asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with the Nigerian High Commissioner in respect of parking offences of which members of the Nigerian High Commission has been guilty and for which diplomatic immunity has been claimed.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have had and will continue to have discussions with the Nigerian High Commission and other diplomatic missions in an effort to find mutually acceptable solutions to the parking problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit Portgual.

My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement following Mr. Nkomo's visit to the United Kingdom.

Mr. Nkomo paid a private visit to London from 17th to 21st May. In the course of this he paid a courtesy call on my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. He also held discussions with me on the situation in Rhodesia. By agreement with Mr. Nkomo, details of the discussions are confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on his policy towards the export of communications equipment to South Africa.

As my right hon. Friend told the House on 29th April, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade has issued an order to amend the Export of Goods Control Order to bring tropospheric scatter communications equipment under general export licensing control. Applications for the export of this equipment will be dealt with in accordance with Her Majesty's Government's policy in relation to particular destinations. The decision on this particular type of communications equipment clearly applies to South Africa as it does to any other country. I have nothing further to add to that statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress of the negotiations at the Law of the Sea Conference.

I would refer the hon. Member to my Written Answer on 20th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Hooley).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation he has had with the Commonwealth Secretariat regarding Rhodesia.

We remain in regular touch with the Commonwealth Secretary-General on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on Rhodesia.

I would refer to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mr. Biggs-Davison).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the dispute with Iceland over fishing limits.

I have nothing to add to the statement which I made to the House on 7th June.—[Vol. 912, c. 936–947.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will pay an official visit to Mogadishu.

My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to pay an official visit to Mogadishu.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the unauthorised disclosure of the Hawley Report from his Department.

An inquiry into the report's unauthorised disclosure is being actively carried out under the direction of a senior member of the Diplomatic Service, Mr. Derick Ashe. I cannot say any more at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he plans to have in the near future about the prevention of nuclear proliferation with his counterparts in those countries capable of exporting nuclear equipment.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Carshalton (Mr. Forman).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what special measures he is taking to ensure that French, Belgian, Dutch and German yachting organisations are aware of the United Kingdom regulations controlling the importation of any animal into the United Kingdom and that these regulations include the unauthorised landing of any such animal, for even a short space of time, and that, following the advice of the World Health Organisation, the United Kingdom has stricter anti-rabies controls than in countries where rabies is enzootic.

Posters in the language of the country concerned, warning prospective travellers to the United Kingdom of our strict anti-rabies regulations, have been or are being circulated to the principal yachting organisations in the four countries in question. In addition Her Majesty's embassies and consulates are making every effort to publicise United Kingdom rabies legislation in these countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to pay an official visit to Sri Lanka.

My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to visit Sri Lanka.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs whether the Government have completed their examination of the Belgian proposals for membership of the European Parliament under direct elections, prior to the next meeting on this subject of the Council of Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the position reached in the discussions on direct elections to an EEC Assembly.

The various proposals on the size and distribution of seats in a directly elected European Parliament remain the subject of negotiation in the Council of Ministers. Discussion continued at the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers on 12th June. It is still hoped that agreement can be reached on this, the most important outstanding problem, at or before the European Council on 12th and 13th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on his proposals for the EEC Foreign Ministers for a common fisheries policy and absolute British fishing rights within the 50 mile line.

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement on fisheries which I made on 7th June and to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave to his Written Question on 9th June.—[Vol. 912, c. 936–47, and 680–81.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the Foreign Ministers of the EEC to coordinate policy in relation to South Africa.

Her Majesty's Government attach importance to developing a common policy on Southern Africa, including South Africa. Foreign Ministers of the Nine meet regularly to discuss policies on this as on all foreign policy matters of mutual concern. I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement on Southern Africa by the Foreign Ministers of the Nine at Luxembourg on 23rd February, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last five years of investigations carried out by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration in total and divided by "finding of maladministration", "finding of partial maladministration", and "no finding of maladministration".

The expenditure borne on the Vote of the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and, since 1973, the in-

Department	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	2	—	—	2	—
Customs and Excise	—	—	1	—	1
Department of Education and Science	—	1	1	—	—
Department of Employment	1	—	1	2	—
Department of the Environment	—	2	4	6	3
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	—	—	—	1	—
Department of Health and Social Security	8	9	9	10	15
Home Office	—	—	—	—	1
Inland Revenue	10	20	15	13	9
Ministry of Overseas Development	—	—	—	1	—
Public Trustee	—	—	—	—	1
Scottish Office	—	1	—	—	—
Department of Trade and Industry	2	1	2	—	—
Welsh Office	—	—	1	—	—

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many cases of non-payment of funds due to citizens but withheld prior to investigation and decision by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration there have been in each of the last five years; and how many of these fell under the jurisdiction of each Government Department in each year.

