asked the Secretary of State for Energy what further steps have been agreed between his inspectors and the owners of the oil pipeline to Firth's Voe so as to ensure its permanent anchorage to the bottom of the sea; and whether the tests were successful and the pipeline has been commissioned.

The section which floated to the surface last year during laying has to the satisfaction of the pipelines inspector of my Department been stablisied on the seabed using specially made concrete saddle weights and supports. The pipeline has not yet been commissioned and before it is the inspector will require tests to check its integrity.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how often nuclear material is transported along the M1 motorway to Windscale and other nuclear establishments;(2) what quantities of nuclear material are transported to Windscale and other nuclear establishments via the M1;(3) how much nuclear material is transported along the north-western railway line to Windscale and other nuclear establishments;(4) how often nuclear material is transported on the north-western railway line to Windscale and other nuclear establishments.

It would not be in the public interest to give this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what contact he has with the International Atomic Energy Agency concerning the British Government's attitude to co-operation in the field of nuclear technology.

I met the Director General of the IAEA when he visited the United Kingdom at the Government's invitation in July 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what plans he has for building a European nuclear force based on the resources of the United Kingdom and France.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Bedford (Mr. Skeet)—[Vol. 906, c. 428–9]—on 1st March and to the hon. Member for Dunbartonshire, West (Mr. Campbell) on 26th May—[Vol. 912, c. 273].

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total cost to public funds of the public bodies for which he is responsible.

In 1975–76 net expenditure on the Votes of my Department for the public bodies for which I am responsible amounted to around £550 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total number of people employed in the public bodies for which he is responsible.

The total was about 580,000 as at 31st March last divided as follows: Atomic Energy Authority 13,600; National Coal Board 297,700; British Gas Corporation 101,700; Electricity (England and Wales) 166,800; British National Oil Corporation 55.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether radioactive isotopes are used in testing the oil pipelines to Firth in Shetland; and, if so, how they are transported and what safety precautions are enforced.

Radioactive isotope sources are used by specialist contractors in testing offshore and onshore oil pipelines, including those to and on Shetland.For use offshore I understand that where sources are put on board the pipe-laying barges in United Kingdom ports, they are registered, under Section 3 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1960, with the Scottish Development Department, which lays down appropriate requirements for the transport and storage of the sources on the barge. Where the sources are transported in another vessel from a United Kingdom port to the lay barge, they are transported in containers complying with requirements, and following procedures, laid down by my right hon. Friend under the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Rules 1965.Operations involving the use of radioactive substances within areas to which the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 apply are subject to the control of the Health and Safety Executive, under the Ionising Radiations (Sealed Sources) Regulations 1969 and the Ionising Radiations (Unsealed Radioactive Substances) Regulations 1968.Movement within the United Kingdom is carried out in accordance with the appropriate rules for the mode of transport used, which are drawn up by the relevant Government Departments and the carriers in accordance with the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Air Transport Association.

asked the hon. Member for Kingswood (Mr. Walker), as representing the Church Commissioners, why the Commissioners do not invest in companies operating wholly or mainly in newspapers, publishing and broadcasting, theatres and films; when this policy was originally adopted; and on whose recommendation.

The Commissioners do not invest in companies operating wholly or mainly in newspapers, publishing and broadcasting, theatres and films because, by their very nature, they are bound from time to time to express con- troversial opinions and liable to be used as a vehicle for pornographic or otherwise objectionable material. These areas of exclusion were decided upon by the Commissioners' Board of Governors in July 1972; but newspapers had been excluded areas of investment since the Commissioners first invested in equities in 1948.

asked the hon. Member for Kingswood (Mr. Walker), as representing the Church Commissioners, what was the total investment income (a) before tax and (b) after tax of the Church Commissioners for each of the years 1966 to 1975, inclusive, and what proportion of each of these figures was spent on salaries and administration costs.

The Church Commissioners are exempt from tax on their investment income. Their total gross investment income and the amount, expressed as a proportion of this income, spent on salaries and the costs of carrying out a wide range of administrative functions—including functions relating to clergy houses, and glebe, pastoral reorganisation, redundant churches and the Central Stipends Authority—for each of the years 1966 to 1975 was as follows:

	Investment income (gross)	Expenditure on salaries and cost of administrative functions, expressed as a percentage of Column 1
	£ million	Per cent.
1966	20·1	4·1
1967	20·6	4·1
1968	20·7	4·7
1969	21·8	4·5
1970	23·0	4·6
1971	23·9	4·9
1972	25·6	5·6
1973	27·1	5·9
1974	29·1	5·7
1975	31·1	6·7

asked the hon. Member for Kingswood (Mr. Walker), as representing the Church Commissioners, whether the figures he gave of sums used to augment clerical stipends from 1966 to 1975 in his answer to the hon. Member for Melton on Friday 14th May 1976 included sums to pay pensions to retired clergymen; and whether he will give the figures of money used for that purpose.

