asked the Minister for the Civil Service which central Government offices are currently cleaned by contract cleaning firms.

This information is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what changes have been made in this century over the powers of Ministers in relation to changes in senior Civil Service appointments within their Departments; and how far these powers have been transferred from senior Ministers to the Prime Minister.

Since 1920 the consent of the Prime Minister has been required to the appointment or removal of permanent heads of Department and their deputies; and the Head of the Civil Service has been responsible for advising the Prime Minister about these appointments. Before doing so, the Head of the Civil Service ensures that the views of the Minister in charge of the Department concerned have been fully taken into account and are embodied in his advice. Evidence about the procedure earlier in this century is not entirely conclusive; however, it is clear that before 1920 many permanent secretary and deputy secretary appointments were approved by the Prime Minister, although there was no formal requirement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why it was considered necessary to propose spending £200,000 on building a new office block in Norwich for one of the Employment Services Agency's jobcentres when there are other suitable and recent office blocks already available nearby; and what re- consideration is now being given to this project.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the Employment Service Agency does not propose to finance the capital cost of building a jobcentre in Norwich and tenders have been invited for a building to lease. Three years' searching has failed to reveal any existing premises, for which planning permission could be obtained, which meet their requirements of a centrally sited shop unit with ground floor space for continuous self-service vacancy display. Discussions with the planning authority are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he intends to change the present position which permits training allowances to be paid to around 7,000 people annually who are completing TOPs sponsored courses in construction trades, but excludes from eligibility to either training allowance or unemployment benefit unemployed people who are completing vocational training outside the TOPs scheme.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that there are no plans to extend the payment of either training allowances under the TOPs scheme or unemployment benefit to people who are undergoing vocational training outside the TOPs scheme.The TSA has provided very consider. able funds for a variety of training grant and award schemes to be administered by the Construction Industry Training Board so as to increase the number of industrial training places available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many factory inspectors there are; and how many factories they cover.

There are 663 general factory inspectors in post including those working in Factory Inspectorate headquarters and in the secretarial branches of the HSE as well as those outstationed in the area offices. In addition, there are 167 specialist inspectors working in the headquarters consultant sections, in the secretariat branches and outstationed in the area offices.On 31st December 1975 there were 209,573 premises registered under the Factories Act 1961 of which 205,466 were factories. They were also 179,451 premises registered under the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963 for the bulk of which the Factory Inspectorate is the enforcing authority.In addition, the Factory Inspectorate is responsible for all construction work, although the precise number of sites in existence is not known, and the inspectorate is also the enforcing authority for all work activity newly brought under health and safety legislation by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the waiting time at Dundee skillcentre for courses in heavy vehicle repair and maintenance.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the waiting time for a course of training in heavy vehicle repair and maintenance at Dundee skillcentre is about thre to six months.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the cost involved in bringing into force the proposed regulations concerning safety representatives; how these costs would be incurred; and by whom.

If these regulations were brought into force, employers would bear the major costs involved. Costs would arise, for example, in giving safety representatives time off with pay to carry out their functions and to undertake training, and in meeting the managerial and administrative expenses of setting up and running safety committees.Any estimates of cost are bound to depend on the view taken on how active safety representatives and committees would be. It is also reasonable to assume that some costs could be absorbed and that there would be, in some areas, offsetting savings from the reduction of accidents which might result from the activities of safety representatives and safety committees. Again it is impossible to assess the value of such savings. However, estimates provided to me by local authorities and some other employers in the public sector suggested costs of up to £55 million per annum in the establishments for which they are responsible. If such costs were reproduced over the whole field of employment the total could be considerable but it has to be taken into account that in many industrial establishments in the private sector a system of safety representatives and committees already exists.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will outline the obstacles preventing his setting up within his Department the machinery to implement a full type-approval system, as recommended by the Agrément Board; how many staff he estimates this would require; what would be the annual costs, both in salaries and administrative overheads; and when he expects to make further progress in this matter.

Consideration is being given to the possibility of setting up a system of type approvals for new building products. I will make a further statement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion he estimates (a) by number and (b) by market value of the new building components and products coming on to the market have received an Agrément Certificate; and what action he proposes to take to widen the scope to nearer 100 per cent.