The following table shows, by Departments, the numbers of cases in each of the years from 1971 to 1975 where it is known that some form of financial remedy was paid to complainants following investigations by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration:

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will publish in the Official Report a detailed list

Serial	Board	Appointment	Name	Salary paid	Date appointed
	British Gas Corporation
1		Member	Lord Ryder	£1,000	1.1.73
	British National Oil Corporation
2		Chairman	Lord Kearton	—	1.1.76
3		Deputy Chairman	Lord Balogh	£8,950	1.1.76
4		Member	Lord Briginshaw	£1,000	12.1.76
	United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
5		Member	Lord Kearton	£1,000	17.10.55
	Central Electricity Generating Board
6		Member	Lord Kearton	£1,000	1.6.74
	Southern Electricity Board
7		Member	Lord Greene	£1,000	1.12.64
8		Member	Lord Palmer	£1,000	13.1.65
	South Wales Electricity Board
9		Member	Lord Davies Penrhys	£1,000	25.8.74
Except for serial 2 all appointments are part-time.
Expenses are a matter for the boards concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the minimum safeguard price for oil.

As I announced on 10th March, agreement was reached in the International Energy Agency earlier this year on a long-term co-operation programme which includes provision that member States will ensure that imported oil is not sold in their domestic markets below a "minimum safeguard price" corresponding to $7 per barrel fob. Detailed arrangements for implementing the IEA agreement are under discussion. Parallel arrangements are being discussed in the EEC.—[Vol. 907, c. 216–8].

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether Great Britain is prepared to share its North Sea oil with its Community partners in the EEC in cases where they are prepared to pay competitive prices for it in the normal course of trade.

Considerable quantities of North Sea oil are likely to

The details are:be available over the years ahead for sale at market prices in EEC countries and elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he proposes to grant licences under SI 1976/276 to British National Oil Corporation and British Gas Corporation.

pursuant to the reply [Official Report, 2nd April 1976; Vol. 908, c. 587], gave the following further information:A licence covering blocks 110/3 and 110/8 is now being awarded to Hydrocarbons Great Britain Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Gas Corporation.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will list in the Official Report the date on which the House rose for the Summer Recess in each of the last 10 years.

The information is as follows:

Year			Date House rose for Summer Recess
1966		…	12th August
1967	…	…	28th July
1968	…	…	26th July
1969	…	…	25th July
1970	…	…	24th July
1971	…	…	5th August
1972	…	…	9th August
1973	…	…	25th July
1974	…	…	31st July
1975	…	…	7th August

asked the Lord Advocate whether he will publish in the Official Report a detailed list giving the full and part-time appointments made by his Department which are held by peers of the realm, the names of the holders, the salaries and expenses paid to the holders of these appointments and when such appointments were made.

I do not alone make any such appointments, but, acting jointly with the Lord Chancellor, I am responsible for the appointment of the Chairman and members of the Council on Tribunals.The present Chairman is Lord Tweedsmuir, appointed on 1st May 1973 at a salary of £5,164 per annum. One of the present members is Lord Mancroft, appointed on 2nd October 1972 at a yearly fee of £750. Both are entitled to expenses at Civil Service rates. Lord Tweedsmuir received £6·62 in the year ending 31st March 1976; Lord Mancroft had no expenses during the same period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make arrangements for fencing the A33 road (Winchester bypass) in the vicinity of Winnall for the protection of children playing in the area, in view of the fact that a child was recently involved in a fatal accident there.

No. I was sorry to learn of this unfortunate occurrence, but the fencing of land adjacent to all-purpose trunk roads is generally the responsibility of the landowners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff are permanently employed at the former Kirkby Fields College of Education in Kirkby.

38.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total acreage in the possession of his Department at the former Kirkby Fields Training College, Kirkby; how much of this is composed of open space and how much of buildings; what are the buildings; what acreage is actually used by the Department; and for what purpose.

The total acreage is 30; 11 acres are open space and 19 are occupied by buildings, which are largely of brick or timber construction. There are some industrialised buildings. About one acre is used as office accommodation and stores by the Property Services Agency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) why, in view of the relationship between the A5(D) traffic projections and the Milton Keynes Development Corporation's traffic model, a revision downwards in the model's traffic projections has not been accompanied by a revision downwards of the Department's projections for the A5(D);(2) whether his Department's traffic projections for the A5(D) were obtained from a traffic model produced for Milton Keynes Development Corporation.

As my hon. Friend knows, traffic predictions are based on complex calculations which are difficult to explain fully within the constraints of a Written Answer. I shall write to my hon. Friend a letter on the subject of the A5(D) which, if he so chooses, he can make public.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the indices of (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic rates, including water rates, for each year since 1960.

