asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Law Commissioner's Report on matrimonial proceedings in magistrates' courts is expected.

Within the next few months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek to amend the law so that a suspended sentence supervision order would be made in the case of a suspended sentence of imprisonment of six months or less, in order to ensure that such orders could be made in cases involving persons under the age of 21 years whose sentences of imprisonment are subject to the statutory maximum of six months.

No. Section 26 of the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973 empowers the Secretary of State, by order, to extend the power to make suspended sentence supervision order to suspended sentences of imprisonment of six months or less, but I do not propose to exercise that power for the present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the number of places for newly promoted police inspectors at Bramshill Police College was cut from 140 to 105 in the first course for 1976; why notice of this 25 per cent. reduction was not sent out to police forces until well after they had made arrangements to send their agreed quota of inspectors to attend; and if, bearing in mind the need to keep police training at the highest levels of efficiency; he will take steps to avoid any future sudden cutbacks of this kind.

It finally became clear only in November that the staffing constraints within which the Home Office is currently having to operate would prevent the recruitment of additional academic staff needed for the newly revised inspectors' course at the Police College. Forces were then immediately informed of their revised allocations of places. I regret the inconvenience and disappointment caused to those who had been offered places, but could not, in the event, attend the course, and I shall do my best to avoid similar inconvenience in future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the fact that the organisers of the Watchfield Pop Festival have been unable to meet the full costs of the public services involved, bankruptcy proceedings have yet been initiated against the organisers; and if he will make a statement.

There is no legal basis for such action. So far as wider considerations are concerned, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Mid-Oxon (Mr. Hurd) on 15th January.—[Vol. 903, c. 567–70.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child murders have been committed in the United Kingdom since 1965; and how many of the children killed were the victims of sexual assault.

This information is not readily available in the precise form requested. I will write to the hon. Member with the available information, for England and Wales, as soon as I am in a position to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those convicted for murdering children in the course of sexual assault since 1965 have now been released from prison or granted parole.

None from prisons in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those convicted for murdering children in the course of sexual assault during the last 25 years and who have been released, or escaped, from custody have subsequently been convicted of further murder and sexual assault.

None in respect of England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what, over the last 20 years, has been the average time served in prison by those convicted of serious sexual assaults on minors.

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 when he expects to report to the House the results of the review of nationality law now In progress.

I cannot at present add to what I said on Tuesday 25th November in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Hampstead (Mr. Finsberg.)—(Vol. 901, c. 104.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why, and under what statutory provision, he has advised the National TV Licence Records Office that partial refunds of television licence fees cannot be made in cases where the licence is no longer required unless it is within 28 days of issue, a monochrome licence is being exchanged for a colour one, or two licences have been taken out when only one is needed.

The Secretary of State has power under Section 3(3) of the Post Office Act 1969 to make partial refunds of television licence fees in such cases or classes of cases as the Treasury determines. On Home Office instructions, issued with Treasury approval, the Post Office, which acts as the agent of the Home Office in this matter, restricts the scope of refunds to the cases mentioned in order not to add to the cost and complexity of the licensing system.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the European Commission on Human Rights has yet reached a decision on the question of corporal punishment in the Isle of Man.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost of salaries and administration of the Equal Opportunities Commission in 1976–77 and 1977–78; the cost of literature so far published by the Equal Opportunities Commission; and the expected expenditure on advertising the Commission in 1976–77.

The estimated cost of salaries and administration, excluding publicity, of the Equal Opportunities Commission in 1976–77 is £1,115,000. It is not possible at this stage to give a close estimate of costs in 1977–78, but it was originally envisaged that the annual cost of the Commission might rise to £2·25 million in about three years. The cost of literature already published by the Commission is £106,150; the Commission expects to spend £200,000 on publicity in 1976–77.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the highest point the prison population reached in 1960, 1965, 1970, and 1975 respectively.

28,094, 31,074, 40,321 and 40,808 respectively.

asked the Attorney-General if he will publish details of the guidance given to registrars of county courts as to the investment of money paid as damages to minors.

Registrars are primarily bound in this matter by the relevant statutory rules made by the County Court Rules Committee. District registrars receive regular general investment advice from the Public Trustee, but this naturally varies from time to time with market conditions. I will place a copy of the most recent version in the Library.

asked the Attorney-General (1) what is the number of solicitors and barristers practising at present; and if he is satisfied that entry into the legal profession is open for all those with the ability and wish to do so, irrespective of their means;(2) how many women and coloured people practice in the legal profession; and what proportion each group represents of the total number;(3) if he will conduct a survey of the social background of lawyers and the proportion of them who are working, middle or upper class, respectively.

There are approximately 3,700 banisters and 29,000 solicitors now in practice. 260 women, 7 per cent. of the total, are in practice at the Bar, but no information is available as to how many of the total of about 2,200 women solicitors are currently in practice. Nor is any information available as to the numbers of coloured persons who are barristers or solicitors, for there is no discrimination on grounds of colour in the admission of members to either branch of the legal profession.Financial aid is made available by local authorities and by the professions themselves to assist persons of limited means who are otherwise eligible to enter the profession.My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor agrees that entry into the legal profession should depend upon ability and suitability and not on means, but he does not think that any useful purpose would be served by instituting a survey of the social background of lawyers such as my hon. Friend suggests. It is the case that many lawyers have working-class backgrounds and some of these have risen to the top of the profession.

asked the Attorney-General (1) what are the average daily fees paid out of public funds for appearances in criminal and civic courts for prosecution and defence banisters who are Queen's Counsel and junior barristers;(2) whether the average annual earnings of banisters have kept pace with inflation, fallen behind or gone ahead in each of the last five years;(3) what are the average annual earnings of solicitors in each of the last five years, and whether they have kept pace with inflation, fallen behind or are ahead;(4) if he will set up an external, independent body to review lawyers' fees.