I doubt whether sufficient information is available to make a reliable estimate of this kind. Action to increase their market coverage is primarily a matter for the Agrçment Board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for strengthening the powers of local authorities to enforce planning control: and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is about to undertake consultations with representative bodies about a range of proposals to strengthen and clarify the existing powers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will announce the results of the survey of reclaimed derelict land conducted in April 1976.

The results are published today and a copy will be placed in the Library. They show that during 1975–76 2,460 hectares were reclaimed. This is the highest annual figure so far and is particularly welcome after the relatively poor result in 1974–75 when local government

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it is hoped the new Speaker's Conference will start work; and if he will make a statement.

The terms of reference are at present under consideration and I cannot say when the conference will be able to start work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the main recommendations of Fire Service Circular 30/1976 and place a copy of the circular in the Library.

Fire Service Circular No. 30 /1976 provides interim guidance to fire authorities about the hazards posed by asbestos equipment used for fire fighting and the operational situations in which firemen may be exposed to asbestos, together with the precautions which may be necessary. The guidance was prepared in consultation with the

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many New Commonwealth and Pakistan citizens were admitted to the United Kingdom at Birmingham Airport in 1975 and the first half of 1976, respectively, (a) on acceptance for permanent settlement,(b) as already permanently settled, and (c) otherwise.

The available information is given in the following table. Those who are already settled and are returning from temporary absence cannot be separately identified and are included under 'others'.Health and Safety Executive and will be reviewed in the light of any recommendations which may be made by the Advisory Committee on Asbestos. Two copies of the circular were sent to the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list his powers to deprive British-born subjects of their nationality; and under what circumstances they may be exercised.

A citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies born in the United Kingdom could be deprived of his citizenship only if he had first lost or renounced his citizenship and subsequently regained it by naturalisation or registration. He could then be deprived of it in the circumstances set out in Section 20 of the British Nationality Act 1948, as amended by Section 4 of the British Nationality (No.2) Act 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether, as rats and guinea pigs were reported in Fire Note No. 1048 of 1976 to have been exposed to hydrogen chloride gas for 30 minutes, to have suffered gross damage to the eyes, noses and mouths and to have been kept for periods up to 24 hours before being killed, he is satisfied that no breach of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 was involved;(2) whether, as experiments on rats and guinea pigs were reported in Fire Research Note 1048 of 1976 to have caused severe tissue damage and distress to the animals prior to their death, he is satisfied that no breach of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 was involved.

Full details of these experiments are not immediately available. I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, having regard to the recent incident at Porton, he will seek powers which will enable him to impose a ban on the import of diseased laboratory animals into the United Kingdom

I am not aware of any need for such powers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now introduce the legislation recommended by the Littlewood Committee on experiments on living animals in 1965.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend's Question on 22nd November.—[Vol. 919, c.923.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking arising from the paper submitted to him by Lord Platt, Lord Houghton and others on experiments on living animals.

My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State met Lord Houghton and his colleagues in August. Arising out of that meeting Lord Houghton wrote again to my hon. Friend in September and October to provide clarification of his proposals. My hon. Friend will be sending detailed comments in reply in the course of a few days with a view to a further meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date he expects Section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 to be fully effective in the abolition of imprisonment for drunkenness.

Section 91, which applies only to the offence of being drunk and disorderly, may not be brought into force until sufficient suitable accommodation for the care and treatment of persons convicted of the offence is available. I cannot say when this will be.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Royal Commission on Gambling to submit its interim report.

An interim report has been published today.

asked the Lord President of the Council what was the level of the salary of a Member of Parliament in March 1968 and what it would be today if it had moved in line with increases in the Retail Price Index and increases in the level of average earnings since then.

The salary of a Member of Parliament in March 1968 was £3,250. If this rate were increased in line with movements in the Index of Retail Prices, up to October 1976 and the index of average earnings, up to August 1976, the latest available figure, it would now be £8,313 and £10,085 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now issue all members of the UDR with personal protection weapons.

No. I am satisfied with the existing arrangements which allow for the issue of personal protection weapons to members of the UDR where this is considered necessary in the light of the threat. These arrangements are kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the UDR have been charged with a breach of regulations relating to the issue of personal security weapons.

I regret that it would require disproportionate effort to provide this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the Report of the Committee on Army Welfare which sat under the Chairmanship of Professor J. C. Spencer, Professor of Social Administration at Edinburgh University; and if he will make a statement.

