asked the Secretary of State for Energy what consents he has issued during this year under model clause 21(3) of the terms of petroleum production licences.

Under model clause 21(3) of the licence terms, as set out in the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Act 1975, the consent of the Secretary of State is required before any gas can be flared—except in an emergency—or injected. Consent has been given for flaring from the Beryl field for one year and for injection for three years from the start of production.My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the quantities of gas are so small in the first year that there is no practical alternative to flaring. The period of the consent is limited in case circumstances change.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has had any discussion with the EEC Commission about the implications of Articles 34 and 37 of the Rome Treaties on the operation of the Energy Bill.

No, but in drafting the Bill due regard was taken of United Kingdom obligations under the European Community Treaties.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the quantity of oil produced from the Scottish jurisdiction sector of the North Sea in the period from 1st January to 31st March 1976; and what was the value of that oil at average market value during the period of production.

I refer to my answer to the hon. Member on 22nd January—[Vol. 903, c. 552–3]—explaining that there are no sectors within the United Kingdom Continental Shelf. Final production figures for the United Kingdom Continental Shelf for the first three months of this year are not yet available, but it is provisionally estimated that total production of crude oil during this period was 1·1 million tonnes. The gross value of this oil at current market prices is between £55 million and £60 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why he proposes to continue SI 1973/2051, the Fuel Control (Modification of Enactments) (Speed Limits) Order 1973 under the Fourth Schedule to the Energy Bill.

To enable the 60 miles per hour and 50 miles per hour (Temporary Speed Limit) Order 1975 (SI 1975/1985) to continue in force. As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment has already stated on 17th March 1976—[Vol. 907, c. 1311]—these speed limits will be revised before the order expires on 30th November next.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many representations he has received for a withdrawal of SI 1973/2051.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the "Azteca Osprey" fast patrol boat; and what consideration is being given as to its future use by the Royal Navy.

The "Azteca Osprey" is of very recent design and has not been sufficiently developed to enable a proper assessment to be made. We shall, of course, carry out a thorough evaluation of the project when a firm design has been drawn up.

asked the Attorney-General what was the annual total cost of legal aid in England and Wales, respectively, during each year during the period 1971 to date, for each year for which statistics are available.

The information, which covers England and Wales, as separate figures are not available, is as follows:

asked the Attorney-General if he will publish in the Official Report a list of the cases concluded at the Central Criminal Court in March 1976 in which acquittals were obtained.

This information cannot be provided save at disproportionate cost.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the provision of real incentives for the development of savings groups; and if he will make a statement.

I will let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has received for the amendment of the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund; and if he will make a statement.

The Executive Directors of the Fund have recently made their final recommendations to the Board of Governors on the Second Amendment to the Articles of Agreement of the Fund. A copy of the Directors' Report and the Amendments will be placed in the Library. The proposed Amendments follow the same general policy lines as I described to the House on 12th January after the Jamaica meeting of the Interim Committee, and as the United Kingdom Governor, I shall be voting in favour of them. I believe that the Amendments, which are the result of a very great deal of discussion and compromise, represent a satisfactory outcome for the United Kingdom and a worthwhile step forward in international financial co-operation. Both the Amendments and the concommitant increase in quotas will have minor legislative implications and I shall be putting proposals for legislation before the House in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Finance Bill will be published.

The Bill will be published on 15th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will grant financial assistance to Bernard Hughes Limited to ensure the continued existence of the firm until the report of an expert working party under Professor Gibson of the New University of Ulster, examining the bread industry in Northern Ireland, is published and considered.

The Northern Ireland Department of Commerce has offered special short-term assistance to Bernard Hughes Ltd. The purpose of this assistance is to help the company to maintain manufacturing jobs in west Belfast, an area of high unemployment, and to facilitate a programme of company rationalisation on which the firm intends to embark.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will encourage chairmen of the nationalised industries to ensure that their shipping requirements are discussed with the Chairman and Managing Director of Harland and Wolff, Belfast.

This is a matter for the commercial judgment of the boards of the industries, which are aware of the facilities available at Harland and Wolff.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Government assistance is being given to the firm of MCL (Plastics) Limited towards the continuance of its operations at Strabane.

The company recently approached the Northern Ireland Department of Commerce stating that for financial reasons it was unable to continue its business and that closure, which would make more than 60 people redundant, was imminent. As the factory is in Strabane, which has the highest level of unemployment in Northern Ireland, it was considered important that the company should be enabled to continue in operation while efforts were made to find a way of maintaining the employment. Accordingly, it was agreed to provide grants, on an extra-statutory basis, of up to £60,000 on condition that no more than £30,000 be issued unless satisfactory proposals for revising the capital structure of the company are implemented to the satisfaction of the Department of Commerce.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he is taking to improve the quality of the submissions by his Department to the annual reports pursuant to Section 22 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 concerning research and development work on equipment that might be of benefit to disabled people; and if he will ensure that possible spin offs from technological advances are not overlooked.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 7th April 1976; Vol. 909, c. 199], gave the following information:Section 22 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 does not extend to Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Departments do not, therefore, make contributions to the annual reports called for by that section. However, research and development work on equipment for the disabled is essentially a national concern; the benefits of any technological advances which arise from national research and development in this field would be available to disabled people throughout the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now fist the psychiatric hospitals and units referred to in the letter of 19th March 1976 from the Minister of State to the hon. Member for Newbury in which clinicians have used or are using literature, pictures or films which had been confiscated on the grounds of obscenity.

When in my letter of 19th March I referred to the small number of hospitals and units at which a clinician had borrowed such material I did not intend to imply that my Department is in possession of a comprehensive list of such institutions.The information that we do possess indicates that individual practitioners at the following hospitals have borrowed such material from the Director of Public Prosecutions during the last five years: Broadmoor, Hellingley, Herrison, Knowle, Maudsley, Moss Side, Netherne and Fairdene, Park Lane, Rampton.The loans have of course been subject to very stringent conditions as to the use and security of the material, and have only been made available with the prior approval of my Department.In following up the soundings referred to in my letter, firm evidence of such material having been borrowed from the police has not been forthcoming.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make it his policy to keep figures of the numbers of children diagnosed as being in need of psychiatric treatment in the interests of the early screening of children at risk.

Because of the nature and causes of disturbance in childhood a wide range of interrelated approaches is often needed, involving psychological, educational, social and psychiatric services. Diagnosis is rarely in terms of need or otherwise for psychiatric treatment, and even where it is, it is likely to have regard to the availability of services. The number of such diagnoses is thus not thought to be a reliable indicator of the scale of childhood psychiatric disturbance.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the Schizophrenia Association of Great Britain concerning financial assistance towards its work; and why he has turned them down.

The Secretary of the Association wrote to my right hon. Friend on 24th January and 12th February 1976. The application was refused on the grounds that there are other applications of higher priority on the limited budget available to help voluntary organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his Department's policy towards the continuance of sports sponsorship by tobacco firms.

The Government's policy is to negotiate a voluntary code of practice acceptable to the Government, the industry and sport and a voluntary agreement to restrict the growth of expenditure on sports sponsorship by the tobacco industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate the expected location of the schemes to provide 85 additional training centres in the county of Merseyside; and when they are expected to be in operation.

The additional 85 places are to be provided by developing the existing Adult Training Centres at Bootle and at Moreton in the Wirral. Both schemes have high priority for inclusion in the 1976–77 capital programme, but at this stage I cannot confirm they will be selected.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the real value of the death grant at July 1949 prices from 1949 to 1975.

On the basis of the movement in the General Index of Retail Prices, all items, the value of the maximum rate of death grant at constant July 1949 prices is given in the table below:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by what authority his Department demands information from those applying for deferment of employees' class I national insurance contributions, on form CF379, about an individual's estimated future earnings from all employments; and why the declaration later on the form, which requires a signed statement that the applicant expects to pay employee's contributions above the limit in specified employments, is not sufficient for the purpose of applying for deferment.

Regulation 41 of the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 1975 gives the Secretary of State for Social Services power to authorise arrangements for the direct collection and recovery of earnings-related contributions subject to such terms and conditions as he may think fit. However, I accept that Form CF379 asks applicants for deferment to supply more information than is strictly necessary and I am arranging for the form to be amended when it is reprinted.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the hardship experienced by retirement pensioners, what new plans or policies he has to improve the position.

I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's statement to the House on 7th April about the forthcoming increases in retirement pensions

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he has taken to consult community health councils concerning his proposals to reduce private practice within the National Health Service.

Community health councils were among the bodies to which the Government's consultative document published last August on this subject was circulated and some of them sent me their comments on it.Following the publication on 15th December of proposals for the separation of private practice facilities from NHS hospitals, and the consultants' ballot on them, my Department circulated consultative proposals for pay beds to be withdrawn in a Schedule, which would total 1,000, to the proposed Bill. The proposals relate to areas, and consultation was with national bodies and area health authorities which have collected views from area medical and dental advisory committees and other staff representatives. Community health councils

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether members of industrial injury boards, the Pneumoconiosis Medical Board and the Medical Appeal Tribunal, respectively, in the Yorkshire and Hum-berside region, receive salaries or allowances in respect of their services; how much they receive in each case; and whether it is in respect of full or part-time service.

Details are as follows:were not consulted on this occasion, but I have made it clear that there will be subsequent consultation at the level of the individual district and hospital; and community health councils will be involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total annual cost of the public relations newspapers produced by all the regional health authorities in England and Wales; and if he will list the cost by individual authority area.

North-Western, £600. In addition, some area health authorities within the North-Western Region produce their own public relations newspapers—total cost, £18,500; and one area in the North-West Thames Region produces a paper at a cost of £3,500.

asked the Prime Minister when last he met the TUC.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Mr. Ward) on 6th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the state of the cottage hospitals in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Area health authorities aim to maintain high standards at all types of hospitals, including cottage hospitals. As resources allow, some of these small hospitals will be considered for upgrading into community hospitals, although not all will be suitable. A number of extensions and upgrading schemes have been carried out.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the progress made in Wales in introducing a bilingual education system; and if he will make a statement.

I am satisfied that within the available resources local education authorities generally seek to make the provision for bilingual education which is appropriate to their local needs and circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the present state of the transport system in rural Wales; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the replies I gave him on 19th January and 5th and 23rd February.—[Vol. 903, c. 898–900; Vol. 904, c. 728; Vol. 906 c. 10.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has had from pig producers in Wales in regard to EEC regulations; and if he will make a statement.

None. I am aware that pig producers are concerned about the implications for their production costs of the EEC regulation on the use of skimmed milk powder in feeding stuffs.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the value of the regional incentive grants towards the cost of investment in plant and machinery that has been reclaimed over the past 10 years from companies in relation to their operations in Wales, on account of their not having adhered to the conditions on which these grants were first made.

I have been asked to reply.I regret this information is not readily available. Statistics on recoveries by individual areas are not maintained.

asked the Minister for Overeas Development what guarantees have been given to the British Government by the Mozambique Government that the recent aid given will not be used for guerrilla or terrorist purposes.

British development assistance is for peaceful purposes only, and the Government of Mozambique accept this. The precise uses to which our aid will be put have yet to be agreed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he is considering for uprating major roads to motorway standard between 1976 and 1980.

Generally, proposals for providing links between some existing stretches of motorway, and extending them where necessary and possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons are at present in receipt of (a) a rent rebate, (b) a rent allowance and (c) a rate rebate; how many of these persons are retirement pensioners; what is the average amount paid for each of these benefits; and what proportion of those eligible it is estimated that those numbers represent.

The available information as to numbers of tenants in receipt of rent rebates and allowances, and the average amounts of these benefits, as at 28th November 1974, the latest date for which information is currently available, is given in "Rents of Public Authority Houses and Rent Rebates and Allowances in Scotland, 1974 (Cmnd. 5966).There is no reliable information on the take up of rent rebates and allowances.Information on the numbers of beneficiaries of the current rate rebate scheme is contained in the publication "Rate Rebates in Scotland 1973–74", copies of which are available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will consider reinstating the general medical and the general surgical beds at Bruntsfield Hospital for women and children, in accordance with the objects of the hospital, in terms of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947, Section 6(4); and whether he will make a statement.

I have received a number of representations on this matter which I am at present considering.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total annual cost of the public relations newspapers produced by all the regional health authorities in Scotland; and if he will list the cost by individual authority area.

No public relations newspapers as such are produced by health authorities in Scotland but 11 health boards produce newspapers for their staff which are sometimes circulated more widely. The cost in 1975–76 was about £16,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied with the results of the last EEC summit meeting.

My right hon. Friend made a statement on this meeting on 5th April. It produced fewer results than some earlier meetings, but some progress was made on various issues, and the meeting provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on issues of current concern.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's obligations regarding the imposition of sheepmeat regulations on sheep producers and meat exporters and importers in the United Kingdom and on the timetable for bringing in such regulations.

As the sheepmeat regulation proposed by the EEC Commission is still under discussion no aspects of its implementation have been settled.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has had from suppliers of bacon in regard to EEC regulations; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received representations concerning the effects on the bacon and meat processing industry of the green pound arrangements. He has made it clear that the level of the green pound is kept under continuing review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the arrangements which the Meat and Livestock Commission is making for the continuation of pig carcase classification.

The Meat and Livestock Commission has developed and is now operating an effective system of pig carcase classification and, under the terms of the Agriculture Act 1967, it recommended to Agriculture Ministers that this system should now be put on a statutory basis. In the light of representations from all sides of the industry that the fullest co-operation of those concerned would be best secured under voluntary arangements I invited the Commission to consider proceeding on a voluntary basis. Following further discussion with the representatives of the industry the Commission now proposes to introduce a voluntary scheme to be funded by charges on participants. This scheme has the support of the industry organisations directly concerned.My colleagues and I regard it as essential that there should be a continuing, effective national system of pig carcase classification, and if the response of the industry to a voluntary scheme does not result in a sufficient level of uptake to secure this objective we will wish to reconsider the position with a view to proceeding with a statutory scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what account is being taken in the interdepartmental review—specified by the Minister of State on 21st January—of special and short course arrangements for overseas students.

Special and short course arrangements are a matter at discretion of the appropriate authorities, who are expected to charge full cost if such courses are put on solely for overseas students.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will introduce legislation to regularise the working conditions, hours of work and rest periods of casual waiting staff, presently within the jurisdiction of the Unlicensed Places of Refreshment Wages Council.

Wages Councils have recently been empowered under the Employment Protection Act to fix terms and conditions of employment in addition to remuneration, holidays and holiday pay. The councils are independent statutory bodies, and it is for them to decide how to use their powers. My right hon. Friend has no power to direct the councils, and it would not be consistent with our aim to increase the independence and effectiveness of wages councils to take such powers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment on which working day the Bank Holiday in respect of New Year's Day 1977 will take place.

As my right hon. Friend informed my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, Central (Mr. McNamara) on 30th March—[Vol. 908, c. 442]—this is a matter about which we are at present consulting the TUC, the CBI, the banks and others concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give particulars of citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies and, in view of Her Majesty's Government's responsibility for Rhodesia, Rhodesians, who have been, respectively, expropriated and deprived of their liberty in Mozambique; and if he will make a statement about what was done on their behalf during the latest ministerial visit to Maputo in connection with financial aid.

On the possible expropriation of property, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave the hon. Member for Havant and Waterloo (Mr. Lloyd) on 8th March.Particulars of those detained are being sought from the Government of Mozambique. My right hon. Friend raised the question of detained British subjects with President Machel on 3rd April.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to assure the white minority in Rhodesia that, if they accept the principle of majority rule as set out in his recent statement, Her Majesty's Government, in conjunction with other European and Commonwealth Governments, will do all they can during the period of transfer of power to secure concrete safeguards for the white minority who wish to remain in an independent Zimbabwe under majority rule.

The hon. Member will recall that my right hon. Friend, in his statement in the House on 22nd March, stressed the need to ensure that a settlement provided a background in which both communities could live and work together in an independent Rhodesia. He added that Her Majesty's Government would be willing to consider financial and other means to assist this end. I cannot at this stage elaborate further.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will reduce the passport fee for school students as a means of promoting educational visits and increasing contacts between young people in Europe.

No. Collective passports are already available to groups of between five and 50 students travelling in a party: one standard passport fee is charged. Also available is the British visitor's passport valid for one year of which the cost is half the standard passport fee.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he proposes to make changes in regional policies following his meeting with leaders of industry, commerce and local government from the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to my announcement about IDC exemption limits during yesterday's debate.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the percentage increase in telephone charges between April 1974 and April 1976.

In view of the different mix of calls which every individual subscriber makes, no percentage increase could be of general application. But the Post Office tells me that between the dates quoted the increase in a typical bill for a residential subscriber would have been 91·4 per cent., and for a typical business subscriber, 124 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection when she intends to phase out the subsidy on butter.

I am reviewing the current level of the butter subsidy and will make an announcement as soon as possible. I have no date planned for the termination of the subsidy.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what will be the average rise in the price of butter following the removal of Government food subsidies.

The butter subsidy is at present equivalent to about 11p per lb. at the retail level.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what steps she has taken to ensure that retailers know which of the items they sell are covered by the price check scheme so that those items can be identified by the red triangle symbol.

Retailers' representative organisations recommending their members to participate in the scheme were provided with detailed lists of the items covered by the scheme; and these lists have been sent to every local chamber of trade. For some items very detailed information was given about particular manufacturers' lines which have been offered for the scheme. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of each participating manufacturer to tell retailers handling his products which of his lines are in the scheme so that the retailers in turn may identify scheme items on their shelves. CBI has emphasised to its members the importance of this identification of products, and if any retailer is still uncertain whether a particular product is included in the scheme he should contact his supplier. Manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike will benefit if the public can readily identify scheme items at the point of sale in the shops, and the red triangle price check symbol was indeed designed with this in mind.My Department has established a Price Check Enquiry Unit (telephone number 01-211-0181-4) and any retailers encountering continuing difficulty in operating the scheme should get in touch with the Unit.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she is satisfied with progress made so far towards the realisation of her forecast that inflation will be reduced to an annual rate of 10 per cent. for the end of the summer; and, if so, whether the figure is to be calculated on a year-on-year basis, or by some other method.

, pursuant to the reply [Official Report, 8th April 1976; Vol. 909, c. 302], gave the following information:In his Budget Statement my right hon. Friend made it clear that we should be able to achieve a target of under 10 per cent., on a year-on-year basis, by next winter.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what is his policy on the desirability of a system of official registration for travel agents;(2) if he intends to make Great Britain's approach to the registration of travel agents compatible with that in other EEC countries; and if he will make a statement;(3) what discussions he plans with representatives of the travel trade in regard to the registration of travel agents.

My right hon. Friend has no plans at present for such an official registration scheme. There is no standard practice within the Community.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will pay compensation to British airlines for the withdrawal of air service licences as the result of the new policy guidance to the Civil Aviation Authority.

No. There is no precedent for such compensation, even where a licence currently in use has been revoked.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he intends to publish the inspectors' report on the Vehicle and General Insurance Co. Ltd.

The report of the inspectors appointed to investigate the affairs of the Vehicle and General Insurance Company Limited is published today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further plans he has to help local authorities to make adequate provision for battered wives and their children.

Housing subsidy and housing association grant are available for hostel refuges for battered wives. Altogether there are now refuges in at least 67 local authority areas, many of them set up by local voluntary groups with local authority help, and I hope that authorities and associations will now increasingly provide such shelter.Meanwhile, my Department and that of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services are starting further consultations with the local authority associations as to how best the Government can help in the short term to relieve situations where some facilities for battered wives and their families become overloaded, and in the longer term to ensure that there is adequate provision for them, including back-up social support services, across the country. Adequate provision includes enabling battered wives and their families to move back into normal family housing when they feel ready again for an independent way of life. When the consultations are complete the two Departments will issue a joint circular to authorities advising them how they might work towards these goals.The circular will draw the attention of authorities to the improtance within housing policies of relieving homelessness, as well as other stress. This has been given new emphasis by the Government's announced intention to put a statutory duty for the homeless on local housing authorities.The circular will provide guidance on the co-ordination of local services and will suggest ways in which authorities can cooperate with one another and with voluntary bodies to provide an extensive service as quickly as possible in present economic circumstances.My right hon. Friend and I will seek to learn from the experience of local authorities in tackling the problems of battered women as a basis for considering what further Government action might be necessary or possible, and whether it would be helpful to advise on what may be current best practices. We shall report to Parliament when further progress has been made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now able to make a statement about Government assistance to those local authorities who are compelled to charge more than 11 per cent. interest on their loans for house purchase.

I have written to my hon. Friend and to all those hon Members who have earlier raised this matter with me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the increase in water rate charge to recreational water users, such as anglers, between 1974 and 1976.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the National Association of Water Power Users concerning the method of charging for water used to generate electricity; and if he will consider an alternative basis of charging.

I have very recently received a copy of the Association's Memorandum on Water Charges, dated March 1976, in which it proposes an alternative method of charging for water used to generate electricity, I am consulting the National Water Council about this proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the percentage increase in hire charges for local authority sports and recreation facilities between 1974 and 1976.

This information is not centrally recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the extraordinary audit of the North West Water Authority concerning the purchase of a car number plate has been deferred; and when he now expects it to take place.

The way in which the district auditor conducts the extraordinary audit is for him to decide, but I understand that the audit has started, although the hearing of objections will not be arranged until the outcome of the Authority's attempt to sell the number plate is known.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the cost to public funds of printing and circulating Department of Environment Circulars Numbers 121/75, 128/75, 22/76, 23/76 and 26/76.

The estimated cost of printing these five circulars amounts to £7,285 which it is expected will be recovered from the proceeds of sales. The postal cost of distribution to local authorities and other recipients of official copies amounted to approximately £100.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the losses sustained by National Carriers Limited in each year, since National Carriers Limited was transferred from the British Railways Board to the National Freight Corporation, giving the figures for each year separately.

The figures are:

asked the secretary of State for the Environment what was the exact amount of the grant paid by the Government to National Carriers Limited in each year since National Carriers Limited was transferred from the British Railways Board to the National Freight Corporation, giving the precise sum for each year.

Grants under Section 5 of the Transport Act 1968 were:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, prior to making his decision on the Pudsey-Dish-forth motorway and in the light of British Railways recent comments, he will appoint a planning commission for the region so that all the transportation requirements can be properly assessed.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the review being undertaken into the ways in which the National Freight Corporation can eliminate its deficit will be completed.

A report is expected by the end of April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the amounts of the needs, domestic and resources elements of the rate support grant payable to each local authority in England and Wales for the year 1976–77.

On the basis of present information local authorities will receive the following amounts by way of rate support grant for the year 1976–77. In all cases the figures are provisional, and will be amended as more up-to-date information becomes available.