asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil servants currently employed and how many who have retired are included in superannuation schemes which make no provision for payment of a widow's pension.

It is estimated that rather fewer than 300 United Kingdom-based male civil servants currently employed are in superannuation schemes which do not make separate provision for the payment of widow's pension. It is not known how many retired civil ser vants were covered by such schemes during their service in the Civil Service.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will bring up to date the table of Civil Service staff increases given in his reply to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Edwards) on 8th March 1976, Official Report, column 36; and if he will briefly outline the legislative or policy reasons which cause a variation in staff manpower between 1st January and 1st April 1976 wherever applicable.

The number of staff in post, by Department, on 1st March 1974 and 1st April 1976 is given below.The reasons for the major variations in staff between 1st January and 1st April 1976 are as follows:

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the estimated annual cost of administering the honours system.

I regret that it is not possible to make any meaningful estimate of the cost. Work in connection with the honours system is only a small part of the duties of a large number of persons in many Departments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he proposes to take to eliminate the National Freight Corporation's deficit.

This will depend on the outcome of the review which I announced earlier this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next plans to meet the Chairman of the National Freight Corporation.

My right hon. Friend and I expect to be seeing all the chairmen of the nationalised transport industries shortly in connection with the Consultation Document on Transport Policy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has received about the transfer of traffic from rail to road by subsidiaries of the National Freight Corporation; and whether he will make a statement.

The Government publication "Transport Statistics" to be published shortly will show that the use of rail by National Freight Corporation subsidiaries increased from 5·8 million tonnes in 1969 to 7·5 million tonnes in 1973, falling to 7·2 million tonnes in 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was discussed at the last meeting of the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance.

The main discussion was about local authority expenditure for 1976–77 following the latest return.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate of the cost of the Humber Bridge.

The latest estimate which the Humber Bridge Board has published of the cost of the bridge and its immediate approach roads is £45 million. This estimate was based on the situation obtaining in August 1975. I understand that the board will be announcing an updated estimate at its meeting tomorrow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he can now give a list of the revised MOT vehicle testing regulations; and if he will give a date when the new regulations will be implemented.

I am consulting representative organisations about new regulations affecting the items to be tested, the type of vehicles to be tested, the method of charging test fees and the training of nominated testers. The new items involved are direction indicators, stop lamps, windscreen washers and wipers, the exhaust system and the horn. I also propose to extend the present check on the presence of seat belts, where required, to their condition and efficiency. Copies of the consultation letter are available in the Library. I hope to lay the regulations before Parliament this autumn and to bring them into force before the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he intends to take to improve or replace unfit or sub-standard dwellings as a result of the Annual Report for 1975 published by the Building Research Establishment.

Existing policies are already designed to promote the progressive clearance of unfit houses that cannot be saved and the rehabilitation of those that can.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to hold a public inquiry on the new proposals for Prospect Road, Hythe.

If an inquiry should prove necessary it is unlikely to be held before the early part of 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set a deadline for the report of his working party on direct labour.

No. The working party has an extensive task in reviewing the organisation and operation of local authority direct labour organisation and this will inevitably take some time to complete.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many office development permits have been granted in the Greater London area in 1976.

By the end of May, 61.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on water supplies.

My right hon. Friend said in answer to the hon. Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Morris) on 3rd May—[Vol. 910, c. 837–8]—that the immediate situation appeared to be under control and that the water authorities hoped to avoid major interruptions of supplies during the summer. This remains generally the position, thanks to above average rainfall in the north of England over the last month, the energetic measures the water authorities have taken to make the best use of supplies and the good response by the public to economy campaigns; although there are, of course, areas in East Anglia, the East Midlands, the South and West and Wales where there remains a serious risk of a more difficult situation later in the year. We are in close touch with the water authorities and are working out with them the contingency measures that would be needed if the situation worsens.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied with the progress of the house building programme.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has yet completed his consideration of the transport problems of voluntary organisations; and if he will make a statement.

No. We are continuing our investigation into the possibility of modifying the bus licensing law to assist schools and charitable organisations which operate minibuses. Complex issues are involved and I cannot prejudge the outcome.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many comments he has received on his Department's consultative document on transport policy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has had on the Consultation Document on Transport.