The figures are as follows:

	Non-Domestic	Domestic
1960–61	100	100
1961–62	108	107
1962–63	120	118
1963–64	135	134
1964–65	144	143
1965–66	162	163
1966–67	183	185
1967–68	195	190
1968–69	207	198
1969–70	228	212
1970–71	250	226
1971–72	293	264
1972–73	337	301
1973–74	369	331
1974–75	492	350
1975–76	646	476
1976–77	690	519

None of the figures includes payments in respect of the general service charge for water rates which, since 1974–75, have been collected by rating authorities on behalf of the water authorities. Nor do they take account of rebates paid to individual ratepayers. Information on water rates during this period is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will initiate new cycle routes in Hyde Park;(2) whether he will now make permanent the experimental cycle routes in Hyde Park;(3) whether cyclists are allowed to use the Wellington Gate, in the south-east corner of Hyde Park, to get from Hyde Park Corner into, and out of, Hyde Park;(4) whether he is satisfied with the experimental cycle routes in Hyde Park.

There are no plans for new cycle routes in Hyde Park at present although various possibilities are being considered. The results of the current experiment will be examined at the end of six months, and it will then be decided whether or not the routes should be made permanent. General traffic is not allowed to use the Wellington Gate. Cyclists are permitted to use it, although it requires very great care, since the exit is on a blind corner. So far the experimental routes are working successfully and are well used, especially by commuters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total approved grant in aid towards railway services in Wales, Scotland and each of the regions of England, respectively, for the present financial year.

It is estimated that the Railways Board will receive Government grant of up to £372 million in respect of losses on rail passenger and freight services during its current financial year. This is not allocated on a regional basis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is now the time taken for issue of new licences from Swansea; and how this compares with 1973, 1974 and 1975.

For driving licences issued from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre, seven working days in April 1976, compared with five to six working days in May 1975; six to seven working days in May 1974; and nine to 10 working days in May 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will include representatives from trade associations and chambers of commerce as full members of any future national transport council.

Decisions about a national transport council will be taken in the light of the comments received and the discussions we shall be having during the consultation period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if police criminal records for vehicles are held at the Swansea Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre.

No. They are held on the police national computer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the total costs, respectively, of maintenance, installation, programming, systems development and software for the three computers at the Swansea Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre; and which costs were paid to outside agencies and which were internal costs to his Department and other Government Departments.

To the end of the main planning phase—31st March 1974—total costs for programming, system development, and maintenance were £1·4 million, £1·4 million and 0·2 million respectively. Some £1·9 million was paid to outside agencies. The remainder was borne by Government Departments. Separate figures are not available for the cost of installation and software, which was

Name	Appointment	Salary per annum	Date of initial appointment
Lord Aldington	Chairman, Port of London Authority	£10,000	1.2.76
Earl of Aylesford	Member, Water Space Amenity Commission	Unpaid	16.10.73
Lord Bourne	Director, National Building Agency	£500	16.3.64
Viscount Boyne	Deputy Chairman, Telford New Town Development Corporation	£1,966	1.11.75
Lord Bradwell	Member, Historic Buildings Council for England	Unpaid	4.8.66
Marquess of Bute	Member, Development Commission	Unpaid	1.6.73
Lord Campbell of Eskan	Chairman, Milton Keynes New Town Development Corporation	£7,415	1.4.67
Lord Cooper of Stockton Heath	Member, Water Services Staff Commission	£125	1.1.73
Lord Crawshaw	Member, Advisory Committee on Rent Rebates and Rent Allowances	Unpaid	20.3.73
Lord Darling of Hillsborough	Member, Waste Management Advisory Council	Unpaid	14.11.74
Lord Digby	Member, South-West Economic Planning Council	Unpaid	1.4.70
Lord Feather	Vice-Chairman, British Waterways Board	£2,250	1.7.74
Baroness Fisher of Rednal	Member, Warrington New Town Development Corporation	£700	1.10.74
Baroness Fisher of Rednal	Member, New Towns Staff Commission	Fee paid	23.3.76
Lord Fisher	Member, East Anglia Economic Planning Council	Unpaid	30.5.69
Lord Goodman	Chairman, Housing Corporation	Unpaid	16.4.73
Lord Goodman	Chairman, National Building Agency	Unpaid	16.4.73
Duke of Grafton	Member, Historic Buildings Council for England	Unpaid	27.10.53
Lord Greene of Harrow and Weald	Member, Freight Integration Council	Unpaid	10.2.69
Lord Greene of Harrow and Weald	Member, National Freight Corporation	£1,000	9.12.73
Lord Greenwood of Rossendale	Chairman, Local Government Staff Commission	£250	3.11.72
Lord Greenwood of Rossendale	Deputy Chairman, Housing Corporation	£3,840	16.12.74
Lord Hamnett	Chairman, Warrington New Town Development Corporation	£4,432	5.3.69
Lord Hirshfield	Deputy Chairman, Northampton New Town Development Corporation	£1,966	20.11.68
Viscount Ingleby	Member, North York Moors National Park Committee	Unpaid	8.8.68
Lord Llewellyn-Davies	Chairman, Centre for Environmental Studies	Unpaid	1967

