Written Answers

Written Answers To Questions

Wednesday 10th March 1976

Energy

Mining Subsidence (Compensation)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when the Report of the Working Party on Coal Mining Subsidence Compensation will be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he proposes to publish the report on the working group on mining subsidence compensation.

As is usual in the case of committees of officials, it is not intended to publish this report, but my right hon. Friend made a statement accepting the main recommendations of the working group on 2nd March 1976.—[Vol. 906, c. 497–8.]

Petrochemicals

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the future of the National Coal Board in petrochemicals.

The National Coal Board's objectives include furthering the use of coal both as a source of energy and as a chemical feedstock. It is examining ways in which more sophisticated coal-based raw materials might be utilised to complement petrochemical production. It believes this can best be achieved in collaboration with existing petrochemical producers and with the steel industry.

Coal Miners (Retirement)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards an early retirement scheme for coal miners; and how much money would be required to finance it if retirement was optional at the age of 55 years.

In a universal scheme like the national insurance scheme, under which retirement pensions are paid, it is impracticable for different industries to have different retirement ages. Questions of early retirement under the Mine-workers Pension Scheme are the concern of the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers. I am asking the Chairman of the Board to write to the hon. Member about the costs which would be involved.

International Energy Programme (Agreement)

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the agreement on an international energy programme.

A sufficient number of signatory States having notified their consent to be bound by the agreement, the agreement entered into force on 19th January 1976 for those States, including the United Kingdom, which have notified their consent to be bound. Good progress has been made in implementing the agreement. Arrangements for sharing oil in the event of an interruption of supplies have been agreed in detail and are ready to go into operation at short notice should they be required.Agreement has also recently been reached on a programme of long-term co-operation in the fields of energy conservation, research and development and the accelerated development of energy production. This programme includes a provision that member States of the International Energy Agency will ensure that imported oil is not sold in their domestic markets below a "minimum safeguard price" corresponding to US $7 a barrel fob.

Burmah Oil Company Ltd

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any further statement to make on the Government's offer to purchase the North Sea assets of the Burmah Oil Company.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 18th December 1975; Vol. 902, c. 774], gave the following information:On 3rd December last in announcing the Government's readiness to see the Bank of England extend its guarantee to banks in respect of the Burmah Oil Company's dollar borrowings, I also referred to the North Sea. The Government expressed their willingness to negotiate to purchase the whole or a part of Burmah's North Sea assets. Negotiations were opened shortly thereafter.I am now able to inform the House of two major developments. First, the Government have reached agreement in principle with Burmah for the purchase by the BNOC of the company's interest in the Ninian Field. The purchase, which is based on a value at 1st January 1976, is subject to finalisation of the contract, which will define

inter alia precise liability for expenditures. The purchase consideration is about £83 million for a presently estimated 21 per cent. interest in the field. Should that interest increase or decrease as a result of reunitisation between the two blocks 3/3 and 3/8 comprising the field as a result of a change in the estimate of reserves and/or their producibility in block 3/3, adjustments will accordingly be made at specified times to the price.

In addition, Burmah will receive a proportion of any net receipts which may accrue from the use of the pipeline and terminal system for non-Ninian oil. This agreement for the purchase of Burmah's share in Ninian oil will of course subsume the advance of £40 million made on 5th January 1976 by the BNOC.

Second, agreement has also been reached in principle with Burmah for the purchase, on terms to be negotiated, by the BNOC of a majority interest in a joint exploration and development company with Burmah. A major asset of the joint company will be a substantial beneficial interest in the Thistle Field for which Burmah Oil Development Limited is the operator. The negotiations in this case are at a much earlier stage, and the expenditure may, therefore, fall in 1976–77 rather than 1975–76. As in the case of the Ninian purchase, negotiation will be on an arm's-length basis.

The Government, Burmah and BNOC have thought it right to announce this agreement in principle immediately. BODL is a company with an ongoing capability for exploration and development, and has a team of experienced and able people with the required skills. All parties are determined that that team and all those associated with it shall see an ongoing rôle of future opportunities for exploration and development on the Continental Shelf, which will be ensured by a partnership between BNOC and Burmah.

For the BNOC, these developments increase its already substantial interests in North Sea fields, taking it into Ninian and increasing its stake in Thistle. For Burmah, they provide a continuing rôle and opportunity for the company on the Continental Shelf. For Britain, these developments ensure the retention of part of the national capability for development of our own offshore resources: they represent an increase in the public's control over its own oil; most important, they hold a promise of future national ability to pursue opportunities all around our Continental Shelf.

Dragon Project

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he proposes to reply to the protest of the Energy, Research and Technology Committee of the European Parliament against the closure of the Dragon project at Winfrith.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 16th February 1976; Vol 905, c. 470–1], gave the following information:I have written the following letter to Mr. Springorum:

Mr. Gerd Springorum,
Chairman,
Committee on Energy,
Research and Technology,
European Parliament,
Brussels.

3rd March 1976

Thank you for your letter of 23rd January 1976 inviting me to appear before the European Parliament's Committee on Energy Research and Technology to give my views on the termination of the OECD's Dragon high temperature reactor experiment. Before you finally decide whether to invite me I thought you would like to have a full account of the stages in the discussion which eventually led to the decision to terminate the project. I hope that this will assist the Committee.

The Dragon project, since its inception in 1959, has been extended five times. The current agreement, which expires on 31st March 1976, was subject to a decision by the end of June 1975 on a further extension, if it was required.

In its White Paper of July 1974, the United Kingdom Government accepted the advice of its Nuclear Power Advisory Board that there would not be sufficient resources for a substantial United Kingdom effort on the high temperature reactor (HTR) whilst we were launching the steam generating heavy water reactor and completing the advanced gas-cooled reactor programme as well as continuing our effort on the fast reactor. The Government did, however, ask those organisations in the United Kingdom concerned with the development of nuclear power to review the prospects of participation in international development of HTR.

In April 1975, the Dragon Board of Management proposed that the project should be extended for a further five years. It was not possible for the United Kingdom to agree to participate in an extension of this length before the completion of the review, I have referred to above. We were, however, aware of the risk that exhaustion of funds during the current extension might lead to premature termination of the project before a decision on a further extension could be reached. It was for this reason that in April the UKAEA made it clear that they were ready to bear their share of the costs to prevent closure before 31st March 1976, if the other signatories would do likewise.

Unfortunately, this arrangement was not acceptable to the other partners.

Although the United Kingdom was not able by the end of June 1975 to finalise its policy on the proposed extension, the necessary consultations with the nuclear industry, the Atomic Energy Authority, the Electricity Boards and the Trades Union Congress, had been completed by early September. All agreed that the benefit to our nuclear programme of the proposed extension would not justify us in continuing to bear the substantial costs which we would incur as the largest single contributor to the project. Accordingly, looked at from the standpoint of our own nuclear reactor policies, the United Kingdom Government was not in favour of a further extension of the project. However, we were conscious of our special position as the host country, and did not wish to see the project brought to an end if the other signatories wished to continue work at Winfrith under a new financial regime.

In the meantime, inflation was causing the project to run out of money. The Board of Management advised that funds would no longer be adequate to run the project until its scheduled completion on 31st March 1976 and that seconded staff would have to return to their parent laboratories from 6th December 1975 upwards. They were entitled to three months' notice of this, which meant that issue of desecondment notices could not be postponed beyond 6th September 1975.

During September, I discussed the position with other European ministers and with the interested Commissioners in Brussels and decided that the United Kingdom should try to give the ohter partners more time to make new arrangements to continue the project if they wished to do so. On 30th September, therefore, our partners were informed that the United Kingdom was not in favour of a substantive extension of the existing terms, but that we were prepared to provide some new money, contributing our existing share of the costs to the end of June 1976 if the other partners would do likewise. Because desecondment had to take effect on 6th December if this offer was not accepted, it was made conditional upon acceptance by 30th November.

The United Kingdom received no formal response to this offer, but in course of discussions in Brussels the German delegation made a further proposal for an extension until 31st December 1976. The United Kingdom did not see the need for this additional six months on the ground that at least the principles of any new financial arrangements should be clear by the end of March 1976. If nothing was then in prospect there would still be time to give three months' notice of closure in June 1976. To go on till September before taking a decision, which might have been for closure in December, seemed unnecessary.

Nevertheless, I was anxious that no real opportunity for extension should be missed. Accordingly, after discussions in London between my officials, the Chairman of the Dragon Board of Management, the Chief Executive of the Project, and representatives of the federal Republic of Germany, the Commission and the UKAEA, we agreed to the German proposal for a nine-month extension subject to the conditions that, if by March 1976, there was no clear prospect of new financial arrangements in view, the termination arrangements should be put in hand and that, if the project continued under a new financial régime, this should be made retrospective to 1st April 1976. Both these conditions were discussed at the London meeting when all the participants welcomed them as constructive and believed that they should be acceptable.

We were, therefore, very disappointed to have these proposals rejected when they were presented formally to the Committee of Permanent Representatives in Brussels. We had offered to continue to pay our existing very substantial share of the costs up to the end of 1976, even though it was not in our interests to do so. The rejection of this offer indicates that none of the existing partners was prepared to contemplate paying substantially more in the longer term towards the project, even though some had a very much greater current interest than the United Kingdom. Nor, evidently, was the interest expressed by the USA on a sufficient scale to enable the project to continue in the longer term.

My officials had clearly indicated that the United Kingdom was prepared to continue its contribution to Dragon as a Community partner, and that if our Community partners wished to continue participation in Dragon we would pay our Community share in any new financial régime which could be agreed. But as I have stated, the other members of the Community were not willing to pay more than their current share of the costs of any further extension and it was not possible to bridge the gap caused by the reduction of the United Kingdom's contribution.

I hope that this account of the events which led to the decision not to extend the project beyond its present agreement will clarify for your Committee members the approach of the United Kingdom Government to Dragon.

Environment

Railway Grants

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what grants have been made to British Rail to cover unremunerative passenger services on the Ipswich-Cambridge line for each year since 1968; and what is the present annual loss as calculated under the Cooper Brothers formula.

Grants have been made as follows:

			£
1968	…	…	Nil
1969	…	…	154,000
1970	…	…	184,000
1971	…	…	215,000
1972	…	…	223,000
1973	…	…	293,000

In 1974 this service was included in a group of services based on Ipswich which received a total grant of £1,080,000. From 1st January 1975 grant has been in respect of the operation of the passenger system as a whole and not for specific services. It is no longer possible to calculate costs and earnings on the basis of the Cooper Brothers method which requires a separate system of accounts that the Board no longer keeps.

Water Authorities (Costs)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the cost of water and effluent treatment by water authorities represents depreciation and debt charges in respect of capital expenditure undertaken before regional water authorities were created for each region.

