asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the efforts made by the police and others to combat illegal immigration.

The Immigration Service and the police are constantly on the alert to prevent illegal entry. I am satisfied that they take all reasonable and practicable measures to this end, but the measures are kept under review and may be adjusted in the light of experience.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of illegal immigrants to the United Kingdom for 1975; and if he will make a statement.

It is not possible, and cannot by its nature be possible, to say how many persons entered the country illegally in any given period. The number who applied for amnesty under the limited arrangements announced in April 1974 was, however, up to 31st December 1975 only 1,855, many times less than most of the estimates put forward at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking towards ending the problem of the one-parent family where the husband repeatedly defies a court maintenance order; and if he will make a statement.

We do not think there is scope for further sanctions against maintenance defaulters. The powers of magistrates' courts are already extensive.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to allow parish councils to hold annual elections in areas where there are already annual elections for higher-tier local authorities.

No. The scope of this change would be limited, it would add appreciably to electoral costs and would add a further complication to local authority electoral arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he remains satisfied with the extent of existing liaison and collaboration between the British and Irish police forces; and whether he will make a statement.

Yes, within the limits of the law in our respective countries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek powers to make it obligatory for police forces to destroy the fingerprint records and photographs of persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act who are not subsequently charged.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to alter the regulations regarding British citizenship and the issue of British passports to the children of marriages where the mother of the children is British, in view of the requirements of the Sex Discrimination Act.

The Sex Discrimination Act made no change in the British Nationality Acts, which regulate nationality status. The transmission of citizenship by descent from men and women born in or otherwise connected with the United Kingdom is among the questions being considered in the review of nationality law which is in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure that his Department publishes correct immigration statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take to ensure that the statistics with regard to immigration are as accurate as possible.

I assume that the hon. Members have in mind the counting error which occurred at London Airport in 1973 and part of 1974, and I would refer them to the reply I gave on 14th January to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Dagenham (Mr. Parker). —[Vol. 903, c. 168.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date his Department first became aware of the error in the computation of net inward migration of New Commonwealth immigrants for the year 1973.

A fault in the figures became known to those closely concerned in July 1974. The corrected figures for 1973 became available only in October 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a further statement on the recent international conference on broadcasting frequencies, indicating which BBC or commercial radio frequencies will be affected by its decisions.

The International Telecommunication Union invited all member countries in Africa, Asia, Australasia and Europe to participate in the Regional Administrative LF/MF Broadcasting Conference in Geneva last autumn with a view to establishing a new agreement and plan of frequency usage to replace as appropriate existing agreements and plans. The use, in Europe and those African and Asian countries bordering on the Mediterranean, of the low and medium frequency broadcasting bands is at present conditioned by the European Broadcasting Convention and the annexed Copenhagen Plan, negotiated in Copenhagen in 1948, since when the pattern of frequency usage has changed radically. Delegations from 103 countries took part in the Conference. The United Kingdom delegation included representatives of the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Independent Broadcasting Authority as well as officials of my Department.The Conference produced an Agreement and Plan which was signed by all but three of the delegations who had participated in the Conference. Other member countries may accede later.The new Agreement and Plan takes into account the technical criteria which had been established at the first session of the Conference. One of these, which was confirmed by the Agreement, was that a uniform channel spacing of 9 kilohertz should be adopted. This simplifies the co-ordination of frequency usage between regions and will, in the longer term, have advantages for receiver manufacture. The Plan also provides for three channels—instead of two in Europe and Africa—to be set aside for low-power transmitters only, thus facilitating the extension of local radio.Because of the number and power of assignments required the Plan does not in general satisfy the minimum desirable levels as regards interference established by the first session of the Conference; but it should stabilise the position and prevent further deterioration.The Plan is due to come into effect on 23rd November 1978, and is intended to meet requirements for at least the following 10 years. The agreement provides for additional stations to be added to the Plan in accordance with specified co-ordination procedures.With regard to the United Kingdom's requirements for its domestic and External Services, my Department undertook detailed consultation with those Government Departments which have interests in the use of low and medium frequency bands at home or overseas; with the Isle of Man Government; with the Channel Island Authorities; and, of course, with the BBC and IBA. The United Kingdom's requirements, in accord with the general line agreed with our partners in the Conference of European Postal and Telecommunications Administrations, were put in on the basis of present frequency usage.In the new Plan we have secured a counterpart for each of the assignments used at present in the United Kingdom's domestic services, and for assignments on a further low frequency and three further medium frequencies. Provision for the use of frequencies for the broadcasting stations overseas for which the United Kingdom has responsibilities has also been retained.As to the effect on individual services of foreign stations assigned to the same frequency, whilst the likely total effect of the other existing or planned future assignments can be assessed, the actual impact will depend on if, when, and at what power projected stations are in fact brought into service. Night-time reception on medium frequencies is already far from good and it is recognised that because of increased interference at night it may be necessary to take further action to protect the use of some frequencies.A frequency which gives us particular cause for concern is 647 kilohertz, on which Radio 3 is at present broadcast. The United Kingdom has reserved the right to take steps to increase its transmission power on this assignment if a projected Albanian station is brought into use; and also on 1089 kilohertz if the power of the Albanian transmitters on that frequency is increased. Any decision on this matter will depend on the review of the use of frequencies as a whole en-entrusted to the Annan Committee.The External Services, though mainly on short waves, make some use of medium waves. The number of frequencies available to the United Kingdom for this purpose remains unchanged under the Plan. Some increases in transmission powers were, however, negotiated, together with an additional medium power transmitter to provide service from Gibraltar. The requirements for those territories overseas represented by the United Kingdom at the Conference—Ascension, Brunei, Diego Garcia, Gibraltar, Gilbert Islands, Hong Kong, St. Helena, Seychelles, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu—were satisfactorily met. In addition satisfactory provision was made for British Forces broadcasting.With regard to the requirements of the Isle of Man, it has been possible to negotiate the use of a frequency which should avoid the present need to use a frequency for day-time operation only. Assignments for two low-power transmitters for the Channel Islands were also negotiated and included in the Plan.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will inquire into and publish the full facts relating to allegations and incidents of indecent assaults upon female prisoners at Holloway Prison.