No reliable information is available as to average daily fees or as to average annual earnings of barristers and solicitors. The desirability of a review of the amounts received, particularly in legally aided cases, is at present being considered.

asked the Attorney-General if he is satisfied with the rule of the Bar Council that a full fee should normally be paid to a barrister after delivering of the brief whether or not the case is settled out of court.

This is not the rule.

asked the Attorney-General what consideration he has given to the proposal that barristers should only be paid for work actually carried out.

I am not sure what my hon. Friend has in mind. In legally aided cases barristers' fees are settled by the independent taxing officers of the court, who take into account the work actually done, and in all other cases the fees are a matter for negotiation between the barrister and the instructing solicitor.

asked the Attorney-General what study he has made of the provision that a barrister shall be paid separate fees for every client he represents and may not be paid a collective fee, even when the cases are the same or substantially identical.

In legally aided cases all fees payable to counsel must first be approved by a taxing officer of the court, who allows only what he regards as fair and reasonable remuneration. In other cases the questions of separate or collective fees is a matter for negotiation between the barrister and the solicitor and there is no absolute rule such as is implied in the Question.

asked the Attorney-General (1) what representations he has received about barrister's monopoly of the right of audience in the High Court, Crown Court and Court of Appeal; and what replies he has sent;(2) if he will take steps to end the monopoly of lawyers to appear as advocates and allow a party to be represented by anyone competent to help him present his case.

There is nothing to prevent an individual litigant from appearing in person in the High Court, Crown Court or Court of Appeal, or from being assisted by anyone he wishes to help him in presenting his case although the latter cannot act as an advocate. Solicitors have limited rights of audience in the High Court and the Crown Court, about the extent of which my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor has received representations. Having given full consideration to the representations which he has received, my noble Friend sees no reason for changing the present rules.In addition, there are many classes of legal proceedings, particularly before tribunals, in which lawyers have no monopoly as advocates and where there is nothing to stop a litigant from obtaining help in presenting his case from anyone he wishes.

asked the Attorney-General what consideration he has given to abolishing the distinctions between barristers and solicitors and to unifying the legal profession.

This proposal has been considered for many years, and my noble Friend is satisfied that the present distinctions represent real differences of function and make for the more efficient administration of justice.

asked the Attorney-General if he will take steps to end the monopoly of solicitors in the preparation of documents in the conveyance of land.

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor is considering this matter in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection.

asked the Attorney-General (1) if he proposes to take steps to change the provision that a barrister who has assisted a poor person in a legal advice centre may not act for that person in court unless he is instructed by a solicitor;(2) if he proposes to change the provision that barristers who assist a poor person at a legal advice centre may not sign any letters he may draft, or indicate that any advice has been received from a barrister;(3) if he proposes to change the provision that a barrister who assists a poor person at a legal advice centre may not negotiate orally with third parties with a view to arranging a settlement for that person;(4) if he proposes to change the provision that a barrister who assists a poor person at a legal advice centre may not set up, organise or give his services at the centre unless there is a non-barrister in charge to recommend the names of solicitors.

Since 1969, it has been open to a barrister at a legal advice centre (a) to sign letters on behalf of the centre, which may show that counsel's advice has been received; and (b) in exceptional circumstances, to negotiate orally with third parties; and (c) to show anyone seeking advice a list of solicitors kept by the centre.My noble Friend considers that law centres and legal advice centres perform a most valuable function, and the rules governing the services of barristers and solicitors operating from them are kept under constant review, with a view to deploying their resources as effectively as possible.

asked the Attorney-General how many law centres and neighbourhood legal advice centres have now been established; and what is their total cost.

There are 20 law centres in England and Wales, either in existence or shortly to open. It is not possible to give the precise number of legal advice centres, but there are approximately 100. It is not possible to state the total cost of the bodies to which my hon. Friend refers.

asked the Attorney-General if he will take steps to extend the number of advisory legal facilities; and what further measures he has in mind.

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor will consider the desirability of further extensions of the existing facilities in the light of the study he has commissioned into the unmet need for legal services.

asked the Attorney-General what representations he has received about extending legal representation to people appearing before tribunals under the legal aid scheme; and what replies he has sent.

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor has received a number of representations about this, including in particular those made by his Legal Aid Advisory Committee in its 24th Annual Report. Although he supports in principle the provision of legal aid for certain tribunals, he cannot at present give priority to this in view of financial constraints and the urgent need for improving legal services generally.

asked the Attorney-General in how many cases Government Departments, landlords and employers were legally represented before tribunals while the appellants were not represented in each of the last five years.

