asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish statistics on a regular basis and by region regarding the number of Service men of all ranks made redundant and the number remaining unemployed.

Statistics in the form requested could not be collected without disproportionate effort and cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Service men of all ranks were made redundant in 1975 and 1976, respectively; and how many are still unemployed.

The total number of officers and Service men leaving the Armed Forces on redundancy was as follows:

1975	…	551
1976 (to 31st August)	…	1,054

I regret that the information sought in the second part of the Question is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will describe the present machinery to facilitate the resettlement of men and women leaving the Services and how it is an improvement on the previous procedures.

In addition to the retraining arrangements set out in the answer to the hon. Member for Woking on 5th November 1975, Service men and women have available to them resettlement advice on a wide range of subects both from Service resettlement advisers and from specially designed courses. To cater for the additional outflow of men under the redundancy programmes, the Services are, where necessary, increasing the number and range of resettlement courses available and giving additional help with employment-finding.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to hand over RAF Brize Norton for use as a civil airport as suggested in a report considered by the Hertfordshire County Council.

We have no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any houses remain in the possession of the Department at the former RAF, Acklington; and, if so, whether they are all occupied.

With one exception all the married quarters at RAF Acklington have been disposed of. The remaining quarter is occupied.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants are employed in the Ministry of Defence; what is the total number of sailors, soldiers and airmen serving in the Armed Forces; and if he will give the percentage of civil servants employed to the total of those serving in the forces.

The number of civil servants and Service personnel currently employed by this Department, including those in the Royal Ordnance factories, is 306,000 and 342,000 respectively. The ratio of civil servants employed to the total number of Service men is 89·5 per cent. I would also refer the hon. Member to Annex B of the 1976 Statement on the Defence Estimates which sets out the relative numbers of civilians and Service men employed in the varying field of Defence activity.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what questions on safety he has put to the Nuclear Inspectorate.

A list of questions bearing on fast reactor safety which I am sending to the Nuclear Inspectorate is set out below. The questions cover issues which, I think, are of concern to the ordinary citizen. I will publish the answers in due course. I have placed in the House of Commons Library today two further lists of questions which have been sent to me by the hon. Member for Carshalton (Mr. Forman) and by the Friends of the Earth. I am asking the inspectorate to answer those of them which fall within its responsibilities, and am arranging for the remainder to be considered by the Government Departments and other bodies concerned. These answers also I will in due course publish.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if, in the light of the need to keep together the highly skilled work force which is required in turbine manufacture, he will encourage, as an interim measure, the early replacement of generating equipment in power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Ministers are giving urgent consideration to the problems of the power plant industry, and will be assisted in this by the report which the Central Policy Review Staff are due to make by the end of October.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the current figures for pneumoconiosis in British mines, giving an indication of the trend; and if he will indicate why the figures continue to be high.

I have been asked to reply.I am informed by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the numbers of new cases of pneumoconiosis in recent years are as follows:

Year	…	Mining (including quarrying)
1955	…	5,088
1960	…	3,365
1965	…	1,075
1970	…	828
1971	…	653
1972	…	668
1973	…	546
1974	…	563
1975 (Provisional)	…	724

The increases in 1974 and 1975 are due to a marked rise in the number of diagnoses among ex-miners over the age of 65–145 in 1974 and 307 in 1975. The trend among men still employed in mining continues downward.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will make a statement amplifying the way matters in respect of England are to be decided which for Scotland he proposes should be totally devolved to the Assembly, in view of paragraph 13 of the August 1976 White Paper, Command Paper No. 6585.

The Government hope to publish a consultative document on devolution and England shortly.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will propose in the Devolution Bill that Scottish hon. Members will not be able to vote on those matters for England which English hon. Members will not be able to vote on for Scotland.

I must ask the hon. Gentleman to await the publication of the Bill.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will publish a list of the destination and dates of visits within Europe of Select Committees and their Sub-Committees during the period March 1975 to May 1976; and if he will specify the class of air travel in each case and state whether each of the visits were made with the approval of the Chairman's Liaison Committee.