The figures given of sums used to augment clerical stipends from 1966 to 1975 in my answer to the hon. Member for Melton on Friday 14th May 1976 did not include sums to pay pensions to retired clergymen and to clergy widows. The figures of sums used for these latter purposes were as follows:

Year to 31st March	£ million
1966	1·8
1967	2·1
1968	2·4
1969	2·7
1970	3·0
1971	3·1
1972	3·5
1973	3·7
1974	4·4
1975	5·0

asked the hon. Member for Kingswood (Mr. Walker) as representing the Church Commissioners what proportion of the (a) before tax and (b) after-tax investment income of the Church Commissioners was paid out in each of the years 1966 to 1975, inclusive, for the augmentation of stipends of clergymen.

The Church Commissioners are exempt from tax on their

Name	Method of Appointment		Date of Original Appointment
Sir Ronald Harris (First Church Estates Commissioner)	Appointed by Her Majesty	…	27th May 1969
The h M for Kingswood (Mr. Walker) (Second Church Estates Commissioner	Appointed by Her Majesty	…	2nd December 1974
Dame Betty Ridley (Third Church Estates Commissioner)	Appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury	…	1st December 1972*
The Very Revd. A. B. Webster Dean of Norwich	Appointed by the General Synod	…	1st April 1973
The Very Revd. F. E. le Grice Dean of Ripon	Appointed by the General Synod	…	1st April 1973
The Very Revd. W. Fenton Morley Dean of Salisbury	Appointed by the General Synod	…	1st April 1968
The Very Revd. W. H. A. Cooper Provost of Bradford	Appointed by the General Synod	…	7th July 1972
The Very Revd. J. A. H. Waddington Provost of St. Edmundsbury	Appointed by the General Synod	…	7th July 1972
The Rt. Revd. W. J. Westwood Bishop of Edmonton	Appointed by the General Synod	…	1st April 1973
The Venerable B. C. Pawley Archdeacon of Canterbury	Appointed by the General Synod	…	1st April 1963
The Venerable E. A. Buchan Archdeacon of Coventry	Appointed by the General Synod	…	9th November 1964
The Venerable M. R. W. Brown Archdeacon of Nottingham	Appointed by the General Synod	…	1st April 1968
The Venerable D. C. Stewart-Smith Archdeacon of Rochester	Appointed by the General Synod	…	1st April 1973
The Venerable E. D. Cartwright Archdeacon of Winchester	Appointed by the General Synod	…	1st April 1973
The Revd. Canon F. Bamber	Appointed by the General Synod	…	1st April 1968
The Rev. Canon P. J. M. Bryan	Appointed by the General Synod	…	1st April 1973

asked the hon. Member for Kingswood (Mr. Walker), as representing the Church Commissioners if he will name each of the current Commissioners indicating (a) how long each has served and (b) on whose recommendation they are appointed.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York and all the 41 diocesan bishops of the Provinces of Canterbury and York are Church Commissioners ex officio.The particulars about the remaining Commissioners are as follows:

asked the Paymaster-General how many civil servants in her Department and at what ranks have (a) an official car allocated to them, (b) first call on official cars from a pool, and (c) other than occasional access to an official car on any other basis.

No civil servant in the Paymaster-General's office

asked the Lord President of the Council how many civil servants in his Department and at what ranks have (a) an official car allocated to them, (b) first call on official cars from a pool and (c) other than occasional access to an official car on any other basis.

None.

asked the Attorney-General whether, jointly with the Lord Chancellor, he will take steps to disqualify judges with investment in industry and property from hearing cases in which such holdings might influence them.

It is already well settled that, save with the express agreement of the parties, no judge should try a case, the outcome of which could affect his own financial interests. My noble Friend and I see no need for any elaboration of this universally accepted rule, the breach of which may result in the quashing of any decision so made.

asked the Attorney-General what are the functions of community law centres.

The main function of community law centres is the provision of legal services to persons of modest means who might otherwise not obtain them.

asked the Attorney-General if reports made by community law centres have to be lodged with his Department.

