asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has issued any further consents under Model Clause 21(3) of the terms of petroleum production licences.

Consent has been given for the flaring of surplus gas from Montrose, one of the smaller offshore oilfields where the quantity of gas produced in association with the oil is relatively small by North Sea standards.Studies of all possible alternative means of utilising the surplus gas have been undertaken, including reinjection into the producing reservoir and collection by a possible future, common user, gas gathering pipeline system. Reservoir engineering studies have shown that gas injection into the reservoir, even for a few years, would cause oil production to suffer, leading to a reduction in total oil recovery. The recently announced independent consultants' study of the potential for common user gas gathering systems concluded that the gas from Montrose should be excluded from any future system. The relatively small quantities of gas combined with the intermittent nature of gas availability due to breaks in oil production because of the offshore loading system would be outside the economic limits that a gas gathering scheme could support.I am satisfied that none of the alternatives offer a feasible or viable solution to this gas utilisation problem, and that short of stopping oil production it is necessary to allow the operator to flare surplus gas from the start of Montrose oil production. Consent has been limited to a period of two years and I shall continue to keep the situation under review in case new alternatives for the utilisation of this gas become available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what he estimates will be the total cost of uranium and heavy water for the planned 4,000 MW SGHWR programme.

This information is commercially confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he proposes to build a heavy water plant in the United Kingdom in conjunction with the SGHWR programme; and at what overall cost.

This will be considered in due course in the light of progress with the SGHWR programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what estimated capacity a heavy water plant would require to meet the demands of a 4,000 MW SGHWR programme.

The requirement of a SGHWR for heavy water is almost entirely for the intial charge. The capacity of heavy water plant would, therefore, depend on the rate at which such a programme was developed. The total requirement would be approximately 1,500 tonnes.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current price per kilo of heavy water; and how this price compares with that of two years ago.

This is a matter for commercial negotiation.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many suppliers of heavy water there are in the non-Communist countries in the event of the generating boards purchasing requirements from abroad.

Canada is the only country at present with the annual capacity to supply under contract the heavy water required for the initial charge of a nuclear reactor. Only minor quantities are currently available from the USA.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what security of supply for the British programme he estimates there would be by purchasing supplies of heavy water from the USSR.

All possible sources of heavy water for the initial programme continue to be explored by the CEGB. In reaching decisions, the security of any supply, and its effect in diversifying total supplies, will need to be taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many and what percentage of men aged between 60 and 64 years are unemployed or unable to work because of their state of health, respectively.

Following is the xinformation:

	Number of men aged 60–64	Percentage of male population 60–64
Unemployed (on 3rd November 1975)	125,000	8·6
Incapable of work (on 31st May 1975)	207,000	14·2

The dates given are the latest for which figures are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of administrative staff per 100 beds in London teaching hospitals and in non-teaching hospitals, respectively, at the time the National Health Service was formed; and what are the respective figures today, based on similar calculations.

Information in the form requested is not available. Administrative staff in the reorganised National Health Service cannot be related to hospital beds; no comparison between the position in 1948 and in 1976 is, therefore, possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report figures showing the amount of overtime worked by doctors employed in the hospitals of each of the Birmingham area health authority districts, together with the amounts of money paid in respect of this overtime for each of the last three complete months for which this information is available and for the corresponding period of 1975.

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. At 10th May 1976, however, junior hospital doctors and dentists employed by the Birmingham AHA(T) were contracted for a total, in addition to their standard working weeks, of 8,149 Class A and Class B units of medical time per week at a weekly cost of £18,990.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services what current recommendations he intends to make for the streamlining of the administration of the health service.

I have asked health authorities to let me have their proposals for economies in management costs, taking account both of local circumstances and the need for more delegation of authority in the National Health Service. Streamlining of the administration will be for consideration in the light of these proposals and taking full account of consultations with staff representatives.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give an estimate of the number of patients who have been treated with the drug Eraldin.

It is not possible to give a precise figure, but on the basis that sales of Eraldin amounted to around 250,000 patient-years of treatment, many thousands of patients have been treated.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give an estimate of the number of people who suffer from the side effects of the drug Eraldin and who are unaware of the source of their illness.

I regret that it is not possible to give an estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has recently received from or on behalf of patients suffering damage as a result of using the drug Eraldin.

Since my reply to my hon. Friend on 29th April—[Vol. 910 c. 166–7]—I have received a letter from him and a few other letters by or on behalf of patients who may have suffered from adverse reactions to Eraldin.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps his Department has taken to retrieve all supplies of the drug Eraldin from patients for whom it had been prescribed or to warn the patients of the drug's potentially dangerous side effects.

Doctors have been informed of the side effects of Eraldin that occur in some patients; they were and remain best placed to advise individual patients. My Department agreed with the manufacturers the steps they would take to withdraw this product from sale through retail pharmacies.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when his Department was first advised that the drug Eraldin might produce damaging side effects in human beings.

The Committee on Safety of Medicines became aware in June 1974 of the possibility of skin and eye disorders developing in patients treated with practolol. Previously there had been a number of reports of adverse reactions, but these were not of a nature to cause serious concern.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of claims about the beneficial effects of sunflower seed oil for sufferers from multiple sclerosis, he will now include it in the list of prescribable drugs or medicines under the Health Service Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advance has been made since the meeting of his Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances in July 1974 to ascertain what dietary processes may help in the control of multiple sclerosis; and if he will list the substances that have been reviewed in this context.