The visits within Europe which were undertaken by Select Committees and their Sub-Committees during the period March 1975 to May 1976 are listed below. Each visit was approved by the Chairmen's Liaison Committee and except where indicated otherwise economy class air travel was used.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will support, encourage and fully inform the manufacturers of turbine generators of prospects for the sale of such equipment in underdeveloped countries and issue departmental advice on the importance of encouraging such ventures for British manufacturers; if he will make sure that British manufacturers are not undercut in providing generating equipment using British aid; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade is generally responsible for passing on to British industry information which the Government may acquire about possible export opportunities, and for supporting and encouraging the efforts of British exporters. These responsibilities naturally include the potential for sales of turbine generators in developing countries.My Department keeps in close contact with the Department of Trade about the opportunities which the aid programme presents for British manufacturers. It also provides to firms who request it news about the purpose for which aid funds are allocated, and answers commercial enquiries arising from grants and loans. The Ministry's newspapers twice a year carries a statement of outstanding grants and loans and the broad purpose of the expenditure.Subject to the main developmental priorities of the Government's aid strategy, the aid programme is operated so as to enhance our trade opportunities with the developing world. Most of our bilateral aid is tied to procurement of British goods and services. This money is used to pay for individual contracts, negotiated on a strictly commercial basis, for projects and purposes selected chiefly by the country concerned in consultation with us so as to ensure their developmental value. It is to the advantage of both the developing country and the British taxpayer that the former should strike as good a bargain as it can, and, as a general rule, if our aid is not required for one contract it can be used for another. It is not, therefore, our practice to try to devise special subsidy arrangements which would interfere with the normal commercial system and would unduly help one sector of British industry at the expense of another.Commitments from aid funds for identified electrification projects in the last two years came to more than £30 million, and shipments of power generating machinery were worth some £10 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the average number of pupils in comprehensive schools in each of the education authorities.

In January 1976 the average number of pupils per comprehensive school in each of the local education authorities in England was as follows:

Local Education Authority and Average number of pupils per comprehensive school
Barking	…	…	1,187
Barnet	…	…	885
Bexley	…	…	1,217
Brent	…	…	1,081
Bromley	…	…	725
Croydon	…	…	768
Ealing	…	…	984
Enfield	…	…	913
Haringey	…	…	1,085
Harrow	…	…	784
Havering	…	…	1,018
Hillingdon	…	…	1,012
Hounslow	…	…	1,171
Kingston-upon-Thames	…	…	—
Merton	…	…	686
Newham	…	…	1,161
Redbridge	…	…	1,018
Richmond-upon-Thames	…	…	703
Sutton	…	…	890
Waltham Forest	…	…	599
ILEA	…	…	1,118
Birmingham	…	…	847
Coventry	…	…	1,345
Dudley	…	…	686
Sandwell	…	…	974
Solihull	…	…	956
Walsall	…	…	1,254
Wolverhampton	…	…	1,211
Knowsley	…	…	1,036
Liverpool	…	…	1,087
St. Helens	…	…	852
Sefton	…	…	1,066
Wirral	…	…	840
Bolton	…	…	1,284

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many handicapped children, classified by age, type of handicap and area, are not in receipt of full-time education.

I regret that this information is not available from returns made by local education authorities. In January 1976, however, there were 9,313 children in England and Wales awaiting admission to special schools. It is likely that the majority of these children were attending ordinary schools, but details are not available of those receiving less than full-time education.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration has been given to the representations that Sunderland should be included in the list of stress authorities for the purpose of public expenditure on housing.

Representations have been and are still being received from a number of local authorities throughout the country. My right hon. Friend will be considering and evaluating these claims shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the detailed functions of the Minister of State and the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Marks), with respect to minerals.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of State has responsibility for planning control over mineral working, and is supported by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, the Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Marks).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when planning permission was granted to British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. to undertake further works at Windscale, Cumbria, connected with certain aspects of the fuel cycle.

I understand that no planning permission has been granted. The application made by British Nuclear Fuels Limited to Cumbria County Council for outline planning permission for the construction of further reprocessing facilities at Windscale is still under consideration by the county.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he is using to determine those areas of special housing need which will be exempted from cuts on housing expenditure and if he will list the areas he has so far approved.

