asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he exercises any control over the prices charged by those licensed to sell canned drinks and ice cream in the Royal Parks; and if he is satisfied that the prices charged are fair and reasonable.

Yes, the Secretary of State does exercise control over these prices; the licensee may be required to amend those which do not appear to be fair and reasonable. Proprietary brands of ice cream are sold at the manufacturer's recommended prices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in his discussions with local authorities on Merseyside, he gave a pledge that all the money required would be available to build houses for rent, in view of the fact that Liverpool alone has 22,000 on the housing waiting list and 40,000 if slum clearance is added.

The City of Liverpool has been listed as a stress area, as my right hon. Friend told the House on 5th August, and the council knows that my objective is to safeguard its housing programme.—[Vol. 916, c. 984–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) by what authority area health authorities instruct water authorities to add fluoride to public water supplies;(2) what control by democratically elected bodies is exercised over those who are responsible for deciding whether fluoride should be added to public water supplies.

The initiative on proposals for adding fluoride to water supplies rests with area health authorities, who make requests accordingly to the water authorities. The majority of the members of water authorities are appointed by local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will increase the maximum rebate which can be made under the national rent rebate scheme.

My right hon. Friend sees no need for such a general increase at present, but he will continue to use his powers to authorise individual higher maxima to those local authorities who satisfy him that their rent levels are exceptionally high, either generally or for a class of dwelling.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to review the national rent rebate scheme; how the review will be carried out; and how much information about it will be published.

The rent rebate and allowance schemes are kept under continuous review by my right hon. Friend's Advisory Committee on Rent Rebates and Rent Allowances. In addition, the schemes are currently being examined as part of the Housing Policy Review and also on a wider interdepartmental basis. Relevant information will be published as appropriate, according to the type of review and its results.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce legislation to prevent caravan site owners making additional rate charges for caravan owners.

Caravanners who think that site operators are making unduly high charges to meet the administrative costs of collecting rates should look to see if they have some recourse under their tenancy agreement. Failing this they may consult the regional office of the Price Commission who will be able to advise whether the Price Code is applicable in individual cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what Government assistance may be given to local authorities with urban blight and inner area decay, in view of recent rethinking on these issues.

I am now considering with my colleagues the various detailed aspects of the inner city question but I cannot anticipate the Government's conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Liverpool.

I visited Liverpool on 15th September. I had a wide ranging series of discussions with members and chief officers of the city council and the Merseyside County Council. I also toured the inner areas of the city. My visit gave me the chance to see at first hand and discuss with the authorities involved the complex problems of an inner city area in which the population has declined by 40 per cent. since 1961. My general approach on inner city problems was set out in the speech I made two days later.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further proposals he has for combating hooliganism inside and outside football grounds.

I have discussed with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Home Affairs, for Scotland and for Transport the action to be taken in the light of the outbreak of violence at the Aston Villa-Glasgow Ranger match and other serious incidents. The Chief Constables of West Midlands and Strathclyde have been asked to submit detailed reports and the Football Association is carrying out its own inquiry.My Working Party on Football Crowd Behaviour is continuing to keep the problem under review and we recently issued a fresh circular to football clubs re-emphasising its recommendations on practical steps to reduce hooliganism among football crowds. There is little doubt that much of the recent violence might have been prevented if these recommendations had been implemented with thoroughness and urgency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further steps he proposes to take to deal with Great Britain's water shortage.

The recent rainfall together with the measures which the Government and the water authorities have already taken should ensure adequate supplies for the remainder of this year provided that water savings are maintained. As regards next year's supplies I hope to make a statement shortly on the Government's conclusions on the Winter Drought Study prepared by the National Water Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect the high rainfall during recent weeks has had on the United Kingdom's drought condition.

The rainfall of recent weeks has substantially increased the stocks of water in water authorities' and water companies' impounding reservoirs in England and Wales. In some cases stocks are well above average for the time of year. Most underground water levels, however, are still below the seasonal average.The general improvement has enabled many of the restrictions imposed on the availability and use of water to be lifted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the state of Great Britain's water reserves; and how these compare with those in each of the previous five years.

It is not practicable to express Great Britain's water resources quantitatively because a large part is represented by underground water which cannot be reliably measured.Impounded water stocks have been substantially increased by recent rainfall, but underground water resources, which are replenished mainly by winter rainfall, have benefited only moderately so far.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the amounts of rainfall in the month of September in each of the water board areas; and how these compare with rainfall in previous years.