The report is being published today and I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library. I should like to take this opportunity of thanking Professor Spencer and his committee for their very comprehensive study of the Army's welfare problems. Their report makes an invaluable contribution to our knowledge in this important area.I have carefully studied the proposals and accept that the existing system of welfare support for Army personnel and their families can be improved. Some of the recommendations made have already been implemented, or are in hand, and those which have implications for all three Services are being studied further.After very full consideration I have, however, decided not to adopt the committee's main recommendation for an Army Social Work Service. Leaving aside the fact that pressures on the defence budget preclude the expenditure involved, I am satisfied that such an organisation would not best meet the Army's needs.We are, however, examining two alternatives considered by the committee. We are considering with the Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Families Association the possibility of expanding its activities to take on a number of the tasks envisaged by the committee for an Army Social Work Service. We also believe there to be scope for improved links with local authority social services, and a pilot scheme lasting a year, and involving the WRVS, is planned in order to look into this. It could be that, ultimately, the Army's needs will be met by an amalgam of these two alternatives.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement over the dispute involving clerical workers in Gibraltar and in the Gibraltar Dockyard.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 5th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Thornaby. (Mr. Wrigglesworth). —[Vol. 918, c. 724.]Discussions with the CPSA Headquarters in London, aimed at bringing the dispute to an end, are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in how many cases the next of kin of the 65 reservists who were killed by accident on duty during the period from 1966 to October 1976 would have been debarred from claiming compensation from the Government owing to the operation of Section 10 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947.

It appears very probable that, had any common law claims been made as a result of the deaths referred to, they would have been barred by Section 10 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what tests were carried out prior to the introduction of the use of the plastic bullet in Northern Ireland; and what are the reasons for its introduction in addition to the rubber bullet.

The rubber baton round was withdrawn from Northern Ireland towards the end of 1975 by which time it had been replaced by the plastic (PVC) round which is inherently more accurate, particularly at longer ranges. Like the rubber round, the plastic round was designed as a protective measure for use by soldiers in situations where it is judged to be the minimum reasonable force in the circumstances and when its use makes it unnecessary to use firearms. The plastic round was subjected to a full range of ballistic and safety tests before its introduction into service.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has made for an increased licence charge for motorists wishing to retain an existing vehicle registration number; and under what statutory authority he proposes to make the increases.

None as yet. The statutory authority would be a regulation made under Section 12 of the Finance Act 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to relax restrictions on the number of hours that long-distance lorry drivers can work at any one time.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning the restrictions on the hours worked by long-distance lorry drivers.

I am in continual discussion with all sections of the road haulage industry on the subject of hours to be worked by long-distance lorry drivers.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what requests he has received, or what investigations he has made, into the capital cost of extending the Great Northern electrification scheme from Moorgate, for approximately one and a half miles in new tunnels, to the south-eastern section of the Southern Region at Bricklayers Arms, with or without any new intermediate station.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what requests or submissions he has received from the British Railways Board, with its requests concerning the Moorgate-Bedford electrification, for electrification of existing rail routes in north London running between the presently distinct Great Eastern, Great Northern, North-Western, and planned Midland electrified routes, particularly between Kentish Town and Barking, and the five miles between Maiden Lane and Stratford.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration has been given to diverting the proposed southern terminal of the Moorgate to Bedford electrification scheme from Moorgate (widened lines) to a terminal on Southern Region in south London, using the existing Snow Hill route and dual voltage stock.

The London rail study considered the possibility of through-running between north and south London. It concluded that such a project could only be recommended as a second order priority.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the calculations used by his Department, or any other, concerning the cost-benefit analysis of the Moorgate to Bedford electrification, and comparison with cost-benefit conclusions for investing similar sums in other electrification or improvement schemes in the Greater London area.

No; my Department's rôle is to examine the investment appraisal made by the British Railways Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure London Underground and its staff are subject to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

All employers and workers, including the London Underground, are already subject to this Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle and pedestrian movements he normally requires before installing traffic lights at intersections; what are the numbers of each at the junction of the former A45 and All on the Bury St. Edmunds side of Newmarket; and whether, since the opening of the Newmarket bypass and the detrunking of the two roads that meet at this point, the traffic lights there are needed.

