asked the Minister for the Civil Service what criteria he uses as to (a) priorities of areas selected and (b) rate of dispersal of the Civil Service jobs to be disposed to the North-West, including nearly 3,000 to Merseyside, detailed planning for which is now in progress, as referred to in his reply on 23rd February to the hon. Member for Ince [Official Report, column 10].

The selection of areas to receive Civil Service jobs, within the dispersal locations announced by the Government in July 1974, is a matter for the Departments whose work is to be dispersed, in consultation with the Property Services Agency and other interested Departments. The availability of communication, suitable sites, housing and other amenities is among the factors taken into account. The dispersals to the North-West will be carried out as soon as possible within the 10-year period the Government have set themselves for completing the programme.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list, for the years 1966 to 1976, the number of days when the daily House of Commons Official Report was not available in its usual form.

The number of occasions since January 1972 on which the Official Report was not immediately available in printed form is 144. There were 44 such occasions in 1972, 49 in 1973, 34 in 1974, 11 in 1975 and 6 in 1976. I regret that similar information for earlier years is not available.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service on how many occasions since 1st January 1974 the proceedings of the House have been printed by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in full after the business to which they referred had already been completed; what the total cost was on each occasion; and what happened to the documents which were printed.

On no occasion since 1st January 1974 have the Votes and Proceedings of the House been printed by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in full after the business to which they referred had already been completed.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil servants were made redundant in 1975; and how this compares with the national average of redundancies.

Approximately 160 non-industrial and 450 industrial civil servants were made redundant in 1975. On the information available to the Manpower Services Commission it is not possible to produce a national average figure.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will ensure that Her Majesty's Stationery Office will under no circumstances print Order Papers or other documents relating to business which has already been completed and for which working documents have been duplicated by other means because of industrial disputes.

No. Many parliamentary documents are required for public distribution and must be printed for that purpose even if the immediate requirements of the House have been met temporarily by other means.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what has been the total cost involved, since 1st March 1974, of making all the alternative arrangements for the printing of parliamentary papers due to industrial dispute; how many separate disputes there have been; and on how many days the various disputes have deprived hon. Members of all or any papers.

There have been four occasions since 1st March 1974 when it has been necessary to make alternative arrangements for the supply of parliamentary papers due to industrial action. Because of these disputes there were 53 days out of 360 on which papers were not supplied in their normal form. The total cost of supplying papers in an alternative form was £98,000.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he is planning to close or reduce the operations of the Civil Service Training College in Edinburgh.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether the public expenditure cuts recently announced will affect the future of the Edinburgh centre of the Civil Service College.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what proposals he has to close down the Civil Service College in Edinburgh; and if he will make a statement.

As part of the Government's intention to reduce expenditure on staff and related administrative costs announced in the White Paper on Public Expenditure in 1979–80, I am considering a number of areas of possible savings within my own Department. No decisions have yet been taken.

asked the Lord President of the Council when he will move to appoint a Select Committee on Procedure.

I proposed to the House on 2nd February that work on the forthcoming general review of our procedures might be assisted by the establishment of a normal sessional Select Committee on Procedure, to which specific matters might be referred—[Vol. 904, c. 975]. Discussions on the form and scope of this review are continuing. The Government's proposals will be brought forward as soon as possible—certainly before Easter.

asked the Lord President of the Council when the Bill envisaged in the White Paper on Devolution will be published.

Good progress is being made in the preparation of the legislation but I cannot at this stage say when it will be published.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will make a statement on the progress made to date towards the establishment of the Scottish Assembly.

The Government's consultations on their devolution proposals, which were set out in Cmnd. 6348, are well under way and good progress is being made in the preparation of the legislation.

asked the Lord President of the Council what provisions he intends to make for honourable Members so that they may have access to a computer information retrieval system in the Library.

I referred to this matter in my speech in the debate of procedure on 2nd February and I hope to set up a small informal Joint Committee in the near future to advise me on it.

asked the Lord President of the Council (1) whether he will make a statement on the circumstances in which a former member of the IRA came to be employed within the Palace of Westminster;(2) whether he is satisfied with the security checks followed before a person is employed within the Palace of Westminster; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Brotherton) on 25th March—[Vol. 908, cc. 629–32.]

