Written Answers To Questions
Tuesday 6th July 1976
Vandalism And Hooliganism
asked the Attorney General whether he is aware of the growth of vandalism, hooliganism and attacks on the police by youths and teenagers; and whether he will advise magistrates to impose more severe penalties where people are found guilty of these offences.
My noble Friend is aware that there has been an increase in offences of this kind. He is satisfied that magistrates generally impose proper penalties in these cases. It is not open to him, or to any other Minister, to direct magistrates as to the manner in which they should exercise their discretion when imposing sentences within the limits laid down by Parliament.
Palace Of Westminster
Outside Organisations (Activities)
asked the Lord President of the Council if he will confirm that representatives of public relations organisations have access only to parts of the Palace of Westminster normally open to the public and that they do not have authority to enter other parts without the express consent of a Member.
Yes.
asked the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the activities of public relations organisations in the Palace of Westminster; and if he will consider registration requirements for commercial lobbying organisations.
I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave him on 22nd June.—[Vol. 913, c. 426–7.]
asked the Lord President of the Council if he is satisfied with the use by public relations organisations of the private dining rooms (Terrace); what steps he proposes to take to regulate this use; and if he will make a statement.
I have been asked to reply.Arrangements for the use of private dining rooms are set out in the Fifth Report from the Select Committee on House of Commons (Services) of Session 1974–1975 (HC 483 1974–1975), and are working satisfactorily.
asked the Lord President of the Council if he will inquire into the activities of representatives of the International News Service within the Palace of Westminster.
Perhaps my hon. Friend will let me know why he thinks an inquiry is necessary.
Energy
North Sea Oil
asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much of North Sea oil he expects to be exported for refining abroad.
North Sea oil is not technically suitable for some United Kingdom purposes, and for others lower-grade imported crudes will equally serve. Therefore, some imports will continue to be necessary even when home production matches our needs, while some exports will make sense in order to enable us to realise the full value of the high quality of North Sea oil. The previous Secretary of State made this clear in his statement of 6th December 1974. In the changing conditions of world oil markets, it is not possible to predict now what the optimum pattern of future disposal will be.
Selby Coalfield
asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the Government have yet agreed that the National Coal Board may go ahead with the Selby coal mine.
Yes. The Government have completed their consideration and I am glad to tell the House that I have approved the NCB's financial and economic assessment for the development of the Selby mine and have agreed that it should go ahead. The board has, of course, already received the necessary planning permission.
Education And Science
Teachers
16.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has regarding the future of student teachers on Merseyside; whether he has had discussions about the problem of unemployment amongst young teachers on Merseyside with Merseyside local authorities; and if he will make a statement.
Teachers are trained on a national, not a regional, basis, and the problem of providing employment for newly trained teachers from the Merseyside training institutions is not, therefore, solely one for the Merseyside local authorities. My right hon. Friend has not had discussions on teacher unemployment with the Merseyside local authorities but has urged local education authorities generally to give priority to the newly qualified when making teaching appointments.
18.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the effect of the cuts in expenditure on teacher employment in Gloucestershire.
The Gloucestershire education authority intends to employ 69 fewer teachers in January 1977 than the number it would need to maintain pupil-teacher ratios at the levels achieved in January 1976.
21.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make an order to enable graduate teachers in independent recognised schools, with more than two years' experience, who then study by correspondence for the Postgraduate Certificate of Education, to teach in the State sector without having to repeat the postgraduate course full-time.
No.
35.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he received from students at teacher training colleges in the course of their lobby of Parliament on 15th June 1976, on the subject of teacher unemployment.
My right hon. Friend met representatives from the South Yorkshire Area Student Council and discussed the question of teacher unemployment with them.
36.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his latest estimate of the shortfall of teaching jobs available for teachers leaving colleges of education in 1976.
I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend earlier today to Questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Goole (Dr. Marshall) and Enfield, North (Mr. Davies) and the hon. Member for Isle of Ely (Mr. Freud).
44.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement about teacher unemployment.
45.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he now has any proposals to improve the employment position of graduates leaving colleges of education this year.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take any steps to deal with the present level of teacher unemployment.
I would refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to Questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Goole (Dr. Marshall) and Enfield, North (Mr. Davies) and the hon. Member for Isle of Ely (Mr. Freud).
58.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers he expects to be unemployed in the forthcoming academic year; and how this compares with the number unemployed at the latest available date.
3,533 unemployed school teachers were recorded at employment offices in England and Wales in March. The level of teacher unemployment will rise in the 1976–77 academic year, but I cannot yet make a reliable forecast because of uncertainty about trends in wastage from and re-entry to the profession.
60.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will consider a proposal to offer newly qualified teachers part-time employment at two-thirds of the salary on the lines of a scheme being introduced by Western Germany.
Local education authorities are already free to offer newly qualified teachers part-time teaching employment on proportionate salary, if they see any advantage in doing so.
Student Fees
19.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning possible increases in tuition fees for students.
Representations have been received from many organisations and individuals. In addition I have seen the Council for Education in the Commonwealth and a joint deputation from the NUT, NATFHE, AUT, Joint Four and NUS, and my hon. Friend the Minister of State has received the United Kingdom Council for Overseas Students Affairs.
30.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what reply he has made to the recommendations of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors concerning student fees.
I refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave yesterday to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing), a copy of which I have sent to my hon. Friend.
Truancy
20.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the meeting he held on 21st June with teachers and welfare officers to discuss truancy.
40.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with teachers and welfare organisations on the question of violence and truancy.
My right hon. Friend and I were grateful for this opportunity to discuss the problems of disruptive behaviour and absence from school with representatives of the local authority and teacher associations and other educational bodies concerned. There was general acceptance at the meeting that the responsibility for tackling these problems must rest ultimately with individual teachers, schools and local authorities. But it was also felt that the dissemination of examples of good practice would be helpful both in tackling problems in the schools and in improving links with the social services and other bodies.
Education Bill
22.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many letters he has received from the general public concerning the Education Bill.
294.
Religious Education
23.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will convene a meeting of Church and parental representatives to consider and advise on religious education.
Responsibility for the content of the religious education syllabus is determined in accordance with procedures laid down in the Educa- tion Act 1944, and my right hon. Friend does not accept that a Government-sponsored national advisory body is either necessary or desirable.
55.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the recent report by the Religious Education Council.
I understand that this document was published for discussion, and has yet to be adopted by the Religious Education Council. In these circumstances there is nothing I wish to add to what I said on religious education in the House on 19th March. —[Vol. 907, c. 1785–1875].
Schools (Inspection)
24.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans for re-establishing the five-yearly full inspections of the schools by Her Majesty's inspectors.
No.
Schooling (Starting Age)
25.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will lower the school starting age from 5 years to 4 years; and what would be the cost to public funds.
I have no plans for such a change and no useful estimate of its cost is possible.
Universities
26.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many extra university places will be available for the 1976–77 session, as compared with the 1975–76 session.
About 5,000.
42.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent consultations he has had with the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals regarding industrial relations in universities.
My right hon. Friend has had no discussions with the Committee, but I understand that it is one of its functions to keep such matters under continuing review.
European Community Action Programme
27.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of the action programme proposed by the EEC Education Ministers meeting within the Council.
Progress is being made on the Action Programme but I have nothing to add at this stage to the details I gave the House during the debate on 10th June.—[Vol. 912, c. 1853.]
Committee Of Vice-Chancellors And Principals
28.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he next intends to meet the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals.
My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans for a meeting.
European Community Directive
29.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in the absence of any jurisdiction over education in the Treaty of Rome, he proposes further to ask the approval of Parliament for EEC Document 82/263/ 76 on education.
The Resolution R 263/76 was adopted having regard to the Treaties establishing the European Communities. It was examined by the Select Committee on European Secondary Legislation, although it contains no proposals for legislation, and it was also subsequently debated on the Floor of the House. In these circumstances, and given the pressure of other important business on the parliamentary timetable, I doubt that time could justifiably be found for a further debate on this issue.
School Transport
31.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now list the principal objections received to his consultative document on school transport.
The Association of Metropolitan Authorities and the Association of County Councils empha- sised the administrative difficulties which the introduction of charging and the abolishing of the walking distances would entail; but the majority of correspondents objected to the principle of charging for travel to and from school, among them the Catholic Education Council, the Church of England Board of Education, the National Union of Teachers, 93 local political and other groups and some 280 individuals, either directly or through their Member of Parliament.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the present state of consultation with local authorities and interested parties on the question of a fixed charge for all school transport, irrespective of mileage limits; and if he will make a statement.
The response of the local authority associations and other interested parties and individuals to the consultative document on school transport has revealed widespread opposition to the introduction of a charge for pupils now receiving free transport. In the present economic situation it would not be possible to devise improved arrangements which did not include such a charge. In these circumstances my right hon. Friend has no plans for further consultation, and is unable to forecast when legislation might be introduced to make significant changes in the present system.
School Building
32.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what effect the Government's economic policy is expected to have on the schools building programme in the inner London area; and if he will make a statement.
Allocations to authorities for school building vary from year to year, depending on relative need, and are made within a national total, which itself varies from year to year with national need and public expenditure constraints. It is, therefore, not possible to answer the Question in the form asked because it is hypothetical. We do not know what the annual totals for school building, and the ILEA's share of these, might have been had public expenditure ceilings been higher for this and future years.
School Staffs (Redundancies)
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will offer further advice to the London boroughs that, in their efforts to conform with the Government's request to economise, they will avoid staff redundancies throughout the schools system and if he will make a statement.
Local education authorities, including the ILEA and the outer London boroughs, were advised in the Joint Circular of 31st December 1975 (DES Circular 15/76) that the rate support grant settlement for 1976–77 provided for the employment of sufficient teachers to maintain in that year the staffing standards achieved in 1975–76. In areas where the total school population is falling, the maintenance of existing staffing standards could result in some reduction in the total teaching force. I understand that where local education authorities are planning such a reduction they expect to achieve it through natural wastage and, where necessary, redeployment of teachers, in order to avoid redundancies. This is in accordance with the advice given in that circular in relation to local authority manpower generally.
Assessment Of Performance Unit
34.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the work of his Department's Assessment of Performance Unit.
The Assessment of Performance Unit is now fully operational. Its Consultative Committee, appointed by my right hon. Friend and widely representative of educational interests, held its first meeting in April, when it received a progress report from the unit and reviewed its future programme of activity. A working group on language, following the lead given by the report of the Bullock Committee, has made considerable progress in preparing to commission the development of assessment materials. A working group on mathematics is being formed and is expected to move quickly to follow up the substantial amount of work already completed in a separate project sponsored by my Department. Groups covering other areas of the curriculum are either operational as in the case of science, or about to become so—for example, moral education. The unit's work is essentially long term, and past experience shows that it takes two to three years to develop and validate new testing material. Nevertheless a promising start has been made.
Secondary School Examinations
39.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to take a decision on the future shape of secondary school examinations.
I intend to consider the proposals put to me by the Schools Council in May for a new Certificate of Extended Education together with the proposals I expect to receive later this month for a new pattern of 16-plus examinations to replace the existing GCE 0 level and CSE examinations. These proposals are of very great importance and it will not be practicable or desirable to reach immediate decisions about them.
Comprehensive Schools (Class Sizes)
47.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average size of a class for a comprehensive school.
In January 1975 the average size of a class—as taught—in maintained comprehensive schools in England and Wales was 22·8 pupils.
Nursery Schools
37.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he proposes to allocate additional resources to the extension of nursery school provision in the near future.
Allocations totalling £8·5 million have already been made to local education authorities in England for nursery education building starts in the current year. I am not yet in a position to make an announcement about allocations beyond 1976–77.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (l) what percentage of children of nursery school age are receiving nursery education in nursery classes in each local education authority;(2) how many rising fives have been admitted early to primary education in each local education authority.
On the assumption that the number of children of nursery age in any given local education authority area can be estimated as
| MAINTAINED SCHOOLS—ENGLAND | ||||
| January 1975 | ||||
| Full-time and part-time pupils under 5 as a percentage of the nursery age group* | Rising fives attending maintained primary schools excluding those in nursery classes | |||
| Local Education Authority | In nursery schools | In nursery classes at primary schools | ||
| (a) | (b) | (c) | ||
| Greater London | ||||
| Barking | … | — | 5·4 | 511 |
| Barnet | … | 3·7 | 6·8 | 841 |
| Bexley | … | 2·7 | 1·9 | 681 |
| Brent | … | 2·1 | 4·7 | 785 |
| Bromley | … | — | 1·3 | 722 |
| Croydon | … | 2·9 | 0·6 | 1,144 |
| Ealing | … | 3·5 | 9·5 | 997 |
| Enfield | … | — | 8·2 | 804 |
| Haringey | … | 4·3 | 14·4 | 733 |
| Harrow | … | 2·5 | 5·8 | 621 |
| Havering | … | — | 1·8 | 837 |
| Hillingdon | … | 2·7 | 8·4 | 757 |
| Hounslow | … | — | 21·8 | 519 |
| Kingston upon Thames | … | 6·4 | 19·6 | 398 |
| Merton | … | 8·7 | 10·8 | 436 |
| Newham | … | 9·6 | 15·1 | 133 |
| Redbridge | … | — | 3·0 | 611 |
| Richmond-upon-Thames | … | 2·7 | 5·0 | 421 |
| Sutton | … | 4·4 | 6·5 | 45 |
| Waltham Forest | … | 3·8 | 2·8 | 667 |
| Total Outer London Boroughs | … | 2·9 | 7·1 | 12,663 |
| ILEA | … | 5·7 | 19·1 | 6,594 |
| Total Greater London | … | 3·8 | 11·0 | 19,257 |
| Metropolitan Districts— | ||||
| West Midlands | ||||
| Birmingham | … | 6·1 | 6·2 | 4,113 |
| Coventry | … | 1·8 | 7·3 | 1,368 |
| Dudley | … | 6·6 | 3·5 | 1,021 |
| Sandwell | … | 2·2 | 14·0 | 1,298 |
| Solihull | … | — | 3·7 | 992 |
| Walsall | … | 6·1 | 11·5 | 1,209 |
| Wolverhampton | … | 5·6 | 7·0 | 1,125 |
| Total | … | 4·7 | 7·4 | 11,126 |
| Merseyside | ||||
| Knowsley | … | — | 4·8 | 753 |
| Liverpool | … | 4·3 | 17·1 | 2,004 |
| St. Helens | … | 1·0 | 0·8 | 869 |
| Sefton | … | 3·0 | 9·4 | 1,254 |
| Wirral | … | 1·2 | 8·1 | 1,424 |
| Total | … | 2·3 | 9·6 | 6,304 |
about one-half of the 1–4 age group, the proportions in receipt of nursery education in maintained schools, in January 1975, are as shown in columns ( a) and ( b) below.