Decisions on the installation of traffic control signals at intersections are based on a variety of factors and each situation must be considered on its merits. Traffic flow alone cannot be used to justify control, but minimum traffic figures have been drawn up for general guidance. For an intersection such as that mentioned the figure would be an average hourly flow, taking the four busiest hours of any weekday. of 300 vehicles entering the intersection from all directions, including a side road element of 100 vehicles.Where signals are justified, provision for pedestrians can be considered if turning traffic exceeds a rate of 700 vehicles per hour during the green period or the flow of pedestrians crossing any arm of the intersection exceeds 300 per hour.My Department has no traffic information for the junction in question for the period following the opening of Newmarket bypass. Any survey to determine whether the signals continue to be necessary would be for Cambridgeshire County Council to carry out, since it is now the highway authority for the bypassed sections of A11 and A45 within its boundary. The county surveyor has the matter under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will issue a general direction to British Railways that concessionary rate season tickets for rail travel for school pupils between 16 and 18 years should be at half the adult rate.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he intends to visit the Birmingham works of MetroCammell before reaching a decision on the Tyne and Wear Metro project, as suggested by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr;(2) when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr sent to him on 1st November 1976 concerning the Tyne and Wear Metro project.

I have no plans at present to visit Metro-Cammell. I answered my hon. Friend's letter on 24th November 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil servants in his Department concerned with the decision on the Tyne and Wear Metro project have visited the works of MetroCammell, Birmingham, in the past three months.

None, but I am well aware of the importance attached by Metro-Cammell Ltd. to a decision to continue with the project.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport who will be responsible for making the final decision on the Tyne and Wear Metro project.

It is for Tyne and Wear County Council, as the passenger transport authority for the area, to decide after taking account of any Government decision on whether grant assistance to the project should be continued.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services whether he will seek to amend Section 2 of the Social Security Act 1975 so that persons who are both employed and self-employed would not need to pay national insurance contributions in respect of their self-employment.

No. In an earnings-related system, where an earner has more than one employment, it is right that the contribution liability should take account of each.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied with the level of heating allowances provided by his Department.

The supplementary benefit scale rates, which were uprated on 15th November, are intended to cover normal heating requirements. Additional payments to meet extra heating needs are made under the Supplementary Benefits Commission's discretionary powers, and these were increased at the same time, by over 25 per cent., to take account of increases in fuel prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will review the fuel allowances for pensioners in view of the many pensioners who find it impossible to pay fuel charges.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for West Stirlingshire (Mr. Canavan) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the reduction in expenditure on the NHS in 1977–78 in real terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the reduction in expenditure on the NHS in 1977–78 in real terms.

None. In the last White Paper (Cmnd 6393) expenditure on the NHS was planned to increase in real terms in 1977–78. The measures announced in July will not affect current services to patients.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospitals of national standing and importance are to be closed as a result of cuts in Government expenditure.

The funds available for health authority services in England have increased in real terms from year to year. Suggestions for the closure of hospitals are, however, brought forward by health authorities for a variety of reasons. Authorities are required to submit to my Department, by early next year, plans for the rationalisation and development of their services over the next 10–15 years, and these plans are currently the subject of local consultations. Suggestions made in the plans are not firm proposals for immediate action, but are options which need further study. This early consultation gives a full opportunity for the possibilities to be discussed, not only by the authorities concerned but also by the public and staff who would be affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy with regard to the maintenance of community hospitals and the smaller local hospital facilities, in the light of current public expenditure plans.

My policy is set out in the consultative document on priorities for health and personal social services in England which described the provision of district general hospitals, supported by smaller hospitals called community hospitals, to cater for patients who do not need or who no longer need the specialised services of a district general hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement about current arrangements governing the ownership and storage of personal medical records and X-ray photographs.

Personal medical records, including X-rays, in respect of patients treated under the NHS are held to be the property of the Secretary of State. NHS hospital medical records are stored in premises designated by the appropriate health authority. Access to a patient's medical records is governed in the patient's interest by the ethics of the medical and allied professions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations contained in the Eleventh Report of the Expenditure Committee on the working of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969.