Following are the most recent figures:

Water Authority		Per Cent.
North-West	…	29·8
Northumbrian	…	23·4
Severn-Trent	…	34·5
Yorkshire	…	30·3
Anglian	…	42·9
Thames	…	27·6
Southern	…	31·6
Wessex	…	33·6
South-West	…	35·4
WNWDA	…	30·0
England and Wales average	…	32·0

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a statement of capital debts taken over by the regional water authorities on 1st April 1974.

This is a matter for the water authorities themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the cost involved if the debt charges of regional water authorities together with depreciation charged on capital works undertaken before 1st April 1974 were transferred to central funds and thereafter paid by the Exchequer.

On the basis of the most recent information available, the total cost to the Exchequer in the financial year 1975–76 of financing debt charges and of depreciation on capital works undertaken in England and Wales before 1st April 1974 would have been about £280 million.

Housing Expenditure (North-West Region)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the proportion of public expenditure on housing allocated to the North-West in 1977, 1978 and 1979; and how this compares with 1974 to 1976.

Forecasts of public expenditure on housing in England are not made on a regional basis.

Central Lancashire New Town

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many factories have been attracted to the Central Lancashire New Town as a consequence of provision by the Development Corporation.

21 factory units totalling 140,000 square feet have been completed by the Central Lancashire New Town Development Corporation and more than 100,000 square feet of these units have already been let. Another five units are under construction bringing the corporation's total provision of new factory space to 250,000 square feet.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of jobs that have been created by the Central Lancashire New Town Development Corporation.

So far, the corporation may take credit for some 1,000 jobs in its designated area.

Land Acquisition And Management Schemes

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities which have not yet submitted land acquisition and management schemes under the Community Land Act.

The information is as follows:

Greater Manchester	Tyne and Wear
Greater London	Essex
South Yorkshire	Cornwall
Suffolk	Surrey
Cleveland	Hampshire
Nottinghamshire	Cheshire
Kent	Humberside
North Yorkshire	Bedfordshire

Local Government Staff

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table in the same format as Table C of his Department's Press release of 25th February on the Joint Staff Watch survey setting out the changes in staff between March and September 1975.

As the Staff Watch is a jointly conducted survey I am arranging for this request to be noted by the central and local government representatives who will be considering shortly how the additional information that is becoming available can most usefully be presented and published.In the meantime the hon. Member is no doubt aware that the changes he refers to may be seen by comparing the figures published on 7th October 1975 and those published on 25th February 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now give details of the results of the latest return of the joint manpower watch on local authority staffing.

Figures relating to September 1975 were published on 25th February 1976. Copies of the Press notice issued jointly by my Department and the local authority associations are available in the Library.

Kirkhamgate-Dishforth Motorway

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the projected date now for the announcement of his choice of route for the proposed Kirkhamgate to Dishforth motorway.

My right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement in the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he can now give a date for the publication of the 1973 traffic census referred to in the consultation document for the proposed Kirkhamgate to Dishforth motorway route; and whether he is satisfied with the speed with which this report is being compiled.

When the announcement is made about the choice of the preferred route, a table with the latest traffic figures will be published in place of that given in the consultation document last year. The analysis of the 1973 traffic survey is proceeding as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of Slate for the Environment if he will now make a statement on the proposed Kirkhamgate-Dishforth route.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Pudsey (Mr. Shaw) on 27th February 1976. —[Vol. 906, c. 366–7.]

Transport Policy

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the consultation document on public transport will be published.

My right hon. Friend hopes to publish a document on transport next month.

Driving Instructors

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present cost of a driving instructor's written and practical examinations, respectively; and what increases are proposed.

The present fees are £5 and £10 respectively; the proposed fees are £15 and £25 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present cost and duration of a driving instructor's provisional licence; and what increase is being proposed.

The present fee for a trainee's licence lasting six months is £1. It is proposed to reduce the duration of the licence to four months and to increase the fee to £15.

Contracts (Eec Journal Advertising)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will advise local authorities or other public sector clients that, when advertising contracts in the Official Journal of the EEC in accordance with Directive 71/305, they make specific reference to the proposals to sign undertakings under Department of the Environment Circular 123/75, so as to prevent abortive tenders by overseas companies which might not be aware of these entirely non-statutory and voluntary arrangements.

No. Individual conditions of contract are not required to be advertised in the Official Journal. These are included in the contract documents issued on invitation to tender, and the question of abortive tendering does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his statement that Circular 123/75 does not conflict with EEC Directives 71/304 and 71/305 was based on legal advice.

The reply of my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State responsible for housing and construction to the hon. Member's Questions on 26th January 1976 was derived from general consideration of the effects of EEC Directives 71/304 and 71/305. My Department's legal advisers are, however, satisfied with the view expressed in the reply.—[Vol. 904, c. 19–20.]

Rents

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will introduce appropriate legislation to amend the Rent Acts 1968 and 1974 so as to ensure that the level of private rents can be increased annually in line with any increase in the cost of living;(2) if, in view of the need to encourage private investment in the provision of housing accommodation available for rental purposes, he will introduce appropriate legislation to amend the Rent Acts 1968 and 1974 so as to relate the level of the fair rent to a specified return on the capital value of the property.

The method of fixing rents for properties in the privately rented sector is one of the matters to be examined in the review of the Rent Acts, which is being undertaken in my Department.

Toxic Waste Disposal

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations have been made to him in connection with the finding of a site in Hertfordshire or adjoining counties for a toxic waste disposal plant more suitable than that near Redbourn which is at present the subject of an application, following his acceptance in principle on appeal.

Alternative sites have only been mentioned in the representations at the local inquiry and in correspondence, we have received from the hon. Member since the decision was issued.

Outer Orbital Road (Maple Cross)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce a decision regarding the choice of route for the London outer orbital road from Maple Cross.

My right hon. Friend hopes to announce the preferred route in the late spring.

State Boards (Appointments)

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the Government's difficulties in obtaining persons to fill various positions as chairmen, &c., of State boards at the present salaries, he will ask the TUC to nominate people to fill these positions on condition that they agree to accept the present salary and conditions of such appointments for a period of at least two years.

No.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Horticulture (Irish Republic)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether horticultural producers in Ireland receive assistance to export their products to the United Kingdom.

Under transitional provisions made on enlargement of the EEC, accession compensatory amounts are payable at an annually falling rate until 1977 by the Irish Republic on exports of fresh tomatoes to any destination between 11th June and 21st November. The rate will fall this year to 8.68 units of account per 100kg, two-thirds of that paid in 1975, which at the rate for the Irish green £ is equivalent to just over £51 per tonne. Such compensatory amounts, operating as charges on imports to the new member State concerned and as payments on its exports, were required by Articles 65 and 66 of the Act of Accession on those fruit and vegetable products of which the producer price has been kept up by national quantitative restrictions which had to be removed on entry to the Community. They are, for example, similarly payable until 1977 on United Kingdom apple and pear exports at certain times of the year to the Irish Republic, to other Community countries and to third countries.

Game Birds

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what EEC regulations apply to the marketing and sale in the United Kingdom of pheasants, grouse, ptarmigan, wild duck, patridges and wood pigeons.

None.

Iceland (Fisheries Dispute)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the cost of hiring vessels for fishery protection work off Iceland up to the present date.

The total cost of chartering civilian defence vessels for the protection of British trawlers off Iceland from 11th November 1975 to date is estimated to be about £1,080,000.

Forestry

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the expenditure incurred in providing grants in support of private forestry in each of the last five years with his estimate for 1976–77 and the number of acres of planting or replanting covered by grant in each of those years.

Figures for the last five completed years are as follows:

Year ended		Grant expenditure incurred (£)^*	Area planted and replanted (acres)
31st March 1971	…	1,926,479	56,100
31st March 1972	…	2,129,232	59,300
31st March 1973	…	2,105,823	58,750
31st March 1974	…	2,005,854	56,300
31st March 1975	…	1,881,274	52,750
^* Includes planting grants and management grants

Expenditure for the present financial year is expected to be about £1·6 million; this would imply planting and replanting of the order of 40,000 acres. Firm figures will not be available until some time after the end of the financial year.On the assumption that the level of activity is unlikely to vary greatly, expenditure for 1976–77 is also estimated at £16 million. However, as I pointed out to my hon. Friend in my reply of 2nd March 1976—[Vol. 906, c.

495]—no accurate estimate of the level of planting by the private sector in the future can be given as this will depend upon the decisions of a great many individual woodland owners.

Iceland (Fisheries Dispute)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the periods of time involved in the chartering of vessels used in fishery protection work off Iceland.

The three civilian defence vessels currently engaged in fishery protection work off Iceland have been on charter since 17th November 1975, 29th November 1975 and 30th December 1975 respectively. The charters of the first two are renewable monthly whilst that of the third runs at present to 26th April 1976. Three other vessels were on charter from 11th November to 30th December 1975.

Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes have been made in the composition of the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Committee subsequent to those announced on 21st November 1975 in answer to a Question by the hon. Member for Lichfield and Tamworth (Mr. Grocott).

I report with regret the death of Mr. M. Knowles and the resignation for personal reasons of Major H. R. Jackson. I pay tribute to the contribution both members have made to the work of the Committee.The House will wish to note that Mrs. Eileen Bezet from Sussex, a voluntary worker in animal welfare, and Mr. J. H. Cullimore, JP, a dairy farmer in Gwent, have accepted our invitation to serve on the Committee.

User and Location		Manufacturer and type of machine		Date of acceptance		Value
						£
DAFS, Aberdeen	…	Elliott 903C	…	January 1969	…	10,000^*
Scottish Office, Edinburgh	…	NCR 500	…	February 1969.	…	20,000
DAFS, Aberdeen	…	Elliott 903C	…	March 1969	…	55,000
National Engineering Laboratory, East Kilbride.	…	Univac 1108	…	April 1969	…	985,000
MOD, Dunfermline	…	IBM 1130.	…	September 1970.	…	40,000
MAFF, Aberdeen	…	IBM 1130	…	March 1971	…	35,000
MOD, Rosyth	…	ICL 1904A	…	October 1971	…	430,000
MOD, Faslane	…	ICL 1903A	…	September 1972.	…	430,000
DNS, Glasgow	…	ICL 4/72	…	October 1972	…	848,000
DAFS, Aberdeen	…	Elliott 905	…	March 1973	…	64,000
GRO, Scotland	…	ICL 1902A	…	November 1973	…	148,000
Inland Revenue, East Kilbride	…	ICL 1904S	…	December 1973	…	812,000†
DNS, Glasgow	…	ICL 4/72	…	August 1974	…	790,000
Scottish Office, Edinburgh	…	IBM 370/145	…	May 1975	…	2,000,000‡
		IBM 370/145	…	October 1975	…	2,000,000‡
^* Second-hand.
† Includes cost of a major enhancement.
‡ Capital equivalent of hire payments.