This information is not available.

asked the Attorney-General (1) if he will ban legal representation at tribunals in cases where only those able to afford it are able to take advantage of the services of lawyers;

My noble friend is not prepared to ban legal representation at tribunals as suggested by my hon. Friend. The question of extending the use of lay advisers, such as my hon. Friend proposes, is already being considered by him.

asked the Attorney-General if he will consider setting up an independent legal services commission to administer the legal aid scheme in place of the Law Society.

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor has fully considered this proposal and is not persuaded that it would be in the public interest.

asked the Attorney-General if he will consider the creation of a new, independent agency to administer tribunals, to be responsible for appointing tribunal members and employing and training the clerks.

My noble Friend considers that no useful purpose would be served by such an agency.

asked the Attorney-General if he will ensure that all tribunals include a lawyer as a member, or have access to an independent legal assessor.

These requirements are already satisfied in respect of most tribunals. The need to extend them to the Supplementary Benefit Appeal Tribunals is under consideration in the light of Professor Bell's Report.

asked the Attorney-General if he will bring forward legislation to establish that appellants before tribunals have right of appeal to a higher tribunal whose decisions could be published as precedents, giving binding directions to local tribunals on law and procedure and guiding them in the exercise of discretion.

The decisions of many tribunals are already subject to appeal on points of law and existing legislation enables these arrangements to be extended where necessary. There is also a right of appeal on questions of fact in a number of cases.

asked the Attorney-General how many cases instituted by the Director of Public Prosecutions were concluded at the Central Criminal Court in the whole of 1975; and how many resulted in acquittals.

421 cases were concluded, involving 815 defendants of whom 182 were acquitted.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many firearms certificates were issued in each of the last four years for sporting visits in Ulster to persons resident outside the United Kingdom; and whether he will classify the recipients according to their residence (a) in the Irish Republic; (b) in the rest of Europe and (c) in the rest of the world.

I regret that the information cannot be provided without disproportionate time and effort. It would require a search of 79,000 files. I understand from the Chief Constable, however, that most of the holders of Northern Ireland firearms certificates resident outside the United Kingdom come from the Irish Republic and the others mainly from Germany or France, with a few from Sweden, and the USA.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total cost from 1st January 1972 till 31st December 1975 of providing and fitting the homes of the Westminster civil servants attached to the Northern Ireland Office for security purposes against terrorist attacks.

About £19,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of renting living accommdation from 1st January 1975 till 31st December 1975 for Westminster civil servants in Northern Ireland.

About £10,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants from Westminster were attached to the Northern Ireland Office during 1974 and the year ending 1975.

The Northern Ireland Office, which comprises staff from both the Northern Ireland and United Kingdom Civil Services, located in London and Belfast, included 200 members of the United Kingdom Civil Service at the end of 1974 and 234 at the end of 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the minimum and maximum lengths of time that elapse between the removal of stock from a farm under the brucellosis eradication scheme and the receipt of payment by the owner; and, where payment is delayed for a long period, whether interest is paid to the owner.

A random sample of some 15 per cent. of payments for stock slaughtered under the Northern Ireland brucellosis eradication scheme shows that the minimum time that elapsed between the removal of the animals and the payment of compensation to the owner was nine days and the maximum time was 24 days. The Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture does not pay interest if there is a delay in payment. If the hon. Member has a particular case of delay in mind and supplies me with the details, I will have it investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what class or classes of subject he receives from his special adviser, Mr. R. Darlington, advice which he cannot obtain from his other advisers.

My special adviser gives me advice on any subject where I consider that he has a contribution to make.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what monitoring procedures his Department has for the safety of explosive or dangerous materials both of a civil and a military nature carried by road; and if he is satisfied with existing safeguards;(2) if he will define his responsibilities for the safety of explosive and dangerous materials transported by road.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has power to make regulations for the carriage by road of dangerous substances, including explosives, under the Health and Safety at Work &c. Act 1974 and the Radioactive Substances Act 1948. He is also responsible for existing regulations made under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 and the Explosives Act 1875. The carriage of military explosives by road is the subject of regulations for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence is responsible.Enforcement of regulations for which the Secretary of State for the Environment is responsible is generally undertaken by local authorities, the police, Inspectors of the Health and Safety Executive, and staff of the Department of the Environment.The Health and Safety Commission, which has a statutory duty to make proposals to the Secretary of State for securing the general purposes of the Health and Safety at Work Act, is considering whether it is necessary to extend existing controls for the carriage of dangerous goods by road.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will seek powers to forbid drivers of vehicles, found by testing centres to be in a dangerous condition, from driving those vehicles away from the centres.

Vehicles which fail the MOT test are not specifically prohibited from being driven elsewhere for repair, although the legal obligation to comply with the roadworthiness regulations continues to apply. While I have not received any evidence that there is in practice a risk to road safety of a degree to justify the inconvenience and cost to motorists of instituting a system such as my hon. and learned Friend proposes, I am looking at the position and will institute suitable arrangements if they are shown to be needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is his policy to provide temporary stopping places for gipsies and other travellers or to encourage local authorities to do so.

I have no power to provide caravan sites. However, there is a need for many more gipsy sites of all kinds and I certainly encourage local authorities, when they are considering provision, to include both transit sites and temporary sites with limited facilities. Such sites can make an especially valuable contribution now, when there must be restraint on expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the costs or estimated costs for each Inner London borough of the provision in each borough of a gipsy site, as a result of his refusal to grant exemption or to designate the borough, as provided for in the Caravan Sites Act 1968.