The information available to the Department about rising fives relates only to those attending school in January of each year. In 1975, the numbers attending maintained primary schools, excluding those in nursery classes, are given in column ( c).
| MAINTAINED SCHOOLS—ENGLAND | ||||
January 1975
| ||||
Full-time and part-time pupils under 5 as a percentage of the nursery age group*
| Rising fives attending maintained primary schools excluding those in nursery classes
| |||
Local Education Authority
| In nursery schools
| In nursery classes at primary schools
| ||
| (a) | (b) | (c) | ||
Greater Manchester
| ||||
| Bolton | … | 6·9 | 13·1 | 1,140 |
| Bury | … | 1·9 | 0·7 | 749 |
| Manchester | … | 3·1 | 39·0 | 1,837 |
| Oldham | … | 2·6 | 6·0 | 1,047 |
| Rochdale | … | 11·6 | 5·4 | 960 |
| Salford | … | 7·5 | 11·5 | 1,094 |
| Stockport | … | 4·3 | 1·0 | 1,194 |
| Tameside | … | 4·9 | 6·1 | 1,019 |
| Trafford | … | 0·8 | 4·4 | 903 |
| Wigan | … | 2·5 | 3·4 | 1,448 |
| Total | … | 4·5 | 11·3 | 11,391 |
South Yorkshire
| ||||
| Barnsley | … | 4·6 | 19·8 | 973 |
| Doncaster | … | — | 21·6 | 1,333 |
| Rotherham | … | 4·1 | 13·8 | 1,092 |
| Sheffield | … | 4·5 | 11·2 | 2,219 |
| Total | … | 3·5 | 15·5 | 5,617 |
West Yorkshire
| ||||
| Bradford | … | 4·3 | 14·0 | 1,773 |
| Calderdale | … | 2·1 | 10·0 | 849 |
| Kirklees | … | 6·2 | 5·5 | 1,289 |
| Leeds | … | 1·3 | 9·6 | 2,967 |
| Wakefield | … | 2·2 | 12·4 | 1,310 |
| Total | … | 3·1 | 10·3 | 8,188 |
Tyne and Wear
| ||||
| Gateshead | … | 1·8 | 6·7 | 864 |
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne | … | 5·9 | 9·3 | 989 |
| North Tyneside | … | 3·8 | 8·1 | 807 |
| South Tyneside | … | 8·0 | 3·1 | 679 |
| Sunderland | … | 6·9 | 4·0 | 1,339 |
| Total | … | 5·4 | 6·3 | 4,678 |
| West Midlands | … | 4·7 | 7·4 | 11,126 |
| Merseyside | … | 2·3 | 9·6 | 6,304 |
| Greater Manchester | … | 4·5 | 11·3 | 11,391 |
| South Yorkshire | … | 3·5 | 15·5 | 5,617 |
| West Yorkshire | … | 3·1 | 10·3 | 8,188 |
| Tyne and Wear | … | 5·4 | 6·3 | 4,678 |
| Total Metropolitan Districts | … | 4·0 | 9·9 | 47,304 |
| MAINTAINED SCHOOLS—ENGLAND | ||||
January 1975
| ||||
Full-time and part-time pupils under5 as a percentage of the nursery age group*
| Rising maintained primary schools excluding those in nursery classes
| |||
Local Education Authority
| In nursery schools
| In nursery classes at primary schools
| ||
| (a) | (b) | (c) | ||
Non-Metropolitan Counties
| ||||
| Isles of Scilly | … | — | — | 1 |
| Avon | … | 5·4 | 3·7 | 2,994 |
| Bedfordshire | … | 4·4 | 2·9 | 940 |
| Berkshire | … | 7·7 | 4·5 | 1,883 |
| Buckinghamshire | … | 2·8 | 5·6 | 1,871 |
| Cambridgeshire | … | 3·9 | 8·4 | 1,819 |
| Cheshire | … | 1·6 | 4·2 | 3,665 |
| Cleveland | … | 3·5 | 13·4 | 2,581 |
| Cornwall | … | 0·9 | — | 1,343 |
| Cumbria | … | 4·3 | 5·5 | 1,938 |
| Derbyshire | … | 2·5 | 5·9 | 3,410 |
| Devon | … | 0·3 | 2·7 | 2,599 |
| Dorset | … | — | 2·1 | 1,595 |
| Durham | … | 9·2 | 4·6 | 2,518 |
| East Sussex | … | 1·1 | 3·9 | 1,654 |
| Essex | … | 0·5 | 2·6 | 3,951 |
| Gloucestershire | … | 0·3 | 0·2 | 1,759 |
| Hampshire | … | 0·4 | 1·9 | 2,770 |
| Hereford and Worcester | … | 0·2 | 1·7 | 1,871 |
| Hertfordshire | … | 6·8 | 7·9 | 3,352 |
| Humberside | … | 2·2 | 5·5 | 3,295 |
| Isle of Wight | … | — | 1·2 | 399 |
| Kent | … | 0·2 | 2·4 | 3,411 |
| Lancashire | … | 7·5 | 3·1 | 5,281 |
| Leicestershire | … | 0·1 | 18·7 | 912 |
| Lincolnshire | … | 2·1 | 2·0 | 1,951 |
| Norfolk | … | 1·6 | 2·2 | 2,631 |
| North Yorkshire | … | 1·5 | 4·7 | 2,156 |
| Northamptonshire | … | 3·8 | 1·8 | 2,002 |
| Northumberland | … | 1·1 | 3·3 | 1,063 |
| Nottinghamshire | … | 1·5 | 9·2 | 2,637 |
| Oxfordshire | … | 5·4 | 3·8 | 1,925 |
| Salop | … | 1·8 | 2·7 | 963 |
| Somerset | … | 0·8 | 1·0 | 1,475 |
| Staffordshire | … | 5·4 | 6·0 | 2,927 |
| Suffolk | … | 0·7 | 4·5 | 1,778 |
| Surrey | … | 1·3 | 4·3 | 2,583 |
| Warwickshire | … | 3·2 | 2·3 | 1,869 |
| West Sussex | … | 2·0 | 0·4 | 1,457 |
| Wiltshire | … | — | — | 2,076 |
| Total Non-Metropolitan Counties | … | 2·6 | 4·4 | 87,305 |
| Total England | … | 3·1 | 6·8 | 153,866 |
* One half of the population 1–4 according to the Registrar-General's estimate. | ||||
Arts Council
43.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek to make the Arts Council more democratic and representative of those working in the arts and entertainment.
I shall have these points in mind in considering future appointments although, as my hon. Friend will appreciate, I have to have regard to con- sumer as well as producer interests, since the task of the Arts Council is to develop the arts and improve their availability.
Teacher-Pupil Ratio
38.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many pupils he estimates will be in British schools in 1985, 1990 and 1995; and what percentage of teachers qualifying in 1976 he expects to be employed as teachers in 1985, 1990 and 1995, respectively.
Based on the latest projection of births, the numbers of pupils projected to be in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England and Wales are as follows: January 1985, 7,810,000; January 1990, 7,787,000; January 1995, 8,735,000. The answer to the second part of the Question is so dependent upon employment prospects, both within and outside the teaching profession, between now and 1995 that no meaningful estimates can be made.Projections for Scotland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.
Chorley College Of Further Education
41.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will pay an official visit to Chorley College of Further Education.
I have at present no plans to visit this college.
Burnham Committee
46.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied with the composition of the Burnham Committee.
I have no plans to change the composition at present.
Schools (Class Sizes)
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he remains satisfied with the size of classes in primary and secondary schools.
Despite a steady reduction over recent years in the proportion of oversize classes there is still room for further progress, particularly in primary schools.
Overseas Students
49.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he intends to accept the recommendations of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors in its joint report with the UGC relating to overseas students; and if he will make a statement.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave yesterday to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing), a copy of which has been sent to the hon. Member.
50.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on tuition fees for overseas students for the academic year 1977–78.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave yesterday to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing), a copy of which I have sent to the hon. Member.
59.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, whether he has received the proposals concerning fees for overseas students and the proportion of students from overseas to be admitted to British universities contained in the working party report of the UGC and Committee of Vice-Chancellors; and what reply he has sent.
I have received the report, and considered it in reaching the conclusions which I announced yesterday, a copy of which was sent to my hon. Friend.
Schooling Costs
48.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average cost of maintaining a pupil aged between 11 and 16 years at a comprehensive school.
I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Dorset, South (Mr. King) on 16th June 1976.—[Vol. 913, c. 185–6.]
Secondary Schools (Prospectuses)
51.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will instruct all secondary schools to issue a prospectus to be available on request to parents.
No. My right hon. Friend has no power to do so.
Grammar School Places
52.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many grammar school places will be available in England and Wales for children leaving primary school in 1976.
The Department collects school statistics only as at January of each year, the latest such information available being for 1975. Due to the variations in the rate of secondary school reorganisation it is not possible to derive a reasonable estimate of grammar school entry for the coming autumn. However in January 1975, when 9 per cent. of the maintained secondary school population of England and Wales were in grammar schools, it is estimated that some 50,000 children were in their first year at a maintained grammar school.
Dyslexia
53.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received on the education and training of children suffering from dyslexia.
About 20 letters have been received during the past three months, mainly from local associations and parents.
Sixth Form Pupils
54.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of sixth form pupils are now studying at sixth form colleges.
In January 1975 some 10 per cent. of all pupils on courses at or beyond GCE A level in maintained schools were studying at sixth form colleges. At the same time some 9 per cent. of all pupils over school leaving age in maintained secondary schools —i.e., new as well as traditional sixth formers—were studying at sixth form colleges.
Local Education Authorities
56.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it remains his policy that LEAs should have autonomy in matters of school organisation and curriculum.
I intend to secure the early enactment of the Education Bill now before Parliament which affects the balance of power between central and local government in the organisation of secondary education. I have no present proposals for changing the provisions of the Education Acts dealing with responsibility for the instruction provided in primary and secondary schools. The efficiency of the education provided is a matter of general concern to me and this depends, among other things, on the suitability of the curriculum.
Examination Results (Publication)
57.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek powers to instruct schools to publish details of their pupils' examination results in local newspapers.
My right hon. Friend does not consider that it would be desirable for him to do so.
Schools (Liverpool)
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the average size of classes in primary schools in the Liverpool Education Authority area;(2) what is the average size of secondary school classes in the Liverpool Education Authority area.
In January 1975, the latest year for which figures are available, the average size of class as registered in primary schools in Liverpool LEA area was 27·7 and the average size of class as taught in secondary schools was 22·7.
Migrant Workers' Children
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his policy on the education of children of EEC migrant workers.
I have nothing to add to what I said in the House during the debate on 10th June.—[Vol. 912, c. 1854–7].
Medical Students
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list in the Official Report the number of applicants to each medical school for each of the last four years and for 1976;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report the number of places in each medical school which have been made available to male and female students each year for the past four years; and what he anticipates these figures will be for 1976;
(3) if he will list in the Official Report the number of places allocated at ( a) undergraduate level and ( b) postgraduate level in each medical school to overseas
Of whom:
| ||||||||
Academic year of admission
| Applicants through UCCA
| First year students admitted
| Men
| Women
| Home
| Overseas
| ||
| 1972–73 | … | … | 11,177 | 3,466 | 2,344 | 1,122 | 3,368 | 98 |
| 1973–74 | … | … | 12,915 | 3,416 | 2,309 | 1,107 | 3,318 | 98 |
| 1974–75 | … | … | 13,003 | 3,421 | 2,253 | 1,168 | 3,313 | 103 |
| 1975–76 | … | … | 12,046 | 3,602 | 2,343 | 1,259 | 3,490 | 112 |
Some applicants may have applied outside the UCCA scheme direct to Aberdeen and Glasgow medical schools.
Places are not allocated on a quota basis to men or women, or to home or overseas students. Statistics of admissions for the 1976–77 academic year are, therefore, not available. By 31st March 1976 there had been 11,941 applicants through UCCA but this figure is not comparable with the totals for previous years.
Day Release Courses
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many boys now get day release for education; and how many girls.
In November 1974, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 154,000 boys and 42,000 girls under the age of 18 enrolled on day-release courses at further education establishments in England and Wales.
Home Department
Suffolk Police Headquarters
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he received from the Suffolk Police Authority on the subject of additional staff to man its new police headquarters; and what reply he gave;(2) how many police officers are now engaged at the new Suffolk police headquarters; and how many of these would have been freed for outside questions if he had not rejected the police authority's
students for the last four years and for 1976.
Information on postgraduates, and on undergratduates for individual medical schools is not immediately available. I will write to the hon. Member.The information on total undergraduate admissions to United Kingdom medical schools is:request to recruit additional civilians to man this headquarters office.