The list of areas set out in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction on 5th August—[Vol. 916, c. 984–6]—has not so far been added to. Representations are still being received and they will be considered and evaluated shortly in the light of all the relevant factors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment under what legislation he is empowered to undertake his Department's "English House Conditions Survey 1976"; how many surveyors from his Department are employed in this task; what is the total cost of this exercise; how many of the 9,000 sample forms have (a) been returned and (b) received agreement; and if he will stop this exercise immediately as a departmental contribution to cutting public expenditure.

This is the third House condition survey for England. As its predecessors in 1967 and 1971 did, it will provide up-to-date information about the nations stock of dwellings, which is vital to the development of soundly based housing policies. The current survey follows the general pattern previously established.No specific statutory authority is required. No householder is obliged to answer questions or allow access to his home, but I hope that all will help in this important project. Over 4,600 completed forms have so far been received. Only 74 householders have declined to take part in the survey. Forty-five surveyors seconded from local authorities, but operating away from their own local authority areas, are carrying out the survey. The total cost is estimated as £250,000.I have no intention of curtailing the survey, whose benefits, especially to those in poor housing and in terms of better use of housing resources in future, should far outweigh the costs involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his decision following the public inquiry in respect of the South West Water Authority's request to construct a reservoir at Colliford, near St. Neots; and, if he has not made a final decision, if he will indicate when he hopes to make his announcement.

My right hon. Friend hopes to give the South West Water Authority his decision within the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is considering altering the status of the A21 to that of a trunk road; and if he will give an assurance that, if the alteration is made, none of the East Sussex County Council's improvement programmes for the road will be delayed just because of a change in responsibility for their funding.

I have been asked to reply.I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11th October.—[Vol. 917, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will announce the appointment of the new High Commissioner to Nigeria.

I am not at present able to make an announcement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the officials from his Department who were present in the Chamber during his statement on Rhodesia on Tuesday 12th October.

No. The officials of my right hon. Friend's Department attending him when he made his statement on Rhodesia on 12th October were appropriate to the occasion.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the most recent information he has about the health and welfare of Paul Glover, held by the Israeli authorities in Ramallah Prison; and when the last consular visit was made to Mr. Glover.

I am pleased to inform my hon. Friend that Mr. Glover was released from prison by the Israel authorities on 6th October and crossed into Jordan.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he is making in his endeavours to reduce the international trade in armaments.

On 23rd September 1975, my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs drew the attention of members of the United Nations to the enormous waste of the world's resources on weapons of destruction. On 1st July 1976 my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State urged the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament to pay more attention to the control of conventional weapons. Her Majesty's Government will continue to encourage international discussion of the possibilities of arms limitation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange for a Minister from his Department to visit the Republic of Cyprus without delay.

Her Majesty's Government are actively engaged in efforts to promote a settlement to the Cyprus problem. We would certainly seek to arrange for a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister to visit the Republic of Cyprus if we thought it would be helpful.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will seek to amend the Road Traffic Act so as to make it an offence for an employer to allow an employee with only a provisional licence to drive other employees in the absence of a qualified driver.

No. As explained in the answer to my hon. Friend's Question on 23rd January 1976—[Vol. 903, c. 610]—an employer could be prosecuted for aiding and abetting the offence which his employee would be committing in these circumstances. Further legislation is, therefore, unnecessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many local authorities have to date submitted lorry route proposals as required by the Heavy Commercial Vehicles Act 1973; and how many local authorities have still to submit such proposals.

I am at present considering the progress local authorities have made to meet their obligations under the Act and will be writing to my hon. Friend as soon as I can.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport wheher he will issue instructions to all bus companies to charge only half fare for schoolchildren up to the age of 16 years.

I have no power to do so even if I thought it right to intervene in this way.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations have been received about the current ban on the transfer of cherished number plates; and what replies have been sent.

About 500, the replies to which have inter alia described the efforts being made to secure the lifting of the ban and given advice on what people with cherished marks should do in the meantime.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he is intending to propose a new rate of charge for the transfer of cherished number plates.

Shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what instructions he has given to Welsh district councils concerning their planned programmes of expenditure on housing next year;(2) on what basis he proposes to allocate finance for housing to local authorities in Wales next year.