The dietary supplements reviewed in connection with the control of multiple sclerosis are gluten-free diet and linoleic acid, which is present in sunflower seed oil.At the meeting to which my hon. Friend refers, the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances concluded, reluctantly, that the evidence was insufficient to justify regarding these dietary supplements as having a therapeutic effect on multiple sclerosis; and, therefore, as medicines that can be supplied at health service expense to multiple sclerosis patients who are living at home and being treated by their family doctors.Claims that dietary supplements particularly linoleic acid, are of value in the treatment of multiple sclerosis patients continue to be made and research is continuing; but I am not aware that fresh scientific evidence that would support these claims has emerged since the meeting. Nor has the licensing authority constituted under the Medicines Act 1968 issued any product licence that would enable a product containing linoleic acid or its derivatives to be promoted as a medicine for multiple sclerosis.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will hold a public inquiry into the organisation and performance of the West Midlands County Ambulance Service.

I am aware that there have been difficulties over the reorganisation of the service since eight borough services were amalgamated in 1974. The West Midlands Regional Health Authority is currently involved in negotiations with staff representatives and I hope the present difficulty can be resolved. I do not believe that a public inquiry would be useful.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on the circumstances in which Derek Peter Deevy was able to make fraudulent claims for social security benefits totalling £36,000 over a period of seven years; what changes he proposes to make in the checking and investigation of claims for benefit in the light of this case; and whether he will now increase the number of special investigators employed by his Department to investigate suspicious claims.

My right hon. Friend and I are deeply disturbed by this case and have called for a full enquiry into the circumstances of it.Effective action against social security fraud is not a party matter. People who pay their taxes and national insurance contributions rightly expect Governments to secure that social security payments go only to those for whom they are intended. And I am sure that we shall be supported in all parts of the House, and by the general public, in our determination to crack down on those who seek to live off our society by swindling our social security schemes.Successive Governments have grappled with this problem and a good deal of action has already been taken. As the hon. Member states, the present case goes back over a period of seven years. During the previous Administration the Fisher Committee was set up and reported in 1973. Action on its report began under the previous Government and this has been continued by the present Government. Last year we set up a specialist Headquarters Unit to direct the Department's operations in this field. The number of prosecutions has doubled over the past five years from 7,700 in 1970 to 15,350 in 1975. The number of special investigators has increased from 290 in 1973 to 370 in 1976 and there are now some 500 specialist fraud staff in our local offices, together with specialist sections in each of our regional offices.Nevertheless, before this case came to light my right hon. Friend had already asked me to take a fresh look at the steps the Department takes to prevent and detect fraudulent claims. He has now asked me to pay particular regard to any lessons we can learn from the Deevy case. Sweeping allegations, unsupported by evidence, are of no use to us, but we investigate all specific allegations of fraud, and we will gladly consider practical suggestions from any source about ways in which social security fraud can be tackled more effectively.We shall certainly consider what changes need to be made to our procedures in the light of our examination of the Deevy case and the wide-ranging review on which our specialist branch is now engaged. But counter-measures against fraud and abuse cannot be considered in isolation. My Department is responsible for some 18 million benefit payments each week. The staff carry out this enormous task with great skill and devotion and none more so than those who are engaged in the fight against the swindlers. But every additional safeguard against fraud needs extra staff and makes life that much more difficult for genuine claimants. A balance has to be struck. We shall act as vigorously as we can to protect our social security schemes from those who set out to defraud them, but we shall not be stampeded by indignation over this case to take measures that would result in unacceptable treatment of perfectly honest people.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many places are now available for the mentally handicapped in special hospital or other accommodation; and what is the total cost to public funds of providing these places in the current financial year.

At 31st December 1974, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of beds available for mentally handicapped people in hospitals was 55,150.On 31st March 1975 the number of residential places available to local authorities in homes and hostels either run by the local authorities themselves or by voluntary or private and other organisations was 10,946.A provisional estimate of the running cost of the hospitals for the mentally handicapped in 1974–75 is £177 million.In addition there are about 3,000 mentally handicapped pupils in residential special schools for whom separate cost figures are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list the number of households containing disabled children in each local authority who received assistance with the installation of telephones in 1974–75 expressed per 1,000 child population;

I will circulate the available information in the Official Report as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what changes have been made in the procedure for vetting new drugs since the thalidomide case before allowing their use by the public; and whether he is satisfied that the procedure currently in use is satisfactory.