The police authority has estimated that 22 additional civilian staff would be needed for the new headquarters and training centre, and it has proposed that these staff should be regarded as outside the current restrictions on the employment of police civilian staff. It has been told that these restrictions must stand, despite the problems that are bound to follow for the police generally, and it has been asked to continue on the basis that civilian staff must be held within the limits set by the rate support grant settlements by 31st March 1977.
Official Secrets Act
64.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the workings of the Official Secrets Act; whether he has any suggestions for amending it; and if he will make a statement.
I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 11th March to a Question from the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed.—[Vol. 907, c. 614.]
Departmental Correspondence
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time elapsing between his receipt of letters from members on departmental matters and the dispatch of a complete reply.
The overall average is 25 working days. This includes many letters which require inquiries to be made outside the Department before complete replies can be sent.
Immigrants (Repatriation)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in the light of the figures for the repatriation of New Commonwealth immigrants given in his Written Answer of Monday 28th June to Questions 81, 90 and 31 from the hon. Member for Louth, if he is satisfied that the employment of one full-time member of staff for this purpose is financially justified; and if he will take steps to make the scheme more efficient.
The operation of this scheme will continue to be kept under review, but we are at present satisfied that no more staff are employed on it than the work requires and we are grateful to the International Social Service of Great Britain for the efficient way in which it administers the scheme on behalf of the Government.
Parkhurst Prisoners
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to establish the inquiry which would hear the claims for compensation and the establishment of their innocence by Messrs. Tony Blythe, Frankie Fraser and Mick Andrews, arising from the Parkhurst incidents of October 1969.
We have no proposals for an inquiry. The three men were convicted in the criminal courts of various offences arising out of the incidents and, therefore, had access to the normal rights of appeal. They were also separately allowed to institute civil proceedings in connection with alleged assaults by prison staff and have done so.
Wives (Eviction Costs)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to prevent police authorities charging deserted wives with the cost of evictions.
No. We do not think that it is necessary or appropriate to legislate on this subject.
Raffles
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is a limit on the maximum value of a raffle prize; and, if so, what the limit is.
£1,000 is the maximum current value of a single prize in a public lottery promoted under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, as amended by the Lotteries Act 1975. In a lottery promoted as an incident of an entertainment under those Acts, the promoters may not appropriate more than £50 of the proceedings of the lottery for prizes. In a private lottery under the 1963 Act there are no such limits.
Television Licence Fees
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the current restrictions affecting refunds on the surrender of unexpired television licences; and whether he is considering any changes in the present situation.
The grounds on which refunds may be given must be limited if the licensing system is to remain manageable. We have no plans to change the present arrangements.
Djakarta
Q6.
asked the Prime Minister if he will seek to make an official visit to Djakarta.
I have no plans to do so.
Blaenau-Gwent
Q7.
asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Blaenau-Gwent.
I have at present no plans to do so.
Secretary Of State For Scotland
Q9.
asked the Prime Minister if he will define the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Scotland.
The Secretary of State for Scotland is responsible for the wide range of functions of the Scottish Office. These include regional and oil development, local government, housing, roads, water and sewerage, health services, police, fire, prisons, civil defence, legal matters, licensing, devolution, education, social work, the arts, agriculture, fisheries and forestry in Scotland The Secretary of State also shares ministerial responsibility with the Lord Advocate for the Scottish courts administration
Tuc And Cbi
Q5.
asked the Prime Minister when he last met the TUC.
Q11.
asked the Prime Minister when he last met the TUC.
Q12.
asked the Prime Minister when he last met the CBI.
Q27.
asked the Prime Minister when he last met the TUC.
Q32.
asked the Prime Minister when he last met the CBI.
Q33.
asked the Prime Minister when he last met the TUC and the CBI.
I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker) on 27th May.
Prime Minister (Engagements)
Q15.
asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 6th July.
Q22.
asked the Prime Minister if he will list his public engagements for 6th July.
Q28.
asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his engagements for 6th July.
Q34.
asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 6th July.
I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet this morning. I shall be holding other meetings throughout the day, including one with the Director General of NEDO.
Nationalised Industries (Chairmen)
Q10.
asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the heads of nationalised industries.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, North-West (Mr. Robinson) on 22nd June.
National Economic Development Council
Q13.
asked the Prime Minister when he next proposes to take the chair at NEDC.
Tomorrow.
Portugal (President)
Q14.
asked the Prime Minister what plans he has for meeting the new President of Portugal.
I have at present no plans for such a meeting. However, my colleagues and I look forward to contacts and exchanges with the newly-elected leaders of Portugal in due course.
Altrincham And Sale
Q16.
asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Altrincham and Sale.
I have at present no plans to do so.
Ministerial Broadcasts
Q18.
asked the Prime Minister when he intends to make his next ministerial broadcast on the state of the nation.
Q20.
asked the Prime Minister when he next intends to make a ministerial broadcast on the state of the nation.
Q25.
asked the Prime Minister when he next proposes to make a ministerial broadcast on the state of the nation.
Q29.
asked the Prime Minister when he intends to make his next ministerial broadcast on the state of the nation.
I refer the right hon. Member and the hon. Members to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Lawson) on 27th April.
France (Prime Minister)
Q19.
asked the Prime Minister when he next expects to visit the French Prime Minister.
I have no plans to visit the French Prime Minister, although I would hope to see him when I visit Paris later this year at the invitation of President Giscard d'Estaing.
Immigrant Reception Areas
Q17.
asked the Prime Minister if he will visit the main immigration reception areas, including the West Midlands.
I have at present no plans to do so.
Energy Policy (Minister's Speech)
Q21.
asked the Prime Minister if the public speech made by the Secretary of State for Energy at Wakefield, West Yorkshire, on Saturday, 19th June 1976 in regard to energy policy represents the policy of the Government.
Yes.
Secretary Of State For Trade
Q23.
asked the Prime Minister if he will define the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Trade.
The Secretary of State for Trade is responsible for the work of the Department of Trade, whose functions include responsibility for commercial policy and relations with over- seas countries; promotion, under the direction of the British Overseas Trade Board, of British exports; sponsorship of the shipping and civil aviation industries; international negotiations concerning shipping and civil aviation; the regulation of marine safety; the general regulation of industrial and commercial enterprises, for company law, patent, trade mark, copyright and insurance matters; and sponsorship of the tourism, hotel and travel, newspaper, printing, publishing and film industries and distributive and service trades. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the Export Credits Guarantee Department, whose functions are to provide a credit insurance facility and to guarantee finance for exported goods and services.
Western Isles
Q24.
asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to the Western Isles.
I have at present no plans to do so.
Isle Of Ely
Q26.
asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to the Isle of Ely.
I have at present no plans to do so.
Broadcasting And Social Values (Prime Minister's Speech)
Q30.
asked the Prime Minister whether he will place in the Library a copy of his public speech on broadcasting and social values made in Manchester on 18th June at the opening of the BBC Broadcasting House.
I did so the same day.
Honours Awards
Q31.
asked the Prime Minister what factors he takes into account when advising Her Majesty on the award of honours.
The main factors are outstanding public service and distinction in any walk of life.
Immigration
Q35.
asked the Prime Minister whether, in addition to delegations from immigrant representatives in England, he has received a similar delegation from English people; and, if not, what steps he is taking to inform himself of their views on immigration.
I am well aware of the wide range of views on all aspects of community relations and immigration; and no such delegation is necessary.
Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs
Resources Of The Sea
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline the rights of the United Kingdom, relative to the EEC treaties and expected future international agreements, in respect of the resources of the sea and sea bed, other than fisheries, not covered by North Sea agreements.
The United Kingdom already has sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring for and exploiting the living and non-living resources of the Continental Shelf as far as the outer edge of the continental margin. The European Commission has indicated that the natural resources of the Continental Shelf belong entirely to the member States concerned, which may therefore derive the full economic advantage from them.As regards the future, Her Majesty's Government join in the extensive support at the United Nations Law of the Sea Conference for an exclusive economic zone, within which the coastal State would exercise sovereign rights over all living and non-living economic resources of the sea and sea bed. Her Majesty's Government have also proposed that the conference should declare that the coastal State's jurisdiction over Continental Shelf resources extends as far as the outer edge of the margin, where this lies more than 200 miles from the coast, and support proposals at the conference that coastal States should share with the international community a proportion of the revenue derived from exploitation of Continental Shelf resources beyond 200 miles. Her Majesty's Government also hope that the conference will reach agreement on an international régime to govern the exploitation of the mineral resources of the deep sea bed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.
New Hebrides
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the continuing unrest in the New Hebrides; and whether he is satisfied with the impartiality of the judicial processes which led up to the arrest of the National Party member, Shem Rarua, for murder on 6th June 1976.
Mr. Shem Rarua has not been arrested for or implicated in the killing mentioned. However, his brother Harrison Rarua, has been arrested in connection with the murder of a New Hebridean youth on 6th June. We are satisfied that the judicial processes have been properly followed.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the attainment of independence for the New Hebrides in 1977.
No timetable has been fixed. The Governments of France and Great Britain recognise and respect the aspirations of the people of the New Hebrides and will work together for the orderly and democratic evolution of the New Hebrides in accordance with the basic principles of self-determination.The following is the text of a joint ministerial message of 29th June 1976 on this subject.ANGLO/FRENCH CONDOMINIUM OF
THE NEW HEBRIDES
Joint Ministerial Message published on 29 th June 1976
This first meeting of the Representative Assembly is a milestone in the history of the New Hebrides, with which we as the Ministers responsible in Paris and London are proud to be associated.
We were impressed by the very high poll in the elections last November.
It is evident that the people of the New Hebrides are ready to make their voice heard in the affairs of the group and in determining their own future development. The Governments of France and Great Britain recognise and respect these aspirations and will work together for the orderly and democratic evolution of the New Hebrides in accordance with the basic principle of self-determination.
Much remains to be done to overcome the less happy legacies from the past, but we must look to the future, not the past.
The 1914 Protocol is not a satisfactory basis for a relationship between our peoples in 1976 but we do not propose to embark on new negotiations to define rights and responsibilities for ourselves in the New Hebrides.
Our intention is to co-operate with each other in building the future of the group in full agreement with the people of the New Hebrides.
The establishment of this Representative Assembly is just a beginning.
The experience drawn from this first legislature will lead us, if you so desire, to look into the transfer to this Assembly of a greater measure of legislative responsibility and to consider the creation of an executive body to supervise the Condominium services.
We have instructed the two Resident Commissioners to draw up plans to rationalise the joint Administration. This process is to start during the present Assembly and we intend to complete it as soon as possible, to create an administration closely adapted to the needs of the New Hebrides.
In parallel with this task, improvements in the workings of the Representative Assembly itself can be studied.
We also invite you to consider with us during this Assembly how best to achieve these aims. We do not wish to impose institutions on the French or British model, but to draw on what is best irrespective of origin.
We shall look to your wisdom and cooperation, and those of all sections of the community, to devise democratic methods of government to suit the present and future needs of the New Hebrides.
Our role will be to help in any way we can, and to provide the specialist advice or material assistance which you may seek.
We shall not allow differences of language, of culture, of tradition or of race to weaken our shared determination to make the New Hebrides a truly exemplary society in which all constituent groups can live and work in peace.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied that both Administrations in the New Hebrides are maintaining due political impartiality in the internal politics of the Condominium.
Yes. Impartiality is an essential element of joint policy.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the functioning of the Regional Assembly of the New Hebrides; and when he expects existing disputes about representation to be settled.
The Representative Assembly met without representatives of the customary chiefs from 29th June. It recommended the establishment of a separate independent council to advise on custom matters, including the criteria for choosing chiefs to represent custom in the Assembly. Some seats of representatives of the people which were challenged await the result of appeals in the Joint Court.
European Parliament
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take an early opportunity to seek to address the European Parliament.
My right hon. Friend has at present no firm plans to do so.
Duchy Of Lancaster (Staff)
asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many men and how many women he has on his staff.
There are five men and five women on my staff within the Cabinet Office. In addition I am served by a staff of nine men and seven women in the Duchy of Lancaster Office, which is not a Government Department.
Employment
Public Sector
63.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the number employed in the public sector including the Civil Service, but excluding serving members of the Armed Forces, at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will express this as a percentage of the total working population.
At June 1974 the number of persons employed in the public sector in the United Kingdom—excluding Her Majesty's Forces—was estimated at 6,498,000, which represented 25·4 per cent. of the total working population.
Unemployed Persons
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the working population were unemployed in the United Kingdom in cach year since 1950.
Rates of unemployment are calculated by expressing the numbers unemployed as percentages of the estimated numbers of employees, including the unemployed. Following is the information available for June each year:
| Per cent. | |||||
| June 1950 | … | … | … | … | 1·4 |
| June 1951 | … | … | … | … | 1·0 |
| June 1952 | … | … | … | … | 1·6 |
| June 1953 | … | … | … | … | 1·5 |
| June 1954 | … | … | … | … | 1·2 |
| June 1955 | … | … | … | … | 1·0 |
| June 1956 | … | … | … | … | 1·0 |
| June 1957 | … | … | … | … | 1·2 |
| June 1958 | … | … | … | … | 1·8 |
| June 1959 | … | … | … | … | 1·9 |
| June 1960 | … | … | … | … | 1·4 |
| June 1961 | … | … | … | … | 1·2 |
| June 1962 | … | … | … | … | 1·7 |
| June 1963 | … | … | … | … | 2·1 |
| June 1964 | … | … | … | … | 1·5 |
| June 1965 | … | … | … | … | 1·2 |
| June 1966 | … | … | … | … | 1·2 |
| June 1967 | … | … | … | … | 2·1 |
| June 1968 | … | … | … | … | 2·3 |
| June 1969 | … | … | … | … | 2·2 |
| June 1970 | … | … | … | … | 2·4 |
| June 1971 | … | … | … | … | 3·2 |
| June 1972 | … | … | … | … | 3·5 |
| June 1973 | … | … | … | … | 2·5 |
| June 1974 | … | … | … | … | 2·3 |
| June 1975 | … | … | … | … | 3·7 |
| June 1976* | … | … | … | … | 5·7 |
| *Provisional. | |||||
Temporary Employment Subsidy
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications for temporary employment subsidy have been received from firms in Greater London; how many have been approved; how many have been rejected; and what has been the total number of jobs saved.