The information is not immediately available by water

Region			Average Rainfall for September 1976 mm	Mean Rainfall for September (1916–1950) mm	Average as percentage of Mean
North-West, Northumbria	…	…	192	90	213
Severn-Trent, Yorkshire	…	…	164	64	256
Anglia, South, Thames	…	…	113	56	202
Wessex, South-West	…	…	148	79	189
Welsh	…	…	216	103	210

The provisional general value of rainfall over England and Wales for September 1976 is 158 mm, or 208 per cent. Of the long-term average for the month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the evidence to the Layfield Committee is to be published.

Publication of the principal evidence submitted to the Layfield Committee together with commissioned work will take place over the next two to three weeks.Six volmes are being published today—Appendix 1—Evidence by Government Departments, 3—Evidence by Political Parties, 4—Selected Evidence by Representative Organisations, 5—Reports on Foreign Visits, 6—The Relationship between Central and Local Government: Evidence and Commissioned Work and 9 —Rating: Evidence and Commissioned Work. The remaining volumes, Appendix 2—Evidence by the Local Authority Associations, 7—Government Grants to Local Authorities: Evidence and Commissioned Work, 8—Local Income Tax: Evidence and Commissioned Work and Annex 10—Selected Evidence in microcopy form will be published over the next two to three weeks as they become available from the printers. Copies of the appendices will be available through the Vote Office in the usual way and in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of the Humber Bridge and associated road network.

The Humber Bridge Board still expect the bridge and

asked the Secretary of State for Transport on which of the alternative routes for the A27 set out in the consultative questionnaire issued in Worthing, his Department is prepared to consider purchase of blighted properties.

On all of them.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of those responding to the questionnaire about alternative routes for future development of the A27 was in favour of each route.

An indication of the public consultation response will be given when it is possible to announce the choice of route for further development.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the reasons for the increase of 200 per cent. in the cost of fees for driving tests.

The fees for driving test appointments have been increased from £325 to £6·75 for L driving tests and from £8 to £24 for heavy goods vehicle driving tests to meet increased costs since the fees were last fixed, and to recover deficits accumulated since 1st April 1975, in order to avoid such costs falling on taxpayers in general.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in the case of appeals made to him against appointments for road charges under the Highways Act 1959, he has any power under statute to waive the levying of interest upon such householders for the period during which the matter is in dispute.

No; payment of interest on private street works charges is a requirement of Section 181 of the Highways Act 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total acreage of land to be used for constructing the A12-A13 stretch of the M25; and how many acres of this is farmland.

Approximately 444 and 349 acres respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he will implement EEC Regulation 1463/70 requiring the use of tachographs on newly registered lorries and those carrying dangerous loads.

I shall be in a position to form a view as soon as I have been able to hold full discussions with the road transport industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence he has that tachographs contribute to road safety when regularly used in lorries.

I understand that some other EEC countries have evidence to suggest that tachographs do contribute to road safety but this remains an area for consideration in this country.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish figures showing the size of the central Civil Service, including industrial and non-industrial staff, for each three-month period as from 1st January 1974.

The figures are as follows:

1st January 1974	…	…	694,384
1st April 1974	…	…	692,036
1st July 1974	…	…	690,351
1st October 1974	…	…	687,182
1st January 1975	…	…	693,921
1st April 1975	…	…	701,370
1st July 1975	…	…	707,982
1st October 1975	…	…	719,145
1st January 1976	…	…	745,120
1st April 1976	…	…	747,614
1st July 1976	…	…	744,100

asked the Minister for Overseas Development what steps are being taken to improve consultation between the EEC and ACP countries in respect of the implementation of the Lomé Convention.

The Lomé Convention itself made detailed provision for consultation between the EEC and ACP countries and set up for the purpose a Joint Council of Ministers, a Committee of Ambassadors and a Consultative Assembly, in each of which both groups of countries are represented. Last June the member States of the Community took a number of detailed decisions as proposed by the European Commission laying down procedures for informing the ACP States of proposals or recommendations and for applying the procedures for consultation under the Lomé Convention. I hope that when these new procedures are put fully in operation, whatever defects may have emerged in the arrangements will have been corrected. It has also been agreed that, in order to follow up various points raised at the first meeting of the Joint Council of Ministers, the President of the EEC Council of Ministers will meet the President of the ACP Ministers in November.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will publish details of the aid programme under the Lomé Convention under which 3,000 million units of account have been allocated up to March 1980, showing which ACP countries will benefit, and by how much, and giving allocations in sterling.