User and Location		Manufacturer and type of machine		Date of acceptance		Value
						£
DAFS, Aberdeen	…	Elliott 903C	…	January 1969	…	10,000^*
Scottish Office, Edinburgh	…	NCR 500	…	February 1969.	…	20,000
DAFS, Aberdeen	…	Elliott 903C	…	March 1969	…	55,000
National Engineering Laboratory, East Kilbride.	…	Univac 1108	…	April 1969	…	985,000
MOD, Dunfermline	…	IBM 1130.	…	September 1970.	…	40,000
MAFF, Aberdeen	…	IBM 1130	…	March 1971	…	35,000
MOD, Rosyth	…	ICL 1904A	…	October 1971	…	430,000
MOD, Faslane	…	ICL 1903A	…	September 1972.	…	430,000
DNS, Glasgow	…	ICL 4/72	…	October 1972	…	848,000
DAFS, Aberdeen	…	Elliott 905	…	March 1973	…	64,000
GRO, Scotland	…	ICL 1902A	…	November 1973	…	148,000
Inland Revenue, East Kilbride	…	ICL 1904S	…	December 1973	…	812,000†
DNS, Glasgow	…	ICL 4/72	…	August 1974	…	790,000
Scottish Office, Edinburgh	…	IBM 370/145	…	May 1975	…	2,000,000‡
		IBM 370/145	…	October 1975	…	2,000,000‡
^* Second-hand.
† Includes cost of a major enhancement.
‡ Capital equivalent of hire payments.

Two ICL 1904S machines have been ordered for the DHSS and will be installed in Livingstone in mid-1976.Information about all computers installed in Government is contained in a supplement to the CSD quarterly publication "Management Services in Government", copies of which are in the House of Commons Library. The next

Children's Diets

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of children in which the head of the family's income is under £19, £19 to £32 or over £32 had a daily intake of less than 80 per cent, of the recommended level for (a) energy, (b) total protein, (c) calcium, (d) vitamin A, (e) vitamin C, (f) vitamin D and (g) at least three of (a) to (f).

This information is not available from the National Food Survey.

Civil Service

Computers

asked the Minister for the Civil Service, if he will list the number of computers in use in Government offices in Scotland, their make, the date of their installation, and their cost when installed.

The following is a list of computers installed in Government offices in Scotland as at 31st December 1975. The values quoted are original installation costs.full list will be published in the May edition.

Civil Servants

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many people were employed in the Civil Service as Permanent Secretaries, Second Permanent Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, Under-Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries on 1st April 1975 and at the latest available date.

The numbers in post in the Home Civil Service on 1st April 1975 and 1st January 1976 were:

1st April 1975 1st Jan. 1976
Permanent Secretary Second Permanent	…	26	26
Secretary	…	16	18
Deputy Secretary	…	150	149
Under-Secretary	…	577	596
Assistant Secretary	…	1,202	^*
^*Information on the numbers in this grade is collected annually each April. The 1st April 1975 figure is, therefore, the latest available.

Manpower Services Commission

asked the Minister for the Civil Service at what dates in 1974 the 18,182 posts in the Manpower Services Commission and its related agencies were excluded from the Civil Service count.

University			Computer			Date of Installation	Cost
(£000)
Aberdeen	…	…	ICL 4/70	…	…	1973	740
			2 CTL Satellite Ones	…	…	1973	50
Dundee	…	…	ICL 4130	…	…	1967	200
			CTL Modular 1	…	…	1973	60
Edinburgh	…	…	2 ICL 4/75	…	…	1969 and 1973	1,900
			CTL Modular 1	…	…	Various	130
			ICL 2970	…	…	1975	970
Glasgow	…	…	CTL Satellite One	…	…	1972	50
HeriotWatt	…	…	Burroughs B5500	…	…	1974	210
			Burroughs B1700	…	…	1974	210
St. Andrews	…	…	IBM 360/44	…	…	1968	350
Stirling	…	…	ICL 4130	…	…	1968	240
Strathclyde	…	…	ICL 19045	…	…	1973	690
			CTL Modular 1	…	…	Various	150

Note: An ICL 19065 computer is due to be installed at Glasgow University in June 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what policy his Department adopts concerning the purchase of computers for universities in Scotland; and how many computers have been purchased for universities in Scotland on a single tender basis.

The policy adopted for the purchase of computers for all universities in the United Kingdom is:(1) to acquire large computers (those more powerful than Atlas) and computers leading into them by single tender action from ICL, subject to satisfactory price, performance and

The Manpower Services Commission was set up on 1st January 1974 with a staff of 12. The Training Services Agency was established as a statutory body on 1st April 1974–5,447 staff; and the Employment Service Agency on 1st October 1974–12,723 staff.

Education And Science

Computers (Scottish Universities)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the number of computers in use in universities in Scotland, their make, the date of their installation, and their cost when installed.

The computers installed in Scottish universities are listed below. Costs of installation include subsequent enhancement. No central record is normally kept of small computers, generally costing less than £50,000.delivery dates, save in exceptional circumstances where the penalties of transferring from another manufacturer would be too great;(2) to acquire other computers by single tender action where there are reasons for seeking compatibility or flexibility, subject to the same proviso about price, performance and delivery;(3) in all other cases, including those in which the appropriate manufacturers are unable to meet the conditions specified in (1) and (2), to seek competitive tenders, including so far as possible at least one offering a system manufactured in the United Kingdom, and to award the contract strictly on the merits of the evaluation.All the computers purchased for Scottish universities were by single tender action.

Handicapped Children

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many handicapped children are now on the waiting list for places at special schools; and if he will break down the figures giving the numbers for different types of schools and for different age groups.

The information is available only by types of handicap and for two different age groups. The numbers on waiting lists in England and Wales in January 1975 were as follows:

	Under five years of age	Aged five years and over
Blind	46	33
Partially sighted	60	115
Deaf	50	62
Partially hearing	103	135
Physically handicapped	327	446
Delicate	25	520
Maladjusted	7	2,197
Educationally sub-normal: Medium	257	5,601
Severe	849	708
Epileptic	3	57
With speech defects	17	88
Autistic	2	33
	1,746	9,995
Total	11,741

Deaf Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what representations he has received about the recommendations of the World Congress of the Deaf in Washington;(2) if, in the light of the resolution of the 7th World Congress of the Deaf that all persons who are preparing to work in the area of deafness with children or adults should be required to attain knowledge of sign language, he will take steps designed to ensure that people working in the field of education for deaf children are taught the sign language.

I have received no representations and I have no power to prescribe what methods of communication shall be taught.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will detail the provision made for deaf people in all institutes of further education, including technical colleges, teacher training colleges and universities, including the Open University; and whether the help consists of full- or part-time interpretation, visual aids, counselling, extra individual tuition or any other help.

Facilities specially for deaf and partially hearing are provided at seven establishments of further education, and the Open University provide transcripts of radio and TV broadcasts and also special tuition at certain summer schools. Detailed information about provision made elsewhere is not available. Local education authorities and other bodies are increasingly arranging supporting services of the kind instanced.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if his Department sent a representative or observer to the UNESCO International meeting of experts on education of the deaf;(2) if he will detail the recommendations made by the UNESCO meeting, and signify whether or not his Department supports them in principle;(3) if any changes have been or will be made in his Department's policy on the education of deaf children as a result of the UNESCO meeting.

The meeting was organised on the initiative of the UNESCO Secretariat and the experts were invited in their personal capacity. The question of my Department being represented did not therefore arise.The 34 recommendations mainly relate to assessment, curriculum, teaching methods and teacher training and are couched in fairly general terms. Nearly all of these are in line with current thinking and I see no need for change so far as my responsibilities extend.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the proportion of teachers in schools and units for deaf and hard of hearing children who have a special qualification to teach deaf children; if the proportion has risen or fallen in recent years; if his department has taken any specific steps to influence the proportion; and if he is expecting the proportion to rise in the near future.

In January 1975, the latest date for which figures are available, 72 per cent, of teachers in special schools and units for hearing impaired children in England and Wales were specially qualified. The percentage has remained about the same for the last three years. It will probably rise in the future; but so long as an avenue exists for teachers in schools to obtain the specialist qualification within three years of taking up their appointment, and while teachers of practical subjects do not need it, there will be a significant proportion of teachers who are not specially qualified. The Department has taken steps to increase training facilities, and the number of newly qualified teachers rose from 139 in January 1973 to 153 in January 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will initiate discussions on the proposal that teacher-training colleges should accept deaf candidates, even when their deafness is so profound that they would not normally be accepted, if it is felt they would

year				Pupils in special schools for the hearing-impaired (England and Wales)	Pupils entering university	Number in Column (c) who obtained a degree
(a)				(b)	(c)	(d)
1966	…	…	…	4,751	1	—
1967	…	…	…	4,797	1	Not known
					(in Australia)
1968	…	…	…	4,921	4	4
1969	…	…	…	5,194	4	3
1970	…	…	…	5,299	4	4
1971	…	…	…	5,491	7	6
1972	…	…	…	5,549	1	1
1973	…	…	…	5,747	6	Courses not yet completed
1974	…	…	…	5,876	2
1975	…	…	…	6,134	9

Industry

West Midlands

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what estimate he has made of the effect of the Government's policy regarding industrial development certificates on the unemployment situation in the West Midlands.

be suited to teach deaf children, and provided that they undertook to teach only in schools for the deaf or partially hearing units.

Current arrangements enable applications from deaf candidates to be considered according to the individual circumstances of each case, but recognition as a qualified teacher is not given in respect of particular categories of children or schools and all teachers must satisfy my right hon. Friend on first employment as to their health and physical capacity for teaching generally. I do not consider on present information that there are grounds for making the changes suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children have been pupils at schools for the deaf during the last five years; how many of these children went on to obtain a university degree; and what were the corresponding figures for the preceding five years.

Information about the further or higher education of hearing-impaired school leavers is not collected by the Department. On the assumption that only pupils from Mary Hare Grammar School will have proceeded direct from special school to university, the details are as follows:

The recent increase in unemployment in the West Midlands is attributable to general economic factors, and not to the operation of industrial development certificate policy.

Departmental Publicity Costs

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the total cost of publicity incurred by his Department in the years 1973, 1974 and 1975; and what is the estimate for 1976, broken down into relevant headings.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23rd February 1976; Vol. 906, c. 92], gave the following information:The publicity expenditure for the Department of Industry for the years 1973–74, 1974–75, the forecast expenditure for 1975–76 and the estimated provision for 1976–77 are as follows:

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
		1973–74^*
		£
Advertising	…	2,931,100
Exhibitions	…	90,200
Films and TV	…	91,100
Radio	…	600
Photographs	…	500
Publications	…	126,400
£3,239,900

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
	1974–75
Advertising	446,300
Exhibitions	135,100
Films and TV	75,900
Overseas Press/Radio	900
Photographs	2,000
Publications	53,200
£713,400

DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY
		1975–76
		(forecast)
Advertising	…	495,700
Exhibitions	…	70,600
Films and TV	…	82,000
Photographs	…	2,500
Publications	…	103,200
Despatch	…	3,400
£757,400

DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY
		1976–77
		(estimated provision)
Advertising	…	597,800
Exhibitions	…	125,600
Films and TV	…	97,300
Radio	…	600
Photographs	…	3,500
Publications	…	85,300
Despatch		4,200
£914,30
^* includes expenditure on behalf of Department of Energy.