Allegations were made last May by a number of inmates of Holloway prison that there had been acts of indecent behaviour towards them by male hospital officers from Pentonville Prison, who were on temporary duty in the special hospital unit at Holloway Prison. Following inquiries by a senior member of the staff at Pentonville Prison, the police were asked to carry out an investigation: they decided that there were no grounds for instituting criminal proceedings. Charges under the Code of Discipline for Prison Officers have been preferred against four male hospital officers from Pentonville Prison. The hearing of these charges has just begun.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the statutory provisions relating to alien husbands of British wives resident in the United Kingdom who wish to acquire British nationality; and whether their cases will now be considered in the same manner as resident alien wives of British husbands.

A woman who is or has been married to a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, wherever she is living, has an entitlement to be registered as a citizen herself under Section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1948. But a foreign husband living in the United Kingdom may acquire citizenship only by the process of naturalisation under Section 10 of, and the Second Schedule to, the Act. The position of foreign husbands and wives is among the questions being considered in the review of nationality law now in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can now give an estimate of the legal and other costs to public funds of the matter concerning overlapping television licences.

Administrative costs to date are about £72,000, and £98,340 has been refunded to those people who took out overlapping television licences but subsequently paid an additional amount. The costs in connection with claims arising following the announcement set out in my reply to the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Graham) on 13th January—[Vol. 903, c. 91]—cannot yet be estimated; nor have the legal costs in the case of Congreve versus the Home Office yet been settled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new attendance centres it is proposed to open during 1976.

Because of current restraints on public expenditure we have no firm proposals to open new attendance centres at present, but we hope to make further progress when resources are available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now completed his re-examina- tion of Home Office procedures in cases where there may be grounds for a reference to the Court of Appeal; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. It would not be right for me to refer a case to the Court of Appeal under Section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 unless, after full investigation, I was satisfied that there was some new evidence or other consideration of substance that had not previously been taken into account by a court and that the Court of Appeal could properly consider. I may need to seek the advice of the Lord Chief Justice on a point of procedure; but, after discussion with him, I have decided that there need not be consultations, as there sometimes have been hitherto, where such a consideration does not arise. The final decision whether or not to refer a particular case rests, of course, with me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet made a decision about the number of staff required to man the new Race Relations Commission as foreshadowed in Command Paper No. 6234; and if he will make a statement about his proposals.

I hope to present legislation to give effect to the proposals set out in the White Paper on Racial Discrimination shortly. The published Bill will make clear the scale of resources which, subject to the approval of Parliament, it is intended to allocate to the new Commission and the level of staffing which that will permit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there have been any instances in the past five years of elderly or infirm people being unable to escape from a burning building through inability to open fire doors; and if he is satisfied that the regulations governing the weight of such doors and the pressure required to open them make sufficient provision for the physical capabilities of elderly or infirm people.

