asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the progress of the renegotiation of the EEC common fisheries policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the conclusion of the current negotiations on a new EEC common fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement on the progress of the negotiations.

I refer the hon. Members to the statement which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food made on 28th June and to the reply which I gave on 7th July to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, West (Mr. Johnson.—[Vol. 914, c. 569.] It is not yet possible to say when these negotiations will be concluded. We are pressing for early progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date Mr. Spinelli ceased to be an EEC Commissioner; and on what date his pay and emoluments ceased.

Mr. Spinelli resigned as a member of the Commission of the European Communities with effect from 5th July. In accordance with the provisions of the Council Regulation determining the pay of Commissioners, Mr. Spinelli's emoluments as a Commissioner automatically cease on the last day of the month in which his resignation took effect. Former Commissioners are entitled to receive a pension or other allowance depending on the circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, following the agreement between France and the USSR to prevent the risk of either country launching an accidental nuclear attack on the other, he will now consider proposing a similar agreement between Great Britain and the USSR; and if he will make a statement.

We look forward to studying the Franco-Soviet Agreement when it is concluded and will then consider whether it would be desirable for us to have a similar agreement with the Soviet Union.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many approaches he has received to date from hotel and tourist organisations complaining of the financial burden caused by the new fire regulations.

Since the Fire Precautions (Hotels and Boarding Houses) Order 1972 (1972 No. 238) came into operation on 1st June 1972, the Home Office has received about 70 approaches.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will now bring in measures applying the designation Order applying the new standards of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 to residential homes for the elderly.

There are no immediate plans to designate this class of occupancy, but advice has recently been issued to all chief fire officers on the measures necessary to secure a phased improvement in fire precautions in such premises.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the punishments inflicted upon members of the Unification Church by their leaders as set out in the letter of 13th June forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley and in view of the number of mentally disturbed young people held by or leaving the sect, he will now hold a public inquiry into the techniques of indoctrination.

No; but I will certainly forward to the relevant chief officer of police for investigation any evidence of alleged criminal activities concerning members of the Unification Church which my hon. Friend sends me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of registered drug addicts in the United Kingdom for each year since 1960.

There is no system of registration of drug addicts within the United Kingdom, but an index is kept of those addicts coming to the notice of the Home Office. Before 22nd February 1968, when the Dangerous Drugs (Notification of Addicts) Regulations 1968 came into force, medical practitioners were not required by law to furnish particulars of addicts to the Chief Medical Officer at the Home Office. Figures for the period 1960–67, are, therefore, not complete and are not comparable with the figures given below. The numbers of addicts known to the Home Office to be receiving narcotic drugs at 31st December of each year from 1968 to 1975 inclusive are as follows:

ADDICTS KNOWN TO THE HOME OFFICE TO BE RECEIVING NARCOTIC DRUGS AS AT 31ST DECEMBER IN EACH YEAR
Year					No. of Persons
1968	…	…	…	…	1,746
1969	…	…	…	…	1,462
1970	…	…	…	…	1,426
1971	…	…	…	…	1,549
1972	…	…	…	…	1,615
1973	…	…	…	…	1,815
1974	…	…	…	…	1,972
1975	…	…	…	…	1,954

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each member State of the EEC: (a) the number of violent crimes per 100,000 population; and (b) the number of murders per 100,000 population for each year since 1960.

The available information is set out in the table below, which gives the numbers of murders and attempted murders per 100,000 population for most of the member States of the EEC, in the form collected and published by Interpol. Interpol stipulates the basis of the figures to be supplied to it as:

"wilful murder or attempted murder or acts presumed to be such; all acts undertaken with the purpose of taking human life, no matter in what way and in whatever circumstances—but excluding 'involuntary manslaughter' and acts of abortion."

The figures must be considered approximate and should be interpreted with caution. They do not form a basis for comparison between different countries, largely because of the differences in the way in which offences of homicide are defined among member States and by Interpol for the purposes of their statistical collection.Information about the number of other violent crimes is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now introduce appropriate legislation so as to amend the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 to restore to the court suitable and effective powers of punishment in the case of juvenile offenders including, in appropriate cases, corporal punishment.

