asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will refer to the Director General of Fair Trading the question of the difficulties experienced by consumers in obtaining spare parts for domestic appliances.

I am sure that the Director General will be glad directly to receive from the hon. Member any evidence she has of such difficulties, so that he can take up the matter with those concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what plans he has to protect consumers from nationalised industries price rises during stage 3 of the Government prices policy.

I assume the hon. Member means the prices policy which will operate after the summer of 1977. I ask the hon. Member to await my statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will now seek powers to phase out completely the sale of banger fireworks.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what steps he is taking further to reduce the sale of banger fireworks; and what consultations he is having on this matter.

Under the voluntary agreement with the firework manufacturers the output of such fireworks will by next year have been reduced to one-half the 1975 output. I propose to hold discussions on arrangements for future years when the 1976 injury statistics become available.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what will be the total amount spent on food subsidies between the present date and the end of the programme as outlined in the White Paper on Public Expenditure, Command Paper No. 6393.

About £110 million between the end of November 1976 and the termination of the programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what has been the rate of price increases over the past 12 months, at the latest available date; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's consumer protection policies in the light of measures outlined in Her Majesty's Gracious Speech.

As I said earlier, the year-on-year increase recorded in the Retail Price Index for November was 15 per cent. On the second part of the Question, I can assure my hon. Friend that we shall take full account of the need to safeguard consumers' interests, wherever appropriate, in the measures we introduce.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what studies his Department has made of the impact of fuel prices on the less well off since his appointment.

My Department has instituted no new studies since my right hon. Friend's appointment. However, the Government are at present considering the recent report by the National Consumer Council on Paying for Fuel, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy will make a statement when the analysis of the report's recommendations has been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether the Price Commission has received any request from the British Railways Board for a further rise in fares.

It is not the practice of the Price Commissioner to disclose whether it has received notifications for increases in prices or charges of any enterprise, as the responsibility for announcing such increases rests with the enterprise concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what plans he has for the future of the Price Commission; and if he will make a statement.

The Price Commission continues to play an essential rôle in prices policy, through its enforcement of the Price Code and its investigations into particular questions about prices which I refer to it. I am considering what form future prices policy should take after the present price control powers expire next July.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what steps he is taking to control prices, and especially the price increases due to membership of the EEC.

Prices and profits of manufacturers, service firms and distributors are limited by the Price Code and closely monitored by the Price Commission. Increases in CAP support prices are subject to negotiation in the Council of Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what action he is taking to protect the interests of consumers of electricity who purchased night storage heaters on the faith of assurances that they would re ceive favourable treatment in respect of charges.

None. While all electricity prices have risen as a result of oil price increases, off-peak tariffs still remain substantially lower than peak tariffs.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether he will make a statement on the issue by the Office of Fair Trading and the COI of the pamphlet entitled "Cars" advising citizens on how to buy a car; how many were produced; to whom they were circulated and at what total cost including postage; and whether he is satisfied that this advice is necessary.

The way in which the Director General of Fair Trading exercises his statutory power to publish information and advice to consumers is a matter within his discretion, and not one for which I am responsible.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what action he will take in the consumers' interest to protect the public against liability for damage to their private cars in car washing machines.

Exclusions of liability in such cases will be dealt with in the legislation based on the Law Commission's 2nd Report on Exemption Clauses (HC 605) which I hope to introduce at a suitable opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how many consumer credit and licensing applications have so far been lodged with the Office of Fair Trading.

This is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading and I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how many months behind the original forecast on inflation in the 1975 White Paper "Attack on Inflation" is the latest Government forecast.

I cannot add to what my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in reply to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Neubert) and my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 16th December, when he made it cleat that, given the continuing moderation in the increase in wage costs, the rate of price inflation should start falling again next summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether the remote meter reading experiments being carried out between Milton Keynes Development Corporation and the electricity authority make any provision for including gas and water as well.

No remote meter reading experiments are currently being carried out between Milton Keynes Development Corporation and the electricity authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, further to his Written Answer to the hon. Member for Sowerby (Mr. Madden) of 29th November, whether he has made a full assessment of the operations of the original scheme for assisting the wool textile industry of July 1973; and whether he prepared to publish it.

The original wool textile scheme closed for applications on 31st December 1975 but companies have until 31st December 1977 to complete their projects. In consequence a full assessment of the scheme is not yet possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the total expenditure by the National Enterprise Board to date; and what proportion of this expenditure has been incurred in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively.

The board has invested £71·6 million. Nearly all of this is in companies operating in more than one part of the United Kingdom, and no further breakdown is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what information he has received about the levels of production, employment and profitability in the British paper industry; and what representations he has received concerning the possible effects of stricter price control on profit levels and employment in the industry.