The Lomé Convention provides for the aid to be programmed in conjunction with each recipient State in such a way that each recipient can obtain as clear an idea as possible of the amount of aid that it can expect to receive

Recipient ACP State				Product					£
Benin	…	…	…	Groundnuts	…	…	…	…	309,553
				Coffee	…	…	…	…	783,255
				Cotton	…	…	…	…	2,866,370
				Oilcake	…	…	…	…	794,052
Burundi	…	…	…	Cotton	…	…	…	…	643,734
				Raw hides	…	…	…	…	346,702
Cameroon	…	…	…	Wood in the rough	…	…	…	…	2,400,948
Central African Republic	…	…	…	Coffee	…	…	…	…	235,405
Congo	…	…	…	Wood in the rough	…	…	…	…	4,907,784
Ivory Coast	…	…	…	Wood in the rough	…	…	…	…	10,000,000
Ethiopia	…	…	…	Coffee	…	…	…	…	6,226,455
				Raw hides	…	…	…	…	3,386,909
Fiji	…	…	…	Copra oil	…	…	…	…	410,273
Ghana	…	…	…	Wood in the rough	…	…	…	…	3,450,938
Upper Volta	…	…	…	Groundnuts	…	…	…	…	456,826
				Cotton	…	…	…	…	117,290
Niger	…	…	…	Groundnuts	…	…	…	…	3,627,529
				Raw hides	…	…	…	…	338,498
Somalia	…	…	…	Fresh bananas	…	…	…	…	864,604
				Raw hides	…	…	…	…	423,492
Sudan	…	…	…	Rawhides	…	…	…	…	1,105,719
Tanzania	…	…	…	Cotton	…	…	…	…	1,258,054
Togo	…	…	…	Coffee	…	…	…	…	1,786,882
Uganda	…	…	…	Cotton	…	…	…	…	1,165,954
Western Samoa	…	…	…	Cocoa	…	…	…	…	184,652

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will make a statement on the meeting with ACP Ministers in Brussels in July 1976; and if he will explain why this meeting was held in Brussels and not in Fiji as originally intended.

As regards the outcome of the meeting, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 26th July.It was appropriate to hold the first meeting under the Lomé Convention in Brussels because the last such meeting under the Yaoundé Convention took place in the capital of one of the States

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will list, in sterling, the allocations from STABEX during its first year of operation, showing which commodities have been supported and which countries have benefited.

Financial transfers for 1975, the first year of operation of the Stabex scheme, are as follows:associated under that Convention, and it has been the custom to hold them alternately in Brussels and abroad.—[Vol. 916, c. 18–19.]

asked the Minister for Overseas Development what contribution will be made by the United Kingdom towards the fifth replenishment of the resources of the International Development Authority (IDA); and how this will compare with the contributions of the USA, Japan, West Germany and France.

A fourth round of talks about the fifth replenishment of IDA has just taken place in Japan between representatives of potential donor countries. I hope these discussions, which cover both the total of the replenishment and the contributions to be made by individual countries, will be successfully concluded by spring 1977. We ourselves support a total target of $9,000 million, and are prepared to shoulder our fair share of such a figure, but it is still too soon to forecast the outcome of the present negotiations.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development what discussions are currently in progress concerning the expansion of the resources of the World Bank; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on this subject.

No formal discussions are in progress other than those referred to in my reply to my hon Friend the Member for Chester-le-Street (Mr. Radice) on 26th July [Vol. 916, c. 20–21].However, at the recent meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Developmen—IBRD—in Manila, the President of the IBRD called for an early start to consideration within the Executive Board of the IBRD of a further increase in the Bank's capital. The British representative at the meeting underlined the great importance the Government attach to the continued financial strength of the bank and to its ability to borrow increasing amounts of capital on acceptable terms on the world's capital markets and expressed our support for early discussion of a further increase in the capital of the bank, with the aim of reaching agreement for such an increase to come into effect not later than the financial year beginning in mid-1978. My hon. Friend will be aware that the International Development Association is a body distinct from the IBRD, and that its resources are the subject of separate discussions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to visit Ross and Cromarty.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects, to publish an assessment of economic trends in the Scottish economy.