Within the five London boroughs, four of them—in Inner London—have been refused exemption. None of these has either provided a site or given the Department estimates of what it would cost to do so

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will confirm that the cost of the development of a gipsy caravan site, as provided for in the Caravan Sites Act 1968, is judged by him to be one of the criteria of the suitability of available sites, should he be asked by a borough to grant exemption under the terms of the Act.

If a borough were to demonstrate that the only site or sites in its area, suitable in other respects for a gipsy site, would be inordinately expensive to develop, that would certainly be taken into account as relevant evidence in considering a case for exemption. But I still doubt whether within the strict terms of the 1968 Act it will ever prove possible for my right hon. Friend to grant exemption.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment by what criteria he would assess whether the development of a site for 15 gipsy caravans, under the terms of the Caravan Sites Act 1968, was inordinately expensive or not.

There can be no hard and fast rule, but my right hon. Friend would obviously have regard to the cost of other sites recently provided or proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision concerning the borrowing powers of the Port of London Authority.

Shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set up a National Disaster Fund to provide financial help when major disasters arise or to assist individuals, local authorities, or organisations to meet heavy damages due to acts of God not covered by normal insurance; and if he will make a statement.

No. Local authorities are empowered, under Section 138 of the Local Government Act 1972, to incur whatever expenditure they consider necessary when a disaster involving destruction of, or damage to, life or property occurs. This includes the power to make grants or loans subject to conditions determined by the local authority. In any case where the effects of a disaster were clearly beyond the resources of the local authority, the Government could provide additional assistance, including finance, as outlined in the recent DOE circular to local authorities on natural disasters and in my statement of 7th January.In appropriate cases a local authority may declare a housing action area under Part IV of the Housing Act 1974; this would enable repair grants of up to 75 per cent. of eligible expenses to be made, rising to 90 per cent. in cases of acute financial hardship. Houses damaged beyond repair or beyond the ability of the owner to pay may be acquired by the local authority and the owner assisted to find new accommodation.Obviously many individuals have been affected by the recent storms—some tragically—and they have my deepest sympathy. There are others who have suffered in areas of severe damage to private property. But I am not persuaded that acentrally-administered fund would be an effective way of aiding disaster victims.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out in the Official Report the existing laws and practices in the United Kingdom and the EEC, respectively, concerning employees in road haulage, stating specifically what changes he has agreed to make to those extant in the United Kingdom; and what rules apply to drivers' working hours before hours of driving in the EEC.

The following table compares the codes in Great Britain and the EEC. Existing provisions for Northern Ireland are similar but not identical to those in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for an exhibition relating to the Iron Bridge, Telford, the petition for which had been presented to this House on 5th February 1776, to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

I understand that arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 2nd to 6th February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps if any, he intends to take to protect civil servants in his Department from any On accession the EEC regulations became part of United Kingdom law, with certain deferment of operative dates. I have not agreed to any subsequent changes in United Kingdom law.Both codes provide for minimum daily and weekly rest periods, though the EEC code does not at present include specific limits on periods of work other than driving. However, I am supporting a proposal, currently before the EEC Council of Ministers, which would introduce such limits into EEC law.possible legal actions for libel in the event of their notifying local authorities that a named contractor is in breach of the pay limits, and should not be invited to tender in accordance with paragraph 15 of Circular 123/75, but where it subsequently transpires that an error has been made and no such breach has in fact occurred.

No special steps are necessary. It is the practice to indemnify civil servants against claims brought against them arising out of acts committed bona fide and within the scope of their employment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it is intended that the list of named contractors to be denied the right to tender, described in paragraph 15 of Circular 123/75, should be contained in a normal departmental circular signed by an official of his Department, published and generally available to the public; and whether he will accept full personal responsibility, including any possible legal responsibility, for any errors which might be contained in such a document.

It is contemplated that the normal departmental circular procedure would be adopted should the need ever arise. I am advised that my right hon. Friend's personal responsibility raises legal questions and would depend on the circumstances of the case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether the requirements in paragraph 15 of Circular 123/75 about ceasing to invite tenders from contractors found to have breached the pay limits is in conformity with the requirements for the general advertisement of construction contracts under EEC regulations; and upon what evidence he bases his judgment on this matter;(2) what statutory powers local authorities have to discriminate in the awarding of contracts against construction firms not prepared to sign declarations similar to that set out in Annex 2 of circular 123/75; and how this is reconciled with the provisions of the EEC regarding general advertisements of contracts over a specified value.

Local authorities are required by law to adopt standing orders which, among other things, must provide for competition in the award of contracts. However, they have complete discretion to refuse to invite any firm provided that in doing so they do not infringe EEC directives. Directive 71–304 requires the abolition of restrictions which might prevent contractors from other member States from participating in public works contracts on equal terms with national contractors. Directive 71/305 requires the adoption of certain common rules and advertisement in the Official Journal for contracts above £415,000. The arrangements in DOE Circular 123/75 do not advocate discrimination on grounds of nationality and are matters of public policy necessary to implement the Government's counter- inflation policy. I see no conflict with the directives.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment under what statutory powers local authorities will be permitted to withhold approval of the sub-letting to non-nominated subcontractors of construction work in the circumstances envisaged in paragraph 9 of Circular 123/75; and how he envisages that the client will know about the absence of any undertakings in advance of the letting of the main contract, in view of the fact that it is the contractor and not the architect who will choose the sub-contractor.