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report a detailed list giving the full and part-time appointments made by his Department which are held by peers of the realm, the names of the holders, the salaries and expenses paid to the holders of these appointments and when such appointments were made.

The list is as follows. All appointments are part-time. Particulars of expenses, other than salary, actually paid are not readily available and could only be collected at disproportionate cost to public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now take steps to increase the grant for private home improvement work from 50 per cent. to 75 per cent. of the total cost of the work.

No, but grant at 75 per cent. of the approved expenditure is already paid in housing action areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to ensure that where controversial sewage treatment schemes are introduced with potential danger to the environment and costing millions of pounds, provision is made for a public inquiry prior to implementation.

No. Powers are already available under current pollution control legislation for public local inquiries to be held, where necessary, into proposals by water authorities for the discharge of sewage effluent to rivers and estuaries. Similar powers are contained in the Control of Pollution Act 1974, Part II of which will, when implemented, extend control to discharges to all coastal waters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to take the Chair of the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance.

On 2nd July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost and length of the new concrete safety barriers installed on the motorway at Shepherd's Bush, London; and what plans he has to extend the use of this type of barrier.

This barrier was installed by the Greater London Council at a cost of £1,100 for the 55 metre length.At present there are no plans to use the barrier on trunk roads as initial tests suggest that small European cars can sustain excessive damage on contact with it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many complaints he has received from local authorities alleging that local commissioners have not followed the procedure laid down in the Local Government Act 1974.

One.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to amend the law so as to enable local commissioners to investigate possible complaints that emerge during the course of their investigation; and if he will make a statement.

I am not convinced that further legislation is needed. If the commissioner comes to the conclusion that the written complaint does not fully cover the matters that appear to need consideration, the most practical course would be for the commissioner to advise the complainant and the local authority to this effect. If necessary, the complainant could then make amended representations, unless all the parties agreed that such formalities were not required.However, the Commission for Local Administration has a responsibility under Section 23 of the Local Government Act 1974 annually to review the operation of the provisions under which it investigates complaints. If, in the course of its current review, it reaches recommendations or conclusions about its powers which it chooses to convey to my right hon. Friend, I am sure he will consider them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many teeth of the sperm whale were imported in the period (a) 15th March 1973 to 31st December 1975 and (b) 1st January 1976 to 31st May 1976.

Before 1st January 1976 imports of sperm whale teeth were not subject to licence and no figures are available. Since 1st January 1976 any such import has required a licence from my Department, but no application has been received. Policy on this matter is for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when it is intended to publish the lines of possible routes to be followed by the A38 spine road, Liskeard-Bodmin section.

It is hoped that possible routes for public consultation will be published towards the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on what criteria he gave his approval to the opening by the National Freight Corporation of a factory to make plastic boards from waste material; and whether the advice of the NEB was sought before this expansion of the NFC's activities was authorised.

No prior approval for this project was required, nor was consultation with the NEB.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the sports organisations that have received grants from the trust fund established by the promoters of the Spot the Ball competition; and what were the individual amounts involved;(2) if he is satisfied with the progress being made by the trust fund established by the promoters of the Spot the Ball competition; what sum has been accumulated in the fund up to date; and how much has been distributed to sporting organisations.

I am informed that the Football Grounds Improvement Trust has received to date contributions totalling £652,546 from the promoters of the "Spotting the Ball" competition. The first objective of the trust is to help clubs carry out improvements to their grounds arising from the requirements of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975. As no clubs have yet been designated under the Act no funds have so far been distributed by the trust.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the consultative document concerning exemptions from the Road Traffic (Seat Belts) Bill; and how long a period he intends to allow for consultations.

A draft of the consultative document will be published in the next few days. Formal consultation under Section 199 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 cannot take place until the Bill has become law; but I hope that making the terms of the document available in draft at this stage will enable interested organisations to formulate their views in advance so that the time allowed for consultation need be no longer than the period of three months which is normally provided for receiving and giving full consideration to comments on proposed regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to enable finance to be made equally freely available for local authorities who wish to meet public housing requirements by purchasing existing privately owned houses, as is available for the construction of new council houses.

