asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on police recruitment for the Metropolitan Area.

There was a net gain in strength of 377 in 1975, and a further gain of 42 brought the strength to 21,269 on 31st January 1976. Many more policement are still needed, but the rate of recruitment is continuing to improve.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he expects will be the effect of the White Paper on Public Expenditure on police manning.

Provision is made in the White Paper for the continuing buildup of police strengths towards authorised establishments. If they can attract the necessary recruits—and recruitment is showing a welcome improvement—most forces should reach their authorised establishment within the survey period, and deficiencies in the remainder should be substantially reduced. Requests for authority for increases in establishment, although not excluded, will, however, have to be very rigorously scrutinised.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next expects to meet the President of the NFU.

My right hon. Friend met the President of the NFU at the beginning of this week. We shall meet him again whenever this seems desirable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will list the bodies which operate, or propose to operate, vessels on fisheries protection and conservation enforcement duties in all waters off the coast of Northumberland.

Vessels on these duties are operated off the Northumberland coast by the Fisheries Protection Squadron of the Royal Navy, which covers the 12-mile fishery limit of the United Kingdom; by the North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee, which is responsible for certain byelaws; and by the Northumberland Water Authority, which is responsible for salmon and freshwater fisheries regulations off most of this coast. I also understand that the River Tweed Commissioners have recently purchased a vessel with which they intend to police the salmon fishing in the area of sea off the mouth of the Tweed under their jurisdiction.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations his Department has made recently to the Agricultural Commissioner at Brussels on EEC Directive 71/118, requiring all poultry to be killed, defeathered and degutted in a continuing process, in view of the fact that degutting before a bird has aged leaves a bird with very little taste.

Among many aspects of the directive that were discussed before the Council of Ministers agreed to an amending directive (75/431) in July last was the requirement that, except for farm gate sales to consumers, all poultry would be slaughtered and dressed under controlled conditions of hygiene in an approved slaughterhouse. Whereas the original directive provided for this requirement to be applied by February 1976, the amending directive extended the time limit under specified conditions to August 1981. Farm gate sales to consumers remain unaffected. Flavour is a subjective matter, and I could not agree that the vast majority of birds consumed have very little taste.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many legal staff there are in the West Midlands Region of his Department.

None.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what steps he has taken to publicise the availability of grants under the Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme;(2) if he will take further steps to publicise the availability of grants under the Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme.

The Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme received considerable publicity when it was announced at the end of 1973 and the rates and conditions of grant are also described in the booklet "At the Farmers Service". This booklet is reissued annually and is obtainable free of charge from the Ministry's divisional offices. Copies are also available in the Library of the House.In his statement on 8th March my right hon. Friend indicated his intention, subject to the approval of the House, not only to improve the rates of grant under this Scheme but to simplify its requirements and to put a substantial advisory effort behind it. Full publicity will be given to the new arrangements at the time when amending Regulations are laid before Parliament. A short explanatory leaflet is also in preparation. We hope that all these measures will make the availability of grant-aid under the Scheme very widely known.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications have been received under the Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme; how many have been successful; and how much has been paid in grant, (a) in the last year for which figures are available and (b) since 1974.

In 1975, 593 proposals for development plans were received and 466 were approved; since 1974 and up to the end of 1975 850 were received and 598 approved. Payments, which include capital grant, guidance premium, and account-keeping grant, totalled £825,736 in 1975 and £960,401 since 1st January 1974. These figures relate to the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans she has for remedying the acute shortage of secure accommodation for young offenders in the eastern counties.

Local authorities are primarily responsible for providing accommodation, whether secure or open, for children in their care who will include offenders under the age of 17. Area 6—East Anglia—at present has no secure accommodation in use. However, the regional plan includes proposals by local authorities in the area to provide 18 secure places in observation and assessment centres, and four such places for long-term treatment in a community home with education on the premises.I understand that six places in an observation and assessment centre in Essex will be coming into use very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what representations her Department has received concerning the provision of secure places for young offenders;

The Government have received representations from several right hon. and hon. Members, from juvenile court panels and other bodies in the past year about the shortage of secure accommodation for offenders under the age of 17.In March 1975, there were 59 secure places in observation and assessment centres in England and Wales and, according to children's regional plans, some 200 more are to be provided. Of the latter, schemes to furnish a total of 88 places have been approved for inclusion in local authorities' capital programmes. Of these, 18 places are currently under construction. The Government hope that authorities will, like them, accord high priority to providing these additional places, particularly in view of the need to bring to an end, as soon as possible, remands of young persons to prison establishments. A new power was taken in the Children Act 1975 to make grants to local authorities to enable them to provide such accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will consider publishing as a Government publication the booklet "Your Rights" distributed by Age Concern.