Statutory powers are not involved: it is a condition of the standard form of building contract that the architect's written consent to sub-let any part of the works be obtained. Such consent would be subject to the main contractor obtaining a declaration from the non nominated sub-contractor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment under what statutory powers he envisages that local authorities, as advised by him in paragraphs 11 and 12 of Circular 123/75, should formally ask contractors to vary the terms of existing construction contracts, and, if the contractors refuse to do so, should report them to the Price Commission; and what steps he proposes to take to protect local authorities from possible surcharge in respect of clerical and administrative expenses incurred in any such activity, should it be found to be ultra vires.

No statutory powers are required. This is an entirely voluntary arrangement between client and contractor which was introduced after discussion with representatives of the sponsoring bodies of the main standard construction contract forms. There is no intention that action should be taken against a contractor solely on the grounds of his refusing to incorporate the new clause in an existing contract. A report would be made to the Price Commission only if a contractor continued to insist on reimbursement of pay increases which were clearly in excess of the pay limits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why, in view of the fact that he has advised local authorities in paragraph 6(ii) of circular 123/75 to insert a newly agreed JCT clause in their invitations to tender under the RIBA Standard Form of Building Contract, he did not also take the opportunity to advise local authorities to desist from the practice of making unilateral alterations in the RIBA form, especially in those sections dealing with permitted increases in costs, or variations.

Local authorities will again be reminded of the advantages of using standard forms of contract in a circular shortly to be issued on the use of the NEDO formula system of price variation for building contracts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action was taken by his Department to explain to public sector clients and contractors the Remuneration, Charges and Grants Act 1975 so far as it affects construction contracts between the coming into force of the Act and the issue of circular 123/75 on 16th December 1975; and why no earlier guidance was given in the form of a circular.

The implementation of the policy set out in the White Paper "The Attack on Inflation" (Cmnd. 6151) in respect of public sector construction contracts called for extensive consultation with the main bodies concerned, resulting in the publication of emergency amendments for use in association with the standard form of building contract. General guidance on the effects of the Price Code amendment following the Remuneration, Charges and Grants Act 1975 was given by the Price Commission in Price Commission Data Sheet No. 15 on 13th August 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the recent court judgment in the case Williams versus Wellingborough Borough Council, he will immediately introduce legislation to amend Section 104 of the Housing Act 1957.

I am examining this problem, and I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as it has been fully explored.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is now in a position to publish the latest return of the joint manpower watch on local authority staffing.

I expect to be able to publish the figures relating to September 1975 at about the end of February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the percentage reduction in the Surrey rate support grant in 1976–77 as compared with 1975–76; and what is the equivalent figure for the metropolitan districts and the Greater London Council.

Payments of the needs element of the rate support grant under the main RSG Order for 1976–77 are expected to show the following increases over the corresponding payments for 1975–76:

	Percentage Increase
Surrey County Council	13·5
Shire Counties generally	24·0
Metropolitan Districts	28·5
London Boroughs	47·4

Some of the data included in the calculation for 1976–77 are still provisional. The needs element is not paid to the Greater London Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the scheme to construct a Bilston link road from the A4123 to the M6 was considered to be no longer justified.

The scheme no longer had a high priority in the national road programme and in the present economic conditions was also much too expensive.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision concerning the route for the Chertsey-Wisley section of the M25.

The complex issues raised in the inspector's report are being urgently considered. My right hon. Friend will give his decision as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the increase in price of Ordnance Survey maps (1: 1,250 scale single sheet) from £1·16 in December 1974 to £4·20 in December 1975 is within the price code; and what action he proposes to take.

The Price Code does not apply to Government fees and charges though similar disciplines are applied. Lithographically-printed large-scale maps on paper are expensive to publish, store and distribute and the same information can be provided in other forms at substantially lower cost. Microfilm printouts of 1: 1,250 maps are available at £1·70 a sheet.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now announce the names of the chairman and members of the proposed Construction Industry Manpower Board.

Sir William Harris, former President of the Institution of Civil Engineers has agreed to be chairman. I hope to announce the Board members very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give a breakdown of the figure of £750 million, being his estimate of the net cost to public funds during the year ending 5th April 1976 of the Property Services Agency.

The net expenditure by the Agency on its Votes in 1975–76 is expected to be approximately as follows:

	£ million
Defence accommodation services, etc.	408
Office and general accommodation services	315
Overseas representation: accommodation services, etc.	24
	747

Allowing for extra receipts and for services provided by other Government Departments, the total is approximately £750 million. Of this about £650 million is accounted for by the provision of accommodation and other services for Government Departments, mainly building works, rents, maintenance, running costs, furniture, equipment and transport. The balance is the Agency's administration costs—including payment of salaries, consultants' fees, and general expenses—incurred in providing these various services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is aware that demolition of existing buildings has already started on the St. Paul's School site at Hammersmith; and what action he intends to take over the matter.

Yes. I understand that the GLC is demolishing the high master's house, in Gliddon Road. This is a post-war building which is not "listed ". My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's consent to its demolition is not therefore required.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the two schemes submitted by the Property Services Agency for the development of metropolitan green belt land between Chessington and Ruxley Crescent, Claygate, for 350 married soldiers' quarters.

