asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider changing allowable depreciation on agricultural buildings in order to fall in line with depreciation rates allowed in industry.

I have noted the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied with the income tax system as it affects widows.

I do not think it would be right to treat widows differently from single people for income tax purposes. The better way of helping them is by regular improvements in the level of widows' pensions, which we have increased by more than 70 per cent. since February 1974.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the increase in revenue from raising betting duty by 1 per cent.

About £15 million in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent he estimates the decline in net sales and rentals of colour television sets in Great Britain is due to the imposition of 25 per cent. VAT.

I am monitoring the effects of the higher rate of VAT, but we shall have to accept that it is difficult to separate precisely the various causes of decline in the demand for colour television sets.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer upon what criteria he will review the success or failure, from the revenue raising view point, of the effect of introducing VAT at 25 per cent. on the boating industry, and other industries selected for the increased rate by him in his main Budget last year.

The higher rate of VAT was one of the taxation measures introduced in the April 1975 Budget as part of my right hon. Friend's strategy to reduce the rate of inflation and improve the balance of payments as a basis for economic recovery. We are monitoring the effects of the 25 per cent. rate and the results of this monitoring will form part of the information my right hon. Friend will consider in drawing up his next Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the comparable value of the £5,000 exemption for VAT purchases when first introduced in April 1972 in current figures; and if he will modify the VAT exemption limit for small business to this latter figure.

The exemption limit of £5,000 a year taxable turnover would need to be raised to £8,750. I will bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce legislation to make the aggregation of a wife and husband's income for tax purposes an offence under the Sex Discrimination Act; and if he will make a statement.

No. The law already provides that a husband or wife can apply to be separately assessed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make unemployment benefit taxable.

When the present National Insurance Scheme was introduced the then Labour Government legislated to bring all short-term benefits within the tax charge. But the attempt to tax these benefits was abandoned in 1949, when they were exempted, because of the practical difficulty of enforcing the liability. Since then the matter has been carefully examined on a number of occasions, but so far no satisfactory method of taxing the benefit has been found.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated loss of revenue from the abolition of the 40 per cent. income tax band in the fiscal years 1975–76, 1976–77 and 1977–78.

For 1975–76 the estimated full-year cost of abolishing the 40 per cent. income tax band and extending the basic rate band to £5,000 is about £25 million. Costs in future years will depend on the growth of income and ally changes in the tax system.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated yield of a 1 per cent. increase in the 35 per cent. income tax rate in the fiscal years 1975–76, 1976–77 and 1977–78.

For 1975–76 the estimated full-year yield from an increase of 1p in the basic rate of income tax would be about £360 million. Yields in future years would depend on the growth of income and changes ill the tax system.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he proposes to take to implement the recommendation of the Central Policy Review Staff for stabilising fiscal policy affecting the motor industry.

The Government have committed themselves in the White Paper on the British Motor Vehicle Industry to providing, as far as possible, a stable economic environment for domestic sales of motor vehicles. Other considerations may, however, require the use of fiscal instuments affecting the motor industry, and, if so, the position and prospects of the industry will be taken fully into account.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many patients discharged from Broad-moor Hospital in the last three years have subsequently been charged with criminal offences.

I am obtaining the figures and will send them to the hon. Member as soon as they are available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, following the announcement of the programme for the celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, he can give an indication of the Government's attitude towards the organisation of celebrations outside the official programme in London.

As the Prime Minister said in his reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (Mr. Blenkinsop) on 18th December—[Vol. 902, c. 687–90.]—the Government would welcome local contributions to the celebrations, and were most pleased to learn of a committee, established under the chairmanship of Lord Drogheda, to organise such events in London. No doubt Lord Drogheda and his colleagues will wish to maintain close contacts with the Chairman of the Arts and Sports Councils, with a view to achieving a co-ordinated programme of activities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of juveniles in prison establishments at the latest available date; how many boys and how many girls were in local prisons; and how many of these had been imprisoned for more than a week.

On 22nd December 1975, 1,663 juveniles, 1,599 of whom were males, were held in Prison Department establishments. Of that total, 31 males and 12 females were in local prisons and 1,509 had been in custody for more than a week.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total of public debt in Northern Ireland for rent, rates, gas and electricity; and what steps are being taken to ensure that these debts are paid.