The Department of Health and Social Security already publishes a full range of leaflets on the benefits and services for which my right hon. Friend is responsible, including booklet FBI called "Family Benefits and Pensions". This is a concise guide to both Government and local authority benefits, produced for people who can help others to claim their rights. The booklet "Your Rights", distributed by Age Concern, offers a personal approach as well as many useful examples and other helpful hints, which we shall consider including in future editions of FBI.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations she has received concerning the payment of social security by members of the Unification Church, a charity, who also work for United Family Enterprises Ltd., a profit-making company; and whether, if classed as self-employed, such persons are currently paying appropriate contributions.

Only one representation can be traced, and this was made in 1975. Inquiries showed that members of the Unification Church who also work for United Family Enterprises Limited do not work under conditions which attract liability for Class 1—employed earners'—contributions. Some members of the Church are classed as self-employed but have been granted exception from payment of contributions because of small earnings.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action she has taken on the promotion material for Orovite 7, a copy of which has been sent to her by the hon. Member for Brent, South, which implies that this product is recommended by her Department.

My officials have been in touch with the company concerned, who have assured them that the Orovite 7 promotional material was not intended to imply that the product was recommended by my Department but to make the point that the ingredients were in accordance with the recommendations about vitamin intakes made in a report published by the Department in 1969. They have agreed that the phrase in question will be altered or deleted in any future promotional literature.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many appointments have been made in the new grade of hospital practitioner; and what steps have been taken to review the existing posts of general practitioners who are working in hospitals.

To date, no appointments have been made in the grade of hospital practitioner. Last August, area health authorities were asked to review existing posts of general practitioners working in hospitals and to submit to regional health authorities proposals for regrading these posts to hospital practitioner posts. To date, 252 such proposals have been submitted by area health authorities to regions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the net extra cost in a full financial year of raising family allowances to £2.50 per week and making them payable for all children, at the same time withdrawing child allowances for tax.

If the value to basic rate taxpayers of all child tax allowances for children under 19 were withdrawn, there would be a saving of about £500 million a year, on the assumption that the extra allowances would be taxed and clawback extended to all first children.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the National Insurance Advisory Committee has now reported to her on her draft regulations changing the medical evidence required in support of claims for sickness, invalidity and injury benefit and non-contributory invalidity pension; and whether she has reached any decision on the draft regulations.

I expect to receive the Committee's Report shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in each of the last three years have become ill through eating diseased or unwholesome poultry meat or food which has been contaminated by the guts or other viscera from poultry.

I regret that figures are not available in the form requested. The number of outbreaks of food poisoning recorded by the Public Health Laboratory Service for the years 1972–1974 in which the vehicle of infection was established as being poultry was as follows: 1972, 29; 1973, 34; 1974, 29. Information is not available to show whether illnes was caused by poultry meat which was diseased or unwholesome prior to cooking or by that which became contaminated after cooking; nor are figures available for the number of people who have become ill through eating food which has been contaminated by the guts or other viscera from poultry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the increase in administrative staff by 5 per cent. and a decrease in nursing staff by 10 per cent. since health reorganisation.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9th March 1976; Vol. 907, c. 206], gave the following information:There has been an increase in establishment of nine administrative and clerical staff—11·4 per cent—in the Cumbria Area Health Authority since April 1974. In the same period, the number of hospital nursing staff increased by 345, but the number of administrative nursing staff decreased by eight making a net increase of 337–11·3 per cent.—in the nursing establishment.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to give financial assistance to the Government of Mozambique; and if he will make a statement.