We have no record of such a case. There are no regulations governing the weight of fire doors, and the pressure exerted by self-closing devices can normally be adjusted to meet the capabilities of the elderly or infirm.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will allow women imprisoned with their babies to have access to tinned baby food.

The diet of infants in prison is a matter for the medical officer in consultation where necessary with the local National Health Service consultant paediatrician. Proprietary brands of specially prepared baby foods are available and mothers may use them unless there is any medical objection.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will allow children imprisoned with their mother to be allowed out to visit their families.

Most of the children who are accommodated in prison with their mothers are very young. Separation from their mother for the purpose of a visit to another relative would very rarely arise, but any such request would be discussed with the mother and considered. The children are not, or course, prisoners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the facilities for children to play in the mother and baby wing of Holloway Prison; and what plans he has to increase them.

The existing facilities for play in the mother and baby unit at Holloway are only adequate for young babies. The new Holloway which is being built on the present site will have much better facilities in this respect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women underwent abortions in the last year for which figures are available whilst in Holloway Prison.

During 1975 13 inmates of Holloway prison had abortions. Six were spontaneous miscarriages which occurred in the prison. Seven were induced abortions at a National Health Service hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many babies were born in Holloway Prison in the last year for which figures are available.

No babies were born in Holloway Prison during 1975.Fifteen babies were born to inmates in custody at the prison during the year, and in accordance with the usual practice the delivery of each took place at the maternity unit of a National Health Service hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will allow prisoners, and especially women prisoners with babies, to have the right to a second medical opinion of their choice.

Under the Prison Rules 1964, responsibility for the health of inmates in a particular establishment is in law a matter for the medical officer of that establishment, who may consult another medical practitioner at his discretion. It is common practice for prison medical officers to seek opinions and advice from professional colleagues outside the prison medical service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the Batley Community Development Project started; on what date it was stopped; and what was the total cost of the experiment.

The project began on 1st November 1971. Kirklees District Council decided on 3rd December 1975 that the project should be discontinued in its existing form. The total cost up to 31st March 1976, exclusive of social action expenditure, is estimated at £197,753.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the basic rights of the citizen throughout the United Kingdom together with the statutes under which they are guaranteed.

There is no distinction in the law of this country between "basic" and other rights, and many rights of the citizen are derived from common law rather than statute.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will examine Ministry of Defence housing resources at Akrotiri and Episkopi to see whether any accommodation surplus to immediate requirements can be made available to British citizens rendered homeless by recent events in Cyprus.

There are currently no surplus quarters in either Episkopi or Akrotiri. I will look into whether such Service accommodation exists elsewhere in Cyprus and will consider the suggestion the hon. Member makes thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any known defects in the Linesman-Mediator military/civil radar and air traffic control systems whereby the air defence authorities are denied knowledge of the flight plan and the actual progress reports of civil air traffic movements known to the civil authorities.

No, but the joint investigation into the collision between an RAF Lightning aircraft and a civil Piper Aztec on 7th January 1976 will include an examination of this aspect.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence at how many places records are held of past disposals by his Department of radioactive waste.

Some 50 MOD units and establishments are authorised to arrange disposals of radioactive waste direct with those Departments with responsibilities for regulating such disposals—i.e., the Department of the Environment, the Scottish and Welsh Offices, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food as appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence where the records are held of past disposals by his Department of radioactive waste in the Gosport and Portsmouth areas.

Seven MOD units or establishments in these two areas are authorised to dispose of radioactive waste. Records of all such disposals are maintained by them.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many British Service men were stationed in Malaysia from January 1969 to January 1975, inclusive; and of these, how many were on loan to the Malaysian Government.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19th December 1975; Vol. 902, c. 818–19], gave the following information:The number at 1st January in each of the years in question is as follows:

(a) Total number of British officers and servicemen stationed in Malaysia
1969	…	…	…	…	4,138
1970	…	…	…	…	2,015
1971	…	…	…	…	555
1972	…	…	…	…	195
1973	…	…	…	…	144
1974	…	…	…	…	80
1975	…	…	…	…	47

(b) Number of those given in (a) who were on loan to the Malaysian Government
1969	…	…	…	…	372
1970	…	…	…	…	267
1971	…	…	…	…	243
1972	…	…	…	…	195
1973	…	…	…	…	144
1974	…	…	…	…	80
1975	…	…	…	…	47

The figures include women. Those in the first column exclude personnel in Malaysia on temporary courses or exercises.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if an aircraft of the RAF was involved in a collision with a civil Piper Aztec aircraft off the east coast of England on 7th January 1976.