Prices And Consumer Protection

Electrical Appliances

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if her Department has made any calculation as to the increase of deaths and serious accidents from faulty domestic electrical appliances since the imposition of 25 per cent. VAT on the servicing of such appliances.

Information on numbers of accidents resulting from faulty domestic electrical appliances is not available.

European Consumers' Unions

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will publish in the Official Report the eight points submitted to the Council of Ministers by the European Bureau of Consumer Associations concerning food prices.

A copy of this document by the Bureau of European Consumers' Unions is available in the Library. I was glad to see that this organisation representing consumers in all the member States in the Community had published its views on the 1967–77 price package. It is important that consumers' organisations should play a greater part in the development of the common agricultural policy.

Trade

Exports (Development And Planning)

49.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish a list of those special countries in which his Department has a particular interest in export development and planning.

The British Overseas Trade Board, in providing export marketing assistance to industry, has sought to focus attention on certain major markets offering growth potential for British exports. They include most of Western Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, South Africa and areas of special potential such as Iran, Nigeria and Brazil. In deploying its resources the Board, in consultation with industry, gives particular attention to selected product sectors in supporting industry's own marketing plans in the target countries.At the same time the official export services and promotional schemes continue to provide support for exporters in all worthwhile markets and special promotions and initiatives take place in many countries outside the major markets listed above.

Textiles (Imports)

50.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress has been made so far in discussions within the EEC in pursuance of a common policy for the import of textiles from low-cost countries.

The EEC's policy on low-cost textile imports is based on the GATT Multifibre Arrangement, which entered into force on 1st January 1974. As a signatory on behalf of the nine member States the EEC has concluded restraint agreements covering the principal sensitive products in all fibres from the main low-cost supplying countries, including Hong Kong, South Korea, Pakistan and India, as well as taking other measures restricting textile imports, particularly from Taiwan. Where such arrangements provide for Community quotas, member States' shares of the quotas are determined by a burden-sharing formula agreed by member Governments in October 1974. There are frequent meetings of experts from member Governments to review this policy in conjunction with the EEC Commission.

Africa

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what estimates his Department has made of the financial value to Great Britain's balance of payments of trade with African countries south of the Sahara, distinguishing between (a) South Africa and (b) the remaining countries.

Estimates of the United Kingdom's visible balance of trade, on a balance of payments basis, are compiled only for broad area groups. Africa, south of the Sahara, is not separately identified.On the basis of available information, the "crude" balance of trade with South Africa in 1975—i.e., the difference between exports valued fob and imports valued cif—was in surplus by £145 mil- lion; with the rest of the countries south of the Sahara, there was a "crude" trade surplus of £98 million. The crude balance of trade is not necessarily a good measure of our trading position because of, inter alia, differences in valuation.

Oil Pollution

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many prosecutions have been made over the latest 12-month period for which figures are available for offences under the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971 regarding the illegal discharge of oil in United Kingdom waters by ships.

The last 12-month period for which the relevant statistics are available was 1974 during which year 50 prosecutions were undertaken.

Hotel Charges (Display)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will use his powers under the development of Tourism Act to require hoteliers to display their charges in guests' rooms or at reception desks.

Discussions are taking place about a voluntary scheme to provide adequate notification of prices for hotel accommodation. I should prefer to consider the outcome of these exchanges before deciding on appropriate further action.

Shellgrip And Spraygrip

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many licences have been granted abroad for the use of shellgrip and spraygrip; and what is the export potential.

Information concerning the overseas licensing arrangements for these processes is a matter for the firms involved. While the use of these processes overseas is currently on a relatively modest scale, the long-term prospects for their sale in export markets appear to be encouraging.

Departmental Staff And Divisions

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) how many members of the staff in that section of his Department concerned with general export, commercial and trade policy are of the rank of Under-Secretary or above;(2) how many members of the staff in that section of his Department concerned with export development and planning in relation to special countries are of the rank of Under-Secretary or above;(3) if he will publish in the

Official Report a list of the divisions within that section of his Department concerned with general export, commercial and trade policy and a brief description of the function of each;

(4) if he will publish in the Official Report a list of the divisions within that section of his Department concerned with export, development and planning in relation to special countries and a brief description of the function of each;

(5) if he will publish in the Official Report a chart showing the names, ranks, qualifications, job specifications and salaries of the staff between the rank of Deputy Secretary and Under-Secretary, employed in that section of his Department concerned with general export, commercial and trade policy;

(6) if he will publish in the Official Report a chart showing the names, ranks, qualifications, job specifications and salaries of the staff between the rank of Deputy Secretary and Under-Secretary, employed in that section of his Department concerned with export, development and planning in relation to special countries;

(7) If he will list in the Official Report the names of staff of the rank of Under-Secretary or above in that section of his Department dealing with general export, commercial and trade policy, who have recognised qualifications in market research, marketing, advertising or public relations;

(8) If he will list in the Official Report the names of staff of the rank of Under-Secretary or above in that section of his Department dealing with export, development and planning in relation to special countries, who have recognised qualifications in market research, marketing, advertising or public relations;

(9) how many staff in that section of his Department dealing with general export, commercial and trade policy, of the rank of Under-Secretary or above, have more than five years' marketing and selling experience with a private commercial organisation;

(10) how many staff in that section of his Department dealing with export, development and planning in relation lo special countries, of the rank of Under-Secretary or above, have more than five years' marketing and selling experience with a private commercial organisation;

(11) if he will publish a list of those countries in which his Department has established a liaison office.

The edition of Trade and Industry published on 21st November 1975, copies of which are available in the Library, contains a guide setting out the responsibilties of my Department and listing by name all staff at Under-Secretary level and above. I am sending the hon. Member an updated version of this guide.The British Overseas Trade Board and the British Overseas Trade Advisory Council, whose memberships include prominent business men, are responsible to me for work on the promotion and development of overseas trade. The Departments and Divisions primarily concerned are the Export Credits Guarantee Department, four Commercial Relations and Exports Divisions, Export Development, Export Services and Promotions, and General Divisions, and the Overseas Projects Group.All Under-Secretaries and above in these Departments and Divisions have responsibilties which involve them in export policy, or export development in particular countries. Some have had firsthand experience of assisting exporters through service in British diplomatic posts overseas and all are experienced in dealing with the problems of commerce and industry, though none has the specialist qualifications referred to by the hon. Member or has direct commercial experience. Both of my Industrial Advisers have experience of marketing and selling in private organisations.The pay of a Deputy Secretary is £14,000 a year and that of an Under-Secretary £12,000 a year.The Department of Trade's interests in export promotion and development are represented overseas by the Diplomatic Service to which a number of the staff of the Department are seconded, in particular to fill commercial posts.

To facilitate the handling of projects under the Memorandum of Understanding on economic co-operation recently signed with Saudi Arabia, my Department has opened an Economic Development Office in Riyadh.

Export Credits

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the current value of export guarantee loans outstanding; and what proportion of this amount refers to shipbuilding loans.

The current value of outstanding fixed-rate export finance made by the banks and guaranteed by the Export Credits Guarantee Department is £3,021 million. Statistics showing the proportion of these loans made in respect of exported ships are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the procedure for dealing with companies which cannot meet their comitments as to interest or repayment under the 1972 Export Guarantee Loans Scheme; how many companies are at present involved in this way; and if it is his intention to refer them to the National Enterprise Board or similar bodies where applicable.

Under the 1972 agreement with the London and Scottish clearing banks, ECGD makes refinancing loans to the banks in respect of a proportion of their outstanding fixed-rate export finance. There has never been any problem on the repayment of these loans and related interest, and the question of any procedure to deal with non-payment or reference to the National Enterprise Board has not arisen.

Footwear And Suits

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress has been made in his discussions with the Eastern European countries about their exports to the United Kingdom in 1976 of leather footwear and men's woollen suits.

Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania, the three main East European suppliers, undertook last year to restrain their exports to this country of men's leather footwear, excluding sandals, in 1975 to between 5 and 10 per cent, below their exports in 1974. I am satis- fied that these undertakings were honoured in 1975. These countries have now undertaken not to exceed during 1976 the levels of restraint for their exports to the United Kingdom of men's leather footwear, excluding sandals, which were applied during 1975. In addition they will be restraining their exports of women's and children's leather footwear, excluding sandals, to approximately the level of their 1975 exports.In 1975, 380,000 men's woollen suits were imported from the five East European countries concerned. A major increase in exports to this country from the five main East European suppliers had been planned for 1976. Exports of woollen suits for the whole of 1976 from the five countries concerned will now be reduced to about 350,000 suits, a reduction of some 8 per cent. on 1975.Hungary and Poland will be restraining their exports voluntarily. Quotas which come into effect immediately are being applied to imports of men's woollen suits from Czechoslovakia, the GDR and Romania.Details of the quotas and of the licensing arrangements that will apply are set out in a notice to importers to be published with a Press notice later today.

Bank Support Grants

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the current value of interest rate support grants payable to the banks under the formula which was announced on 15th March 1972 for export guarantee loans.

Under the March 1972 agreement with the London and Scottish clearing banks, the fixed interest rate receivable by the banks on the un-refinance portion of their export loans for capital goods is made up by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to agreed rates of return based on current market rates. The current average fixed rate of interest on outstanding loans, which relate to business taken on over a number of years, is 6·2 per cent. and the current agreed rates of return are 10·64 per cent. for loans outstanding at 15th March 1972 and 11·27 per cent. for subsequent lending. During the financial year 1975–76 interest rate support grants paid to the banks have totalled £13,868,963.

Scotland

Legal Aid (Solicitors' Fees)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total amount of fees paid to solicitors from the Legal Aid (Scotland) Fund for legal services rendered for each respective year to

			Civil Causes	Legal Advice and Assistance^*	Criminal Causes†	Children's Scheme‡	Total
FEES PAID TO SOLICITORS AND COUNSEL
Year ending 31st March
1950–51	…	…	1,371	—	—	—	1,371
1951–52	…	…	61,047	—	—	—	61,047
1952–53	…	…	102,583	—	—	—	102,583
1953–54	…	…	143,549	—	—	—	143,549
1954–55	…	…	158,050	—	—	—	158,050
1955–56	…	…	153,500	—	—	—	153,500
1956–57	…	…	152,369	—	—	—	152,369
1957–58	…	…	155,527	—	—	—	155,527
1958–59	…	…	159,279	228	—	—	159,507
1959–60	…	…	160,669	5,629	—	—	166,298
1960–61	…	…	193,386	9,412	—	—	202,798
1961–62	…	…	237,070	11,957	—	—	249,027
1962–63	…	…	312,069	11,754	—	—	323,823
1963–64	…	…	334,067	12,497	—	—	346,564
1964–65	…	…	431,798	11,678	41,721	—	485,197
1965–66	…	…	416,427	11,541	242,386	—	670,354

FEES PAID TO SOLICITORS
Year ending 31st March
1966–67	…	…	432,337	10,788	363,255	—	806,380
1967–68	…	…	446,253	10,374	423,677	—	880,304
1968–69	…	…	546,254	8,727	427,597	—	982,578
1969–70	…	…	603 299	7,304	398,765	—	1,009,368
1970–71	…	…	615,266	12,251	426,696	—	1,054,213
1971–72	…	…	758,076	17,025	649,828	7,201	1,432,130
1972–73	…	…	972,676	15,186	768,668	19,085	1,775,615
1973–74	…	…	1,032,779	152,074	908,680	32,013	2,125,546
1974–75	…	…	1,284,400	403,950	1,088,889	33,787	2,811,026
^* The figures for 1958–59 to 1972–73 represent fees for legal advice under sections 5 and 7 of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1967 which ceased on 31st March 1973. The figures for 1973–74 and 1974–75 represent fees under the Legal Advice and Assistance Scheme (the £25 scheme) made under the Legal Advice and Assistance Act 1972 which came into effect on 1st April 1973.
† Statutory legal aid became available for criminal proceedings in October 1964.
‡ The Children's Scheme provides legal aid for court proceedings arising from referrals to children's hearings.