The industry has provided information on levels of production, employment and profitability to the Paper and Board Sector Working Party under the industrial strategy programme. It has also expressed views on the policy and arrangements on price control which it regards as desirable after the present code expires next July. The sector working party will take all this into account in its further work and reports.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what disadvantage the British paper and board industry manufacturing industry is suffering compared with EEC member countries because of the greater strength of European currencies.

The cost of imported wood pulp, on which the industry at present relies for nearly one half of its fibre requirements, has risen as the parity rate for sterling has declined against the US dollar, in which most pulp is traded internationally. The paper industries in the other member States of the EEC have been less affected, if at all, in this way. The £23 million scheme of financial assistance to encourage the United Kingdom industry to make more use of indigenous fibre will help to alleviate the problem. And the current sterling parity improves the industry's prospects for exports, including to the rest of the EEC.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will seek discussions with Scandinavian producers about their present pricing policies for paper and board, in the light of international agreements.

I am aware of the concern of the United Kingdom paper and board industry on this matter, on which, as on previous occasions, the industry has had discussions with foreign suppliers. It is hoped that the relationships between the prices of wood pulp and of paper products imported into the United Kingdom will shortly improve. I shall keep the matter under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what representations he has received from the British paper and board industry concerning the practicability of reducing its dependence on imported wood pulp; and whether he proposes to take action accordingly.

I have not recently had representations from the industry on this question. Following consultations with the industry, a £23 million scheme of financial assistance was launched last June, to help it to increase its capacity to use indigenous fibres and to advance recycling technology, thus reducing dependence on imported wood pulp. The Paper and Board Sector Working Party under the industrial strategy programme and the Waste Paper Recycling Working Party of the Waste Management Advisory Council are also considering these matters. But the industry and my Department are represented on these bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what negotiations have been taking place with regard to revised quotas for paper imports; if he has taken into account the conditions of the British paper industry in assessing the quota arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Trade laid an order before the House on 10th December in respect of quota levels for duty free entry of paper and board—and printed—products imported from EFTA in 1977. In the preceding negotiations full account was taken of the condition of the United Kingdom paper and board industry, and the representations it had made to the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what financial aid is given to the British paper and board industry in connection with EEC directives on water pollution by the pulp mill industry; and whether such financial aid in other member countries of the EEC will affect United Kingdom companies' competitive position.

None. It is not the Government's policy to offer assistance to industry exclusively towards meeting pollution control costs. Comprehensive information on government assistance to pulp mills for pollution control on offer by other member states of the EEC is not readily available. It would in any case be necessary to look at the totality of Government assistance available, to form a considered view of the effects which such assistance might have on the competitive positions of the industries concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what duty-free quotas of paper and wood pulp and selective grant schemes by other EEC countries place the British paper industry at a disadvantage compared with its competitors in the EEC.

During the period of the United Kingdom's membership of EFTA, free trade in industrial goods, including paper and board products, was established between the United Kingdom and the countries concerned. Under the terms of the free trade agreements between the EEC and the now remaining EFTA countries, this very valuable free trade relationship was preserved almost intact so far as United Kingdom exports to the EFTA countries were concerned, but some degree of protection was reintroduced against imports of paper from EFTA. As part of the arrangements, annual quotas are opened by the United Kingdom to permit the bulk of our imports of paper products from the EFTA countries to continue to enter free of duty. Similar arrangements are made by Denmark and Ireland. By contrast, all imports of paper products from EFTA by the original Six are subject to duty, but at reducing rates which from 1st July 1977 will be equal to those applied by the United Kingdom on imports above its quota levels. These transitional arrangements will cease to operate on 31st December 1983, after which there will be free trade in paper products between the whole Community and EFTA. The arrangements I have described do not apply to imports of newsprint, for which, irrespective of source, the quota arrangements in force are the same for the United Kingdom as for the rest of the EEC. There are no quota or other restrictions on imports of wood pulp by the United Kingdom nor, so far as I know, by any country in the EEC. Comprehensive information about selective grant schemes by other countries in the EEC is not readily available, but the £23 million scheme for the United Kingdom paper and board industry announced on 15th June this year will certainly afford substantial assistance to our own industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give details and state the objects of aid given under Section 8 of the Industry Act 1972, to firms in the paper and board industry; and if he will publish details of the amount of money which has been committed and the amount which has been paid to 14th December 1976.