I have been asked to reply.All aspects of housing policy are currently being considered by the Housing Finance Review which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is conducting and in which my Ministers and officials are participating.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether

Name	Rank	Age	Date	Location
Christopher Tippett Head	Police Sergeant	30	12th August 1966	Shepherds Bush, London.
Geoffrey Roger Fox	Police Constable	41	12th August 1966	As above
David Stanley Bertram Wombwell.	Temporary Detective Constable.	25	12th August 1966	As above
Brian Armstrong	Police Constable	31	12th September 1966	Gateshead
James Roy Bradley	Police Inspector	41	3rd December 1966	Banbury
Michael John Davies	Police Constable	23	18th August 1969	Wimbledon Common
Barry John Taylor	Police Inspector	30	15th February 1970	Farsley, Yorks.
Ian Coward	Detective Constable	28	27th June 1971	Reading
Gerald Irvine Richardson	Police Superintendent	38	23rd August 1971	Blackpool
Peter Charles Guthrie	Police Constable	21	22nd July 1972	Coventry
Michael Anthony Whiting	Police Constable	21	5th May 1973	Oxford Street, London, W.1.
Denis Arthur Smith	Police Constable	44	21st December 1973	Torquay
John Schofield	Police Constable	27	6th July 1974	Caterham, Surrey
Stephen Andrew Tibbie	Police Constable	22	26th February 1975	Charleville Road, London, W.14.
David Christopher Green	Police Constable	20	17th July 1975	Birmingham
Brian Dawson	Police Sergeant	42	1st September 1975	Leicester

My right hon. Friend did so on 8th June.—[Vol. 912, c. 1197–209.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will list the division of responsibilities between Ministers in his Department.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the list of ministerial responsibilities as at 1st June 1976, copies of which are in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the value of the export trade of poultry meat to the EEC over the last convenient 12 months.

£828,000 in the 12 months ending April 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the names, ranks, ages and home addresses of police officers killed, wounded or seriously injured in each of the past 10 years, together with the dates and locations at which each of these officers was attacked.

The information relating to police officers killed in England and Wales is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many companies and how many persons who were fined as a result of offences against the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act were fined (a) less than £50, (b) between £50 and £100, (c) between £100 and £200, (d) between £200 and £250, (e) between £250 and £300, (f) between £300 and £350 and (g) between £350 and £400.

Provisional figures for 1975 are contained in the following table:

COMPANIES AND PERSONS WHO WERE FINED AT MAGISTRATES' COURTS IN 1975 FOR OFFENCES UNDER THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT 1974, BY AMOUNT OF FINE
Amount of fine		Companies	Persons
Less than £50	…	20	13
£50 but less than £100	…	34	8
£100 but less than £200	…	31	3
£200 but less than £250	…	16	2
£250 but less than £300.	…	5	—
£300 but less than £350	…	3	1
£350 or over	…	3	—
Total	…	112	27

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, of the 112 companies and 27 persons upon whom fines were imposed in 1975 for breach of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act, how many of such companies or persons had caused the death of an employee; how many had caused serious personal injuries to an employee; how many had caused light injuries to an employee; and what was the maximum fine imposed on such companies or persons in each of the above categories.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has not yet produced a consultative document on the Regulations to be implemented under the Lotteries Act 1975; when he proposes to do so; and when the Regulations will become effective.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a Question by the right hon. Member for Crosby (Mr. Page) on 20th May. A copy of the consultative document was placed in the Library of the House on 18th May.—[Vol. 911, c. 633.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many migrant workers from each EEC country, respectively, entered Great Britain for employment purposes during 1975.

Because of the free movement provisions of the Treaty of Rome the purposes for which EEC nationals enter this country are not recorded. The provisional figures for residence permits issued to workers from each of the EEC member States during 1975 are:

Belgium	76
Denmark	286
France	1,269
Germany (Federal Republic)	888
Italy	1,761
Luxembourg	5
Netherlands	402

Citizens of the Republic of Ireland do not have to obtain residence permits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will refer to any forthcoming Speaker's Conference the question of voting rights for British citizens who live abroad and particularly those who work for European bodies such as the EEC and the Council of Europe.

We hope that this matter can be included in the terms of reference of a new Speaker's Conference, on which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is consulting other party leaders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of adverse comments made by the Parliamentary Commissioner on the neglectful manner in which his Department deals with mail from taxpayers and their Members of Parliament and the long time taken to reply to letters as detailed in his report on Mr. R. J. Anthony and Mr. D. Archer, he will take some action to expedite the replies to correspondence sent to his Department.