I have been asked to reply.In accordance with the normal procedures for consultation with planning authorities on development by Government Departments, as set out in DOE Circular 80/71, my Department recently submitted to the Royal borough of Kingston a notice of proposed development in respect of up to 350 married quarters for Army personnel stationed in London to be constructed on land belonging to the Ministry of Defence at RAF Chessington. The Property Services Agency is acting as agents for my Department in this matter. Following informal consultation with planning officers of the Royal borough of Kingston, we submitted a revised scheme which would allow for the retention of a hangar which is currently used as a sports centre. The Royal borough of Kingston has now decided to register an objection to these proposals on the grounds that they would infringe the metropolitan green belt.These proposals will not therefore be pursued without reference to the Department of the Environment in accordance with the appeal procedure prescribed in paragraphs 13 and 14 of DOE Circular 80/71. No decision has yet been taken as to whether my Department will appeal in this way.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he is taking to further the policy that as much equipment as possible used for United Kingdom offshore drilling should be manufactured in the United Kingdom by ensuring that United Kingdom suppliers get fair consideration for all United Kingdom offshore systems and equipment tenders by making these public tenders adjudicated in the United Kingdom.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 6th November 1975 to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes)—[Vol. 902, c. 309]. I am satisfied that this agreement enables the Offshore Supplies Office of my Department to satisfy itself that full and fair opportunity is being given to United Kingdom suppliers.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the consumption of oil by the CEGB for each of the past five years; and what Is the cost in pounds sterling for each year.

The CEGB consumption of oil for each of the past five years was:

Financial Year	Million Tonnes
1970–1	11·2
1971–2	13·2
1972–3	14·8
1973–4	13·8
1974–5	13·3

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if the Commission's proposals for the sharing of oil with the United Kingdom's European partners in the event of an emergency involve all oil available to the United Kingdom from the North Sea in such a contingency.

No. The Commission proposals seek, in the main, to reconcile the provisions of the Treaty of Rome with the internationally agreed emergency oil sharing scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what increases in marine pollution may be expected to arise from the proposed expansion of British Nuclear Fuels' reprocessing activities at Windscale.

Marine pollution from Windscale, in the sense of discharge of radioactivity to the sea, is governed by authorisations issued by my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. These incorporate limits set with the objective of keeping public exposure well below dose limits recommended as permissible by the International Commission on Radiological Protection and endorsed by the Medical Research Council. It is expected that BNFL will operate its enlarged plant within the overall limits set by these current authorisations so that public exposure should not be significantly increased.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will now take steps to reduce Her Majesty's Government's stake in BP from 70 per cent. to the traditional 51 per cent., using the capital gain on the sale of BP shares to purchase the Burmah Oil Company's share of the North Sea Ninian Field.

No decision has yet been taken on the disposal of the BP shares which the Bank of England bought from the Burmah Oil Company.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what amount of money the Government have spent, over each of the past three years, on a national research programme for the development of low-cost energy from coal; and if he will make a statement on the kind of co-operation that is taking place between the United Kingdom, the EEC countries, and the United States of America, on this kind of research.

The national research effort on energy from coal is predominantly in the hands of the nationalised energy industries and no direct Government expenditure has been incurred during the last three years. The Government have recently joined the National Coal Board in the funding of the United Kingdom contribution to a joint project with West German and the USA on pressurised fluidised bed combustion. The NCB has an agreement with the US Government agencies providing for the exchange of information on coal mining and utilisation.In addition the British Gas Corporation is developing coal gasification at its Westfield Development Centre under the sponsorship of US interests and with the participation of the Lurgi Company of West Germany.There is a good co-ordination of coal research effort of the European Coal and Steel Community. About one third of the current NCB research and development programme is financed through ECSC contracts.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will have further talks with the fisheries' associations around the north-east coast of Scotland and Orkney about fouling of the fishing grounds due to oil activities.

The Fisheries and Offshore Oil Consultative Group is the agreed forum where the fisheries associations normally raise and discuss all such matters. It is due to meet again shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much beef is now in intervention storehouses of the EEC; and what proportion is now inedible to Western consumers.

According to the latest information received from the Commission the total quantity of beef currently held in public intervention stores in the EEC is 252,000 metric tons. This beef is not inedible although it is a less attractive product for direct consumption than fresh beef.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has further information concerning the reasons for the current shortage of potatoes; what action the Government has taken to alleviate it; and if he will make a statement.