The paper and board industry scheme is intended to promote the use of greater quantities of indigenous fibre, especially waste paper, in paper and board manufacture, with the principal aims of benefitting the balance of payments by reducing imports of wood pulp, and at the same time improving the competitiveness of the industry. To date 14 projects—capital costs, £19·3 million; grants payable, £3·9 million—have been approved. One offer of assistance—capital cost £698,000; grants payable, £174,000—has so far been accepted. No payments have yet been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will detail for Scotland and Wales separately and for each English economic planning region for which it is relevant, the number of projects for which he has received applications to the European Regional Development Fund, the number of such projects he has submitted to the Commission, and the number approved by the Commission from the inception of the Fund to the latest date.

Applications to the European Regional Development Fund are prepared by several Government Departments including my Department. Industrial projects are generally identified by Government Departments as a result of their dealings with individual businesses. Suggestions for infrastructure projects to be submitted for fund aid may be put forward by local authorities and other organisations providing infrastructure.The following table gives the number of projects included in applications made for fund aid and the number for which the commitment of fund aid has been announced. Other projects are still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what consideration has been given to supporting developments in the EEC towards common policies on waste paper problems, particularly any aspect tending towards market stability.

My Department is represented on a Working Group on Waste Paper set up by the EEC Commission last July to study the twin problems of reducing the dependence on imported wood pulp of the paper industries in the EEC, and the need to dispose of industrial and household waste as economically as possible. A preliminary meeting was held in July and further meetings will take place in 1977. The group will be considering, among other matters, possible methods of reducing the fluctuations which characterise the market for waste paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry further to the reply given to the hon. Member for Wirral on 18th November 1976, if he will give the estimated total cost of statistical inquiries borne on the Votes of his Department in 1976–77, including those statistical inquiries carried out by other Departments, but the cost of which is borne on the said Votes, giving also the estimated total number of civil servants engaged thereon, specifying whether full-time or part-time.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, further to the reply given to the hon. Member for Wirral on 18th November 1976, if he will give the estimated total cost of statistical inquiries borne on the Votes of his Department in 1976–77, including those statistical inquiries carried out by other Departments, but the cost of which is borne on the said Votes, giving also the estimated total number of civil servants engaged thereon, specifying whether full-time or part-time;

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection, further to the reply given to the hon. Member for Wirral on 18th November 1976, if he will give the estimated total cost of statistical inquiries borne on the Vote of his Department in 1976–77, including those statistical inquiries carried out by other Departments, but the cost of which is borne on the said Vote, giving also the estimated total number of civil servants engaged thereon, specifying whether full-time or part-time.

I have been asked to reply to similar Questions tabled by the hon. Member to my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Trade and for Prices and Consumer Protection, as the three Departments share a common statistical service.The estimated total cost, borne on the Department of Industry Vote in 1976–77, of carrying out a very wide range of statistical inquiries designed not only to meet the specific needs of the three Departments but to provide data for the use of other economic Departments and to meet the requirements of the EEC, is £5·1 million.Apart from these other Departments, which include Her Majesty's Treasury, the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, the Departments of Energy and the Environment, the Scottish Office and the Welsh Office, the needs of the business community and the general public are also served.The number of civil servants involved is about 1,200, full time.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give details of the number of companies which have closed down in the Skelmersdale New Town since 1964, giving, in each case, (a) the total amount received from the Government by way of Government grants, &c., (b) the number of male and female jobs lost and (c) the amount of compensation, if any, which was repaid to the Government.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 16th December 1976; Vol. 922, c. 805], gave the following information:I regret that information in the format requested is not available. Before Part IV of the Employment Protection Act came into effect in March 1976 redundancies were notified voluntarily. We are aware of 27 closures since 1964 in Skelmersdale, involving about 4,100 jobs. Apart from lists of substantial individual payments of regional development grants and selective financial assistance under Section 7 of the Industry Act 1972, which are published quarterly in "Trade and Industry", information about regional development grants, selective financial assistance under Section 7 of the Industry Act 1972, and investment grants is regarded as confidential between the Department and the company concerned. The Department has the right to require repayment if the conditions attached to regional development grants or loans under Section 7 are not met.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how he plans to involve the co-operative movement in his consideration of the proposals for the establishment of a co-operative development agency.

I am not yet in a position to add to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 7th December.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how the proposals of the Bullock Report on Industrial Democracy will affect policy in the structure of State corporation.

I have been asked to reply.I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8th December to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton)—Vol. 922, c.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make arrangements for interviews for vacancies arising at Civil Service establishments outside London to be held at those establishments to save the cost of expensive journeys by local staff to London for interview.

Under Civil Service recruiting arrangements, people competing for vacancies outside London are brought to London for interview only when this is considered to be the most economical course having regard to the type of vacancies to be filled, the number and location of candidates to be interviewed and the costs involved in setting up interview boards. Otherwise interviews are arranged either at or very near to the Government establishment concerned or at centres situated in a number of major provincial cities.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether, in view of the fact that a public servant details of whom have been supplied to him, is due to retire on an indexed pension of £14,000 per annum with the opportunity of taking up other full- or part-time employment without loss of pension rights and that in the present position this pension will be worth £348,478 per annum by the time he has reached 83 years of age, he will take action to amend this pension scheme.