Building Standards Advisory Committee

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which sectors of the construction industry and the professions are represented on his Building Standards Advisory Committee.

Members of the committee are appointed as individuals the latest convenient date since the introduction of the free legal aid scheme.

The information requested is given in the following table. For the years before 1966–67 no information is available about the amounts paid in fees to solicitors alone and the figures given for the years 1950–51 to 1965–66 represent the amounts paid to both solicitors and counsel.and not as representatives. The committee includes fire and building control officers, building contractors, and members of the architectural, engineering and quantity surveying professions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland since there is no representative of the building materials suppliers section of the building industry on his Building Standards Advisory Committee, if he will now make such an appointment.

The committee has recently been reconstituted, with six new members, for the period to 31 December 1978, and I have no present plans for further appointments. Organisations representing the building materials industry are consulted about proposals for any amendment of the building standards regulations considered by the committee.

Birth Induction

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish statistics of the incidence of induced labour births in Scotland for the last five years to the latest available date.

Information about induced births is available only for about 80 per cent, of National Health Service hospital births as recorded in returns submitted by certain hospitals. The figures for these hospitals are as follows:

Year		Recorded Births	Number of Induced Births	Related Rate per 1,000 Births
1970	…	62,299	22,929	368
1971	…	66,420	27,039	407
1972	…	62,530	26,739	428
1973	…	60,622	28,697	473
1974	…	57,597	29,357	508

Peterhead (Gas Separation Plant)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to hold a public inquiry into the proposal by Shell Expro to site a natural gas liquids separation plant at Peterhead.

The period for making representations on the project has not yet expired; so far, neither Shell UK Ltd. nor Banff and Buchan District Council, both of whom have a statutory right to ask for an inquiry, have said whether they wish one. I have therefore not yet decided whether to hold a public inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to seek skilled, independent advice on the proposal by Shell Expro to build a natural gas liquids separation plant at Peterhead.

I have asked the Health and Safety Executive to let me have a full assessment of any hazards that might arise from the operation of the plant. Before the present planning application was submitted, the planning authorities concerned had commissioned a study of the plant by independent consultants, and their report will also be made available to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had on the proposal by Shell Expro to build a natural gas liquids separation plant at Peterhead.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what rate of development area grant will be payable to Shell Expro if it is granted permission to build a natural gas liquids separation plant at Peterhead.

I have been asked to reply.No application for a regional development grant on the project has yet been made. Provided that the conditions for grant were met, it would be payable at the rate of 20 per cent. of the approved capital expenditure incurred on the plant.

Social Services

Wilson's Disease

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many new cases of Wilson's disease have been diagnosed for each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many deaths from this cause have occurred annually over this period.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients suffering from Wilson's disease are known to have died over the course of the past five years as the result of failure to diagnose the disease or failure to provide the drugs and treatment recognised to be effective.

I am not aware of any instances where such failures have been alleged other than that already brought to my attention by my hon. Friend. However, because of the rarity of the disease it would not be surprising if it has on other occasions been diagnosed and treated late.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied with present facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of Wilson's disease and the availability of the drugs required to fight this disease.

My Department is currently reviewing the services available for sufferers of gentically determined diseases such as this to see whether any further improvements can be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what facilities exist at the present time for the production and supply of triethylene tetramine in the United Kingdom; and if she regards the present situation as satisfactory.

Triethylene tetramine is used in the treatment of a few sufferers from Wilson's disease for whom penicillimine is unsuitable. Because of the very small demand for this drug it is processed and encapsulated at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambride for administration to patients under the care of Dr. J. M. Walshe of the Department of Medicine at the Cambridge University Clinical School, who has been in correspondence with my Department.The present arrangements for the manufacture of triethylene tetramine are being reviewed and officers of my Department will very shortly be meeting Dr. Walshe to consider possible alternatives.

Doctors (London)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the total numbers of general practitioners in the area covered by the 16 London area health authorities, and the number who have contracted out to emergency call services for nights and weekends; and what is her estimate of the number of qualified doctors engaged in the call services.

There are 3,625 general practitioners in the 16 areas, of whom approximately 2,230 have authority to use a deputising service. Information is not available as to the extent of use made of the deputising services by these doctors. All doctors employed by the five deputising services operating in the area are qualified; I estimate that the total is about 250.

Children

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of children in households with under £19, £19 to £32 or £32 or more income were less than the mean for their age in height and weight.

I regret that this information is not available.The Chief Medical Officer's committee on medical aspects of food policy is responsible for the nutritional surveillance of the population including children in households with low incomes and to date they have found no cause for concern about their nutritional status.

National Finance

Civil Servants

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report details of how many civil servants were employed in the Treasury at the time when the Government first initiated an incomes policy; what were their total salaries; and similar details for the latest convenient date.

At the time an incomes policy was initiated in July 1966 the number was 1,692. The number at 1st January 1976 was 1,144. The salaries for 1966–67 were £3,038,838 and salaries for 1975–76 are estimated at £5,839,000. These figures are not comparable because the Civil Service Department was set up in 1968, taking over part of the functions of the then Treasury.

Personal Incomes

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what would be the take-home pay of a married person on a salary of £5,000, with no children, one child, two children, and three children, respectively, after tax and other deductions had been made;(2) what would be the take-home pay of a married person on a salary of £10,000, with no children, one child, two children and three children, respectively, after tax and other deductions had been made:(3) what would be the take-home pay of a married person on a salary of £20,000 with no children, one child, two children and three children, respectively, after tax and other deductions had been made;(4) what would be the take-home pay of a married person on a salary of £30,000 with no children, one child, two children and three children, respectively, after tax and other deductions had been made;

				Take-home pay^*
Salary			No children	One child	Two children	Three children
£			£	£	£†	£†
5,000	…	…	3,387	3,471	3,509	3,548
10,000	…	…	5,901	6,045	6,189	6,333
20,000	…	…	8,894	9,074	9,254	9,434
30,000	…	…	10,670	10,870	11,069	11,268
40,000	…	…	12,370	12,570	12,769	12,968
50,000	…	…	14,070	14,270	14,469	14,668
Notes:
^*Take-home pay is salary less tax and national insurance contributions.
†The salary and take-home pay do not include Family Allowances, but the tax on the family allowance, and "clawback", have been taken into account in the calculations. It has been assumed that family allowances have been relinquished where it is to the taxpayer's advantage to do so.

Old-Age Pensioners (Income Tax)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many income tax payers are war widows over 65 years of age; and what is the total income tax paid by such taxpayers in each of the last two years.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many income tax payers are single women over 65 years of age; and how many are single men of 65 years of age.

About 560,000 and 300,000 respectively for 1973–74, the latest year for which information is available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many income tax payers over 65 years of age live with a wife or husband; and what amounts of tax they have paid in each of the past two years.

Information is not available in the precise form requested.

(5) what would be the take-home pay of a married person on a salary of £40,000 with no children, one child, two children and three children, respectively, after tax and other deductions had been made;

(6) what would be the take-home pay of a married person on a salary of £50,000 with no children, one child, two children and three children, respectively, after tax and other deductions had been made.

Assuming that the children are not over 11 years of age, the figures at 1975–76 rates of tax and allowances are as follows:For 1972–73 and 1973–74, the latest available years, the table below gives figures for married couples where one of the spouses was age 65 or over and the wife was either living with or being maintained by the husband.

		Number of taxpayers '000	Tax paid £ million
1972–73	…	1070	480
1973–74	…	1010	470

The 1972–73 tax figure includes surtax.

National Westminster Bank Quarterly Review (Figures)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is content with the accuracy of the figures in table V of the article "Stop-go and De-industrialisation" on page 41 of the Quarterly Review of the National Westminster Bank for November 1975; and whether he will publish figures on a comparable basis for 1950 to 1960 and for 1974.

Since the basis for calculating the figures referred to is not known it is not possible to express a view about their accuracy or to consider the possibility of calculating estimates for other years.

Tax Allowances (Company Cars)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated annual cost to the revenue as a result of tax allowances and VAT concessions for company cars.

I regret that this information is not available. There are in fact no VAT "concessions" for company cars.

Social Security

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the £140 million expected to be spent in 1976–77 as a result of the announcement made by him on 12th February, how much will be met by the lower unemployment and social security benefits and higher tax receipts and national insurance contributions; and if he will give the figures separately for each of these four items.

The figure given of the net cost to the public finance of the measures was a statistical calculation based on a number of assumptions. The ultimate offsets to the gross cost will depend on the net number of jobs actually created, allowing for displacement effects, and on the entitlement to unemployment benefit and the tax position of the particular individuals affected. The estimation of net Exchequer cost, and in particular of the individual factors concerned are subject to a wide margin of error.

Value Added Tax

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received asking for the value added tax to be removed from the live theatre.

About 10 since the April 1975 Budget. On 16th January 1976 I had a meeting with the Chairman of the Theatres' National Committee, and on 3rd March 1976 I met a deputation from the Theatres' Advisory Council led by its Chairman, my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether VAT is levied in the case of a fine art auctioneer who sells works of art with a buyer's premium but without any selling commission;

(2) whether art and antique dealers who sell works of art on behalf of clients, charging the purchaser a buyers' premium, may treat the transaction for VAT purposes in precisely the same way as fine art auctioneers who also charge a buyer's premium.

The VAT treatment of any charge must depend upon its nature and purpose, not necessarily upon the name given to it. If my hon. Friend would care to send me details of any particular case he has in mind, I should be glad to advise him.

Construction Industry (Pay Limits)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, pursuant to the Chief Secretary's reply to the hon. Member for Melton on 26th January regarding an appeal procedure for construction firms alleged to have breached the pay limits, he will (a) submit his proposals for the conduct of such hearings to the Council of Tribunals, and (b) publish them.