A recently-published White Paper (Cmnd. 6494) contains the Government's views on the working of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969, including some proposals for strengthening the powers of the courts to deal with juvenile offenders. It does not include any proposal for the reintroduction of corporal punishment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of detached offences in each policy authority area were committed by juveniles in the last year for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures for each of the previous five years.

Table 1 shows the number of juveniles found guilty of or cautioned for offences in 1975, by police force areas. Figures for previous years on a comparable basis could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but overall figures for the whole of England and Wales are given in Table 2.

TABLE 1
PROPORTION OF THOSE FOUND GUILTY, OR CAUTIONED, WHO WERE AGED UNDER 17: BY POLICE FORCE AREA, 1975
Police force area			Percentage
England—	…	…
Avon and Somerset	…	…	8·9
Bedfordshire	…	…	11 ·8
Cambridgeshire	…	…	9·7
Cheshire	…	…	9·3
Cleveland	…	…	15·8
Cumbria	…	…	12·2
Derbyshire	…	…	10·4
Devon and Cornwall	…	…	10·1
Dorset	…	…	10·1
Durham	…	…	15·8
Essex	…	…	12·2
Gloucestershire	…	…	10·3
Greater Manchester	…	…	11·3

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Departmentif he will publish a table showing the recognised establishment of each police force in England and Wales, the number of officers actually engaged in each of these forces, the number of officers who have retired from each of these forces during the last 12 months and

		Establishment	Strength at 31st May 1965	Recruitment 1st June 1975 to 31st May 1976	Wastage (including retirements) 1st June 1975 to 31st May 1976
Avon and Somerset	…	2,868	2,827	328	119
Bedfordshire	…	926	846	119	73
Cambridgeshire	…	1,061	1,056	125	60
Cheshire	…	1,770	1,740	174	97
Cleveland	…	1,411	1,368	145	90
Cumbria	…	1,079	1,029	77	71
Derbyshire	…	1,709	1,565	193	105
Devon and Cornwall	…	2,673	2,634	128	91
Dorset	…	1,108	1,097	136	88
Durham	…	1,373	1,357	129	63
Dyfed Powys	…	916	907	84	42
Essex	…	2,436	2,356	287	165
Gloucestershire	…	1,100	1,048	133	64
Greater Manchester	…	6,600	5,995	704	317
Gwent	…	964	958	117	78
Hampshire	…	2,845	2,823	233	145
Hertfordshire	…	1,472	1,419	175	93
Humberside	…	1,939	1,748	191	138
Kent	…	2,615	2,441	301	188
Lancashire	…	3,080	3,064	327	150
Leicestershire	…	1,705	1,662	151	71
Lincolnshire	…	1,182	1,164	90	67
Merseyside	…	4,342	4,140	513	253
Norfolk	…	1,264	1,203	101	60
Northamptonshire	…	914	899	102	43
Northumbria	…	3,322	3,232	336	208
North Wales	…	1,276	1,229	100	51
North Yorkshire	…	1,328	1,315	147	83
Nottinghamshire	…	2,125	2,115	187	112
South Wales	…	3,069	2,993	262	135
South Yorkshire	…	2,752	2,558	360	148
Staffordshire	…	2,066	2,036	176	84
Suffolk	…	1,086	1,036	111	64
Surrey	…	1,442	1,430	225	82
Sussex	…	2,785	2,781	298	186
Thames Valley	…	2,960	2,884	293	195
Warwickshire	…	876	838	86	39
West Mercia	…	1,650	1,597	198	112
West Midlands	…	6,471	5,623	570	288
West Yorkshire	…	5,104	4,657	536	287
Wiltshire	…	994	969	127	57
City of London	…	1,022	836	87	35
Metropolitan	…	26,628	21,597	1,943	1,252

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the EEC's proposals for sheepmeat and potatoes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the EEC draft regulations for sheepmeat and potatoes.

The figures are as follows:

Discussions on both sets of proposals are continuing in Brussels. My right hon. Friend made his views clear when he spoke to the Scrutiny Committee on 16th June.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied that the present arrangements for the administration of food policy operates to the advantage of both farmer and consumer.