Yes, and the collision is now the subject of an investigation under the Air Navigation (Investigation of Combined Military and Civil Air Accidents) Regulations 1969.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to make a statement on his proposals for public lending rights.

I am not yet able to make a full statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further consideration he has given to the future status of the Normal College, Bangor; and if he will make a statement.

Following representations made by deputations I received, I have decided to approve the Gwynedd authority's latest proposal to retain the Bangor Normal College as a free-standing institution, and not to press for its merger with the University College of North Wales. I have urged the authority to consider developing the college as a monolingual institution, with particular responsibility for maintaining the supply of teachers able to teach through the medium of Welsh. An official letter to the Gwynedd authority is issuing today.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will set up a special section in his Department to monitor the expenditure proposals of local education authorities to ensure that money voted for education through the rate support grant is spent on maintaining educational services, in particular the pupil-teacher ratio; and if he will make a statement.

No part of the rate support grant paid to an authority is earmarked for any specified service, and a monitoring procedure, apart from the practical difficulties, could not lead to statutory compulsion. However, I hope that all the authorities will take heed of the advice given to them in the recent joint circular on the rate support grant settlement for 1976–77 (DES Circular 15/75).

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to restrain the growth of local authority expenditure in Northern Ireland.

District councils in Northern Ireland are responsible for a much smaller range of services than local authorities in Great Britain; their total annual expenditure amounts to approximately £40 million. Like local authorities in Great Britain they enjoy a large measure of freedom in determining the level of their current expenditure, but capital expenditure is controlled through the requirement to seek loan sanctions from Government Departments.Because of the significance of local government expenditure in terms of the national economy I have arranged to have regular meetings with representatives of the Association of Local Authorities of Northern Ireland to discuss, with special reference to the need to deploy resources economically and in accordance with the broad policy of Government, matters of common interest to central and local government which have public expenditure implications. These meetings, the first of which was held in December 1975, follow a pattern similar to that set by the Consultative Council for Local Government Finance for England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the amounts claimed in respect of injuries to persons in each year, or in each financial year, since 5th October 1968 to 31st December 1975, the amount of claims outstanding at 31st December 1975, and the amounts in respect of the Army, RUC, RUCR, UDR, USC and civilians in each category and the amounts in each category actually paid.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12th January 1976, Vol. 903, c. 86–7], gave the following information:The records on criminal injuries to persons are not compiled on a basis on which the information requested can be provided without disproportionate effort.However, since the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 came into force on 1st

Financial Year		Compensation paid to the Armed Forces (excluding costs and expenses)	Compensation paid to the Police (excluding costs and expenses)	Other Categories*	Total £
1969–1970	…	9,000	58,417	64,459	131,876
1970–1971	…	21,500	144,508	277,466	443,474
1971–1972	…	31,112	137,111	556,247	724,470
1972–1973	…	662,551	209,992	1,300,981	2,173,524
1973–1974	…	595,222	58,133	3,233,074	3,886,429
1974–1975	…	1,639,755	468,927	3,913,874	6,022,556
1st April 1975–31st
December 1975	…	1,391,569	413,374	3,551,596	5,356,539
TOTALS	…	4,350,709	1,490,462	12,897,697	18,738,868
*This column additionally includes costs and expenses in respect of all compensation cases dealt with under the Act, including costs and expenses in cases involving the Armed Forces and the police. The estimated total amount outstanding as at 31st December 1975 is £14 million and cannot be categorised.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many letters he has received from the general public about the Report of the Constitutional Convention.

Since the Report of the Constitutional Convention was laid before Parliament on 20th November 1975 I have received five letters from the general public relating directly to the Report. I have received a number of other letters which touch on general political issues.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to require all public transport executives to make arrangements for mutually honouring concessionary fare arrangements of neighbouring public transport executive's for cross-boundary journeys.

Such arrangements would inevitably entail increases in expenditure in 1976–77 for which the recent rate support grant settlement makes no provision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the high percentage of total test failures due to defective brakes, he will institute spot tests for defective brakes; and whether he will make a statement.

Roadside spot checks are already carried out.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last visited a vehicle testing station.

Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have yet made an official visit to a vehicle testing station, but I intend to do so at a suitable opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many practising motor engineers are members of any Government committee working with the EEC on the standard-isation or harmonisation of vehicle tests.

Qualified engineering staff of the Department of the Environment attend committee of the European Community dealing with these subjects.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many lives he estimates have been lost during the past five years due to the failure of car drivers and passengers to wear seat belts.

About 5,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the £32 million allocated for a selected programme of public sector construction will be allocated to Merseyside.

Of the extra £32 million for public sector construction work in the United Kingdom. Merseyside has been allocated £1·15 million for National Health Service and education projects. A firm figure for housing improvements and other local authority services cannot yet be provided as the £3·5 million available in the North-West Region for these purposes is still being allocated to individual projects.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be able to reply to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury's letter of 13th November asking the Government to find out how much is being spent on home loss payments.

As my hon. Friend will now know, I replied to his letter on Monday

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is considering any proposals from British Railways to deprive Cleveland county of its existing rail links with the rest of the United Kingdom.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will expedite decisions in regard to the allocation of land in the South Ribble area for housing development in view of the high demand which South Ribble Borough Council has for council housing.

I am not aware of any matters which are currently before the Department for consideration which concern the allocation of land in the South Ribble area for housing development. However, if my hon. Friend will write to me giving more details of the matter which concerns him I shall consider what can be done.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what actions he is taking to provide for a major extension of house building in Great Britain in order to meet people's needs.

As I showed in my reply on 14th January to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner)—[Vol. 903, c. 3591—we have already produced a major expansion in the public sector. In the private sector our stabilisation measures have done much to restore confidence; starts are now running at about 12,600 a month as compared with 7,500 a month a year ago.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will speed up the building of new houses within the Central Lancashire New Town area; and whether he will publish forward plans in this regard.

In so far as public sector house building within the designated area of the Central Lancashire New Town is carried out by the Development Corporation its building programme is substantial, and adequate to meet their present needs. Plans for future building will depend upon my right hon. Friend's decision on the outline plan, which I hope will be made before the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will improve, by major financial support, the housing slum clearance programme.

Local authorities are already entitled to a subsidy of 75 per cent. of any loss they incur in carrying out their slum clearance functions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call an early meeting between his Department and representatives of local authorities to discuss the system of claims and use of expense payments to elected local councillors, with a view to examining how the system is working under the Local Government Act 1973.

The present system of allowances to members of local authorities has recently been under review but I am unable, at this stage, to add to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Woolwich, East (Mr. Cartwright) on 27th November 1975—[Vol. 901, c. 264.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the final Report of the Working Party on Housing Co-operatives will be available.

The Report will be published tomorrow by Her Majesty's Stationery Office. I shall place in the Library a copy of the Report, together with DOE Circular 8/76, which gives the Government's reactions to the Working Party's recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ensure that the operations of the Forestry Commission will assist in reducing timber imports in the next five years.

The plans for forestry as set out in the consultative document on "Forestry Policy" published in 1972, and accepted by the Government in October 1974 now form the basis of the Forestry Commission's operations. The use of home-produced timber is actively encouraged by the Forestry Commission for all those purposes for which it is suitable; this includes the substitution, whenever possible, of domestic produce for imported timber, thereby reducing the level of imports.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek to abolish one tier of Scottish local government what representations he has received to do so; and what replies he has sent.

No. Apart from one such representation—from one of the hon. Lady's parliamentary colleagues—to which I replied, the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Grimond) has also corresponded with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. The replies have pointed out that the present local government structure—introduced after extensive discussions and consultations—should be given time to settle down before judgments are passed; and that in the longer term it is proposed that the future structure of local government should be a matter for the Scottish Assembly.Three letters making similar representations have been received from members of the public, in response to the Government's invitation of views on the Devolution White Paper, and have been acknowledged.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement on the future of Mary Erskine School, in the light of the fresh agreement between the Lothian Regional Council and the Merchant Company.

I have studied the new proposals put forward by the Lothian Regional Council but I see nothing in them to change my view that it has not so far been demonstrated that the need for extra school places is so great as to justify acquisition of the school.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been paid out in financial aid under Section 12 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 for each year since 1968.

Following is the information for the years 1970 to 1974. The 1968 Act came into operation in November 1969, and 1970 was the first year for which information was collected. The figure for 1975 is not yet available.

