asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now issue the promised circular on "The better use of existing housing stock".

I hope to do so soon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what firm proposals the South-West Economic Planning Council has given to the Government.

Economic planning councils are advisory bodies and much of their advice to Government is confidential. During the last three years the South-West Economic Planning Council has published reports on a strategic settlement pattern for the South-West, second homes, retirement in the South-West and implications of off-shore oil and gas for the region.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost of maintaining the South-West Economic Planning Council.

The costs of supporting the economic planning council form part of the costs of the Department's regional organisation and cannot be separately identified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the boundaries of the South-West Economic Planning Council.

The boundaries of the South-West Economic Planning Council are the standard regional boundaries. I have no evidence that they are unsatisfactory, but should be glad to consider any points which the hon. Member cares to make in relation to the boundaries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the working of the South-West Economic Planning Council; and if he will make a statement on its future.

The annual review of membership and the various matters on which there is contact between the council and the Government involve some review of the council's working. I see no need at present for any wider review.The future of economic planning councils will depend on decisions reached on devolution in relation to England.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many school crossing patrols in England and Wales have become vacant and have remained unfilled since 1st April 1975.

I regret that the information is not available. The provision of school crossing patrols in England and Wales is a matter entirely within the discretion of local authorities, generally the county council, but in London the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolitan Police District. No central record of the number or operational status of school crossing patrols is maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost of the new M23 from Hooley to just south of Crawley and the M25 from Godstone to Reigate Hill.

The present estimated costs, including land, are: M23 Hooley to Pease Pottage—but excluding the section between Merstham and Bletchingley—together with the Gatwick and Crawley Links, about £23 million; M25 Godstone to Reigate, M23/M25 Merstham Interchange and M23 Merstham to Bletchingley, about £18 million. The final land costs will not be known for some years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the estimated saving in the operation of licensing vehicles by using the Swansea centre computer in comparison with the cost of using the old manual methods in local offices.

The current cost of vehicle licensing includes not only the cost of the licensing centre at Swansea but also that of maintaining the local system whilst the transfer to the centralised system is being effected. Savings are therefore not expected during the transitional period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will require applicants for consent to demolish a listed building to submit a written statement giving reasons for demolition.

Local planning authorities are required, before granting consent to demolish a listed building, to notify me, indicating the reasons which dispose them to grant the application, in accordance with paragraph 4 of Circular 61/68—of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. Accordingly they are already bound to ascertain, and satisfy themselves about, the applicant's reasons for wishing to demolish the building.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will remove the requirement on local planning authorities to justify with reasons a refusal of consent to demolish a listed building.

No. It would be unreasonable to enable a local planning authority to refuse consent to demolish a listed building without giving its reasons for doing so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many listed buildings have been demolished without listed building consent following the issue of dangerous structure notices in the last three years.

Information about the number of listed buildings demolished without listed building consent following the issue of dangerous structure notices is not readily available; the serving of dangerous structure notices is a matter for the local authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the installation of services such as gas and electricity on new council estates is provided at a subsidised rate; and if so how great is the subsidy.

The cost of installing gas and electricity supplies in new local authority dwellings, including charges for connection to the mains supply, is admissible for the new capital costs element of housing subsidy, which is paid at the rate of 66 per cent. on the related annual loan charges.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will designate the mediaeval Lanes district of Carlisle a conservation area following the failure of the local authority to do so.

The Lanes area of Carlisle was designated in 1968 by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of Housing and Local Government as an area of comprehensive development. I am not aware of any new factors arising since then which would warrant my designating a conservation area in the face of the known views of the responsible local authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to afford public service employees, living in accommodation provided by the employing Department, the same rights as tenants as those proposed for agricultural workers.