We hope to negotiate shortly an offer of financial assistance to Mozambique's economy in fulfilment of the undertaking given by Her Majesty's Government at the Kingston Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting last year. As indicated by my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council on 4th March, a statement will be made at the appropriate time.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how much British aid has been given to Zambia in each of the last 10 years; and how much of this was specifically related to the imposition of sanctions against Rhodesia.

I regret that it has not proved possible in the time available to provide all the information requested. I will, however, publish it in the Official Report at the earliest possible moment.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how much aid the United Kingdom will contribute to the Commonwealth Sanction Committee for economic assistance to Mozambique.

I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I have given to the hon. Member for Stretford (Mr. Churchill) on 8th March and to the hon. Member for Staffordshire, South-West (Mr. Cormack) earlier today.—[Vol. 907, c. 31.]

asked the Minister for Overseas Development for what purpose the aid recently approved by the Commonwealth Sanctions Committee for Mozambique was given.

The Commonwealth Sanctions Committee recommended that Commonwealth Governments should react urgently to the decision of the Mozambique Government to impose sanctions against Rhodesia by providing immediate financial assistance in either bilateral or multilateral form. The Commonwealth Governments will take their own decisions on the amounts and form of such assistance.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service to what extent, if at all, the conditions of service of the 29 special advisers to Ministers differ from the conditions of serve of other civil servants.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 29th January 1976 by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister—[Vol. 904, c. 308]. Special advisers differ from other civil servants in that their appointments terminate at the end of the Administration.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will bring up to date the table of Civil Service staff increases which he provided in answer to the hon. Member for Melton on 3rd December; and whether he will specify briefly, for each Department of State, the legislative or policy reasons which have caused a variation in manpower between 1st October 1975 and 1st January 1976.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr.

CHILD CASUALTIES IN ROAD ACCIDENTS: 1971–1975
	1971	1972	1973	1974	Number 1975*
(a) Children under 5 years of age:
Deaths	262	234	243	178	160
Serious Injuries	3,085	2,848	2,589	2,187	2,000
Children Killed when passengers in the front seats of cars	14	20	26	7	12
(b) Children under 10 years of age:
Deaths	660	640	623	471	430
Serious Injuries	9,807	9,711	8,983	7,791	7,200
Children killed when passengers in the front seats of cars	22	26	32	17	18
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what increases in prices and royalties were made by the Ordnance Survey between 1st January 1975 and those planned to take effect before 31st December 1977; why they have been made; and if he will list items where increases have been or will be over 100 per cent., stating the percentage concerned.

Increases in prices of Ordnance Survey publications and services took effect on 8th February 1975 and 1st December 1975 and increases in royalty charges on 1st April 1975 and 1st January 1976. These increases were mainly aimed to contain the rise, due to increased costs, in the Ordnance Survey's dependence on Exchequer funds. Apart from large scale maps in conventional printed form—where the Ordnance Survey is introducing a cheaper system of supply on microfilm or as microfilm printouts—the items currently priced at levels

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many children under the age of 5 years and children under the age of 10 years, respectively, have been seriously injured in road accidents during each of the last five years for which records are available; and how many of such children who were passengers in the front seats of cars have been killed.

Following is the information:over 100 per cent. more than on 1st January 1975 accounted for less than 4 per cent. of total sales.A new royalty scale for map publishers has also been introduced, incorporating structural changes with varying effects on different categories of publications. The aim of these changes is to produce a fairer balance of charges between different classes of user. The changes are being introduced in three stages, ending on 1st January 1978. I shall write to my hon. Friend giving further information about the various changes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received with regard to the working of the Mobile Home Act 1975; and when he expects his review of the Act to be completed.

Some 200 letters have been received from hon. Members and the public since the Mobile Homes Act came into operation on 1st October 1975, many on behalf of groups of mobile home residents. The Mobile Homes Review, which is being conducted in the Department of the Environment, under my chairmanship, will study both the working of the Act and wider aspects of mobile home living. I expect it to make a report later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take to prevent site owners demanding increased rents from the residents of mobile homes as a precondition to the signing of agreements under the Mobile Homes Act.