Following the discovery of the effects of thalidomide the Government and the pharmaceutical industry agreed to establish, as a matter of urgency, a voluntary arrangement whereby no drugs were to be brought on to the market until they had been considered by the Committee on Safety of Drugs. In 1968 Parliament passed the Medicines Act, which provides a statutory basis for comprehensive controls over medicinal products. Under this Act the voluntary arrangements were replaced, from 1st September 1971, by a statutory system of product licensing. A product licence is granted only after the consideration of evidence of safety, efficacy and quality of the product. Such evidence includes the results of laboratory tests of the clinical trials.The results of such tests and trials cannot, however, provide complete assurance against the possibility that a product when brought into widespread use will have adverse effects on some individuals. Accordingly the system includes provision for the monitoring of reports of adverse reactions.In devising any system for control of the release of new products to the market it is necessary to balance the possible hazards of using the product against the detrimental effect of delaying the introduction of a valuable new form of treatment. I believe that our present system is well designed and generally effective. But no system is perfect and we shall continue to seek improvements.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the terms of reference for the committee of inquiry into Normansfield Hospital; who are the members of the committee; when the committee began its work; what are the reasons for the delay; and when the committee is expected to complete its work and report to him.

The terms of reference are

"to inquire into staff morale and patient care at Normansfield Hospital and in particular the circumstances leading to withdrawal of labour by staff at the Hospital on 5th May 1976".

The following people have agreed to serve as members of the inquiry:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the cost of the National Health Service in 1950–51, 1955–56, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1970–71, 1975–76 and the expected cost in the current financial year.

The figures for the total cost of the NHS in Great Britain are as follows:

		£ million
1950–51	…	472
1955–56	…	617
1960–61	…	924
1965–66	…	1,326
1970–71	…	2,093
1975–76	…	5,458
1976–77 (Estimated)	…	5,637

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the concern expressed by local authorities and by academic staff, if he will consider establishing an independent inquiry into the uniformity of validation of degree and diploma courses both by CNAA and by the universities in local authority-administered institutions.

No. My right hon. Friend is not responsible for the decisions of independent validating bodies, but he believes that they have the means of keeping in touch and an understanding of one another's position.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he is having about alternative work for people who might be rendered redundant if defence expenditure is cut; and what progress he is making.

As far as our own civilian staff are concerned, every effort is being made, in consultation with other Government Departments and through the Employment Services Agency, to find alternative work for those who will be made redundant as a result of reductions in defence expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the hon. Member for Beeston may expect a reply to his letter of 25th May, suggesting that the fair value proposals should be modified to consider COD separately.

I have written to the hon. Member today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many visits the Alkali and Clean Air Inspectorate has made to the Englehard's factory at Cinderford in 1974, 1975 and 1976.

The Alkali Inspectorate made five visits to the Engelhard factory at Cinderford in 1974 and nine visits in 1975. So far it has made five visits in 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many inspectors are employed at the Alkali and Clean Air Inspectorate in Swindon.

The Swindon office was closed recently and transferred to Basingstoke where three inspectors are employed. The area administered from Basingstoke is the same as that previously administered from Swindon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he has made with the appropriate authorities to enable doctors to park when visiting patients without having to incur parking fines or having their vehicles towed away.

My Department supports the car badge scheme operated by the British Medical Association which enables vehicles used by doctors, nurses and midwives on emergency visits to be easily identified. While a badge confers no legal rights the police or traffic wardens have discretion not to enforce parking restrictions in the case of such vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now announce a new date for the public inquiry into the Berkhamsted section of the proposed A41(M) motorway; and whether he will make a statement.

The further technical appraisal of the scheme announced in November 1975 is not yet complete. My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to make an announcement on the future of the bypass proposals in the fate summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now announce the date of a public inquiry into the proposed route of the London outer orbital road between Hunton Bridge and South Mimms; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend hopes to publish draft proposals under the Highways Acts for this section of the London Outer Orbital Route towards the end of next year. Any public inquiry is likely to be held in the spring or summer of 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if it is his policy to encourage the transfer of council estates to the local authority in which they exist;(2) if he will have discussions with local authorities bordering on the Greater London area on the transfer of council estates to those authorities from the Greater London Council and other London boroughs;(3) if it is his policy to require second generation applications for housing from out-of-area estates to be considered by the authority in which the estates exist; and if he will make a statement.

The problems associated with the ownership and man- agement of these estates, including the question of second generation families, are ones which the local authorities concerned should consider together and try to reach agreed solutions. I am anxious that they should do so. The solutions might vary from place to place, and I doubt whether it would be helpful for me to arrange discussions on the lines suggested by the hon. Member. If authorities concerned have particular problems about which they jointly think I could help I would be glad to have details.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the respective cost per 100,000 gallons of water produced by reservoirs, by recycling, and by desalination.

Costs vary widely and depend upon many factors such as site characteristics, location in relation to the consumers, size of scheme and the quality of the water. Meaningful costs cannot, therefor, be given.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how water consumption has been affected since the recent heat wave began; and if he will break down this information by regional water authority areas.

Where water is in short supply, consumption has been significantly reduced by a combination of restrictions imposed by water authorities and good public response to requests to save water. The savings vary from place to place and from week to week. They are influenced by the weather, and by other local factors, and cannot readily be quantified by regional water authority areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about converting the present Winchester bypass to motorway standard rather than building a new road; what environmental effect this would have; what, if any, additional cost would be involved; and if he is satisfied that adequate consideration has been given to this proposal.