The next edition of the Scottish Economic Bulletin, due to be published early in the new year, will contain an assessment of economic trends.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest estimate of expenditure in establishing the Scottish Assembly.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend on 29th July. Current estimates for converting the former Royal High School remain in the range of £2 million to £3 million, as stated by my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council in the House on 14th April.—[Vol. 916, c. 286; Vol. 909, c. 1382.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a general direction to the Scottish Transport Group that, if the passenger bus mileage is reduced, there should be a corresponding reduction in the number of staff employed.

This is a matter for the Scottish Transport Group and my right hon. Friend has no power to give it a direction for the purpose suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the outcome of his official visit to Dundee on 7th September 1976.

In the course of my visit I had a useful exchange of views on the employment situation with the Lord Provost and representatives of the District Council and of other organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will pay an official visit to the Isle of Mull.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will amend the sheep dipping regulations to allow the use of sheep showers under the Sheep Scab Order 1938.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he hopes to finalise his consideration of how best the whole range of educational statistics might be made public in advance of their appearance in Scottish Educational Statistics; and if he will make a statement.

This matter is still under consideration. At this stage it is not possible to predict when a final decision will be reached on future policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many of the staff employed by the Stonehouse New Town project have now been offered employment in the Urban Renewal Unit in connection with the redevelopment of the East End of Glasgow;(2) when he expects to make a statement concerning the future employment of staff employed in the Stonehouse New Town project.

The staffing of the Scottish Development Agency is a matter for the agency; but I understand that it has recruited two of the corporation's staff and may be expected to recruit more in the near future. Other members of the staff have found jobs elsewhere, but some redundancies appear inevitable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers who graduated in 1976 from Scottish colleges of education in 1976 have not yet been offered employment, giving a breakdown into secondary and primary sectors.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment to the hon. Member for Dumfries (Mr. Monro).—[Vol. 917, c. 99–100.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many students enrolled this year at each Scottish college of education; and how this compared with each of the past five years, giving a breakdown into secondary and primary sectors.

Information for this year is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Pack Committee on Truancy and Indiscipline in Schools expects to complete its work and submit its report to him.

I understand that the Pack Committee of Inquiry into Truancy and Indiscipline in Schools in Scotland now hopes to present its report to my right hon. Friend in the early part of next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the arrangements which exist for the co-ordination of the work of the Scottish Home and Health Department and the Scottish Education Department in developing policies for the treatment of offenders; and whether he is satisfied that such arrangements are effective.

My right hon. Friend is satisfied that there is a close liaison between his Departments on the development of policies for the treatment of offenders.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is aware of the delays which are occurring in the issue of re-entry visas for foreign nationals wishing temporarily to leave the United Kingdom; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the Passport Office is able to process such applications more expeditiously.

At the peak travel seasons the Passport Office frequently requires the full 10 days' notice requested. Urgent treatment is, however, accorded to applications to which business or humanitarian considerations apply and I know of no unreasonable delay.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning his negotiations with the EEC over fishing limits and, in particular, his declaration that the United Kingdom will extend her limits to 200 miles upon 1st January 1977.

At the Council of Ministers meeting on 18th and 19th October my right hon. Friend will be pressing for a favourable decision on the Commission proposal that the Community member States should extend their fisheries limits in the North Atlantic and the North Sea on 1st January 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take a new initiative amongst other nuclear producing nations to prevent the spread of nuclear material and the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The position remains as set out in the reply I gave on 16th June to the hon. Member for Carshalton {Mr. Forman).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the most recent information he has about the health of Richard Brand held in the Centre Hôpitalier de Fresnes, Paris, by the French authorities.

Mr. Brand returned to the Centre de Detention at Melun on 9th September after receiving medical treatment at Fresnes. He told a consular officer who visited him on 28th September that he felt much better and had resumed work at the prison.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why he agreed not to disclose the name of one of the three British subjects arrested in Moscow in June on charges of trying to smuggle marijuana through the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to Western Europe.

It is contrary to practice to divulge the names of British subjects detained overseas without their consent. Consequently when two British subjects were arrested in Moscow in June and another in April, my officials did not disclose their names until July by which time their identities had become known to the media.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what undertakings have been given by the illegal régime in Rhodesia concerning African prisoners currently under sentence of death.