The consultative document on abolishing the tied cottage system in agriculture made clear our belief that the problem in agriculture should be resolved in its own right. We have no plans for action elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in each of the last five years and to the nearest convenient date in the current year, how many compulsory purchase orders under Part III of the Housing Act 1957 have been (1) confirmed without modification, (2) confirmed with modification, (3) refused in agreement with inspectors' recommendations, and (4) refused in dissension from inspectors' recommendations; what was the addition to the new housing stock resulting from the approval of these orders in each year; and what was the loss to the new housing stock resulting from the refusal of orders in each year.

The numbers of such orders (1) confirmed without modification, (2) confirmed with modification, not necessarily involving exclusion of land from the order, and (3) refused confirmation for any reason, are as shown below. The remaining information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the agreed amount of the United Kingdom contribution to the United Nations environment programme; and how much of this has been paid.

The United Kingdom agreed to contribute to the United Nations Environment Fund over the five-year period 1973–77 5 per cent. of the pledges realised by other donors subject to an upper limit of £2 million. So far £970,000 has been paid, which is in line with our pledge.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of closing orders made under Section 60 of the Housing Act 1969.

The Department does not collect statistics about closing orders made under this section, which only applies to those houses in multiple occupation where means of escape from fire cannot be provided at reasonable cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the Lay-field Report and the Government's proposals on it before the local authority elections on 6th May.

I have nothing to add to my reply of 26th March 1976 to the hon. Member for Melton (Mr. Latham)—[Vol. 908, c. 307–8].

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many elm trees in the Royal Parks have been felled, or are to be felled, as a result of Dutch elm disease.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what binding regulations have been made by his Department regarding the length of time a red light halts traffic on a

During the last three years, about 4,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many new trees were planted in the Royal Parks in 1974 and in 1975;(2) how many new trees are to be planted in the Royal Parks in 1976.

As the tree planting season runs from autumn to spring I will give figures spanning two calendar years. They are:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the percentage increase in the needs allowance for rent rebates and allowances for the years 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75 and 1975–76; and what was the average percentage increase in (a) council rents and (b) private rents in the same years.

Some of the information is not readily available in the form requested. The percentage increases in the needs allowances under the rent rebate and allowance schemes at the time of each up-rating were as follows:pelican crossing; and in which instrument such regulations are contained.

The timing of the signal phases at pelican crossings is not governed by statutory regulations, but I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of Circular Roads 19/74 which sets out—in Appendix III—the recommended cycle. The maximum time for the red light is 10 seconds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total of tax relief and option mortgage subsidy for the years 1969–70 to 1975–76 at 1975 survey prices.

The estimates of tax relief on mortgage interest and option mortgage subsidy received by owner occupiers and housing associations in the United Kingdom are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the final cost of the porch at the Members' entrance in New Palace Yard.

The final cost will not be known until all bills have been paid. The estimated cost is £26,830.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the number, type and cost of the trees now in New Palace Yard.

109 lime trees of the variety Tilia euchloris which cost £750 are now in New Palace Yard. There are also nine catalpa trees, of which three were presented by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association and the remainder have been in place for many years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost of completing the garden over the car park in New Palace Yard.

The cost of landscaping New Palace Yard is estimated at £332,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost of the erection and supply and painting of lamps in New Palace Yard.

About £6,500.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total cost of the car park and work in New Palace Yard.

This is estimated at £2,792,000. This includes construction of the underground car park, the landscaping of New Palace Yard and provision of additional bollards recently requested by the Serjeant at Arms and approved by the Services Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the local planning authorities on whom he has either imposed, or indicated his intention to impose, land acquisition and management schemes; and whether he will place in the Library a copy of each of those schemes.

Land acquisition and management schemes have been imposed in the following counties: Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Humberside, North Yorkshire. I had indicated that schemes would be imposed in a further 13 counties: Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cornwall, Essex, Greater London, Kent, Lancashire, Merseyside, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne and Wear. Since announcing this, however, the authorities in Merseyside, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk have agreed their schemes so that imposition in those counties will not be needed.I am arranging for a copy of each of the imposed schemes to be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total administrative cost to his Department of preparing, printing and distributing the 10 forms relating to the Community Land Act 1975 referred to in paragraph 2 of the Department of the Environment circular 22/76; and whether he expects this expense to be covered by sales of the forms.