The wet weather last spring resulted in potatoes being planted in far from ideal conditions and may have deterred some farmers from planting the full acreage intended. Growth was held back first by the cold late spring and then by the dry summer. The yield of the early crop was much reduced, and as the drought continued into the early autumn the development of the maincrop was also adversely affected.The overall production from the 1975 crop is estimated to have been 2¾ million tons below that for 1974.Although there was a 5 per cent. reduction in acreage of potatoes planted compared to 1974, this would not have had any significant effect if weather conditions had been normal and yields had increased in line with the steady upward trend.The supply position in June and July was exacerbated by the substantial shortfall in expected supplies of new potatoes from Cyprus.With the slow development of early potatoes, the Potato Marketing Board delayed the usual progressive introduction of larger riddle sizes.As soon as it became apparent that the development of the maincrop was affected by the drought, the Government lifted the normal import ban. This has allowed potatoes to be imported from any country meeting our plant health requirements which could not be relaxed without the risk of introducing serious long-term hazards.The Government also banned the export of ware potatoes—the kind that are normally used for human consumption.The Board relaxed the riddle sizes tor the maincrop so that all marketable potatoes could be sold for human consumption.Action was, therefore, taken very early in the maincrop marketing season to alleviate the position so far as possible.More recently the United Kingdom has applied to the EEC Commission for the tariff on imports of potatoes from non-EEC members to be temporarily suspended. The tariff on maincrop has been suspended until 28th March, and a suspension of the tariff on new potatoes is under consideration.The measures which have been taken to supplement supplies to consumers have reduced, but could not have made good, the very large shortfall in the home crop. There is an overall shortage in Europe, and other countries as well as the United Kingdom are seeking additional imports. This means that the supply position will remain difficult until early potatoes are available in quantity.We must expect prices to remain high over the coming months. Any artificial restraint on prices would encourage consumption and lead to a run down of stocks which need to be marketed in an orderly way to cover the remaining months of the season.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers in England are owner-occupiers; and how many tenant farmers there are farming over three hectares.

The information is as follows, but I regret that data in hectares is not available:

	England
Holdings wholly or mainly owned	108,000
Holdings wholly or mainly rented (5 acres or more)	65,400

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reply he has sent to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds concerning the importation of groups of birds which suffer high mortality or which otherwise travel badly which was referred to in the Society's letters dated 8th January 1976 and 21st November, 6th August and 9th July 1975.

Following a wide range of consultations with interested bodies several modifications were made to the original proposals for the import control of captive birds. On 12th November 1975 a memorandum setting out the revised proposals was sent to all interested parties, including the Royal Society for the Protection of birds. The detailed procedures for operating the controls are still being worked out in conjunction with the other Departments concerned. When the final procedures have been drawn up a detailed reply dealing with all the points raised by the Society will be sent, including that relating to the importation of birds which travel badly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the imported foodstuffs upon which new EEC duties became effective on 1st January 1976; whether the effect of these duties has been to increase or decrease the cost of living; if he is to make representations to the Commission with a view to securing reductions in import duties; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.It is impracticable to set out in the

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish in the Official Report a detailed list of full-time members, chairmen and part-time members of any type of Government board or commission held by stated Members of the House of Lords; what salaries or expenses they are allowed, together with any allowances; when the appointments were made and for what period; and whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient period of time, the total amount of money paid to these people.

Such a list is not readily available and the cost of obtaining the information required would be disproportionate. I would, however, refer my hon. Friend to the list of Members of Public Boards of a Commercial Character as at 1st April 1974 (Cmnd. 5609), which may provide some of the information he seeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of extra persons employed by local authorities in Scotland between January 1975 and the latest available date; and if he will list the extra numbers by each individual region and district council, as against the numbers employed by the old local authorities for the areas in question.

I expect to receive shortly the results of a survey, conducted by the National Joint Councils for Local Authorities Services (Scottish Councils), to indicate the total numbers of local authority employees before and after reorganisation. Direct comparisons between individual old and new authorities will, however, not be possible in view of the changes in areas and responsibilities which took place on reorganisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farmers in Scotland are owner-occupiers; and how many tenant farmers there are farming over three hectares.

Information on the numbers of owner-occupiers and tenants in Scotland is not available. However, there were 16,157 holdings of all sizes owner-occupied or mainly owner-occupied, and about 14,400 holdings over three hectares tenanted or mainly tenanted—including crofts—in Scotland in June 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now introduce legislation to allow fish-farming establishments the same benefits regarding rating as are enjoyed by agricultural establishments.

The rating system is at present being examined by the Committee of Enquiry into Local Government Finance. It is hoped that the Committee will report shortly. Any changes in the system will be considereed in the light of that report.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will refer to any Committee of Procedure which may be appointed the question of finding means of ensuring that any Select Committee that has power to send for persons or papers shall have the right to demand the attendance of any of Her Majesty's subjects before it, by due arrangement, or take whatever action may prove necessary to ensure that Standing Orders are amended to this effect.

This goes beyond matters of procedure but I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision is being made in her estimates of hospital expenditure for 1976–77 to provide for the continuation of preliminary work already started in connection with phase 1 of the rebuilding proposals for the General Infirmary at Leeds.

We have not yet been able to notify regional health authorities of their capital allocations for 1976–77 to enable them to draw up proposals for their capital programmes for 1976–77 and future years. In the meantime the Yorkshire Regional Health Authority is continuing the planning of the modified phase 1 scheme for the redevelopment with a view to making a start in 1977 provided resources permit and replanning has been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what present proposals she has for the provision of a medical health centre in Meanwood, Leeds 6; and what provision is being made in the allocation of funds for this purpose.

It is for regional health authorities, in consultation with area health authorities, to decide on health centre schemes in their regions. A scheme of a health centre at Meanwood has been accorded a high priority by the Leeds Area Health Authority (Teaching) and is under consideration for inclusion in the Yorkshire Regional Health Authority's health centre programme for 1976–77 and future years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people received social security benefits during the last calendar month for which figures are available; of this number, how many were (a) single, (b) married and (c) married with one or more children; how many had previously been receiving benefits for the preceding one month, two months, three months, six months and one year; and how many were officially registered as unemployed.