The comments by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration to which reference is made concerned delays in one particular case and acknowledged that remedial action had already been taken in an effort to guard against a repetition. Staff are fully aware of the need for replies to be sent with the least possible delay, and arrangements for the handling of correspondence are continuously under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the value of stolen goods in the London area for the last five years, respectively, under the following heads: (a) burglaries from private premises (b) thefts from shops and offices and (c) bank raids and attacks on post offices and pay roll delivery.

I regret that information is not available in the form re-

Body	Name and appointment	Date of appointment	Amount of salary or fee
Equal Opportunities Commission	Member, part-time:
	Lord Allen of Fallowfield	1975	£16 a day
BBC*	Members, part-time:
	Lord Allan of Kilmahew	1971
	Lord Feather of the City of Bradford	1973	£1,000 a year
	Lord Greenhill of Harrow	1973
Community Relations Commission	Deputy Chairman, part-time:
	Lord Pitt	1968	£1,500 a year
	Members, part-time:
	Lord Campbell of Eskan	1968	£16 a day
	Baroness Serota	1970
Women's Royal Voluntary Service	Chairman, part-time:
	Baroness Pike	1974	£6,000 a year
* Appointments to the BBC are made by the Queen on the advice of the Home Secretary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) dogs and (b) cats bred for experimental purposes by OLAC Ltd.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Working Party on Water Safety announced in a Written Answer on 14th November 1973 has yet reported; and what further action the Government propose to take.

We expect to receive the working party's report later this year and will then consider what action should be taken on its recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in the Official Report a detailed list giving full and part-time appointments made by his Department which are held by peers of the realm, the names of the holders, the salaries and expenses paid to the holders of these appointments and when such appointments were made.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the list of paid appointments given in the reply to a Question from the hon. Member for Pudsey (Mr. Shaw) on 11th May.—[Vol. 911, c. 89–94.] The list of appointments includes the following who are peers of the realm:(Oxford Laboratory Animal Centre) of Capel Isaac were exported in the years 31st March 1974 to 1st April 1975; and to which countries they were exported.

It would be contrary to practice to infringe commercial con- fidentiality by publishing figures of this kind relating to an individual company.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the gross sum of money in each of the last five years represented by the fines for parking offences in relation to which the offenders claimed diplomatic immunity.

The following table compiled from statistical returns from police forces in England and Wales gives the total numbers of fixed penalty notices cancelled on grounds of diplomatic immunity. The amount of fixed penalty specified in each notice was £2

Number of Notices Cancelled
1970	…	…	…	…	28,515
1971	…	…	…	…	29,533
1972	…	…	…	…	42,561
1973	…	…	…	…	62,729
1974	…	…	…	…	62,703

The information in this table has been compiled on a broader basis than that used for replies to previous similar Questions, in which the figures given have been aggregates of provisional figures readily available from Metropolitan Police computer data. In this table the basis of the figures has been expanded so as to give the final annual figures covering all police forces in England and Wales.Corresponding figures for 1975 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why mercenaries were allowed to depart from Heathrow to Angola without passports; and whether they were assisted by the police before departure.

On the first part of the Question I have nothing to add to the answers I gave to Questions by the hon. Member for Shrewsbury (Sir J. Langford-Holt) and others on 11th March—[Vol. 907, c. 602–604] The answer to the second part of the Question is "No".

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will list the division of responsibilties between Ministers in his Department.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the list of ministerial responsibilities as at 1st June 1976, copies of which are in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry why he has requested the Staffordshire County Council's Development Association to desist from encouraging Common Market businesses to invest in North Staffordshire.

At a time when all public spending must be scrutinised for effectiveness we were bound to give the council our opinion based on extensive experience of encouraging inward investment. The work of attracting investment can be expensive when carried out overseas and it takes a long time before results are achieved. In addition we have found that foreign industry approached to invest in Britain is normally concerned with issues and opportunities in Britain as a whole. Fragmented appeals from various parts of the country can often be confusing and counter-productive.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the amount of money spent on regional assistance in Wales under Section 7 of the Industry Act for each year ending in July from 1972 to 1975.

Offers of regional selective assistance and payments made under Section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 in respect of projects located in Wales are as follows:

Year ending		Offers		Payments
		Number	Value	Value
			£000	£000
July 1973	…	62	4,685	1,996
July 1974	…	129	19,716	4,067
July 1975	…	132	12,100	7,796

Payments arising from offers are staggered to match the progress of the projects concerned, whereas the offers represent the total sum that will have been paid after the completion of the projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the planning agreements that have been made so far under the Industry Act 1975.

On 13th April my hon. Friend announced that eight companies had agreed to move to operative discussions on planning agreements. On 17th May my right hon. Friend announced that three nationalised industries are also to enter into planning agreement discussions. Where planning agreements have been concluded a statement to that effect will be laid before the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will place in the Library a copy of the accounts of Govan Shipbuilders Ltd. for the year to 26th December 1975.