One individual made a suggestion on these lines and a number of representations were received that more use should be made of the existing road. However, the Winchester M3 Joint Action Group and others have made strong representations that, instead of building the proposed Popham-Compton section of the M3, the existing Winchester bypass (A33) should be improved, but not to motorway standards. Improvement of the existing road to motorway standards was considered at the inquiry into the route in 1971 and consideration is to be given to the request of the inspector at the current inquiry that further examination should be made of the M3 Action Group's proposal. Without such an evaluation it is not possible to assess the environmental effect or cost of the proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters of objection to the present proposals for completion of the M3 motorway he has received from hon. and right hon. Members; and how many of these letters of objection have come from Members representing constituencies in Hampshire and Dorset.

One right hon. Member, who does not represent a constituency in Hampshire or Dorset, has written objecting to the present proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that all breeders of laboratory animals are accredited by the Medical Research Council.

No. We do not think that legislation to achieve what is suggested would be justified or necessary. Dogs bred for sale to laboratories have the protection of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973, and all captive animals that of the Protection of Animals Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with existing procedures for giving policemen immunity from prosecution before giving evidence; and if he will make a statement.

There is no established practice of this kind.The granting of an immunity from prosecution would be a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General. The granting of an immunity from police disciplinary proceedings would be a matter for the chief officer of police concerned. Any such decision in an individual case would be taken by him, after such consultation as may be necessary with the Director of Public Prosecutions, in the light of the particular circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gun licences are currently in force granted to private security firms.

Certificates under the Firearms Act 1968 are not issued to private security firms.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers he possesses to inspect and approve the selection, training and arming of the employees of private security firms.

My right hon. Friend has no such powers. The employees of private security firms have no special powers or privileges and are in all respects subject to the law, including the law relating to firearms and other offensive weapons.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that Government Departments in general and the Home Office in particular are taking anything from five weeks to 12 weeks to reply to letters from Members of Parliament, he will advise all Ministers and their Departments to reply more expeditiously to the mail they receive from taxpayers, generally and their Members of Parliament in particular.

I have recently asked Ministers to ensure that correspondence with Members of Parliament should be handled as quickly as possible, and that letters from members of the public should also be answered promptly. Inevitably, delays sometimes occur because, for instance, a very large number of letters is received on a particular subject in a short period, or a full reply needs detailed investigation. But this does not detract from the general desirability of prompt replies.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will give full details of the EEC food aid to Vietnam, including the contribution made by each member country.

The EEC has made the following agreements for the supply of food aid to Vietnam on a Community basis—distribution being handled by the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as indicated below:

Date and Commodity	Tonnage	Agency
April 1975
Dried Skimmed Milk	590	UNICEF
Sugar	100	UNICEF
Dried Skimmed Milk	100	ICRC
Rice	1,000	ICRC
July 1975
Rice	7,000	ICRC
Butteroil	500	ICRC
Rice	2,000	UNHCR
Wheat Flour	6,000	UNHCR
Butteroil	500	UNHCR
July 1976
Wheat Flour	3,311	ICRC
Rice	1,937·5	ICRC
Dried Skimmed Milk	500	ICRC
Wheat Flour	3,311	UNHCR
Dried Skimmed Milk	300	UNHCR
Butteroil	600	UNHCR
Dried Skimmed Milk	1,700	UNICEF
Butteroil	600	UNICEF

In addition we know of a Danish bilateral gift of 2,000 tons of cereals.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development whether he will list, for the longest period of time, the amount of financial aid in all forms granted to Uganda; and to what extent the proposed cuts in Government expenditure will reduce these payments in the future.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 12th July to the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Brotherton)—[Vol. 915, c. 34]—which lists the aid made available to Uganda in the last five years. No new aid has been granted to Uganda since aid was suspended at the end of 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the number of households containing disabled children in each local authority who received assistance with the installation of telephones in 1974–75 expressed per 1,000 child population;(2) if he will list the number of households containing disabled children in each local authority who received assistance with adaptations to their homes in 1974–75 expressed per 1,000 child population;(3) if he will list the number of households containing disabled children in each local authority who received assistance with holidays 1974–75 expressed per 1,000 child population;(4) if he will list the number of households containing disabled children in each local authority who received assistance with the provision of aids in 1974–75 expressed per 1,000 child population;(5) if he will list the number of households in each local authority who received assistance with the provision of aids in 1974–75 expressed per 1,000 population;(6) if he will list the number of households in each local authority who received assistance with holidays in 1974–75 expressed per 1,000 population;(7) if he will list the number of households in each local authority who received assistance with adaptations to their homes in 1974–75 expressed per 1,000 population;(8) if he will list the number of households in each local authority who received assistance with the installation of telephones in 1974–75 expressed per 1,000 population.