As at 25th June, the latest available date, 78 applications, covering 4,025 workers had been received from employers in Greater London. Of these 45 applications had been approved, affecting 2,243 workers, and seven applications covering 111 workers had been rejected. The total number of jobs saved is 2,243.
Woolwich
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out the figures of wholly unemployed and unfilled vacancies at the Woolwich employment exchange for each of the last 12 months.
Following is the information:
| WOOLWICH EMPLOYMENT OFFICE AREA | |||
| Notified vacancies remaining unfilled | |||
| at | at | ||
| Numbers unemployed | Employment Office | Careers Offices | |
| July 1975 | 2,340 | 343 | 91 |
| August 1975 | 2,680 | 334 | 76 |
| September 1975 | 2,921 | 774 | 74 |
| October 1975 | 2,802 | 276 | 93 |
| November 1975 | 2,851 | 253 | 108 |
| December 1975 | 3,001 | 192 | 80 |
| January 1976 | 3,308 | 192 | 49 |
| February 1976 | 3,408 | 282 | 56 |
| March 1976 | 3,435 | 290 | 59 |
| April 1976 | 3,995 | 264 | 83 |
| May 1976 | 3,563 | 267 | 122 |
| June 1976 | 3,523 | 317 | 89 |
School Leavers
asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many school leavers in the Woolwich area he estimates will be seeking employment in the summer; and how many unfilled vacancies in the area he believes to be suitable for them;(2) how many inner London school leavers he expects to be seeking employment in the summer; and how many unfilled vacancies in the area he estimates are likely to be suitable for them.
It is expected that about 18,000 summer school leavers, including those who left on the new school leaving date in May, will be seeking employment in the area covered by the Inner London Education Authority Careers Service and that, of these, about 1,500 will be in the Woolwich-Greenwich careers office area.
The number of vacancies notified for young people and remaining unfilled in the ILEA area on 6th June was 5,282, of which 89 were in the Woolwich-Greenwich area. It is not possible to predict at this stage what the number of unfilled vacancies will be later in the year, but there has been an encouraging increase in the last two months.
Teachers
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school teachers were registered at unemployment offices in England and Wales in April and May compared with the figure of 3,533 for the month of March.
I regret that this information is not available. The numbers unemployed are analysed by occupation at quarterly intervals, and I will write to the hon. Member when the figure for June is available.
Pay Limit
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the specific nature of the supply contracts carried out by the three contractors interviewed by his officials regarding breaches of the pay limits, as described in the Minister of State's answer to the hon. Member for Melton on 24th June.
Each of the contractors held a number of public supply contracts, but it would involve a disproportionate expenditure of time and resources to provide details of these.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment why Command Paper No. 6507 provides no transitional provisions on similar lines to those contained in paragraph 8 of Command Paper No. 6151.
The provisions of paragraph 8 of Cmnd. 6151 were designed to enable certain pre-existing commitments to be implemented on or after 1st August 1975, even where they were in excess of the £6 figure. There is no case for similar transitional provisions on this occasion. But in the few cases where settlements partially implemented before 11th July 1975 provide for increases on or after 1st August 1976 these may be implemented in full but count against the new pay figure.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how the 12-months rule, as set out in Command Paper No. 6507, applies to those who received more than one increase in the current period.
The White Paper makes clear that for all groups increases within the new limit may be implemented 12 months after the major increase which they received in the current period; this will usually be the anniversary of their normal negotiating date, but where more than one increase has been received it may be necessary to consider the particular circumstances of the case.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what exceptions are allowed outside the new general pay limit set out in Command Paper No. 6507.
Since there are no new transitional provisions, and equal pay has in general been achieved, the exceptions are even fewer than under the current £6 policy. Apart from new or improved occupational pension schemes up to the minimum requirements for contracting out under the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, they include any increase that may still be necessary in particular cases to comply with the Equal Pay Act or other legislation and improvements to enhance job security, such as new or improved redundancy payment schemes, guaranteed week provisions and sick pay schemes.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what guidance he intends to publish on the interpretation of the pay policy set out in Command Paper No. 6507.
Apart from matters detailed in the White Paper, the interpretation of the policy in particular circumstances will in general be the same as in the current period. The question and answer briefing for negotiators, published last year in my Department's "Employment News", will be accordingly revised and re-issued shortly.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whethr cniesaeser State for Employment whether increases in London weighting or other geographical allowances are allowable outside the pay limit set out in Command Paper No. 6507.
No. The White Paper makes clear that any increase in London weighting allowances which may become due on or after 1st August 1976 must be contained within and offset against the new pay limit; those which became due in the previous 12 months can be paid only if contained within and offset against the £6 limit.
Textiles
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs were lost in the textile and clothing industry in Yorkshire and Humberside, to the most recent practicable date in 1976.
Precise information about jobs lost is not available, but an indication of the net change can be obtained by comparing the levels of employment at different dates. Between December 1974 and December 1975, the latest date for which information is available, the number of employees in employment in the textiles, leather and clothing industries in Yorkshire and Humberside decreased by about 8,000. This figure is provisional. Information for March 1976 will be available shortly.
Raffles
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether payments above the £6 pay limit in the form of raffle tickets are contrary to the Government's pay policy
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the conferring of a benefit by employers on their workers in the form of a free raffle without limit on the value or number of prizes is within the present pay policy.
Raffles introduced with the intention of providing a non-wage benefit or as a form of incentive bonus in addition to what the pay limits might afford would not, in my view, be consistent with the pay policy.
Unemployment Benefit (Mr T Judd)
asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to be able to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Ely, dated 27th May, about Mr. T. Judd's unemployment benefit.
A reply was despatched on 2nd July 1976.
Environment
Railways
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much would be saved annually by closing the least remunerative 2,000 miles of railway.
Calculations of potential savings from closures are a matter for the Railways Board. I have drawn the attention of the board to my hon. Friend's Question.
Road Accidents
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the total economic loss incurred by road accidents for 1975; what is his estimate in respect of the loss attributed to deaths and personal injuries for the same period; what were the corresponding figures for 1950, 1960, 1970 and 1974; what is the estimated loss expected for the current calendar year; and if he will make a statement.
The following is the information. Costs are expressed in terms of 1975 prices. Figures for 1950 are not available. It is too early to make any prediction for 1976, but total casualties for the first three months are about the same as in the corresponding period of 1975.
| Total Accidents | Total Casualties | ||
| £m. | £m. | ||
| 1960 | … | 725 | 300 |
| 1970 | … | 805 | 395 |
| 1974 | … | 840 | 415 |
| 1975 (provisional) | … | 815 | 380 |
Vehicle Licences (Welsh Language)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to require the Vehicle Registration Department and the Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea to issue leaflets, such as INS 11, in a bilingual format in Wales.
I will consider the implications and cost of introducing a bilingual INS 11 and write to the hon. Member. The other leaflet issued to vehicle keepers from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre is INS 13, which is already issued bilingually in Wales.
Essex (Housing)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average mortgage repayment per annum per mortgagor in Essex during each of the last five years.
I regret that the information requested is not available.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated proportion of the local authority housing stock in Essex that becomes available for reletting each year.
Based on the Department's latest Relets Enquiry, it is estimated that, in 1974, 3 per cent of the local authority stock in South-East England, including Greater London, became available for reletting to new tenants. A separate estimate for Essex is not available.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authority dwellings in Essex were sold during each of the last five years; and what was the average selling price of such dwellings in each of these years.
The reported numbers of dwellings sold, including those built expressly for sale, by local authorities and new towns in Essex are:
| Local authorities | New towns | ||
| 1971–72 | … | 264 | 2,102 |
| 1972–73 | … | 1,088 | 6,147 |
| 1973–74 | … | 320 | 620 |
| 1974–75 | … | 25 | 66 |
| 1975–76 | … | 78 | 73 |
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of tenants to whom local authority dwellings in Essex were sold received a mortgage from (a) the local authority and (b) building societies, during each of the last five years.
I regret that the information requested is not available.
Windscreens
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider introducing legislation to make laminated windscreens compulsory.
Such a step would not be justified without evidence of a clear advantage in safety. Both laminated and toughened glass windscreens can cause severe injury in accidents; but most of the injuries from windscreens would be avoided if people wore their seat belts.
Land Rover Services Ltd
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if Land Rover Services Ltd., College Road, Perry Barr, has appealed to his Department against the enforcement notice served by Birmingham City Council; and, if so, when he expects to make a decision.
Yes. An inquiry is to take place on 12th October. A decision will be given when the inspector's report has been considered.
Fuel Conservation
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what are the reasons for the delay in using the power contained in Section 61 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which amends Section 61(2) of the Public Health Act 1936, to make building regulations to further the conservation of fuel and power; why prior to taking the necessary enabling powers, his Department has circulated suggested changes rather than formal proposals; and What are the obstacles to early progress in this matter;(2) whether he will give an assurance that the reason why the letter from his Department dated 9th April 1976, reference number BRA/668/20, contains suggestions rather than formal proposals for altering the building regulations is not because legal or drafting difficulties have arisen in bringing into force the necessary enabling powers; and what time-scale he now envisages for further progress in this matter.
Before we frame formal regulations to conserve energy, we must ensure that our proposals are technically sound, that designers and manufacturers can make themselves ready for them, and that the energy savings they would bring would justify the costs of compliance and enforcement. These considerations, rather than a legal difficulty about formal commencement which we have detected and are working upon, have led us to publish our suggestions early and informally. We are receiving many detailed comments on this complex technical matter, all of which we shall take carefully into account. At present I cannot forecast how quickly this will progress.
Dogs
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the Working Party Report on Dogs; and if he will make a statement as to the implementation of the conclusions of that report.
The question of the publication of this report is under consideration and I expect to be able to make an announcement in the very near future. The next step would be consultation with a wide range of interested parties.
Roads
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will initiate a survey of all country roads to assess the impact of the cuts in maintenance spending.
The Department is collaborating with local highway authori-effects on all roads of reductions in maintenance expenditure.
Handicapped Persons (Mobility)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to which organisations he has sent copies of the EEC Consultative Document on the Elimination of Architectural Barriers to the Mobility of Handicapped Persons (R/2215/75 (SOC 178)); what consultations he has had with organisations representing disabled people; what is his policy towards the Consultative Document; and if he will make a statement.
The Central Council for the Disabled was represented on the group which drew up the EEC Memorandum in question. I did not consider consultations at that stage to be appropriate. I indicated the implications for the Government's housing policies of this report by nongovernmental experts in the explanatory memorandum I laid before the House on 19th December 1975. Since then there has been one meeting at official level with the Commission to explore the possibility of implementing the proposals in the report. We presently await their proposals. Matters are, therefore, still at a very preliminary stage.
Long Sutton (Bypass)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many alternative routes are still being considered for the Long Sutton bypass.
The three put forward by the Department in the course of public consultation.
Registration Records (Questionnaires)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment by what statutory authority officials of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre have selected from his Department's registration records the names and addresses of individual constituents of the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds for the purpose of requesting them to complete 11-page questionnaires about the condition, price, mileage and ownership of the cars they drive; why he is permitting information gathered from the public for one reason, namely vehicle registration, to be used for another, namely soliciting consumer reaction on behalf of another Government agency; who is paying for this undertaking; and what is the estimated cost so far to public funds.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre is itself mailing questionnaires to selected new car owners on behalf of the National Consumer Council thus protecting the confidentiality of the information on the vehicle register. No stautory authority is required for this. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary, but the results should be of considerable interest both to industry and to the consumer. The National Consumer Council is reimbursing the costs incurred by the centre on this exercise.
Scotland
Teachers
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement on teacher unemployment.
I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply of 30th June to the hon. Member for Dunbartonshire, East (Mrs. Bain) and others.—[Vol. 914, c. 365–8.]
X-Ray Apparatus (Brain Scans)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the current and proposed levels of installation of Emiscan X-ray apparatus in Scotland; and how many children and adults are likely to be able to receive routine and emergency brain scans as a result of these installations.
One EMI scanner is at present in operation at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, and one at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh. Two more are in course of installation, one at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, and one at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and are expected to be in operation in a few weeks' time. It is considered that this scale of provision will provide adequate facilities for current requirements.
Hospital Consultants
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospital consultants were employed in Glasgow and Lanarkshire, respectively, at the most recent convenient date.
At 30th September 1975, the latest date for which comprehensive figures are available, the Greater Glasgow Health Board employed the whole-time equivalent of 490·9 medical and dental consultants and the Lanarkshire Health Board 82·3.
Geriatric Patients
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many beds are provided for geriatric persons in hospitals within the Monklands area; and, of this total, how many are long-stay cases and geriatric assessment cases, respectively.
301 beds in the local government district of Monklands are classified as geriatric; 273 are designated for long-stay patients and 28 for geriatric assessment purposes.
Fish Farming
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Government intend to bring in legislation to improve the prospects of fish farming in Scotland; and if he will take steps to classify the activities of fish farming as agriculture, since it is food production, and to bring it within the responsibility of the agricultural officials in his Department rather than the Fisheries Section.
My right hon. Friend has no plans at present for any legislation directed particularly at fish farming. The newly-enacted Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976 contains provisions which free fish farming from legal restraints relevant to the conservation of wild fish. I do not accept that all food production should be treated for all purposes on the same footing as agriculture.