None. But I am sure that the Salisbury regime is fully aware that to continue to carry out death sentences on persons convicted of political offences would create the worst possible climate for negotiation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report the text of the Instrument he signed in Brussels on 20th September last; what is the status of this document relative to the Treaty of Rome; and if it is the final version of the Draft Convention, a summary of which was published in the Official Report of March.

On 20th September 1976 my right hon. Friend signed a Decision of the Council of the European Communities, referring to Article 138(3) of the EEC Treaty, and the Act on direct elections which was annexed to that Decision. The texts were published in the European Communities series on 11th October (Command 6623). The form chosen was adopted by the Council in preference to a convention. The provisions of the Act will only enter into force, in accordance with Article 16, after all Member States have completed the procedures necessary in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the minimum guaranteed price for sugar from ACP countries in respect of the 1·3 million tons imports agreed under the Lomé Convention, will be represented by the storage levy imposed by the European Commission.

The storage levy, which is used to reimburse the cost of storage of sugar in the Community in the interests of orderly marketing, is provided for in Article 8—as amended—of Regulation (EEC) No. 3330/74 of the Council. This provides that the levy will not be charged and reimbursements will not be paid on ACP sugar before 1977–78. The rates of storage levy and reimbursements for 1977–78 will be fixed next year following the negotiations with the ACP countries on the guaranteed prices for their white and raw sugar to be fixed for that year. Comparison between the guaranteed prices for the current year and the current rates of storage levy and reimbursement on sugar produced within the Community would not be meaningful.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, having regard to the restrictions in the 1876 Act concerning the infliction of pain on animals, he will ensure that experiments to ascertain the effect of pain on animals over a considerable period are forbidden; and whether he will confirm that no such experiments have taken place in this country since 1974.

We are not aware that any such experiment has ever been performed under the authority of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why foreign nationals holding valid work permits for the United Kingdom are required to obtain a re-entry visa from the Passport Office before paying a short visit overseas.

A work permit does not relieve a person who requires a visa to enter this country from the obligation to have one before he comes here or returns from a visit overseas. Re-entry visas are issued in the United Kingdom in suitable cases as a convenience to people wishing to make a short break in their stay here.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in connection with the entry of Mr. Thorsen; and if he will ban the entry of Mr. Thorsen into the United Kingdom.

I have received representations from many quarters and have made it plain that I and my colleagues share the strong feelings that have been expressed about the proposed film. I shall decide whether to permit Mr. Thorsen to enter the country if and when he arrives at a port.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the latest prospects of an oil rig being built at Hunterston; and if he will make a statement.

As announced recently, the Government believe that there is a reasonable prospect of three, perhaps four, platform orders by the end of 1977 or early 1978. Our aim is to ensure that United Kingdom yards, including Hunterston, are given a full and fair opportunity to compete for these orders.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals exist for extension to Scotland of the scheme under the Job Creation Programme for insulating roofs of local authority housing.

A circular letter was sent by my Department to all regional islands and district councils and new town development corporations in Scotland on 27th August this year. This letter drew authorities' attention to the possibility of sponsoring through the Job Creation Programme work on roof insulation for publicly owned housing and other buildings.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy which manufacturers in Scotland have been selected for provision of roof insulation materials to local authorities for use in connection with the Job Creation Programme scheme in Scotland.

The three mineral fibre insulation manufacturers in Britain—Cape Insulation Limited, Fibre-glass Limited and Newalls Insulation Company Limited—are co-operating in this scheme. Local authorities are free to choose their source of supply.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish details of the latest estimates of the cost of developing the Selby coalfield and the anticipated date for the field to begin production.

The estimated cost of developing the Selby coalfield is about £400 million at March 1976 prices. Production is planned to begin in the early 1980s.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to remove the rank of air marshal of the RAF from Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

Prince Bernhard was appointed to the honorary rank of Air Marshal in token of the close friendship between Britain and the Netherlands and in respect of his active service during the war with the Royal Air Force. It would not be appropriate for me to take any steps in this matter now.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he proposes to take in the matter of the firemen's dispute in Northern Ireland, in view of public concern about the situation.

Discussions have taken place between the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland and representatives of the Fire Brigades Union on the issues involved in this dispute and I understand that further discussions are envisaged. I am keeping in close touch with the situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether it is intended that the Judges' Rules, which were introduced in England and Wales in 1964, should be adopted for the guidance of the police in Northern Ireland.

The Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland has signified the approval of Her Majesty's Supreme Court Judges to the introduction in Northern Ireland of the 1964 Judges' Rules. Accordingly, my right hon. Friend and I agreed with the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary that these Rules should be brought into use in Northern Ireland on 8th October 1976, and that the Judges' Rules 1918 should then be superseded.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report a list of bodies, both official and non-official, to which he has the right to make unpaid appointments and indicate for each body the number of such appointments.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given to the hon. Member for Carlton (Mr. Holland) on 11th March 1976 and the pursuant reply of 22nd March, and to the hon. Member for Londonderry (Mr. Ross) on 23rd March 1976.—[Vol. 907, c. 308–11; Vol. 908, c. 47–8; Vol. 908, c. 151–60.]

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress has been made regarding the reopening of Greenwell's Shipyard, Sunderland; and if he will make a statement.

There have been no recent developments concerning the reopening of Greenwell's, but Sunderland Shipbuilders remain willing to negotiate on the basis of reasonable offers.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is his latest estimate of the profit or loss which would be made by Cable and Wireless Limited during the current financial year.

No estimate for 1976–77 is available, but the pre-tax profit earned in 1975–76 was £28 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will list the directors of Cable and Wireless Limited; what is the age of each director; and what are their salaries.

The names, years of birth, and salaries of the directors of Cable and Wireless Ltd. are:

	Year of birth	Salary
		£
Chairman (part-time)
Mr. H. G. Lillicrap	1913	9,080
Managing Director (full-time)
Mr. A. A. Willett	1924	12,830
Directors (full-time)
Mr. R. A. Rice	1922	10,330
Mr. W. H. Davies	1917
Mr. P. A. McCunn	1922
Mr. R. W. Cannon	1923
Directors (part-time)
Mr. J. Hodgson	1925	Unpaid
Mr. D. Berriman	1928	1,000
Mr. W. R. R. Haines	1928
Mr. A. J. Kirkwood	1925

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement concerning the assistance provided to Mobil Oil Company Limited during the parliamentary recess.

The following statement has been laid today:

"In accordance with Section 8(8) of the Industry Act 1972, the Secretary of State for Industry states that financial assistance of £10·3 million has been offered to Mobil Oil Company Ltd. during the Parliamentary Recess in the form of an interest relief grant. The assistance was provided under the Accelerated Projects Scheme to bring forward the construction of a £70 million Fluid Catalytic Cracker unit at Coryton, Essex".

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will list those companies or corporations in which the Government own all or a majority of the shares and the numbers of such shares held by the Government in each case, as a proportion of the whole.

The following is the information for companies or corporations for which my right hon. Friend is responsible:

Majority Shareholdings	Proportion of shares held Per cent.
Appledore Shipbuilders Limited	100
Beagle Aircraft Limited (in liquidation)	100
Cable and Wireless Limited†	—
Govan Shipbuilders Limited	100
North East Coast Shiprepaires Limited	100
Sunderland Shipbuilders Limited	100
* For the purposes of this table, a majority shareholding is defined as one of over 50 per cent, up to and including 100 per cent, of issued voting capital and a minority shareholding as one of 50 per cent. or less.
† Cable and Wireless Limited is a company wholly owned by the Government with all but a few of its shares held by the Treasury Solicitor.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total assistance to industry under the accelerated projects scheme; and how this aid was distributed by industry and region.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12th October 1976; Vol. 917, c. 105], gave the following information:The accelerated projects scheme was introduced in April 1975 to bring forward substantive manufacturing projects that would not otherwise take place during the recession.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what recent discussions have been held with the Metallurgical Plantmakers' Federation concerning the capital programme of the British Steel Corporation; what major investment decisions of BSC still require Government clearance; what are the major schemes which will be started in 1976–77 and 1977–78; and what is the aggregate capital spending programme of BSC in each of these years.

My hon. Friend the Minister of State held discussions with the Metallurgical Plantmakers' Federation on 1st September and this is being followed up by discussions between the federation and officials. The corporation is reviewing its proposals on Port Talbot/Shotton and on plate mill development and no other pending major projects have been put before the Gov- ernment. The capital development programme for 1976–77 is estimated at a record £619 million. The figure for 1977–78 will be published in the forthcoming White Paper on public expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, following the mid-air collision over Zagreb in Yugoslavia involving a British Airways flight, what steps he will now take, in conjunction with the International Civil Aviation Authorities Organisation (ICAO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure standard air traffic control procedures over Europe, including military as well as civil air traffic and the use of the most efficient and modern control equipment, in order to bring about improved efficiency and safety.