My right hon. Friend has no powers to intervene in this matter. The question of pitch charges is one of the issues under consideration by the Mobile Homes Review being carried out in the Department of the Environment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment in what circumstances a local authority may initiate a compulsory purchase order under the Housing Act 1974 which could not have been initiated under previous legislation.

Acquisitions under Section 43 of the Housing Act 1974 can be made for the purpose of securing or assisting in securing all or any of the specific objectives of the declaration of a housing action area. These are the improvement of the houses, the well-being of the residents and the proper and effective management and use of the accommodation. These powers are additional to other powers of acquisition, which are designed for different purposes and are not necessarily appropriate for use generally in housing action areas. Similar considerations apply to acquisitions in priority neighbourhoods.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the addresses of the five houses which would have to be demolished along the proposed route of the outer orbital lorry route between Hunton Bridge and South Mimms.

My right hon. Friend cannot be specific about the effect on individual properties until the detailed design of the preferred route for the London Orbital Road between Hunton Bridge and South Mimms is completed. Two possible modifications to the route are being investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many improvement grants were approved in the London Borough of Ealing for each year since 1970.

The information is as follows:

LONDON BOROUGH OF EALING—RENOVATION GRANTS APPROVED
			Number of dwellings
		Local Authority	Private owners and housing associations	All owners
1970	…	75	346	421
1971	…	20	524	544
1972	…	65	528	593
1973	…	18	542	560
1974	…	216	273	489
1975	…	82	249	331

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will include the south-west Hertfordshire area in one of his experimental schemes to find alternative means of operating rural transport systems within the public service vehicle licensing code;(2) when he expects to introduce his Bill providing for modest relaxation of public service vehicle licensing for a limited period within certain selected areas of the country;(3) if he is yet able to designate the areas in which he intends to promote experimental projects in public service vehicle licensing; and if he will make a statement.

My hon. Friend the Minister for Transport explained in his statement of 3rd December 1975—[Vol. 901, c. 613–4]—in answer to the hon. Member for Rye (Mr. Godman Irvine), that the Bill will be introduced when an opportunity presents itself. Areas cannot be designated for the testing of the effects of relaxation unless and until Parliament enacts the necessary provision. The selection of areas, including those where experiments are to be undertaken within the existing licensing code, will be a matter for the Steering Committee. I shall bring to the attention of the Steering Committee the hon. Member's advocacy of the claims of South-West Hertfordshire to be selected.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the authorities in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region, and the amounts each authority will receive from the additional allocation of public sector house improvement work.

The individual allocations to authorities in the region are still under consideration. As soon as the information is available I shall write to my Hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been for the United Kingdom, England and the South-West Region the percentage increase that has taken place between 1965 and the most recent date for which figures are available in average levels of rent in the private sector and local authority housing: and what was the appropriate subsidy element in the figures given for the public sector.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 4th March 1976; Vol. 906, c. 687], circulated the following information:The estimated percentage increase in average rents between 1965 and 1975 has been as follows:

Privately rented unfurnished*
United Kingdom	…	130
England	…	120
South West	…	110

Local Authority unrebated rent (increase to October 1975)
United Kingdom	…	…	201
England	…	…	198
South West	…	…	182
* Information for furnished accommodation not available. Average total subsidy—Exchequer subsidy and rate fund contribution, including rent rebate subsidy in 1975–6—per local authority dwelling is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, in return for the transfer by Gulf-Conoco to the BNOC of a substantial interest in their North Sea permits covering certain oilfields, if he will indicate what is the quid pro quo granted to the companies over and above what they would have had if no agreements had been negotiated.

These companies volunteered to seek to accommodate the Government's objectives in the spirit in which they first forged their partnership with NCB(X), which has proved so successful. They no doubt took into account that co-operation over participation will stand the companies in good stead in their dealings with Government generally. In addition, the companies have the benefit of having settled in advance the course that participation will take should there be further commercial developments under their existing licences in which the Government seeks participation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) in view of the fact that under the agreements between BNOC/Gulf/Conoco the companies continue to be responsible for capital and operating costs arising from the assigned interests to BNOC and BNOC has the option on oil, on what basis he calculates that the companies are left financially neither better off nor worse off;(2) what compensation or payment oil companies will receive in return for granting the BNOC an option on their North Sea oil.