The Government's response to the Expenditure Committee's recommendations was given in the White Paper published last May (Cmnd. 6494). Among proposals which are primarily the concern of my Department, consultation is far advanced on first steps towards ending the remand of young people to prison department establishments, priority is being given to secure accommodation building projects, and we are making a major effort to encourage the development of non-residential forms of care. As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary explained in his reply on 18th November—[Vol. 919, c. 1558]—consultalions about the establishment of new national consultative machinery are proceeding.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

The latest information available to me indicates that there has been further substantial progress in the past year. The provisional total number of people registered as permanently and substantially handicapped in England on 31st March 1976 was 854,000, representing a net increase of 88,000 over the previous year. The figure of 854,000 on the registers on 31st March 1976 compares with 405,000 when the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Bill received the Royal Assent in 1970. The estimated number of households helped under Section 2 of the Act was 300,000 last year, an increase of 67,000 over the previous year.These returns do not, of course, represent the only criteria for measuring progress in implementing the Act. As my hon. Friend knows, the Act is very wideranging in its concern with the rights and needs of disabled people. The general improvement that there has been in public attitudes to disabled people since the Act became law is also reflected in, for example, the fact that the number of younger disabled people unsuitably accommodated in institutions has fallen significantly during the past few years. Another example is the much increased attention now given to solving the problems for disabled people of gaining access to public and social buildings of all kinds. The considerable change in public attitudes to the disabled in the past few years is enabling more and more disabled people to participate in those aspects of social life which able-bodied people take for granted.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to encourage young men and women to receive training by enabling recipients of unemployment benefit who become full-time students to continue to receive that unemployment benefit; and if he will make a statement.

To be entitled to unemployment benefit a person must show that he is available for employment. A person on a full-time course of education is unlikely to satisfy this condition in term time and would not, therefore, qualify for unemployment benefit. I have no proposals to alter this position.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received since 20th July 1976 on the subject of male unemployment benefit to persons between the ages of 60 and 65 years.

About 850.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further steps he intends to take to make available to the parents and medical adviser of Tanya Price, of Christchurch, her medical records; why the availability of those records is still withheld from Mr. and Mrs. Price; and under what circumstances parents have the right to see the medical records of their infant children.

A disclosure of all or part of a child's medical records to its parents or guardian is at the sole discretion of the clinician in charge of the case. The Dorset Area Health Authority is urgently pursuing the possibility of disclosing Tanya's hospital and clinic records to a medical adviser nominated by her parents. I understand that the agreement of the clinicians concerned in the case is still awaited. The hon. Member will now have received my further letter about this dated 26th November; and I am glad recently to have had an opportunity of discussing Tanya's case with him.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the phasing in of the new National Health Service behind-the-ear hearing aid.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress he is making with the supply of the new NHS hearing aid; and how many people he finally expects to benefit from its supply.

The first of the new aids was issued in November 1974, and the phasing-in programme should be completed in 1979. From September 1975 the initial priority groups were extended to include people in employment and students, with local discretion for individual cases of need. We intend to make the aid available during the next three years to people who are outside the present priority groups.I am consulting my advisory committee on services for hearing-impaired people about possible methods of determining priority sub-categories within the overall and very large category of elderly hearing-impaired people who have still to be phased in to the programme. The rate of issue of the new aid has steadily increased since it was first introduced, and the number of aids issued in Great Britain up to the end of September 1976, the latest month for which figures are available, was 146,000.It was originally expected that up to 1 million aids might be issued in the five-year period, but it is not possible to do more than broadly estimate the ultimate number of beneficiaries. The estimate of 1 million was intended to represent the peak number of the new aids on issue at any time and would include many people currently not wearing hearing aids.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now introduce a special social security benefit for one-parent families.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn and Hatfield (Mrs. Hayman) on 27th October.—[Vol. 918, c. 287–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the progress of implementation of the recommendations of the Finer Report in so far as they affect his Department.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Smith) on 26th October—[Vol. 918, c. 111–12.]—to which I can now add that the increase in the earnings disregard from £4 to £6 net for one-parent families receiving supplementary benefit and that the uprating of benefits in general came into effect in the week of 15th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he intends taking further action to help reduce the infant mortality rate.

I would refer the hon. Member to my replies to my hon. Friend the Member for Eccles (Mr. Carter-Jones) on 27th October and 15th November.—[Vol. 918, c. 293–5; Vol. 919, c. 410–16.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to introduce further legislation to strengthen the rights of patients in psychiatric hospitals.

The consultative document "A Review of the Mental Health Act 1959" published in August includes discussion of issues relating to the rights of patients. In the light of the comments on the document we hope to publish a White Paper next year setting out our proposals for changes to the Act, with a view to amending legislation as soon as practicable thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he has taken or proposes to take to implement the recommendations of the regional chairmen's inquiry into the working of the DHSS in relation to regional health authorities.