No. The way in which firms will be heard will be effective but informal.

Investment And Expenditure

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, further to his repiy to the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) in c. 68 et seq. of the Official Report for 23rd February, he will publish figures for gross and net investment in Order IV and MLH 104 (Petroleum and Natural Gas) of the Standard Industrial Classification (1968).

The following tables show estimates of gross and net domestic fixed capital formation at current and at constant 1970 prices annually from 1948 to 1974 in respect of Order IV of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and from 1964 to 1974 in respect of MLH 104 of the SIC. Investment was negligible in the latter industry for years prior to 1964. The estimates of constant prices at this level of industrial disaggregation should be interpreted with particular caution because of the problems of measuring changes in the prices of capital goods. There are special problems with the price indices used for MLH 104 because many of the fixed assets purchased in recent years are of a kind which were not in existence in the base year of 1970.The estimates of net domestic fixed capital formation should also be treated with caution. They depend upon "perpetual inventory" estimates of capital stock and capital consumption which rest on a number of assumptions subject to possible error. In addition it has been necessary to make further assumptions about the allocation of investment between Orders III and IV for the years prior to 1948 for which only combined data are available. Furthermore, the conventional

GROSS DOMESTIC FIXED CAPITAL FORMATION (GDFCF) AND NET DOMESTIC FIXED CAPITAL FORMATION (NDFCF) IN ORDER IV AND MLH 104 OF THE STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION
£ million
					Current prices		Constant (1970) prices
					GDFCF	NDFCF	GDFCF	NDFCF
Coal and petroleum products (Order IV)
1948	…	…	…	…	9	4	21	10
1949	…	…	…	…	21	16	49	37
1950	…	…	…	…	38	32	84	71
1951	…	…	…	…	43	36	88	73
1952	…	…	…	…	49	40	91	74
1953	…	…	…	…	46	35	84	64
1954	…	…	…	…	32	20	57	36
1955	…	…	…	…	32	19	54	32
1956	…	…	…	…	41	26	65	41
1957	…	…	…	…	60	43	90	64
1958	…	…	…	…	56	37	82	54
1959	…	…	…	…	37	17	54	24
1960	…	…	…	…	28	7	40	9
1961	…	…	…	…	31	9	43	11
1962	…	…	…	…	23	0	32	0
1963	…	…	…	…	31	7	42	9
1964	…	…	…	…	36	10	47	13
1965	…	…	…	…	38	10	48	13
1966	…	…	…	…	65	34	78	41
1967	…	…	…	…	103	70	124	85
1968	…	…	…	…	111	74	128	86
1969	…	…	…	…	92	52	103	58
1970	…	…	…	…	83	36	83	36
1971	…	…	…	…	131	77	119	70
1972	…	…	…	…	119	58	102	50
1973	…	…	…	…	52	−16	41	−12
1974	…	…	…	…	73	−11	45	−8
Petroleum and natural gas (MLH 104)
1964	…	…	…	…	1	1	1	1
1965	…	…	…	…	12	11	14	13
1966	…	…	…	…	25	21	29	25
1967	…	…	…	…	35	27	41	32
1968	…	…	…	…	35	23	39	25
1969	…	…	…	…	35	18	38	19
1970	…	…	…	…	40	16	40	16
1971	…	…	…	…	67	36	62	34
1972	…	…	…	…	119	80	101	68
1973	…	…	…	…	182	127	128	88
1974	…	…	…	…	672	559	345	283
NDFCF is equal to GDFCF less capital consumption; capital consumption relates to reproducible fixed assets only and does not include the depletion of natural resources.

assumption that capital consumption begins as soon as capital expenditure has taken place (rather than from the time the asset is used in production) needs to be taken into account when interpreting the estimates of net capital formation for MLH 104.

Estimates of capital consumption, and therefore net domestic fixed capital formation, are among the least reliable of those published in the national accounts. The reliability and methods and calculation of these estimates are described in Chapter XII of "National Accounts Statistics: Sources and Methods" HMSO 1968.

Paye

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total receipts from PAYE in the last fiscal year; and what percentage of this sum was contributed by those earning £2,500 a year and under.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9th March 1976], gave the following information:Total gross receipts under PAYE in 1974–75 were £8,675 million. This figure does not take account of repayments of tax. I regret that the information in the second part of the Question is not available.

Northern Ireland

Further Education Colleges (Scholarships)

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will take steps to ensure that awards of scholarships to students applying to enter colleges of further education in England are communicated to them before the final date of acceptance fixed by the colleges, in order to avoid possible hardship and confusion.

Awards for Northern Ireland students undertaking courses at teacher-training institutions in Great Britain for the academic year 1976–77 will be limited to 125 for three- and four-year courses. These awards will be made on the basis of academic merit judged on results in the GCE "O" and "A" level examinations. Since these results are not announced until August of each year, it will not be possible to offer awards until after that date.

Homosexuality

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received on the subject of the law on homosexuality in Northern Ireland; and what replies he has given.

In 1975 six letters and two petitions were received. In response, those concerned were told that, in the absence of strong local pressure for change, there were no present plans for legislation to reform the law of Northern Ireland on this matter. In the light of continuing direct rule, however, I am reconsidering the matter.

Long Kesh Prisoners

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners are held at present in Long Kesh whom he expects will be released during the next six months.

All prisoners in the Maze prison have been through the courts and the number due to be released during the next six months is approximately 400. The exact figure will be affected by losses of remission during this period and the bringing of further charges.

Ports

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the areas and populations served by the ports of Londonderry, Coleraine, Larne, Belfast and Warrenpoint.

Improvements in the Northern Ireland road network and the increased use of containers make it impracticable to identify specific areas and populations served by individual Northern Ireland ports. The trade of Londonderry and Coleraine ports is, however, primarily local. Belfast, the main port, and Larne, which specialises in passenger and unit load traffic, both serve Northern Ireland as a whole; and Warrenpoint's trade is largely concerned with the south-eastern part of the Province.

Harbour Commissioners And Authorities

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what payments are made for their services to the Members of the Harbour Commissioners and Harbour Authorities in Northern Ireland.

Except in the case of Warrenpoint Harbour Authority, whose chairman and members receive respectively, £1,000 and £600 per year, harbour commissioners and members of public harbour authorities in Northern Ireland are not paid for their services. Details of payments made to the directors of Larne Harbour Ltd. which is a privately-owned harbour, are not published.

Defence

American Personnel

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if any accommodation or facilities are provided in his Department's premises for United States foreign service officers or other employees of the United States Government.

Yes. The United States forces occupy a number of bases in the United Kingdom which remain the property of the Ministry of Defence, and facilities are also made available to them at other United Kingdom Service establishments. In addition there are individual United States liaison officers on MOD premises who are concerned, for instance, with various equipment projects and United States military personnel serving on exchange tours with the British forces.

Employment

North-East England

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in the North-East have been granted unemployment subsidy; and how many employees have been covered by it.

At 5th March 1976, 19 applications for temporary employment subsidy had been received in respect of firms in the North-East, and 1,709 jobs were involved. Of these five applications covering 581 jobs had been approved.

Employment News

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how often the newspaper Employment News is produced by his Department and at what annual cost; and to whom the paper is distributed.

The Employment News is an external newspaper which is produced monthly, and reports on news from the whole of the Department of Employment Group covering the Manpower Services Commission, the Training Services Agency, the Employment Service Agency, which includes the Professional and Executive Recruitment, and the Health and Safety Executive. The cost of production from January to December 1975 was £27,913; the cost of the last four issues has been estimated. The newspaper, which has a fast-increasing circulation, is distributed on request to a readership covering employers, trade unions, local authorities, nationalised industries and public corporations, national and local Press, technical and trade publications, universities and polytechnics, private individuals, and, of course, Members of Parliament.

World Congress Of The Deaf

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the World Congress of the Deaf; and what replies he has sent.

None. Resolutions from the last World Congress are presently being considered by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security with particular responsibility for the disabled.

Deaf Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will urge the ILO to ensure that deaf people are represented at all conferences concerned with the training for employment of handicapped people.

ILO conferences of this type usually relate to the needs of handicapped people as a general group. The ILO and the Government are well aware of the need to bear in mind the interests of deaf and other handicapped people when international measures concerning training for employment are contemplated.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many profoundly deaf people there are on the Disabled Persons Register; and how many are unemployed.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, in April 1975, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 13,046 deaf people on the Disabled Persons Register, of whom 860 were unemployed. Among these, 7,041 and 444 respectively were deaf without speech.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment in how many employment exchanges, and in what proportion of the total, there is either a disablement resettlement officer or any other person who specialises in the employment problems of the profoundly deaf.

I understand from the Manpower Services Commission that the Employment Service Agency has some 950 employment offices and jobcentres. One or more of the Agency's 530 disablement resettlement officers (DROs) are based at 356 offices, and most visit linked offices as necessary. In addition, there are 60 senior disablement resettlement officers who each cover one or more employment service district(s). The employment problems of all disabled people, including those who are profoundly deaf, are the concern of this specialist service.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many profoundly deaf people have attended Government training centres in the past year.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that statistics of individual disabilties of trainees sponsored by the Training Services Agency on courses at skillcentres are not readily available, but profoundly deaf people have been accepted for training where training could be given largely by demonstration methods, or trainees could lip-read or communicate by sign language, or assistance could be made available from local societies for the deaf.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what help with communication problems is given to profoundly deaf people who attend Government training centres.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that staff in skillcentres do not receive specific training in dealing with profoundly deaf people, but all instructors are trained in communication and instructional techniques. This is supplemented by instructional literature issued to all trainees, and instructors may call on the services of local deaf societies to solve individual problems.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in his Department specialise in the employment problems of the deaf.

The employment problems of all disabled people, including the deaf, are the concern of the specialist disablement resettlement service of the Employment Service Agency. There are about 530 full-time disablement resettlement officers whose special training in counselling, interviewing, job finding and resettlement for all disabled people includes the particular needs of the deaf.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he is satisfied that deaf people are given sufficient help and support so that they can obtain jobs for which their intellectual ability makes them suitable;(2) what provision there is within his Department for advice, counselling and retraining of those adults who become the profoundly deaf and as a result have to change their employment.

The employment problems of all disabled people, including those who are deaf, are the concern of the Disablement Resettlement Service of the Employment Service Agency. I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that they are satisfied that the range of services provided by the Agency and by the Training Services Agency is sufficiently comprehensive to enable deaf people to obtain jobs to suit their intellectual ability. These services include the specialist attention of 530 disablement resettlement officers, who are available to advise about suitable employment; rehabilitation and in-depth assessment and guidance at any of the Agency's 26 employment rehabilitation centres; the loan of certain special aids to employment if these are required; and the training services available under the Training Opportunities Scheme and other training arrangements made by the Training Services Agency.Deaf people who complete courses at employment rehabilitation centres achieve above-average success in terms of getting jobs and going on to training—70 per cent. compared with 62 per cent. at six months follow-up stage.In some cases severe communication difficulties make training impracticable, but profoundly deaf people who could communicate verbally and visually have taken courses, particularly in residential training colleges for disabled people, and have been successfully resettled. Profoundly deaf people who possess the requisite qualifications for entry to professional or degree courses are eligible for help under the Training Services Agency's professional training scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will hold a departmental seminar to consider whether the services provided for the deaf, including those born deaf and those going deaf later, are enabling deaf people to realise their employment potential, and to consider the ways in which such services could be improved.