The hon. Member has misunderstood the position. The forms to which he refers are neither being printed nor distributed by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the transport police are subject to the Judges' Rules.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of the transport police in 1975, 1974, 1973 and 1972.

The British Railways Board has provided the following figures for the gross costs of running the British Transport Police:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which Department or what authority meets the cost of the transport police.

The British Railways Board meets the costs of the British Transport Police. It recoups from the London Transport Executive and the British Transport Docks Board the costs of services rendered by the force to them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will accept full responsibility, including any possible legal responsibility, for the opinions expressed in the leaflet regarding the Community Land Act, a specimen of which is annexed to DoE Circular 23/76, which requires local authorities using the leaflet to make specific reference to the fact that the leaflet is reproduced from his circular.

The suggested leaflet is designed to give a general and helpful explanation in simple terms to members of the public of how planning permissions may be affected by the community land scheme. It is not written in legal language and does not attempt to set out the position definitively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what, on average, in the range of towns between 50,000 and 100,000 persons, has been the recent cost per head of an efficient sewerage installation sufficient to cover the population.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that small businesses are given the opportunity for tendering for a proportion of Government contracts.

Small businesses already tender for Government contracts and no special arrangements are necessary.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of mortgages of £10,000 and above upon which tax relief has been granted in 1975–76.

It is estimated that there are about 250,000 mortgages where the amount outstanding is £10,000 or more. Most but not all of these qualify for tax relief.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will allow the cost of travel from residence to place of work as an allowable deduction for tax purposes.

I do not think it would be right to single out this particular form of personal expenditure for tax relief.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost of allowing public transport costs incurred for travelling to and from one's place of work as a deductible expense.

I regret that information on which to base a satisfactory estimate is not available, but the cost would be substantial.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied with the present interest rate structure.

The structure of interest rates reflects a balance between many, often conflicting, factors such as the level of international interest rates and the needs of monetary, housing and industrial policies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will seek to amend the Finance Act 1974 so as to enable those who by the nature of their work are compelled to live in staff quarters—for example, prison officers—to obtain tax relief on the mortgage of one house which they are buying for their own future occupation, particularly on retirement.

In cases of this kind the owner can obtain tax relief under the existing law by letting the house commercially until he is ready to occupy it as his main residence; the mortgage interest is allowed against letting income.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further representations he expects to receive from official bodies before his Budget Statement.

As usual, my right hon. Friend has received a great many representations from a wide variety of interest groups, but he does not expect to receive many more at this stage.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fall in the international value of the £ sterling since 1st March 1974; and what have been the reasons for the recent significant devaluation of its exchange rate.

The sterling-dollar rate fell from £1=$2·2880 to £1=$1·9270 between 1st March 1974 and 24th March 1976. Over the same period the effective depreciation of sterling increased from 18·4 per cent. to 33·6 per cent. The circumstances of the recent decline of sterling were described by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in the House on 11th March.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the exchange rate.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the depreciation in value of the £ sterling since the United Kingdom joined the Common Market.

The sterling/dollar rate fell from £l=$2·3470 to £1=$·9211 between 1st January 1973 and 26th March 1976. Over the same period the effective depreciation of sterling increased from 10·0 per cent. to 33·8 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce legislation to enable self-employed people to deduct their national insurance contributions from their gross income before assessment of income tax, bearing in mind that these contributions have now become a burden for self-employed people to bear.

The whole question of the future of national insurance contributions and benefits to the self-employed is being examined, and naturally the impact of taxation is among the factors to be borne in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce proposals for assisting small companies which are forced to pay VAT on money owed to them by bankrupt companies.