There is no statutory requirement to report, but most law centres produce reports and provide copies for my noble Friend's Department. My noble Friend requires reports from those centres which are funded by him.

asked the Attorney-General, how many community law centres have been set up in the United Kingdom to date; and where they are situated.

20 law centres have been opened. Their locations ale shown below.

asked the Attorney-General if he is satisfied with the manner in which community law centres utilise the public funds which are made available to them.

Community law centres are voluntary organisations drawing their finance from various sources, including my noble Friend's Vote, the urban programme, local authorities and the voluntary sector. It is a matter for the funding agent in each case to satisfy itself as to the manner in which grants are used. My noble Friend is satisfied with the use which is made of public funds by those centres which receive grants from him.

asked the Attorney-General what checks his Department makes on community law centres in receipt of public funds to ensure that they do not use these funds to engage in political activities.

In those cases where a community law centre receives a grant from my noble Friend there is an annual inspection by his departmental audit staff to ascertain that the grant has been used for the purpose for which it was provided, namely, the provision of legal services.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff are employed in his Department's Press office; and how many were employed in each year since and including 1969.

The number of staff employed in my Department's Press Office on 1st June 1976 was 17 including six staff in the information officer class.

1975	…	…	…	…	…	…	19 (including seven in the information officer class)
1974	…	…	…	…	…	…	19 (including eight in the information officer class)
1973	…	…	…	…	…	…	18 (including eight in the information officer class)
1972	…	…	…	…	…	…	18 (including six in the information officer class)
1971	…	…	…	…	…	…	18 (including five in the information officer class)
1970	…	…	…	…	…	…	22 (including six in the information officer class)
1969	…	…	…	…	…	…	19 (including five in the information officer class)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total cost to public funds of the public bodies for which he is responsible.

In the current financial year the total estimated cost to public funds of my Department, the Manpower Services Commission, Training Services Agency, Employment Service Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Health and Safety Commission, Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth and the Office of Manpower Economics is £523,521,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of people employed in the public bodies for which he is responsible.

The number of staff employed on 1st April 1976 in the public bodies for which I am responsible was 47,839. In addition 3,207 casual staff were employed, mainly on work connected with the payment of unemployment benefit. The term "public bodies" has been taken to include my Department; the Manpower Services Commission; Training Services Agency; Employment Service Agency; Health and Safety Commission and Executive; Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service; Royal Commission on the Distribution of Incomes and Wealth; and the Office of Manpower Economics.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many women aged 60 years and over and how many men aged 65 years and over receive employment income at the latest date for which figures are available.

Information in the precise form requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a list of the individual items of goods and services which are used to construct the retail price index.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) on 17th May 1976.—[Vol. 911, c. 348–9.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons under 18 years of age have been convicted under Section 169 of the Licensing Act 1964 for purchasing intoxicating liquer in licensed supermakets.

In 1973—the latest year for which information is readily available—5,100 persons under 18 years of age were convicted under Section 169 of the Licensing Act 1964 of purchasing intoxicating liquor. The records do not distinguish the place of purchase.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many justices' on licences for the sale of wine only have been extended under the provisions of Section 37 of the Licensing Act 1964 to include intoxicating liquor of all descriptions.

The information available centrally relates only to the total Number of licences—whether for the sale of wine only or of cider only—extended under Section 37 in 1973 and earlier years. In the years 1964–73 the numbers were as follows:

Year	Number of Licences extended
1964	3
1965	7
1966	9
1967	11
1968	15
1969	2
1970	2
1971	—
1972	2
1973	1

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there have been any changes in policy in relation to control units in prisons since his statement on 24th October 1975 (Official Report, column 283); if so, what; how many prisoners have been detained in such units since then and for what periods; and, if detained under rule 43, what proportion of such detainees were occupying control units at their own request.(

There has been no change in policy since my right hon. Friend's statement on 24th October 1975. The control unit at Wakefield prison was closed on 24th October 1975, and there are no others.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men have settled in the United Kingdom from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in each year since 1950; how many men have returned to these countries; how many wives and children of these men have settled in each of those years; how many of those wives and children have returned; if this information is not available, how many married men from each country were noted in the 1971 census; and how many married women and how many men and women have settled here from those countries in the period since the census.

The following is the readily available information—no information is available in respect of the period before 1st July 1962, when immigration from the Commonwealth was first controlled:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants who have returned to their country of origin under the scheme whereby the Department of Health and Social Security pays their air fares have subsequently been readmitted to the United Kingdom.