Information about the numbers of persons per 1,000 of the population in each of the former local authorities in Scotland who received assistance from these authorities in respect of the facilities mentioned under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 and (Scotland) Act 1972

RATE PER 1,000 OF THE POPULATION IN RESPECT OF PERSONS WHO RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES WITH CERTAIN FACILITIES
Local Authority	Personal Aids	Telephone Installation	Holidays	Adaptations to Homes
Burgh of Inverness	0·00	0·00	0·00	0·00
Counties of Caithness	2·01	0·50	0·18	0·65
Inverness	2·98	0·36	0·16	0·02
Ross and Cromarty	3·74	0·07	0·05	0·37
Sutherland	2·36	0·87	0·79	0·71
City of Aberdeen	4·03	0·23	0·33	1·52
Counties of Aberdeen and Kincardine	1·18	0·01	0·15	0·52
Banff	3·52	0·05	0·02	0·18
Moray and Nairn	2·95	0·06	0·17	0·44
City of Dundee	6·85	0·38	0·95	2·56
Burghs of Arbroath	0·30	0·09	0·17	2·46
Perth	5·96	0·09	0·20	0·54
Counties of Angus	1·80	0·04	0·00	0·10
Perth and Kinross	3·09	0·04	0·13	0·58
Burghs of Dunfermline	5·64	0·15	0·22	1·82
Kirkcaldy	1·74	0·08	0·14	0·36
County of Fife	6·90	0·01	0·20	1·26
City of Edinburgh	6·44	0·58	0·50	0·29
Counties of Midlothian, East Lothian & Peebles	3·09	0·08	0·41	1·37
West Lothian	4·13	0·00	0·98	3·74
Counties of Berwick	3·82	0·14	0·09	0·19
Roxburgh	4·14	0·02	0·05	1·18
Selkirk	4·78	0·19	0·97	0·29
Burghs of Falkirk	2·30	0·00	0·33	1·42
Stirling	4·77	0·00	0·47	2·42
Counties of Clackmannan	1·44	0·04	1·48	2·40
Stirling	2·02	0·16	0·07	1·46
City of Glasgow	1·23	0·06	0·07	0·32
Burghs of Airdrie	11·60	0·23	0·08	2·73
Ayr	7·29	0·19	1·04	1·71
Clydebank	9·62	0·45	0·00	2·35
Coatbridge	1·53	0·02	0·59	0·83
Dumbarton	4·76	0·00	2·87	0·12
East Kilbride	5·63	0·32	1·46	1·71
Greenock and Port Glasgow	5·66	0·55	0·18	2·44
Hamilton	2·24	0·00	0·64	2·17
Kilmarnock	6·92	0·00	0·04	0·14
Motherwell and Wishaw	1·96	0·00	0·00	1·23
Paisley	4·40	0·06	0·43	1·19
Rutherglen	7·63	0·00	1·04	0·88
Counties of Argyll	2·17	0·10	0·00	0·50
Ayr	4·04	0·13	1·07	1·43
Bute	1·42	0·08	0·00	0·71
Dunbarton	4·93	0·05	1·62	1·48
Lanark	4·05	0·15	1·37	0·52
Renfrew	1·45	0·09	0·72	0·58
Burgh of Dumfries	2·11	0·07	0·71	1·43
Counties of Dumfries	3·08	0·00	0·17	0·02
Kirkcudbright	1·69	0·11	0·36	0·14
Wigtown	1·02	0·07	0·07	0·88
Orkney	1·09	0·34	0·23	0·57
Zetland	3·97	0·71	0·00	0·82

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

As far as Her Majesty's Government are aware, a 200 mile territorial sea is claimed by the following countries: Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama, Sierra Leone, Somali Democratic Republic, Uruguay.Costa Rica has announced that its constitution will soon be amended to claim a 200 mile territorial sea.As regards fishery limits, I would refer the hon. Member to my Written Answer of 11th May to the hon. Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Sillars).—[Vol. 911, c. 141.]In addition Canada has announced it will extend fishing limits to 200 miles on 1st of January 1977. Guatemala and India have introduced legislation to establish 200 mile exclusive economic zones, including sovereign rights over fishing.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, (1) whether the expected law granting the United Kingdom jurisdiction up to 200 miles will cover the granting of fishing rights and licences covering mineral exploration and development;(2) whether the assumption of a 200-mile territorial limit will affect the concept of free passage for shipping across and through the water above the sea bed;(3) when he intends to introduce legislation to extend Great Britain's territorial limits to 200 miles; and whether a Bill is expected before the end of the July for a rapid passage through both Houses;(4) if the Government will now act with expedition in extending British territorial limits to 200 miles, in order to prevent fishery vessels belonging to the USSR from operating within 30 miles of Peterhead.

The Government have in hand the necessary preparations for legislation to extend United Kingdom fisheries limits to 200 miles. I cannot at present anticipate either the details or the timing. Any legislation is, however, likely to cover fisheries matters only. It would not affect mineral exploration and development—which is covered by separate legislation—or navigational freedoms. I do not expect legislation on the extension of fisheries limits to be presented before the end of July.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline the criteria adopted by BBC External Services in deciding what amounts in which languages it shall broadcast.

The hours and languages of the BBC's external broadcasting are determined by those responsible in accordance with political, economic and other priorities. The criteria used reflect Britain's interests in different areas of the world in the political, economic, commercial and other fields.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding the work of the Hong Kong Prison Service in pioneering the treatment of drug addiction.

Since 1958 the Hong Kong courts have been empowered to commit those found guilty of minor drug offences for treatment, a reform which permitted the Prisons Department to undertake experimental rehabilitation work. The lessons learned were incorporated in the Drug Addiction Treatment Centres Ordinance of 1969. There are now three centres for men and one for women, with 1,447 persons undergoing institutional treatment and 1,747 aftercare treatment for a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what success has been achieved by the Hong Kong police in the break up of drug syndicates and the checking of drug supplies.

