asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce measures to assist the brickwork industry.

The building brick industry has benefited from the priority which the Government have given to housing. The figures for new house building in Great Britain for 1975 show an encouraging improvement on 1974 in both the public and private sectors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will detail the various methods of dealing with the problem of air pollution caused by Messrs. Gardner Merchants in Kew; and if the Alkali Inspectorate is satisfied that these methods will be successful.

The Alkali Inspectorate suggested that either afterburning or catalytic combustion might deal satisfactorily with the odour emitted from this factory, but the company considered those measures to be too expensive. A planning application for a chimney with an outlet 37 ft. about ground level, which should disperse the smell away from the surrounding houses, is being considered by the local planning authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on any research into the transport use of waterways he has commissioned, following his statement in August 1974; and. if so, what progress has been made.

The only research project currently in progress which impinges on the transport use of inland waterways is a study by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory into the transport of aggregates.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of improvement grants provided to the city of Coventry in each of the years 1970 to 1975; and what is the estimated figure of improvement grants to be provided in the year 1976.

The figures are as follows:

	Number of dwellings
1970	665
1971	464
1972	397
1973	350
1974	317
1975	134

Information is not available for 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what he estimates to be the total refund to nationalised industries and other public sector bodies under the proposals of the Water Charges Bill; and if he will give any available details of the individual amounts which would be due to such industries or other bodies.

Route No.		Scheme Title				Expenditure in 1974–75 and 1975–76 to date £
A6	…	St. Mary's Square Improvement, Bedford	…	…	…	299
A6	…	Sharnbrook Cross Vicarage Farm	…	…	…	101,950
A6	…	Wilstead Bypass	…	…	…	330,341
A6	…	Reconstruction of St. John's Railway Bridge, Bedford	…	…	…	256,440
A6	…	Clop Hill Bypass Stage 5 Roundabout	…	…	…	70,000
A428	…	Bury Walk Improvement, Bedford	…	…	…	94,354
A428	…	Kimbolton Road Gyratory System	…	…	…	15,753
Ml	…	Toddington Service Area	…	…	…	123
Various	…	Miscellaneous small improvements	…	…	…	67,618
		Maintenace including major resurfacing of Ml	…	…	…	1,552,554

Non-trunk roads, including principal roads, in Bedfordshire are the responsibility of the Bedfordshire County Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the cost of building (a) a lateral extension to Bromham Bridge, Bedford A428, (b) a new bridge alongside it and (c) a diversion route.

The Water Charges Bill allows the Secretary of State to prescribe by order what refunds should go to bodies subject to special rating. This is necessary because for those industries—electricity, gas, the Post Office and the water industry—which are rated as a single cumulo in each rating district it is not possible to identify how much of the total rateable value relates to unconnected properties. It is intended, therefore, to calculate the refunds to those industries as a simple percentage of the charges paid and I am at present discussing with the industries concerned what the percentages should be. All other public sector bodies will be treated in the same way as other rateable hereditaments—i.e., they will have refunded all charges paid on unconnected properties, but no separate estimates are available of the cost of these refunds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money was spent on main roads in Bedfordshire in the last two years; and if he will list the projects.

The following figures relate to trunk roads, including motorways, in Bedfordshire for the financial years l974–75 and 1975–76 to date:

Estimated costs are:

(a) Widening: £1 million.

(b) New bridge alongside: £800,000.

(c) Bypass: £1,700,000.

Widening of the existing bridge, which is listed as an ancient monument, is not recommended for engineering and aesthetic reasons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in the setting up of a Standing Committee on Desalination.

The National Water Council has now decided, in consultation with the Department and the Water Research Centre, to set up a new Standing Committee on Water Treatment, which will meet for the first time next month. To avoid duplication and to ensure that technical matters concerning desalination are dealt with in the wider context of water treatment generally it has been agreed that the Desalination Committee should be constituted as a sub-committee of the new committee. Its tasks and membership will be substantially as already proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out in the Official Report the result of the investigation into imported tyres announced by the Minister for Transport on 27th October 1975.

Following Press reports last October alleging that imported car tyres which were unsafe for normal use were being sold in this country, garages and testing stations that carry out the MOT test were asked to inform the Department if they found any such tyres. Enquiries were also made of the companies mentioned in the Press reports. No evidence of the sale of such tyres was forthcoming until very recently when a commercial firm alleged to the Department that it had been sold a tyre of the sort referred to by the Press. I am now having this allegation investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he estimates that the volume of traffic using the A428 will increase substantially during the next decade or diminish due to the construction at a later date of new major routes.