Defence
Raf Malta (Local Personnel)
61.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with the Maltese Government about terminal or redundancy benefits for locally-established personnel employed by the RAF in Malta; what account he took of the views of the Maltese Government before reaching the decision announced in the British High Commission's Press release of 28th May 1976; and if he will make a statement.
When the military facilities agreement was signed in 1972 it was made clear that RAF locally enlisted personnel in Malta would not become eligible for redundancy benefits; the engagements of all were due to end before 31st March 1979, the expiry date of the agreement, and none therefore would be redundant.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State reviewed the matter following his visit to Malta in January of this year, when he held discussions with the Maltese authorities but he decided that the position adopted by Her Majesty's Government in 1972 remained valid.
Shelling Incident (Scotland)
62.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the recent incident which involved the shelling of a small boat by warships off the north coast of Scotland, the details of which have been forwarded to him; and if he will take immediate steps to institute an inquiry into the incident in order to arrange compensation and an apology for the anxiety and worry experienced by Mr. and Mrs. Grove of 30 Forest Road, Kew, Richmond, Surrey.
I am looking into this and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Armed Forces Overseas
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1945 the number of members of the British armed forces stationed permanently outside the United Kingdom.
The numbers of United Kingdom-based Service personnel, male and female, stationed outside the United Kingdom were as follows:
| 31st December 1946 | … | 643,343 |
| 1947 | … | 412,474 |
| 1948 | … | 251,502 |
| 1949 | … | 226,222 |
| 1950 | … | 232,942 |
| 1951 | … | 275,886 |
| 1952 | … | 282,674 |
| 1953 | … | 298,441 |
| 1954 | … | 293,633 |
| 1955 | … | 250,134 |
| 1956 | … | 261,689 |
| 1957 | … | 202,717 |
| 1958 | … | 191,065 |
| 1959 | … | 167,509 |
| 1960 | … | 167,445 |
| 1961 | … | 157,659 |
| 1962 | … | 150,178 |
| 1963 | … | 151,068 |
| 1964 | … | 153,684 |
| 1965 | … | 156,390 |
| 1966 | … | 148,605 |
| 1967 | … | 132,702 |
| 1968 | … | 125,606 |
| 1969 | … | 117,996 |
| 1970 | … | 113,554 |
| 1971 | … | 106,258 |
| 1972 | … | 102,556 |
| 1973 | … | 98,329 |
| 1974 | … | 97,374 |
| 1975 | … | 91,735 |
Cost Limitation
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he proposes to take to ensure that a rigid system of cost limitation applies to his Department, similar to that applicable in other areas of Government.
The Defence budget is already scrutinised, along with all other Department's programmes, in the annual Public Expenditure Surveys. Additionally, under the new system of cash control being applied to a large proportion of public expenditure, the overwhelming majority of Defence budget expenditure is subject to a cash limit in 1976–77. As explained in the White Paper on cash limits (Command 6440) the only major exclusion is expenditure on Service pensions.
Wales
Self Employed Persons
65.
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a ministerial broadcast on the state of the self-employed in Wales.
I have at present no plans to do so.
Ministerial Appointments
asked the Secretary of State for Wales why details of the expenses, as paid or claimed by the eight peers, as detailed in his reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West on 11th June, are not available.
My Department has no information on expenses where these are paid directly by public bodies to their Members. In cases where expenses are met from Welsh Office votes the payments for 1975–76 have now been identified as follows:
| £ | |
| The Marquis of Anglesey | 291·36 |
| Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor | 102·76 |
| Lord Davies of Llandinam | 100·81 |
| Lord Haycock | Nil |
Pork
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the present prices paid to pig producers for pork meat in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
Pig prices in Wales have been generally comparable with those in the rest of the United Kingdom and producers have been obtaining good returns from the market. Prices recently have been subject to the usual seasonal decline but are expected to remain firm during the rest of this year.
Markets
asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding the control by local authorities in Wales of open air markets; and if he will make a statement.
My right hon. and learned Friend received representations from the Rhymney Valley District Chamber of Trade and Commerce pointing out the concern of small shopkeepers in South Wales about planning arrangements for the distributive trades, including Sunday Markets and other matters. A reply was sent on 8th June explaining the relevant planning controls. I shall send a copy to the hon. Member.
Regional Development Policy
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to seek to include the whole of Wales in the less favoured areas scheme.
No. Under the Less-Favoured Areas Directive (75/268/ EEC) it is possible to designate only those areas which, as well as being mainly suitable for extensive livestock farming and yielding low economic returns, also suffer from a low or dwindling population predominantly dependent on agriculture. This requirement would prevent the designation of several parts of Wales. Under the criteria of eligibility set out in my reply to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Evans) on 29th June—[Vol. 914, c. 142–3]—around three-quarters of the agricultural land area of Wales is included within the less favoured area.
Industry
Northern Region
asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the number of applications made in the past 12 months in the Northern Region for financial assistance under Section 7 of the Industry Act 1972, and the number of such applications which were successful in obtaining aid.
In the year ending 31st May 1976, 221 applications for regional selective assistance were received for projects located in the Northern Region and 143 offers were made.
National Enterprise Board
asked the Secretary of State for Industry when the statement of the amount of the consideration for British Leyland and Rolls-Royce shares transferred to the NEB on 27th February 1976 will be laid.
I hope to lay the statement shortly.
Trade
Tourism
asked the Secretary of State for Trade what were the financial grants in aid to the Welsh Tourist Board, the Scottish Tourist Board and the English Tourist Board during the past three years; and what is the anticipated provision for the current financial year.
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to his previous Questions on this subject, which appeared in the Official Report of 17th April in respect of Scotland and Wales, and the Official Report of 13th April in respect of England.
Aircraft Noise
asked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress has been made with the scheme under consideration at Birmingham Airport for the payment of grants for the sound insulation of dwellings affected by aircraft noise.
pursuant to his reply—[Official Report, 5th June 1976; Vol. 914; c. 373–4], gave the following information:As the proposed West Midlands County Council Bill, under which the council intended obtaining powers to make these grants, has been stopped, further progress on this matter depends on the promotion of further local or public legislation.
asked the Secretary of State for Trade what research his Department has carried out in assessing aircraft noise annoyance, noise insulation of buildings, operational methods of noise control and the effects of aircraft noise on health.
pursuant to his reply—[Official Report, 5th June 1976; Vol. 914; c. 373–4], gave the following information:There has been since the Wilson Committee Report on noise in 1963, a considerable amount of research on the assessment and means of abatement of noise nuisance of all kinds, some of it partly relevant to the problems of aircraft noise and some of it confined to that subject. Much the biggest effort financially has been by the Government and the aircraft building industry on ways of quietening aircraft engines but the matters named in the hon. Member's Question have also been the subject of research and current outlay in such research is running at about £100,000 a year.On noise annoyance evaluation, there has been one large-scale social survey around Heathrow, several lengthy reports on the methodology involved in compiling, and the weaknesses and strengths of, the NNI index, reports on the relation of such indexes to the incidence of complaints, as well as continuing research in the field in order to compile height profiles and create footprints of the noise made by all types of aircraft. There have also been reports on specific problems, such as the interruption of teaching in schools.On noise insulation of buildings, work has been and is being done by the Building Research Establishment, financed mainly by the Department of the Environment, although the results are available to the Department of Trade.On operational noise abatement, there has been significant research on and there is still research in train on such matters as managed drag approach and two segment approach take-off techniques, and the use of minimum noise routes, some of this in co-operation with the Noise Advisory Council.On the effects of aircraft noise on health, a large-scale project was initiated by my Department in 1972 under the aegis of the Medical Research Council. The results of the first two years' work now available to me are thought to justify a further three years' work to try to secure an unambiguous answer to the question whether, and at what level, aircraft noise has effects on physical and mental health.
Dental Materials (Imports)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the total cost of the imports of dental materials in each of the last three years; what examination has been made of costs and availability of materials manufactured in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
I have been asked to reply.The total cost of imported dental materials in each of the last thre years is as follows:
| 1973 | 1974 | 1975 |
| £999,000 | £1,408,000 | £1,573,000 |
Spectacle Frames (Imports)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the total cost of the import of spectacle frames used for National Health Service provision in each of the last three years; what examination has been made of costs and availability of frames manufactured in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
I have been asked to reply.Nil. No spectacle frames manufactured outside the United Kingdom have been approved for use as National Health Service frames. Prior to 1973 the Department negotiated fair and reasonable prices with the manufacturers, since when their prices have been subject to Price Commission control. There are ample supplies of frames.
Prices And Consumer Protection
Price Code
asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she will give a breakdown showing how and in what way she estimates her easing of the Price Code will increase the Retail Price Index by only 1 per cent.
Only a broad estimate is feasible of the total effect of Price Code relaxations, and it would be misleading to purport to disaggregate the estimate in Cmnd. 6540.
Profits
asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she will publish estimates, approximate if need be, of the effect on both pre-tax and post-tax rates of return on capital, defined as gross company trading profits after depreciation and stock appreciation, both at replacement cost, on net capital stock plus book value of stocks, of the increase in corporate profits which would follow from the modifications to the Price Code proposed in Command Paper No. 6540; and what she estimates the pre-tax and post tax rates of return (as defined above) will be in 1976 and 1977, assuming present tax structures and rates.
It is not the practice to publish forecasts of the rate of return on capital, since profits forecasts and estimates of capital values are subject to wide margins of error.
asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she will publish all the assumptions used to arrive at the forecast that the modifications to the Price Code proposed in Command Paper No. 6540 will raise the index of retail prices by 1 per cent. over 12 months; and whether she will attribute to each distinct measure of relief the approximate amount by which she anticipates that measure will raise corporate profits and the index of retail prices.
The critical assumption is that about the level of demand, on which certain Government forecasts were included in the Financial Statement and Budget report. For the remainder of this Question I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to my hon. Friend for Newham, North-West (Mr. Lewis).
Northern Ireland
Police Liaison Committees
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in how many DEA's police liaison committees are operating; and if he is satisfied with the role they are performing.
Police liaison committees are operating in 21 district electoral areas. These are informal bodies, set up on the initiative of the individual local authorities with the co-operation of the RUC, and I understand they are providing a very useful forum for exchange of views on local policing matters.
Criminal Injury Compensation
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much compensation has been awarded under the Criminal Injuries to Property (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 in each year to the latest date for which figures are available.
The Criminal Injuries to Property (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 came into operation on 1st April 1973. The amounts of compensation awarded under the Act for financial years from its commencement to 31st May 1976 are as follows:
| £ | |
| 1973–74 | 1,246,394 |
| 1974–75 | 14,435,020 |
| 1975–76 | 28,229,133 |
| 1976–77 (To 31st May 1976) | 3,079,478 |
| 46,990,025 |
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much compensation has been awarded under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 in each year up to the latest date for which figures are available.
The Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 came into operation on 1st March 1969. The amounts of compensation awarded under the Act by financial years, from its commencement to 31st May 1976 are as follows:
| £ | |
| 1968–69 (from 1st March 1969) | 2,356 |
| 1969–70 | 131,876 |
| 1970–71 | 443,474 |
| 1971–72 | 724,470 |
| 1972–73 | 2,173,524 |
| 1973–74 | 3,886,429 |
| 1974–75 | 6,022,556 |
| 1975–76 | 7,966,328 |
| 1976–77 (to 31st May 1976) | 1,039,216 |
| 22,390,229 |
Fair Employment Agency
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the terms and conditions of employment of the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Agency.
Mr. Robert Cooper has been invited to serve as Chairman of the Fair Employment Agency for five years at a salary of £10,500 per annum.
Rent Arrears
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the amount owing in rent for Housing Executive houses; and what steps are being taken to reduce the amount.
The amount of rent and rates owed to the Housing Executive is estimated to be £5·2 million. Of the 30,000 tenants who are in arrears of £20 or more, about 18,000 have made voluntary arrangements to pay off arrears.Under the arrangements for the allocation of social security payments towards arrears, 1,700 tenants are now having reductions made and, following the decisions announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 29th January 1976 to extend benefit allocation to all those in arrears, 800 cases per week are currently being referred by the Housing Executive to the benefits allocation branch of the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services for possible action. In addition, allocations from the salaries and wages of 120 public sector employees who are in arrears are being made and some 1,300 tenants have been taken before the Enforcement of Judgements Office.Wide publicity has also been given to the fact that tenants who fail to make arrangements to pay off arrears will be ineligible for rent rebates. I also understand that the Housing Executive is endeavouring to improve the contacts between its staff at local level and tenants who are in arrears.