A number of major syndicates were neutralised in 1975 and their members sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. This year the law enforcement agencies have seized very large quantities of drugs and arrested fifty of those responsible for the organisation of drug trafficking and manufacture.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to reduce demand for drugs in Hong Kong by the treatment and rehabilitation of addicts, especially young addicts.

There are various treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare programmes and 12 Methadone detoxification clinics were recently opened. The Society for the Aid and Rehabilitatioi of Drug Addicts' voluntary institutional programme and the Prison Department's Drug Addiction Treatment Centre for convicted addicts aged between 14 and 21 are among the programmes aimed primarily at young addicts.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has sent any message to the Israeli Government congratulating them on their successful mission to release hostages held in Uganda.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has welcomed the fact that the hostages' lives were saved and that the hijacking attempt failed; and our Ambassador in Tel Aviv has conveyed to the Israel Government our commiserations with the families of the Israelis killed at Entebbe.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with other Commonwealth Governments the question of the continued membership of the Commonwealth by the Republic of Uganda.

No. I do not think that this would be useful.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the British High Commission in Uganda has made for the evacuation of British citizens from Uganda.

Evacuation plans, which are kept under constant review, exist for Uganda as they do for other countries. It is not normal practice to reveal their details.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are resident in Uganda.

According to our records there are about 500 United Kingdom nationals resident in Uganda.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what message he sent to the President of Uganda following the Israeli evacuation of hostages held in Uganda; and if he will publish it in the Official Report.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement I made to the House on 12th July.—[Vol. 915. c. 39–44.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to oppose the likely invitation to the President of Uganda to attend the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference to be held in London in 1977.

No. All Commonwealth Heads of Government are entitled to attend these meetings.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he conveyed to the South African Government commiserations with the families of the police and other Government officials killed in the course of the Soweto riots; and, if so, on what date.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report or place in the Library documents stating the terms of appointment, conditions of employment, and procedure for appointment of new EEC Commissioners; and which bodies were responsible for these decisions.

The terms of appointment and the principal conditions of employment of members of the Commission are governed by Articles 157, 158, 159 and 160 of the Treaty of Rome as amended by the Merger Treaty. The practice is for Commissioners to be nominated by the Governments of member States for appointment in accordance with the provisions of Article 158. The emoluments of Commissioners were determined by Council Regulation 422 of 1967 (EEC) published in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. 187/1 of 8th August 1967. The regulation has subsequently been amended, in particular by Council Regulations Nos. 2163/70 (OJ No. L238/1 of 29th October 1970); 723/71 (OJ No. L80/1 of 5th April 1971); 1546/73 (OJ No. Li55/8 of 11th June 1973) and 143/76 (OJ No. L15/2 of 24th January 1976). The Official Journal is available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) how many applications for industrial development certificates in the Leek parliamentary constituency were granted in 1975;(2) how many applications for industrial development certificates in the Leek parliamentary constituency were withdrawn in 1975.(3) how many applications for industrial development certificates in the Leek parliamentary constituency were refused in 1975;

IDC statistics are not available in respect of parliamentary constituencies. In the employment office areas of Biddulph, Cheadle, Leek and Kidsgrove, which approximate to the parliamentary constituency of Leek, two IDCs were approved and none refused during 1975. Statistics are not available in respect of IDC applications withdrawn.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list in detail (a) the consideration given to the proposals for a workers' co-operative to be established at Brentford Nylons, (b) the proposals made, (c) when such proposals were considered by IDAB, and (d) what were their recommendations.

The workers' representatives did not present fully developed proposals for a co-operative. But it was plain that a very substantially greater Government financial contribution would be required, and the co-operative would not have the same resources to restore and develop the business. I have nothing further to add to the information I have already given the House about the advice of the Industrial Development Advisory Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement on his decision to make a grant to the Lonrho organisation to save the Brentford Nylons firm; and to what extent other organisations were considered for grants to take this firm over before approaching the Lonrho organisation.

A number of enquiries were made of the Department, but Lonrho was the only company to come forward with firm proposals. In recommending that assistance should be made available by way of a loan the IDAB took account of all factors. The workers and their representatives were fully consulted about the Lonrho proposals, and have stated their support for them. In the absence of any meaningful alternative proposal I regarded it as of major importance to save the jobs of the 1,800 workers in the special development areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what were the trading results of North East Coast Shiprepairers Ltd. for the year ended 30th September 1975; how they compared with those for the previous year; and, from the information made available to him by the company, what is the trend of profit or loss for the year to 30th September 1976.

The trading results of North East Coast Shiprepairers Ltd. for the year to 30th September 1975 and the previous year appear in the company's annual report for 1975, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Disclosure of the company's forecasts of trading results for the current financial year would be contrary to its commercial interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what proportion of first and second class mail, respectively, was posted in 1973, 1974, 1975 and to date.

I understand from the Post Office that over the past four financial years the proportions of mail respectively sent first and second class were as follows:

			First class	Second class
			Per cent.	Per cent.
Year ended 31st March
1973	…	…	43·7	56·3
1974	…	…	44·0	56·0
1975	…	…	42·5	57·5
1976*	…	…	32·7	67·3
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many sub-post offices have been closed down per annum since 1973.