A copy of the accounts of Govan Shipbuilders Ltd. for the year to 26th December 1975 will be lodged in the normal way with the Registrar of Companies at Edinburgh, but for the convenience of Members I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what information companies have to supply in support of claims for relief or requests for grants.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 11th June 1976; Vol. 912, c. 789], gave the following information:

Regional Development Grants on	Special development areas	development areas	Intermediate areas
	Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.
New buildings and works (other than mining works) and adaptations to existing buildings on qualifying premises	22	20	20
New machinery, plant on qualifying premises and mining works	22	20	Nil
New machinery and plant used on construction sites	20	20	Nil

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the bases on which investment grants are calculated.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 11th June 1976; Vol. 912, c. 789], gave the following information:I assume the hon. Member has in mind regional development grants payable under Part I of the Industry Act 1972. These grants are available in all assisted areas, including Intermediate areas, on a prescribed percentage of approved capital expenditure on new buildings and works on qualifying premises. In development and special development areas grant is also available on new machinery and plant for use in qualifying premises or in construction activities, and on mining works. The rates at which grant is payable are set out in the following table. Further information about regional development grants is contained in the explanatory notes and forms provided for the use of applicants. Copies of these have been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what the annual costs of running the rabbit eradication scheme were in its last years of operation; and how successful it was.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the grants which were available until 1972 to approved rabbit clearance societies. The cost to public funds of these grants in Scotland in each of the last three years of the scheme was as follows:

1969–70	…	…	…	£70,338
1970–71	…	…	…	£73,015
1971–72	…	…	…	£112,634

These grant arrangements were intended to provide an incentive for the development of rabbit control measures on a co-operative basis by occupiers of land on whom the statutory responsibility for such control rests. The scheme was successful in stimulating an awareness of the advantages of concerted action, but many societies had ceased active operation before the termination of the scheme, possibly due to an over-dependence on myxomatosis to eradicate rabbits.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning recent increases in the rabbit population in Scotland; what financial and other estimates he has of the agricultural damage at present being caused by these rabbits; and if he intends to reintroduce a compulsory eradication scheme.

A number of representations have been received in recent months about the damage being caused to agricultural land by rabbit infestation and on the need for stricter enforcement measures. I have also had useful discussions with the main land use organisations at their request to consider how best this problem can be dealt with. It is impossible to make any meanful estimate of the agricultural damage caused by rabbits. The effective con- trol of rabbits depends on the co-operative efforts of occupiers, on whom the statutory responsibility of controlling infestations of rabbits and other pests lies. I have no proposals for introducing compulsory measures at the present time but I am keeping the position under review in the light of periodic surveys of the rabbit population carried out by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children were taken into care in 1975 in Scotland; and what is the ratio of this figure to the total population.

In 1974, the latest year for which figures are available, 5,037 children, representing 3·2 per 1,000 children aged under 18, were admitted to care under voluntary arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were:(a) the numbers of children in care in institutions in Scotland on 31st December 1974 and 1975, (b) the average weekly cost of maintenance of each child in institutions and (c) the weekly payments made in each year to foster parents and the total saving thereby to local authority and public funds.

The number of children in care or under supervision in institutions in Scotland on 31st December 1974 was 6,244. No figure for 1975 is available. The other information requested is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which local authorities have made application for Government grant under the urban aid programme for schemes to promote playgroups in areas of social need; how many schemes have been approved; and in which local authority areas approval has been given.

Borders, Central, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Grampian, Lothian, Strathclyde and Tayside Regions have submitted a total of 18 applications for grant aid under the urban programme for a variety of playgroup activities; of these 13 have been successful.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of those voluntary organisations to which grants or loans are made under the terms of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, Section 10(1) together with the amounts for the latest period such information is available.

Grants were offered to voluntary organisations under Section 10(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 in the financial year 1975–76 as follows:

Grants Towards Revenue Expenditure	£
Scottish Pre-school Playgroups Association	27,580
Guild of Service	10,528
Scottish Association of Voluntary Child Care Organisations	9,057
Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children	22,996
Association of British Adoption Agenicies	6,833
Edinburgh Cyrenians	3,250
Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders	18,490
Scottish Association for Mental Health	4,000
Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped	15,850
Scottish Spina-Bifida Association	1,500
Disablement Income Group	3,000
Age Concern Scotland	30,500
Church of Scotland, Rehabilitation Centre	1,300
Church of Scotland, Lauder Road Hostel, Edinburgh	4,200
Scottish Council on Alcoholism	750
Salvation Army Hostel, Greenock	3,300
Talbot Association	2,310
Scottish Braille Press	6,300
Scottish National Federation for the Welfare of the Blind	250
St. Euphrasia's Centre, Bishopton, Renfrewshire	44,889
Scottish Catholic Marriage Advisory Council	3,000
Scottish Marriage Guidance Council	13,120
Scottish Council for Single Parents	4,000
Young Women's Christian Association of Great Britain (Flatlets)	1,500
Shelter	2,500
Edinburgh Council of Social Service Volunteer Bureau	4,215
Scottish Council of Social Service	63,350
Samaritans	2,500
Enterprise Youth, Glasgow Volunteer Bureau	10,300
Barony Housing Association	4,090
Church of Scotland, Director of Counselling	2,700
Focus	1,750
Community Service Volunteers	4,425
Six Circle Group	1,000
Coatbridge Intermediate Treatment Scheme	750

Scottish Standing Conference of Voluntary Youth Organisations	3,350
Scout Association	3,573
Scottish Association of Boys' Clubs	3,200
Aberdeen Association of Social Service	12,034
Quarrier's Homes, Bridge of Weir	5,675
The Salvation Army	1,830
Church of Scotland Committee on Social Responsibility	5,485
Dundee, Inverness and North West Welfare Association for the Deaf	694
Scottish Council for Spastics	1,883
Edinburgh Cripple Aid Society	745
Dr. Barnardo's	6,468
Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children	9,825
Convent of the Good Shepherd, Edinburgh	1,337
Catholic Child Care Office	6,410
Total	398,592

Grants towards Capital Expenditure
Scottish Pre-School Playgroups	2,632
Renheugh Hostel, Kilbirnie	36,500
Church of Scotland, Lauder Road Hostel, Edinburgh	5,000
Scottish Council of Social Service	300
Association of Parents and Friends of Spastics	12,000
Clydebank Council on Alcoholism	4,335
Athol Baptist Centre, Pitlochry	3,377
Edinburgh Council of Social Service Volunteer Bureau	750
St. Euphrasia's Centre, Bishopton, Renfrewshire	10,740
Iona Community	20,000
Convent of the Good Shepherd, Edinburgh	200
Quarriers Homes, West Yonderton	10,500
Church of Scotland Rehabilitation Centre	10,000
Total	116,334

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers he estimates will have to be recruited to ensure that all schoolchildren in the Paisley area receive full-time education.

Only the education authority can provide this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children of school age are presently being accommodated in prisons.

On 11th June, 81 inmates were held in Scottish prisons—71 of them in Longriggend Remand Institution—who were either under 16 or whose sixteenth birthdays fell after 1st January 1976. Depending on school leaving dates in their home areas, a few in the latter category would no longer be of school age.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he intends to have with regional council and district council authorities in Scotland about local authority tenant evictions for rent arrears and the respective practices of their social work and housing management departments.

Various measures to help avoid such evictions were suggested to local authorities in SDD Circular No. 2/1974. The Morris Committee on links between housing and social work also made relevant recommendations, and I am considering these in the light of observations recently received from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

ELEMENTARY
	1972		1973		1974		1975
	Candidates	Passed	Candidates	Passed	Candidates	Passed	Candidates	Passed
City Forces
Aberdeen	47	14	42	10	47	25	39	20
Dundee	20	12	46	20	67	17	46	14
Edinburgh	108	32	101	41	98	31	76	27
Glasgow	337	49	384	84	442	94	405	82
County and Combined Forces
Angus	21	9	15	5	23	5	23	4
Argyll	21	4	24	8	25	5	20	4
Ayr	103	24	144	41	136	22	96	38
Berwick, Roxburgh and Selkirk	17	8	22	8	15	8	18	4
Dumfries and Galloway	36	15	39	13	45	11	35	12
Dunbarton	66	18	87	19	74	17	48	14
Fife	60	22	86	32	100	23	64	19
Inverness	23	5	33	11	32	11	24	3
Lanark	182	52	241	54	253	70	194	67
Lothians and Peebles	77	23	78	20	89	24	101	31
Northern	3	2	8	1	11	6	13	9
Perth and Kinross	46	22	33	11	26	6	31	13
Renfrew and Bute	75	13	96	16	125	46	89	24
Ross and Sutherland	18	9	15	7	23	8	24	12
Scottish North-Eastern Counties	34	22	33	13	22	7	44	32
Stirling and Clackmannan	38	17	53	16	61	33	58	26
GRAND TOTALS	1,332	372	1,580	430	1,714	469	1,448	455

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends that Section 62 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 will be brought into force in Scotland.

An order is in preparation which will bring Section 62 of the Act into force shortly. The section replaces a similar provision of the Noise Abatement Act 1960.