Standard methods of forecasting indicate a probable traffic growth of up to 35 per cent, over the next 10 years. The effect of proposed new traffic routes is expected to be marginal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions during each of the past 12 months periods for which records are available authorised examiners have entered premises where vehicles are sold, supplied or offered for sale or supplied in accordance with Section 61 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 so as to carry out inspection and testing of used vehicles for the purpose of ascertaining whether such vehicles are roadworthy as required by Section 60 of the Act; and what were the results of such inspections.

I regret that the detailed information requested by my hon. and learned Friend is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the revenue generated per capita by each employee of British Railways; and what is the comparable figure for road transport.

For British Railways, about £3,500 in 1974. A comparable figure for road transport is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes he intends to make in his publicly declared programmes for completion of the M27 and the M3 motorways through Hampshire as a result of the publication of Command Paper No. 6393, Public Expenditure to 1979–80.

The construction of these roads will continue as planned within the financial constraints obtaining over the next few years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities are currently operating loan schemes for house purchase; and how many of these are now charging more than 11 per cent, interest to existing borrowers.

There are at present 394 local authorities in England who have approval to operate loan schemes for house purchase, but a few of these have suspended their schemes for the time being. Local authorities are not required to notify my Department of the interest rates they are charging, but I am aware of 112 councils who rates are currently in excess of 11 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the average level of a mortgage granted by a local authority;(2) what is the average level of a mortgage granted by the building societies;(3) how many applications for mortgages from local authorities are turned down;(4) what was the total amount of loans in mortgages by local authorities in each of the last 10 years; and to how many people these loans were made;(5) what is the average waiting period from the time of an application for a mortgage from a local authority to the time of the granting of that mortgage;(6) what is the average repayment period for a mortgage granted by a local authority;(7) if he has any statistics to show how many loans have been made by local authorities for the purchase of houses (

English and Welsh local authorities reported advancing £636 million to 102,000 private persons for house purchase in 1975.In addition, they lent £26 million to private owners for conversions, improvements and other work on housing and £127 million to housing associations. Corresponding figures for 1966 to 1969 and 1970 to 1974 appear in Housing Statistics No. 24 and Housing and Construction Statistics No. 15. Copies are available in the Library.The average local authority advance for house purchase in 1975 was about £6,250, which is estimated to be nearly 90 per cent. of the average price. Corresponding figures for advances by building societies are £7,400 and 62 per cent.For local authority advances to private purchasers, it is estimated that the average repayment period was 24 years and that rather more than 60 per cent. were on housing built before 1919.I regret that the other information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those councils in England and Wales where rent loss certificates have been issued, and for what amounts, and the names of the councillors concerned; and if he will list those other councils where hearings have been or are being arranged.

I understand that the authorities where rent loss certificates have been issued, and the amounts concerned, are as follows:

	£
Conisbrough UDC	34,000
Derby CBC	70,579
Doncaster CBC	64,166
Eccles BC	53,527
Halstead UDC	14,521
Long Eaton UDC	10,253
Mansfield BC	27,093
Skelmersdale
and Holland UDC	10,620

I do not propose to list the individuals concerned or to identify authorities where the issues are still under investigation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to introduce legislation to facilitate the transfer of houses and ancillary shops from new town development corporations to local authorities.

As soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if plumbi-solvency characteristics were measured during the recent water survey; and if he will publish the results.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to his Question of 27th February.—[Vol. 906. c. 367.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will take steps to amend Section 118 of the Road Traffic Act in order to give exemption from its provision to education authorities, youth clubs and other charitable organisations operating minibuses in pursuance of their education and charitable objects.

I am giving special consideration to this matter and would not like to anticipate the result. However, unnecessary concern was created by misunderstandings which I tried to clear up in the debate on the Adjournment on 19th January.—[Vol. 903, c. 1097–1108.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many works contracts in the public building sector have been advertised in the EEC in accordance with British commitments under EEC Directive 71/105; and what is the global monetary value of those contracts.

In accordance with the requirements of EEC Directive 71/305, 2,368 public sector works contracts have been advertised in the Official Journal of the EEC up to 31st January 1976, by the United Kingdom contract awarding authorities. The global monetary value of these contracts is not known and the information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the estimated cost to public funds of lawyers employed on the recent investigation into the affairs of a London school; and what steps he intends to take to ensure stricter control of such expenditure.