Not at present. Continuing contact between the organisations most closely concerned, including informal discussions which have already taken place between the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and the Employment Services Agency, ensure that the needs of the deaf are kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will detail the liaison that takes place between officials of his Department and schools for the deaf to inform deaf school leavers of employment prospects and assist them to acquire qualifications thereby, so reducing the chance of unemployment.

Officers of the Careers Service, which is administered by local education authorities, under the guidance of my right hon. Friend, work in close co-operation with schools for the deaf in order to help deaf school leavers obtain suitable employment. In the course of giving vocational guidance, careers officers will advise these young people, their parents, schools and colleges, on the vocational implications of educational choice and on development in further and higher education which have vocational implications.

Training (Civil Service)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will investigate the curricula of all training opportunities scheme courses to ensure that they are acceptable for vacancies arising in Government Departments; and if he will make a statement as to the reasons why the curriculum of the computer programming and operating courses sponsored under the TOPS scheme does not meet the requirements of the Civil Service Department.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the curricula of skillcentre courses under the TOPS scheme are agreed with employers' organisations and trade unions. Some Government Departments, in common with some employers in the private sector, have agreements with trade unions that limit the engagement of staff to apprentice-served people in certain skilled occupations.The curricula of courses supported under TOPS in colleges of further education were agreed with the colleges concerned after consultation within industry and with the appropriate educational and vocational bodies—e.g. City and Guilds of London Institute, Royal Society of Arts, British Computer Society, etc. Trainees who complete such courses successfully thus are generally acceptable to industry and commerce. Individual employers are free, however, to set whatever standards they consider are necessary to meet their own individual needs.

Home Department

Rocklands School (Rainer Foundation)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will extend the period for which the Rainer Foundation can use Rocklands School, Bath;(2) if he will initiate discussions with the Rainer Foundation about using Rock-lands School, Bath, for innovatory work concerning adolescent girls and/or intermediate treatment;(3) if he intends to take possession of Rocklands School, Bath; and, if so, for what purpose.

The closure of this probation hostel for girls has been agreed with the Rainer Foundation. The future of the premises will be a matter for the Fundation, whose property they are. Some discussions have already taken place with our Department about possible future uses for Rocklands and we shall be willing to arrange for further consultations if the Foundation wishes to put forward new points for consideration.

Fire Damage (Wales)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the estimated cost of the damage caused by fire in Wales in 1975; and what were the corresponding figures for the previous five years.

Estimates of direct fire losses from large-loss fires in Wales in the years 1970–1974 are set out in the following table. The figures for 1970–1973 relate to all fires with an estimated cost of 10,000 or more; those for 1974, to all fires with an estimated cost of £15,000 or more. Figures for 1975 are not yet available.

year			Number of fires	Total cost
				£
1970	…	…	44	5,700,000
1971	…	…	31	1,806,000
1972	…	…	42	3,188,000
1973	…	…	60	5,340,000
1974	…	…	44	5,601,000

Losses from large-loss fires represent about 60 per cent. of the losses from all fires.

Wales

Education Advisers

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many education advisers are employed by each education authority in Wales in each of the following categories: assistant, subject, senior subject, senior general, and principal adviser category.

The information is not available in the form requested since not all local education authorities in Wales classify their advisory staff in this way. The following table shows the number of education advisers in each authority, using the classification employed by the authority. The classification varies as between one authority and another and the figures are not strictly comparable.

EDUCATION ADVISERS
Clwyd
Senior advisers	…	13
Area education officers	…	4
Assistant education officers	…	1
Assistant subject advisers	…	3

Dyfed
Area advisers	…	9
General advisers	…	6

Gwent
Senior curriculum officers	…	…	3
Senior organisers/advisers	…	…	8
Organisers	…	…	11

Gwynedd
Subject advisers	…	…	5
Senior subject advisers	…	…	1
Senior general advisers	…	…	4

Mid Glamorgan
Principal advisers	…	…	…	1
Senior advisers	…	…	…	7
County advisers	…	…	…	13
District advisers	…	…	…	6
Subject advisers	…	…	…	1

Powys
Principal advisers	…	1
General advisers	…	3
Subject advisers (county)	…	4
Subject advisers (pat. county)	…	4

South Glamorgan
Chief advisers	…	…	…	1
Senior advisers	…	…	…	2
General advisers	…	…	…	10
Subject advisers	…	…	…	6

West Glamorgan
Principal advisers	…	…	1
Senior subject advisers	…	…	17
Senior general advisers	…	…	6
District advisers	…	…	13

Welsh Development Agency

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has issued any guidelines to the Welsh Development Agency other than Draft Guidelines for the Industrial Investment Function of the Welsh Development Agency; and, if so, if he will publish them.

Guidance on administrative and allied procedures is issued when necessary. It would not be usual or appropriate to publish it.

Land Authority

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff have so far been appointed to the Land Authority for Wales; and what is the anticipated administrative cost of this body in the next financial year.

Five staff have accepted or indicated a readiness to accept appointments offered by the Land Authority for Wales.

A provision of £3 million has been made for the Authority's total expenditure on administration and land acquisition in 1976–77. The precise amount to be spent on administration will depend on the outcome of the discussions which the Authority is currently holding with local authorities on agency arrangements.

Cardigan-Aberystwyth Road

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for improving the trunk road between Cardigan and Aberystwyth; and if he will make a statement.

Ten schemes with a total value of about £2 million are being planned for this road. Their starting dates will be dependent upon the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures, land acquisition and the availability of funds. I hope that a number of small improvements will also be undertaken.

Newport Smelting Company Ltd

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made by the Health and Safety Executive concerning its investigation into the environmental difficulty caused by the operation of the Newport Smelting Company Limited; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the Health and Safety Executive has now completed its investigations and will be writing to my hon. Friend in the next few days.

Tractors (Accidents)

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales were killed by tractors in 1975; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.I am informed by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that there were five people killed by tractors on farms in Wales in 1975, of whom two were children under 16 years of age. I cannot but deplore this tragic loss of life.None of the tractors in these five fatal accidents was fitted with a safety cab.Farm safety inspectors investigated 18 overturning incidents involving tractors fitted with safety cabs which occurred in Wales in 1975. and in every case the driver survived and the majority escaped without serious injury. This points to the effectiveness of the protection offered by an approved safety cab and I would urge all farmers who have not already done so to have one fitted as early as possible.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

European Youth Foundation

12.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration has been given to the implications following their decision that Her Majesty's Government will withdraw from the European Youth Foundation.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of State told the House on 17th December that Her Majesty's Government were considering ways in which we could continue to participate in the Foundation. We have discussed this with our partners in the Council of Europe and have offered to make a token payment of £20,000 for 1977. If all our partners agree we shall continue to play a full part in the Foundation.

Saudi Arabia

16.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia.

I have no plans at present for a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia. But I am of course in frequent touch with the Saudi Arabian Government.

Rhodesia

17.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the latest situation in Rhodesia.

18.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from Lord Greenhill after his visit to Rhodesia; and whether he will make a statement.

20.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent developments in Rhodesia following Lord Greenhill's visit.

22.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report on Lord Greenhill's recent visit to Rhodesia.

23.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about his Department's contacts with Mr. Ian Smith.

24.

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

34.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on Rhodesia.

I would refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friends to the answer I have already given to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Whitehead).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the cable received from the Rhodesian Government regarding an alleged massacre.

My Department received a telegram from an official of the règime on 2nd March on this subject. Regarding the allegations of a massacre, the message stated:

"Rhodesian Government has made all facilities for investigation freely available to Daily Mirror staff reporter here including a 40-minute interview with army commander and a visit to the alleged massacre site. The army commander produced to the reporter evidence to refute that any massacre was found at the alleged site by the reporter. The reporter was told by a spokesman for the independent Catholic Justice and Peace Commission: I find it impossible to believe that the massacre took place only five miles from one of our missions and yet we have not heard in four months. The dead would have been our parishioners. We would have known."

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on developments in Rhodesia.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given this afternoon to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Whitehead).

South Africa

19.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make an official visit to South Africa.

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

27.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now authorise the sale to South Africa of arms for external defence.

No. Our policy remains to embargo the supply of arms to South Africa in line with our international undertakings.

Cubans In Africa

21.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give an estimate of the number and location of Cuban regular soldiers on the African continent.

Our estimate is about 14,000, all but a few hundred of whom are in Angola.

Southern Africa

25.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a further statement on the situation in Southern Africa.

The emergence of the MPLA as the recognised Government in Angola and recent events in Mozambique have both made more urgent the need for the Rhodesian régime to accept early majority rule in that country and for South Africa to withdraw her troops from Angola and assist Namibia rapidly to secure its independence. The British Government will continue to make every effort to help find peaceful solutions to the problems of the area consistent with the legitimate aspirations of the African people and an end to external intervention from all quarters.

26.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he intends to visit Southern Africa in the near future.

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

Cyprus

28.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his policy to recognise the northern part of Cyprus as an area over which Turkey has sovereignty.

No. Her Majesty's Government recognise only one sovereign Government in Cyprus—the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.

Brazil

29.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit Brazil.

The Brazilian Government have invited my right hon. Friend to visit Brazil. He hopes to do so at a convenient time.

30.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the proposed visit to the United Kingdom of the President of Brazil.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley) on 4th March.—[Vol. 906. c. 749.]

Spain (Foreign Minister)

32.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has arranged with the Spanish Foreign Minister.

My right hon. Friend had talks with Sr. Areilza on 2nd March in which he informed him of the importance we attach to government based on universal suffrage, free political parties, the release of political prisoners, and proper trades union freedoms, including freedom of association and the right to organise and bargain collectively. No further meetings have been arranged.

Iceland (Fisheries Dispute)

31.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a progress statement upon his negotiations with the Icelandic Government regarding the fisheries dispute.

There have been no further negotiations with the Icelandic Government since Iceland broke off diplomatic relations on 19th February. But it remains the Government's policy to seek a negotiated solution to this regrettable dispute.

Zambia (Detained British Subjects)

33.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British subjects, as well as Dr. Lionel Cliffe of Sheffield, are held in detention under emergency regulations indefinitely without trial in Zambia; and whether he is satisfied that this detention and interrogation complies with international conventions on civil and human rights.

No United Kingdom citizens are held under emergency regulations. Dr. Cliffe and one other are subject to Presidential Detention Orders under the Preservation of Public Security Regulations which are of indefinite duration and make no provision for trial. We are in contact with the Zambian authorities over both cases and do not consider that the evidence at present available concerning the period and conditions of the detention of these British subjects warrants accusations of violation by Zambia of civil and human rights. Zambia is not a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Passports

35.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there has been any progress in securing international support for equality of usage of a family passport by the wife as well as the husband.