I have so far received over 200 representations from members of the public and interested organisations. Most of these have shown a special concern for the future of public transport, especially rail, and for the problems of those without the use of a car in rural areas and elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in response to his consultative document on transport policy.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Whitehead) and the hon. Member for Ealing, Acton (Sir G. Young).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further representations he has received about increases in cesspool emptying charges; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Shepherd).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will revise his policy on local authority mortgages.

No. Our present intention is to wait the outcome of the Housing Finance Review before deciding whether a change of policy is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will restrict the categories of property on which he gives local authorities a general consent to municipalise.

No. These categories have been expressly selected to encourage acquisitions which would result in the best possible use of older housing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will carry out a review of capital investment in new towns.

The forward programmes of new town development cor-

Council		Chairman		Vice-Chairman
Northern	…	Mr J S Calvert	…	Mr J Dunning
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	Mr R Hoyle	…	Professor J A Patmore
North-Western	…	Lord Pilkington	…	Mr C Muir
East Midlands	…	Mr J Cattermole	…	Not yet appointed
West Midlands	…	Mr C Cadbury	…	Sir Derrick Capper
Eastern	…	Mr P Wayre	…	Mrs P A Bowen-West
Southern	…	Mr P Sage	…	Mr C Hall
South-Western	…	Mr N Collins	…	Mr G Somerset
Greater London and South-Eastern	…	Lord Rupert Nevill	…	Not yet appointed

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now list the empty office blocks which he has acquired compulsorily under his powers contained in Part IV of the Community Land Act 1975.

None so far.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the present penalties for felling trees subject to a tree preservation order.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the National Parks Bill.

The Bill will not be published this Session. I cannot anticipate the legislative programme for the next Session.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of his latest list of appointments to the new regional councils for sport and recreation.

The following appointments have been made:will make a statement regarding what additional aid will be made available to eliminate deprivation in the stress areas of England, commensurate with the recent announcement of the £120 million that will be made available to the Glasgow area, for similar purposes.

The distribution of rate support grant and the priorities of capital expenditure programmes such as housing, and of special programmes such as the urban programme and the Manpower Services Commission's job creation programme, already reflect the differing needs of cities in England.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the annual number of transfers of cherished numbers; and how many civil servants are employed on this work.

The equivalent of about 100 full-time civil servants were involved in processing 55,481 "cherished" transfers in 1975–76: 19 civil servants at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre working full-time and many more working part-time in local offices—some civil servants, some local government officers—whose duties often include the inspection of the vehicles involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to give the Ordnance Survey further guidance on pricing policy for maps.

I have nothing yet to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member on 26th May.—[Vol. 912, c. 238–9.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance is given to attract small businesses to the new towns.

Apart from that available as a result of the new town being located in an assisted area, no direct Government assistance is given. The new town development corporations however, do provide suitable premises, housing and advice which has led to many hundreds of small firms being established in the new towns. Basildon Development Corporation has made considerable provisions for small businesses; 69 small "nursery" factories and 25 workshops have been provided and small suites of offices are also available. Small shop units are provided in neighbourhood centres.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that all British Judoka are able to participate in national, international and Olympic eliminations and competitions.

At my request the Sports Council is urgently considering the relationship between the governing body for the sport, the British Judo Association, and the other organisations representing British Judoka. I am sure the Sports Council will bear in mind the International Judo Federation and International Olympic Committee rulings on eligibility for selection for representative teams in their review of the situation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent consultations he has had with the Chairman of the Central Transport Users' Consultative Committee.

The committee has been invited to respond to the Consultation Document on Transport Policy issued on 13th April last.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward proposals for improving the operating of rural transport.

I would refer the hon. Member to Chapter 6 of the Consultation Document on Transport Policy, and in particular to paragraphs 1, 7 and 8. The first meeting of the Steering Committee, which will oversee the rural transport experiments referred to, will take place on 29th June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received to date relating to improving the provision of transport in rural areas following publication of his Department's consultative report.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Whitehead) and the hon. Member for Ealing, Acton (Sir G. Young).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation he maintains with the authorities responsible for the national railways of European States.

Regular contacts are maintained by Ministers and officials through the institutions of the EEC, the European Council of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). Bilateral discussions are also held which cover, inter alia, railway matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how British Rail productivity, as measured both by train kilometres per employee and by staff per motive power unit,, compares with France, Germany and the United States of America.