I am afraid I cannot add to the reply I gave on 19th December 1975—[Vol. 902, c. 836]—to the hon. Member's previous Question. I hope to write to him shortly about the possibilities of estimating the overlapping payments to families arising from entitlement to more than one social security benefit. Meanwhile the latest information about individual benefits is contained in a comprehensive form in "Social Security Statistics 1974 ", a copy of which is available in the Library. On the last part of the hon. Member's Question, the answer is that, in January 1976, the number of registered unemployed in Great Britain was 1,372,381.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the unemployment problem and the Governments policy of abolishing sex discrimination, she will take the necessary action to allow men to retire with pensions at 60 years of age, on a voluntary basis.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) on 25th November—[Vol. 901, c. 139]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she expects the Skelmersdale, Digmoor, Health Centre dispute to be resolved; and if she will make a statement.

Following an application from the doctor concerned, the person appointed by my right hon. Friend to hear his appeal against the direction made by the National Health Service Tribunal decided that the hearing should be postponed from 7th to 9th January 1976, the dates original arranged, until 19th to 21st January. On 21st January, as the proceedings had not yet been completed, the hearing was adjourned. Arrangements have been made for it to recommence on 16th February, the earliest date which has been found convenient for all the parties. After the hearing has been concluded, the person appointed will report to my right hon. Friend, who will then, after consulting her medical advisory committee, give her decision on the appeal.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if there is any existing machinery by which mentally ill patients may receive assistance with mortgage repayments.

If a patient is entitled to supplementary benefit, account will be taken of the interest element. Building societies often agree to waive the capital repayments while people are sick.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the annual amount that is currently expended in making hire-purchase payments on colour television sets for persons in receipt of social security payments.

None. No provision whatsoever is made in social security payments for hire-purchase payments on either colour or monochrome television sets.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what criteria she bases her judgment that it is necessary to guarantee the existence of private medicine.

It has always been my wish to secure an orderly phasing out of private practice from National Health Service hospitals and I believe that this will be assisted by the guarantee referred to in the proposals published on 15th December, which should remove any fears which doctors and others may have that this Government intend to abolish private practice altogether and introduce a full-time salaried service.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's Angolan policy.

The cost to the National Health Service of the treatment of particular diseases is not separately identified. The average costs per in-patient per week in non-teaching hospitals in England predominantly providing care for the treatment of tuberculosis and diseases of the chest, in the last three years for which figures are available were:

Year	Average cost per in-patient week
	£
1971–72	62·91
1972–73	69·67
1973–74	84·69

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of working days lost as a result of bronchitis, emphysema and other diseases of the chest in the years 1973, 1974 and 1975.

The following table shows the number of days of certified incapacity due to bronchitis, emphysema and other diseases of the chest for the last three years for which figures are available. Figures for influenza with pneumonia, and for malignant conditions of the lung are not included.

Her Majesty's Government's consistent policy has been to oppose any external intervention in Angola, and in keeping with this we have made representations to the Soviet, Cuban and South African Governments. We repeat our call for a ceasefire, and for a political settlement which will enable all the Angolan people to determine their own future freely.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the reference to the UN Commission on Human Rights of the case of Dr. Sheila Cassidy; and which other cases have been so referred at any time by Her Majesty's Government.

In February 1975 the United Nations Commission on Human Rights established an ad hoc working group

" to inquire into the present situation of human rights in Chile on the basis … of oral and written evidence to be gathered from all relevant sources ".

The group will be presenting its final report to the Commission on Human Rights in February and Her Majesty's Government considered that Dr. Cassidy's testimony should form part of the body of evidence on which that report will be based. I know of no comparable case.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the study of the efficiency and manning of British overseas embassies has been given to the Central Policy Review Staff rather than the Civil Service Department.

The terms of reference for the review which my right hon. Friend announced on 14th January make it clear that this is to be a wide-ranging policy review, starting with a review of our national interests and requirements across the whole overseas field. The nature of the review makes the CPRS the most appropriate body to undertake it on behalf of the Government. The Civil Service Department will, of course, be one of the Departments closely associated with the review.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will list the dependent territories of the United Kingdom where legislation prevents Her Majesty's Government from being able to ratify the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and whether he will give details of that legislation and of any discussions currently taking place to rectify the situation.

The covenants concern matters in which the Governments of many of the dependent territories have constitutional autonomy. It would not be appropriate to disclose the exchanges of views now being conducted with these Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now recommend that Chilean assets in Great Britain be seized to defray the sum of £14 million owed by the Chilean junta for 1975–76.

The Chileans are about £11 million in default on their commercial and government-to-government debt. Her Majesty's Government have made repeatedly clear that they expect the Chilean Government to pay their debts in full.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of printing the British Council Annual Report 1974–75; how many copies were printed; how many were distributed free; and what was the cost of the distribution.

The estimated cost of printing the British Council's annual report for 1974–75 was £6,300. In addition, the estimated cost of design and preparation was £2,200. 14,500 copies were printed and all but 1,000 of these were distributed free. The remainder are available for sale at 50p each through Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Distribution is made in a number of ways, including the Council's offices in Britain and in some 80 countries overseas and it is not possible to estimate the cost of distribution.