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Report of the Working Party on the Future of the British Film Industry.

The Report of the Working Party, chaired by Mr. John Terry, was published as Cmnd. 6372 in mid-January. Since then we have given careful consideration to its analysis of the position of the film industry in this country and to its proposals. The Government accept the value of a strong British film industry, able to take its place in a competitive international market and providing audiences, here and abroad, with an up-to-date image of our society and of the quality and power of our creative artists.We have been particularly impressed by the two principal recommendations in the Terry Report, namely the need to strengthen the industry's financial position and the need for a single new body charged with overall responsibility for all aspects of the industry's activities.In a highly competitive situation it is clear that the industry needs to strengthen its financial base if it is to market its output either internationally or among competing entertainment attractions at home. This means generating a much higher level of new finance than any figure which could be contemplated from public funds. I was therefore very glad to note the Working Party's confidence that the suggested public moneys would, if wisely handled, generate at least twice as much investment from the private sector. The Government accept that an input of some public money is needed, but this will be on the basis of providing the industry with the nucleus of a working fund to enable it to set about the wider task of securing adequate resources from the private sector. They note that at this critical juncture the industry itself is prepared to divert into such a fund up to £1 million a year from the so-called Eady moneys which would otherwise be paid out to the industry's more successful producers.Long-term financial assistance will require new legislation. Suitable proposals will be introduced as soon as possible. The Government consider that a basic fund providing working capital of up to £5 million would be appropriate. Provision would be made for an initial advance, which would men be supplemented in subsequent years taking into account both the extent to which the available working capital had been committed and also the amount of investment funds which had been generated from the private sector. An immediate advance can be made to the industry through the NFFC under existing legislation, and me Government accordingly intend to release a sum of £2·37 million still available under those powers. The provision of all further financial assistance will be subject to an overall ceiling.The second main recommendation in the Terry Report was for the establishment of a British Film Authority to act as a sponsor for the industry and to carry out a number of specific functions. The Government accept that such an authority could play a valuable ròle; they will be considering further the Report's recommendations on ministerial responsibility. Legislation will be required to create the new authority. In the meantime, the Government are anxious not to lose the new momentum engendered by the Report. It is therefore their intention to set up a preparatory committee to maintain progress and provide an easy transition when legislation is possible. We would propose that the Committee should include representatives of the Cinematograph Films Council, the National Film Finance Corporation and of the Working Party itself. The Government will consult with the National Film School and the British Film Institute on their future and how the continuation of their functions can best be safeguarded.

asked the Prime Minister if, pursuant to his Written Answer of 25th March, he will list the documents freely available to the public, other than copies of the relevant treaties, containing references to Her Majesty's Government's view mat an obligation of continuing membership of the EEC was acceptance of direct elections, and the specific references therein.

I do not think that the preparation of such a list would serve a useful purpose, and it could be compiled only at disproportionate cost to public funds. Publication of the relevant treaties, duly ratified by Her Majesty's Government, is sufficient evidence of the acceptance by Her Majesty's Government of the obligations contained in them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the recognition in Command Paper No. 6234 that what is proposed for a further attack on discrimination will need to be supplemented by a more comprehensive strategy for dealing with the problem of disadvantage, when he expects to announce the Government's proposals for such a strategy.

I am not yet able to predict the form or timing of any statement about the development of the strategy envisaged in the White Paper on Racial Discrimination.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the first meeting of the Standing Advisory Council proposed in Command Paper No. 6234 to take place.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 14- to 16-year-olds were in penal establishments, at the latest available date, because of the lack of alternative secure accommodation.

A young person aged 14–16 who is awaiting trial may be

Arrangements for setting up the Council are now in hand and I hope that it will be possible to hold the first meeting in the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total annual cost of fees, allowances and/or salaries paid to individuals, other than civil servants, appointed by him to bodies other than committees.

Of the 2,700 appointments listed in my reply to the Question by the hon. Member on 12th February—[Vol. 905, c. 282–3]—133 are salaried or fee paid. The total cost of paid appointments in 1974–75 was about £205,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young persons aged 14 to 16 years were in local prisons at the latest available date; how many were boys and how many girls; and where they were located.