		£
1970	…	212,000
1971	…	196,500
1972	…	233,745
1973	…	236,327
1974 (provisional)	…	384,540

Further details about financial assistance under Section 12 are contained in "Scottish Social Work Statistics" for 1971, 1972 and 1973.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the proposed total expenditure out of EEC funds in the EEC as a whole on support, processing and subsidised sale overseas of dairy products in 1976.

The European Communities' budget for 1976 estimates the total expenditure at £808·8 million^*.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present price of butter in £ sterling per ton from New Zealand landed in the United Kingdom before levy and the corresponding intervention price in the rest of the EEC.

The cif price of butter of 80 per cent. fat imported into the United Kingdom from New Zealand under the special arrangements laid down in Protocol 18 to the Act of Accession is £620·18 per ton. In addition monetary compensatory amounts, currently £39·69 per ton, are paid to New Zealand in respect of butter imported into the United Kingdom under the Protocol. The intervention price in the United Kingdom is £81·129 per ton for butter of 80 per cent. fat; in the Irish Republic it is £1,119·76 per ton for butter of 80 per cent. fat, and in the other member States it is £1,212·94 per ton for butter of 82 per cent fat.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he is satisfied that potato growers and wholesalers are not exploiting the shortage of supplies by profiteering;(2) what assurances he can give about the supplies of potatoes to the housewife at reasonable prices over the next few months.

asked the Minister of Agriculutre, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied that there is a sufficient supply of potatoes for the nation's needs currently available; and if he will make a statement.

Despite the action already taken to alleviate the effect of the shortfall in potato supplies from the 1975 crop it is not possible to make good the estimated deficiency in the home crop of 2¼ million metric tons compared with last season. Prices at all stages of the distributive chain are determined by the normal forces of supply and demand, and the reduction in supplies means that they will remain high over the coming months. I hope that all those concerned will recognise that their long-term interests are best served by the orderly marketing during the remainder of the season.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish details of the number of potatoes grown, and the price per ton received by growers' in the United Kingdom during each of the last five years.

The information is as follows:

Crop Year (Quantity grown ('000 tons))
1971	…	…	7,279
1972	…	…	6,424
1973	…	…	6,737
1974	…	…	6,683
1975 (estimate)	…	…	4,463

Average price per ton
					£
1971	…	…	…	…	15·06
1972	…	…	…	…	19·61
1973	…	…	…	…	19·07
1974	…	…	…	…	25·81
1975	…	…	…	…	91·44

The average price per ton relates to maincrop potatoes sold for human consumption through licensed channels in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present price of a standard type of cheese in £ sterling per ton from New Zealand landed in the United Kingdom before levy and the corresponding intervention price in the rest of the EEC.

The cif price of cheddar cheese imported into the United Kingdom from New Zealand under the special arrangements laid down in Protocol 18 in the Act of Accession is £535·46 per long ton. In addition, monetary compensatory amounts, currently £34·27 per ton, are paid to New Zealand in respect of cheese imported into the United Kingdom under the terms of the Protocol. There are no intervention arrangements for cheddar cheese under the Community system.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what foodstuffs the EEC is now paying export subsidies.

At the present time, export refunds are payable from the Community to third countries in all commodity sectors in respect of which there is provision for such refunds, and it would require a disproportionate amount of work to detail all the individual products involved. So far as the United Kingdom is concerned, Community refunds on exports are abated by accession compensatory amounts and monetary compensatory amounts. At present refunds, after abatement, are payable on exports from the United Kingdom mainly in the milk products sector and on some items of beef and veal, processed cereals and other processed products.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much skimmed milk powder is now held in intervention stock or subsidised private stock in the United Kingdom.

At 1st January 1976, 23,764 tons of skimmed milk powder were held in intervention stocks in the United Kingdom. No stocks were held under Community-financed private storage arrangements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to authorise the denaturing and conversion of skimmed milk powder into animal feeding stuffs in the United Kingdom; and how much has been thus denatured to date.

The denaturing of skimmed milk powder and its incorporation into animal feeding stuffs is already authorised by EEC Regulations. Since the United Kingdom acceded to the European Community in February 1973, 47,807 tons of powder had been denatured and incorporated into animal feed by 31st December 1975.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what level of import levies is now payable on wheat and maize, respectively, imported from outside the EEC into, first, the United Kingdom, and second, the rest of the EEC.