Handicapped Persons
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many telephones were supplied to disabled or elderly people in Northern Ireland by each area health board in each of the last five years; what rate per 1,000 population each figure represents; and what were the total figures and rates in Northern Ireland and England, respectively, in each year;(2) if he will list those sections of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 which extend to Northern Ireland;(3) what action has been taken by the area health boards in Northern Ireland to identify the needs and numbers of disabled people in the Province;(4) if he is satisfied that disabled people in Northern Ireland are adequately informed of the services available to them; and if he will make a statement;(5) what information concerning the services available to disabled people in Northern Ireland has been published by each area health board; and what action they have taken to ensure that the information reaches those for whom it is intended;(6) what is his estimate of the number of disabled people in Northern Ireland, including children, living in the community in Northern Ireland; and if he will break the figures down in the same categories used by Amelia Harris in her report Handicapped and Impaired in Great Britain;(7) what is his estimate of the number of physically handicapped children and adults respectively, living in long-stay hospitals and residential homes, respectively;(8) what is his estimate of the number of handicapped people under the age of 65 years who are accommodated either in a residential home or in a hospital which is normally used wholly or mainly for the care of elderly persons; what action he is taking to reduce the number; and if he will make a statement;(9) how many meals were provided (
a) in the home and ( b) in day centres for elderly and disabled people by each area health board in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; what rate these figures represent per 1,000 population per day; what were the total figures and rates in Northern Ireland and England, respectively, in each year; what action he is taking to improve the service; and if he will make a statement;
(10) how many holidays have been provided for elderly and handicapped people by each area health board in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; what rate each figure represents per 1,000 population; what were the total figures and rates in Northern Ireland and England, respectively, in each year; and if he will make a statement;
(11) how many adaptations have been arranged in the homes of disabled people by each area health board in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; what rate each figure represents per 1,000 population; what were the total figures and rates in Northern Ireland and England, respectively, in each year; and if he will make a statement;
(12) how many aids have been supplied to elderly and disabled people by each area health board in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; what rate each figure represents per 1,000 population; what were the total figures and rates for Northern Ireland and England, respectively, in each year; and if he will make a statement;
(13) how many home helps were employed by each area health board in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; what rate each figure represents per 1,000 population; what were the total figures in Northern Ireland and England, respectively, in each year; if he is satisfied that elderly and disabled people are receiving the assistance in the home that they require; and if he will make a statement;
(14) if he is satisfied that the needs of disabled people in Northern Ireland are both being identified and met, as is required by law in the rest of the United Kingdom;
(15) if any area health board in Northern Ireland does not include a disabled member; and if he will appoint such a member to any which does not;
(16) what action he has taken to ensure that all new designs for buildings to which the public will be admitted include in the means of access both to and within the building or premises and in the parking facilities and sanitary conveniences, adequate provision for the needs of disabled people;
(17) how many disabled people were registered in each class in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; how many disabled people were newly entered on the register in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
(18) what arrangements are made for the education of children who suffer from autism or other forms of early childhood psychosis in Northern Ireland; how many such children he estimates there are in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement;
(19) what arrangements are made for the education of children in Northern Ireland who suffer from specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia; how many such children he estimates there are in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement;
(20) what arrangements are made in Northern Ireland for the education of children who are both deaf and blind; how many such children he estimates there are in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement;
(21) what action he has taken to ensure that no school, college or university designed or completed in the last five years has failed to provide adequate facilities for the needs of pupils or teachers who are disabled; and what action he intends to take to improve the access and facilities for disabled people in educational establishments in Northern Ireland;
(22) if he will list all the advisory committees reporting to him in Northern Ireland; which committees include a disabled member; if he will encourage those which do not to co-opt a disabled member if they have the power to do so or, if appropriate, appoint one himself; and if he will make a statement.
I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice he has given to area health boards in Northern Ireland concerning the identification of the needs and numbers of disabled people in the Province.
In a planning paper issued in 1974, the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services advised health and social services boards that they should supplement the information available from their handicapped registers and their existing knowledge by drawing on any other source to which they have access and by carrying out local sample surveys to build up an assessment of the total number of physically handicapped persons, the nature of their handicap and the need for services.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the number of mentally handicapped children and adults, respectively, living in subnormality hospitals and residential homes, respectively.
The latest available figures are as follows: 324 children under 16 and 1,146 adults in hospitals for the mentally handicapped; 392 mentally handicapped adults in psychiatric hospitals. There are 52 mentally handicapped children and 242 mentally handicapped adults in statutory and voluntary residential homes.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much special housing for disabled people has been provided by the public sector in each of the last five years; what rate each figure represents per 1,000 population; what were the total figures and rates for Northern Ireland and England, respectively, in each year; what action he is taking to increase the supply of suitable accommodation for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.
Information in the form requested is not available. However, since the inception of the Housing Executive in 1971 approximately 1,500 dwellings have been specially provided for disabled persons. These include mobility, wheelchair and sheltered houses together with adaptations to existing dwellings and represent provision at the rate of approximately one dwelling per 1,000 of the population.The Northern Ireland Department of the Environment, the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services, and the Housing Executive are at present considering what additional steps need to be taken to deal with the special housing needs of the disabled.Figures and rates of provision in England are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what parking concessions are available to disabled people in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
In Northern Ireland two schemes are operated to assist disabled drivers with parking; one in Belfast by the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment, and the other throughout Northern Ireland by the health and social services boards. Under these schemes badges or certificates are issued to disabled drivers to assist them to park in most areas where waiting restrictions are in force. Existing security restrictions on parking in urban areas inevitably limit the scope of these concessions, but I am considering whether to seek for Northern Ireland more extensive powers similar to those available in Great Britain under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 and the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967.
Identity Cards
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the cost of introducing identity cards for all residents of Northern Ireland; and how many representations he has receive that that step would be helpful in combating terrorism.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 1st July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 257], gave the following information:This suggestion has been made on many occasions. It has been fully examined. I have been strongly advised against their introduction and therefore no estimate of cost has been made.
Royal Ulster Constabulary
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the establishment of the Royal Ulster Constabulary; by how many the RUC falls short of that establishment at present; and what steps he is taking to increase recruitment and diminish wastage.
pursuant to his reply—[Official Report, 1st July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 255], gave the following answer:The information is as follows:
| Establishment | 6,500 |
| Number below Establishment on 31st May 1976 | 1,445 |
Agriculture, Fisheries And Food
Rabies
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the outcome of his investigation of the allegations referred to in the Adjournment debate initiated on Tuesday 15th June by the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Official Report, column 511) about lack of information at Le Havre and Deauville, on Great Britain's anti-rabies precautions; and if he will report progress on establishing a model plan for all local authorities concerning co-ordination of their deterrent measures.
These allegations were based on a news reporter's visit to Normandy which coincided with the arrival in the area of our publicity material. French language posters describing our anti-rabies regulations are now displayed at the ferry terminals, airport, town information office, tourist office, railway station and the two sailing clubs at Le Havre, and also at the Deauville sailing club. In addition the poster has been published in two Le Havre local newspapers.With the co-operation of the Royal Yachting Association and the National Yacht Harbours Association, and also with that of the French authorities, further steps are being taken to improve the level of awareness amongst both British and French yachtsmen. Dogs are not allowed to be landed in France from abroad without a veterinary health certificate and appropriate vaccination certificates, including one for rabies. Moreover, it is illegal to bring back to this country any dog which has entered a foreign port, whether it went ashore or not, unless it goes into quarantine.Guidelines to local authorities on the preparation of contingency plans, in case of a rabies outbreak, were issued on 17th June. A copy has been sent to the hon. Member and copies are available in the Library of the House.
Agricultural Land
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he can list, by grade, the loss of agricultural land in England and Wales to sand and gravel extraction in each year since 1966.
I regret that my Department does not keep this information.
Fish Catch (Faroes)
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the value of the catch by British fishing vessels off the coast of the Faroes in 1976.
I have been asked to reply.The catch in Faroese waters by United Kingdom fishing vessels in the period 1st January to 30 the April 1976 is valued at approximately £3 million. Figures for the months of May and June 1976 are not yet available. At this stage no realiable estimate of the value of the total 1976 catch can be provided, but the 1975 catch had an estimated value of approximately £6½ million.
National Finance
Secretarial Salaries (European Parliament)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of a secretary's total income may be paid in Brussels free of income tax in cases where the secretarial duties are for an employer who has both EEC and United Kingdom Parliamentary responsibilities.
A secretary who is resident in the United Kingdom and performs duties wholly or partly in the United Kingdom is liable to United Kingdom tax on total emoluments wherever they are paid. If the person were not resident in the United Kingdom for tax purposes the pay received for duties performed outside the United Kingdom would not be taxable.
Tax Arrears
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total amount of tax owed by private persons but not yet paid.
The total amount of income tax other than PAYE, surtax and capital gains tax collectible from individuals at the end of May 1976 was about £450 million. Precise figures are available only at the time of the annual balance of each tax.
Tax Avoidance
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide guidance to the Bank of England so that it may more effectively monitor the activities of certain secondary banks in relation to their tax avoidance promotion activities.
No. The policing of tax law is a matter for the Inland Revenue, which carries out any necessary consultations, subject to the rules of confidentiality.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that comer- cial organisations are actively promoting tax havens such as the Channel Islands; and if he will disallow claims for tax allowances on the fees for conferences on such matters.
I will let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.
Dependent Relative Allowance
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to raise the level of dependent relative allowance against tax for a bachelor to the level of that for a spinster.
I would refer the hon. Lady to what I said on this subject during the Committee stage debate on the Finance Bill on 13th May.
Tax Refunds (Sickness And Unemployment)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for a married couple with three children the weekly value of tax refunds during sickness and unemployment, and the number of weeks for which these refunds will continue, assuming eligibility to benefit commences in weeks 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 of the tax year and that previous weekly earnings were £25, £30, £40, £50, £60 and £70.
Assuming the tax allowances proposed for 1976–77, the average weekly rate of tax rebate for a married man with three children not over 11 would be approximately £11·65. The maximum number of weeks for which refunds at this rate would continue is as follows:
| Weekly earnings | Maximum number of weeks rebate where employment ceased in week | ||||
| £ | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| 25 | No tax liability. | ||||
| 30 | |||||
| 40 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 2 |
| 50 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 2 |
| 60 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 12 | 2 |
| 70 | 11 | 22 | 22 | 12 | 2 |
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing, for each tax year since 1970–71 and including 1976–77, the weekly value of tax refunds and the maximum number of weeks for which they may be payable to an unemployed married man with three children, who previously earned (a) 100 per cent. of average manual earnings, (b) 75 per cent. of average manual earnings and (c) 50 per cent. of average manual earnings.
On the assumption that the children are not over 11 years the figures are approximately as shown in the table below:
| Year | Weekly earnings* £ | Average weekly rate of rebate | Maximum number of weeks for which rebate will run |
| Average earnings | £ | £ | |
| 1970–71 | 26·7 | 5·15 | 20 |
| 1971–72 | 29·5 | 5·75 | 18 |
| 1972–73 | 32·8 | 6·75 | 16 |
| 1973–74 | 38·1 | 6·70 | 21 |
| 1974–75 | 43·6 | 8·80 | 20 |
| 1975–76 | 55·7 | 9·55 | 26 |
| 1976–77† | 65·6 | 11·65 | 25 |
| Three-quarters average earnings | |||
| 1970–71 | 20·0 | 5·15 | 10 |
| 1971–72 | 22·1 | 5·75 | 7 |
| 1972–73 | 24·6 | 6·75 | 4 |
| 1973–74 | 28·6 | 6·70 | 11 |
| 1974–75 | 32·7 | 8·80 | 9 |
| 1975–76 | 41·8 | 9·55 | 18 |
| 1976–77† | 49·2 | 11·65 | 16 |
| Half average earnings | |||
| 1970–71 to 1974–75 | No tax liability | ||
| 1975–76 | 2"79 | 9·55 | 1 |
| 1976–77† | No tax liability | ||
| * Weekly earnings are the New Earnings Survey estimates of the average earnings of full-time male manual workers in April of each year, except for 1976–77 where the 1975 New Earnings Survey figures have been updated to April 1976 by the Index of Average Earnings. | |||
| † Assuming tax rates and allowances proposed for 1976–77. | |||
Blind Persons
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current tax allowance available to blind people; and what would be the total sum saved if the allowance were to be abolished.
£180 and £1·5 million respectively.
Cars
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the chairmen of the British public authorities and nationalised industries who have the personal use of their own pre-determined and specially reserved car supplied by their organisation will be taxed thereon under his Budget proposals in a similar manner to company directors.
Yes.
Borrowing Rates
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the hon. Member for Tottenham may expect an answer to his Question for 22nd June (Order Paper page 9035, No. 100) relating to two-tier borrowing rates.
I gave a reply to my hon. Friend on Monday 5th July.
Raffles
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether participation in a free raffle with expensive prizes is a taxable benefit if it is provided by employers for all or part of their work force.
No, but the winners would be taxable on the value of their prizes.
Dependants Overseas
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of (a) children and (b) wives, resident overseas, for whom taxpayers resident in the United Kingdom are accorded allowances against income tax.
I will let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Income Tax Thresholds
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the loss in revenue if the income tax thresholds were raised to the supplementary benefit level for each person according to marital status and family size.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 29th June 1976; Vol. 914, c. 108], gave the following information:To raise tax thresholds to the corresponding average supplementary benefit levels for 1976–77—including an allowance for rent and rates, and taking into account the levels before and after the November 1976 uprating—would require varying increases in the tax allowances for single people and married couples, depending on the number of children in the family. Tax thresholds for some families, including most single-parent families, are already above the corresponding supplementary benefit levels for the year as a whole.If it were practicable to vary the rates of individual tax allowances according to family size the estimated cost in 1976–77 of increasing tax thresholds to supplementary benefit levels would be nearly £900 million in addition to the increases in personal reliefs proposed in the Budget. But if tax thresholds were raised to at least supplementary benefit levels by uniform increases in the main personal allowances the cost would be as quoted in the reply given on 11th May 1976—[c.
127–8]—to a similar Question on this subject from the hon. Member.
Mortgage Interest
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the total sum due as tax relief for mortgage interest in the present financial year.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 30th June 1976; Vol. 914, c. 206], gave the following information:The present forecast for the cost of tax relief on mortgage interest payments in 1976–77 is £1,020 million.
£ Sterling And Standby Credit
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) on what criteria he based his judgment that the parity of sterling had been carried on to an unjustified level, 7th June (Official Report, c. 914);(2) whether his discussions in Puerto Rico confirmed his statement on 9th June (
Official Report, c. 1554) that the standby credit was provided for the United Kingdom solely because the recent behaviour of the foreign exchange markets was impossible to justify by economic argument.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 419, 420], gave the following information:Much of the pressure on sterling in the period after early March related to the differential between our inflation rate and that of our principal trading partners. But in some phases, the downward pressure developed a momentum of its own unrelated to underlying economic conditions, and threatened to trigger more widespread market disruption. This is why the standby credit was negotiated and nothing has happened since that time to modify my view of the appropriateness of this arrangement.