No. As our consultations with foreign Governments have shown, it is still generally accepted internationally that only the spouse, in whose name the family passport is issued, may use it when travelling alone.

African Countries (British Investment)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimates his Department has made of the current value of British investments in African countries south of the Sahara, distinguishing between (a) South Africa and (b) the remaining countries.

It is difficult to estimate the current value of British investment in Africa south of the Sahara. As a result of differing methods of calculation there are wide disparities in the figures produced by various sources. Our estimate at the end of 1971, the latest for which details are available, put our investment in South Africa and Namibia at about £652 million compared with £586 million in the remaining countries. These figures excluded investment in oil, banking and insurance. I should emphasise that such figures can only be very approximate.

Chile

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to instruct the British Ambassador to return to Chile; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has not yet taken a decision on this matter.

Diplomatic Service

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will ask the Central Policy Review Staff Committee of Inquiry on the Diplomatic Service to consider the cost and appropriateness of the diplomatic estate.

The review's terms of reference were given to the House in my right hon. Friend's statement of 14th January. Diplomatic Service accommodation is among the subjects to be covered.

European Community

Direct Elections

36.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reactions he has received from his EEC colleagues about the Green Paper on direct elections to the European Assembly.

The Green Paper is designed to bring to public attention in this country the issues we shall face on various aspects of direct elections. It is not intended for other Governments and I do not expect to receive reactions from them.

45.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement concerning the form and content of the proposed draft Convention on EEC Direct Elections.

The Council of Ministers meeting on 1st and 2nd March examined a draft in preparation for the European Council on 1st and 2nd April. Discussions on the form and content will continue. Following is a full summary of the main points in the draft:DIRECT ELECTIONS: SUMMARY OF MAIN POINTS IN DRAFT CONVENTION UNDER PREPARATION FOR THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON 1ST-2ND APRIL1. Discussion on the form and content of the proposed agreement between member States is still continuing in the Council framework. On some points a consensus has been reached but on many others differences of views remain to be settled. The United Kingdom has been participating in this work on the explicit understanding that Her Majesty's Government will examine the results in the light of the consultations now taking place in the United Kingdom.2. Agreement has yet to be reached on the legal form of the agreement, a matter on which discusion between experts continuing. Consideration in the Council so far has in general been based on the assumption that the agreement will take the form of a Convention; and this note is drafted accordingly. Another question that remains to be decided is whether the agreement should refer to the "European Assembly" or the "European Parliament".3. There will be a preamble but no decision can be taken on the text until a decision has been taken on the lgal form of the agreement.4. The draft will provide that the representatives in the European Assembly shall be elected by direct universal suffrage. The precise wording of this article remains to be agreed.5. The Convention will lay down the size of the Assembly and the distribution of seats. While various proposals have been put forward, no agreement has been reached on these questions, which have been reserved for consideration by the European Council. There will probably be a procedure for making further changes—e.g., to take account of population changes—in the number of members and the distribution of seats, but a text on this question also still remains to be agreed.6. Representatives would be elected for a term of five years. The five-year period would begin at the opening of the first session after each election and may be extended or curtailed in accordance with the date set for the following elections. The individual term of office of each representative would coincide with this period.7. The draft provids that representatives are to vote on an individual and personal basis and are not to be bound by any instuctions nor to receive a binding mandate. They will enjoy the privileges and immunities accorded to members of the Assembly by the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities of the European Communities Annexed to the Treaty Establishing a Single Council and a Single Commission of the European Communities.8. The draft envisages that the office of representative in the European Assembly can be held at the same time as membership of a Parliament of a member State.9. There will be an article providing, as proposed by the European Assembly itself, that a number of Community offices and membership of the Governments of member States should be incompatible with the office of representative in the European Assembly. It will also be open to each member State to lay down rules at a national level concerning offices which are incompatible with membership of the European Assembly. Representatives who in the course of the five-year period take up offices incompatible with membership are to be replaced in accordance with the procedure provided for filling vacant seats.10. In accordance with Article 138(3) of the EEC Treaty and the corresponding Articles in the ECSC and Euratom Treaties, a provision is envisaged under which the European Assembly would draw up proposals for a uniform electoral procedure. It has not been agreed whether there should be a deadline for submission to the Council of these proposals as proposed by the European Assembly. Pending the entry into force of a uniform electoral procedure the electoral procedure is to be governed in each member State by national provisions.11. There will be an article providing that no one may vote more than once in the election of representatives to the European Assembly.12. The draft provides that elections to the European Assembly shall be held on the same day in all member States. A majority of member States favour inclusion of a provision that a member State may decide that voting will take place within a few days earlier or later than the fixed date, while holding different views as to the extent of this flexibility. Arrangements are to be made by the Council to ensure that the official and final election results are declared on the same day by the member States.13. The draft provides that the first elections to the European Assembly shall take place on a specific date in May 1978—agreement has yet to be reached on the date to be named—and that subsequent elections will take place on the same day in the last year of each five-year period; but that should it prove impossible to hold the elections in the Community on that date another date will be fixed not more than one month earlier or one month later. Agreement has yet to be reached on the procedure for fixing this date. The European Assembly is to sit on the first Tuesday following an interval of one month from the date of the elections; and the outgoing Assembly is to cease to hold office at the opening of the first session of the new Assembly.14. The draft provides that the European Assembly is to verify the credentials of representatives and rule on any disputes which may arise out of the provisions of the Convention, but not on those arising out of the national provisions to which the Convention refers.15. The draft provides for each member State to lay down appropriate procedures for filling any seat which falls vacant during the five-year period. Where a seat falls vacant as a result of national provisions it will suggest that the member State inform the European Assembly, and in other cases the European Assembly is to inform the member State.16. The draft provides for the Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the European Assembly, after consulting the Commission, to adopt measures necessary to implement the Convention. Some doubts have been expressed as to the need for such an article. A difference of view also remains as to whether the Council would require to obtain the approval of the European Assembly or only to seek to reach agreement with the Assembly by a conciliation procedure.17. The draft provides for Article 138(1) and (2) of the EEC Treaty and the corresponding Articles of the ECSC and Euratom Treaties to lapse. It is still open to discussion whether they should be replaced by new Articles reflecting the situation which would be reached if the Convention were to come into effect. This is linked to the question of legal form.18. The draft provides for the Convention to be drawn up in the Community languages, all seven texts being equally authentic.19. The draft provides for approval by the member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. The wording of this Article will depend on the decision as to the form of the agreement.20. Agreement remains to be reached on the wording of the derogations to take account of the statements made by the British and Danish Prime Ministers during the European Council in Rome in December 1975. These are likely to be embodied in protocals or annexes. The Prime Minister stated that the British Government required a further period for internal consultations before adopting a final position regarding the date for the first direct elections. The Danish Prime Minister stipulated certain conditions for the holding of direct elections in Denmark. The European Council agreed that any country which was unable to hold direct elections at a date to be agreed in May or June 1978 should be allowed to continue to appoint its representatives from amongst the members of its national Parliament.

European Assembly

43.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an official visit to, and address, the European Parliament within the next six months.

I have at present no firm plans to do so.

46.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new powers he envisages a directly elected European Assembly having over and above the present powers allotted to the Assembly.

I expect the first direct elections to take place on the basis of the Assembly's existing powers. Decisions on proposals for new powers will be a matter for this and other Parliaments in the Nine.

Council Of Ministers

47.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he will next attend a meeting of the Council of Ministers in the EEC.

On 5th April, but my right hon. Friend will also attend the meeting of the European Council on the 1st and 2nd April.

Ministerial Meetings

48.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet his EEC colleagues.

Apart from the meetings referred to in my answer earlier today to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten), M. Sauvagnargues, the French Foreign Minister, will be visiting London for talks with my right hon. Friend on 18th March.

Trial Costs (R V Collins And Murphy)

asked the Attorney-General what was the cost to public funds of bringing the case of Regina v. Collins and Murphy.

The prosecution costs were approximately £4,500, of which the defendants were each ordered to pay £500.

Deaf Persons

asked the Attorney-General if he is satisfied that the legal rights of all profoundly deaf people are properly exercised in courts of law.

Appropriate arrangements are made, as far as possible, to assist a deaf person who has to appear in court, either as a party or as a witness. If my hon. Friend is not satisfied with the way in which these arrangements have worked in any particular case I will be happy to look into it.

Bills Of Indictment

asked the Attorney-General if charges were reinstituted after being thrown out in the magistrates' courts in the cases of Regina v. Jackson, Stevens, Lewis and Jones heard at the Central Criminal Court in October 1975; what were the final charges on which the defendants were acquitted; and what was the cost of the case to public funds.

No charges were reinstated after being dismissed by the magistrates. Jackson, Stevens and Lewis were acquitted on one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Information about the cost of the case to public funds is not available and could not be ascertained without disproportionate cost to public funds.

Volume 907: debated on Wednesday 10 March 1976

Written Answers To Questions

Energy

Mining Subsidence (Compensation)

Petrochemicals

Coal Miners (Retirement)

International Energy Programme (Agreement)

Burmah Oil Company Ltd

Dragon Project

Environment

Railway Grants

Water Authorities (Costs)

Housing Expenditure (North-West Region)

Central Lancashire New Town

Land Acquisition And Management Schemes

Local Government Staff

Kirkhamgate-Dishforth Motorway

Transport Policy

Driving Instructors

Contracts (Eec Journal Advertising)

Rents

Toxic Waste Disposal

Outer Orbital Road (Maple Cross)

State Boards (Appointments)

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Horticulture (Irish Republic)

Game Birds

Iceland (Fisheries Dispute)

Forestry

Iceland (Fisheries Dispute)

Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

Children's Diets

Civil Service

Computers

Civil Servants

Manpower Services Commission

Education And Science

Computers (Scottish Universities)

Handicapped Children

Deaf Persons

Industry

West Midlands

Departmental Publicity Costs

Prices And Consumer Protection

Electrical Appliances

European Consumers' Unions

Trade

Exports (Development And Planning)

Textiles (Imports)

Africa

Oil Pollution

Hotel Charges (Display)

Shellgrip And Spraygrip

Departmental Staff And Divisions

Export Credits

Footwear And Suits

Bank Support Grants

Scotland

Legal Aid (Solicitors' Fees)

Building Standards Advisory Committee

Birth Induction

Peterhead (Gas Separation Plant)

Social Services

Wilson's Disease

Doctors (London)

Children

National Finance

Civil Servants

Personal Incomes

Old-Age Pensioners (Income Tax)

National Westminster Bank Quarterly Review (Figures)

Tax Allowances (Company Cars)

Social Security

Value Added Tax

Construction Industry (Pay Limits)

Investment And Expenditure

Paye

Northern Ireland

Further Education Colleges (Scholarships)