The information is as follows:

		Train kilometres per employee—	Employee per motive power unit—
	…	1974	1974
British Rail	…	1,927	27·1
West Germany	…	1,724	39·2
France	…	1,594	37·7
U.S.A. railroads	…	1,638	17·2

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will commission a study into finding how much industrial dereliction could be removed by making use of idle railway stock.

British Rail is aware of the need to make full use of its assets, and is responsible for exploiting such possibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of electrified lines exist in the United Kingdom, West Germany, France, Sweden and Japan, respectively.

The figures for the various national railways as at 31st December 1974 are as follows:

			Miles
United Kingdom	…	…	2,265
West Germany	…	…	6,035
France	…	…	5,775
Sweden	…	…	4,324
Japan	…	…	4,325

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has received from the British Railways Board about its projected number of employees in 1981.

The number of British Railways employees in 1981 will depend on the plans adopted for the railways in the light of current consultations about transport policy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has revised his Department's projection, first made in 1968, that the population of the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed would expand to 20,000 by 1980.

No. There has been no formal revision of the population projections for Berwick-upon-Tweed. I am given to understand that projections of future population in this area will form part of the work being currently undertaken by Northumberland County Council in the preparation of its structure plan.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent it is his intention to reduce expenditure on the maintenance of roads and footpaths; and what saving he expects this will achieve in the current year.

Local authorities have been urged to reduce maintenance expenditure on their roads. On trunk roads we are similarly continuing the policy announced on 24th July 1975 of cutting expenditure by 15–20 per cent. by 1978–9 as compared with the level planned for that year in the White Paper published in January 1975. The projected savings this year amount overall to some 10 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will define current Government policy regarding density of dwellings per acre on new housing estates in the South-East.

Policy on housing densities is set out in Circular No. 24/75 "Housing: Needs and Action".

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Beverley south-west bypass.

In response to the interim decision letter issued on 23rd February, two objectors have asked for the inquiry to be reopened and his will be done as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many goods road vehicle drivers, and how many locomotive drivers of freight railway trains, were killed or seriously injured during each of the past six years.

The information is as follows:

Goods vehicle drivers—killed or seriously injured 1970–75
All goods vehicles
1970	…	…	…	…	3,930
1971	…	…	…	…	3,595
1972	…	…	…	…	3,348
1973	…	…	…	…	3,507
1974	…	…	…	…	3,063
1975*	…	…	…	…	2,666

Locomotive drivers of freight railway trains—fatal or seriously injured 1970–75
1970	…	…	…	…	3
1971	…	…	…	…	3
1972	…	…	…	…	2
1973	…	…	…	…	2
1974	…	…	…	…	2
1975*	…	…	…	…	5
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had with the Building Societies Association.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a further statement about means of facilitating exchanges of local authority tenancies.

I have as yet nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member on 26th May.—[Vol. 912, c. 234.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet the Chairman of British Railways.

I last met the chairman on 14th June. I expect to have further meetings as the need arises.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet transport union leaders.

I propose to meet the leaders of the transport unions for informal discussions on the transport consultative document as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has advised local authorities not to subsidise city centre car parks in areas served by public transport.

Departmental Circular 43/75 and 125/75 and the White Paper on Public Expenditure to 1979/80 (Cmnd 6393) make it plain that car parking in city centres should not be subsidised.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to extend public ownership of road haulage.

I refer my hon. Friend to section 8.14 of the Consultation Document on Transport Policy. Firm decisions must of course await the outcome of the consultation process.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the average annual subsidy to council house tenants and of the average annual value of tax relief to mortgagors.

On the basis of the latest available information the relevant figures for England in 1975–76 were:

i. average subsidy from central Government and rate fund contributions excluding rent rebates per council house £176

ii. Average tax relief and option mortgage subsidy per mortgagor £173

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes have been destroyed through road building over the last 10 years.