Figures published annually in the Post Office report and accounts show a net decline in the number of sub-post offices under its control as follows:

1973–74	…	234*
1974–75	…	216
1975–76 (provisional)	…	256
* This figure includes 38 sub-post offices transferred to the Isle of Man Administration.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is his latest calculation of the value of export orders lost owing to the Government's anti-apartheid policy.

Reliable estimates are not available, but clearly the price of adherence to our principles in the arms field has been considerable. There can be no question, however, of any compromise with apartheid.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade why his investigations into the affairs of the Canning Town Glass Works were conducted under Section 109 of the Companies Act 1967; why he refused to publish the report; and why he did not deal with this company on the same basis as the affairs of the Lonrho Company so far as investigations and reports were concerned.

Enquiries were made into the affairs of Canning Town Glass Works Ltd. under Section 109 of the Companies Act 1967 because, on the information available at the time, that was the appropriate section to invoke. By the provisions of Section 111 of that Act I am debarred from disclosing the information obtained.Inspectors were appointed to investigate the affairs of the Lonrho Ltd. under the provisions of Section 165(

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what progress is being made in discussions with the United States authorities regarding the scheduled services to Atlanta and Houston by British Caledonian as foreshadowed in the civil aviation review.

The provision of suitable routes and traffic rights for British Caledonian to start a scheduled service to Atlanta and Houston will form part of our objectives in the renegotiation of the Bermuda Agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States of America which my right hon. Friend announced in the reply that he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Thornaby (Mr. Wrigglesworth) on 23rd June.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish the submissions to be made by the Government to the United States Government in pursuance of the case to renegotiate the Bermuda Agreement on civil aviation between the two countries.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish the names of the airlines proposing to offer a compensation scheme for passengers subject to overbooking together with details of the basis of such compensation.

A summary of the scheme was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 13th July. I am now imformed by the Civil Aviation Authority that the following airlines have now signed the agreement to participate:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the cost to public funds to date of the rescue services arising out of the Observer single-handed trans-Atlantic race.

Since 5th July, five sorties by RAF Nimrod aircraft have been made in unsuccessful searches for missing yachts at an estimated cost of about £55,000. There have been sorties from an aircraft carrier while on

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list in the Official Report the quantity of imports—by volume—in the first five months of 1976, and comparable figures for the first five months of 1975, for knitwear tariff headings 60.04 and 60.05 in a comparable form to the quota figures in the MFA and allied agreements for imports from Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.

The information is as follows:passage through the area, a considerable amount of communications traffic by Her Majesty's Coastguard and the Ministry of Defence, and broadcasts from coast radio stations, but it is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the cost of these.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she will monitor the effect of rising rents of retail premises on the prices of goods in the shops.

I understand that average shop rents have been rising more slowly in recent years than the Retail Price Index. The overall level of shop rents, as well as contributing to retailers' costs, is itself largely a reflection of the level of prices and profits in retailing.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what was the rise in the index of retail prices and of wholesale prices between 31st March 1975 and 31st March 1976.

The information is as follows:

	per cent. increase
Retail Price Index—All items 18th March 1975 to 16th March 1976	21·2
Wholesale Price Index—Products of all manufacturing industry March 1975 to March 1976	16·4

Information relating specifically to 31st March is not available. The Retail Price Index reflects prices on one day in the month, whilst the Wholesale Price Index reflects average prices for the month.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she is satisfied in the interests of the consumer that middlemen and retailers in the bacon and allied fields are passing on price decreases from the manufacturers; and what percentage drop in the retail price of pork and bacon products she expects this to produce.

The Price Code controls the overall margins of distributors in order to ensure that price reductions are passed through to consumers. Retail prices of bacon, which are monitored by the Price Commission are falling. It is however, not possible to estimate accurately the percentage drop that can be expected for the large range of cuts and products involved.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice has been sought, on which dates and with what results, by British Railways from the state Veterinary Service on how it can best comply with the Transit of Animals (General) Order 1973.

British Rail has not sought advice from the State Veterinary Service on this subject.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will support efforts to ensure that the European Community's own consumers are given priority in the disposal of agricultural surpluses.

It has always been one of my right hon. Friend's objectives that Community consumers should be given priority, wherever this is reasonable, in the disposal of agricultural surpluses.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what stocks of butter and skimmed milk are currently held by the Intervention Board in the United Kingdom; and how these stocks have risen or fallen over the first six months of the current year.

On 9th July 1976, 5,547 tons of butter and 32,434 tons of skimmed milk powder were held in store by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce. The comparable figures for 1st January 1976 were nil and 23,764 tons respectively.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement regarding the tax to be imposed by the EEC on vegetable and marine oils and fats so as to dispose of the dairy mountain, correspondence about which has been sent to him.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Lewis) and the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Taylor) on 14th July. [Vol. 915, c. 212–3.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of people classified for tax purposes as self-employed have declared incomes of (a) under £1,000 per annum, (b) £1,000 to £2,000 per annum, (c) £2,000 to £3.000 per annum and (d) over £3,000 per annum.

The latest information available relates to incomes chargeable to income tax for the year 1973–74. The estimated proportions are:

Range of total income			Percentage
Under £1,000	…	…	16
£1,000-£2,000	…	…	35
£2,000-£3,000	…	…	24
Over £3,000	…	…	25

Total income is as defined in Inland Revenue Statistics 1975 at page 157.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated value of new British investments in the Republic of South Africa for the financial years 1974–75 and 1975–76; and what is the current rate of new investment for the current year.

Figures for United Kingdom net outward investment in South Africa and South-West Africa in the seven years to 1974 are given on page 14 of the Department of Industry's "Business Monitor M4: 1974 Overseas Transactions", a copy of which has been placed in the Library. No figures are yet available for more recent periods.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax inspectors were employed by the Inland Revenue on 1st July 1976; and what was the shortfall in the number of inspectors on that date.

The number of inspectors of taxes of all grades in post in the Inland Revenue at 1st July 1976 was 6,117, of whom 173 were in the early stage of their training and not yet effective units, and 341 in later stages of training together with 116 part-timers were effectively half units. The total of effective units was therefore:

Inspectors in post		6,117
Less non-effective trainees	173
Half-effective trainees	341 × ½ = 170
Part timers	116 × ½ = 58	401
Effective units		5,716

The shortfall below the authorised complement calculated at 1st July 1976 was 136.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the standby credit of £3,000 million announced on 7th June was used by 15th July.

The level of drawings at the end of June and end of September will be shown in the quarterly balance of payments data, which will appear in September and December respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of TIR lorries entering the United Kingdom are thoroughly searched by Her Majesty's Customs and and Excise.

All vehicles entering the United Kingdom are liable to be searched. Information about individual classes of vehicles selected for thorough search is not, however, available. TIR lorries which are not emptied at the port of importation and subjected to normal Customs controls there proceed under Customs seal to inland clearance depots where those controls are carried out.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the 400,000 forms sent out inviting application for the new subcontractors' tax certificate, how many applications have been submitted, how many approved and how many have yet to be decided at the latest convenient date.

I will let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report the revenues received from

(£ million)
		1950–51	1955–56	1960–61	1965–66	1970–71	1975–76*	1976–77†
Tobacco	…	604·3	668·5	825·2	1,014·2	1,141·5	1,680·9	1,790·0
Beer	…	262·2	258·5	222·2	340·2	467·0	652·1	1,850·0
Wine	…	21·3	24·1	22·0	42·0	92·8	211·2
Spirits	…	114·6	125·6	162·9	245·4	371·5	699·3
Cider and Perry	…	—	—	—	—	—	—
* Provisional.
† Estimate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the NEDC Sector Working Party reports on Automation, Electronic Components and Computers; and to whom these reports have been circulated already outside Her Majesty's Government.

Decisions about the release of NEDC Sector Working Party reports are for the Sector Working Parties themselves. I understand that the Sector Working Party on Automation and Instrumentation has decided to make its report generally available, but the SWPs on Electronic Components and Computers are restricting their reports to firms within their industries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement on his policy with regard to the value to British exports of the fall in the value of the £ sterling, in the light of the conclusions of a recent survey of Sussex business men, details of which have been sent to him.

I have read the summary in the Sussex Business Times of views expressed by a number of Sussex exporters with interest and I will be writing to the hon. Member. After all relevant factors are taken into consideration, particularly the much higher rate of inflation in the United Kingdom than in other countries over the last year or so, I do not accept that the evidence supports the conclusions that United

Receipts of Customs and Excise revenue duties were:Kingdom exporters have been placed in a worse position as a result of the depreciation of sterling in recent months than would have been the case without it. But if they are to take full advantage of their present competitive position we must clearly continue to do all we can to reduce the cost pressures on United Kingdom exporters through our policy towards inflation and through our industrial strategy to help them to compete effectively in terms of quality, reliability and delivery as well as price.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what he estimates would be the effect, at current trading levels, of a combined acceleration of payment for imports plus a deceleration of payments for exports of one day on the United Kingdom's foreign exchange reserves;(2) what evidence he has that there have been alterations in the payments pattern for exports and imports since his announcement of the Group of Ten standby credit of $5·3 billion.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15th July 1976; Vol. 915, c. 262], gave the following information:At present levels of United Kingdom trade in goods and services, running at sime $120 billion a year, an advance of payment for imports and a delay of receipts for exports of one day would involve a total amount of some $300 million. There is no direct information on the extent of leading and lagging, but I would expect that there has been a reduction since my announcement on 7th June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what it would cost the revenue if, in connection with any assessment for liability for income tax where a person proves he has incurred expenditure by way of fares paid on public transport in travelling between his normal residence and the place where the income is earned, he were to be allowed such expenditure as an expense wholly, necessary and exclusively incurred by him in earning such income.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12th July 1976; Vol. 915, c. 106] gave the following information:I regret that the information needed to make a precise estimate is not available, but the cost could be expected to exceed £200 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of unemployed at the latest available date: (a) on Merseyside, (b) in Kirkby and (c) in Ormskirk.

At June 1976 the numbers registered as unemployed in the Merseyside special development area, the Kirkby employment office area and the Ormskirk employment office area were 80,997, 5,591 and 695, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of school leavers currently unemployed (a) in the North-West, (b) on Merseyside, (c) in Kirkby and (d) in Ormskirk.