In July I set up a group chaired by the Permanent Secretary of my Department and including the three regional chairmen who conducted the inquiry, to advise on what action should be taken on the proposals made in the inquiry. There will shortly be discussions of the results of the group's work so far with, among others, the chairmen of all the regional health authorities and with staff representatives concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will enter into consultations with the medical profession to establish a code of practice for repeat prescriptions.

I am not satisfied that a code of practice would be appropriate. Guidance on the quantities of medicines to be prescribed at any one time, and on the special problems of patients with long-standing complaints, was issued in 1960 following the report of the Hinchliffe Committee. Subject to that advice, each doctor needs to decide how to comply with his obligations in the light of his professional judgment according to the needs and circumstances of each patient.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to overcome the overtime ban being operated in his Department.

There has been frequent contact with the two unions, the Civil and Public Services Association and the Society of Civil and Public Servants. The latter has withdrawn its ban and discussions are continuing with the former.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on unemployment among members of the nursing profession.

I understand that the latest Department of Employment figures show that there were 3,276 qualified nurses registering as unemployed in England in September 1976. These will include nurses seeking employment in the private sector. Posts are still available for qualified nurses in the NHS.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is his policy to nationalise sections of the pharmaceutical industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is his policy to nationalise sections of the pharmaceutical industry.

The Government have no plans to nationalise any section of the pharmaceutical industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to make disabled people more self-sufficient in their own homes.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Mr. Hall-Davis) today. The initiatives I mention in that reply must be complemented by other forms of help and my Department's consultative document "Priorities for Health and Personal Social Services in England" shows the importance we place on providing the wide range of help necessary to enable disabled people. where possible. to live in their own homes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, whether he will make a statement on the proposed cuts by hospital authorities in the four Thames regional health authorities.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Woolwich, West (Mr. Bottomley) and Ravensbourne (Mr. Hunt) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress he is making in his negotiations on the new consultants' contract.

No negotiations on a new consultant contract are taking place at present, though informal discussions are continuing on aspects of the present contract.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many permanent patients there are in the NHS in receipt of the £3.50 allowances.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the amount of £3.05 which is the current rate of benefit payable, under the Social Security (Hospital In-Patients) Regulations, as an allowance for personal requirements to certain beneficiaries in hospital. The £3.05 allowance applies after a beneficiary who cannot be treated as having a dependant has been, or is treated as having been, in hospital for a year; this rate of benefit applies for the rest of his hospital stay, however long or short that may be. Supplementary benefit may be paid to certain hospital in-patients at this same rate. I regret that the information is not available in the form requested, but the following are relevant estimated figures:make a statement on the introduction of child benefit in April 1977.

I would refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke) on 26th October and my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Marshall) on 16th November.—[Vol. 918, c.112–14; Vol. 919 c. 501–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the fact that the increase of 30p in child support for families with marginal tax rates of less than 50 Der cent., in his reply to the hon. Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Marshall) Offical Report, 16th November 1976, columns 501–6, represents an increase of only 5·6 per cent. in total child support for two-child families compared with April 1976, during a period of 15 Der cent. prices rises, whether he will be reconsidering the proposed level of £1₷50 child benefit in the light of prices in April 1977.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in the event of child benefit being increased for all children to levels above those envisaged by the Government for 1977–78, under what statutory authority the Government are empowered to reduce unemployment benefit for all children by amounts equivalent to such increases.

My right hon. Friend is empowered under Section 17 of the Child Benefit Act 1975 to reduce increases of unemployment benefit, and of other relevant national insurance benefits for children to such extent as he thinks appropriate having regard to any increase in the rate of child benefit. The power is exercisable by regulations, or by order if the change in child benefit coincides with an uprating of national insurance benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many citizens of the Republic of Ireland were in receipt of supplementary benefit on the latest known date.

This information is not available. I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Sproat) on 15th November 1976.—[Vol. 919, c. 408.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report comparative tables showing the boarding-out allowances paid for foster children for each local authority in England and Wales for a sample of ages or publish a national minimum scale for such allowances.

Details of the boarding-out scales payable by each local authority in England and Wales are not available centrally. My Department has no power to impose minimum rates of boarding-out allowances on local authorities, but following meetings between the Department and representatives of local authorities the latter have agreed to consider whether simple and flexible guidelines could be recommended to their members for implementation, possibly on a regional basis, as soon as resources allow.