Under the option agreement BNOC will pay market price for the oil, thus leaving the companies financially neither better nor worse off.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, apart from BNOC options on the oil to be delivered from certain North Sea oilfields under the BNOC/Gulf/Conoco agreements, if he will list all the remaining rights and contractual advantages vested in BNOC.

In addition to the oil option agreement, there is an assignment agreement the effect of which was described in the reply by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Moonman), on 26th February.—[Vol. 906, c. 301–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy to what extent the Government's aims in participation set forth in paragraph 5 of the Command Paper No. 6408 go beyond those already achieved by the new model clauses enacted under the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-Lines Act 1975, Section 13 of that Act and the continuance of the British Gas Corporation operating on the Continental Shelf.

The Government's measures in relation to the United Kingdom Continental Shelf form a coherent whole. Majority State participation will assist the more rapid development of a national exploration capability through BNOC; secure better knowledge—technical and economic—of operations; secure title for the nation in all licences under which oil is extracted from fields and control over the disposal of a share of the oil; and enable BNOC to have influence in decisions about the exploitation of our petroleum resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if the Government will reconsider their view expressed in paragraph 27 of Command Paper No. 6408 that it would be both impractical and undesirable to hive off responsibility to an external regulatory commission in the light of the success achieved in the United States of America by the Texas Railroad Commission and in Canada by the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board.

No. As my right hon. Friend explained to the House during the Report stage of the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Bill last year, the implications of decisions on the regulation of offshore resources are too great to make hiving off practicable or desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those bodies, other than committees, to which he appoints members other than civil servants; and what is the number of members serving on each body.

In addition to the appointments to the bodies listed below, appointments are made to other bodies by Departments in Northern Ireland under the provisions of paragraph 2(1)(b) of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1974. These are also listed below. Northern Ireland Departments make these appointments under my direction and control in accordance with paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1974. In all cases Ministers are consulted.I appoint the following numbers of members to the bodies indicated:

The Police Authority for Northern Ireland	17
Rathgael and Whiteabbey Training Schools Management Board	12
Board of Visitors:
HM Prison, Belfast	21
HM Prison, Armagh	13
HM Prison, Maze	18
HM Prison, Magilligan	20
Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland	2
Criminal Legal Aid Taxation Panel	8
Economic Council	30
Planning Appeals Commission	10
Tribunal constituted under Part 2, Sch.
II to the Health and Personal Social Services (NI) Order 1972 to inquire into the disqualification of persons providing general practitioner services	1
Armagh Observatory—Board of Governors	1
White Fish Authority	1
National Seed Development Organisation	1
General Council for Agricultural and Horticultural Co-operation	2
Home Grown Cereals Authority	1
United Kingdom Eggs Authority	1
British Wool Marketing Board	1
Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine	1
Council for Education and Training of Health Visitors	1

A number of the appointments listed are made jointly with the Secretaries of State or Ministers in charge of other Government Departments.