I have nothing to add to the reply my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary gave on 6th November 1975 to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Budgen).—[Vol. 899, c. 260.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the rate of VAT on burglar alarms and industrial jemmies, respectively.

Burglar alarms of a kind suitable for domestic use are chargeable at the 25 per cent. rate; other burglar alarms and industrial jemmies are chargeable at 8 per cent. However, the professional installation of burglar alarms systems in the course of building, construction or alteration is zero rated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of the 25 per cent. rate of VAT on private pilots operating from flying clubs; and if he will make a statement.

A number of representations have been received and all relevant information is being taken into account by my right hon. Friend in considering his Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current debt owed by Chile in respect of naval and other supplies.

Chile's total outstanding commercial debt to the United Kingdom, including defence sales, is estimated at £100 million to £105 million. The amount outstanding on debts which fell due for payment in 1975 is approximately £11 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the tax reckoner for prefix F codes for personal income tax, issued by the Inland Revenue, starts at a rate of 30·5 per cent.; what is the definition of a prefix F code; what categories of person will be charged tax on such a basis; why those with different codes, will, contrary to existing practices, be charged different rates of tax; and if he will make a statement.

F codes are a new type of PAYE code designed to help the taxpayer. In many cases they enable State pensioners, who so desire and who would otherwise have to pay some of their tax in lump sums direct to the Revenue to pay it all through PAYE deductions. Their actual tax liability is not affected. The code can be given to most taxpayers who have income to which PAYE is applied, and whose State pension or benefit exceeds their tax allowances. The new tables issued to employers for use with F codes start at a tax rate of 30·5 per cent. because these tables are designed for indefinite use and, therefore, allow for the possibility that the basic rate of tax might be lower than at present. A full description of the F code system was given in an Inland Revenue Press release last November, and I have placed a copy in the Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to ensure that all retirement pensioners receive the same tax treatment irrespective of whether their income is derived from a pension or income from savings.

The hon. Member will not expect me to speculate about such matters before the Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce measures to apply provisions similar to those in the Companies (No. 2) Bill in relation to auditors of industrial and provident societies and friendly societies.

I accept that similar provisions for industrial and provident and friendly societies are desirable. I would hope to introduce the necessary legislation in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Her Majesty's Government have now completed their review of the effect of capital taxation on agricultural production; what were the conclusions; when the details will be published; and whether he will make a statement.

I would refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 4th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Berwick and East Lothian (Mr. Mackintosh)—[Vol. 906, c. 1522].

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of salary within the range £1,000 to £10,000 at £500 increments is paid in direct tax when the head of household is married and with two children.

Assuming that the children are not over 11, the figures are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what allowance there is for lawyers and other professional people to set off against tax the cost of textbooks and reports necessary to them in the performance of their work.

The cost of maintaining a technical library, including the cost of replacing obsolete books and of subscriptions to technical periodicals, is normally deductible in arriving at a professional person's taxable profits. The initial cost of setting-up such a library, and the cost of additions to it, is not allowable, since it is a capital expense.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what was the total number of civil servants employed in Northern Ireland at 31st December in each of the last five years.

The numbers of non-industrial United Kingdom civil servants in post in Northern Ireland at 31st December in each of the last five years were as follows:

asked the Minister for the Civil Service, in view of the statement about the need for monitoring equal opportunities policies in Command Paper No. 6234, when he intends to introduce monitoring in sectors where the Government has direct responsibility as an employer.

At the invitation of my Department and with the full co-operation of the unions concerned, the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations is at present engaged in a study of equal employment procedures and practices in the Civil Service with special reference to racial discrimination. The most appropriate form of monitoring will be determined in the light of the institute's report, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish a list of all public appointments in his gift, indicating the highest and lowest emoluments payable; the total paid in 1975; and the comparable figures for 1970.

I have no paid appointments in my gift.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what expenditure has been approved in investment in photocopying machines since 1969 in the public service; how many machines were in use in 1964; and how many are now installed.