Public Expenditure
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what views were put to him by the central bankers of the world in relation to his policy 9th June (Official Report, c. 1557) that there is no economic case whatever for further cuts in public expenditure during the preseent year.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 420], gave the following information:No views have been put to my right hon. Friend that would cause him to change the judgment he expressed on 9th June.
Irish Sailors And Soldiers Land Trust (Cottages)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will identify the scheme approved by the Treasury for the sale of cottages belonging to the Irish Sailors and Solders Land Trust.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 420], gave the following information:There are separate schemes for Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic each approved by the Treasury under Regulation 10(1) of the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust (Amendment) Regulations 1967. The scheme for Northern Ireland was approved in March 1968 and a devised scheme for the Irish Republic in December 1975. Both schemes provide that the trust may decline to accept any applicant; that an acceptable applicant may purchase the cottage freehold at the open market value for vacant possession as determined by a professional valuation made for the trust at the time of the offer, subject to a 10 per cent. reduction; and that the trust may withdraw its offer if the sale is not completed within the times specified in the offer. Under the revised scheme for the Republic the trust is prepared to negotiate a reduction in the price to take account of the fact that the cottages are occupied rent free.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average price at which cottages belonging to the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust in the Republic of Ireland were sold during the last three years.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 420–1], gave the following information:£1,946 in the three years to March 1976.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average price at which cottages belonging to the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust in Northern Ireland were sold during the last three years.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 421], gave the following information:£2,712 in the three years to March 1976.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cottages the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust has in the Republic of Ireland at present.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 421], gave the following information:Two hundred and forty-five.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cottages the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust sold in the Republic of Ireland during the last three years.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 421], gave the following information:One hundred and fifty-eight in the three years to March 1976.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cottages the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust has in Northern Ireland at present.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 421], gave the following information:Four hundred.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cottages the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust sold in Northern Ireland during the last three years.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th July 1976; Vol. 914, c. 421], gave the following information:One hundred and nine in the three years to March 1976.
Social Services
Child Benefit
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services for how many dependent children overseas a £2·65 child benefit would cost £45 million per annum.
£45 million is the estimated cost at 1975 Survey prices of child tax allowances at the rate for children under 11 for about half a million children overseas. The cost of paying child benefit for them instead at £2·65 a week would be greater.
Family Poverty
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) in view of the deferment of the Government's long-term proposal to combat family poverty by way of the new child benefit scheme, what steps his Department are taking to tackle the short-term problem of family poverty.
The Government have made wide-ranging provision for the extension and improvement of social security benefits aimed at the problem of family poverty.
Households (European Community)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the latest convenient date, for each present member State of the EEC, the number of households.
The information requested is published in the Statistical Office of the European Communities in Table 5 of its publication "Basic Statistics of the Community: 1973–1974". A copy of this publication is in the Library.
Doctors
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table show-
| DOCTORS PER 100,000 INHABITANTS—AT THE END OF THE YEAR | |||||||||
| 1960 | 1965 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | |||||
| Belgium | … | … | … | … | 128 | 145 | 161 | 159 | 164 |
| Federal Republic of Germany | … | … | … | … | 134 | 146 | 173 | 178 | 184 |
| France | … | … | … | … | 105 | 120 | 134 | 139 | 141 |
| Italy | … | … | … | … | 161 | 170 | 182 | 184 | 193 |
| Luxembourg | … | … | … | … | 102 | 102 | 107 | 108 | 108 |
| Netherlands | … | … | … | … | 122 | 128 | 130 | 132 | 136 |
| United Kingdom | … | … | … | … | 107 | 115 | 130 | 129 | 133 |
| Ireland | … | … | … | … | 105 | 104 | 103 | 120 | 118 |
| Denmark | … | … | … | … | 127 | 135 | 144 | 152 | 163 |
Medical Laboratory Staffs
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will refrain from introducing any proposals which would permit any lowering of the qualification requirement for those appointed to senior posts in the medical laboratory service of the NHS, namely, that they possess the Fellowship of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences, either now or in the future; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether the will examine the arrangements within his Department on how advice is tendered on what qualification is appropriate for those engaged in senior posts in the medical laboratory service within the National Health Service, so as to ensure that expert advice on these matters is always available to his Department.
I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to him on Thursday 13th May and to the right hon. Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Jenkin) on Wednesday 16th June.—[Vol. 911, c. 237; Vol. 913, c. 198–9.]
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence his Department has in respect of the medical laboratory service in the National Health Service upon which to base the view put forward in discussions with the Institute
ing for each present member State of the EEC for each year since 1960 the number of doctors per 1,000 population.
Complete statistics in the form required are not available. The following figures, derived from statistics published by the World Health Organisation, are taken from the EEC Commission's Report on the Development of the Social Situation in the Communities in 1975:of Medical Laboratory Sciences that, in future, the majority of medical laboratory technicians will not be required to undertake work necessitating formal training beyond State registration level; and if he will publish any such evidence in the
Official Report.
About a third of registered technicians currently hold the Fellowship of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences, and the Department has so far received no evidence that the demand for technicians trained to this level is likely to increase significantly. A further discussion with the institute is to take place shortly.
Disabled Persons (Mobility)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many disabled people established entitlement to help under the former vehicle service in each of the last five years; what is his estimate of the number who would be entitled to such help in 1976 if the scheme were in operation; what proportion of these people will not satisfy the criteria of the mobility allowance; what action he is going to take to meet their needs; and if he will make a statement.
The available information will be circulated in the Official Report as soon as it can be assembled.
Social Services
Sickness Benefit (Certificates)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will ensure that the minimum period of time for lodging a claim for benefit is prominently shown on the new medical certificate due to be introduced in October, and that there is an equally prominent warning that in order to be sure of a valid claim all applicants should complete and return the form within the minimum period.
As I explained in my reply on 4th May—[Vol. 910 c. 346]—there are varous time limits for claiming incapacity benefit. It would be impracticable to set these out in detail in the space available on the new medical statement intended to be introduced in October, as well as probably being confusing to the claimant. Like the present medical certificate, the medical statement will contain a warning printed in red that benefit may be lost if it is not claimed promptly.
Medicines (Retailing)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the present recommended retail price per tablet of Anadin tablets, Phensic tablets. Aspro tablets and Disprin tablets, with reference to (a) the pack size nearest to 100 tablets and (b) the pack size nearest to 25 tablets.
Following are the figures:
| Pack size | Price per tablet | ||||
| p | |||||
| Anadin | … | … | … | 100 | 0·6 |
| 20 | 1·1 | ||||
| Phensic | … | … | … | 100 | 0·63 |
| 20 | 1·15 | ||||
| Aspro | … | … | … | 120 | 0·58 |
| 24 | 0·88 | ||||
| Disprin | … | … | … | 96 | 0·65 |
| 24 | 1·02 |
Polygamists
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what investigations are carried out into cases where people change their religion from one not permitting to one permitting polygamy, whereby benefits from his Department become available;(2) what criteria are currently utilised to decide whether a man is allowed to be married to more than one woman simultaneously, in respect of claims for social security benefit from his Department;(3) there are circumstances under which anyone entitled to social security payments or supplementary benefits can claim such benefits on behalf of more than one wife.
This is a complex area, and without the details of any particular case it is only possible to give broad answers. Entitlement to benefit in an individual case is a matter for the independent adjudicating authorities. Religion is not the primary factor in recognition of a polygamous marriage under the laws of the United Kingdom. What matters is the capacity of the parties involved to contract a polygamous or potentially polygamous marriage under the law of their respective domiciles. In respect of claims to national insurance benefits, such a marriage can be treated in the same manner as a monogamous marriage only if it is in fact monogamous. Where a marriage is actually polygamous, no national insurance benefit will be payable for any woman as a wife. In the case of supplementary benefits, the requirements and resources of women involved in such marriages would be aggregated with those of the man in any claim to benefit made by him.If the hon. Member has a particular point in mind perhaps he would let me know.
Blind Persons
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what benefits are at present available for all groups and ages of blind people; and what is their estimated total cost.
Blind people are entitled to a wide range of financial benefits, depending on their personal circumstances. These benefits include some where blindness may play a part in entitlement, such as the incapacity benefits, attendance allowance or mobility allowance, and benefits such as retirement pension which are paid irrespective of the extent or nature of a person's handicaps. There is a higher supplementary benefit scale rate for blind people; and also a special income tax allowance of £180 a year. In addition, blind people are entitled to services and to benefits in kind, for example, under the provisions of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. Such services and benefits comprise help specific to their particular visual impairment, including special training for and aids to employment, special welfare services and special equipment. Blind people are also entitled to a television licence at reduced cost, free postage on items specifically for blind people, parking concessions under the "orange badge" scheme for improving the mobility of disabled people, certain travel concessions and exemption from dog licence requirements in the case of a guide dog. Fuller information is given in the Department's leaflet HB I "Help for Handicapped People". It is not possible to separate that part of the total cost of all the various benefits and services which is attributable to blind people.
Mobility Allowance
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what appeals procedure is available for people refused a mobility allowance.
The appeal system parallels that used for many years under the industrial injuries provisions. On non-medical matters the right of appeal is to a local appeal tribunal with a further right of appeal to the National Insurance Commissioner. On medical questions, the right of appeal is to a medical board with a further right of appeal to a medical appeal tribunal. In these cases there is a further right of appeal to the Commissioner on a point of law. Information about rights of appeal is included in every letter notifying a claimant of the disallowance of his claim.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications for the mobility allowance have been rejected at the latest available date; how many of these applicants have then embarked on each stage of the appeals process and with what result; and if he will make a statement.
To the end of June 1976, of about 28,500 claims for mobility allowance which had been formally determined just over 7,000 had been rejected. Of these over 2,000 were rejected as outside the currently eligible age groups.There were 807 appeals to a medical board. Of these 532 have so far been decided. There were 161 decisions in favour of the appellant. Appeals to a medical appeal tribunal totalled 186, of which 46 have so far been determined. There were 24 decisions in favour of the claimant.On non-medical grounds, chiefly the current age limits, 243 appeals to a local tribunal were received. Of the 133 appeals so far determined, none has been successful. There were 14 appeals to the National Insurance Commissioner. None of the nine appeals which have so far been determined went in favour of the appellant.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on his policy towards each of the recommendations of the Central Council for the Disabled's Working Party on the Mobility Allowance for which his Department has responsibility.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his policy towards each of the recommendations of the Central Council for the Disabled's Working Party on the Mobility Allowance for which he has responsibility.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy towards each of the recommendations of the Central Council for the Disabled's Working Party on the Mobility Allowance for which his Department has responsibility.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy towards each of the recommendations of the Central Council for the Disabled's Working Party on the Mobility Allowance for which he has responsibility.
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his policy towards each of the recommendations of the Central Council for the Disabled's Working Party on the Mobility Allowance for which he has responsibility.
After consultation with my right hon. Friends and my right hon. and learned Friend I have been asked to reply.As my hon. Friend knows I have a coordinating as well as a departmental role, and I keep in close touch with all Departments with responsibilities affecting disabled people.I am most grateful both to the Central Council for the Disabled and to the members of the Working Party for a well-researched and valuable study. As I have already indicated to the Central Council, in the present economic situation we are forced to choose our priorities very carefully in making the best use of the extra resources which have been made available for improving the mobility of disabled people. I am not able at this stage, therefore, to do more than take note of the recommendations which seek to extend the mobility allowance scheme by amending the criteria for eligibility, the age limits and the level of the allowance.Recommendations 1–4, 6 and 8 come under this broad heading. Our inability to respond favourably to recommendations 5 and 7 relates in part to the resource problem, and in part to our basic policy of ensuring broad equality within the scheme irrespective of driving ability or car ownership. As regards recommendation 9, the legislation requires an annual review of the level of the allowance. On recommendation 10, the legislation also ensures that the allowance is treated similarly to attendance allowance as far as means-tested benefits are concerned. We have broadly accepted recommendation 11, except that it is not possible to take account in a statutory scheme of additional social factors. Recommendations 12, 14 and 15 are being considered. The detailed comments in the Report on the background to recommendation 13 are clearly sensible. In general terms we are broadly in sympathy with the objectives outlined in recommendations 16–18 and 20 and the Central Council is itself pursuing these aspects with financial assistance from my Department. Recommendations 19 and 21 cover ground which has already been discussed with the Council and have thus been taken into account in drawing up the publicity programme.Anyone seeking a full understanding of the outdoor mobility problems of disabled people and the importance of our new mobility allowance would do well to read the report of this important study.
Surgery And Radiotherapy
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many and which National Health Service hospitals patients have operations for (a) open heart surgery, (b) neurosurgery, (c) neo-natal surgery, and (d) radiotherapy; what percentage of patients occupied pay beds for each category of operation between the years 1960 and 1976, giving the exact percentages for each year; and what percentage of these patients came from abroad for each of those years.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th July 1976; [Vol. 914, c. 442], circulated the following information:The following 36 hospitals in England undertake open-heart surgery:
Region and Hospital
1. Northern
- Shotley Bridge, Consett, Co. Durham
- Seaham Hall, Seaham, Co. Durham
2. Yorks
- Leeds Royal Infirmary
- Killingbeck (Leeds)
3. Trent
- United Sheffield Hospitals
- Northern General Hospital
4. East Anglia
- Papworth, Cambs
5. North-West Thames
- Hammersmith
- Hospital for Sick Children (GOS)
- Middlesex
- Harefield
- St. Mary's, Paddington
- University College Hospital
- National Heart Hospital
6. North-East Thames
- The London
- St. Bartholomew's
7. South-East Thames
- Guy's
- Brook General
- Charing Cross
Region and Hospital
8. South-West Thames
- St. George's
- Westminster
- St. Thomas's
- The Brompton
- London Chest
9. Oxford
- The Radcliffe Infirmary
10. South-Western
- Royal Infirmary, Bristol
11. West Midlands
- Queen Elizabeth
- Children's—Birmingham
- King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Hertford Hill, Warwicks
- Cheshire Joint Sanatorium, Stoke-on-Trent
12. North-Western
- Manchester Royal Infirmary
- Wythenshawe
13. Mersey
- Mossley Hill in association with Sefton General
- Broadgreen
- Myrtle Street Children's
14. Wessex
- Southampton Chest
Neurosurgical operations are undertaken at the following 45 hospitals in England but from time to time such operations are also undertaken elsewhere.