The total of these debts is approximately £13·5 million. Of this, £5 million is for rent and rates due to the Housing Executive; £3·5 million is for rates alone; £2·75 million is for electricity; and £2·7 million is for gas. It is impossible to assess with any accuracy the proportion of debtors who would claim political motives for not meeting their obligations; but of the 28,000 tenants of public housing who took part in the civil disobedience campaign in 1971, only 3,480 have not made an arrangement with the Housing Executive to pay off their arrears, and the amount they owe is £740,000. The average debt to the Housing Executive is about £140. However, this figure conceals the size of the larger debts as there is a large number of relatively small debts.The original civil disobedience campaign accounts for only a small proportion of public debt. Many people, from both sides of the community, are now evading their responsibilities. This is unfair to the much greater number of law-abiding people who are meeting their obligations, such a situation cannot be allowed to continue. Debt must be paid and there is no question of remission.I have accordingly decided to extend from 5th April 1976 the procedures set up under the Payments for Debts (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971. That Act provided for the recovery of debts due to public authorities by deductions from payments made to the debtors from public funds. The procedures will now be extended so as to provide, in the first instance, for the allocation of social security benefits towards meeting debts for rent or rates in all cases in which the authority to which the debt is due is satisfied that normal methods of collection or enforcement are unlikely to work.Experience has shown that this method of recovery is effective and humane. Over £4 million of public money has so far been recovered by it; and the review by the Department of Health and Social Services of cases of alleged hardship has thrown up only a few instances in which the rate of deduction from social security benefits has had to be reduced. This method of recovery is, however, administratively expensive, and I accordingly intend to impose, also from 5th April 1976, a collection charge where it has to be used for rent and rates debts; this charge will normally be 50p per week. The new collection charge will also apply to the 2,000 persons who are already having deductions made from their welfare benefits for payment of their debts to public authorities.People will be able to avoid incurring the collection charge by resuming regular payment forthwith and making arrangements to clear their arrears. It will not usually be possible to release defaulters at short notice from this method of recovering debts because regular social welfare benefits are paid by order books covering periods of up to 52 weeks which would have to be recalled and re-issued. Accordingly, people who are in debt and who do not now take steps to resume normal payments and to clear arrears may have to continue to pay the collection charge for some time.People who have not made arrangements to pay their rent and rates regularly and to pay off their debts will continue to be ineligible for any rebates to which they might otherwise be entitled.A further statement will be made in due course about debts for gas and electricity.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will introduce an order to apply the sex discrimination legislation to Northern Ireland.

Sex discrimination legislation applying to Northern Ireland is being prepared and I hope to introduce an order during the present Session of Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give a guarantee that there will be no financial cut-back on grants to community groups after the hand over of functions to local government.

The cost of meeting existing recurrent grant commitments to community groups will be taken into account when grants to district councils for expenditure on community activities in 1976–77 are being determined. The Northern Ireland Department of Education has also advised district councils that community groups should be treated no less favourably than at present until the end of the financial year 1976–77.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many community centres in Northern Ireland from 1st January 1972 have been granted a licence to sell alcohol; how many have a seven-day licence; and what are the names of the community centres concerned.

Four certificates of registration under the Registration of Clubs Act (Northern Ireland) 1967 have been granted since January 1972 to community centres which received financial assistance from the Department of Education—or the former Department of Community Relations. In accordance with the provisions of the Act, intoxicating liquor may be supplied in a registered club to members on each day of the week subject to a restriction in hours.The four community centres are: St. Matthew's Old Age Pensioners' Social Club, Belfast; Taughmonagh Community and Recreational and Social Club, Belfast; Andersonstown Tenants' Community Centre Club, Belfast; West Winds Tenants' Association Club, Newtownards.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement regarding the progress of negotiations on the hand over of community relation functions to the district councils in Northern Ireland.

Following discussions with the Interim Standing Advisory Conference of Community Associations and representatives of the Local Authorities Association. I have adopted the principles contained in the report of the Joint Working Party on Community, Sporting and Recreational Provision subject to a few modifications and additions. A circular letter incorporating those decisions has now been issued to district councils by the Department of Education. This circular provides for greater district council involvement in support for community groups. The new arrangements will come into operation on 1st April 1976.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether council agricultural smallholdings will be granted exception from the amendment clause in the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill proposing hereditary tenancies.

I am considering the representations of the Association of County Councils on the matter.

asked the Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next expects to meet the NFU to discuss the problems of horticulture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received from the National Farmers' Union regarding current problems facing the glasshouse industry.