On 29th February 1976 there were 24 young persons—19 males and five females—between the ages of 14 and 16 in local prisons. Details are contained in the following table:remanded in custody to a prison or remand centre in England and Wales only if a court certifies that he is so unruly that he cannot safely be committed to the care of a local authority. On 29th February 1976, 102 boys and three girls aged 14–16 were in custody awaiting trial, of whom 97 boys and two girls were in remand centres and five boys and one girl were in prisons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with progress towards ending the remand of 14- to 16-year-olds to penal establishments; and if he will make a statement.

I must ask my hon. Friend to await the statement promised in the reply which I gave to a similar Question from him on 1st March.—[Vol. 906, c. 459.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the building noises on the north side of the Norman Shaw North Building, which were supposed to end last July, and then last autumn, and were recently said by him to be ending in mid-March, are now expected to end.

No further noisy work resulting from the use of air compressors and heavy pneumatic drills is planned; the contractor is expected to be off the site by the end of April 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, as he has now received the Layfield Report, if he will undertake to abide by Mr. Speaker Whitley's ruling made in 1927 that copies to the Press should be issued at the same time as to Members of Parliament.

I propose to follow the accepted practice in issuing copies of this Report to the House and to the Press; however I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council on 19th March—[Vol. 907, c. 652.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many unfit houses there are in Inner London, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow, respectively.

Up-to-date figures on a Common basis are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the job description which he is using to select suitable candidates to be considered for the vacancy of Chairman of British Rail.

I am being guided by Section 1(3) of the Transport Act 1962.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now in a position to make a statement on the appointment of a successor to Sir Richard Marsh as Chairman of British Railways.

I hope to make an announcement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the cost to the Exchequer of transferring the issue of free bus passes to retirement pensioners from the local authorities to the Treasury.

The powers of local authorities to arrange travel concessions are entirely discretionary, and provisions for retirement pensioners differ from one area to another. Present expenditure by local authorities in Great Britain on travel concessions now totals over £50 million. It is not possible to say what proportion of this relates to free bus passes for retirement pensioners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many prosecutions have been brought during each of the last five years against persons accused of demolishing listed buildings without consent; how many convictions have resulted; and what was the average penalty imposed.

Any person or body may institute prosecutions relating to unauthorised work to listed buildings and information about them is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many repair notices have been served by local authorities on owners of listed buildings during the last year; and how many of these have been complied with.

The service of repairs notices is normally a matter for local authorities and information about them is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many listed buildings are owned by British Rail; and how many are threatened by redevelopment or closure.

I understand that British Rail has stated that it owns over 396 listed buildings. I do not have information about the number threatened by redevelopment or closure, but consent would be required for any substantial works to these buildings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to amend Sections 114 and 115 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 in order to ensure that local authorities are enabled to preserve listed buildings.

No. Sections 114 and 115 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 already enable me to authorise a local authority to acquire compulsorily a listed building which is not being properly preserved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will take steps to increase the penalties for demolition of listed buildings without consent; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dagenham (Mr. Parker) on 28th January 1976.—[Vol. 904, c. 195.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many Grade I and Grade II listed buildings have been demolished: (a) with consent and (b) without consent during each of the past five years; and if he will list them in the Official Report.

Consent to demolish Grade I and Grade II listed buildings in the years 1971–75 were granted as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the present method of vetting applicants, in the interests of security, for positions on the servicing staff in the Palace of Westminster.

I am satisfied that all staff of the Department of the Environment employed on the provision of services within the Palace of Westminster are subjected to appropriate vetting procedures. Contractors' staff work under close supervision and the adequacy of these arrangements has been taken into account in the review of security measures to which my right hon. Friend the Lord President referred on 25tb March 1976.—[Vol. 908. c. 629–32.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total annual cost of fees, allowances and /or salaries paid to individuals, other than civil servants, appointed by him to bodies other than committees.

The total remuneration in the last financial year is estimated to be of the order of £1,450,000. Exact figures and the cost of travel and subsistence expenditure are not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost to public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will take steps to prevent the levying of rate increases on property occupied by disabled person when alterations are made in order to make it possible for them to live in such accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

Section 45 of the General Rate Act 1967 provides for rate relief in respect of facilities for disabled persons. The implications of the recent decision by the House of Lords in a case involving that section are still being studied and I am not yet able to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total area of land owned by each of the nationalised industries for which his Department is the sponsoring Department.

The industries estimate the acreages as follows:

British Railways Board: 210,000

British Waterways Board: 25,000

British Transport Docks Board: 12,500

National Freight Corporation:

2,100 National Bus Company: 650.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authority dwellings have been relet in each of the last five years, following the termination of an earlier letting.

Based on the Department's relets inquiry, estimates of the number of local authority dwellings in England and Wales relet to new tenants in each of the five years 1970–74 are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, following his visit to Mersey Docks on 8th March, if he will announce the provision of further Government aid to develop the South Dock complex.

I have no such announcement to make. The future of the South Docks, which are contributing helpfully to the income of the dock company, was not discussed when I visited the company on 8th March. Further consideration has yet to be given to redevelopment policies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many acres of derelict land there were in England and Wales on 1st January 1976; and if he will make a statement.

At the time of the last survey of derelict land—1st April 1974—there were 106,932 acres of derelict land in England, of which 81,714 acres were considered to justify treatment. Later information is not available but figures of the amount of derelict land restored in 1974–75 and 1975–76 are now being collected. Figures for Wales are a matter for the Welsh Development Agency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many conservation areas had been designated in: (a) England and (b) Wales by 1st January 1976; and if he will publish a list of them in the Official Report.

On 1st January 1976 there were 3,413 designated conservation areas in England and 207 in Wales. In view of the number of areas involved, I shall send a list to the hon. Member rather than publish it in the Official Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many counties contained fewer than 20 designated conservation areas on 1st January 1976; and if he will list them in the Official Report.

Only two counties have fewer than 20 designated conservation areas. The Isle of Wight has 16 and the Isles of Scilly have one, which covers the whole area of the authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many accidents involving motor vehicles fouling the railway line at its junction in Malton with Norton Road have occurred in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976 to the latest date available;(2) what was the date, the purpose of, and the attendance at a site meeting of police and departmental officials in Malton, at the junction of the railway line and the crossing of it by Norton Road, in early December 1975; and what conclusions and current recommendations resulting from the meeting are now being applied.

No accidents have been reported under statute as occurring at Malton station public level crossing in the period quoted. There were, I understand, three incidents in 1975 and one in 1976 in which a motor was being driven on to the railway line whilst the barriers were raised. In no case was there any personal injury or any danger of an accident occuring, since the barriers are interlocked with the railway signals and under the control of the signalman.A meeting was held at the site on 11th December 1975, attended by representatives of my Department, the British Railway Board, the North Yorkshire County Council, and the North Yorkshire Police to determine the cause of these incidents, all of which occurred after dark. Recommendations to improve the lighting and road marking at the crossing are now being progressed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the totals of transport grant paid for the last financial year for which figures are available to (a) each metropolitan county and (b) each non-metropolitan county in Yorkshire and Humberside.

The information requested is included in the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Ince (Mr. McGuire) on 12th February 1976.—[Vol. 905, c. 357.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate his Department has of the number of dead or dying elm trees in England which may present a hazard to life and limb.

The best estimate currently available is that contained in the report I have just received from the Tree Council, namely that within the next five years some 2 million dead or dying elm trees will need to be felled if they are not to present a hazard. Of these, it is likely that about 400,000 will be felled for commercial reasons and a further 500,000 should be felled in the interests of controlling Dutch elm disease. These figures are based on the assumption that elms in southern and central England will die of the disease at a slowly declining rate as the elm population at risk diminishes and that a fairly steady number of deaths will occur in the lightly affected areas. They also assume that of all the trees that have been dead for more than about a year, 75 per cent. of those in urban areas and 5 per cent. of those in rural areas—excluding woodlands—will be potentially dangerous owing to their situation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the estimated overall loss to public funds, for the most recent convenient period, resulting from the sale of dwellings by local authorities at less than market value; and what was the average loss per dwelling;(2) what has been the average proportion of market value charged to occupiers on the sale to them of council dwellings.

Local authorities have sold dwellings to sitting tenants at current market value assuming vacant possession, with the discount taken as reflecting restriction on that value arising both from the local authority's right of pre-emption and from the restriction on the resale price. Such sales are subject, moreover, to the limitation in the relevant circular of no sale by the local authority below historic cost. With the sales subject to these conditions I do not think it could be said that a loss to public funds had necessarily arisen. It is estimated that the average discount in 1974–75 was about 17 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of total local government expenditure the rate support grant represented for England from 1960 until 1976, giving the exact percentage for each year.

The available figures for local authorities in England are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the prospects for new orders for British oil rig building yards; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Bedford (Mr. Skeet) on 22nd March.—[Vol. 908, c. 5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total annual cost of fees, allowances and/or salaries paid to individuals, other than civil servants, appointed by him to bodies other than committees, but including statuory corporations.

About £850,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is the cost of the first of the two proposed new oxide fuel reprocessing plants at Windscale; and what proportion of this will represent a charge against the cost of reprocessing fuel for United Kingdom use;(2) what is the cost of rebuilding the present oxide fuel reprocessing facility at Windscale; and how this is to be financed.

I am asking the Chairman of British Nuclear Fuels Limited to write to my hon. Friend about the details of this proposed expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish the total area of land owned by each of the nationalised industries for which his Department is the sponsoring Department.

The industries, estimaes are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are his estimates of the surplus or deficit to be made by the National Coal Board in the current and the next financial year.

The NCB is expected to break even this year without operational grants by the Government. The Board aims to break even in the coming financial year, too, but the level of operational grants by the Government has yet to be settled.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if, in the interests of more open government, he will publish in the Official Report the text of his letter concerning executive appointments in the National Coal Board, those organisations to which it was sent and what replies have been received.

The text of the letter 1 sent on 10th March to the National Union of Mineworkers, the National Association of Colliery Overmen Deputies and Shotfirers and to the British Association of Colliery Management is given below, together with the enclosures. To date I have had replies from the first two.10th March 1976 I enclose a list of appointments that it falls to me to make to the NCB as and when vacancies arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will place a copy of the full report of the interdepartmental working party on "Energy Tariffs and the Poor" in the Library.

No. There were a number of papers prepared for Ministers by the interdepartmental group. The published document contains all the relevant facts and assessments which were the basis of the Government's conclusion reported to the House in my hon. Friend's Answer to the hon. Member for Coatbridge and Airdrie (Mr. J. Dempsey) on 16th February—[Vol. 906, c. 472–3]—and I shall be pleased to consider any further specific questions that may be raised about them.

It would be helpful to me if your Executive would consider how and in what way your union could assist in recommending suitable persons for these appointments whether from the unions or from amongst the existing management in whom your membership have confidence.

The responsibility for making the appointment remains with the Secretary of State in accordance with present practice but I would value your advice in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications there have been in Northern Ireland under the Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme since its inception, and how many applications there have been under the Farm Capital Grant Scheme in the same period; how many schemes in each category have been, or are being, carried out; and what are the actual and estimated total sums involved in the work in each category.

Fifty-nine applications were received in Northern Ireland under the Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme from its inception on 1st January 1974 up to 31st December 1975 and 42 of these were approved and are currently being carried out. The estimated total cost of the work is £577,000. The amount actually invested in these schemes up to 31st December 1975 totalled £85,600, of which £17,800 was met by grant.During the same period there were 32,565 applications under the Farm Capital Grant Scheme, and the number of schemes approved during that time was 36,127. The estimated cost of the approved work is £40,600,700. It is not possible to say how many of these schemes are being carried out but it is estimated that 10 per cent. of all Farm Capital Grant Schemes approved are not eventually completed. The number of completed schemes on which grant was paid in this period was 35,025. The total eligible cost of work completed was £54,080,657, of which £22,006,845 was met by grant.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what functions he now proposes to transfer from Northern Ireland departments to district councils.

I told the House on 22nd January, in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Antrim, South (Mr. Molyneaux)—[Vol. 903, c. 1525–6]—that no radical changes were contemplated in the present responsibilities of district councils. That position is unchanged.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many different members of his staff have been engaged in the talks with Sinn Fein in 1975 and in 1976; what were the grades of the persons so engaged; and what are the total costs of these talks estimated to be.

As I have made clear to the House, for example, in answer to a Question from the hon. Member for Antrim, North on 18th March—[Vol. 907, c. 583]—I am not prepared to give details of these meetings. As regards costs, these talks do not involve additional staff or facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total annual cost of fees, allowances and/or salaries paid to individuals other than civil servants, appointed by him to bodies other than committees.

The total cost over the last year of fees, allowances and/or salaries met from Government funds is about £350,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total number of persons employed by the Housing Executive in administration; what is the number employed directly by it for repairs, etc. carried out on its property; and what were the totals employed by the former housing authorities and the Northern Ireland Housing Trust in these respective aspects of housing.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 17th March 1976; Vol. 907, c. 552–3], gave the following answer:The information requested by the hon. Member relates to matters which are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, both in its present capacity and as successor to the former Northern Ireland Housing Trust and local housing authorities.The approval of the Northern Ireland Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning to the employment of staff by the Executive is necessary only for posts in the middle and senior grades; there are currently some 330 of these posts in the administrative, professional and technical grades.The former Northern Ireland Housing Trust employed about 550 staff in administrative, professional, technical, clerical and typing grades, and about 175 manual workers and cleaners. The numbers of staff employed by the former local housing authorities were not subject to the approval of the former Northern Ireland Ministry of Development.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many hours broadcasting per week in all BBC External Services took place in the years 1974–75 and 1975–76; and how many of his Department's staff were engaged in monitoring during those years.

Weekly broadcasting hours were 735 in 1974–75 and 727 in 1975–76. Technical monitoring of BBC External Services' audibility overseas is undertaken voluntarily by Foreign and Commonwealth Office communications staff in addition to their normal duties. No staff is engaged exclusively on this activity.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total annual cost of fees, allowances and/or salaries paid to individuals, other than civil servants, appointed by him to bodies other than committees.

Eleven thousand pounds, by way of salary, was paid by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the financial year 1975–76.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the estimated cost to Scottish taxpayers of maintaining the Diplomatic Service; and what were such costs in each year from 1960 to 1976.

Records have not been maintained in such a way that would enable me to make such an estimate other than at the cost of disproportionate time and effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what would be the estimated annual running cost of a separate Scottish Foreign Service, able to fulfil its proportional share of commitments which the British Foreign Service is fulfilling.

The recurrent costs borne on Diplomatic and Consular Services Vote 1 amount at present to approximately £2 a year per head of the population of the United Kingdom. But it should be borne in mind that to run a separate Scottish Foreign Service would entail, in addition, costs for office facilities and supplies, superannuation of staff, information and cultural activities, and subscriptions to international organisations, depending on the nature and size of that Service.With so many imponderables, an estimate such as that requested could not be made except at the cost of disproportionate time and effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what share of proposed spending on the Diplomatic Service is expected to be borne by Scottish taxpayers over the next five years.

Estimates are not broken down on a basis that would enable me to answer this question other than at the cost of disproportionate time and effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's representation in Nigeria.

Our High Commissioner in Nigeria, Sir Martin Le Quesne, was withdrawn on 4th March at the request of the Nigerian Government. The appointment of a successor is under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the light of the decision to proceed with plans for the introduction of European passports, he will take steps to provide for the use on them of the Welsh language as one of the oldest of all European languages.

Discussions among representatives of the Member States of the European Economic Community on the introduction of a uniform pattern for national passports are still continuing. The use of the languages of the members is one of the questions under discussion.

askd the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the rules, standing orders or similar instruments that prevent Heads of Governments making available to their legislatures or Parliaments the text of substantive documents to be considered at the EEC Council (Heads of States).

There are no such specific rules, but it would generally be inappropriate to publish documents which are regarded in the Community as confidential following discussion in the Council of Ministers, particularly when they are still subject to negotiation between Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total annual cost of fees, allowances and/or salaries paid to individuals, other than civil servants, appointed by him to bodies

The estimated total annual cost for the year 1975–76 is £1,521,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the latest figures for unemployment and notified job vacancies in the Southampton travel-to-work area, including Eastleigh, compared with the equivalent figures for each of the last five years, together with his best estimate of the total number of jobs at the same dates; and what percentage were the unemployed to the employed at each date.