The rates of levy as at 14th January 1976 are:

			£/ton
		Into United Kingdom	Into EEC
Common Wheat	…	-1·86	19·14*
Maize	…	3·52	19·87†
*Converted from units of account to sterling using the representative rate of £1 to 1·86369 ua.
†Converted from units of account to sterling using the representative rate of £1 to 1·7556 ua.

The levy on imports of cereals into the United Kingdom is derived from the EEC levy by deducting the appropriate accession compensatory amount which takes account of the lower price level in the United Kingdom due to the transitional arrangements, and making a monetary adjustment which takes account of the fluctuations in the market exchange rate of sterling against the appropriate representative rate. The United Kingdom figures quoted above are the net levies resulting from these calculations. For wheat this gives a negative levy, i.e., an import subsidy. The levy on imports into the rest of the EEC may also be adjusted in the case of certain member States, dependent on their currency fluctuations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the price at the most recent date available in £ sterling per live cwt of light steers in the United Kingdom and the rest of the EEC, respectively.

There is no single light steer price for the United Kingdom as a whole, and information about steer prices generally in the rest of the EEC is only available to my Department for certain member States. Differences in national classification systems make accurate comparison difficult, and the relationship between prices in different countries varies from week to week. With these qualifications the available information relating to steers sold in the week ending 6th January 1976 in the United Kingdom and 10th January in the remaining countries is as follows:

		(£ per live cwt)*
United Kingdom	…	23·09–24·04
Belgium	…	35·03
W. Germany	…	37·75
France	…	42·27
Irish Republic	…	24·45
* Prices are converted at the market rates of exchange.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he

AVERAGE UNIT VALUES OF UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS OF CERTAIN COMMODITIES, NOVEMBER 1975
	EEC Countries £ per ton (cif)		Non-EEC Countries
1. EEC lower than non-EEC:
Wheat	Denmark (soft)	69·53	USA (hard)	90·11
	France (soft)	70·81	Canada (hard)	90·58
Raw sugar, beet and cane	France	180·59	Guyana	*260·00
			Mauritius	*260·00
2. No significant difference:
Maize	France	65·07	USA	67·16
	West Germany	68·09	South Africa	64·20
Rice, short grained milled	Italy	189·65	Australia	185·73
Lard	Belgium/Luxembourg	241·36	Switzerland	259·44
	Netherlands	265·01
	Italy	265·25
Tomatoes, fresh	Netherlands	344·59	Spain	319·34
			Canary Islands	361·90
3. Non-EEC lower than EEC:
Butter	Netherlands	922·06	New Zealand	*525·56
	Denmark	912·95
Cheddar type cheese	Netherlands	916·66	New Zealand	*453·79
	Irish Republic	880·83
Lamb	Irish Republic (fresh or chilled)	546·51	New Zealand (frozen)	511·60
Apples	Italy	162·06	USA	178·43
	France	188·06	Hungary	117·08
Refined sugar	Denmark	202·47	Czechoslovakiz	181·00
Bacon sides	Denmark	772·20	Polan	752·87
	Irish Republic	910·30	Sweden	928·12
Beef	No reliable comparison possible owing to ban on imports from most non-EEC countries.
* Special minimum import price.
Sources: Overseas Trade Statistics of United Kingdom;
Customs and Excise Tabulation Sheets.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the effect on the boatbuilding industry of his imposition of the 25 per cent. VAT rate; and how this compares with the result which he expected when he imposed the 25 per cent. rate.

We have undertaken to monitor the effects of the 25 will publish a table in the Official Report showing the average unit values of imports of selected commodities at the latest available date in costs per ton in EEC and non-EEC countries in the manner of his reply of 23rd January 1975 (Official Report, columns 1729–30).

There is no easily identifiable basis for measuring EEC and non-EEC prices, and, because of differences in quality, grading, presentation of products and stage of marketing, comparisons of prices of foodstuffs from different sources can be made only in broad terms. Subject to these reservations, a table showing the latest information available for selected commodities is set out below. per cent. rate and have made arrangements accordingly, including consultations with the ship and boat building industry. It is not the practice to publish revised estimated of revenue receipts between Budgets.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, following the implemention of the Equal Pay Act, it is Government policy that the level of regional employment premium should be the same for women as for men.

The regional employment premium is under review and the Government's intentions will be made clear in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial calculations of taxation derived from and public expenditure incurred in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the standard English regions have been prepared subsequent to the calculations in the Kilbrandon Report; and if he will publish these in the Official Report.