My hon. Friend may have sent details of the individual case referred to, but as yet I have not received them, and, therefore, I am unable to comment on his specific figures. I cannot accept his assumption that inflation will continue at 15 per cent. for 23 years, but would point out to him that, on that assumption, an index-linked pension would buy no more at the end than it did at the start. Indeed, on that assumption the price of a 20p loaf of bread would rise to some £5.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will arrange for estimates to be made of the cost of inflation-proofing Civil Service pensions, in real terms, for the years beyond 1980–81; and whether he will then publish these estimates in the Official Report.

Assuming real terms means constant demand on resources, indexing a pension to the cost of living does not increase its cost in real terms.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service (1) if the cuts he announced on 15th December will affect the programme of dispersal of offices to Scotland and, in particular, the plan to start the building of the new Foreign and Commonwealth Department offices in East Kilbride in 1977 and the new Defence office in Glasgow in 1979;(2) if the cuts he announced on 15th December will affect the numbers of Foreign Office and Defence Ministry jobs to be provided in Scotland under the dispersal plans.

The Government remain committed to the moves of posts in the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Overseas Development to Scotland. The detailed effects of the measures announced on 15th December are being assessed.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she has yet replied to the letter dated 7th December from the East Hertfordshire Community Health Council in regard to medical services in private schools; and if she will give sympathetic consideration to the matters raised therein.

I shall send a full reply after consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the measures taken by the present Administration to assist people to meet their electricity accounts.

This Administration has shown particular concern about the impact of electricity prices on people with low incomes and published the reports on "Energy Tariffs and the Poor" and "A Review of Collection Methods for Gas and Electricity Bills" earlier this year. Following discussions with the Government arising out of these studies the electricity industry recently adopted a code of practice on the payment of domestic electricity bills. Substantial increases have been made in pensions and other allowances. The heating additions for supplementary benefit recipients with extra heating needs have also been increased and the number in payment, which is over a million, has doubled in the past three years. Special arrangements have been made for consumers in receipt of supplementary benefit who are in difficulty over electricity bills to have weekly sums deducted from their allowances and paid directly to the electricity board. The Government have allocated £25 million to provide for the discounting of electricity bills during part of the winter for consumers in receipt of supplementary benefit or family income supplement.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements exist for the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom Government to share revenues derived from oil or gas production in the waters surrounding the island; and when an agreement was reached.

The arrangements, which date from an agreement reached in 1966, are set out in Section 2 of the Miscellaneous Financial Provisions Act 1968. The agreement does not apply to the territorial waters around the island in respect of which the Isle of Man Government are entitled to all the revenues.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if assistance from the £25 million allocated by his Department will be able to be claimed by persons in receipt of invalidity benefit and pensioners who do not receive social security benefit.

All those receiving supplementary benefit or family income supplement whether or not this is paid in addition to another allowance who pay directly to electricity boards will be eligible for the electricity discount. Those whose income is such that they do not qualify for supplementary benefit or family income supplement will not be eligible for the electricity discount.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy on how many occasions he has made use of the powers vested in him by Section 4(1) of the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Act 1975.

I would ask the hon. Member to await the publication of BNOC's report for the year 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the projected energy commission, giving its intended functions and specify what degree of impartiality it is intended to have.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he intends to publish a discussion paper outlining proposals for the establishment of an energy commission to oversee national energy strategy;(2) if he has any proposals to establish an energy commission to oversee national energy strategy; whether such a body will act in an advisory rather than an executive capacity; and who will be represented on it.

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's answer of 29th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-East (Mr. Palmer)—[Vol. 921, c. 32]—to which I am not yet able to add.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when the Hunterston oil platform building site was first available for orders; and whether any order has in fact been received to date to offset the heavy Government investment.

The Hunterston site was completed to the point of being able to accept an order in July 1976. No order has been received yet. Government assistance is by way of guarantees to the Clydesdale Bank and so far the call on public funds has been limited to Government consultancy and administrative costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he intends that the Bullock Report proposals on industrial democracy will be considered and implemented in the restructuring of the electricity supply industry in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

As the hon. Member knows, I attach great importance to this subject. I cannot anticipate the Report of the Bullock Committee, but I shall, of course, have full regard in any reorganisation of the electricity supply industry to the need to promote industrial democracy.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when it is expected that the European Commission will report upon its examination of United Kingdom trading practices under domestic petroleum laws and the Fair Trading Rules of the EEC.

Her Majesty's Government have not been approached by the Commission about such an examination.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his present policy on the refining of North Sea oil; and when the new code of practice on refining is likely to be published.

The Government's policy on refining was announced by my predecessor in his statement of 6th December 1974. My Department is continuing to monitor developments in the oil market and further statements will be made if and when appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when Portavadie oil platform building site was first available for orders; and whether any order has in fact been received to date to offset the heavy Government investment.

The Portavadie site was completed to the point of being able to accept an order in November 1975. No order has been received yet.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will raise with the electricity and gas authorities the possibility of obtaining tariffs which would take into account the paper industry's constant base lead.

It is for the paper industry itself to raise any issues on tariffs with the gas and electricity industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why retirement pensioners who chose rent rebate instead of supplementary benefit are excluded from his winter quarter electricity discount scheme.

People who might qualify for supplementary benefit but who have chosen rent rebates because they are thus better off than on supplementary benefit are free to change to supplementary benefit instead if they think that the electricity discount will make it worth their while to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why he has not confined his winter quarter electricity discount scheme to the consumption of electricity.

The discount is to be given only on the charges arising from the consumption of electricity.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why retirement pensioners whose total income is at supplementary benefit level due to small occupational pensions are excluded from his winter quarter electricity discount scheme.

The scheme is intended to include everybody who is able to claim supplementary benefit and who pays directly to an electricity board. Since £1 of any occupational pension is disregarded in assessing a claimant's resources, an occupational pensioner whose actual income exactly equalled his requirements for supplementary benefit purposes could claim this benefit and so become eligible for the electricity discount.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the expenditure to date of the British National Oil Corporation; how the expenditure has been funded; and what proposals are in hand for borrowing at home and abroad.

I would ask the hon. Member to await the publication of the British National Oil Corporation's annual report and accounts which will show total expenditure to 31st December and how this has been funded. So far, all the corporation's borrowings have been from the Secretary of State but the corporation would consider proposals from other appropriate sources provided that the terms were attractive and otherwise acceptable to Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many Soviet manufactured tractors have been imported into the United Kingdom since credit terms were agreed; what effect this has had on British manufacturers; and how much of the British credit facilities to the USSR has been used for the export of British tractors to the USSR.

From March 1975 to October 1976 inclusive, 811 tractors were imported into the United Kingdom from the Soviet Union, accounting for less than 2 per cent. of the United Kingdom market. During this same period no United Kingdom tractors were exported to the Soviet Union, and the question of pro viding credit facilities did not therefore, arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what efforts his Department has made towards bringing about a system of fair trading and competition between British clothing manufacturers and countries exporting cheap clothing to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Trade in clothing is governed by the GATT Multifibre Arrangement (the MFA), one of whose main objectives is to ensure the orderly and equitable development of trade. Under the Arrangement we have established a wide range of protective quotas against low-cost imports, and we have also imposed additional selective controls. The future of the MFA is now being considered, and with our full support the European Community is pressing for major improvements.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the amount which will be spent on the promotion of trade during 1976–77 in each region of England.

Records and forecasts of export promotion expenditure are not kept by region and I regret, therefore, that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he receives up-to-date information from the United Kingdom's overseas posts in the United States of America, Germany and Japan on the volume and price of manufactured goods exported and imported; and whether he will include such information in his monthly Press notice on trade figures.

The posts in these and other countries keep us informed of the latest available information as it is published. I doubt if the monthly Press notice on overseas trade is a suitable medium for publishing this data, which are by then several months old, but the export unit value indices of manufactures for these countries are already shown in the monthly article entitled "Economic Indicators of the EEC" which is published in Trade and Industry. We are reviewing our reporting of economic conditions in other countries in Trade and Industry and expect to be in a position to incorporate further information in the New Year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when the next reduction in tariffs on EEC imports is due; and what effect this will have on the prices and volume of manufactures imported from the EEC.

The next reduction in tariffs is on 1st January 1977, when the existing tariff on imports of horticultural products from the EEC will be halved. Duties on all other goods from the EEC will be abolished by 1st July 1977. The effect of these changes on trade in manufactures is likely to be small, although it is not possible to quantify price-volume changes caused by tariff reductions as distinct from other macro-economic factors.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps he intends to take over the import of shoes into the United Kingdom, bearing in mind that the period January to June 1976 shows an increased share of the total market of almost 6 per cent.

Steps have already been taken to restrain those imports which raise the most serious problems for the footwear industry, but we are ready to consider what further action might be necessary. But I would point out that about three-quarters of the increase was accounted for by imports of rubber, plastic and textile footwear from the Far East. This in turn reflected sharp increase in demand for such footwear which the United Kingdom industry was unable to meet to any substantial extent.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will rearrange the two easterly flight paths to Heathrow so they do not converge over central Ealing;

No. It is my policy to make route changes only where major overall public benefit will result. I do not consider that either of the re-routeings suggested by the hon. Member meets this criterion. I am sending him a memorandum on aircraft noise in Ealing which goes into more detail on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what the impact will be on traffic over Ealing after constructing a fourth terminal at Heathrow.

Assessments of the noise climate around Heathrow assuming construction of both a fourth and fifth terminal are contained in "Airport Strategy for Great Britain: Part 1 The London Area", copies of which were placed in the House of Commons Library last year. The assessments show a steady improvement in the noise situation over the whole period to 1990.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when Heathrow flight paths were last reviewed.

This is a continuing process, and changes in routes are made when major overall public benefit will result.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the countries to which the United Kingdom exports arms, indicating in each case the percentage which arms represent of total exports.

The total value of defence equipment exports for 1976–77 is estimated at £700 million, but the list of recipient countries is not published because defence purchases are regarded as confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the total sum of money paid in fines for noise and height infringement in 1975.

There are no powers to impose fines for infringement of noise abatement regulations. My policy is one of co-operation with the airlines to ensure the maximum compliance.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many aircraft during 1976 have exceeded the permitted height levels on landing or take-off at Heathrow.

It would be prohibitively expensive to keep records of the height of all aircraft flying to and from Heathrow. Sample checks indicate that, in general, noise abatement procedures relating to height are being met.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many aircraft so far during 1976 have exceeded the permitted noise levels on landing at or taking off from Heathrow.

In the first 11 months of this year there were 116,203 jet take-offs from Heathrow of which 2,402—2·06 per cent—exceeded the noise limits of 110 PNdB during the day and 102 PNdB at night. There are no noise limits for landings.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he is satisfied with the progress being made to reduce engine noise on aircraft.

Bearing in mind that reduction of engine noise on aircraft is an international matter, I am confident that the progress being made is consistent with technical feasibility and economic reasonableness.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what plans he has to minimise the damaging effect of noise on schoolchildren, hospital patients, the elderly and infirm who live or work on the flight path of aircraft at Heathrow.

A substantial range of noise abatement measures is already in operation at Heathrow with the object of alleviating noise disturbance. We will continue to keep such measures under review and improve them whenever practicable. However, substantial alleviation can only come from the greater use of quieter aircraft. Some success has already been achieved in this area, and action is in hand to ensure that there will be continuing improvement.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the estimated date by which noisy aircraft such as Tridents and VC10s will have been phased out.

It is estimated that, by 1990, under normal replacement criteria, virtually all aircraft operating at United Kingdom airports will be capable of meeting current noise certification levels. I am considering measures by which this replacement process might be hastened.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps his Department is taking to monitor aircraft noise in the Ealing-Southall district.

Aircraft noise in the Ealing-Southall area is monitored periodically.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will list the names of any individual or organisation that asked if they might give oral evidence to the Bullock Committee on Industrial Democracy but were not given the opportunity to do so;(2) if he will list the names of individuals and organisations that gave oral evidence to the Bullock Committee on Industrial Democracy;(3) if he will list the names of individuals and organisations that gave written evidence to the Bullock Committee on Industrial Democracy.

No. These are matters for the chairman and members of the committee. Their report, when it is published, will provide some of this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many take-offs there have been at Heathrow between 11.30 p.m. and 6.30 a.m. between Monday and Saturday, and between 11.30 p.m. and 8 a.m. on Sunday so far this year.

In the period 1st January to 9th December this year there were 1,992 take-offs—500 by jet aircraft and 1,492 by non-jets—from Heathrow during the hours specified.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many emergency take-offs there have been from Heathrow during the seven summer months outside the permitted hours.

This summer a ceiling of 150 was imposed on jet departures delayed by circumstances which the operator could not reasonably have foreseen. 142 were utilised.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will consider bringing

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will prevent helicopters flying over central Ealing.

No. The existing route takes advantage of such open spaces as exist in the area, so as to disturb as few people as practicable. A route is required in that area as part of the helicopter route structure in the London area.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he can make a statement on the inquiry on the dumping of BELAZ trucks from the USSR.

The Department's investigation into alleged dumping of two models of trucks with rear dumping equipment is nearing completion and an announcement will be made shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whom he intends to consult

I am currently considering future restrictions on aircraft movements at night at Heathrow.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what have been the imports of paper and board production of all member countries of the EEC since 1st January 1972 to the latest available date.

The following is the information:about the appointment of the next Chairman of the British Tourist Authority; and if he will ensure that those actively involved commercially in the industry are asked for their views.

I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Attorney-General when he now expects to receive the Report of the Pearson Commission on Compensation for Injuries.

The Royal Commission on Civil Liability and Compensation for Personal Injury hopes to report during the course of next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he now plans to dispose of his Department's empty houses at Fauld and Marchington.

The 10 married quarters at the former RAF Fauld have been passed to the Propery Services Agency for disposal.Of the 97 Army married quarters at Marchington, 82 are vacant and these are now being passed to the PSA for disposal. The remaining 15 will also be disposed of as they become vacant.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the results of the recent exercise Spearpoint held in Germany.

The detailed evaluation of the exercise is still in progress, but preliminary indications are that the trials have been very successful.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many live shells are fired in regular training annually by each individual member of the Army being trained on the Chieftain tank.

The average number of live rounds of main armament ammunition fired annually by each individual member of the Army being trained on Chieftain tanks varies widely, but each tank crew is allocated at least 100 rounds annually for training and individual gunners would fire a significant proportion of the whole crew's allocation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many ex-Service men who are at the Chaseley Home, East-bourne, are suffering from injuries received as a result of the accidental discharge of weapons by a fellow Service man.

The Chaseley Home, Eastbourne, is administered by the Roehampton Trust and not by the Ministry of Defence, but I understand that there is one such Service man in the Chaseley Home.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he will list the ex gratia payments made by his Department since 1st January 1966 to soldiers or their dependants who have been wounded or killed as a result of accidental shooting by fellow Service men;(2) in how many cases, where a common law claim is not barred under Section 10 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947, an

My Department has made no such ex gratia payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers serving in Northern Ireland since 1st January 1973 have been invalided out of the Army as a result of being shot, negligently, by a fellow soldier.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend gave to his similar Question on Tuesday 14th December 1976.—[Vol. 922, c. 666.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Service men have been wounded or killed in Northern Ireland since 1st January 1973 as a result of the accidental discharge of weapons;(2) how many cases involving injury to Service men as a result of the accidental discharge of weapons by fellow Service men there have been since 1st January 1970; and in how many such cases since 1st January 1973 charges that resulted have been dealt with by commanding officers and how many by courts martial.

I can provide information only in respect of Northern Ireland. Excluding deaths which have resulted in criminal proceedings in the civil courts, since 1970, 127 servicemen have received injuries requiring treatment in hospital, and 34 have been killed, as the result of the unauthorised discharge of weapons. The figures since 1973 are 71 and 20 respectively. Information is not available on such incidents elsewhere, or on how charges resulting from all such incidents have been dealt with, and could not be obtained without disproportionate effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the recent discussions of the NATO Defence Ministers at Brussels, particularly concerning proposals for an increase in real terms of military spending of the member States, the admission of new members to NATO, including Spain, rejection of the Warsaw Pact proposal that both blocs should pledge not to use military weapons first and the adoption of the AWACS system.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answers that I gave to the hon. Members for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) and for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) on 14th December about the proceedings of the NATO Defence Planning Committee meeting held on 7th–8th December—[Vol. 922, c. 560, and c. 654–55.]The admission of new members to NATO and the recently published Warsaw Pact proposals on the renunciation of the first use of nuclear weapons are matters for the North Atlantic Council. A copy of the Communique issued at the end of the meeting my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary attended on 9th-10th December has also been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities, installations and projects will be affected by the further £100 million cut in defence announced for 1977–78 and the £200 million cut announced for 1978–79; and what reductions there will be in headquarters personnel and administrative staff as a result of these cuts.

asked the Secretary of Defence what estimate he has made of the numbers of jobs lost following the latest round of defence cuts.

The detailed implementation of the Defence Budget reductions announced last week is being considered. It is too early to say what the effects will be.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the United Kingdom's defence capability following the cuts in defence expenditure announced on 15th December 1976.

It is too early to say what the effects on the Defence Programme will be, and we shall be looking at this in detail in the coming weeks and months. As I have made clear, we intend to consult the Alliance about possible measures and our objective will be to identify those which will keep to the minimum the effect on our front line contribution to NATO.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Armed Forces or others are currently entitled to the additional daily payment of 50p as a result of service in Northern Ireland.

A total of 14,245 members of the Armed Forces are currently receiving additional pay for service in Northern Ireland. Of these 905 are members of the Royal Navy or Royal Marines, 12,482 are in the Army, and 858 are in the Royal Air Force. No other Ministry of Defence employees are eligible for such payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the cost of providing retrospectively as from April 1978 pensions for post-retirement widows of Service pensioners in the case of pensioners who married before the age of 60 years.

I regret that no records are available which would enable a calculation of the cost to be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if there will be any reduction in the work undertaken by each of the four Royal dockyards following the latest round of defence cuts.

The details of the allocation of these cuts are still being worked out and it cannot yet be stated whether there will be any resultant reduction in the work undertaken by the Royal Dockyards.It is too early to say what effect these cuts will have on the programmes of the four Royal Dockyards.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations have taken place with the appropriate trade unions about the future of the Quality Assurance (Weapons) workshops at Woolwich Arsenal; and with what result.

Consultative documents were given to the trade unions in Woolwich on 25th August and have been discussed in the joint industrial council. The unions remain opposed to the closure of the workshops.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of Service personnel eligible to vote during the years 1974 and 1975, respectively, completed the necessary registration forms enabling them to do so.

Information in the form the hon. Gentleman requires is not available. When the 1974 and 1975 electoral registers were compiled, there were approximately 351,000 and 341,000 United Kingdom Service personnel, respectively, who were of voting age. For these registers 99,519 and 120,312 persons, respectively, made Service declarations. Service declarants, however, include not only Service personnel, but also their spouses and staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other Government Departments serving overseas. I regret that it is not possible to identify the number of Service personnel separately from the other groups.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the feasibility of a national computer system for registering requests from council tenants for housing transfers; and what his conclusions are.

Such a facility has in the past been ruled out on grounds of cost, but current developments in the use of computers by local authorities, which are receiving positive support from my Department, should offer better prospects in the future. Other ways of improving the mobility of local authority tenants are being examined by the Housing Services Advisory Group.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many surveys or statistical inquiries his Department currently has in hand; what is their nature and purpose; how many civil servants are involved; and what is their estimated cost to public funds.

During 1976 there have been 11 major statistical surveys to obtain information on housing and housing conditions that would not otherwise become available. The equivalent of 10 people have been engaged on their preparation and control at a staff cost of around £52,000 excluding overheads. This excludes small ad hoc surveys and those relating to functions now transferred to the Department of Transport.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what restrictions are currently placed on the scope of the activities of direct labour departments in England and Wales.

Local authorities generally have no powers to use their direct labour departments to carry out new works of construction except for the purposes of their own functions, or of functions that have been delegated to them. As an exception to this, the direct labour organisations of 25 specified district councils are enabled, by orders under the Local Government Act 1972, to carry out new construction work for any local authority within the appropriate former county borough area; but those orders expire on 31st March 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution his Department made to the construction of a gabion sea wall at Spittal Point, Berwick-upon-Tweed; whether his Department will contribute to the cost of repairing the recent sea damage; what advice his Department has given to the local authority as to the nature of the repair and replacement work which should be carried out; and whether he is satisfied that the gabion system is capable of surviving the heavy seas at this point.

The Department has approved 85 per cent. grant for a reclamation scheme covering sites at Dock Road and Spittal Point, Berwick, costing £186,000. Of this, the gabion wall at Spittal Point was estimated to cost £45,000. The Department has also provisionally agreed to pay 85 per cent. towards the costs of repairs up to a maximum of £30,000, subject to a consultant's report.The Department advised Northumberland County Council, the authority reclaiming the sites, to engage a coastal protection consultant to report on the necessary remedial measures, and has agreed to pay 85 per cent. of his fees. The consultant's report on remedial measures to effect a satisfactory repair is awaited.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the consultations he has had with local authorities on the implications of the Court of Appeal's decision in Hood v Secretary of State.

There have been extensive consultations with the local authority associations about the effect of this decision. A revised draft circular has just been sent to the Associations for their comments, and I hope to issue the circular in the fairly near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he gives to local authorities seeking to reclassify cart road footpaths as simple footpaths when the footpath concerned is manifestly unsuitable for wheeled vehicles and horse-drawn traffic.

The effect of the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Hood v. Secretary of State for the Environment which means that some roads used as public paths cannot be reclassified as footpaths may produce some anomalies. Although legally all roads used as public paths, including the non-statutory cart road footpath classification, had equestrian rights, I accept that some have proved to be unsuitable for horse riding, but I am sure that good sense will prevail with all users of public paths. In the longer term we may need to consider what, if any, revised arrangements should be introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities in England, classified according to local authority type, have (a) a separate chief executive, (b) a chief executive who is also head of administration and (c) no one designated chief executive.

This information is not kept by my Department. Local authorities are free to arrange whatever management structure they consider appropriate to their functions and responsibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any evidence to suggest that those local authorities who have appointed separate chief executives are more efficient than those who have not.

I have no evidence one way or the other on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has made on the proposed EEC legislation that paper mills should bum only low sulphur content fuel oil; and whether such legislation will impose a significant increase in the industry's energy costs.