No instructions have yet been issued about next year's programmes, but we have made it clear to Welsh district councils that their expenditure on housing will have to be contained within the approved public expenditure provision. The Welsh Office is currently consulting local authorities, through the Council for the Principality, on the measures necessary to achieve that requirement.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish in the Official Report a description of the consultative and decision-making process whereby he appoints nominees (a) to the boards and (b) to the chairmanship of State-controlled companies.

No; the process is that which has been pursued under successive Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will describe the qualities he requires of nominees to (a) the boards and (b) the chairmanship of State-controlled companies.

The qualities depend on the circumstances of each appointment and nominees are chosen on the basis of relevant experience and ability for the task to be performed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he proposes to set up special courses of training for chairmen of State-controlled companies who have no previous experience of business.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether expenditure incurred on new non-ferrous foundries after 12th February 1976, but before the full announcement of the scheme, will be eligible for grants under the scheme.

In the event of a scheme being announced, it is not expected that such expenditure would be eligible for consideration for assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he still intends to announce a scheme of assistance to the non-ferrous foundry industry in accordance with his statements on 12th February 1976, Official Report, c. 634.

The case for a scheme of assistance for non-ferrous foundries is under detailed consideration. Representatives of the industry have co-operated with my Department by providing information.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what support his Department is giving to the encouragement of the highly skilled turbine generating facility at Trafford Park, Manchester; if he will take every step to see that such a highly skilled unit is not disbanded, in the light of the representations he has received on this subject; and if he will make a statement.

The CPRS is at present studying the problems of the power plant manufacturers. A decision on what can be done to meet the problems of the industry will be made in the light of this and other relevant studies which have been commissioned.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry under what legislation he is empowered to write to private individuals seeking information on their shareholdings on a form entitled "Survey of Company Share Registers"; how many letters and forms have been sent out; how recipients are selected; what happens to the information; how much this exercise is costing; how long it will continue; and if he will stop it forthwith as a departmental contribution to cutting public expenditure.

The inquiry is a voluntary one. About 3,500 letters and forms have been sent out. The addressees have been selected from company share registers as a representative sample of personal shareholders. The information will be used to estimate the extent to which personal shareholders are acting as trustees for other categories of beneficial holders. The cost of his postal inquiry including processing is approximately £3,500. All the letters have now been sent out and replies are being received, the vast majority of which are cooperative. The inquiry is designed to produce valuable information and I cannot agree that it should be terminated.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will undertake that he will enter into no commitment to develop Concorde II without prior debate in the House.

No such commitment is under discussion. If any commitment to develop an advanced supersonic transport were considered, I should expect debate in this House before any decision were taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if the increase in the cost of a firearm certificate from £7 to £12 effective from 1st October 1976 is in accordance with the Price Code.

As my right hon. Friend the then Paymaster General stated in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Warley, East (Mr. Faulds) on 5th April 1976—Vol. 909, c. 86–87]—this increase in consistent with the general rules on Government fees and charges which are analogous to those imposed on others in relation to counter inflation policy.

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

The bodies to which my right hon. Friend has the right to make unpaid appointments are:

Number of unpaid appointments
Advisory Committee on the Safety of Household Electrical Equipment	14
Advisory Council on Calibration and Measurement	18
British Hallmarking Council*	10
Consumer Protection Advisory Committee	12
Hearing Aid Council	12
Scottish Consumer Council	11
Welsh Consumer Council	12
Working Party on Metrological Control Systems	14
Nationalised Industry Consumer Councils
Domestic Coal Consumers' Council	24
East Midlands Electricity Consultative Council	25
Eastern Electricity Consultative Council	25
London Electricity Consultative Council	25
Merseyside and N. Wales Electricity Consultative Council	26
Midlands Electricity Consultative Council	25
N.E. Electricity Consultative Council	26
N.W. Electricity Consultative Council	22
S.E. Electricity Consultative Council	27
S. Wales Electricity Consultative Council	22
S.W. Electricity Consultative Council	22
Southern Electricity Consultative Council	26
Yorkshire Electricity Consultative Council	30
National Gas Consumers' Council	23
Scottish Gas Consumers' Council	22
Welsh Gas Consumers' Council	27
Eastern Gas Consumers' Council	20
East Midlands Gas Consumers' Council	27
N.E. Gas Consumers' Council	22
Northern Gas Consumers' Council	26
North Thames Gas Consumers' Council	27
N.W. Gas Consumers' Council	28
S.E. Gas Consumers' Council	20
S.W. Gas Consumers' Council	27
Southern Gas Consumers' Council	24
West Midlands Gas Consumers' Council	30
Post Office Users' National Council	29
Post Office Users' Council for Wales	25
Post Office Users' Council for Scotland	21

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what has been the increase in the average price of children's footwear in each of the last three years; and if he is satisfied that these increases arc justified.