The conduct of the public inquiry into the affairs of the William Tyndale School was the responsibility of the ILEA. I understand that no authoritative figure for the legal costs is available at present. I do not think that I should interfere with the discretion of local education authorities in matters of this sort.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he has issued any advice to education authorities on the subject of (a) staff smoking in schools in staff-only and general areas of the school and (b) smoking and non-smoking areas in colleges of further education;(2) if he will issue a circular to local education authorities on the dangers of permitting smoking in schools.

My Department has published information on the health aspects of smoking and given advice to teachers in its booklets "A Handbook of Health Education" and "Smoking and Health in Schools". General advice on fire precautions has been given both in its Building Bulletin "Fire and the Design of Schools" and its series of safety pamphlets. I do not consider that a circular on the hazards of smoking is necessary in addition.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will bring forward proposals to forbid the practice whereby local education authorities are able to take up places at direct grant and independent schools.

Clause 5 of the Education Bill now before the House empowers me to control this practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further representations have been made to the Zambian Government about the detention of Dr. Cliffe.

The High Commissioner remains in close touch with the Zambian authorities and continues to urge that Mr. Cliffe should be tried quickly or else released if there are no charges to be answered.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Mass Transit Railway project in Hong Kong can be undertaken without any charge to the general revenue; and if he will make a statement.

Approximately £80 million has been set aside from general revenue to cover the costs of planning and land acquisition. A further £500 million is being raised, through local and overseas borrowings and export credits to cover the cost of construction. No further contributions from general revenue are planned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what direct employment the construction of the Mass Transit Railway will bring to the people of Hong Kong.

It is estimated that construction of the modified initial system of the Mass Transit Railway will provide direct employment for about 4,500 people in Hong Kong.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects on reentering the United Kingdom in the course of the first three weeks of February 1976 had their passports removed; and how many have since been returned.

53 mercenaries surrendered their passports on returning to this country of which nine have been given back. The number of passports withdrawn from British subjects repatriated at public expense during February is not yet known.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what grounds and by what authority passports of returning British subjects have been withdrawn in the course of the first three weeks of February; and what conditions have been imposed for their return.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 24th February to the hon. Member for Halesowen and Stourbridge (Mr. Stokes) and the hon. Member for Hampstead (Mr. Finsberg).—[Vol. 906, c. 134–55.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many passports were confiscated from British citizens returning to Great Britain in February 1976; and on what grounds.

53 mercenaries surrendered their passports on returning to this country. The number of passports withdrawn from persons repatriated at public expense during February is not yet known. The list of categories of persons to whom passports are refused or from whom they may be withdrawn, given to the House on 15th November 1974, included: in very rare cases, a person whose past or proposed activities are so demonstrably undesirable that the grant or continued enjoyment of passport facilities would be contrary to the public interest; and a person repatriated at public expense, until the debt has been repaid.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will initiate an immediate consultation with other Commonwealth Governments to assess the future scale and pattern of demand for places in United Kingdom universities and further educational establishments for students from their countries, and assist Her Majesty's Government to decide to what extent and on what principles the demand should be met.

No. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science is already reviewing the question of overseas students in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what protection from external attack Her Majesty's Government are able to afford Southern Rhodesia as a part of Her Majesty's Dominions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what protection from external attack Her Majesty's Government are prepared to afford Southern Rhodesia as a part of Her Majesty's Dominions.

None, in the absence of a return to legality in the administration of the territory.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now recall Lord Greenhill from Rhodesia, in the light of the statement made by Mr. Ian Smith in the Rhodesian Parliament on 25th February that there can be no possibility of immediate majority rule; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement of 24th February. Lord Greenhill's mission is now completed.—[Vol. 906, c. 189–194.]

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish details of the criteria used in deciding whether or not to reveal salaries of individual special advisers, in view of the revelation of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the salary of Professor Lord Kaldor is £14,000 a year.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms. Colquhoun) on 14th January as regards the general practice in this matter.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is his latest estimate of the cost of the salaries of the 29 special advisers to Ministers during the current financial year; and what was the actual cost of the salaries of special advisers to Ministers in each of the years since such appointments were first made.

I am having the information prepared and will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Civil Service if he will give details of the Departments which still have to be dispersed to the regions, and those which will be established within the regions, giving in each case the name of the Department, the number of jobs involved, the agreed city or town which will be allocated the Department and the cities or towns which are being considered for such allocations; and if he will make a statement.

I am having the information assembled and shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the number of deaths in Scotland from lung cancer in the last year for which statistics are available.

The provisional number of deaths registered in Scotland in 1975 as due to malignant neoplasm of the trachea, bronchus and lung is 3,583 The corresponding number for 1974 was 3,740.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much of the £200 million programme of expenditure for the Scottish Development Agency set out in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's White Paper for the next five years will be in respect of functions inherited from other agencies and bodies; and how much of the total will be taken up with the costs of administering the Agency.

It is for the Agency itself to determine its priorities for expenditure, but in broad terms it is expected that half the £200 million will be devoted to completely new activities—e.g., environmental schemes and industrial investment. The other half covers inherited functions but at a greatly increased rate of expenditure. The administrative expenses of the Agency are expected to build up to a level of some £3·5 million a year; a proportion of this will, however, be met from receipts and does not feature in the figure given in the Public Expenditure White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is yet in a position to publish the draft industrial investment guidelines for the Scottish Development Agency.

I have today sent the draft guidelines to the Agency and to the Scottish Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry in Scotland. They have been drawn up in full consultation with these bodies. I have placed copies of the draft in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can now give the figures of recorded injuries

FIREWORKS ACCIDENTS IN SCOTLAND
	1975	1974	1973	1972	1971	1970
A. Place where injury occurred
(i) Family or private party	3	5	13	13	13	10
(ii) Public or semi-public party	4	7	7	16	7	6
(iii) Casual incident in street etc	17	18	26	21	24	26
(iv) Other place	4	5	9	5	6	5
(v) Unknown	10	9	8	9	5	2
B. Type of firework involved
(i) Banger	12	9	23	22	18	20
(ii) Rocket	6	9	11	3	8	7
(iii) Jumping Cracker	0	1	1	2	5	2
(iv) Other flyabout (flying saucer, helicopter, whirlibird etc.)	2	2	Included in (vii)
(v) Display firework (e.g. Roman Candle or Coloured First ect.)	2	8	14	8	9	7
(vi) Home made or extracted powder	3	2	2	2	2	1
(vii) Other than above	1	2	1	4	3	2
(viii) Unknown	12	11	11	23	10	10
C. Age group of persons injured
(i) Over 21	6	3	7	7	4	10
(ii) 16–20	3	1	4	1	3	2
(iii) 13–15	9	10	17	13	17	12
(iv) Under 13	20	30	35	43	31	25
D. Severity of injury
(i) Died	0	0	0	0	0	0
(ii) Detained more than one night	3	8	4	5	7	8
(iii) Sufficient to cause absence from work or equivalent	3	6	10	4	0	1
(vi) Minor injury	30	29	46	51	48	37
(v) Unknown	2	1	3	4	0	3
E. Total number of Accidents	38	44	63	64	55	49

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what further discussions he has had with European Ministers regarding the use of British experience at Culham and Win-frith to develop and construct fusion reactors and high temperature reactor technology, respectively.

The case for siting JET at Culham, where the experience of fusion technology and plasma physics is particularly favourable to the project, was firmly stated by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Energy at the Council of Research Ministers on 24th February.There have been no recent discussions with European Ministers about the caused by fireworks during the period mid-October to mid-November 1975.

38 persons received hospital treatment for injuries caused by fireworks during the period 12th October to 8 th November last year, compared with 44 in the corresponding period in 1974. Detailed information is given below.Dragon high temperature reactor project at Winfrith.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many of the existing North Sea commercial oilfields would be economically viable under the present fiscal package if the oil price fell to a $7 barrel floor price which is thought to be acceptable to the EEC.

It is for the licensees to judge the economic viability of individual fields and I have every reason to suppose that the development of the existing commercial North Sea oilfields is proceeding in the expectation by the licensees of satisfactory returns on their investment. Their development plans will naturally have taken account of a number of risks. I believe that a $7 floor price together with the Government's special provisions for marginal fields would provide sufficient protection against these risks.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what effect the increase in crude oil prices will have upon the smaller North Sea oilfields compared with the larger ones bearing in mind the lower commitment of the former to capital expenditure.

The measurement of profitability involves assessment of the interaction of costs, prices, taxes and expected revenues. Since each oilfield has unique characteristics it would be misleading to generalise about the relative effects of oil price changes on small and large fields.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what his current best estimates of North Sea oil production in the years 1976 to 1980 will imply for imports, gross exports and net exports of petroleum and petroleum products, in approximate terms if need be (a) at current price levels—or other price levels he feels may be more appropriate—and (b) at 1970 factor cost prices.

Estimates of the volume of production of oil from the North Sea and the demand for oil in the United Kingdom in the years 1975 and 1980 were given in the Department's evidence to the Select Committee on Science and Technology Energy Resources Sub-Committee on 12th March 1975—Minutes of Evidence page 200. Because of the uncertainty surrounding future international oil market conditions it would not be useful to publish specific forecasts of trade in oil.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the terms and conditions of the loan scheme to industry for energy conservation; if he is satisfied that they are competitive enough with loans obtainable elsewhere to offer an incentive; and, if so, why there has not been a higher take-up.

Secured loans are offered at a rate of interest equivalent to that available under the Industry Act 1972 for loans on broadly commercial terms—currently 12 per cent. per annum. The maximum loan available for a single project is £100,000, normally for a period up to five years. Subject to this maximum, the full cost to the applicant is eligible for loan assistance. Projects costing less than £10,000 are not eligible. In order to qualify for a loan, projects have to produce annual energy savings which, at current prices, are worth at least one-third of the initial capital cost. The terms include no deliberate element of subsidy or incentive, because the object is not to pay for part of the cost of schemes producing a high rate of return but to provide a means of borrowing for projects which would otherwise fail through inability to borrow from normal commercial sources.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what he is doing to promote the loan scheme to industry for energy conservation.

My Department, with the help of the regional offices of the Department of Industry, small firms information centres, chambers of commerce, trade associations and other bodies has distributed some 15,000 leaflets on the loan scheme and has also given it publicity at conferences, seminars and exhibitions. Information about the scheme is contained in the Department's booklet "Energy Saving in Industry", which is being widely circulated and which is giving rise to a substantial number of inquiries from industrial companies.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when the loan scheme to industry for energy conservation was launched; how much cash has been advanced to date; and what sums remain available.

The loan scheme was launched in December 1974 and the total amount advanced to date is £76,300. Owing to the small take up of the scheme, the £3 million provided initially for 1975–76 was reduced in the supplementary estimates for the year, published in December, and a further reduction is in prospect. The provision for 1976–77 will be shown in forthcoming estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many inquiries have been received about the loan scheme to industry for energy conservation; and why only one loan has been advanced to date.

More than 800 written and several hundred telephone inquiries have been received; detailed records are not maintained. Two advances have now been made. In other cases, firms either have preferred to accept loans from banks or other normal sources of credit or have decided not to proceed or to defer the projected investment.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what investigations he is conducting into the reasons for the lack of take-up for the loan scheme to industry for energy conservation.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave him on 19th December 1975.—[Vol. 902, c. 883.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is satisfied with the take-up of the loan scheme to industry for energy conservation.

I should have welcomed a better response as an indication of industry's interest in energy saving and confidence in investing for the future.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has been approached by the BNOC or by any company for permission to build new refinery capacity in the United Kingdom, giving the number of applications in the past year, the nature of the refinery to be built, locations sought and the parties involved.

				1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976
Fatalities	…	…	…	3	1	2	5	6*	2
Serious injuries	…	…	…					1	1
* Includes one death from natural causes.

The figures relate to all diving operations connected with the exploration and exploitation of the United Kingdom continental shelf, including diving from and around oil and gas installations, British registered vessels, other vessels and pipe-laying barges. They also include deaths reported within United Kingdom territorial waters and internal waters under the Factories Act regulations.

To preserve commercial confidentiality my Department will not normally announce applications for refinery authorisations, or their issue or refusal, unless the applicant company has itself given the matter publicity or a planning application has been made. I have received and am considering one application in this last category, from Burmah Total Refineries Trust Ltd., in connection with its May 1975 planning application for a 6 million-ton annual capacity refinery at Cliffe in Kent.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will indicate whether BNOC has sold in advance any part of its participation or option crude oil or that expected to be derived from the former National Coal Board affiliate; and, if so, how many bulk deals have been negotiated with foreign States or State corporations abroad.

These are matters for the BNOC to decide, within the framework of the Government's declared policy on disposal of North Sea oil.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give the latest number of, respectively, deaths and serious accidents that have taken place as a result of diving work in connection with the development of North Sea oilfields, for each year in the last five years.

19 diving deaths and two serious injuries have been reported to the Government up to 26th February 1976. The detailed breakdown is:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the Government's reaction to the formation of Novatome, the joint company for the development of fast-breeder and high-temperature reactors under the Franco-German nuclear co-operation agreement; and whether he proposes to associate in any way with it.

We recognise that the recent initiative between the French and Germans is an important one and could provide the base for a wider European co-operation on the fast reactor. The Government are interested in the prospects for such co-operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will tabulate in the Official Report the differences in energy consumption as between the industrial, domestic and transport, respectively, month by month and in total, indicating for each month whether local time is GMT or summer time.