Yes. Under the present arrangements, full account is taken of the interests of producers, processors, distributors and consumers of food.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what procedures are adopted between his Department and the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection for the initiation of food policy.

Food policy is normally initiated in my Department and pricing and subsidy policy in the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection. But the normal processes of ministerial and departmental consultation ensure that the views and responsibilities of both Departments are taken fully into account in any new policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he now intends to revalue the green pound in view of the devaluation of sterling since the last valuation.

We will continue to keep the green pound under review but do not consider now to be an appropriate time to make a change.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last had consultations with the water authorities over the effect of the present drought conditions on the agriculture and horticulture industries.

My Department is represented at the regular meetings between the water authorities and senior officials referred to by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Planning and Local Government in his statement on 3rd May. In addition, my officials are in close touch with individual water authorities to deal with local problems affecting agriculture and horticulture.—[Vol. 910, c. 837–41.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the latest known cost for storage and interest charges associated with the stockpiling of skimmed milk in line with the common agricultural policy.

Storage and interest charges in respect of intervention purchases of skimmed milk powder are payable by the Community. Between 1st February 1973 and 31st December 1975, the United Kingdom received £2,033,085 from FEOGA funds for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the present working of the skimmed milk powder scheme.

We are never entirely satisfied. But our officials are in the closest touch with the representative trade organisations and have been able to resolve the substantial part of the practical problems that have arisen. Those remaining are being pursued vigorously.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce his policy for the fishing industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the help to be given to the fishing industry and allied trades following the settlement of the Icelandic dispute.

I would refer the hon. Members to the statement my right hon. Friend made on 28th June 1976.—[Vol. 914, c. 27–36.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he intends to arrest the decline in the level of private sector forestry plantings.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many acres of forestry were planted by the private sector in 1975–76.

In the year ended 31st March 1976, grants were paid for the planting in Great Britain of about 30,000 acres. The Government have noted the decline in private sector planting and are keeping a close watch on the situation. We are not convinced, however, of the need for any special measures at present. It is hoped that improvement in the economy and increasing confidence will be reflected in a rising level of planting.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on possible policy for the nationalisation of farmland.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what instructions he has given to his Department for the consideration of possible Government options for the nationalisation of agricultural land.

My right hon. Friend has no proposals for the nationalisation of agricultural land.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his estimates of the stocks of butter, beef and powdered milk in the EEC to the end of 1976.

I can make no forecast for the level of intervention stocks to the end of 1976, since this will depend on market developments within the Community as a whole.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the present stocks of butter and beef held in the United Kingdom by the Intervention Board and private storage, respectively.

Subject to final verification, about 13,700 tons of beef and 3,700 tons of butter were held in stock by the Intervention Board at 25th June 1976. In addition, just over 4,000 tons of beef and 24,000 tons of butter were in store in the United Kingdom under Community-financed private storage arrangements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the nationalisation of the sugar refining industry.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave my hon. Friend on this subject on 17th May 1976.—[Vol. 911, c. 412.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food when he next expects to visit Wales.

My right hon. Friend hopes to visit South Wales in October.

asked the Minister Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the depressed state of the tomato market; and what measures he intends to take to help growers.

The market for tomatoes, as for other fresh fruit and vegetables, is seasonal and reacts to changes in supply and demand. The tomato market has recently been buoyant with prices around and, at the end of June, well above the relatively high levels of last year. We shall continue to assist the industry through capital grants, through research and through the help available from the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given to the large quantity of directives, questionnaires and other documents sent by his Department to farmers; and, in view of the hindrance this presents to farmers in the carrying out of their jobs, whether he will order a new and far-reaching study with a view to wholesale simplification.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given to the hon. Members for Eastleigh (Mr. Price) and Horsham and Crawley (Mr. Hordern) on 8th March and 30th June respectively— [Vol. 907, c. 21–22; Vol. 914 c. 177–178.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the comparison between the cost of fuel used by glasshouse growers in other countries in the EEC and that used by growers in Great Britain and the steps taken to date to equalise these.