1. Northern
- Newcastle General
- Sunderland Royal Infirmary
- Middlesbrough-West Lane
2. Yorks
- Leeds General Infirmary
- Chapel Allerton
- Hull Royal Infirmary
- Wakefield-Pinderfields
3. Trent
- Sheffield Royal Infirmary
- Derby Royal Infirmary
- Leicester Infirmary
4. East Anglia
- Addenbrooke's
5. North-West Thames
- The Middlesex
- St. Mary's
- Maida Vale
- Charing Cross
- Central Middlesex
6. North-East Thames
- The London
- St. Bartholomews
- University College
- The Hospital for Sick Children
- The National Hospital for Nervous Diseases (Queen Square)
- Whittington
- Oldchurch
Region and Hospital
7. South-East Thames
- Guy's
- Maudsley
- St. Thomas'
- Kings College
- The Brook
8. South-West Thames
- St. Georges
- Hurstwood Park
- Atkinson Morley
9. Wessex
- Southampton-Wessex Neurological Centre
10. Oxford
- Radcliffe Infirmary
11. South Western
- Frenchay
12. West Midlands
- Queen Elizabeth
- Birmingham Childrens
- Smethwick-Midland Centre of Neurology and Neurosurgery
13. North-Western
- Manchester Royal Infirmary
- Salford Royal
- Royal Manchester Childrens
- Crumpsall
- Booth Hall
- Preston Royal Infirmary
- Lancaster Moor
14. Mersey
- Walton
Neonatal surgery is carried out by paediatric surgeons, some general surgeons and specialists in neurosurgery, cardiac surgery and orthopaedics. I regret that information about the numbers of hospitals in which such work is undertaken is not readily available.
The 53 hospitals listed below have megavoltage equipment for radiotherapy. In addition an approximately similar number of smaller centres have only superficial or orthovoltage equipment. These are usually linked with one of the major centres.
1. Northern
- Newcastle General
- N. Ormesby
2. Yorkshire
- Cookridge
- Hull Royal Infirmary
3. Trent
- Weston Park
- Derbyshire Royal Infirmary
- St. George's
- Leicester Royal Infirmary
- Nottingham General
4. East Anglian
- Addenbrookes
- Norfolk and Norwich
- Ipswich and East Suffolk
Region and Hospital
5. North-West Thames
- Hammersmith
- Middlesex
- Charing Cross
- Mouth Vernon
- St. Mary's
- Westminster
6. North-East Thames
- Royal Free
- University College Hospital
- London
- St. Bartholomew's
- North Middlesex
- Oldchurch
- Southend General
- Essex County
7. South-East Thames
- St Thomas
- Guy's
- Kings College
- Royal Sussex
- St Williams
- Pembury
- Kent & Canterbury
8. South-West Thames
- (Board of Governors
- St Lukes
- Royal Marsden)
- Sutton & Fulham Road
9. Wessex
- Poole General
- Royal South Hants
- St Mary's Portsmouth
10. Oxford
- Churchill
- Royal Berkshire
- Northampton General
11. South Western
- Bristol Radiotherapy Centre
- Royal Devon and Exeter
- Freedom Fields
- Cheltenham General
- Treliske
12. West Midlands
- Queen Elizabeth
- (United Birmingham)
- Coventry & Warwick
- Wolverhampton Royal Hospital
- North Staffordshire
13. Mersey
- Clatterbridge
14. North Western
- Christie
I regret that information about the numbers of private patients undergoing open heart or neo-natal surgery is not available centrally as the necessary statistics are collected only on a specialty basis—e.g., cardiology, paediatricts, general surgery, etc.—and not by particular treatments or operations. However, in 1974, the latest year for which figures are available, the recorded number of private patients in cardiology, neurosurgery and radiotherapy as a percentage of all deaths and discharges in each of these specialties was 1·96 per cent., 2·26 per cent. and 2·21 per cent. respectively.
Detailed information about the numbers of private patients and the proportion who come from overseas who were admitted for treatment in these specialties varies widely from one region to another, depending in part, among other factors, on the willingness of consultants to give information to the NHS about their private patients.
Health Services Expenditure
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the total expenditure in each regional health authority area in England and Wales, as well as centrally by his Department, for the years 1973–74 and 1974–75 and listing, in percentage terms, the breakdown of this expenditure into the following categories; hospitals, general practitioners, dentists, opticians, pharmacists, central administration and other services and community health services.
pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19th December 1975; Vol. 902, c. 841–2], circulated the following information:
| NHS REVENUE AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURE 1974–75 | ||||||
| Region | Headquarters Administration | Per cent. | Hospital Services | Per cent. | ||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Northern | … | … | 7,242,342 | 3·43 | 120,135,332 | 56·87 |
| Yorkshire | … | … | 7,771,214 | 3·27 | 138,192,703 | 58·13 |
| Trent | … | … | 9,704,110 | 3·49 | 147,433,225 | 53·05 |
| East Anglian | … | … | 4,828,598 | 4·17 | 63,227,487 | 54·58 |
| North West Thames | … | … | 10,448,871 | 3·54 | 178,243,829 | 60·43 |
| North East Thames | … | … | 11,278,281 | 3·71 | 193,810,885 | 63·67 |
| South East Thames | … | … | 11,585,418 | 4·06 | 172,757,417 | 60·44 |
| South West Thames | … | … | 9,098,717 | 3·89 | 141,027,911 | 60·36 |
| Wessex | … | … | 6,298,682 | 3·69 | 95,206,494 | 55·74 |
| Oxford | … | … | 5,560,780 | 3·71 | 77,806,643 | 51·86 |
| South Western | … | … | 8,482,247 | 3·97 | 116,092,383 | 54·36 |
| West Midlands | … | … | 11,299,268 | 3·46 | 182,083,140 | 55·70 |
| Mersey | … | … | 6,442,798 | 3·49 | 108,109,108 | 58·61 |
| North-Western | … | … | 10,511,064 | 3·77 | 158,758,704 | 56·87 |
| Totals—Regions | … | … | 120,552,390 | 3·67 | 1,892,885,261 | 57·60 |
| Boards of Governors | … | … | 1,065,017 | 2·18 | 42,211,370 | 86·48 |
| Grand Totals | … | … | 121,617,407 | 3·65 | 1,935,096,631 | 58·02 |
| Region | Community Health Services | Per cent. | General Medical Services | Per cent. | ||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Northern | … | … | 12,825,933 | 6·07 | 14,511,329 | 6·87 |
| Yorkshire | … | … | 13,257,840 | 5·58 | 16,305,893 | 6·86 |
| Trent | … | … | 17,623,767 | 6·34 | 20,492,979 | 7·37 |
| East Anglian | … | … | 5,759,514 | 4·97 | 8,619,877 | 7·44 |
| North West Thames | … | … | 16,390,882 | 5·56 | 19,895,802 | 6·74 |
| North East Thames | … | … | 18,807,272 | 6·18 | 15,995,834 | 5·26 |
| South East Thames | … | … | 16,916,902 | 5·92 | 17,303,185 | 6·05 |
| South West Thames | … | … | 13,097,429 | 5·60 | 13,688,737 | 5·86 |
| Wessex | … | … | 11,068,510 | 6·48 | 12,524,338 | 7·33 |
| Oxford | … | … | 10,248,108 | 6·83 | 10,604,329 | 7·07 |
| South Western | … | … | 12,273,346 | 5·75 | 15,489,900 | 7·25 |
| West Midlands | … | … | 21,479,664 | 6·57 | 23,969,166 | 7·33 |
| Mersey | … | … | 10,316,521 | 5·59 | 11,666,269 | 6·33 |
| North-Western | … | … | 18,150,875 | 6·50 | 17,633,366 | 6·32 |
| Totals—Regions | … | … | 198,216,563 | 6·03 | 218,701,004 | 6·65 |
| Boards of Governors | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Grand Totals | … | … | 198,216,563 | 5·94 | 218,701,004 | 6·56 |
| Region | Pharmaceutical Services | Per cent. | General Dental Services | Per cent. | ||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Northern | … | … | 24,885,888 | 11·78 | 7,287,154 | 3·45 |
| Yorkshire | … | … | 27,002,182 | 11·36 | 9,665,435 | 4·07 |
| Trent | … | … | 30,855,030 | 11·10 | 11,093,481 | 3·99 |
| East Anglian | … | … | 13,134,847 | 11·34 | 4,668,793 | 4·03 |
| North West Thames | … | … | 26,384,878 | 8·95 | 15,343,899 | 5·20 |
| North East Thames | … | … | 22,564,061 | 7·41 | 10,453,013 | 3·43 |
| South East Thames | … | … | 25,698,081 | 8·99 | 12,025,146 | 4·21 |
| South West Thames | … | … | 19,977,323 | 8·55 | 10,764,141 | 4·61 |
| Wessex | … | … | 19,127,692 | 11·20 | 8,398,787 | 4·92 |
| Oxford | … | … | 14,178,842 | 9·45 | 7,031,876 | 4·69 |
| South Western | … | … | 23,919,455 | 11·20 | 10,562,854 | 4·95 |
| West Midlands | … | … | 34,567,734 | 10·58 | 13,559,018 | 4·15 |
| Mersey | … | … | 19,134,186 | 10·38 | 7,291,169 | 3·95 |
| North-Western | … | … | 32,209,109 | 11·54 | 10,891,679 | 3·90 |
| Totals—Regions | … | … | 333,639,308 | 10·15 | 139,036,445 | 4·23 |
| Boards of Governors | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Grand Totals | … | … | 333,639,308 | 10·00 | 139,036,445 | 4·17 |
Region
| General Ophthalmic Services
| Per cent.
| Other Services(Revenue) | Per cent.
| ||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Northern | … | … | 1,653,799 | 0·78 | 6,557,706 | 3·10 |
| Yorkshire | … | … | 1,868,687 | 0·79 | 6,923,022 | 2·91 |
| Trent | … | … | 2,401,385 | 0·86 | 7,724,194 | 2·78 |
| East Anglian | … | … | 871,968 | 0·75 | 3,473,712 | 3·00 |
| North West Thames | … | … | 2,437,298 | 0·83 | 7,811,759 | 2·65 |
| North East Thames | … | … | 2,016,334 | 0·66 | 8,047,424 | 2·64 |
| South East Thames | … | … | 2,066,584 | 0·72 | 7,495,041 | 2·62 |
| South West Thames | … | … | 1,806,622 | 0·77 | 8,053,891 | 3·45 |
| Wessex | … | … | 1,485,415 | 0·87 | 4,484,852 | 2·62 |
| Oxford | … | … | 1,060,833 | 0·71 | 4,997,139 | 3·33 |
| South Western | … | … | 1,744,836 | 0·82 | 6,619,201 | 3·10 |
| West Midlands | … | … | 2,577,349 | 0·79 | 9,382,107 | 2·87 |
| Mersey | … | … | 1,154,488 | 0·63 | 5,482,564 | 2·97 |
| North-Western | … | … | 2,087,307 | 0·75 | 8,600,599 | 3·08 |
| Totals—Regions | … | … | 25,232,905 | 0·77 | 95,653,211 | 2·91 |
| Boards of Governors | … | … | — | — | 544,138 | 1·12 |
| Grand Totals | … | … | 25,232,905 | 0·76 | 96,197,349 | 2·88 |
Region
| Capital
| Per cent.
| All Expenditure
| Per cent.
| ||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Northern | … | … | 16,152,252 | 7·65 | 211,251,735 | 100 |
| Yorkshire | … | … | 16,720,711 | 7·03 | 237,707,687 | 100 |
| Trent | … | … | 30,611,240 | 11·02 | 277,939,411 | 100 |
| East Anglian | … | … | 11,257,992 | 9·72 | 115,842,788 | 100 |
| North West Thames | … | … | 17,990,313 | 6·10 | 294,947,531 | 100 |
| North East Thames | … | … | 21,417,940 | 7·04 | 304,391,044 | 100 |
| South East Thames | … | … | 19,970,435 | 6·99 | 285,818,209 | 100 |
| South West Thames | … | … | 16,145,475 | 6·91 | 233,660,246 | 100 |
| Wessex | … | … | 12,208,889 | 7·15 | 170,803,659 | 100 |
| Oxford | … | … | 18,532,838 | 12·35 | 150,021,388 | 100 |
| South Western | … | … | 18,357,377 | 8·60 | 213,541,599 | 100 |
| West Midlands | … | … | 27,963,082 | 8·55 | 326,880,528 | 100 |
| Mersey | … | … | 14,852,459 | 8·05 | 184,449,562 | 100 |
| North-Western | … | … | 20,293,007 | 7·27 | 279,135,710 | 100 |
| Totals—Regions | … | … | 262,474,010 | 7·99 | 3,286,391,097 | 100 |
| Boards of Governors | … | … | 4,988,050 | 10·22 | 48,808,575 | 100 |
| Grand Totals | … | … | 267,462,060 | 8·02 | 3,335,199,672 | 100 |