The increase in the 12 months to August in each of the years in question was approximately 16 per cent., 15 per cent. and 15 per cent. respectively. Manufacturers must comply with the Price Code, which generally requires price increases to be based on increases in costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he is satisfied with the working of the new law on fireworks and the voluntary agreement on restricted sales in the light of the surveys recently undertaken by the National Campaign for Firework Reform.

It would be premature as yet to form a judgment on the effectiveness of these arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what steps were taken by his Department to inform retailers of the new law and voluntary agreement on fireworks.

Wide publicity has been given to the Explosives (Age of Purchase, etc.) Act 1976 and to the voluntary agreement limiting the period of sale of fireworks, both by my Department and through the co-operation of the Fire-work Makers' Guild and the Joint Firework Trade Committee.The voluntary agreement, particulars of which were given to the House on 25th November 1975, received considerable publicity in the national Press at the time, and during and after passage of the Bill as a result of Press releases by my Department on 2nd April 1976 and 23rd July 1976. A further Press Notice is being issued today.Some 65,000 copies of a leaflet, "Fireworks and the Shopkeeper", have been issued by my Department to local authorities for distribution to retailers of fireworks.Following discussions between my Department and the Firework Makers' Guild, retailers have had their attention drawn to the new minimum age of purchase and the agreement limiting the period of sale by means of a conspicuous notice which, under arrangements made by the guild, firework manufacturers have either included in consignments of fireworks or posted to retailers. The Joint Firework Trade Committee has also inserted advertisements in the relevant trade journals, and articles have appeared in the trade press.My Department has made available recorded interviews and radio "spot" scripts underlining the new age restriction on purchase and the need to follow the firework code. These are aimed at the general public as well as retailers.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he intends to accept the offer of the National Campaign for Firework Reform to monitor the new law.

The offer made by the National Campaign for Firework Reform is to make available to my Department the results of a survey it is carrying out concerning the Explosives (Age of Purchase, etc.) Act 1976. Any information supplied will be carefully considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what is the estimated cost of the local price survey scheme.

The total estimated cost of the scheme in this and the last financial year is £400,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will make a statement on the outcome of his discussions with the TV specialist rental firms on the Price Commission's Report on TV Rental Charges.

The Price Commission's Report on the TV rental business suggests that charges could be lower, even if this had to be at the expense of profit margins.In the light of the Price Commission's report, we have already taken steps to ensure that investment relief under the Price Code should not be available in respect of expenditure by the rental firms on TV receivers.The report was discussed with the six largest specialist firms which together account for about 90 per cent. of the specialist rental market. We put it to the firms that, in the light of the Price Commission's report, the public would look for a special effort to absorb costs and maintain price stability. In response Granada TV Rental Ltd., Rediffusion Ltd., Thorn Television Rentals Ltd., and Visionhire Ltd. have given me an undertaking that there will be no increase in existing rental charges in the present phase of price control—that is, to the end of July 1977. This means that during that period, subject to unforeseen circumstances, they will absorb already known cost increases, including the recently announced higher interest charges, the significant costs involved in the new VAT definition which operates from November 1976 and the 2 per cent. surcharge on the employers' national insurance contribution which operates from April 1977. If there are cost increases beyond those enumerated which cannot be absorbed, the companies will review the position with the Department.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set out the fundamental reforms of the CAP which Her Majesty's Government want to achieve.

Improving the operation of the CAP is a continuing process in which we have already made progress. Our central aim is to secure the best use of resources so that the CAP provides effective support for the efficient producer without imposing excessive burdens either on consumers or on the taxpayer.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many bacon-curing factories have been closed down during the last three years in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement;(2) how many bacon-curing factories there are in Great Britain.