I regret that the information requested is not available. A person subject to immigration control and known to have received assistance from public funds towards the cost of leaving the United Kingdom is normally thereafter refused entry clearance and leave to enter, unless settled in the United Kingdom at the coming into force of the Immigration Act 1971 and entitled to readmission as a returning resident.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total cost to public funds of the public bodies for which he is responsible.

The estimated net cost in 1976–77 of the public bodies for which my right hon. Friend is responsible is £17,319,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of people employed in the public bodies for which he is responsible.

About 29,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants in his Department and at what ranks have: (a) an official car allocated to them, (b) first call on official cars from a pool and (c) other than occasional access to an official car on any other basis.

Official cars are allocated to Her Majesty's Chief Inspec- tor of Constabulary, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services and Her Majesty's Inspectors of Contabulary, of whom there are five. The Permanent Under-Secretary of State has first call on one of a small pool of departmental vehicles. Certain immigration offices are provided with official cars for use by their immigration staff as a whole where that is necessary for the efficient performance of their duties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in order those six countries with embassies and missions in London which owe the most in unpaid parking fines, and the total owing in each case, at the latest available date.

The following table gives the latest information which is available from the Metropolitan Police computer records. It shows the seven diplomatic missions in respect of which the most fixed penalty notices were cancelled from October 1975 to February 1976 inclusive:

Nigeria, Federal Republic of	2,293
Cuba	1,408
Cyprus	1,183
Iran	1,140
Egypt	1,056
France	871
Saudi Arabia	871

The amount of the fixed penalty specified in each notice was £6. There is no question of sums being owed in respect of cancelled notices, since the cancellation of a penalty notice on grounds of diplomatic immunity necessarily involves the cancellation of any debt which would otherwise be due as a result of it.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what would be the annual amount of pension payable, the cash sum payable and the degree of inflation-proofing, respectively, for home civil servants retiring on 1st June 1976 in each respective grade from principal to permanent secretary, assuming the individual concerned had spent the last three years of service at the top point of the salary scale for his grade, and had served a total of 40 years.

The average length of reckonable service of a civil servant at the time of retirement is some 23 years. On the assumption of 40 years such service, however, the amount of pension would be:

Grade	Annual Pension
	£
Principal	3,751
Senior Principal	4,675
Assistant Secretary	5,500
Under Secretary	6,000
Deputy Secretary	7,500
Permanent Secretary	10,500

Subject to reduction in respect of out-standing contributions for widow's pension, the cash lump sum would be three times the amount of the annual pension.As I told the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Lawson) on 27th May, under the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 public service pensions, including Civil Service pensions, may be increased from 1st December each year. No decision has yet been taken about the size of any increase for this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many individuals employed in the Stonehouse New Town development scheme have been offered alternative employment.

Discussions are in progress between my officials and the development corporation concerning the future of the corporation's staff employed on the development of Stonehouse New Town. It is my hope that their talents will be used to the fullest extent possible in the attack on urban deprivation to which our policies are now directed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of costs necessary to alter Stobhill Hos- pital to take patients who would have attended Robroyston Hospital if the latter were closed.

I have not yet had an opportunity to consider the recommendations by the Greater Glasgow Health Board that Robroyston Hospital should be closed, against the background of the consultations undertaken by the board. It is for the health board to decide what alterations, if any, might be necessary at Stobhill Hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many resident places there are currently for nursing and junior medical residents at Robroyston; and if there are any plans to replace these should Robroyston Hospital be closed.

75 nursing and medical staff are at present resident at Robroyston Hospital. There are 20 places available at other hospitals in the Northern District, and another 69 places could if necessary be made available after redecoration and furnishing.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received opposing the closure of Robroyston Hospital; and how many supporting it.

I have received five representations against the proposal and no representations in support of the proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the £4 million allocated by central Government for expenditure on deprived areas will come to Scotland, giving a breakdown region by region and listing capital and non-capital expenditure.

I assume the hon. Lady is referring to the urban programme for England and Wales. For the Scottish urban programme provision for expenditure on approved projects in 1976–77 is contained within the total figures shown for community services in the White Paper "Public Expenditure to 1979–80" (Cmnd. 6393) and is £0·9 million for capital and £2 million for current expenditure. These figures cover new and ongoing projects. It is for local authorities to make bids for urban programme aid and the breakdown of grant by region cannot be anticipated.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the £250,000 allocated by central Government for holiday projects for children in deprived areas will come to Scotland, giving a breakdown region by region.

I understand that my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has set aside £250,000 from the urban programme for England and Wales for such projects. The Scottish urban programme is organised differently and it is for local authorities to apply for grants under the programme on the basis of their own priorities in dealing with the problems of deprived areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with

1971–72	…	Notre Dame College of Education, Glasgow	BEd
1972–73	…	Dundee College of Technology	BSc Science
		Paisley College of Technology	BSc Engineering with Marketing
			BSc Land Economics
			BA Social Studies
			BA (Hons) Social Studies
		Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology, Aberdeen	BA Business Studies
			BSc Nutrition and Dietetics
			BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering
			BSc (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering
1973–74	…	Dundee College of Technology	BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering
			BSc Industrial Engineering
		Dunfermline College of Physical Education, Edinburgh	BEd Physical Education
			BEd (Hons) Physical Education
		Glasgow College of Technology	BSc (Hons) Ophthalmic Optics
			BA Social Sciences
			BA (Hons) Social Sciences
			BA Business Studies
		Paisley College of Technology	BSc (Hons) Biology
			BSc (Hons) Mathematics
		Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology, Aberdeen	BSc (Hons) Physical Sciences
			BSc (Hons) Architecture
			BSc (Hons) Pharmacy
			BSc (Hons) Chemistry
			BSc (Hons) Physics
1974–75	…	Dundee College of Technology	BSc (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering
			BSc Mechanical Engineering
			BSc (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
			BA Business Studies
			BA (Hons) Business Studies
		Glasgow College of Technology	BA Accountancy
			BSc Applied Biology
			BSc (Hons) Applied Biology
			BSc Electrical Engineering
		(in association with Glasgow College of Building and Printing)	BSc Quantity Surveying
		Napier College of Commerce and Technology, Edinburgh	BSc Industrial Design (Technology)
			BSc Science with Industrial Studies
			BSc (Hons) Science with Industrial Studies
		Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology, Aberdeen	BSc Mathematical Sciences

I am presently examining the recommendations of the Morris Committee on links between housing and social work dealing with responsibility for homelessness and the comments on those recommendations received from the bodies I have consulted.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland for what courses CNAA has taken over responsibility in Scotland in each of the last five years, giving a breakdown by colleges.

CNAA has undertaken validation of the following courses in the last five years:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of local government expenditure in Scotland was spent on the personal social services, on domiciliary or day centre services for the young, the physically handicapped, the mentally handicapped, the mentally ill and the elderly, respectively.

In 1973–74, the latest year for which figures are available, current expenditure on social work represented 7.8 per cent. of total expenditure by local authorities. The following proportions of social work expenditure were devoted to the services referred to:

Day centres for children	3·2 per cent
Day centres for mentally handicapped and mentally ill	4·2 per cent.
Day centres for the physically handicapped and other categories	1·3 per cent.
Day centres for the elderly	0·6 per cent.
Domestic helps and meals (mainly for the elderly and physically handicapped	20·6 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) by what means he determines the housing needs of each of

PERSONS DEALT WITH FOR OFFENCES AGAINST INTOXICATING LIQUOR LAWS
	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
Number of children under 16 referred by the reporter to a children's hearing	—	44*	102	134	122
Number of children under 16 dealt with in court	781†	157	22	32	15
* The children's hearings came into effect on 16th April 1971. This figure is for the period 16th April to 31st December.
† This figure includes persons aged 16 as they were classed as children in 1970.

In October last year I asked local authorities to undertake comprehensive assessments of housing needs as a basis for working out local policies and programmes following the approach outlined in the recently published study "Local Housing Needs and Strategies: A Case Study of the Dundee sub-region".

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of (a) glue sniffing, (b) drug taking and (c) intoxication have been dealt with by children's panels and by sheriff's courts during each of the last five years.

Glue-sniffing is not an offence and is, therefore, not itself a ground for referral to a children's panel or for prosecution in the sheriff court. The information about drug taking is not readily available. The information in relation to intoxication is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the recognised establishment of police for the Paisley constituency; and what shortages exist.

Police establishment figures have to be seen in terms of force areas as a whole, but special problems of particular districts are kept under review in relation to the total establishment.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland by what criteria the number of police required to deal adequately with the rise in crime is deter-

Force			Establishment	Strength	Number over (+) or under (-) establishment
Central	…	…	492	485	-7
Dumfries and Galloway	…	…	283	281	-2
Fife	…	…	653	652	-1
Grampian	…	…	882	851	-31
Lothians and Borders	…	…	2,368	2,198	-170
Northern	…	…	551	570	+19
Strathclyde	…	…	6,992	6,533	-459
Tayside	…	…	923	922	-1

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that the numbers of police operational in Paisley are adequate to deal with the increase in crime.

Paisley comes within the area of the Strathclyde Police Force, the deployment of which is a matter for the Chief Constable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any proposals to extend the work of the community involvement sector of the police force, with particular reference to Paisley.

This is a matter for the Chief Constable, but I understand that police strength engaged in community involvement work in Paisley has recently been increased.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of replacing the local authority houses which have been willfully vandalised in the Ferguslie Park area of Paisley;(2) what proposals he has to deal with the continuing destruction of local authority houses in the Ferguslie Park area of Paisley.

The size of a police force's establishment is determined by my right hon. Friend after discussions between the chief constable of the force concerned and Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. Crime rates are among the factors considered along with the other policing requirements of the force area.As at 31st March 1976 the establishment and actual strength figures for the eight Scottish police forces were:

Responsibility for the maintenance and management of local authority houses lies with the local authorities themselves and it is for them to decide what measures are necessary to protect their property. The Urban Renewal Unit is in close touch with the district, the region and the community development project team in regard to the problems of Ferguslie Park, which go well beyond those of the vandalisation of houses. I have received no proposals from Renfrew District Council to replace existing local authority houses at Ferguslie Park.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what new proposals he has for dealing with the increase in juvenile crime in Scotland.

Initial indications from the crime statistics are that the increase in the number of children dealt with for crimes in each of the last few years may not have been maintained in 1975. I am concerned about the increase in crime generally and I had a useful meeting with senior police officers on 30th April at which we exchanged views about the trends disclosed in the crime statistics for 1975. Among the matters discussed were the problems of resources and accommodation in the social work field and the powers of children's hearings. A consultative document on the powers of children's hearings has been circulated to interested bodies for comments and the replies are being considered now.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the number of tenants of local authority houses in Scotland who were in arrears of rent at the end of the last financial period;(2) what was the average amount of arrears of rent of tenants of local authority houses in Scotland for each of the past five years, respectively;(3) what was the total arrears of rent of tenants of local authority houses in Scotland for the latest period the information is available.

The information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for improving the provision of day care facilities and short-stay hostels for mentally handicapped children over the age of 16 years.

These services are the responsibility of regional and islands councils as education authorities—in respect of children of school age—and as social work authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many tenants of houses belonging to Renfrew District Council were in receipt of rent rebates; and what was the average amount of such rebates.

This is information the hon. Member might appropriately seek from the district council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has about the housing needs in the area of the Renfrew District Council.

I have asked the district council—like other housing autho- rities—to carry out a comprehensive assessment of housing needs in its area.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff are expected to be employed by local authorities in Scotland in road planning departments in 1977 and 1976, respectively.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the expected expenditure on roads in 1977 and 1976, respectively.

Subject to the reservations in paragraphs 1 and 19 of Chapter 6 of the White Paper on Public Expenditure to 1979–80 (Cmnd 6393) expenditure on roads in Scotland is expected to be £140 million in financial year 1976–77 and £144 million in financial year 1977–78, both at 1975 survey prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the total cost to public funds of the public bodies for which he is responsible;(2) what is the total number of people employed in the public bodies for which he is responsible.

If the hon. Member will indicate more precisely the bodies in which he is interested, I will be happy to give him such information as is readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members are on the board of the Scottish Development Agency; and what is a quorum for meetings.

The agency has 11 members including the chairman and deputy chairman. As provided in paragraph 12 of Schedule I to the Scottish Development Agency Act 1975, determination of the quorum is a matter for the agency.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities or development corporations are now acting as agents for the Scottish Development Agency under Section 19 of the Scottish Development Agency Act.

The appointment of local authorities and development corporations of new towns to act as agents for the agency within their areas is a matter for the agency. The Secretary of State is concerned only where it is proposed that a new town corporation should act out with its area. So far no corporation has sought the Secretary of State's consent to act as agent for the agency in this way.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Scottish Development Agency has established committees as permitted by paragraph 15 of Schedule 1 to the Scottish Development Agency Act.

As paragraph 15 of Schedule 1 to the Scottish Development Agency Act 1975 provides, the establishment of committees is a matter for the agency.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the estimated administrative costs of the Scottish Development Agency in the current financial year.

I would refer the hon. Member to the figures published in Supply Estimates 1976–77 (Scottish Economic Planning Department, Class IV 17 Appendix II).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current commitment of the Scottish Development Agency in the discharge of its function under Section 2(2)(a) of the Act.