Expenditure on the provision for photocopying equipment has been as follows:

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what representations he has received with regard to the position of the Edinburgh centre of the Civil Service College; and what reply has been sent in each case.

I have received a number of representations with regard to the position of the Edinburgh Centre of the Civil Service College. I have explained the position generally as I explained it to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, North (Mr. Fletcher) on 29th March 1976.—[Vol. 908, c. 890.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what funds have been allocated since the passing of the Health and Safety at Work Act for the training of appropriate officers for factory inspection.

The funds allocated for the training of factory inspectors are as follows: 1974–1975, £55.540.49; 1975–1976, £68,650.00; 1976–1977, £110,600.00.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the list of appropriate regulations pertaining in the EEC in terms of the handling and use of asbestos; and if he will indicate where these differ in their provisions from the 1969 regulations pertaining to that situation in Great Britain.

The European Economic Commission has not promulgated any regulations or directives pertaining to asbestos. I am informed by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission, however, that Denmark, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands have adopted the same hygiene standards for asbestos as the United Kingdom. Hygiene standards, where they exist, in other EEC countries are not strictly comparable with United Kingdom standards, but no member State is known to have a more stringent hygiene standard for asbestos than the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of males and females registered as unemployed at mid-March 1974, mid-March 1975 and mid-March 1976 in: (a) Wallasey, (b) Birkenhead, (c) Bebington and (d) Hoylake; and what percentage of the working population these represent.

The following table shows the numbers registered as unemployed in the Wallasey, Birkenhead, Bebington and Hoylake employment office areas. These offices are included in the Liverpool travel-to-work area for which the rates of unemployment at March 1974, March 1975 and March 1976 were 6·1, 7·4 and 10·3 per cent. respectively. Rates can be calculated for the whole of a travel-to-work area but not separately for its constituent parts. They are calculated by expressing the numbers unemployed as percentages of the estimated numbers of employees, including the unemployed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report figures comparing the national average wage for 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975, and the latest figures available with the average wage of agricultural workers; and if he will also give the agricultural workers' wage for each year as a percentage of the national average wage.

Comprehensive information for calendar years is not available. The data below, from the New Earnings Survey, relate to one pay period in April

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a list showing the numbers and percentage unemployed in each category of the standard industrial classification, arranged in descending order of percentages.

The numbers unemployed are analysed according to the industry in which they last worked. Those unemployed at February 1976 have been expressed as percentages of the total numbers of employees, including the unemployed, at June 1974, the latest date for which firm estimates are available. The following information is for Great Britain:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about further implementation of the provisions of the Employment Protection Act.

My right hon. Friend has decided to bring into force, from 1st June 1976, most of the provisions of the Act which provide rights and protections for individuals. A commencement order to this effect has been signed today.The Order will bring into force, from 1st June, the provisions of the Act on medical suspension, protection from dismissal because of pregnancy, the right to return to work after a maternity absence trade union membership and activities, time off to look for work for employees who are being made redundant, improved remedies for unfair dismissals and improvements in the provisions of the Redundancy Payments Act and the Contracts of Employment Act, including the requirements for periods of notice and a written statement of terms of employment. The Order will also bring into force from 6th April 1977 the provisions relating to maternity pay, so that necessary arrangements for setting up the maternity pay fund and calculating the appropriate level of contributions can be made.The Order also includes some minor provisions relating to matters dealt with in previous commencement orders, and introduces certain order-making powers which may be needed before the substantive provisions come into force.My Department is producing leaflets explaining in detail the various provisions and these should be available well before the provisions come into force.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether there has been a change of policy by his Department in connection with the extension of stay for work permit holders; and if he will make a statement.