Information about energy consumption by final users is published in Table 3 of "Energy Trends" and is available only on a quarterly basis. Summer Time in 1975 ran from 16th March to 26th October but numerous factors influence energy consumption other than incidence of Summer Time. The following figures show the difference between the six-monthly "winter" and "summer" periods ending respectively on 31st March and 30th September 1975.

ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY FINAL USERS: HEAT SUPPLIED BASIS
(Million therms)
	Six months ending		Difference
	31st March 1975 (1)	30th September 1975 (2)	Col. (2) minus Col. (1)
All final con sumers	32,865	24,125	−8,740
Of which:
Industry	12,794	9,614	−3,180
Domestic	9,686	5,455	−4,231
Transport	5,974	6,383	+409

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will ask the electricity and gas supply industries to extend their suspension of disconnections to those households in which there is a severely disabled person in receipt of attendance allowance or constant attendance allowance.

I share my hon. Friend's concern that such situations should be dealt with sympathetically and sensitively. I am sure that this is how the industries will continue to deal with them whenever they are made aware of them.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether former employees of the nationalised coal, gas and electricity industries have pensions indexed to inflation.

This is a matter for the boards of the industries concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the likely impact of the ending of compensation for price restraint to the gas, electricity and coal industries on the weekly budgets of (a) low income families and (b) pensioners.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 26th February 1976; Vol. 906, c. 329], gave the following information:The coal industry has not received any compensation for price restraint, and compensation to the gas and electricity industries has not been related to the reduction of prices to particular categories of consumers. However, in the case of gas the £41·5 million compensation paid in respect of 1973–74—compensation for 1974–75 has not yet been authorised—was equivalent to 5 per cent. of total revenue from gas sales, and that percentage of the average domestic gas bill was then equivalent to approximately 4 pence per week. In the case of electricity the maximum sum of compensation paid—£257·6 million—was in relation in 1974–75. This was equivalent to 10½ per cent. of total revenue from electricity sales in England and Wales—approximately 12 pence per week as a percentage of the average domestic electricity bill at that time. It is not possible to deduce even roughly from these figures the impact of phasing out subsidies on low income families and pensioners because, quite apart from regional variations in the level of price increase, the effect will vary widely depending on consumption levels and the type or types of fuel used.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales where and how the £2 million allocated to the development of comprehensive education in Wales is to be spent.

The special resources available in 1976–77 have been allocated to Dyfed, Gwent and Mid-Glamorgan enabling comprehensive reorganisation to be undertaken in Llanelli, Abersychan and Aberdare at a cost of £600,000, £800,000 and £520,000 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether the station

1974					Public Sector	Private Sector	Total
1st Quarter	…	…	…	…	1,102	1,891	2,993
2nd Quarter	…	…	…	…	2,881	1,889	4,770
3rd Quarter	…	…	…	…	1,710	1,255	2,965
4th Quarter	…	…	…	…	1,457	913	2,370
Total Year	…	…	…	…	7,150	5,948	13,098
1975					Public Sector	Private Sector	Total
1st Quarter	…	…	…	…	2,077	1,245	3,322
2nd Quarter	…	…	…	…	2,739	2,083	4,822
3rd Quarter	…	…	…	…	2,345	2,115	4,460
4th Quarter	…	…	…	…	2,191	1,943	4,134
Total Year	…	…	…	…	9,352	7,386	16,738

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many housing units were approved for construction in each quarter since January 1974.

		Local Authority	Acquisitions from Private Developers	New Towns	Housing Associations	Total Public Sector	Total
1974—
1st Quarter	…	1,147	—	113	54	1,314	1,314
2nd Quarter	…	2,714	46	145	509	3,368	3,414
3rd Quarter	…	1,205	—	20	175	1,400	1,400
4th Quarter	…	1,594	—	242	94	1,930	1,930
TOTAL YEAR	…	6,660	46	520	832	8,012	8,058
1975—
1st Quarter	…	1,722	452	202	2	1,926	2,378
2nd Quarter	…	598	580	225	57	880	1,460
3rd Quarter	…	1,921	60	34	474	2,429	2,489
4th Quarter	…	1,837	205	228	—	2,056	2,261
TOTAL YEAR	…	6,078	1,297	689	524	7,291	8,588

Until the statutory procedures for the bypass are completed I cannot say how far the station buildings would be affected nor what the timing might be.

asked the Seretary of State for Wales how many houses were started in the public and private sectors in Wales in each quarter since January 1974.

The information is as follows:

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects to make a statement on the registration of professional engineers.

Voluntary arrangements for registration of professional engineers already exist under the aegis of the Engineers Registration Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a further statement about the progress of industry in the Northern Region.

We shall continue to do everything we can to facilitate industrial development in the region.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many representations he has received from small businesses consequent upon the Resolution passed by the House of Commons on Friday 30th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what further representations he has received from small businesses following the Resolution passed by the House on 30th January 1976.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the new British civil aircraft projects to which he has given Government support since March 1974.

The Government have not been asked to sponsor any major new civil aircraft projects during the period in question although support has continued for existing programmes. However, the companies are, with the Government's encouragement, exploring how they can best take advantage of the expected recovery in demand for new civil aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has yet communicated his views upon the future of the European aircraft industry to his opposite numbers in other EEC Governments, or to the Commission.

My colleagues and I exchange views with Ministers of the other EEC Governments on specific aircraft matters when necessary. Our officials are in touch with their opposite numbers in the EEC Governments and are also in contact with the Commission, but the need for a general exchange of views on the future of the European aircraft industry at ministerial level has not yet arisen.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he next expects to meet representatives of the paper industry.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet representatives of the paper industry nor have they asked for a meeting. Officials are in close contact with the British Paper and Board Industry Federation on a number of matters affecting the industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will now publish the guidelines to be applied to define the function of the National Enterprise Board and its relationship with the management of Rolls-Royce (1971) Ltd.

The draft guidelines for the National Enterprise Board are being published today. Copies have been placed in the Library of each House, the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office. The text of the memorandum agreed between the NEB and Rolls-Royce (1971) Ltd. has already been made available to Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has any plans to meet senior executives of Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he last met the Chairman of the Post Office Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when last he met the Chairman of the Post Office Corporation.

On 19th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what savings have been made by the Post Office resulting from the use of road transport rather than rail for the transmission of parcels.

This is a commercial matter for the Post Office Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what discussions he is having with the French Government about any extension of the Concorde programme.

As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Arnold), I shall be meeting the French Minister for Transport on 29th March to consider sales prospects and the future of the Concorde programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether provision is made within the sums listed in his White Paper on Public Expenditure for capital investment in the shipbuilding and aerospace construction industries or in Concorde programme for the writing off of moneys expended on the purchase of long lead time materials for the production of Concorde aircraft beyond number 16; and, if so, how much has been provided.

The materials were purchased under contract, and provision for this was included in the public expenditure survey at the time. The question of any further provision does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps are being taken to halt the movement of industry from Greater London and to assist the return of industrial undertakings to the Greater London area.

Unemployment in the Greater London area, at 3·7 per cent., remains well below the national average, and priority in steering new projects must therefore continue to be given to the assisted areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he next proposes to meet representatives from the zip fastener industry and trade union leaders representing members in that industry.

No such meeting is planned, but if either side of the industry wishes to raise any specific points with me I shall be happy to consider them at any time.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he now expects to announce his decision regarding the continuance of steel making at BSC Shotton.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be in a position to make a statement on Shotton shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many planning agreements have been drawn up between his Department and leading companies.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Nelson) today.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry on what date the advance factory in the Denaby Main area was completed; what was the cost; and how many jobs have been provided.

The factory was completed in 1972 at a cost of £75,000 and sold in September 1974. It is at present unoccupied.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he now expects to transfer shareholdings currently held by his Department to the National Enterprise Board.

The Government's shareholdings in British Leyland Ltd., Rolls-Royce (1971) Ltd., Brown Boveri Kent Ltd., Cambridge Instruments Ltd., Dun-ford and Elliott Ltd., Ferranti Ltd., and Herbert Ltd., were transferred to the NEB last Friday 27th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will pay a visit to Argyll to discuss the problems of the self-employed and small businesses.

No. I have, however, invited representatives of the Argyll Association of the Self-Employed to meet me but have so far had no response to this invitation.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what recent discussions he has had with the Chairman of the NRDC.

The last time I met the Chairman was on 15th October 1975 when he visited me to discuss a number of important issues concerning the Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if she is satisfied that the regional policy of the Government is effective; and whether he will make a statement.

Regional policy works best when the economy is expanding. During the recession, when there are fewer mobile investment projects, the effectiveness of regional policies in steering new investment to the assisted areas is inevitably reduced. However, the effectiveness of regional policies is constantly monitored.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement about his present policy towards the designation of development area status, with particular reference to the formal application by the city of Plymouth.

Each application for development area status is considered on its merits according to the criteria in Section 1 of the Local Employment Act 1972 as amended by the Industry Act 1972. The application submitted by the city of Plymouth is being considered and I expect that a reply will be sent shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish in the Official Report a list of all paid posts and appointments within his patronage, giving in each case the salary and other conditions applicable.

I append a list:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give an assurance that no further flight-testing work will be carried out by the French after the closure of the British Flight Testing Centre at Fairford.

My right hon. Friend has no power to give such an assurance.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry from what source he obtained the multiplier figure he used in estimating the total potential loss of jobs that would have arisen from the threatened collapse of Chrysler United Kingdom Limited.

It was estimated that job losses could total 55,000 on the assumption that Chrysler's share of the United Kingdom market would be taken by British and imported vehicles in proportion to existing market shares. This estimate did not include job losses other than in Chrysler United Kingdom Limited, its distributors and component suppliers.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will now take steps to establish whether any of the six vessels built since 1960 in United Kingdom shipyards for Soviet use, have entered service in the Soviet Navy.

No. However, the vessels in question were one passenger liner, two product tankers and three side-suction dredgers.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps he is taking to reverse the fall in capital investment in the North-West.

Figures relating to manufacturing industry's capital expenditure by region were published for the first time last week, and cover a period of only 18 months. It would be unwise to draw firm conclusions from figures relating to such a short period. The North-West, like other regions, stands to benefit from the measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to help bring forward capital investment in industry. In addition the whole of the Region is an Assisted Area and therefore regional incentives to manufacturing industry are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what recent discussions he has had with the Chairman of the NEB and the Chairman of Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited.

I have had a number of discussions with Lord Ryder and also with Sir Kenneth Keith. The hon. Member will be aware of my reply of 26th February to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Mr. Johnson), on relations between the NEB and Rolls-Royce.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publicise what mobility assistance his Department can and does provide to enable disabled people to obtain, and to continue with, employment; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the Employment Service Agency provides financial assistance to certain registered disabled people employed under special conditions in ordinary employment who, through lack of, or inability to use, public transport, incur heavy travel-to-work costs. The scheme is already publicised in leaflets about the disablement resettlement service, and advice in individual cases is available from disablement resettlement officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the list of job creation and community industry schemes so far approved in Wales, indicating the actual and expected employment generated by each scheme.

There are two community industry units in Wales, covering Gwent and Mid-Glamorgan. They

Sponsor				Number of projects approved	Number of jobs created
Clwyd County Council	…	…	…	11	160
West Glamorgan County Council	…	…	…	7	103
Dyfed County Council	…	…	…	13	113
Festiniog Railway Company	…	…	…	1	13
Geological Museum of North Wales	…	…	…	1	5
Swansea City Council	…	…	…	10	70
Mid Glamorgan County Council	…	…	…	12	93
Isle of Angelsey Borough Council	…	…	…	3	22
Aberconwy Borough Council	…	…	…	1	20
Neath Borough Council	…	…	…	2	13
Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council	…	…	…	3	31
Brecon Beacons National Park	…	…	…	1	10
Area Improvement Design & Management Ltd.		…	…	1	7
Gwynedd County Council	…	…	…	8	61
Rhondda Borough Council	…	…	…	10	61
Neath & Tennant Canals	…	…	…	1	17
Snowdonia National Park	…	…	…	4	41
Delyn Borough Council	…	…	…	2	17
Borough of Dinefwr	…	…	…	3	12
Cardiff City Council	…	…	…	6	26
Lliw Valley Borough Council	…	…	…	2	39
South Pembrokeshire District Council.	…	…	…	1	45
Polytechnic of Wales	…	…	…	2	12
Cardiff Community Concern	…	…	…	1	5
Wrexham Maelor Borough Council	…	…	…	1	30
Gwent County Council	…	…	…	6	79
Arfon Borough Council	…	…	…	4	68
Glyndwr District Council	…	…	…	4	53
Borough of Torfaen	…	…	…	1	6
Alyn and Deeside District Council	…	…	…	1	15
Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council.	…	…	…	1	20
Clwyd Health Authority	…	…	…	1	6
Radnor District Council	…	…	…	1	10
Preseli District Council	…	…	…	1	2
Albert Road Methodist Church	…	…	…	1	12
Taff Ely Borough Council	…	…	…	2	30
Islwyn Borough Council	…	…	…	3	24
University College, Aberystwyth	…	…	…	1	3
Powys County Council	…	…	…	5	38
University College, Aberystwyth	…	…	…	1	4
Pentrybychan Joint Crematorium Committee	…	…	…	1	10
South Glamorgan County Council	…	…	…	3	33
M.I.N.D	…	…	…	1	2
Adamstown Community Trust	…	…	…	1	6
Blaenau Gwent Borough Council	…	…	…	1	4