NORTHERN IRELAND PUBLIC BODIES TO WHICH APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE BY HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS (PERMANENT SECRETARIES)
*Includes in some cases elected members	Total No. *of Serving Members
Finance
Building Regulations Committee	11
Charities Advisory Committee	5
Construction Industry Advisory Council	24
Ulster Savings Committee	38
Statute Law Committee	18
Vaughans Charity	5
Public Service Training Committee	21
Health and SS
Health and SS Board—Eastern	34
Northern	30
Southern	24
Western	25
Supplementary Benefits Commission	4
Mental Health Review Tribunal	6
NI Central Services Agency for H and SS	11
NI Council for Nurses and Midwives	17
NI Staffs Council for Health and SS	24
NI Poisons Board	13
Attendance Allowance Board	10
Distinctive Awards Committee	8
N. Ireland Health and SS Council	22
Local National Insurance Appeals Tribunals	784
Post Graduate Medical Education Committee	27
Supplementary Benefits Appeals Tribunals	784
Advisory Committee to the UK Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work	17
Advisory Committee to the UK Central Council for the Education and Training of Health Visitors	15
Central Advisory Committees for Nursery and Midwifery	18
Medical	17
Dental	12
Pharmaceutical	13
University Medical and Dental	16
Education
Education and Libraries Boards Belfast	33
South Eastern	31
Southern	31
Western	30
North Eastern	35
Board of Governors of Arts Council of NI	19
GCE Board	28
CSE Board	35
NI Schools Examination Council	28
The Staff Commission for Education Libraries Boards	13
Ulster Museum	14
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum	14
Ulster College	24
Youth Committee for N Ireland	15
NI Sports Council	25
Boards of Governors—
Stranmillis College of Education	18
St. Mary's College of Education	17
St. Joseph's College of Education	16
Negotiating Committee on Teachers Salaries and conditions	15
Agriculture
Drainage Council	18
Foyle Fisheries Commission	4
Agriculture Wages Board	15
Agricultural Trust	9
Advisory Committee for Agricultural Training	8
Fishery Harbour Authority	6
Fisheries Conservancy Board	13
Livestock Marketing Commission	7
Agricultural Research Institute Trustees	9
Agriculture
Cattle Improvement Committee	9
General Agricultural Advisory Committee	18
Joint Advisory Committee on Seed Potato Marketing	8
Milk Marketing Board	13
Pigs Marketing Board	11
Pigs Production Development Committee	8
Pigs Marketing (Investment) Board	4
Seed Potato Marketing Board	9
NI Water Council—(Note these appointments are made jointly with Department of Environment)	25
Commerce
Local Enterprise Development Unit	7
Local Enterprise Development Unit Area Panels	17
NI Electricity Service Board	9
Board of Directors:
Ben Sherman (1975) Ltd.	4
Harland & Wolff	5
NI Electricity Consumers' Council	25
NI Finance Corporation	8
NI Tourist Board	9
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority	8
Hotels Grants Advisory Committee	7
Industries Development Advisory Committee	9
NI Trade Statistics Consultative Committee	9
Central Consumer Group	15
Panel for Science & Technology	9
Environment
NI Transport Holding Company	7
Northern Ireland Railways	5
Citybus	4
Ulsterbus	4
NI Carriers	5
NI Airports Authority	6
Historic Buildings Council	15
Historic Monuments Council	16
NI Fire Authority	17
NI Transport-Users Committee	9
NI Water Service Training Committee	8
Housing and Planning
NI Housing Executive	9
Ulster Countryside Committee	11
Nature Reserves Committee	12

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland have yet decided when to start the next general review of constituencies in Northern Ireland.

The Commission has given notice of its intention to commence forthwith a general review of constituencies in Northern Ireland. It is required by statute to report between 1979 and 1984 but has discretion within these limits, when to start a general review.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in the last 12 months the RUC were aware of customary public processions taking place without prior notice to the authorities as in Section 1(1) of the Public Order Act (Northern Ireland) 1951; and in how many of these cases the customary procession has been previously held on four or fewer than four occasions.

pursuant to his reply —[Official Report, 1st March 1976; Vol. 906, c. 450]—gave the following information:During the past 12 months, there have been 15 customary parades not requiring prior notice. One of these parades had previously take place on three occasions; none had previously taken place on four occasions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to meet the chairman of the Newspaper Proprietors Association.

Whenever appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will list the statutory monopolies, the authorities responsible for managing these monopolies and the Acts of Parliament which established these monopolies.

None of the authorities for which my right hon. Friend is responsible has been granted by Act of Parliament an exclusive right or duty to sell a commodity or provide a service. The Civil Aviation Authority, jointly with Ministry of Defence, is, however, by virtue of the Civil Aviation Act, 1971, the sole supplier of certain en route navigation services.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will list the countries to which he has paid official visits since February 1974 together with the dates of such visits;(2) what has been the total cost to public funds since February 1974 of official overseas journeys made by him and by officials and others who accompanied him;

I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he is able to estimate the value of products containing sperm whale oil which is exported from the United Kingdom.

It is impossible to estimate the value of exported goods containing this oil.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what TAVR units now exist in Northern Ireland; and what assistance they are able to give the civil power without prejudice to their main commitments.