A number of estimates have been made and published in the Official Report in answers to Questions. In addition, estimates are given regularly in Government statistical publications, notably the "Scottish Abstract of Statistics", the "Digest of Welsh Statistics", the "Northern Ireland Digest of Statistics" and "Regional Statistics".It would not be appropriate to reproduce in the

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what statistical information on regional and local yields of various taxes was provided by the Treasury, Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise to the Layfield Committee of Inquiry into the future of local government finance; and if he will publish this in the Official Report.

I would ask my hon. Friend to await the publication of the Committee's Report, which I expect to be fairly soon.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he can give figures or estimates of tax revenues from income tax and social security contributions as a percentage of GNP at market prices for the United Kingdom for the years 1974 and 1975;(2) if he can give figures or estimates of tax revenues from direct taxes, including social security contributions, as a percentage of GNP at market prices for the United Kingdom for the years 1974 and 1975;

The figures avail able for 1975 relate to the first three quarters only.They are based on sea sonally adjusted estimates.

PERCENTAGES OF GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT AT MARKET PRICES
		First three quarters
	1974	1975
Income tax	10·9	13·1
Direct taxes*	15·8	16·5
Indirect taxes†	13·8	13·4
Social security contributions‡	6·1	6·6
Income tax and social security contributions	17·0	19·7
Direct taxes and social security contributions	21·9	23·1
Direct taxes, indirect taxes and social security contributions	35·7	36·5
* Taxes on income and capital, as defined in the national accounts.
† Taxes on expenditure, as defined in the national accounts.
‡ National insurance, health, and Redundancy Fund contributions.

These figures are not comparable with those used in the international comparisons published in the December 1975 issue of

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in his review of fringe benefits, he will consider the accommodation made available to certain Ministers of the Crown.

In general, where an employee is required for the proper performance of his duties to live in accommodation provided for him by his employer, the annual value of the accommodation is not regarded as a taxable benefit.The same rule applies to Ministers of the Crown, and I have no proposals for any change.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why contribubutions to the Government's new index-linked savings scheme cannot be made for children under the age of 16 years.

The concept of Save As You Earn is to encourage regular savings from current earnings. Eligibility was therefore extended only to those persons likely to be in employment or otherwise able to meet a regular savings commitment, hence the minimum age of 16. This condition has applied to successive issues, including the current index-linked issue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in his review of fringe benefits, he will consider the taxation position of allowances payable to employees of the Foreign Office.

I have noted the hon. Member's point.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to ensure that the taxation of boarding school allowances payable to Foreign Office employees is not treated in any different way for income tax purposes to similar allowances payable by British firms to employees who necessarily have to work overseas.

An employee of a British firm who is required to work overseas for an extended period would not normally be liable to United Kingdom tax on any boarding school allowance paid to him by his employer whilst he is abroad. Likewise, a Crown servant is not taxable on such an allowance paid to him whilst he is serving overseas. Where such an allowance continues to be paid after return to this country, it is taxable in either case.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how boarding school allowances given to Foreign Office employees are treated for income tax purposes;(2) whether boarding school allowances paid to Foreign Office employees are treated in different ways for tax pur poses according to whether the recipient is resident in the United Kingdom or abroad.

Boarding school allowances paid to Foreign Office employees serving overseas are certified by the Minister for the Civil Service as representing compensation for the extra cost of having to live outside the United Kingdom to perform their duties, and are therefore exempt from United Kingdom income tax under the provisions of Section 369 of the Taxes Act 1970. Such allowances become liable to income tax after the employee returns to this country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Acts of Parliament or orders govern the taxation position of educational allowances paid to Foreign Office employees.

The taxation position of any allowance paid to Foreign Office employees is governed by the general rules of Schedule E contained in Chapter I of Part VIII of the Taxes Act 1970 and by the provisions of Section 369 of that Act covering Foreign Service allowances.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Foreign Office employees pay capital gains tax on the disposal of United Kingdom assets while serving overseas.

If the employee's tour of duty overseas is of such a length that he ceases to be either resident or ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom he will be outside the scope of capital gains tax, like any other employee who is away for a similar period.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the employees of the Foreign Office are entitled to rebates of purchase tax on consumer goods bought in the United Kingdom and subsequently taken to their posts abroad.

Purchase tax was replaced by value added tax on 1st April 1973. Foreign and Commonwealth Office employees may be relieved of VAT on purchases made in the United Kingdom only if they qualify by reason of residence abroad to be treated as overseas visitors to the United Kingdom.