I am aware of allegations that there has been a change of policy in this connection; these were made in relation to employment in hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to remove occupational health hazards where a person showing a high level of cholesterol in the blood streams and thus likely to have a heart attack is responsible for machinery or vehicles where the consequences would be a disaster to others.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23rd March 1976; Vol. 908, c. 147, gave the following information:Where significant risks to the general public have been identified, for example in the case of air line pilots and drivers of heavy goods and public service vehicles, competent authorities have laid down medical requirements. These requirements do not, I understand, normally include an estimation of blood cholesterol as a predictor of future heart attacks although my hon. Friend may be aware of a recent publication by the Royal College of Physicians of London which recommends, amongst other things, that there should be such an examination of new entrants for training as air line pilots.If my hon. Friend has evidence that there are occupations presenting a degree of potential public risk similar to that of air line pilots for which medical examination is not now required and for which blood cholesterol estimations might usefully be introduced, I understand that the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission would be glad to arrange for this evidence to be considered by the Employment Medical Advisory Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the foreign exchange cost of payments for drugs imported in 1966 and 1974; and what he expects the foreign exchange cost to be in 1976 assuming present rates of exchange.

The information is not available. The value of imports on a cif basis is published against SITC(R) Division 54 in Table 304 of the Annual Abstract of Statistics for 1975. This valuation includes any part of the transaction paid for in sterling, including any sums paid to British shipping lines, insurers, etc.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list those products on which countries impose quotas on imports from Great Britain, and vice versa.

I regret that the information on other countries import quotas could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Broadly, however, there are no quota restrictions on trade between the United Kingdom and countries in the EEC, EFTA and, with some exceptions, the OECD; but the developing countries do have a wide range of quota restrictions. Details of quotas on imports into the United Kingdom are given in Notices to Importers which are published in "Trade and Industry". Broadly these cover cotton yarn from Japan, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Turkey, State trading countries and certain developing countries; woven cotton cloth and made-ups from Japan, State trading countries and certain developing countries; woven polyester cotton cloth and made-ups from Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Colombia and Thailand; woven man-made fibre cloth from Portugal; man-made fibre yarn and woven cloth, woven wool cloth, knitted made-ups of man-made fibre and of wool from Japan and State trading countries; woollen suits from some State trading countries. In the case of some countries with whom the EEC have negotiated agreements under the GATT Multi-Fibre Arrangement, or on which controls have been imposed, the restrictions also cover knitted cotton as well as yarn and man-made fibre textiles and clothing. Apart from these restrictions on textiles and doming we also have quotas on imports from State trading countries on footwear, hats, pottery, aluminium, radios and television sets and electronic components; there are also quotas on bananas and rum from the dollar area.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what quota restrictions are imposed by Japan on the import of goods from Great Britain, and vice versa.

For the restrictions under the Multi-Fibre arrangements on Japanese textiles imported into the United Kingdom I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to his question today. Otherwise neither the United Kingdom nor Japan impose bilateral quota restrictions on the import of goods from each other. The United Kingdom has a trade interest in only very few of the limited number of global quotas still maintained by Japan. They are due to be considered in the course of the Multilateral Trade Negotiations under the GATT. There are in addition a number of voluntary restraint arrangements affecting Japanese imports into the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will enter on negotiations to extend long-term trading credits to Vietnam; and if he will make a statement.

Businessmen are free to pursue business with Vietnam in the ordinary commercial way, and are actively doing so. Exporters selling to Vietnam on extended commercial credit can seek support from the Exports Credits Guarantee Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether the ad hoc committee set up in 1975 to review the existing arrangements for training in survival at sea has yet reported.

Yes. The text of the report, the recommendations of which the Government accepts, will be published in "Trade and Industry" on 2nd April. I have sent a copy to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many investigations into companies under the Companies Acts have been carried out by his Department in the last year and in the previous five years.

The number of investigations on inquiries carried out were as follows:

asked the Paymaster-General if he will publish in the Official Report a list showing the paid public appointments within his gift, the highest and lowest emoluments payable and the total amount paid in 1975 and 1970, respectively.

I make no such appointments.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he intends to take to inhibit the display of salacious books and magazines in stalls and shops.

While the matter is kept under review, I have no immediate plans for seeking changes in the law. Enforcement of the law is entirely a matter for the criminal authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in considering financial improvements to the trunk road network round Peterhead, he took into consideration possible alternative means of transport, such as the opening of rail links.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department intends to publish a similar consultative document to the Department of Health and Social Security's "Priorities for Health and Personal Social Services in England"; and when this will be generally available.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 31st March to the hon. Member for Fife, East (Sir J. Gilmour).—[Vol. 908, c. 500.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will instruct local authorities in Scotland not to levy rates on toll bridges.

No. I have no authority to do so. This is a question of the interpretation of statutes but I am considering the position.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the total sum given in Government grant to the cost of building the Tay Road Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge;(2) what was the total sum lent by the Government for the building of the Tay Road Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge;(3) how much of the original sum lent has now been repaid on the Tay Road Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report for each of the counties of Orkney, Shetland, Ross and Cromarty, Inverness and Argyll the annual out-turn in quantities and money values of agricultural produce, livestock and field crops for each of the past 10 years.

This information is not recorded and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many public appointments are within his gift; if he will publish the list, plus emoluments paid, in the Official Report; and what were the comparable figures for 1970.

I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Carlton (Mr. Holland) on 9th March 1976.—[Vol. 65. c. 139.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of the documents submitted to him by the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley, he will ensure that the Institute for the Study of Conflict will not in future be employed or commissioned by his Department for lecturing and other purposes.

The only such employment is that a member of the Institute's staff gives one lecture a term on urban terrorism at the Police College. I have studied the material submitted by my hon. Friend, but I would be loth to interfere on this basis with such a limited arrangement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been sentenced to community service since the scheme came into operation; and how many in the last year for which figures are available.

4,537 persons were made subject to community service orders between 1st January 1973 and 30th November 1975, of whom 2,710 were sentenced between 1st January and 30th November 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those sentenced to community service since the scheme came into operation did not complete their sentences.

Between 1st January 1973 and 30th November 1975, the courts revoked community service orders in respect of 487 persons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many offenders have chosen prison rather than community service since the scheme came into operation;(2) if he has any estimate of the number of those sentenced to community service who continue with the work voluntarily after the completion of their sentence;(3) if he has an estimate of the number of persons sentenced to community service who committed further offences while serving as community service workers;(4) how many community service workers have been fined for failing to turn up for work or for failing to co-operate.

I regret that this information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average length and type of a community service sentence;(2) if he can estimate the number of those sentenced to community service who were (

Community service arrangements began to be extended to probation and after-care areas generally as from 1st April 1975. During the first eight months since then the number of persons of each sex made subject to

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the operation of the Community Service Scheme; if he will make a statement; and if he intends to extend its range.

We are encouraged by the progress made so far by probation and after-care committees in introducing local schemes for offenders to carry out work under community service orders and by the use which has been made of the disposal by the courts. We shall maintain a close interest in the continuing development and use of this disposal but we have no plans at present for any changes in the present statutory provisions regarding the persons who may be made subject to community service orders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what areas of the United Kingdom community service orders are not available.

Our responsibility for this matter relates only to England and Wales. As from 1st April 1976, the only probation and after-care areas in England and Wales which lack any arrangements for offenders to carry out work under community service orders will be Cornwall, Dyfed, Powys and the City of London. Within the remaining probation and after-care areas arrangements will exist as from that date in the whole of 22 areas and in part or parts of the following 30 areas:AvonCambridgeshireDerbyshireDevonDorsetGloucestershire

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have died, by accident and by suicide, respectively, whilst in custody during each of the last five years.

The following table gives the numbers of accidental deaths and suicides recorded in penal establishments in the last five years according to the finding of coroners to whom all deaths of persons in custody are reported in accordance with Rule 19(2) of the Prison Rules 1964: