asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he intends to alter the regulations that control fishing vessels under SI 1975 No. 330 with regard to inshore fishing vessels.

No. The regulations are kept under continuous review, but I see no reason at present to make any alterations specifically for inshore fishing vessels.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what regulations exist in other member States of the EEC that cover the safety of fishing vessels; and whether he is aware of any intention of the Commission to introduce any directives concerning this matter.

All coastal member States have their own regulations. The EEC has submitted to the Council a draft regulation directed at a possible restructuring of the inshore fishing industry which would adopt minimum safety standards to be agreed internationally through the Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade to what degree the price advantage obtained by EEC countries from the reduction of tariff barriers following British entry into the EEC has stimulated their exports of manufactures to the United Kingdom.

Many factors, including the depreciation of sterling and economic developments both in the United Kingdom and in the EEC, have affected our imports of manufactured goods from the EEC, and it is not possible to identify separately the effects of the tariff reductions from other influences.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what advantage in terms of price competitiveness the United Kingdom has obtained from the reduction of tariff barriers as a result of joining the EEC; and whether this has been an important factor in stimulating exports of manufacturers to EEC countries.

Since the end of 1972 the average level of tariffs on manufactured imports into the EEC from the United Kingdom has been reduced by four-fifths and is now estimated to stand at just over 1 per cent. The resulting increase in export price competitiveness will depend upon the pricing policy of United Kingdom exporters. Any improvement in our competitiveness can be expected to stimulate the volume of United Kingdom exports. However, many other influences have affected our exports of manufactures to the EEC, including the depreciation of sterling and economic developments both here and in the EEC, and it is not possible to identify separtely the effects of the tariff reductions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will give a table showing the difference in value between the United Kingdom exports to and imports from the EEC since the United Kingdom joined, up to the latest available date.

Figures of our trade with the EEC on a balance of payments basis up to the third quarter of this year were published in Trade and Industry, 3rd December 1976. (Table 3, page 390.)

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what action is being taken to abolish trade in animals requested for experimental purposes.

There would be little point in such a ban unless legislation were enacted to stop such experiments being carried out in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many hotels have gone bankrupt in the past 12 months; how many of these were in the London area; and, of the latter, how many were in the four-star or five-star category.

Provisional figures, which relate to individuals and companies owning hotels in the United Kingdom are given below for the 12 months ending 30th September 1976. Separate figures for the London area are not available.

Bankruptcies (1)	50
Company liquidations (2)	80

(1) Relates to both self-employed persons and partnerships. The total of receiving orders and administration orders in England and Wales, sequestration orders in Scotland, and adjudication orders, protection orders and administration orders in Northern Ireland, made in the period. These three sets of figures are broadly comparable. Excludes summary sequestration orders, for which no information about the debtor's occupation is available.(2) The total of compulsory liquidations and creditors' voluntary liquidations begun in the period.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many Scottish building firms have gone bankrupt in the past 12 months; and how this compares with the same period in 1972 and 1973.

The available figures, which relate to the construction industry, are as follows:

Year ending	Sequestration orders*	Company liquidations†
30th September 1972	Not available	22
30th September 1973	Not available	28
30th September 1976 (provisional)	4	54
* Orders made in the period. Excludes summmary sequestration orders, for which no information about the debtor's occupation is available.
† The total of compulsory liquidations and creditors' voluntary liquidations begun in the period.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has intervened to prevent up-grading of on-board service by foreign airlines on flights out of London; and if he will make a statement.

I have not intervened to prevent up-grading of on-board services by foreign airlines on flights out of London. However, I have recently required certain airlines operating into and out of London to observe the tariffs clause in the relevant Air Services Agreement which requires them to charge the approved tariffs and to observe the conditions attaching to those tariffs as laid down in IATA resolutions. The particular conditions mentioned were the charging for alcoholic drinks and headphones for in-flight entertainment in economy class and also the levying of an appropriate charge for the provision of slumberettes in first class on B747 aircraft. It is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to uphold IATA resolutions appertaining to conditions of carriage.The making or not making of a charge for certain services on board aircraft should not be confused with standard of service provided. The consequences of widespread failure to charge for services which the agreed tariffs do not cover leads to increased costs and almost inevitably to increased fares.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects his Dement to complete the inquiries into Stonewood Securities Ltd.

It is not the Department's practice to disclose when, and the manner in which, it carries out confidential inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish the level of engineering exports under the SIC Orders vii, viii, and ix as a proportion of world trade in engineering products, for each year since 1965.

Following is the available information:

United Kingdom exports of engineering products as a percentage of OECD exports of engineering products.
1965	…	13·6
1966	…	13·1
1967	…	12·0
1968	…	11·3
1969	…	10·9
1970	…	10·8
1971	…	11·5
1972	…	10·5
1973	…	9·3
1974	…	8·9

Statistics of world exports of engineering products are not published. The calculations have been based on OECD exports of these products which represented 95 per cent. of exports of engineering products by the market economies in 1973, the latest year for which such information is available. Engineering products have been taken as section 71 (non electric machinery), 72 (electric machinery, apparatus and appliances), and 86 (professional, scientific and controlling instruments; photographic and optical goods, watches and clocks) of the Standard International Trade Classification. These headings represent a close correspondence to SIC Orders vii, viii and ix.—Source: OECD Statistics of Foreign Trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list in the Official Report the names of foundries which have closed over the last year, giving details of location, main products, reason for closure and number of redundancies in each case.

This information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) why the Bank of England was chosen to carry out an inquiry into the British clothing industry;(2) whether any other body was asked to carry out the inquiry into the British clothing industry commissioned by the Bank of England;(3) if he approved the decision of the Bank of England to undertake an inquiry into the British clothing industry.

The Bank of England's proposed examination of the structure and the financial resources of the clothing industry is being carried out on its own initiative. Consequently the question of choosing between the Bank and other bodies to undertake the study did not arise. The Bank's proposals have been welcomed by my Department and by the Clothing Economic Development Committee as a useful complement to the existing Clothing Industry Scheme of Assistance and to the Industrial Strategy work being carried out through the EDC.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is his estimate of those manufacturing industries which have an excess of capacity and the percentage contribution they made towards export earnings in 1975.

The indications are that at order level of the Standard Industrial Classification all sectors of manufacturing industry are at present working below capacity.Direct exports of each sector so defined expressed as a percentage of total exports of goods and services in 1975 were as follows:

SIC Order
III	…	Food, drink and tobacco	4·8
IV	…	Coal and petroleum products	2·8
V	…	Chemicals and allied products	8·5
VI	…	Metal manufacture	4·2
VII	…	Mechanical engineering	12·2
VIII	…	Instrument engineering	2·1
IX	…	Electrical engineering	7·0
X	…	Shipbuilding	0·9
XI	…	Vehicles	11·6
XII	…	Metal goods not elsewhere specified	6·3
XIII	…	Textiles	3·5
XIV	…	Leather, leather goods and fur	0·4
XV	…	Clothing and footwear	0·9
XVI	…	Building materials	1·3
XVII	…	Timber, furniture etc.	0·4
XVIII	…	Paper, printing and publishing	1·5
XIX	…	Other manufacturing industries	2·1

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish a table, from international sources available to him, of gross fixed investment in new plant and machinery per head of those working in manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom, France, West Germany and the United States of America for each year since 1965.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish figures showing gross fixed investment in new plant and machinery per head of those working in manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom, excluding nationalised industries, for each year since 1965.

The figures below relate to manufacturing industry excluding iron and steel, and should give a reasonable indication of movements in private sector manufacturing. They are given at 1970 prices; the corresponding figure for 1975 at 1975 prices is £303/head.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ON PLANT AND MACHINERY* AT 1970 PRICES
				£ per employee
1965	…	…	…	142
1966	…	…	…	152
1967	…	…	…	155
1968	…	…	…	168 (162)†
1969	…	…	…	174 (181)†
1970	…	…	…	191
1971	…	…	…	176
1972	…	…	…	154
1973	…	…	…	169
1974	…	…	…	179
1975	…	…	…	158
* Acquisitions, less disposals, of new and secondhand plant and machinery. Figures for new machinery are not collected separately.
† Figures in brackets are after adjustment for the distortion caused by the ending of the higher rate of investment grants on 31st December 1968.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish a table, from international sources available to him, of output per person employed in manufacturing industries in the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, and the United States of America, for each year since 1965.

Following is the available information:

INDEX NUMBERS OF OUTPUT PER PERSON EMPLOYED IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES (1970=100)
		United Kingdom	France	German Federal Republic	United States
1965	…	85	74	80	91
1966	…	87	79	81	94
1967	…	90	82	84	95
1968	…	97	87	91	98
1969	…	99	96	99	101
1970	…	100	100	100	100
1971	…	103	104	102	104
1972	…	109	112	108	109
1973	…	118	119	116	115
1974	…	115	121	117	114
1975	…	112	112	116	113

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give details of the survey initiated by the NEB into the computer industry; and whether it will refer to marketing areas as well as likely areas of Government support.

This is a matter for the NEB.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) if he will list in tabular form grant aid made available to organisations in regions of the United Kingdom, established to promote industrial activity in those regions; and if he will make a statement as to the basis on which grant aid is allocated;(2) what representations he has received urging that grant aid made available to the Yorkshire and Humberside Development Association be increased; what is the present level of grant aid made to the association; and on what basis that grant is calculated;(3) what applications have been submitted in the past year from organisations in the regions of the United Kingdom, established to promote industrial activity, requesting increased grant aid; what newly established bodies of this type have requested grant aid or increased grant aid; and if he will make a statement.

The following regional development associations in England receive grant aid:

• North of England Development Council: £106,600 for 1976–7.
• North-West Industrial Development Association: £67,500 for 1976–7.
• Yorkshire and Humberside Development Association: £15,000 for 1976–7.

These grants take account of the working population and unemployment in the areas which the associations cover. Representations have recently been made by all three associations for an increase in their grants. These requests are under consideration. No newly established bodies of this type have requested grant aid. Questions in relation to grants paid to the Scottish Council and the Development Corporation for Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much each region of the United Kingdom has received from the EEC Regional Development Fund to date.

Since the inception of the European Regional Development Fund in 1975 the Commission has agreed to contribute towards the cost of approved projects in eligible areas of the United Kingdom as follows:

		£000's
Northern	…	14,425
North-West	…	7,177
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	2,292
East Midlands assisted areas	…	297
West Midlands assisted areas	…	11
South West assisted areas	…	946
England	…	25,148
Northern Ireland	…	12,719
Scotland	…	16,007
Wales	…	12,368
United Kingdom	…	66,242

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give the

Capital Expenditure at 1970 Prices					Productivity
		Coal Mining	Iron and Steel Manufacture	Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering	(a) Coal Mining Colliery productivity	(b) Iron and Steel Manufacture Index of output per man year
		£ per employee	£ per employee	£ per employee	Cwt. per manshift	1954=100
1965	…	162	236	n.a.	35·9	124·9
1966	…	175	223	n.a.	36·3	119·9
1967	…	188	260	n.a.	38·2	119·4
1968	…	155	250	143	41·7	128·7
1969	…	134	257	n.a.	43·4	134·3
1970	…	157	346	148	44·1	133·0
1971	…	162	543	131	43·9	124·9
1972	…	148	553	116	43·6	135·4
1973	…	146	463	175	45·0	147·4
1974	…	183	554	217	42·8	131·1
1975	…	300	644	n.a.	44·9	111·3
(a) As published in Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 1976.
(b) As published in Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau Annual Statistics 1976.
n.a. = Not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the investment performance by British industry in the years following entry to the EEC.

Figures of investment by manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom from 1966 to date are published regularly in Trade and

Tthe information is as follows:

PERCENTAGE OF WORLD SHIPBUILDING COMPLETED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
1965	…	…	…	10·9
1966	…	…	…	7·6
1967	…	…	…	7·8
1968	…	…	…	6·2
1969	…	…	…	4·4
1970	…	…	…	6·3
1971	…	…	…	5·1
1972	…	…	…	4·5
1973	…	…	…	3·5
1974	…	…	…	3·6
1975	…	…	…	3·4

Source: Lloyd's Register of Shipping.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give figures for gross fixed investment per head, and productivity per head, in the coal, steel and shipbuilding industries, for each year since 1965.

The information available is tabulated below. I regret that there are no figures of productivity in the shipbuilding industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will announce any further appointments to the Organising Committee for British Aerospace.

I have appointed Mr. F. W. Page, CBE, the Managing Director (Aircraft), British Aircraft Corporation, and Dr. G. H. Hough, CBE, Deputy Managing Director, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics as part-time members with the intention of appointing them in due course as full-time members of British Aerospace. I expect to make further appointments in due course.

asked the Prime Minister if he will visit the city of Cambridge.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the Governor of the Bank of England.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the Governor of the Bank of England.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans to meet the Governor of the Bank of England.

I refer the right hon. and hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Hastings (Mr. Warren).

asked the Prime Minister if he will transfer full responsibility for university and teacher training education in Wales to the Welsh Office.

No. But it is the Government's intention that responsibility for teacher training, outside the universities, should be transferred to the Welsh Assembly.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to meet the Prime Minister of France.

The French Prime Minister will call on me on 11th January, when he will be in London for a private visit.

asked the Prime Minister what arrangements he has made to ensure effective communication and liaison between, on the one hand, his own Office and the Cabinet Office when dealing with financial and economic matters and, on the other hand, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Treasury.

There is very full and close consultation on these matters.

asked the Prime Minister when he next intends to make a ministerial broadcast.

asked the Prime Minister when he will next make a ministerial broadcast.

I refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sowerby (Mr. Madden) on 7th December.

asked the Prime Minister when he proposes next to meet the heads of the nationalised industries.

I met some of the chairmen of the nationalised industries on 8th November, but at present I have no plans for a further meeting.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the heads of nationalised industries.

I met some of the chairmen of the nationalised industries on 8th November.

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Coventry.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to visit the Northern Region.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to visit the United States of America.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Region. (Mr. Gardiner) on 2nd December.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the CBI.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council gave on my behalf to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) on 30th November.

asked the Lord President of the Council what are his intentions concerning the forestry sector as regards devolution.

With the exception of fiscal, international and plant health aspects, responsibility for forestry policy in Scotland and Wales will be transferred to the Scottish and Welsh administrations. But the Forestry Commission will be maintained as the instrument for carrying out the forestry policies of the devolved administrations.

asked the Prime Minister what was the cost and the result of official investigations into (a) the leak to The Guardian about the new flat for the Chief of Air Staff, (b) the Morning Star revelation about Her Majesty the Queen's finances and (c) the Frank Field affair.

As regards (a), here was insufficient indication of a leak to justify an investigation. As regards (b), my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General, in consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions, decided that criminal proceedings would not be justified. As to (c), I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend for Derby, North (Mr. Whitehead) on 30th November. It is not possible to calculate the cost of the investigations except at disproportionate public expense.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will arrange for copies of his informal summary guide to the Scotland and Wales Bill to be made available at the Vote Office.

My right hon. Friend, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales have already sent copies of this guide to all Members of the House individually.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation calling for a complete ban on the international trade in all laboratory animals, on the grounds of conservation, disease risk and humane principles.

Legislation containing powers to regulate the import and export of animals, whether or not for laboratory purposes, already exists. These powers have been exercised when there has been evidence of a specific need for such control. The Government are not aware of any need for a complete ban.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what control is placed on breeders of animals for laboratory use.

Animals bred for laboratory use, in common with animals bred for other purposes, have the protection afforded by the Protection of Animals Act 1911 or the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912 and, in the case of dogs, by the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department who is responsible for the inspection and licensing of United Kingdom breeders of animals.

The licensing and inspection of premises used for the breeding of dogs for sale, or for the keeping of certain dangerous wild animals, are the responsibility of local authorities. In addition, the Agriculture Ministers have powers to inspect and license farm livestock for certain purposes. The Medical Research Council administers accreditation and recognition schemes for breeders and suppliers of certain types of laboratory animals on a voluntary basis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the amount of salary in weekly averages paid to policemen in the years 1945, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976, respectively; and if he will also give comparable figures for men working in the manufacturing industry.

Directly comparable figures are not available. But I am able to tell my hon. Friend that in the financial years 1973–74, 1974–75 and 1975–76 the average weekly pay, including overtime, of police officers of all ranks in England and Wales was £45, £56, and £69·70 respectively. In addition, all police officers are entitled to free quarters or a tax-free rent allowance in lieu. In March 1976 a survey showed the average value of rent allowance to constables in England and Wales to be £10·78 a week, tax-free. Separate figures are not available for male officers; nor is information available for 1945.The average earnings for male manual workers aged over 21 in the manufacturing industry in Great Britain were as follows:

Calendar year			Average weekly earnings
1945	(for whole of UK)		6·27
1973	…	…	39·9
1974	…	…	45·1
1975	…	…	56·6
1976 (estimated)	…	…	67·4

Comparable figures covering all male workers in the manufacturing industry are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the oral evidence given before the Royal Commission on Standards of Conduct in Public Life will be available for public examination; in what form it will be published; and where it can be obtained.

I understand that the Royal Commission took oral evidence in confidence, and accordingly decided that only the written evidence should be deposited for public examination.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning the negotiations currently taking place between the EEC Commission and third countries with regard to fishing rights and quotas.

Negotiations with a number of third countries, including Norway, Iceland, the United States, Spain and Sweden, have already begun. Others, including Faroes and Canada, will begin very soon. They are being conducted by the Commission assisted by representatives of member States, and the agreements will be subject to approval by the Council of Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of attempts since 1965 which Her Majesty's Government have made towards a negotiated settlement of the Guatemalan claim to Belize.

There have been three series of negotiations with Guatemala since 1965 aimed at obtaining a settlement over Belize—from 1969 to 1972, during 1975 and a new series which started in April 1976 and is continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will encourage the creation of a new forum to seek acceptable arms control agreements for Euro-strategic nuclear weapons systems.

In general, I would wish to consider with our allies any new method of pursuing acceptable arms control agreements. At present, however, the most important need is for agreements in the existing Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the cost of salary increments is to be included in the rate support grant for next year; and what is the estimated gross cost of the salary increment element in local authority salary costs in the current year.

Salary increases, including salary increments, payable within the pay policy announced in the White Paper "The Attack on Inflation—The Second Year" count as relevant expenditure for rate support grant purposes. The gross cost of salary increments payable to local government employees in the current year cannot be identified separately from the information about the gross cost of local government wages and salaries available to my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is now the estimated overspend by local authorities in the current financial year; which are the authorities concerned; what is the amount in each case; and what sanctions will be imposed.

Estimates formed during the recent rate support grant negotiations for 1977–78 put the likely level of local authority current expenditure excluding rate fund contributions to the housing revenue account at some £190 million, at November 1976 prices, above the Government's expenditure plans set out in Cmnd 6393. It is impossible to break this figure down to individual authorities without taking a view on what would be the expenditure for each authority commensurate with the aggregate planned expenditure. We have not got sufficient evidence to do this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the latest position of the regional planning strategies.

The latest position with regard to regional strategies in England is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the cost of maintenance of the Palace of Westminster in 1976–77.

My Department expects to spend about £1·5 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to introduce a water rate rebate on lines similar to the ordinary rate rebate to help those pensioners who live in highly-rated houses and cannot afford their water rates.

The rate rebate scheme is designed to help people who have difficulty paying the rates levied by local authorities. Water services charges are charges in the same sense as those levied by other public utilities, and are thus quite separate. I have no plans to alter this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is considering, in the present housing policy review, the need to help first-time house purchasers with grant aid towards the deposit on the house; and if he will ensure that the review responds in detail to such a proposal.

The position of first-time house purchasers is being fully considered in the Housing Policy Review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the practice of the North West Water Authority, Ribble Division, of issuing final notices in a manner which contravenes Section 30 of the Water Act 1973, which is likely to cause a public nuisance by threatening to cut off water supplies and/or adding the cost of disconnection of the said water supply and which threatens court proceedings.

Water authorities are empowered by Section 38 of the Water Act 1945 to cut off supplies for non-payment of charges, and to take proceedings for recovery. I do not consider it unreasonable for a water authority to warn any consumer, in the final notice, of the possibility of cutting off and recovery through the courts, but if my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind, perhaps he will write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why he authorised a survey of telephone usage in his Department.

The survey was arranged to monitor the level of traffic so as to decide the appropriate telephonic equipment required in a similar sized building in Bristol which is to be occupied by some 1,000 DOE staff as part of the Government dispersal of civil servants from Central London.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take as a result of his survey of telephone usage.

Staff have already been instructed on economies necessary to reduce the departmental telephone bill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the use of the telephones in his Department.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authorities organisations, associations and individuals objecting to his proposals for the development of 365 acres of land at Seal Sands, Teesside.

To date, a little over 400 objections and representations have been received following the recent publication of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's proposed modifications to the Teesside, East Cleveland and West Cleveland structure plans. The majority relate to the remaining un-reclaimed area of Seal Sands, and of these a large proportion is from individuals objecting to the proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will postpone the date for receiving objections to his proposals for the development of 365 acres of land at Seal Sands, Teesside.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State does not propose to extend the period during which objections and representations may be made about his proposed modifications to the Cleveland structure plans, including those relating to the remaining unreclaimed area of Seal Sands. If my hon. Friend is aware of any problem, perhaps he would let me know.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the actual or estimated total amount of local authority debt in England and Wales attributable to local authority housing in each of the years 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, and in each of the years 1970 to 1980 inclusive.

The figures at the end of the financial years up to 1975–76 are as follows:

	£ Million
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.46	564
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.51	1,445
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.56	2,763
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.61	3,660
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.66	5,085
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.71	7,710
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.72	8,143
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.73	8,888
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.74	9,827
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.75	11,320
Outstanding housing debt at 31.3.76	12,926 (estimated)

Estimates for future years will depend on the outcome of current discussions on public expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total of (a) central Government and (b) rate fund expenditure on local authority housing and rent rebates in England and Wales in each year since 1970; and what is the estimate for the current year and for the next four years.

The figures for the years 1970–71 to 1976–77 are as follows:

£ million
		Central Government Subsidy		England and Wales Rate Fund Contributions
		Rebates	Other	Rebates	Other
1970–71	…	—	159	—	56
1971–72	…	—	187	—	40
1972–73	…	61	184	7	26
1973–74	…	132	236	23	65
1974–75	…	151	486	42	136
1975–76	…	167	668	59	163
1976–77	…	206	881	72	171*
* Estimated.

Estimates for future years will depend on the outcome of current discussions on public expenditure. Full information is not available about rent rebates before 1972–73.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average rent of a local authority dwelling in England; and what percentage this represented of the average total costs of

		Average Housing Revenue Account expenditure† per dwelling	Average Unrebated Rent			Average Rebated Rent
			Weekly	Yearly	Percentage of total cost	Weekly	Yearly	Percentage of total cost
		£	£	£		£	£
1945–46	…	37	0·43	22*	60
1950–51	…	47	0·57	30*	63
1955–56	…	72	0·89	46*	64
1960–61	…	84	1·16	60*	72
1965–66	…	111	1·48	77	69
1970–71	…	179	2·29	119	67
1971–72	…	190	2·43	127	67
1972–73	…	214	2·96	154	72	2·67	139	65
1973–74	…	261	3·43	178	68	2·78	145	55
1974–75	…	346	3·77	196	57	2·98	155	45
1975–76	…	418	4·35	226	54	3·45	179	43
1976–77	…	495	5·01	260	53	3·92	204	41
* Includes rents other than for dwellings.
† Includes a small amount of expenditure other than for dwellings.

Full information is not available about rebates before 1972–73.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out increases in office space available in each region of the United Kingdom since 1967 to the latest available date.

The net increases in office floor space between 1st April 1967 and 1st April 1976 are estimated to be:

Region	Net Change (million square metres) (provisional figures)
Northern	…	0·5
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	0·8
North-West	…	1·8
East Midlands	…	0·7
West Midlands	…	1·0
East Anglia	…	0·4
South-East	…	7·0
South-West	…	1·1
Wales	…	0·4
England and Wales	…	13·8

Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the respective Secretaries of State.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the amount of office space built in each of the regions of the United

As follows:Kingdom from 1967 to the latest available date.

The amount of floor space provided by new commercial office hereditaments between 1st April 1974 and 1st April 1976 is estimated to be:

	Floor-Space of new hereditaments (thousand sq. metres)
Northern	…	122
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	180
North-West	…	313
East Midlands	…	126
West Midlands	…	393
East Anglia	…	143
South-East	…	1,578
South-West	…	243
Wales	…	109
England and Wales	…	3,205

Figures do not sum, due to rounding.Corresponding figures are not available for the period between 1967 and 1974.Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the respective Secretaries of State.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average cost of (a) interest, (b) maintenance and (c) administration per local authority dwelling per year.

The estimated average cost per local authority dwelling in England in 1976–77 is £308 for interest charges, £80 for repairs and maintenance, and £62 for supervision and management.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the extent of industrial space created in each region of the United Kingdom from 1967 to the latest available date.

The net increases in industrial floor space between 1st April 1967 and 1st April 1976 are estimated to be:

Region	Net Increase (million square metres) (provisional figures)
Northern	…	2·3
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	0·7
North-West	…	-0·7
East Midlands	…	4·2
West Midlands	…	4·4
East Anglia	…	1·9
South-East	…	2·3
South-West	…	4·2
Wales	…	1·6
England and Wales	…	21·0

Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the respective Secretaries of State.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to limit the number of provisional licences which can be obtained by learner drivers who are permitted to ride alone on motor cycles up to 250 cc.

We are anxious to improve the safety of motor cyclists; but a provision of this kind was tried some years ago and found to be both expensive to administer and ineffective in terms of road safety.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether public funds are used to compensate British Rail for the travel concessions granted to retirement pensioners; and, if so, how much this support cost in the last available 12 months and how much it is budgeted to cost in the current financial year.

British Rail sell senior citizens' rail cards to retirement pensioners to enable them to travel at half price on the railways. They do so as a commercial proposition and receive no support from the Government for the scheme. Some local authorities issue tokens to old-age pensioners that can be used for rail travel. I do not know what this costs the authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the current heavy vehicle licensing charges; what is the total income from these licences in a full year; and what additional income would accrue if all were increased by £5 and £10 per year.

From £137·95 for a 3–3¼ ton vehicle to £2,771·95 for a 40 ton vehicle; about £130 million; some £2 million and £4 million respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when the last traffic flow census was taken on the Carlisle/Birmingham stretch of the M6; and if he is able to draw conclusions from it about the total number of vehicles to use this road in both directions in a full year.

Four manual counts are conducted on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday of every month, between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, near Newton-le-Willows (Lanes), on the Lancaster bypass, and on the Penrith bypass. Following is the estimated total traffic at each of these sites for the whole of 1975:

• Stafford-Stoke: 16·65 million vehicles.
• Newton-le-Willows: 11·72 million vehicles.
• Lancaster: 10·22 million vehicles.
• Penrith: 6·22 million vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when the last traffic flow census was taken on the London-Birmingham stretch of the M1; and if he is able to draw conclusions from it about the total number of vehicles to use this road in both directions in a full year.

Continuous automatic traffic counters are operating south of the Luton spur and in the vicinity of the Newport Pagnell service area. Following is the total traffic at each of these sites for the whole of 1975:

• South of Luton: 22·22 million vehicles.
• Newport Pagnell: 18·62 million vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the results obtained from the most recent cost-benefit appraisal of those sections of the M42 motorway not yet built, giving the net present value of anticipated benefits and of construction costs, together with similar information for alternative non-motorway schemes which have been considered as alternatives to the M42.

When the revision of economic appraisals currently being made is complete, I will let my hon. Friend have the results.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any plans to meet the NUM leaders in the near future; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave on 29th November.—[Vol. 921, c. 30–1.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy in which parts of the country the Government are concentrating their research on wave energy; and if preliminary findings indicate those parts of the country with the greatest potential.

Experimental work on wave energy is being carried out at the following centres: Edinburgh University, the National Engineering Laboratory at East Kilbride, the University of Lancaster, Lanchester Polytechnic in Coventry, the British Hovercraft Corporation test facilities on the Isle of Wight, the Hydraulics Research Station at Wallingford and the Marchwood Engineering Laboratories of the Central Electricity Generating Board at Southampton.The most promising coastal areas for eventual exploitation are indicated in the study commissioned by Government from the National Engineering Laboratory and now published by them. These run along a line parallel to the Outer Hebrides and north to the Shetland Islands, along a line between Fraserburg and Wick, and in the South-Western Approaches on each side of the Cornish peninsula.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many rounds of licensing for exploration and production of oil and gas he expects to announce between now and 1984.

It is much too early to say. The need for further licensing will be kept under continuous review, and timing will depend on considerations such as depletion policy, the level of offshore activity and employment in the offshore supplies industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the recent leak of radioactivity on the Windscale site.

BNFL is constructing a new silo at Windscale for the storage of high-activity solid waste, comprising mainly the cladding from irradiated fuel elements. On 10th October 1976 a routine survey of the completed excavation for this revealed significant radiation levels in one corner of the excavation. These levels were high enough to require strict control of access to the excavation. They had not been present during the actual digging of the excavation. The source of the radioactive contamination was not identified and a more detailed survey was carried out on 17th October 1976.This survey confirmed the presence of contamination, and British Nuclear Fuels Limited started investigations to determine the location and magnitude of the source. It informed the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.The Inspectorate discussed the situation on site with British Nuclear Fuels Limited, and has continued to monitor the progress of the investigations. These have involved further excavations and the drilling of boreholes.The results of the investigations to date, first reported to me on 8th December, suggest that the contamination arises from a seepage of water some 15 ft. below the ground through the concrete wall of an old silo in which is stored high-activity waste, principally the cladding from irradiated Magnox fuel. This waste is stored under water. This silo extends 20 ft. below ground and the part in question is of single walled construction, in contrast to an extension to it and new silos which are double-walled. There is no evidence of contamination from this leak reaching ground water, nor has the leak caused any contamination of surface water.BNFL is urgently doing further work positively to identify the source and then to establish, with the Inspectorate, remedial action. The work is being carried out under full radiation protection supervision.There has been no radiation exposure of any workers above permitted limits. There is no contamination outside the Windscale site and, therefore, no hazard to members of the public.The Inspectorate has agreed that work on construction of the new silo may be resumed, since it is unlikely to impede the investigation and remedial work or to cause radiation hazards to workers. The Inspectorate is continuing to monitor the work. I shall report again to the House in the light of further advice from the Inspectorate as the work proceeds.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what action he proposes to take in the light of responses to his invitation for comments on the Williams-Merz study on gas-gathering pipeline systems in the North Sea.

I commissioned the Williams-Benz study to see whether there was a prima facie case for a pipeline system to gather the gas, especially that produced in association with oil, in the northern basin of the North Sea. Working on the limited data available, Williams-Merz estimated that a pipeline gathering system could deliver over at least 12 years some 1,000 million to 1,500 million cubic feet a day of gas suitable for the national grid and a further 6 million to 9 million tons a year of the heavier gases, ethane, propane and butane. The availability of ethane and other associated heavy natural gases could be the basis of the substantial new petrochemical investment in the United Kingdom envisaged by our industrial strategy, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry endorsed in his answer on 10th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Dean).When the Williams-Merz Report was published, I stressed that it was intended to give a rapid overview and that its scope had had to be limited by simplifying assumptions which excluded from consideration some of the costs involved. I invited all interested parties to let me have their views on the validity of these assumptions and on the further action required.The responses to this invitation confirmed that further detailed studies costing initially perhaps £3 million would be needed to establish the viability of and select the best route for a gathering pipeline system and that the Williams-Metz study demonstrated that the costs of such studies were worth incurring. These studies should include more detailed assessments of the reservoirs and of the relevant production and pipeline technologies; investigation of the markets for ethane and LPG; examination of terminal and onshore constraints; consideration of organizational structures and methods of financing.To plan and commission such studies, I propose that a study company be established—Gas Gathering Pipelines (North Sea) Ltd. The company will cease operations once it has completed its studies so that its structure will not anticipate the arrangements which may later be made for the ownership of the pipeline, should one prove viable, and which can be decided only in the light of the company's studies. If the studs company is to succeed, participants in it must meet certain working conditions. To avoid fragmentation and ensure serious commitment, I shall require each participant company to subscribe a substantial sum—say, £¼ million. This will be a risk investment.Participants will have no right to preference in respect of contracts awarded either in the study stage or in the subsequent construction of any gas-gathering project that develops. On the other hand, participants in the study will obtain first-hand knowledge of the commercial and engineering issues at stake; in particular this is likely to confer advantage if the project goes ahead to development. The studies will require access to all available data and participants will have to subscribe to the procedures I am developing in consultation with offshore operators to safeguard the necessary confidentiality.I have discussed this with BGC and BNOC, in view of their national responsibilities. They have accepted these working conditions and offered to establish the company with themselves jointly holding a majority. The success of this ambitious venture will require close co-operation between the private and public sectors and it is important that the organisation for the study stage should open the way for possible private sector participation in any pipeline system that may eventually be built. To enable all the resources of expertise and experience in the private or public sector to be harnessed to the task, I have made provision with BGC and BNOC for a significant minority of the study company to be owned by private sector interests as the third partner.I shall be inviting the study company to structure its studies so that a definitive conclusion will be reached either on the nature of the project to be undertaken or that no project is currently viable. I shall be asking the company to submit an initial report and recommendation by 31st December 1977, updated by 31st March 1978. So as to proceed immediately with the planning of these studies, BGC and BNOC have agreed immediately to set up the study company. I now invite any company wishing to participate on the basis I have described to let me know its interest by the end of the year, whereafter detailed discussions can be arranged.A paper describing the background to this decision can be obtained free from the Library of the Department of Energy. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether he is now in a position to authorise, under the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Act 1975, the whole of the gas pipeline from the Brent field to St. Fergus;(2) whether he has issued further consents under model clause 21(3) of the terms of the petroleum production licences for flaring gas.

The Brent oilfield, the largest of our United Kingdom oilfields, is also a major source of gas, and the operator's development plan provides for the storage of gas in the first phase of oil production and for delivery on shore by pipeline in the second phase. The gas to be delivered on shore in 1979 or 1980 will be supplied to British Gas, which concluded in June 1975 a contract for the purchase of the gas from Shell and Esso, the holders of the licence for the Brent field. For this purpose a submarine pipeline is being laid to bring the gas ashore. I announced on 14th July my decision to issue to Shell an authorisation for the laying of part of the gas pipeline. The section of the route which was not then settled has since been agreed by all interested parties and I have now decided to authorise the laying of this remaining section.Before gas supply through this pipeline can begin, gas from the Brent oilfield will for the most part be reinjected into the field for later recovery. However, the gas compression equipment necessary for the reinjection of gas into the reservoir cannot be delivered for installation on the platform before about June 1977. Without the compressors there is no means, except by flaring, of disposing of the gas produced with the oil—and surplus to platform fuel requirements. The only way of avoiding the flaring of this gas would have been by delaying the start-up of the field, and so losing the important contribution that Brent oil production will make to improving our balance of payments on current account and to our build-up to self-sufficiency in oil supply.In view of the complexity of this problem of gas flaring between now and mid-1977, my Department earlier this year engaged a group of specialist consultants to study Shell's proposals and its detailed programme for the installation of the compressors. The consultants have confirmed that Shell has taken all reasonable care in the planning of the development programme on Brent to provide for the full utilisation of gas, and no better programme to meet the best interests of the United Kingdom is available at this stage in the development.I have carefully considered all the factors involved, and I am satisfied that it would not be in the national interest to hold back Brent oil production. I have therefore given my initial consent to the flaring of Brent gas from the time of start-up of the field in November 1976 for a period of three months and I will review the position again at the end of this period.I intend to leave the producers in no doubt of the importance I attach to their ensuring that the amount of gas flared is held to the absolute minimum, and to this end I am instituting a system of progress monitoring of the Shell programme by my Department from now until the gas injection facilities are in operation.There will also be limited quantities of surplus gas produced with the oil from the Piper field. Here the circumstances are very different from the Brent case as the development plans provide for the reinjection and storage of the gas and the necessary gas compression facilities are available from the outset. However, injection cannot begin until suitable gas wells are drilled in Piper. This means that the flaring of limited quantities of gas is inevitable during the early months of Piper oil production. The gas stored in the Piper formation will be among the quantities of associated gas which can be tied into a future gas-gathering pipeline system provided such a system proves to be viable.The possibility of using the very small quantity of surplus gas that will be produced on shore at the Flotta terminal is under discussion between my Department and those concerned with a view to avoiding the wastage of gas.In order to enable Piper oil production to proceed, I have agreed to the flaring of small quantities of gas for a limited period of three months both at the platform and at Flotta and will review the position again at the end of this period.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement about his proposal to set up a committee of inquiry following the incidents at the State Hospital, Carstairs, on 30th November 1976.

Since the statement I made on 1st December, I have kept closely in touch with events at the hospital; and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State has both visited the hospital and had a meeting with representatives of the executive committee of the Scottish Prison Officers Association and of the Carstairs staff.I am glad to announce that Sheriff Principal Robert Reid, QC, has agreed to conduct the independent inquiry which I announced my intention to set up in my earlier statement. He will be assisted by assessors with appropriate experience in matters of security and in the psychiatric and nursing care of the type of patients at the State hospital. The assessor on security matters will be Mr. John Oliver, formerly Controller (Operations), Scottish Prison Service. The other assessors will be Dr. Peter Duncan Scott, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Maudsley Hospital and the Home Office, and Mr. Alan Lee, Principal Nursing Officer, Parklane Hospital, Liverpool.The terms of reference for the inquiry will be as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the cost in the current financial year of (a) payments to junior hospital doctors to meet the award for overtime payments, (b) payments to general practitioners for family planning services and (c) payments to hospital doctors for sterilisation operations; and what proportion of the total money available for the development of the NHS in 1976–77 will be absorbed by these three categories of payments.

The net additional cost in 1976–77 of implementing the new junior hospital's doctors' contract in Scotland is estimated at £1·8 million.The cost of payments to general practitioners for family planning services in 1976–77 is estimated at £0·6 million.The estimated cost of payments for sterilisation operations is not readily available. It has been estimated, however, that the cost of payments to hospital doctors for family planning services generally in 1976–77 will be £0·5 million.Of this expenditure, some £2 million will be a charge against the revenue development moneys available to the NHS in Scotland. This represents 19 per cent. of the total.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the coal burn in SSEB power stations in each of the past 10 years.

The information requested is contained in the Board's report and accounts for 1975–76.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the Scottish electricity consumption in 1970; and by how much it has grown in each of the years since then.

The information requested is contained in the Scottish electricity boards' annual reports.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what consultations he proposes to have with the TUC and the CBI to create more jobs.

We shall continue to consult the TUC and CBI directly and through the National Economic Development Council on the Government's economic and industrial strategy and I shall continue to collaborate closely with the Manpower Services Commission, which includes representatives of both organisations, in reviewing the range of selective employment measures we have already taken and in considering the future of schemes such as the job creation programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the legislation, proposed legislation, and other Government actions which he regards as fulfilling Government obligations under the social contract.

The social contract covers a wide range of economic and social policies and I would refer the hon. Member to the TUC-Labour Party Liaison Committee's document "The Next Three Years and the Problem of Priorities", a copy of which has been place in the Library. This document describes the principal measures taken in fulfilment of the Government's commitments as follows:The speedy implementation of the pledge to a £10-a-week pension for a single person and £16 for married couples in 1974, followed by further pension increases in 1975 and 1976, side by side with the enactment of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975.The repeal, through the Housing Rents and Subsidies Act 1975, of parts of the 1972 Housing Finance Act; security of tenure to tenants in furnished accommodation—through the 1974 Rent Act; the abolition, in the 1974 Finance Act, of tax relief on mortgages above £25,000 and on second homes; and the enactment of the 1976 Rent (Agriculture) Act to give security of tenure to workers in agricultural tied cottages.The enactment of the Community Land Act 1975 to provide for the public ownership of development land.The introduction, in the Finance Act 1975 of the capital transfer tax; action in the Finance Act 1974 and the Finance (No. 2) Act 1975 on the "lump"; and general changes to make income tax fairer.The repeal, through the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974, of the Industrial Relations Act and the enactment of the Employment Protection Act 1975, which gave new rights to workers and their representatives and placed the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service on a statutory basis; and a major expansion in the funds available for retraining.The creation in the 1975 Industry Act of the National Enterprise Board; the establishment through their respective Acts of the Scottish and Welsh Development Agencies; the creation of the British National Oil Corporation through the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Act 1975; and the introduction of a Bill to bring the aircraft and shipbuilding industries into public ownership and control.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average weekly wage in manufacturing at the start of the present Government's incomes policy; what is the average wage now; and what is the purchasing value of the latter when compared to the former at constant prices.

Monthly estimates of the average weekly wage in manufacturing industries are not compiled.Between July 1975 and August 1976, the seasonally adjusted monthly index of average earnings of all employees in these industries increased by 16·7 per cent. This figure relates to gross earnings before tax and social security deductions and covers all categories of employees. Estimates beyond August 1976 are not available. The General Index of Retail Prices increased by 14·4 per cent. over this period.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has received any notification of redundancies among employees of Ferranti Ltd. in Scotland.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what protection personnel working in laboratories connected with experiments on animals have; and what protection those workers handling animal cargo at the docks or airports have.

These personnel are protected by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which extends to all these work activities.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will investigate why Mr. Edward Stewart of Bedford, who was retrained at the Letchworth skillcentre and completed his nine months' course in August 1976, has not been able to secure a job through his Department, although he has made earnest endeavours to find one, and jobs are available locally of the type that he can undertake.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 8th November 1976; Vol. 919, c. 84], gave the following information:I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the normal action was taken by Letchworth skillcentre before Mr. Stewart's course finished in an attempt to find him employment in his training trade, but without success. Although there were vacancies in and around Bedford, the employers contacted were being very selective or, because of agreements with trade unions, were engaging only apprentice served craftsmen. Placing action continued at Bedford Employment Office, where several employers were contacted on his behalf. One of these offered Mr. Stewart employment outside his trade which he accepted as a stop-gap. The local employment officers are continuing their efforts to find him a job in his training trade. The Training Services Agency may be able to arrange a short refresher course in fitting-machine tool maintenance later on if necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the percentage of the labour force in the United Kingdom organised in trade unions for 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975.

, pursuant to his reply, [Official Report, 8th December 1976; Vol. 922, c. 249], gave the following information:The percentages were 48·5, 48·7, 49·0, 49·2, 50·4 and 50·7 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when the projected new regulations governing the conduct of motor rallies are likely to be published.

I refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Sowerby (Mr. Madden) by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 2nd December.—[Vol. 922, c. 237.]

asked the Attorney-General (1) how many county court cases in which summonses are issued are settled before reaching trial;(2) how many High Court cases in which writs are issued are settled before reaching trial.