reply is still awaited. I sought to assure the Icelandic Prime Minister that Her Majesty's Government wished to solve the fisheries dispute between our two countries by negotiation, and that British Ministers were willing to resume negotiations anywhere and at any time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans, if any, exist for an Invergowrie bypass road; and when that road is likely to be built.

A bypass of the main road through Invergowrie would be the responsibility of Tayside Regional Council, which has not included any proposal for such a scheme in its current programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he intends to take at Cairnryan to prepare for the exploitation of possible oil finds in waters off western and southern Scotland.

I have no proposals under consideration. Developments at Cairnryan, in the light of such requirements as may emerge, would be a matter initially for the local authority concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the cost to the Scottish Office of printing and issuing of official circulars to district authorities since 16th May 1975.

No. The information is not available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate of cost to the district authorities has been made if these bodies were to implement all the recommendations contained in Scottish Office circulars issued since 16th May 1975.

None; but the emphasis of Scottish Office circulars to all local authorities during the period referred to has been on the need to reduce the growth of expenditure in real terms.