The cost of oil to British growers does not differ significantly from the cost of that used by growers in other EEC countries although Dutch growers still derive some benefit from cheaper supplies of natural gas. Fuel costs are, of course, only one of the factors affecting competition between glasshouse growers.The EEC Commission, after discussions with member States, set guidelines for fuel aids in June 1974 and these were extended in April 1975. British growers received a generous fuel subsidy within the guidelines. All aids under the guidelines had to end by 30th June 1976.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to arrest the decline in the British balance of trade with EEC countries attributable to the payment of higher prices for food imports from the EEC under the terms of the common agricultural policy.

The cost of food imports is only one element in our balance of trade with other members of the EEC. In the White Paper "Food from Our Own Resources" (Cmnd. 6020) the Government set out the possibilities for saving imports through the expansion of home agriculture and subsequent decisions on agricultural policy have reflected that strategy. FEOGA-funded mca subsidies are currently making a significant contribution towards containing the cost of many of our food imports.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the effect of the Oslo Agreement on ending the third cod war on the British distant water fishing industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to mitigate the adverse effects of the Oslo Agreement with Iceland upon the deep sea fishing industry of Humberside.

I would refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friend, to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the conclussion of the dispute with Iceland on 7th June, and to the statement made by my right hon. Friend on fisheries policy on 28th June. At this stage, I have nothing to add to what was said then.—[Vol. 912, c. 936–47; Vol. 914, c. 27–36.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many acres of hill and marginal land have been reclaimed in England during each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

The acreage of land reclaimed is only available where the work has been done with the aid of grant and then only in certain cases in respect of hill land. No acreage figures are available for work on marginal land or under the Hill Farming and Livestock Rearing Land Acts or, separately for hill land, under the superseded ploughing grants, orchard grubbing, rabbit scrub clearance and grassland renovation schemes.The figures available for hill land are:

(a) Hill Land Improvement Scheme
England and Wales
Financial Year					Acres
1967–68*	…	…	…	…	355
1968–69*	…	…	…	…	69,159
1969–70*	…	…	…	…	173,892
1970–71*	…	…	…	…	192,597
1971–72*	…	…	…	…	145,156
1972–73*	…	…	…	…	45,585
1973–74*	…	…	…	…	18,503
* Separate figures not available.

(b) Farm Capital Grant Scheme
Financial Year					England
1971–72	…	…	…	…	122,453
1972–73	…	…	…	…	163,183
1973–74	…	…	…	…	167,345
1974–75	…	…	…	…	137,752
1975–76	…	…	…	…	124,105
					Wales
1971–72	…	…	…	…	25,089
1972–73	…	…	…	…	48,789
1973–74	…	…	…	…	72,090
1974–75	…	…	…	…	75,423
1975–76	…	…	…	…	61,275
					England and Wales
1971–72	…	…	…	…	147,542
1972–73	…	…	…	…	211,972
1973–74	…	…	…	…	239,435
1974–75	…	…	…	…	213,175
1975–76	…	…	…	…	185,380

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he received regarding EEC Directive 71/118 in the periods 1971 to 1974, 1st January 1975 to 5th June 1975, and from 5th June 1975 to date, respectively; and from which organisations.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 30th June.—[Vol. 914, c. 179.]—The three main interests there referred to made representations before 1st January 1975, during the period 1st January to 5th June 1975 and subsequently.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that those on teacher training courses are able to carry out their probationary year, without which their qualification as teachers is impossible;(2) whether he will extend the range of experience which qualifies for the probationary year to include youth service work, in order to enable teachers to complete their training periods;(3) whether he will allow teachers to complete their probationary year in schools on grant terms, rather than on the normal terms of employment, in order to allow teachers to complete their period of training.

Teachers who have completed an initial training course successfully are granted qualified teacher status as soon as they take up their first appointment in a maintained school and do not have to wait until the end of their probationary period of service, the purpose of which is to establish their practical proficiency as teachers. My right hon. Friend is ready to deal sympathetically with recommendations from employing local education authorities in individual cases that the probationary period should be reduced, or dispensed with altogether, on the grounds that the teacher has already given sufficient evidence of practical proficiency in his previous employment; but I would not expect an authority to regard a period of youth service work by itself as providing such evidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will implement the recommendations of the James Committee in respect of the intensification of in-service training, in order to allow newly qualified teachers to complete their probationary year.

The White Paper "Public Expenditure to 1979–80" (Cmnd. 6393) provided for the phased introduction of induction training for newly trained teachers and the expansion of in-service training from 1977–78. However, as the White Paper made clear, this cannot represent a firm commitment, since all the Government's expenditure plans must be subject to modification in the light of the general course of the country's economy.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report, from international sources available to him, a table showing for each present member of the EEC, Canada and the United States of America, the percentage of gross national product devoted to education in each year since 1960.

Figures, which are of public expenditure on education, are published in successive editions of the UNESCO Statistical yearbook and are given in the table below. It must be emphasised that the UNESCO definition of public expenditure differs from that used in the corresponding statistics officially compiled and published in the United Kingdom, and that the UNESCO definition of gross national product is at market prices—which includes taxes and excludes subsidies—rather than at factor cost. Moreover, since the education systems of the various countries have salient differences which can affect comparability, care should be exercised in any use made of these figures. In those cases where the published figures are of percentage of national income they will normally, other things being equal, produce a higher percentage than if based on gross national product.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with educational interests with both sides of the agriculture industry, concerning the number of students both at present and in the future, who are taking part-time or full-time agricultural courses.

None specifically. But I am kept in touch with these interests through the operation of the course approval procedure, which takes into account the advice of the regional advisory councils on which they are represented.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will introduce a sabbatical term for teachers once in every seventh year, in order to increase recruitment of teachers leaving teaching colleges.

Not in present financial circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report, from international sources available to him, a table showing for each present member State of the EEC, Canada and the United States of America, the numbers of teachers per 100,000 of population for each year since 1960.

The table below gives figures derived from teacher and population statistics quoted in successive editions of the UNESCO Statistical yearbook. Figures available for years after 1972 are inadequate for comparative purposes. Except where otherwise stated figures cover all levels of education from pre-primary to higher, plus special education. The figures provide only very broad indicators of international comparisons or trends over time, and weight should not be attached to erratic short-term movements. The teacher statistics used are of those people recorded as employed as teachers in educational establishments at the time of count, which may vary from country to country. In principle though not always in practice they cover both public and private sector establishments and full-time and part-time teachers employed therein. They do not, however, cover teachers who are employed elsewhere or who are not in employment. Differences in the age structure of the population in the various countries will also be reflected in the teacher-population ratios. Moreover, the education systems of the various countries have salient differences which can affect comparability.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each present member State of the EEC, Canada and the United States of America the number of individuals graduating from officially recognised institutes of higher education for each year since 1960.

Figures from successive editions of the UNESCO Statistical Yearbook or, in the case of the United Kingdom, on a comparable basis to that used by UNESCO, are given in the table below. Internationally comparable data are not available for years after 1971. Except where otherwise stated the figures comprise: diplomas and certificates from higher education not equivalent to a university degree; first university degrees and equivalent qualifications; postgraduate university degrees and equivalent qualifications. There are, however, salient differences between the educational systems of the various countries which affect comparability and care should be exercised in any use made of these figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if, in his present negotiations with the drug industry, he will take into consideration the evidence sent to him by the hon. Member for Brent, South showing pseudocompetition between companies that have a mutual marketing arrangement;(2) if, in his present negotiations with the drug industry, he will take into consideration the evidence sent to him by the hon. Member for Brent, South that five major suppliers tacitly compete against themselves and incur unnecessary promotional costs; and if he will take action to disallow such costs under the voluntary price regulation scheme.

My negotiations with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry are concerned both with the quality and the cost of advertising. I am seeking a substantial reduction in the cost and an improvement in the quality of advertising in order to make information to doctors more accurate and objective.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether consideration is being given to the establishment of a regional forensic psychiatric hospital in the South West Thames area; and what experience exists of such units elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

My right hon. Friend has asked all regional health authorities to establish a security unit for psychiatric patients, whether referred by the courts or not. The South West Thames Regional Health Authority is planning such a unit and will shortly consider the results of its recent consultations about siting. Since no unit of this sort has been completed, comparable experience does not yet exist.