Accidents in Darkness
			Lit Road		Unlit Road		Accidents in Daylight
Year			Number of Accidents	Miles	Number of Accidents	Miles	Number of Accidents	Miles
1970	…	…	15	2·1	165	70·4	287	72·5
1971	…	…	16	2·1	194	70·4	276	72·5
1972	…	…	25	5·4	199	67·1	298	72·5
1973	…	…	27	5·4	180	67·1	326	72·5
1974	…	…	70	13·9	123	58·6	282	72·5
1975	…	…	100*	36·0	92*	36·5	301*	72·5

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average cost of a mile of motorway.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average cost per mile of building motorways at current cost levels, based on average agricultural land values; and what proportion of this cost is in the first instance the cost of direct labour involved in this construction work.

The construction costs vary widely depending on the nature of the terrain through which the motorway passes. On rural motorway schemes, for which contracts were let between 1st January 1972 and 31st December 1974, costs at June 1976 prices were in the range of £0·93 million to £4·73 million per mile for dual three-lane motorways,

I regret the information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of the M1 motorway between London and the M6 take-off now have lighting installed; and how many accidents have occurred in the miles of motorway which are lighted and not lighted, respectively, over each of the past six years.

To date, about 36 miles of road lighting has been installed on this length of the M1, between Junction 2 (Fiveways) and Junction 19 (Catthorpe). The following table gives the lengths of motorway lit and unlit on MI between those two junctions for the years 1970–1975, together with the requested accident data:with a mean of £2·10 million per mile, and in the range of £1·06 million to £2·04 million per mile for dual two-lane motorways with a mean of £1·44 million per mile.Costs of land acquisition and rehousing are excluded from these figures. These costs also vary widely and can account for 10 per cent. of the overall costs of rural schemes. Land acquisition costs and construction costs will, of course, be considerably higher for urban schemes than for rural schemes. Figures for the mean cost per mile of urban motorways would not be very informative because of the wide variation in costs.Labour costs are generally approximately 25 per cent. of the construction cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what area of land has been used for road building and associated works for each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of this was in agricultural use.

I regret that the information requested is not readily available. However, using average figures for the land taken by different types of construction it is estimated that over the last 10 years approximately 19,500 acres of land in rural areas have been taken for motorway and trunk road building. Information is not available as to the proportion formerly in agricultural use, nor as to the amount of land taken for local authority road building.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons attended the recent Conference on the Environment in Vancouver at the expense of the British taxpayer; and what was the total charge on public funds.

The eventual size of the United Kingdom delegation to Habitat was 29, including secretariat support. The actual costs incurred in attending the conference are not yet available. For an estimate of the costs of sending a delegation to the conference I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Grimsby (Mr. Crosland), now Foreign Secretary, to the hon. Member for Reigate (Mr. Gardiner) on 7th April 1976.—[Vol. 909, c. 181–2.] In addition the Ministry of Overseas Development made £4,000 available towards the cost of air fares of experts from the poorer developing countries to attend a pre-Habitat symposium in Vancouver.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when a report of the Habitat Conference will be available; and if he will make a statement.

A full report by the conference secretariat should be available within the new few weeks and will be placed in the Library. Copies of Her Majesty's Government's national statement have been placed in the Vote Office.The conference was the first of its kind to deal specifically and comprehensively with the problems of human settle ments, and was attended by representatives of more than 130 nations. Progress was made on a declaration of principles which was developed in 63 detailed recommendations for action by individual nations. Those recommendations, which are supported by advice on how they may be applied, represent a notable achievement for a conference on this scale. Among other things, they should help to ensure that the aid we give to developing countries is used in the most effective way.Later this year the General Assembly will consider the report and recommendations of the conference, including the proposals for the co-ordination and development of human settlement activities within the United Nations system and for assisting countries which need help in applying the recommendations for national action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to enable charitable institutions, such as retirement homes, to be eligible for relief in respect of water rates.

Water services like, for example, gas and electricity, are financed by charges to consumers, and are quite separate from the general rates. I am afraid I can offer no prospect of making special provision for charities in this respect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total increase in his Department's expenditure incurred as a result of the Government decision, effective as from 1st April 1975, to require contractors for cleaning Government buildings to pay wages comparable with those paid for similar work by local authorities.

This information cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the economic situation and the recent circular to local authorities calling for a halt to new expenditure commitments, he will reconsider his decision not to intervene in the proposals of the GLC / ILEA to build a £24 million college of further education on the site of the old St. Paul's school playing field in Hammersmith.

No. Expenditure on the proposed college is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the total public expenditure devoted to rural bus services; and how this is broken down between expenditure by central and local government;(2) what is the total public expenditure devoted to urban bus services; and how this is broken down between expenditure by central and local government.

The distinction between urban and rural services cannot be made precisely, since many bus operations cover both kinds of area. For 1976–77, provision in the last Public Expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 6393) for expenditure in metropolitan counties including the GLC in England and Wales was approximately as follows at November 1974 prices:

			£ million
Bus investment	…	…	34
Revenue support	…	…	57
			91

For non-metropolitan counties the provision was:

			£ million
Bus investment	…	…	18
Revenue support	…	…	33
			51

In addition, there was provision for £31 million investment by the National Bus Company whose services are mainly but not exclusively in non-metropolitan areas.Central Government support to the bus industry in England and Wales is specifically provided through (

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been spent on insulating properties from the effects of noise during the construction of roads in Hertfordshire by the Eastern Road Construction Unit in each year for which figures are available.

1974. nil; 1975, £3,148.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people from his Department are attending the public inquiry at Watford Town Hall concerning the widening of the M1 motorway between Breakspears and Berrygrove, Hertfordshire.

Apart from the Department's principal witness, the inspector's assistant and the programming officer, there were two officials from the ERCU headquarters and up to 10 engineers and draughtsmen who were made available to advise upon technical points raised by objectors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will conduct an investigation to establish to what extent names of towns appearing on direction signs appear on all signs until the town is reached.

Local authorities were advised some years ago that once a place name had appeared on an advance direction sign or on a route confirmatory sign that name should appear on all subsequent signs until the destination was reached. That advice still holds good.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she will take steps to control rentals for moorings of house boats that have been excessively increased by public authorities.

The Price Code applies to charges for the provision of services and some charges for mooring are subject to control under this provision. The Price Code does not apply to rents, which are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, who has no plans for introducing controls in this area.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what has been the total increase in her Department's expenditure incurred as a result of the Government decision, effective as from 1st April 1975, to require contractors for cleaning Government buildings to pay wages comparable with those paid for similar work by local authorities.

The information is not available and is not readily obtainable.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects British tank crews to receive the protection of the new Chobham armour; and whether he will ensure that they do so before the tank crews of other countries having regard to the fact that the armour is of British design.

British tank crews will receive the protection of Chobham armour with the entry into service of the next generation of main battle tank. Meanwhile, we believe it right to exploit the new invention to the benefit of the United Kingdom's economy and balance of payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he proposes that a charge to recoup the cost of research and development will be made to NATO allies who use the new British-designed Chobham armour on their armoured vehicles.

The information on Chobham armour passed to the US and to FRG may be used by them free of charge for certain Government purposes, under agreed arrangements for reciprocal exchanges of information. They may not make use of it for commercial purposes without consulting us, when we would expect to negotiate a suitable royalty.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, at current prices, what has been the Government income from the sale overseas of armaments of all brands and their component parts in each of the years 1956 to 1976, respectively.

The estimated value of Government sales to other countries of all defence armaments, spares and parts in each of the financial years 1966–67 to 1975–76, updated to March 1976 price levels, is as follows:

				£ million
1966–67	…	…	…	85
1967–68	…	…	…	90
1968–69	…	…	…	108
1969–70	…	…	…	113
1970–71	…	…	…	108
1971–72	…	…	…	93
1972–73	…	…	…	120
1973–74	…	…	…	151
1974–75	…	…	…	162
1975–76	…	…	…	135

Similar figures for 1956–1965 are not readily available and could not be provided without disproportionate effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total cost in salaries and fees of the paid public appointments for which he is responsible, namely, the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors and the Board of the Royal Ordnance Factories; and if he will list the names and previous occupations of all those appointed to those two public bodies.

The total cost in salaries and fees of the paid public appointments on the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors and the Board of the Royal Ordnance Factories is about £3,100 annually. The names and present or previous occupations of those serving on these bodies are:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total increase in his Department's expenditure incurred as a result of the Government decision, effective as from 1st April 1975, to require contractors for cleaning Government buildings to pay wages comparable with those paid for similar work by local authorities.

Inflation has led to a substantial increase in the cost of domestic cleaning in buildings occupied by the Ministry of Defence, but it is not possible to isolate the effect of the operation of the clause referred to.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) who authorised the provision to South Africa of the NATO codification system; and whether there are other NATO members supplying to South Africa codification information relating to embargoed equipment under British policy;

I understand that South Africa has used the NATO codification system, which is an entirely open and unclassified system, at its own initiative since the early 1950s. However, such unauthorised use by non-NATO countries can upset the efficient running of the system and the exchange of data. South Africa was, therefore, formally recognised as an operator by NATO in 1959 and allocated a nation code. The United Kingdom helped the South Africans to set up a national codification bureau.There is no central NATO computer containing all codification information; each NATO country is responsible for holding for its own purposes the codification information about the equipment it uses. Under the system, each NATO country is responsible for any links it may operate with non-NATO countries; and there is, therefore, no provision for influencing other member countries' use of the system.Sales are, of course, regulated by the arms export policies of each NATO nation individually. But as the House has already been told, the use of the codification system by non-NATO countries does not give them the right to beneficial treatment over arms purposes.I should point out that the codification system is an automatic data processing method for the identification and stock numbering of equipment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether Project Advokaat transmits naval and other information to his Department; and whether information of that kind is transmitted through other sources to Great Britain by South Africa.

As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (Mr. Steel) on 1st December 1975—[Vol. 901, c. 375–376]—Project Advokaat is a private industrial development being undertaken by a German company for South Africa. Such exchanges of views as take place between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Republic of South Africa on matters of common interest are conducted through the appropriate diplomatic or commercial channels.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why the British Defence Equipment Catalogue sent to the South African Government provides information about items which are subject to the arms embargo policy; and whether, in view of the valuable military information thereby incidentally supplied, he will discontinue the practice of sending the catalogue.

The British Defence Equipment Catalogue contains items which are subject to the arms embargo on South Africa because it is distributed to many other countries besides South Africa.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the date and the mileage limits that were then applicable when Parliament first authorised the free transport of children to school, and the corresponding dates and mileage criteria for any changes that have taken place subsequently.

The Education Act 1902 gave local authorities power to provide transport and the Education (Administrative Provisions) Act 1907 linked this, for school attendance purposes, with the then applicable walking distance—effectively a maximum of three miles for all ages. This obtained until the present walking distances, of two and three miles for pupils under and over eight respectively, were introduced by the Education Act 1944.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what proportion of the total amounts currently spent by the MRC and the ARC on biomedical research and testing programmes is being devoted specifically to the development of replacement techniques;(2) what are the total amounts spent by the MRC and the ARC currently on biomedical research and testing programmes.

Biomedical research is the responsibility of the Medical Research Council, whose total estimated expenditure in 1976–77 is £37 million. The council considers that replacement techniques are most likely to emerge from the planning and conduct of research projects for which animals are being used, and not from separate programmes of development. It encourages its staff to develop and use techniques not involving animals and to publish results. It would be impracticable to allocate funds on the basis of the means rather than the purpose of the research.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in the light of changing social circumstances, he will consider giving building permission for primary schools to have day nursery facilities, together with nursery facilities for very young children in future developments; and if he will make a statement.

Local education authorities are already free to provide nursery classes at new or existing primary schools within their nursery education building allocations. Nursery classes are not normally available for children below the age of three. The provision of day nursery facilities for young children under or over that age who are in need of care is the responsibility of local authority social services departments and as such a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services. I understand that he is ready to consider schemes for day nurseries in conjunction with other facilities if submitted with the agreement of all departments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in the light of difficulties experienced in the various regions of the United Kingdom in obtaining tickets by post from the Royal Opera House and the National Theatre, he will withdraw financial aid from these bodies unless the administrators improve the method of ticket allocation to ensure a fairer distribution.

The Royal Opera House and the National Theatre already make efforts, related to their different circumstances, to assist applicants from the regions seeking tickets, especially by post, so that fair opportunities for obtaining tickets are available to them. Many performances at both these theatres are, however, in great demand. The level of subsidy to both companies is determined by the Arts Council, from the annual grant-in-aid.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the total increase in his Department's expenditure incurred as a result of the Government decision, effective as from 1st April 1975, to require contractors for cleaning Government buildings to pay wages comparable with those paid for similar work by local authorities.