Horticulture is being considered in the context of the Annual Review and will no doubt be discussed when my right hon. Friend next meets the NFU in that connection.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he remains satisfied with the future prospects of the glasshouse industry.

I remain confident that efficient growers will adapt to circumstances and continue to provide the high quality produce in demand by consumers. Although the glasshouse industry suffered some damage on the night of 2nd January this is not expected to have a significant effect on total production or the prospects of the industry generally.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what immediate steps he intends to take towards overcoming the world food shortage; and if he will make a statement.

As we stated in the White Paper "Food from our Own Resources", the expansion of United Kingdom agricultural production on an economic basis, which is the Government's policy, will reduce our demand in the longer term on world food supplies. However, there are limits to the contribution we can make in this way to expanding world food production, but we are also taking steps to help developing countries to expand their own food production and we are supporting international efforts to stabilise supplies and prices of basic foodstuffs by means of commodity arrangements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give an assurance that the system of slaughter premiums for beef will be continued.

This is a major objective for the United Kingdom in the current CAP price negotiations.

asked the Minister or Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current position regarding the supply of potatoes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the supply of potatoes coming on to the market.

The reasons for the present shortage have been fully explained to the House. I would refer my hon. Friends to the statement made during the debate last evening and to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 26th January.—[Vol. 904, c. 29–31.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many tons of potatoes were imported in November 1975, December 1975 and during the same months last year.

In November and December 1974 total imports of new potatoes were 648 tons; imports of maincrop were nil since the normal ban applied. In November and December 1975 total imports of new and maincrop potatoes were 75,216 tons.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will initiate a campaign to encourage economy in the use of potatoes in the interests of keeping down their price.

I am sure the housewife and other potato users are already fully aware of the need to economise in the use of potatoes at the present time. I do not consider a Government campaign to be necessary.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will compare the average interest being currently charged on new borrowing for agricultural investments with that being charged in France and Germany.

Because of the variety of interest rates charged in the United Kingdom and in France and Germany it is not possible to give an accurate average figure for new borrowings in the agricultural sector. Bank overdraft rates in the United Kingdom are now about 13 per cent. to 13½ per cent. Similar rates in Germany for mid-January were about 8¼ per cent. to 9¼ per cent and in France about 10·05 per cent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present price of New Zealand butter landed in the United Kingdom prior to levy, and the full EEC intervention price, respectively.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 15th January to my right hon. Friend the Member for Battersea, North (Mr. Jay).—[Vol. 903, c. 211].

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present volume of EEC stocks of butter.

Stocks held by EEC intervention agencies total 77,000 metric tons.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to take any action to help farmers who suffered severe damage in the recent gales.

My advisory staff are ready to give all the help they can to farmers facing difficulties as a result of the recent storms. In addition, grant aid is available under the Farm Capital Grant Scheme and the Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme for a number of items, including replacing and reconditioning farm buildings.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given to assistance to glasshouse growers who have recently suffered damage to their buildings in the recent storms.

The Horticulture Capital Grant Scheme provides grants of up to 25 per cent. towards the eligible cost of replacing or reconditioning glasshouses and durable structures for cladding with plastic together with related equipment. Higher grants are available under the Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme in the context of approved development plans. In addition, we are considering a request for special assistance made by the NFU on behalf of the growers affected.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has now considered the NFU's report on damage caused by the storm on 2nd January.

My officials have met representatives of the NFU and discussed reports received of the damage caused by the storm on 2nd January. We are considering a request for special assistance made by the NFU on behalf of the growers affected.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will announce the Government's policy for ensuring that the loss of productive capacity, resulting from storm damage, particularly in the glasshouse sector, will be restored as quickly as possible.

I refer the hon. Member to the replies given earlier today to the hon. Members for Kidderminster (Mr. Bulmer) and Harrogate (Mr. Banks).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect have increased prices of beef, milk and potatoes had on the average weekly food bill for a family of four as shown in his Department's statistics up to the summer of 1975 compared with 1974; and what consultations he is having with responsible Ministers to reduce the impact of such increases on the families of working people.

Comparisons for a family of four are not available. Average weekly expenditure on food in households with two adults and one or two children rose by 64p per head in the 12 months to the third quarter of 1975. 24p of this was due to higher expenditure on beef and veal, milk and potatoes. I would remind my hon. Friend of the Government's programme of food subsidies, which is estimated to save a family of two adults and two children about 68p per week. My right hon. Friend and I keep in close touch with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Prices and we take full account of the need to avoid unnecessary increases in retail food prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the difference between the final Icelandic cod quota on offer and the minimum quota demanded by Her Majesty's Government.

The position regarding the negotiations between the United Kingdom and Iceland was described in the statement which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made on the subject yesterday. It would not be in the interest of our industry to disclose details of the figures discussed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the effect of the cod war with Iceland on the British fishing industry.

Catches by British trawlers at Iceland since the dispute began have been somewhat greater than in the same period a year ago, and catch rates have been slightly lower. In the last few days following, withdrawal of naval protection, action by the Icelandic coastguard has brought fishing to a virtual standstill.I have considered the effects of this on the earnings of trawler officers and crews and have decided, with the agreement of the Treasury, to take appropriate measures to compensate them for loss of earnings over the period 24th January to 4th February inclusive. The cost is expected to be about £100,000. I propose to seek the agreement of the House for this expenditure to be incurred under the Appropriation Act.Despite the difficult conditions they face, I am asking the trawlers in the light of this decision to remain on the grounds and resume fishing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether private borehole owners would be exempted from the EEC Water Directive (R/ 2640/ 75).

The intention is that all water for human consumption, whether from public supplies or private sources, should be covered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many units of sheltered housing were (1) started and (2) completed by local authorities and housing associations, respectively, in each of the past five years for which figures are available.

Figures of sheltered housing are not at present separable from those for one-bedroom housing generally. I am currently considering proposals to collect information from local authorities and housing associations about their stock of special housing for old people.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the cost to the Exchequer of the decision to give rates relief to householders in England and Wales with septic tanks.

In England and Wales, sewerage and sewage disposal are financed by charges which are separate from the general rates. Following the House of Lords' decision in the Daymond case—that the Water Act 1973 allows such charges to be levied only on properties with mains drainage—the Government have introduced the Water Charges Bill to provide for refunds of charges levied on unconnected properties in 1974–75 and 1975–76. Refunds will be financed by higher charges to connected properties. The only cost to the Exchequer will be the notional one resulting from the decision not to claw back from the water authorities the special domestic rates relief paid in 1974–75 on account of increased sewerage charges to unconnected properties, which will be deducted from refunds. This is estimated at £5·8 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree was not advised until 12th January that a letter he wrote on 15th December to the Minister for Transport about taxi licence plates was to be transferred to the Home Office.

Nine working days have elapsed between the date on which the hon. Member's letter was received and the date on which a letter notifying transfer was despatched. I regret this delay which occurred as a result of an oversight.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what transpired at the Regional Consultative Committee meeting at Merseyside County Council chaired by him on 12th January.

The Regional Annual Consultative Committee meeting held on 12th January under my chairmanship was attended by representatives of the Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire County Councils together with officials from the Department of the Environment. It completed a series covering the operational areas of each of my Department's road construction units. The Committee discussed the present state of the trunk road network in the North-West, it considered a report on progress on all major trunk road schemes in the area either under construction or planned, and it paid particular attention to the relationships between trunk road and local authority road programmes and investment. The Committee also reviewed the new system of consultation between the Department and local authorities on trunk road matters, of which this Committee forms part.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on his policy regarding the operation of Part IV of the Community Land Act 1975 relating to unoccupied office premises; what use he has so far made of his powers; and what is his departmental budget for the current and forthcoming financial year for acquisitions under Section 28 of the Act.

The powers of Part IV will be exercised where my right hon. Friend considers he would be justified in taking action. It would be inappropriate to forecast What sums might be required.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will give the best information now available to his Department on the claims made by councillors for attendance, subsistence and travelling allowances in respect of county councils throughout England and Wales and in the case of district councils throughout the South-East area giving full details, separately, in respect of the Greater London Council;

As I have explained in correspondence with the hon. and learned Member, local authorities are not required to provide these details to my Department. Such estimates as can be made, however, suggest that the total expenditure of local authorities in England and Wales in 1974–75 was £8 million on attendance allowances, £1½ million on travelling allowances and a further £½ million on subsistence.In the Government's view it would be an unnecessary additional burden on local authorities if they were required to make these returns to a central Department. It is sufficient that they are obliged to make available to local electors the accounts relating to these payments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the average tax relief including option mortgage subsidy in England and Wales and in Great Britain per mortgagor and per owner-occupier for 1973–74 and 1974–75; and what is the estimated subsidy in both cases for 1975–76;(2) taking present day figures in both cases, what is the average subsidy on a newly built council house in the first year, including subsidies from all sources; and what is the tax relief on an average new mortgage for England and Wales and for Great Britain in both cases;(3) what was the average housing subsidy in England and Wales and in Great Britain, per housing association tenant, council tenant and private tenant for 1973–74 and 1974–75; and what is the estimated subsidy in each case for 1975–76.

I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of hospital patients in Scotland is in mental hospitals.

During the year ending 30th September 1974, the latest year for which information is available, 46 per cent. of the total bed days of all hospital departments was attributable to patients in departments dealing with mental illness, child psychiatry and mental deficiency.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of geriatric beds per 1,000 of population over 65 years of age in the Western Isles, and the figure for Scotland as a whole.

At 30th September 1974 the figures were 13 and 14·8 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many separate establishments in the EEC conduct research into plutonium fuels and actinides.

I understand that there are about 15 separate establishments in EEC countries which conduct research in this field. These include Harwell and Windscale in the United Kingdom, the OECD Eurochemic Project's laboratory at Mol in Belgium and the Community's own Institute of Transuranium Elements at Karlsruhe in Germany.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what progress has been made by the AEA in the development of a process for the glassification of radioactive waste; what international collaboration has been negotiated with other States; and what are the tentative dates for a commercial plant in the United Kingdom.

The glassification process has been successfully developed on a laboratory scale. Further work is required to demonstrate it on an industrial scale. There is full exchange of technical information with the research, development and demonstration programmes in France and the Federal German Republic through the joint company United Reprocessors G.m.b.H. There are also exchanges with the technical programme in the United States of America. The present United Kingdom programme aims at commencing full operation of an industrial scale plant in the 1980s.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, under contracts negotiated by the AEA for reprocessing nuclear fuel elements, what provision has been made for the disposal of radioactive waste and in overseas contracts which of the parties has eventual custody of the waste products.

Reprocessing contracts are negotiated by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The waste arising from contracts currently running with overseas countries will be stored here with that arising from the reprocessing of fuel for the home generating boards; it represents less than 10 per cent. of the latter quantity. If the Government decide that further overseas work for reprocessing may be undertaken the contracts will contain an option to return the resultant waste to the country of origin.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of spent irradiated fuel elements accepted by British Nuclear Fuels Limited for reprocessing is composed of radioactive waste, uranium and plutonium.

The composition of irradiated fuels depends on its irradiation history. Longer irradiation, with more electricity production, converts more uranium into fission product waste and plutonium. Typical compositions are:

	Relatively low irradiation from stations (3,000 Mw days per ton) Per cent.	Relatively high irradiation from oxide fuelled thermal reactors (33,000 Mw days per ton) days per ton) Per cent.
Uranium	99·5	95·5
Plutonium	0·2	1·0
Waste	0·3	3·5

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what estimates he has made of the potential energy saving that could result from the adoption of double summer time; and what further consideration he is giving to this proposal.

Estimated savings would be about 0.5 per cent. of our total electricity consumption, offset by a number of penalties. The nett savings, if any, are not thought to justify the change.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when, and in what form, he expects to follow up the publication of the Plowden inquiry into the electricity supply industry.

The Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the structure of the electricity supply industry in England and Wales was published on 28th January. As I have already made clear, I intend to seek the views of those who work in the industry and other interested people. There should be a wide public debate before the Government reach that decisions.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the likely loss of revenue to the gas and electricity industries in 1976 as a result of the "Save It" campaign.

I am advised that it is not yet possible by available methods to make meaningful estimates of the revenue effect of the "Save It" campaign on individual fuel industries. Although there are indications of significant savings in energy consumption as a whole, the impact of the campaign cannot be separated from the totality of the Government's conservation effort, including the move to the economic pricing of fuels. Nor is it possible to say how far the impact has fallen on or will in future fall on gas and electricity because of the possibilities of substitution between the fuels and between them and coal and petroleum products.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what are the latest estimated trading results for the current year for the Central Electricity Generating Board;(2) what was the rate of return in the last year for which accounts are available on the assets employed in the Central Electricity Generating Board;(3) what is the estimated target set for the Central Electricity Generating Board expressed as a rate of return on assets employed for the current financial year;(4) whether he has agreed the corporate plan for the financial year ending in 1976, 1977 and 1978 in respect of the activities of the Central Electricity Generating Board; and, if so, what targets he has set;(5) what was the rate of return in the last year for which accounts are available on the assets employed in the British Gas Corporation;(6) what is the estimated target set for the British Gas Corporation expressed as a rate of return on assets employed for the current financial year;(7) whether he has agreed the corporate plan for the financial years ending in 1976, 1977 and 1978 in respect of the activities of the British Gas Corporation; and, if so, what targets he has set;(8) what are the latest estimated trading results for the current year for the British Gas Corporation;

The latest available trading results for the current year are as follows:The Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) and the British Gas Corporation (BGC) are expected to make modest surpluses. The National Coal Board (NCB) is thought likely to break even. It should, however, be stressed that these results are still subject to uncertainty depending upon the weather between now and the end of the financial year.The rates of return on average net assets achieved by the industries in 1974–75, expressed after depreciation but before interest, were as follows:

CEGB	6·2 per cent.
BGC	5·5 per cent.
NCB	6·7 per cent.

Financial targets, set by past Governments have not yet been reintroduced. But the current prices of both the CEGB and the BGC were set on the basis of paragraph 98 of the Price Code, which enables nationalised industries to choose to increase prices to an extent necessary to ensure a surplus of 2 per cent. of turnover or to make a return of 10 per cent. on net assets. The NCB's aim, endorsed by the Government, is to break even after payment of interest.Corporate plans are reviewed annually. Those prepared last year by NCB and BGC covering the years 1975–76–1979–80 have been accepted. The underlying objective of NCB's plan was implementation of the "Plan for Coal". For BGC the main objectives were to operate in the most efficient and profitable way subject to the statutory provisions covering the supply of gas, the Price Code, and the provisions of the 1972 Gas Act. A corporate plan for the electricity supply industry is currently under discussion.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the conduct of the Animal Research Laboratory.

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the Medical Research Council's Laboratory Animal Centre, which has advisory and other functions in connection with the supply and husbandry of laboratory animals. The conduct of the Centre is a matter for the Council, who regularly review the work of all their establishments and who tell me that they are satisfied that it is fulfilling these functions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what qualifications are necessary for entry to special schools under Section 12 of the Canal Boats Act 1877; how many schools there are still in existence set up under this Act; and whether such schools are affected by his current proposals to end selection.

My Department is not aware of any existing school specialising in the education of canal-boat children, whether established under Section 12 of the Canal Boats Act 1877 or otherwise.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidelines he has given to local education authorities over expansion of education administration and peripheral services at a time when the basic educational service is under severe restraint.

The Joint Circular on the Rate Support Grant settlement for 1976–77—DES Circular 15/75—stated that

"the Government, beyond outlining the general policy on expenditure and indicating in broad terms their views on the relative priorities for the various services which should operate in 1976–77, do not consider it appropriate to offer more precise guidance to authorities on the manning adjustments necessitated by present constraints".

Since 1970, expenditure on educational administration and inspection has remained at about 5 per cent. of local authority current expenditure on the education service.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities in England and Wales have appointed pocket money advisers and at what approximate cost.

I am not aware of any such appointments within the education service.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schemes for comprehensive reorganisation involving direct-grant schools he has received since 1974; if he will list those that he rejected; and if he will state which direct-grant schools have announced their intention of going independent as a result.

Since 1974 statutory proposals have been submitted to the Secretary of State for Education and Science for the entry into the maintained system, as comprehensive schools, of six direct-grant grammar schools. No decision has yet been reached on any of these proposals.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next intends to make a further appointment of justices to the Manchester City Magistrates' Court.

Later this year.

asked the Attorney-General what happens as to the proof of the existence of rights and liabilities under public and private Acts of Parliament if printed copies are not available for production in court.

Sufficient time is usually allowed between Royal Assent and the commencement of a public Act of Parliament for it to be printed and published. If copies of an Act, whether public or private, are not available the original print may be inspected in the Public or Private Bill Office and copies taken on payment of a fee.

asked the Attorney-General whether he has now received the report of the Law Commission on the matrimonial jurisdiction of magistrates courts; and whether he will now publish it.

My noble Friend has not yet received the Law Commission's report but hopes to receive it within the next few months.

asked the Attorney-General if he will make a statement concerning the recent prosecution, trial and acquittal of members of the British Withdrawal from Northern Ireland Campaign.

On the advice of Treasury Counsel proceedings were brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions against fourteen people on a charge of conspiracy to contravene Section 1 of the Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934 and on substantive charges of contravening Section 2(1) of that Act. Two of the accused were also charged on counts of contravening Section 192 of the Army Act 1955. Pleas of guilty were accepted to the Army Act charges and fines of £50 were imposed on each count.The jury, which I am told was the subject of 77 challenges by the defence, acquitted the accused in respect of all charges under the Incitement to Disaffection Act.The Law Commission is considering the Act as part of its review of the law of treason and kindred offences. I am assisting the Law Commission in its deliberations by providing information about the operation of the Act since its commencement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a progress report on the agreement with the building societies to allocate an additional £5 million for mortgages in Wales to fill the gap caused by the suspension of local authority mortgages; and, in particular, whether he is satisfied with the take-up.

Applications through local authorities for such mortgages have been lower than expected. But there are indications that publicity for the scheme has encouraged many borrowers to apply direct to a building society rather than to a local authority and I am satisfied that the agreement is making a valuable contribution to the housing market in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a further statement on the dumping of woollen textile goods in this country from Eastern European countries.

My Department has at present no applications before it for antidumping action against woollen textiles from Eastern Europe.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many complaints have been received about the noise of Concorde at Heathrow on its first commercial flight to and from Bahrain.

My Department and the British Airports Authority have received a total of three complaints.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will reduce the number of aircraft movements per- mitted at night at Heathrow in 1976 and extend the duration of the specified night hours.

As I explained in the reply I gave on 19th December—[Vol. 902, c. 896]—to my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Graham), the Heathrow 1976 summer night jet quota will remain at the 1975 level of 2,600. The question of the duration of the specified night hours is one of the subjects being considered in the longer-term policy review now being undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the rate of return in the last year for which accounts are available on the assets employed in British Airways.

The rate of return on the mean net assets of British Airways for 1974–75 is set out on page 4 of the Annual Report and Accounts for that year, a copy of which is available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what is the estimated target set for British Airways expressed as a rate of return on assets employed for the current financial year;(3) whether he has agreed the corporate plan for the financial years ending in 1976, 1977 and 1978 in respect of the activities of British Airways; and, if so, what targets he has set;(3) what are the latest estimated trading results for the current year for British Airways.

My right hon. Friend discussed British Airways corporate plan for the years 1975–76 to 1979–80 with the Board last April. At that time it was projected that the Board's operations would on average break even over the period 1975–76 to 1977–78. I understand that the latest view is that there will be no profit in 1975–76 and therefore no return on the assets employed by the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if the sinews and tendons of whales and the parings and similar waste of raw skins of whales were on 10th December 1975 restricted imports by virtue of the Customs Tariff heading 0506 0001;(2) if residues resulting from the treatment of whale fats were, on 10th December 1975, restricted imports by virtue of the Customs Tariff heading 1517 0503;(3) if the guts, bladders and stomachs of whales, whether whole or pieces thereof, were, on 10th December 1975, restricted imports by virtue of Customs Tariff heading 0504 0632.

I have been asked to reply.None of these products was restricted imports on 10th December 1975. Restrictions would be largely unenforceable as the products cannot readily be distinguished from similar products of other animals. None of these products is, however, thought to be imported into the United Kingdom which is why my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Trade did not mention them in the answer he gave to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight (Mr. Ross) on 10th December 1975.—[Vol. 902, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the gross cost of family allowances and the net cost of family allowances after the tax clawback in each of the fiscal years 1975–76, 1976–77 and 1977–78.

The estimated gross cost of family allowances in 1975–76 and 1976–77 is £533 million and £525 million, respectively. The cost net of income tax, including clawback, is estimated to be about £270 million in 1975–76 and would be of a similar order in 1976–77 on present income tax rates. As regards later years, the Government have announced that family allowances will be replaced by the new scheme of child benefit in April 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why, in redesigning application form JDS2, for attendance allowance, question 10, which in a previous edition of the form, asked for any additional useful information which could be used in deciding the claim, has been omitted completely and not replaced.

Claimants were invited to state the disabled person's attendance needs on the original claim form, DS2, because this was the only formal opportunity claimants had for making a signed statement before a decision was reached. When the attendance allowance medical report forms were revised provision was made for the claimant to make a signed statement of the attendance needs in much more detail on the front of these forms. The question on the claim form became unnecessary, therefore, and the opportunity was taken to omit it when the claim form was recently revised and reprinted as a tear-off portion of the attendance allowance leaflet NI 205.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of the health service budget will be needed in the current year to cover geriatric and psychiatric medicine.

It is estimated that in the financial year 1975–76 hospital services provided specifically for geriatric and psychiatric patients will account for something of the order of 20 per cent, of all expenditure on the health service in England including expenditure on special hospitals. In addition other parts of the health service provide facilities for old people and for the mentally ill and mentally handicapped.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the cost of increasing the retirement pension by £1 per week for (a) a married couple and (b) a single person in the fiscal years (i) 1975–76 and (ii) 1976–77;(2) haw many married couples and how many single persons are in receipt of the State pension.

There are about 2,090,000 married couples^* and about 3,950,000 single persons receiving national insurance retirement pensions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much of the gross national product is spent on the health service.

It is estimated that 5·4 per cent. of GNP at factor cost was spent on the NHS in 1974–75.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will publish a table showing separately the number of national insurance cards issued annually over the last 10 years to new Commonwealth citizens who are (a) illegal immigrants, (b) had outstayed their work permits or (c) had been admitted as students or for a purpose other than work; and whether she is considering a change in the methods of her Department in the issue of cards to such categories.

The categories specified by the hon. Member are not relevant to national insurance registration and our records do not enable any such cases to be identified. Under a revised procedure introduced last year identity particulars provided by applicants for registration are checked by the scrutiny of various documents such as the passports of immigrants, and if doubts arise advice may be sought from the appropriate authority. No change in these arrangements is contemplated at present. Since April 1975 national insurance cards have not been used for employed persons but applicants for registration have to be issued with national insurance numbers.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what power he has to direct industry to new towns.

The Government have no powers to direct firms to particular locations but regional incentives are available to attract industry to new towns in the assisted areas. The advantages of setting up in business in the new towns are drawn to the attention of industrialists.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give a list of those bodies other than committees, but including statutory corporations, to which he appoints members other than civil servants; and if he will state the number of members serving on each body.

Excluding various advisory committees and similar bodies, the list is as follows:—

	No. of members
British Steel Corporation	16
Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust	8
Design Council	29
Design Council Scottish Committee	19
English Industrial Estates Corporation	4
Furniture Development Council	17
National Computing Centre Ltd.	6
National Enterprise Board	9
National Research Development Corporation	10
Post Office	12
Requirements Board, as follows:—
Chemicals and Minerals	13
Chief Scientist's	14
Computers, Systems and Electronics	9
Engineering Materials	8
Garment and Allied Industries	8
Mechanical Engineering and Machine Tools	7
Metrology and Standards	10
Ship and Marine Technology	9

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what sums have been received by Scotland under the Industry Act 1972; and what sums have been received by the Yorkshire and Humberside Region.

Up to 31st March 1975, the latest date to which a full regional breakdown is available, payments in Scotland totalled £167 million and payments in the Yorkshire and Humberside region £25 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry why Mr. William Ruckethaus was retained by the British Government as a counsel for the Concorde hearing in Washington; what fee was paid to him, and if he will ensure that Mr. Ruckethaus is not retained for future hearings.

Mr. Ruckethaus was retained by Her Majesty's Government to offer legal advice on Concorde operations in the United States, and is paid according to the work done. His advice has already proved useful and we intend to continue to seek it whenever appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what sums have been received by Scotland in grants from the EEC Regional Fund in 1975 for infrastructure projects; and what sums by the Yorkshire and Humberside Region.

I have been asked to reply.The grant commitments from the EEC Regional Fund for 1975 for infrastructure projects in Scotland and in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region were as follows:

Scotland	£4,333,078
Yorkshire and Humberside	£401,910

Applications for payment of grant are not being made. Under the Fund Regulation development areas have priority over intermediate areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to carry out the election manifesto undertaking to seek the removal of all United States nuclear bases from Great Britain.

The election manifesto stated that starting from the basis of the multilateral disarmament negotiations we would seek the removal of US Polaris bases from Great Britain. When the present talks on mutual and balanced force reductions in central Europe are concluded we may be able to move towards such multilateral negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the World's Bank's financial assistance to Chile.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave his Question on 28th January.