There are at present 214 bacon factories in Great Britain. Since October 1973, 41 factories have been closed and five opened.

asked the Minister of agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the state of the pig industry; and if he will make a statement.

The hot weather this summer affected demand for pigs: otherwise producer prices for pigs have been firm for the past two years and are expected to remain so for the rest of this year and into 1977. My right hon. Friend and I are aware of the concern in the industry about the level of monetary compensatory amounts on imports of pigmeat products and have put forward proposals for consideration in the EEC Council of Ministers which would have the effect of reducing these payments.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will continue to prohibit the use of vaccination or the import for agricultural purposes of livestock vaccinated to prevent foot and mouth disease.

My right hon. Friend is not contemplating any change in our policy of not vaccinating against foot and mouth disease, except in circumstances envisaged in the reports of the Committee on Inquiry on Foot and Mouth Disease 1968 (Cmnd. 3999 and 4225), copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Discussions are currently taking place in Brussels on the conditions which need to be applied to imports of farm livestock, after the arrangements agreed at our accession to the Community expire at the end of 1977, so as to maintain our safeguards against the possible introduction of this disease. I can reassure my hon. Friend of the Government's determination to protect our freedom from foot and mouth disease.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list in the Official Report the orders made by his Department since February 1974 impos- ing tariffs, quotas or other restrictions on imports into the United Kingdom; and if he will indicate which of these were made as "anti-dumping" orders.

Following is the information:(1) Orders imposing or increasing import duties are made by the Treasury on my recommendation. The orders made during the period were:

S.I. No. and Title
1974
608	The Import Duties (General) (No. 2) Order 1974.
887	The Import Duties (General) (No. 3) Order 1974.
1318	The Import Duties (Tunisia) (Reductions) Order 1974.
1371	The Import Duties (Temporary Reductions and Exemptions) (No. 13) Order 1974.
1700	The Import Duties (Temporary Reductions and Exemptions) (No. 17) Order 1974.
2020	The Import Duties (General) (No. 5) Order 1974.
1975
85	The Import Duties (Turkey) (Reductions and Exemptions) Amendment) Order 1975.
263	The Import Duties (Beef and Veal) Order 1975.
975	The Import Duties (Greece) Order 1975.
1003	The Import Duties (Israel) Order 1975.
1005	The Import Duties (Spain) Order 1975.
1064	The Import Duties (General) (No. 1) Order 1975.
1159	The Import Duties (General) (No. 2) Order 1975.
1266	The Import Duties (General) (No. 3) Order 1975.
1492	The Import Duties (General) (No. 4) Order 1975.
1529	The Import Duties (Temporary Reductions and Exemptions) (No. 14) Order 1975.
1744	The Import Duties (General) (No. 5) Order 1975.
2022	The Import Duties (General) (No. 6) Order 1975.
2049	The Import Duties (General) (No. 7) Order 1975.
2073	The Import Duties (General) (No. 8) Order 1975.
2114	The Import Duties (General) (No. 9) Order 1975.
1976
125	The Import Duties (General) (No. 1) Order 1976.
370	The Import Duties (General) (No. 2) Order 1976.
912	The Import Duties (General) (No. 3) Order 1976.
976	The Import Duties (Certain Mediterranean Countries) Order 1976.
1382	The Import Duties (General) (No. 6) Order 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will undertake that there will be no further expansion of Heathrow beyond the current programme.

Future airport developments are considered in the Government's consulation document "Airport Strategy for Great Britain" and in the British Airports Authority Master Development Plan for Heathrow. I cannot prejudge the outcome of the consultations on these documents.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will take action to prevent the dumping of cheap textiles and shoes on the British market.

Applications for antidumping action against suits from Eastern Area countries and against mens' leather sandals from Czechoslovakia and Poland have been received and are currently under investigation by my department. Anti-dumping or countervailing duties have already been imposed on ladies' rubberised textile fabric raincoats from Hong Kong and on mens' leather fashion footwear from Brazil. In addition, an anti-dumping duty has been imposed on polyester fibre from Romania. Any further applications received from sectors of the industries concerned will also be given immediate consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he is aware that in the first six months of 1976, compared with the same six months of 1975, there was an increase in the volume of footwear imports of 161 per cent. from Taiwan and 57 per cent. from South Korea; to what he attributes these increases; and whether he will make a statement.

I am aware of the increase in these imports which I understand was due to a sharp increase in demand for footwear made of rubber, plastic and textile materials which the United Kingdom was not able to meet to any substantial extent.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will set out a list of the tasks being tackled by the interdepartmental Committee on Marine Safety; and if he will make a statement on their work hitherto.

The terms of reference of this new committee are

"to co-ordinate the development and implementation of policy relating to safety at sea."

Its primary tasks have been identified as relating to offshore safety; in particular, the co-ordination of regulations under various legislation, the development of common attitudes to enforcement of regulations by the authorities concerned, and keeping under review the development of international requirements. The committee has met twice and initiated work particularly in these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how frequently his inspectors visit Porton Down; and what experiments on animals take place there.

On average, 15 inspections per year are made to the Chemical Defence Establishment and the Microbiological Research Establishment, Porton Down. The programmes of research in connection with which live animals are used there are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy towards citizens of Cyprus who came to Great Britain after the Turkish invasion and who are not allowed by the Turkish authorities to return to their homes in Turkish-occupied Cyprus.

I propose to continue, for as long as may be necessary, the sympathetic and understanding policy of my predecessor, with which my hon. Friend, as a member of the Select Committee on Cyprus, is familiar, and which was fully described in the Home Office Memorandum of Evidence to the Select Committee in October 1975 and the Government's observations on the Select Committee's Report in August 1976 (Cmnd. 6579).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the Metropolitan Police have no facilities for making technical sweeps of houses occupied by private citizens where bugging devices are thought by the police to have been improperly planted; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that it is not his policy to make checks on the alleged presence of a transmitter on premises at the request of a private citizen.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish figures showing the percentage increase in unemployment in each employment exchange area in Scotland when comparing July 1976 with the same month in 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972 and 1971; and what effect the devolution proposal for an Assembly in Edinburgh is likely to have on these issues.

I regret that the full information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The following table, however, shows for each employment office area in Scotland the numbers unemployed at July 1971 and at July 1976 and the percentage increase or decrease in these numbers from July 1971 to July 1976.

Employment Office area and numbers registered as unemployed
	July	July
Aberdeen (including Banchory)	3,282	3,186
Percentage change -2·9
Airdrie	2,148	2,660
Percentage change +23·9
Alexandria	1,021	1,290
Percentage change +26·3
Alloa	948	1,628
Percentage change +71·7
Annan	632	534
Percentage change -15·5
Anstruther	114	198
Percentage change +73·7
Arbroath
(including Carnoustie)	955	987
Percentage change +3·4
Ayr	1,454	3,340
Percentage change +129·7
Banff (including Turriff)	503	488
Percentage change -3·0
Barrhead	1,203	1,566
Percentage change +30·2
Bathgate	1,712	2,259
Percentage change +32·0
Bellshill	906	1,518
Percentage change +67·5
Blairgowrie	204	314
Percentage change +53·9
Blantyre	716	932
Percentage Change +302
Bo'ness	405	606
Percentage change +49·6
Brechin	183	188
Percentage change +2·7
Bridgeton	3,486	2,303
Percentage change -33·9
Broxburn	352	444
Percentage change +26·1
Buckie	229	240
Percentage change +4·8
Burntisland	151	153
Percentage change +1·3
Cambuslang	551	877
Percentage change +59·1
Campbeltown	450	520
Percentage change +15·6
Carluke	201	287
Percentage change +42·8
Castle Douglas	292	465
Percentage change +59·2
Clydebank	2,993	3,130
Percentage change +4·6
Coatbridge	2,419	2,915
Percentage change +20·5
Cowdenbeath	1,428	1,637
Percentage change +14·6
Crieff	116	202
Percentage change +74·1
Cumbernauld	745	1,342
Percentage change +80·1
Cumnock	688	1,273
Percentage change +85·0
Cupar	231	368
Percentage change +59·3
Dalkeith	815	1,131
Percentage change +38·8
Denny	393	790
Percentage change +101·0