The first table below shows the numbers registered as unemployed, the percentage rates of unemployment and the notified unfilled vacancies in the Southampton travel-to-work area, which includes Eastleigh. The vacancy figures relate only to vacancies notified to employment offices and careers offices and are not a measure of total vacancies. Because of possible duplication the two vacancy series should not be added together.The second table gives estimates of the numbers of employees in employment in the Southampton travel-to-work area, at June each year from 1971 until 1973, the latest date for which the information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when sufficient copies will be made available in the House of Commons Library of the cargo handling zone map, one copy only of which was deposited on 10th March in connection with the Dock Work Regulation Bill.

The map is available for inspection in the Library together with a small number of copies.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will make suitable arrangements, through the Central Office of Information or otherwise, for maps to be made available to the general public showing in sufficient detail the area which will be classified as the cargo handling zone in accordance with the current proposals of the Dock Work Regulation Bill;(2) if he will make available to accredited members of the Parliamentary Press Lobby, on their request, maps of the United Kingdom showing the area which will be classified as the cargo handling zone in accordance with the current proposals of the Dock Work Regulation Bill similar to those which have been made available to hon. Members of the Standing Committee on the Bill.

Photocopies of the maps prepared for the Standing Committee on the Dock Work Regulations Bill are available for inspection on request at my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the effect on employment in the area of the closure of F. H. Lloyd Steelworks at Tipton.

I understand about 130 workers will be affected by the proposed closure of Lloyds (Old Park) Limited at Tipton and that redundancies are scheduled to take place over the period 7th June to 27th August. The size of the proposed redundancy is relatively small in relation to the total number of people employed in the Dudley travel to work area. Thus, while the closure is obviously unwelcome, it should not have any marked effect on employment in the area as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many work permits have been issued in the last 12 months to Sri Lankans to work in the NAAFI in the United Kingdom.

No such application has been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of jobs (a) saved as a result of the Temporary Employment Subsidy and (b) created by all other measures (a) on Merseyside and (b) in the North-West Region.

The following information relates to the jobs created or saved on Merseyside and in the North-West Region as a result of the various schemes which are administered—or largely financed—either directly by my Department or by the Manpower Services Commission.(

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the national unemployment rate and the unemployment rate among registered disabled people, respectively, in each of the last 24 months for which figures are available.

Information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if it is the practice of his Department to post unemployment benefit cheques to holiday or other temporary addresses of recipients if they so request.

It is not the practice of my Department to post unemployment benefit giro cheques to holiday addresses. A claimant living at a temporary address is paid unemployment benefit in the normal way, provided that he remains available for employment. If he is merely visiting an area beyond daily travelling distance from his home to seek employment, payment is made when he returns to his home area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployment benefit cheques are posted to recipients at addresses outside the United Kingdom.

Unemployment benefit under the Social Security Act 1975 is not payable to an unemployed person for any period when he is outside Great Britain, the Isle of Man or Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed benefit cheques are posted to recipients at addresses in the Republic of Ireland.

Unemployment benefit under the Social Security Act 1975 is not payable to an unemployed person in the Republic of Ireland, but arrears of benefit due to a claimant who has recently removed to the Republic may be posted, but information as to numbers is not readily available. These payments are considered to be negligible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, in view of the need for a defined route for the proposed New Inn bypass to be announced, whether he can now announce receipt of the inspector's recommendations following upon the inquiry held in June 1975.

The inspector's report is still being considered. My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to be able to announce his decision on the line of the road by the early summer.

asked the Secretary of Wales if he has any plans to meet the incoming Chairman of the British Steel Corporation.

Not at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has now given full consideration to all the representations he has received on the question of devolution for Wales.

I am continuing to give careful consideration to all the representations received.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total annual cost of fees, allowances and/or salaries paid to individuals, other than civil servants, appointed by him to bodies other than committees.

£122,828 for salaries. The annual cost of fees varies: in 1974–75 it was £24,223.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to meet representatives of the fishing industry.

At the present time I have no plans for such a meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether the new Development Board for Rural Wales will have power to finance the provision of transmitters for the BBC and IBA services to those parts of rural Wales which will still not be receiving adequate television services at the time when the Board comes into operation.

The powers to be exercised by the Board will depend on the terms of legislation to be introduced shortly. The provision of television transmitters is a matter for the BBC and the IBA.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the approximate estimated cost of the Llanidloes Bypass; and what is the extent of the traffic congestion which it is supposed to relieve.

Approximately £1 million. The practical capacity of the existing trunk road through Llanidloes is around 6,000 vehicles per day; the forecast traffic flow in the present design year 1995 is around 8,300 vehicles daily. More than half the traffic passing through Llanidloes does not call there. Construction of the bypass will improve the environment of this historic town by removing this through traffic from its residential and shopping streets.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied that all reasonable steps are being taken by his Department to assist in promoting alternative means of employment in the Machynlleth area.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he last met the Chairman of Chrysler United Kingdom Limited.

On 9th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the number of people employed in the steel industry and the liquid steel tonnes produced per man year, during each of the last five years, in each of the member States of the EEC.

Compatible figures of production and employment from which production per man year could be derived are not available. Statistics of the number of people employed in the iron and steel industry and production of steel are given in the EEC Yearbook of Iron and Steel Statistics, which is available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what percentage of new orders for ships was placed in yards in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as a whole, respectively, during 1975.

United Kingdom ship-owners in 1975 ordered 6½ per cent. of their new merchant tonnage from United Kingdom shipbuilders, none of which was placed with Northern Ireland shipyards.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the total annual cost of fees, allowances and/or salaries paid to individuals, other than civil servants, appointed by him to bodies other than committees, but including statutory corporations.

Salaries total £535,110 per annum. The annual total of fees and allowances is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will take steps under the Industry Acts or otherwise to avert the closure of F. H. Lloyd Steelworks at Tipton.

No request from the company for assistance has been received, since it has concluded that the operation is no longer viable. Assistance to preserve such surplus capacity could not be justified under the requirements for selective financial assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the proposal of an international consortium to establish a major chemical plant at Cowdenbeath, Fife; and whether, in view of the serious unemployment situation in that area, he will take all necessary steps to expedite progress in the establishment of the industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what inquiries he has received regarding the proposed establishment of a major chemical plant in Fife by an international consortium; and if he will encourage the provision of this industry in view of the high unemployment position in Fife.

No international consortium has so far informed my Department of any plans to establish a major chemical plant at Cowdenbeath, Fife. With my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, I am always anxious to discuss proposals for new industrial projects in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish the total area of land owned by each of the nationalised industries for which his Department is the sponsoring Department.

The industries estimate the acreages as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the parent company of Greenwell's ship repair business at Sunderland before it was transferred to North East Coast Ship-repairers; what was the value placed on the business; what was the consideration for the transfer; for what reason it was made; whether it was made with his knowledge; and whether he is satisfied that the transfer has been successful in general and for the Greenwell employees in particular.

Prior to its transfer to North East Coast Shiprepairers Ltd. the Greenwell's ship repair business was carried on by the T. W. Greenwell Ship-repair Division of Doxford and Sunderland Ltd.—now Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd. No separate valuation was put on Greenwell's when Court Line took over Doxford and Sunderland Ltd. A consideration of £426,000 was paid by North East Coast Shiprepairers to Sunderland Shipbuilders for the book value of the net current assets of the company when Court Line transferred the Greenwell's business to NECS. Court Line decided to put Greenwell's under the control of NECS to facilitate the grouping of its ship repair activities, thus separating them from their shipbuilding interests. Court Line was under no obligation to consult my Department about the transfer of the business. The report I have just received from Touche Ross & Co. on the proposed closure of Greenwell's concluded that the company had benefited rather than suffered from being a part of NECS.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether there has been or is to be a transfer of the Greenwell's business or assets away from North East Coast Shiprepairers; if so, at what valuation; for what consideration; and for what reasons.

None of the assets owned by Greenwell Drydocks Ltd. has been, or will be, transferred away from North East Coast Shiprepairers Ltd. Most of the land, buildings and operating plant used by Greenwell's is leased to it by Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd.