asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of the documents sent to him by the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley, he will initiate an inquiry into the security aspects of South African security and business organisations' involvement in recent allegations against members of the Liberal Party, and into the illegal corrupt practices and spying activities of the South African business organisations and individuals named in those documents.

I have ensured that the documents have been passed to the appropriate authorities, by whom they will be carefully studied.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Section 168 and 169 prosecutions for under-age-drinking were initiated in England and Wales in each of the years 1945 to 1975; in how many cases convictions were secured; and whether there were any higher figures for any previous years for which figures are available.

I regret that information in the form requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate was made before work started of the total cost of converting RAF quarters at Stradishall to homes for the staff of High Point Prison; what average figure this represented for each new house provided; and what is the approximate percentage by which the actual costs to date has exceeded this estimate.

Estimates made in 1973 before work started showed that the cost of providing 88 quarters was likely to be £825,000 or £9,370 per house at 1973 prices; the current estimate of final cost shows an increase of 16 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the quantity and costs of materials and components used to convert former RAF houses at Stradishall to homes for prison staff, and the approximate labour costs incurred in converting each unit.

Information in the form requested is not available and could not be provided without disproportionate effort. Tender documents do not list the materials to be used or distinguish between charges for materials and charges for labour.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many competitive tenders he sought and obtained from outside contractors for the jog of converting the former RAF houses at High Point Prison into homes for prison officers.

Eight contractors were invited to tender. Five tenders were received, of which one arrived beyond the time limit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report any abuse of which he has been informed by visiting committees or boards of visitors under Prison Rule 94(4) in the last year for which figures are available.

No reports under this provision were received in 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give some indication of the advice or suggestions he has received, in the last year for which figures are available, from visitors' committees or boards of visitors under Prison Rule 97.

Annual reports from boards of visitors cover a wide variety of subjects and advice or suggestions may be received on matters ranging from aspects of the régime to the state of the premises.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to his reply to the hon. Member for Ormskirk on 9th April 1975, what prisons now offer more than the statutory minimum allowance of visits; and what improvements have been made since April 1975.

As visits are allowed at governors' discretion as frequently as resources permit, the position varies from time to time according to local circumstances. Currently, 80 prison establishments allow visits in excess of the statutory minimum. Since April 1975 improved facilities have come into use at a number of establishments, including major improvements in accommodation at Exeter, Hindley and Pentonville.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many adult and juvenile prisoners, respectively, sleep or are confined in cells or rooms for which he has given leave under Rule 23(2) that the number may exceed the maximum laid down by the inspector.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people charged with non-imprisonable offences were remanded in custody in the latest year for which figures are available.

I regret that this information is not available in the form requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by how much the Merseyside Police and the Knowsley Division is under strength; and what steps are being taken to increase the number of recruits.

On 30th April the Merseyside Police was 220 below the authorised establishment of 4,342 and K Division, which covers Knowsley, was seven below the establishment of 319. I understand that the Chief Constable is pursuing a vigorous programme for local recruitment, which is supported by the national publicity campaign. The deficiency has been halved during the past 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to seek to amend the laws relating to nationality to accord with the principles expressed in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

This is among the matters under consideration in the review of nationality law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he is satisfied that the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service is making effective use of its grant;(2) what grant was awarded to the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service in 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76 and for 1976–77;(3) how many people were employed by the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service at the end of 1974, 1975 and at the latest possible date;(4) if he is fully confident that adequate provision to advise immigrants on their rights and status in the United Kingdom is being made at the present time by the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service;(5) if there are any Government grant-aided organisations available for advising immigrants of their rights and status in this country other than the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service;(6) how many members of staff left the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service in 1974, 1975 and to date in 1976.

Grant payments of £104,000, £142,000 and £212,000 were made to the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service in 1973–74, 1974–75 and 1975–76 respectively; a figure of £253,000 has been approved for 1976–77.We are satisfied that effective use is made of these funds and that they are adequate for the purpose of providing advice and assistance to persons having the right of appeal under the Immigration Act 1971. Grants under Section 23 of the Act are not made to any other organisation, but general advice to immigrants is available at all citizens' advice bureaux.The Service had a complement of 53 staff at the end of 1974. This was increased early in 1975 to its current level of 58, and I understand that 55 of these posts were occupied as at 1st April 1976. We have no responsibility for the day-to-day affairs of the service, which is an independent organisation, and have no detailed knowledge of individual staff resignations and appointments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it takes him over four months to answer a letter concerning the problem of an immigrant, Mr. Muhammad Yaqub, which has been before him for over 16 months, namely, since 7th December 1974.

I regret that we have not been able to reply sooner. I have written to my hon. Friend today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department is going to reply to the letters of 3rd December 1975, 9th December 1975, 7th January 1976, 4th March 1976 and 7th April 1976, sent by the hon. Member for Surrey, North-West, on behalf of his constituent, Mrs. Jarunek, on the issuing of a passport for her son.

I regret that we have not been able to reply sooner, but I have written to the hon. Member today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent non-United Kingdom residents are entitled to enter the United Kingdom in order to receive free medical treatment; whether all these persons are entitled to entry with their families despite having no funds; and whether he will take action, including, if necessary, the introduction of legislation to enable them to be returned to the country from which they came.

People subject to immigration control who seek temporary admission to the United Kingdom for medical treatment must satisfy the immigration officer that they intend and have the means to pay for it and for their accommodation and maintenance here. Under existing legislation they may be refused entry and removed abroad if the immigration officer is not so satisfied. I understand that those admitted for settlement, mainly dependants of heads of household settled here and United Kingdom passport holders covered by the special voucher scheme, are eligible for medical treatment under the National Health Service in the same way as any other resident.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call in for his personal attention the drought reports and plans of water authorities to the National Water Council, and the plans of the latter, to ensure that there is no impediment to any sound proposal to cope with the emergency now threatening industry and agriculture, especially in eastern England; and if he will make a statement.

As was made clear in the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley) on 29th April—[Vol 910, c. 177–8]—and in my statement to the House on 3rd Mayߞ[Vol. 910, c. 837]—Ministers will be receiving regular reports on the water supply situation and the plans of the water industry from the group of officials and representatives of the water industry which I have set up. This group will advise me if any difficulties arise which require Government action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the state of the nation's water supplies and their adequacy.

I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Minister for Planning and Local Government's reply on 3rd May 1976 in answer to the hon. Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Morris).—[Vol. 910, c. 837.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce legislation to seek to reverse the effect of Horrocks v. Forray [1976] 1 WLR 230 so as to ensure that, in similar circumstances, in future, a protected tenancy at a regulated rent arises on the death of the owner.

I will consider this during the course of the review of the Rent Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many miles of road have been detrunked in the United Kingdom in 1975, 1974 and 1973;(2) if he will publish in the

Some 20 miles of trunk road in England were detrunked in the financial year 1973–74, 80 miles in 1974–75 and 120 miles in 1975–76. Figures are readily available on a county basis only for 1975–76, when the six counties with the highest mileage of roads detrunked were Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire, Suffolk, Cornwall, Oxfordshire and Northumberland. In the same year 1·4 miles were detrunked in Gloucestershire.Following the review of the trunk road network completed last year, proposals for further detrunking are now under discussion with local authorities. In Gloucestershire some 90 miles of trunk road have been identified as possible candidates for detrunking. The precise mileage detrunked in all counties will depend on the outcome of the current discussions.Trunk roads in the rest of the United Kingdom are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the other Secretaries of State.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the criteria used to decide whether or not a road should be detrunked.

Trunk road status should be limited to those routes necessary for a national system catering for through traffic.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what consideration his Department has given to the problems caused by stray dogs in urban areas; and what resulting action is now proposed;(2) what general powers are available to local authorities to deal with health and other nuisances caused by stray dogs in urban areas.

General responsibility for dealing with stray dogs rests currently with the police. Local authorities have power to make byelaws to deal with the fouling of footways by dogs, and to control dogs in parks, recreation grounds and open spaces.I set up in July 1974 an interdepartmental working party on dogs, which has now reported to me. The report deals with the points that my hon. Friend raises. I shall consider its recommendations with care, bearing in mind the widespread public concern about these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people are currently employed in direct labour departments of local authorities in Great Britain; and how this compares with the position in each year since local government reorganisation.

Information on employment in direct labour departments of local authorities is normally obtained for April and October each year, but no inquiry was conducted in April 1974 in

LOCAL AUTHORITIES DIRECT LABOUR DEPARTMENTS OPERATIVES (INCLUDING APPRENTICES) ENGAGED ON CONSTRUCTION WORK, AND APTC STAFF GREAT BRITAIN
Thousands
				October 1973	October 1974	April 1975	October 1975
Operatives	…	…	…	175·6	164·3	171·3	177·1
APTC	…	…	…	87·7	85·4	87·2	88·3
Total	…	…	…	263·3	249·7	258·5	265·4

APTC (Administrative, Professional, Technical and Clerical) staff include all personnel engaged on the design, management, control, etc., of building and civil engineering work, irrespective of whether the work is to be carried out by the authority's direct labour force or by a contractor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the percentage of owner-occupation in each of the EEC countries.

The available information is as follows:

	Proportion of owner occupied dwellings Per cent.
Belgium	55*
Germany (Federal Republic)	34*
France	43*
Italy	53*
Luxembourg	57*
Netherlands	36*
United Kingdom	53 (1975)
Ireland	69*
Denmark	47*
* About 1970.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the adjusted income range, the mean adjusted income and the percentage of households in each income group under non-OAP, OAP and all household headings which are being used in the current national travel study.

It will not be possible to provide estimates of adjusted income ranges, mean adjusted incomes and the percentage of households in each income group for OAP and non-OAP house- order to ease form-filling burdens on local authorities at reorganization time.holds until the results of the 1975–76 National Travel Survey have been analysed. It is hoped that estimates of these items for the second half of 1975 will be available by the autumn of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will agree not to accept the Metrication Board's recommendations for the change of all road speed limits and distance signs until the matter has been considered by an official inquiry to which members of the public and organisations can express their views.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 3rd May.—[Vol. 910, c. 243.]—I would welcome widespread public discusion of this issue, but, I doubt if an official inquiry would be the most productive means of securing it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will instruct the Midlands Road Construction Unit to nesure that no constructional expense is incurred in connection with the building of the M54 between the M6 and Telford until he has made his final decision about whether the road should be built.

No. Minor advance works are being carried out so that if my right hon. Friend eventually decides to make the orders and to proceed with the construction of this road, no undue delay will ensue.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria he uses in nominating Ministers to attend meetings of the EEC Council of Ministers.

The normal practice is for the United Kingdom to be represented at meetings of the Council of Ministers by the Ministers with prime responsibility for the subjects on the agenda. Other Ministers attend when it it is considered appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why there has been delay in the completion of Lord Shackleton's economic and fiscal report on the Falkland Islands which had hitherto been expected before the forthcoming general election in the islands; and when he now expects to receive that report.

The completion of Lord Shackleton's report proved a longer task than was anticipated. My right hon. Friend now expects to receive the report in the course of May.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many agricultural attachés with responsibility for commercial matters are in post throughout the world; and where they are located.

Fifteen, all of whom have some commercial responsibilities. They are serving at Bonn; Brussels—Office of the United Kingdom Permanent Representative to the European Communities, four officers; Canberra, Copenhagen, also accredited to Oslo; Dublin, Geneva (GATT); The Hague, also accredited to Brussels and Luxembourg; Paris; Rome; Tehran; Washington; and Wellington.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many low-level training flights involving Gnat aircraft took place in 1975; and from which Royal Air Force bases they operated;

In accordance with standard practice a board of inquiry was convened immediately; it started work on 1st May. Its main purpose is to identify the cause of the accident.The Gnat has been in service since 1962, and the exercise on which the pilots were engaged conformed to the normal pattern of Gnat training. There is no reason to suppose that there is any basic fault in the aircraft or in the training programme which could justify the suspension of all Gnat training. If the board's findings indicate to the contrary then appropriate action will be taken.The proceedings of Service boards are privileged and are not published, but I shall consider making a statement once the board's work is finished.There have been 49 accidents involving Gnat trainer aircraft. Of these only two during the past 10 years have involved aircraft flying on a low-level exercise. Some 2,800 low-level training flights by Gnat aircraft took place during 1975 from the Royal Air Force stations at Valley and Kemble.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to approve the move of the Army's driver training schools from Bordon and Longmoor to the RAF stations at Driffield and Lumfield; if so, what will happen to the camps at Bordon and Longmoor; and how many civilian jobs will be lost.

The proposal to move the Army School of Transport to Leconfield and Driffield is to be implemented. The future use of the camps at Longmoor and Bordon is under consideration, and until this has been decided it is not possible to say what the future employment position will be. There are currently about 280 civilian posts associated with the Army School of Transport at Longmoor and Bordon.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to introduce equipment to meet the Army's requirement for a medium-range unmanned surveillance system.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Chingford (Mr. Tebbit) on 2nd February 1976.—[Vol. 904, c. 446.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is to happen to the present accommodation of the RCT Junior Leaders Regiment at Taunton after the unit is moved to RAF Colerne; and how many civilian jobs will be lost at Taunton.

The future of Norton Manor Camp after the RCT Junior Leaders Regiment has moved to Colerne is under consideration. There are currently about 220 civilian jobs at the camp, but it is not possible to say what the future employment position will be until the future of the camp has been decided.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what current arrangements exist for the supply of spare parts and maintenance of naval vessels which have been sold to Chile.

Details about sales of defence equipment to individual countries are confidential and have been so regarded by successive Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he proposes to make any alterations in the supply of spare parts and maintenance of naval vessels which have been sold to Chile.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects to receive any additional contracts for the supply of spare parts and maintenance of armaments which have been sold to Chile.

I have nothing to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 10th April 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what naval visits to the Falkland Islands and Dependencies have been planned.

HMS "Chichester" will call at the Falkland Islands from 31st May to 11th June on her passage home from Hong Kong.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families faced an effective marginal rate of tax of over 75 per cent. at the latest date for which figures are available.

It is estimated that at December 1974, the latest date for which information is available, there were about 60,000 families with children in Great Britain theoretically subject to a marginal tax rate of more than 75 per cent. assuming a £1 pay rise.NOTES:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to be able to announce an increase in the maternity grant.

The priorities to which we are having to work in present circumstances do not include such an increase.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when it is proposed to close the Westdale Hospital for Mentally Handicapped Children in Carlton and to open the Sandfield Unit at Nottingham City Hospital to replace it.

The estimated date for both is 1st October 1976.

					Initial rate (first 26 weeks)	Higher Permanent Rate*	Lower Permanent Rate
					£	£	£
3rd November 1969	…	…	…	…	7·00	5·55	1·50
20th September 1971	…	…	…	…	8·40	6·55	1·80
2nd October 1972	…	…	…	…	9·45	7·30	2·03
1st October 1973	…	…	…	…	10·85	8·30	2·33
22nd July 1974	…	…	…	…	14·00	10·55	3·00
7th April 1975	…	…	…	…	16·20	12·15	3·48
17th November 1975	…	…	…	…	18·60	13·85	3·99
* Payable in certain cases where the widow has a child, or satisfies minimum age conditions, etc.

Further increases are proposed, as from 15th November 1976, to £21·40, £15·85 and £4·59, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if any directives have been issued by his Department, either via the Department of the Environment or directly, to local authorities advising them not to receive planning applications for private health facilities unless accompanied by a notification of approval from his Department; and if he will make a statement.

No such directives have been issued to local authorities. With the agreement of the Department of the Environment, my Department has sent to local authorities copies of an explanatory notice about the provisions of the Health Services Bill, which was read a Second time on 27th April. This leaflet deals with the provisions in the Bill relating to the authorisation by an

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients will be transferred from Westdale Hospital for Mentally Handicapped Children to the new Sandfield Unit at Nottingham City Hospital; and how many patients currently at Westdale Hospital cannot be accommodated at the Sandfield Unit.

About 20 and 16 patients, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what increases have been made in industrial widow's pension in the last five years.

The following table shows how the rates of industrial death benefit for widows have been increased in recent years:independent board of private hospital developments, and explains the transitional arrangements that will affect any applications for planning permission in respect of new private health facilities which were made after 12th April and which are still outstanding when the Bill receives Royal Assent. I am placing a copy of the notice in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list those grants and benefits that have not been increased in the last year.

The following benefits were not increased in the financial year 1975–76:

Age Addition (payable with retirement pension to people of 80 or over).

Maternity Grant.

Death Grant.

Industrial Death Benefits (for dependants of the deceased other than widows, widowers and children).

Death Benefit under the Pneumoconiosis Byssinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit Scheme.

Basic Allowance under the Workmen's Compensation (Supplementation) Scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to lay before the House the necessary order bringing into effect the next uprating of pensions and social security benefits; and whether any work has begun to prepare for the next uprating before the necessary order has been produced.

We hope that the order will be laid later this month. Following normal practice, preparatory work has begun.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the non-payment of fees due to consultants in respect of family planning services such as vasectomies and sterilisation.

Area health authorities have been asked to introduce payments to hospital doctors undertaking family planning work as resources permit and after reaching agreement with the local consultants primarily concerned on the maximum number of remunerable cases to be undertaken by each. Until the scheme is introduced in a particular area no fees are due. About half of all area health authorities in England are already making payments, and I understand that in these no fees are outstanding apart from those which are the subject of current claims.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will change the timetable for the cycle of planning and approval of health centre projects so as to enable medical staff to be involved in the planning at an earlier stage than at present.

Planning of individual health centre projects is a matter for the area health authority concerned within guidelines from the regional health authority and the Department. These require the establishment at the earliest stage of a project team including at least one member representative of the family doctors intending to practise from the centre. Health authorities have also been advised to give early notice to, amongst others, the Family Practitioner Committee and the local medical committee of the intention to build a health centre. In this way, there is medical involvement from the outset.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has had about his Department's circular to local authorities on non-accidental injuries to children; and if he will make a statement.

We have received no representations about the circular letter entitled "Non-Accidental Injury to Children: Area Review Committees" that we issued in February 1976. The Department has, however, received a small number of helpful comments on such matters as local arrangements for central registers of children at risk, access to those registers and linking information on non-accidental injury with school medical records and some suggestions for widening the scale of distribution of its guidance on non-accidental injury, all of which will be considered in preparing future guidance on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his attention has been drawn to the Homewood Project for the mentally handicapped which has been sponsored by the Society for the Mentally Handicapped in Andover, Hampshire; and when he expects to make his decision concerning loan sanction to enable this project to succeed.

This scheme has been proposed by the Hampshire County Council for inclusion in the 1976–77 personal social services capital programme and we expect to be able to notify local authorities of the social services schemes provisionally selected for this year's capital programme at about the end of this month. Should the Homewood scheme be included in the list of selected schemes, the Department will be able to consider the scheme for final approval in this financial year in accordance with its building procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the infant

			Infant mortality rate (Deaths of infants under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births)	Peri-natal mortalityrate (Stillbirths and deaths of infants under 1 week per 1,000 total births)	Percentage of confinements in hospital
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly	…	…	13·5	19·9	96·2
South-West region	…	…	14·5	18·5	97·3
England and Wales	…	…	16·3	20·4	95·7

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff need to be trained or retrained before the recommendations of the Supplementary Benefits Commission on the position of a claimant living together as husband and wife with another person can be put into effect; how many staff have so far received such training or retraining; and how long the process will take.

It will be necessary to train or retrain about 1,000 staff before these recommendations can be implemented. The process is expected to take about six weeks in all but cannot begin until the manpower resources needed to do the extra work are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the report of the Government Actuary on his investigation of the National Health Service superannuation scheme for the period ended 31st March 1974 has yet been received; and whether it will be published.

The report has been published today. A copy has been placed in the Library.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is satisfied that those appointed to sit on agricultural land tribunals have sufficient knowledge of the and perinatal mortality rates for Cornwall, the South West Region and England and Wales, respectively; and what proportion of confinements in these three areas takes place in hospital.

In 1974 the figures were as follows:contemporary problems facing working farmers; and if he will take steps to facilitate agricultural unions in nominating persons for such tribunals.

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor is responsible for appointing to each of the eight agricultural land tribunals—seven for England and one for Wales—legally qualified chairmen and three panels of farmer, landowner and land drainage members respectively. Except when hearing a case under the Land Drainage Act 1961 a chairman sits with one farmer member and one landowner member. My noble Friend is required to select persons to be placed on the panels of farmer members from nominations made at his request by persons appearing to him to represent the interests of farmers, and these nominations are made by the officially recognised National Farmers' Union of England and Wales, which has all necessary facilities for the purpose. My noble Friend is satisfied that these members have sufficient knowledge of the contemporary problems facing working farmers.

asked the Attorney-General what representations he has received concerning the refusal by the Law Society of a "waiver" for the Hillingdon Law Centre; what action he has taken; and what steps he contemplates to ensure that similar difficulties for law centres do not arise in future.

My noble Friend has received representations from a number of persons and agencies, including the Hillingdon Borough Council, the Law Society and the management committee of the law centre. At the request of the Law Society and the law centre, my noble Friend has instituted a review of the matter, which he hopes to complete shortly. The arrangements under which my noble Friend will review decisions by the Law Society in matters of this sort were outlined to the House by my hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor-General on 5th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will publish a table showing the proportion of houses that are owner-occupied in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the percentage of owner-occupation in Scotland.

It is estimated that at December 1975, the owner-occupied sector represented about 33 per cent. of the total dwelling stock.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision has been made in the 1976–77 rate support grant for expenditure on community councils; and how much has been allowed for Scotland as a whole.

Rate support grant is a general grant in support of local authorities' relevant expenditure as a whole and not of particular services. The total rate support grant for 1976–77 is £822·7 million. I have no estimate of the amount of expenditure likely to be incurred on community councils in 1976–77.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will press for the continuation of beef, cow and calf subsidies or their equivalents after the transition period into the common agricultural policy.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement on agricultural support and prices made in the House on 8th March by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.—[Vol. 907, c. 31.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will consider compensation to those poultry farmers whose feeding machinery fails as a result of including skimmed milk in the feed.

I have no powers to make payments of this sort. It must be for the individual to decide whether he is able to benefit from the refunds available from incorporating skimmed milk powder in feed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why payments under the less-favoured areas scheme are subject to the payee signing a document that he will remain in farming for a further five years or return of payments; and, in view of the difficulties this causes to those nearing the end of a tenancy or approaching retirement, if he will seek to change this requirement.

This is a specific requirement of the Directive that the EEC Commission and some member States consider to be essential for the attainment of the directive's objectives. Farmers are released from the under-taking when they reach retiral age and take the national insurance retirement pension, or if they are prevented from discharging the undertaking by material circumstances beyond their control. I am aware that this provision is causing difficulty for a small number of farmers and I am keeping the matter under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider the case for an increase in real terms of the upland ewe subsidy.

The 1976 payments of hill livestock compensatory allowances include an increase of 60p per ewe as agreed at the 1975 Annual Review. Hill sheep farmers will also benefit from the higher guaranteed prices for sheep and wool which were announced in March. The hill and upland sheep subsidy rates have been increased in real terms by 40 per cent. and 62 per cent., respectively, since the 1974 Annual Review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will seek to align quality and weight standards in cattle for both intervention and deficiency payments.

No. The two schemes have important but different roles in supporting the United Kingdom's beef production.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many authorities have submitted land acquisition and management schemes to him as required by the Community Land Act.

Of the nine regional authorities and three islands authorities required by the Community Land Act 1975 to prepare schemes, five had submitted their schemes by 30th April and four others had prepared schemes which I understand will be submitted shortly, following formal ratification.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to ensure that the Forestry Commission in Wales gives greater financial assistance to fox destruction societies in Wales, in view of the evidence that foxes are on the increase and that there is now scientific evidence that in Mid-Wales their lairs are overwhelmingly to be found on Forestry Commission land.

Grants by the Forestry Commission to Welsh fox destruction societies have been increasing annually in recent years. The Commission is doing its utmost, within present economic constraints, to assist in keeping down fox numbers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much intervention buying of beef will be necessary for 1976.

The amount of beef bought into intervention will depend primarily on the market situation, which I am not prepared to predict at this early stage in the marketing year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the cost of the United Kingdom beef support scheme is paid by FEOGA.

Payments of beef premium are being made by the United Kingdom Exchequer, but from 1st September 1976 FEOGA will contribute 25 per cent. of the cost of the premiums. The net cost of intervention buying and aids to private storage of beef is met by Community funds.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set up an official inquiry into the effects of beam trawling.

No. In my view, such an inquiry would not serve any useful purpose. It is the total quantity of fish taken rather than the means of fishing which really matters, and that is why the United Kingdom has pressed for quota systems for the fishing of sole and plaice stocks.

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next proposes to meet his EEC colleagues.

At the next meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 17th–18th May.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the effects of capital transfer taxation on agricultural production in the United Kingdom.

The full effects will not be felt for some years, and it is too soon to reach definite conclusions. I would not expect the tax to have any measurable effect on agricultural production in the light of reliefs and exemptions which have been made available, together with those proposed in the current Finance Bill.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest figures available for the average profits and capital holdings of farmers; and by how much these figures have increased over the last year available, two years available, five years available, and 10 years available.

I regret that the information requested is not available, but following are figures for the average net income and for average tenant's capital per full-time farm in England and Wales.

AVERAGE NET FARM INCOME AND ESTIMATED TENANT'S CAPITAL ON FULL-TIME FARMS* IN ENGLAND AND WALES
	Net income†	Tenant's capital‡
1974–75§ £ per farm (all types excluding horticulture)	5,752	21,730
Percentage change since:	Per cent.	Per cent.
1973–74	-12	+15
1972–73	+4	+39
1969–70	+161	+114
1964–65	+168	+181
Source: Farm Management Survey.
* Defined by reference to their standard labour requirements measured in standard man days (smd); farms with 275 smd and over in 1964–65; farms with 275–4,199 smd in 1969–70 and later years.
† The return to farmers and their wives for their manual and managerial labour and the use of tenant-type capital, before deduction of interest on any commercial debt.
‡ Estimated capital invested in the business on average during the year, excluding landlord-type assets such as land and buildings.
§The latest year for which statistics are available is 1974–75.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in the light of a continued fall of the £ sterling on the world markets, he will now reconsider introducing a system whereby the green pound is automatically readjusted at regular intervals to ensure reasonable parity between prices received by United Kingdom farmers and continental farmers.

I shall continue to keep the representative rate for the pound under review. In view of the importance of balancing the interests of consumers and producers at any particular time I do not think that automatic rules for adjusting representative rates should be introduced.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list benefits which have accrued to British beef producers from the green pound in the current year.

The present rate for the green pound came into effect in the beef sector on 5th January 1976 and higher beef support prices applied in the United Kingdom from that date. To the extent that the green pound remains above the market rate for sterling, the prices of feeding stuffs to beef producers in the United Kingdom are held down.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will press for revaluation of the green pound now 14 per cent. out of line with the value of sterling.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury (Sir J. Langford-Holt) on 25th March.—[Vol. 908, c. 235–36.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children were being educated in independent schools in each of the last five years.

The information is as follows:

ENGLAND AND WALES
	Full-time pupils	Part-time pupils*	Total
At January:
1971	408,394	13,437	421,831
1972	409,075	13,234	422,309
1973	411,664	13,725	425,389
1974	419,147	13,201	432,348
1975	421,658	12,245	433,903
* Pupils under compulsory school age.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Institute of Cancer Research; when the most recent meeting took place; and what was the nature of the discussion.

I have not met Lord Halsbury recently in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Management of the Institute of Cancer Research.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the cost to public funds of repairing damage to school properties during school holidays.

The Department does not have this information. The information sought would be difficult to obtain, posing problems of definition and of identification. Local education authority practice in recording maintenance costs varies. Accidental and vandalistic damage are not always readily distinguishable; the time damage occurred may not be recorded or even ascertainable; costs of repair work by a particular contractor are sometimes not readily disaggregated.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many chairmen of education authorities are teachers or lecturers by profession;(2) how many vice-chairmen of education authorities are teachers or lecturers by profession.

The professions of chairmen and vice-chairmen of local authority education committees are not recorded centrally, nor do we know of any publication that provides this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which local authorities have not implemented the new model agreement giving equal rights to maternity leave to married and unmarried women teachers.

There is no central record of the names of local education authorities that have adopted the recommendations in the model agreement drawn up jointly by the local authority and teacher associations. Such recommendations are almost invariably followed by local education authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many workers at paper mills have been made redundant since 1967.

Until the redundancy provisions of the Employment Protection Act came into force on 8th March 1976, employers were under no obligation to notify redundancies. Records of those notified are available from 1st January 1969 only. I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, subject to these qualifications, the numbers of workers employed in the manufacture of paper and board, packaging products of paper, board and associated materials and stationery and wallpaper, who have been recorded as having been made redundant, are as follows:

1969	3,370
1970	5,010
1971	11,260
1972	3,440
1973	2,240
1974	970
1975	5,050
1976 (January-March)	910*
Total	32,250
* This figure is provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action is being taken by the Health and Safety Commission to ensure the speeding up of the publication of Technical Data Note 2, based on a list of threshold limit values, published in the United States of America, in order to ensure that undue delay between the publication of the two documents is reduced.

I am advised by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that plans are well advanced for publication of a further edition of Technical Data No. 2, which will include a revised introduction stressing the need for carefully handling all chemical substances. The interval between publication of the technical data notes and receipt of the list of threshold limit values from the American Conference of Governmental Hygienists will be kept to the minimum, consistent with adequate checking of the documentation associated with the list. Consideration has also to be given to those substances where we differ from the American standard and this also is dealt with in the introduction.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what research is currently being undertaken into any health risks associated with the use of fibre glass.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on Tuesday 3rd February to my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley (Mr. Cryer).—[Vol. 904, c. 552–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation whereby the intended use of any new chemical material is notified to the Health and Safety Commission to allow a full investigation of the material to be undertaken, particularly into any associated health risks.

I am informed by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that under Section 6 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 manufacturers, importers and suppliers of substances for use at work are obliged to carry out such testing and examination of substances that they supply as are necessary to ensure they can be used safely and without risk to health. Manufacturers are also obliged under the section to carry out necessary research with a view to discovering new risks associated with substances they supply and to reducing or eliminating known risks.In addition, the Health and Safety Executive is working on proposals for a notification scheme for new chemical substances which is designed to complement manufacturers', importers' and suppliers' duties under the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has had from local authorities and organisations in connection with the relocation of public service work in South Yorkshire.

Several representations have been made by the city of Sheffield to my right hon. Friend and to the Health and Safety Commission, pressing the city's claims as a dispersal location for the commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what reply he has sent to the Birmingham divisional organiser of the AUEW, following the call from the AUEW for an inquiry into allegations that West Midlands firms are refusing to use the TES.

I have arranged for a copy of the reply to be sent to the hon. Member. It makes it clear that the Government would wish all employers thinking of declaring redundancies seriously to consider using the scheme, but that employers are free to decide, in the light of individual circumstances, whether to use it or not. The level of take-up under the scheme in the West Midlands compares very favourably with other parts of the country. As at 4th May, 61 applications covering 4,767 workers has been received from West Midlands employers; of these, 35 applications involving 3,454 workers had been approved by that date.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) which local authorities, in receipt of special Government grants and employing extra officers to deal with the problems of unemployed young people, are below their approved establishment for normal careers staff; and what steps the Government are taking to ensure the special officers are not deflected from their special duties to make up deficiencies in a local careers service;(2) if he will list in the

Under the Employment and Training Act 1973, provision of the Careers Service is a mandatory function of local education authorities. Although advice is available from my Department's Careers Service Inspectorate, staffing is the responsibility of the authorities. The special Government specific grant for strengthening the service to deal with unemployment is subject to certain conditions designed to ensure that it is used for the purpose for which it is designed. The work of specialist careers officers appointed under this scheme is monitored regularly by my Department and there is provision for immediate termination of the grant if any authority is found not to be observing the conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he is satisfied with the security arrangements for vehicle and body checks on travellers arriving at Larne from Stranrear.

I am satisfied that the checks provide a deterrent to those who might attempt the illegal importation of arms and explosives into Northern Ireland by this route.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) in each year since he assumed office to the latest available date, how many letters he has received from Northern Ireland political parties requesting a continuance of direct rule in the foreseeable future, how many from trades unions and other organisations with the same request; and if he will list the bodies making such representations;(2) how many letters he has received since he assumed office during each year to the latest available date, on the subject of direct rule in Northern Ireland; how many of these letters were from persons in Northern Ireland; how many were in favour of direct rule and how many in favour of a devolved Government in Northern Ireland in the categories named; and how many asked for increased representation in Parliament.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why the security forces permitted the Provisional IRA to operate traffic control points in Toomebridge, County Antrim, on Easter Monday 1976.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th May 1976; Vol. 910, c. 387], gave the following information:No illegal traffic control points at Toomebridge on Easter Monday were known to the security forces. If the hon. Member has evidence of illegal action he should report it to the police. I hope that he is not basing his allegation on the Toomebridge Agricultural Show and Fair, attended by about 3,000 people, where stewards did perfectly legitimately direct traffic to car parks.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he is aware of difficulties that have arisen for passenger transport executives because of problems in obtaining spare parts for public service vehicles; and what action he will take to alleviate these difficulties.

I understand that the availability of bus spare parts from British Leyland has improved very considerably over recent months.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the number of establishments and the estimated additional employment created in assisted areas and other Department of Industry preferred areas, respectively, resulting from the refusal of industrial development certificates, in each year since 1960, with such divisions into floor space ranges of the industrial development certificates as may be available.

Information of this kind is not collected on a regular basis. Because firms may take several months, if not years, to consider and implement alternative development proposals, the effects of industrial development certificate refusals cannot be assessed until well after the event. The latest information comes from a study of over 1,300 refusals in the period 1958–71. This study indicates that 18 per cent. of the developments concerned, accounting for 27 per cent. of the total floor space refused, eventually located in areas preferred by the Department—16 per cent. in the assisted areas and 11 per cent. in other preferred locations.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress is being made in discussions to extend the Wool Textile Scheme; what agreement exists to abandon the realisation aspect of the existing scheme, whereby textile workers have been made redundant and machinery scrapped; and what improvements are proposed in severance pay arrangements.

We are considering proposals for a further scheme. I cannot yet say when an announcement will be made, but a realisation aspect has not been proposed. Severance pay arrangements are a matter for employers and trade unions.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the division of the British shipbuilding capacity between (a) Harland and Wolff (b) the companies to be nationalised as part of British Shipbuilders and (c) the companies not to be taken into public ownership.

There is no statistical measure of capacity. The only information available relates to output. During 1974 and 1975 total completions of merchant ships in the categories specified were as follows:

	Gross Tons
(a) Harland & Wolff Ltd.	502,829
(b) The merchant shipbuilders who will become subsidiaries of British Shipbuilders	1,832,266
(c) The shipbuilders not to be taken into public ownership	57,749

The completion figures for Harland and Wolff reflect the specialised nature of the company's output which consists of large ships.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will announce further appointments to the Organising Committee for British Shipbuilders.

The following have accepted my invitation to serve as members of the Organising Committee for British Shipbuilders:

Mr. A. R. Belch, C.B.E., Managing Director of Scott Lithgow Limited and President of the Shipbuilders and Repairers National Association.

Mr. J. Chalmers, General Secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers.

Mr. L. Gregory, National officer of the Electrical Electronic Telecommunication and Plumbing Union.

Mr. P. W. Mills, Administration Director at Cammell Laird Shipbuilders Ltd.

Mr. G. A. Peers, Director of Industrial Relations at the Engineering Employers Federation.

Mr. Belch, Mr. Chalmers and Mr. Gregory will be part-time members of the committee. Mr. Mills and Mr. Peers will be full-time members, and it is my intention to appoint them as full time members of British Shipbuilders when the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill becomes law. I expect to make further appointments in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what representations he is making to the appropriate European Commission agency over complaints from British companies that an Italian Government subsidised company is exporting plastic material to Great Britain at prices which constitute unfair trading; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.An application for action against imports of phenolic moulding materials from Italy has been made by the British Plastics Federation to the Competition Directorate of the Commission which has responsibility for investigating complaints of dumping and subsidisation between member States of the Community. The Competition Directorate has been advised of the importance we attach to this application, and the British trade association will be assisted in making further representations to the Commission should these prove necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will, as a matter of urgency, hold an inquiry into the increase in the price of potatoes in order to illustrate where profit has been made.

I asked the Price Commission on 30th January to report monthly on margins in the distribution of potatoes. The two reports so far received, which have been placed in the Library, found no evidence of excessive profits by distributors. The third report is expected shortly. Some producers have, no doubt, done well, although most will have had fewer potatoes to sell. Returns from agriculture inevitably fluctuate from crop to crop and from year to year.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she has any plans for controlling the price of old and new potatoes.

As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State said in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock (Mr. Roberts) on 27th April, the Government continue to believe that fixing maximum prices would not be in the consumer's best interests. This would stimulate consumption while making the United Kingdom market less attractive to the imports which are essential to supplement the reduced United Kingdom's stocks remaining from last season's disppointing crop.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what were the export figures for the EEC to New Zealand for the period 1973 to 1975 and the import figures for the same period.

The most recent information is contained in OECD Statistics of Foreign Trade, Series A, which is available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many live animals have been exported from the United Kingdom since the resumption of export for slaughter in 1975; and to which countries they have been sent.

The information available is published under headings SITC(R) 001.1, 001.2 and 001.3 in Table VI of the December 1975 and March 1976

ORES AND CONCENTRATES OF CHROMIUM
£,000
			1971	1972	1973	1974	1975
Total	…	…	2,812	854	3,066	3,629	4,214
of which, consigned from:
South Africa	…	…	899	408	1,386	875	1,992
Philippines	…	…	1,674	399	1,514	1,792	1,832
Other countries	…	…	239	47	166	962	390

FERRO-CHROME ALLOYS
£,000
			1971	1972	1973	1974	1975
Total	…	…	9,071	7,058	10,669	18,925	N/A
of which, consigned from:
Sweden	…	…	2,565	2,501	2,989	5,373	N/A
South Africa	…	…	821	737	1,388	1,804	N/A
Norway	…	…	1,448	935	1,656	1,867	N/A
Soviet Union	…	…	686	729	943	2,402	N/A
Japan	…	…	61	20	36	1,064	N/A
Other countries	…	…	3,490	2,136	3,657	6,145	N/A