The mid-air collision between the British Airways Trident and an Inex Adria DC9 on 10th September 1976, which took place in airspace for which Yugoslav Air Traffic Control is responsible, is the subject of a full investigation by the Yugoslav authorities, and it would be premature to speculate on the follow-up measures which that investigation may show to be necessary or desirable. The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for safety matters concerning United Kingdom registered civil aircraft and their operation including follow-up action on accidents, and the Chairman of the CAA has assured the Government that the authority will take all possible action with international bodies, airlines or other organisations to seek to secure any improvements which the inquiry may show to be necessary. In the meantime I have drawn the attention of the Chairman of the CAA to the hon. Member's enquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will instruct his Department fully to investigate the affairs of Slater Walker Securities along the lines of the recent investigations made into London Counties Securities Ltd and Lonrho; and if he will make a statement.

The reports of the accountants appointed by Slater Walker Securities Limited to investigate that company's affairs are under consideration. My right hon. Friend has already exercised his powers under Section 109 of the Companies Act 1967, and as a result criminal proceedings for breaches of Section 54 of the Companies Act 1948 have been instituted. Further information is now being sought, and when this has been instituted. Further information is now being sought, and when this has been received and the accountants' reports have been fully considered we shall decide what further steps or enquiries may be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the activities of the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation of which the United Kingdom is a member.

Copies of the Thirteenth Annual Report of the Eurocontrol Organisation, summarising its activities during 1975, have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether Her Majesty's Government intend to take over the functions of Trinity House; and if he will make a statement.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to set the record straight on the Government's proposals, particularly in view of recent misleading publicity.My Department is currently working on amendments to the Pilotage Act 1913 to implement the unanimous recommendations of the Steering Committee on Pilotage (SCOP), which comprised representatives of pilots, shipowners and port operators as well as two Elder Brethren of Trinity House, London. It is our intention that the pilotage service should continue to be based on local districts which is one of the main strengths of the system. However, SCOP recommended various changes in pilotage administration, notably that in larger ports pilotage authorities should be representative of all pilotage interests together with some independent members who could contribute additional navigational and management experience.These organisational changes would be carried out progressively and in full consultation with all interested parties, including, of course, Trinity House, whose experience in pilotage is fully acknowledged. A Central Pilotage Board would act as a catalyst to reorganisation and undertake various continuing functions to promote the efficiency of the service which can best be carried out centrally. There would be no charge to the taxpayer for the work of this board: the costs of operating the pilotage service would continue to be met from dues charged on shipping.These proposals are supported by the General Council of British Shipping and the other interests concerned with the exception of Trinity House, which now advocates a central advisory board; and it is agreed by all the parties concerned that there is a pressing need to bring up-to-date the law governing pilotage.The Government have no intention of changing Trinity House's responsibilities in England and Wales as a general lighthouse authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the position of the owner of an approved invalid tricycle when his Department's approved repairers cannot replace essential fitments to the vehicle because of the lack of spare parts; and if the owner will then be given a new tricycle.

The intention is to operate as at present for not less than five years, viz., to repair when possible, replacing if necessary by a different machine, new or used, depending upon availability at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether in view of the recent report of the Health and Safety Executive on Bolsover Coalite Ltd. and the Seveso incident, he will now recommend that chloracne become a prescribed industrial disease for industrial injury benefit purposes.

Industrial injuries benefits can be paid for chloracne arising from employment under the terms of the present list of prescribed industrial diseases. Where the disease arises in this way it comes within the definition of Prescribed Disease No. 42—non-infective dermatitis of external origin arising out of any occupation involving exposure to dust, liquid or vapour or any other external agent capable of irritating the skin.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will set out in tabular form a list of all the cash benefits for which his Department is responsible, indicating also (a) whether the benefit is means-tested, (b) what are the necessary qualifications for obtaining benefit and (c) what is the current level, or range, of benefit in each individual case.

It would not be possible to compress the range of information required into convenient and intelligible format for the Official Report, but I am sending the hon. Member the relevant material. Information about means-tested and non-means-tested benefits was given in my reply to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Shepherd) on 2nd August—[Vol. 916, c. 614–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects maternity facilities to be available at Worthing Hospital.

There are no immediate proposals. The West Sussex Area Health Authority and the South-West Thames Regional Health Authority are preparing strategic plans for the development of their services during the next 10–15 years. It is for them to consider the priority which should be given to the provision of new maternity facilities, within the resources likely to be available to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the longest journey from the periphery of the area served by Southlands Hospital which will have to be travelled by anyone using maternity services of that hospital if the maternity unit at Zachary Merton Hospital is closed down.

The maximum distance is estimated at about 20 miles. Facilities are also available at Chichester in the neighbouring health district. I await a recommendation from the regional health authority on the future of Zachary Merton Hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has yet received the report of the Occupational Pensions Board on the matter referred to it in February 1975; and whether he will make a statement.

The report of the Occupational Pensions Board on "Equal Status for Men and Women in Occupational Pension Schemes" was published on 18th August 1976 (Cmnd 6599). The Government's legislative proposals arising from consideration of the board's recommendations were published in a consultative document issued by my Department on 25th August 1976. Copies of this document have been placed in the Library and are available from the Vote Office. The Government are consulting the organisations most concerned with their proposals, including the TUC and the CBI.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he was fully informed of the £70 million and £40 million loans to Slater Walker Securities from the Bank of England in November 1975; and whether he gave approval to the loans.

I was aware of the general approach adopted by the Bank of England to the problems of the Slater Walker Group and accepted the Governor's assessment that the Bank's actions offered the best prospect of securing the interests of outside depositers in Slater Walker Limited, an authorised bank, with the least potential call on public funds. The Bank made available a standby loan facility of up to £70 million and a guarantee of up to £40 million in respect of certain potential losses arising from Slater Walker Ltd's loan portfolio. The two arc not cumulative, and to the extent that the guarantee is called upon the loans under the facility would be repaid. My specific approval of the standby loan facility and guarantee was neither sought nor required.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which sections of the Employment Protection Act are not yet in force; and when they are expected to be brought into operation.

The following provisions of the Act are not yet in force:

Sections 17–21	Disclosure of Information.
Sections 22–28	Guarantee Payments.
Sections 36–47	Maternity Pay and the Maternity Pay Fund.
Sections 57–60	Time off work for Trade Union duties and activities and for public duties.
Sections 81–84	Itemised Pay Statements.
Section 98 and Schedule 11.	Extension of Terms and Conditions.
Section 111	Abolition of Grade, Class and Financing Provisions of the Trade Dispute Disqualification from unemployment benefit.
Part of Schedule 16—Part II.	Reduction of part-time qualifying hours.

Commencement orders to bring into operation from 6th April 1977 the provisions relating to maternity pay and the maternity pay fund and itemised pay statements were made on 1st April 1976 and 23rd August 1976.I now propose to bring into operation the provisions relating to the extension of terms and conditions of employment from 1st January 1977 and those relating to guarantee pay, the removal of the grade, class and financing disqualification and the reduction in part-time qualifying hours from 1st February 1977.This will leave the provisions on disclosure of information and time off work as the only sections of the Act not implemented. Their implementation is dependent on codes of practice which have to be produced by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service and approved by Parliament. Consultative drafts of both codes have now been published by ACAS and the provisions will be introduced with the minimum possible delay once the codes have been finalised and approved.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the proposed continued manufacture of TCDD at the Bolsover coalite plant in view of the major hazards report by the Health and Safety Commission: and if he will make a statement.

The Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission informs me that, while the commission welcomes the First Report of the Advisory Committee on Major Hazards, they will be considering what action should be taken on its recommendations in the light of reactions received during the next three months. It would, therefore, be premature to attempt to indicate to what extent the proposals in the report would be applicable to any particular installation, but the 2:4:5 trichlorophenol unit at Coalite and Chemical Products Ltd., Bolsover, is already receiving the kind of supervision envisaged for installations offering the highest risk.The present position on the unit is that, following a thorough examination by Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate, the Health and Safety Executive has asked the firm to implement a number of recommendations to improve existing safety standards before resuming normal operations. When the final report of the cause of the accident at Seveso becomes available this will be studied and a further review undertaken, if found to be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will set out in tabular form a list of all the cash benefits for which his Department is responsible, indicating also (a) whether the benefit is means-tested, (b) what are the necessary qualifications for obtaining benefit and (c) what is the current level, or range, of benefit in each individual case.

The information requested has been provided by the Manpower Services Commission and is given in the table below.