There are TAVR units for all the main combat and support arms in Northern Ireland. Members of the TAVR throughout the United Kingdom have a full commitment in training for the roles they would discharge on mobilisation, and this training constitutes an essential national service which would suffer if they were employed on new tasks. However, as part of their training TAVR members in Northern Ireland already make a valuable contribution to the task of the security forces in aid of the civil power by guarding their own premises, and special facilities exist for them to transfer and serve as part time members of the UDR, if they so wish.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what changes are contemplated in the defence facilities accorded to the United States of America in Northern Ireland.

The US Navy Communications Station situated at Lon- donderry and near Dungiven is scheduled for closure in December 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the military duties undertaken by an Army bandsman; how many hours a week he spends on such duties; and how frequently he is sent on training courses to improve his military capability.

The primary role of Army bandsmen in peace time is to play music, and other military duties are arranged so as not to conflict with this priority. Most bandsmen do, however, receive medical training and basic skill at arms training for an operational capability in the event of mobilisation. It is not possible to apportion the amount of time spent on such training, which varies according to circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what military duties are assigned to the 31 directors of music in the Regular Army; how many hours a week are spent on such duties; and what period of time each director of music has spent on training courses designed to improve military proficiency and up-date military knowledge.

The primary duty of a director of music is to maintain the music proficiency of his band. A director of music does not have an operational role and does not receive operation training.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, having regard to the number of occasions on which Army bands have undertaken recording sessions during 1974 and 1975, he will list in the Official Report (a) the total sum of money distributed between the 31 directors of music in the Regular Army over that period from such activities (b) the annual amount received by each director of music over that period (c) in what form Army regulations stipulate that this information be recorded (d) who is responsible for auditing such payments and (e) how frequently the commanding officer receives a report on the activities authorised by him and undertaken by an Army band together with the audited accounts.

I shall publish this information in the Official Report as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how much rehearsal time is required by an Army band prior to a recording session; when the band carries out its rehearsals for the recording session; and what records are kept by the commanding officer of the total time spent by the band on researsals and recording, and the time spent on military duties.

Rehearsal times vary according to the musical ability of the band and the type of music being recorded. No records are maintained of the time spent on rehearsals and recording.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report details of the scale appropriate to the distribution of payments to Army bands for recording sessions, referred to in his answer to the hon. Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch on 5th March, including the proportions payable to directors of music, members of the band and regimental funds, respectively.

The scale of distribution laid down is as follows:

	First £1,000 Percentage	Above £1,000 Percentage
Public Funds	5	5
Performers	60	65
Band Fund	20	15
Director of Music	15	15

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers are trained as stretcher bearers; what is the length of training courses for such duties; how many stretcher bearers are at present deployed in areas where fighting troops are in action; and what other duties are carried out by soldiers trained as stretcher bearers when not in operational areas.

Stretcher bearing is a small part of the training given to all medical assistants and most other soldiers. It is not possible without disproportionate effort to say how many soldiers have been trained in stretcher bearing, or where they are currently deployed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will review his approval of the contract between GEC-Marconi Elliott and the Selenia Company of Italy in connection with multi-role combat aircraft, in the light of information sent to him by the hon. Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch on systematic corruption in several contracts for the Italian armed forces, of which an example is a payment made by Selenia in connection with an order for radar equipment.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 5th March—[Vol. 906, c. 760–1]—regarding the procedures which apply to the selection of contractors and sub-contractors for MRCA equipments. On the question of the general standing of a contractor, each Government is responsible to the other partners for ensuring the suitability of their own companies for Government work.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list in the Official Report all Government shareholdings in companies in the United Kingdom.

I have been asked to reply.Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether the Government intend that the Post Office pre-1969 pension deficit should continue to be met by Post Office funds for 1976–77 and subsequent years; and if he will make a statement.

This is still under consideration and I am not yet able to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will arrange for copies of the accounts of British Leyland to be placed in the Vote Office.

No. Copies of British Leyland's annual report and accounts are available from the company.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what was the total cost of the present Price Check campaign to the latest available date.

The total cost of advertising and of printing and distributing the retailer kits to date is estimated at £842,000. These costs are a charge on funds made available last year for counter-inflation publicity.