asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends, in the light of the public spending cuts, to withdraw plans for the improvement of the A23.

The detailed implications of the cuts in public expenditure are still being examined and a statement will be made in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has had on drivers' hours and distances.

I have received several representations on this subject during recent months.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many lives would be saved each week by the enactment of legislation to make the wearing of car seat belts compulsory.

If everyone wore his seat belt it would save about 19 lives a week.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings he has had with organisations representing railway commuters.

In November, the Under-Secretary met the Chairman and members of the Central Transport Consultative Committee, which represents at a national level the interests of all rail users.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is aware that since the abolition of parking in Hythe High Street traffic is proceeding at a dangerous speed; and if he will impose a speed limit of 20 mph on this section of the road.

I know that the arrangements to improve traffic flow in Hythe High Street have caused concern, but I have no evidence that the road has in fact become more dangerous. I do not believe that a speed limit below 30 mph would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received about the powers of the traffic commissioners and the procedures which they follow.

In response to the consultation document on transport policy there have been a number of representations that road service licensing should be transferred to the counties, and others arguing that these powers should remain with the traffic commissioners. The only general representations on procedure I have received recently are those from the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of motorway will be resurfaced in 1977.

217 lane miles of motorway in England are programmed for resurfacing in the financial year commencing April 1977. This length may vary, depending on deterioration in the meantime.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in his Department in examining the restructuring of the vehicle excise duty in order better to reflect the costs caused by different types of lorry.

Reaction to the proposals in the consultation document have been generally favourable. We are continuing to consider possibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what studies have been undertaken by his Department in view of the need to meet the long-term shortage of oil supplies for transport acknowledged in Volume I/3.22 of the Transport Policy Consultation Document.

The Transport and Road Research Laboratory has a continuing programme of work relevant to the use of energy for transport. Following is a list of studies published since 1974:

1. J. W. Fitchie. Introductory review of the case for electric battery road veshicles. TRRL SR 54 UC, 1974.

2. B. S. Hobbs et al. Study of iron-air batteries for a public service vehicle. TRRL Supplementary Report 67 UC, 1974.

3. M. H. L. Waters, J. Porter and Marjorie Briggs. A review of market prosoects for battery electric road vehicles, Parts 1 and 2. TRRL Laboratory Reports 630 and 631, 1974.

4. J. Porter. Energy conservation in the United Kingdom transport sector. Paper for OECD Research Group T12, September 1975.

5. P. Chapman, G. Charlesworth and M. Baker (Open University). Future Transport Fuels TRRL SR 251, December 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve safety on motorways.

Motorways are already our safest roads, but we shall continue to remind drivers of good driving practices and to install the new warning signals which can show advisory speed limits and lane closures.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what replies he has had on his consultation letter on the 50 and 60 mph speed limits.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Budgen).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if it remains his policy to provide motorway links between London and the main ports, such as Southampton; and what effect the cuts in Government expenditure will have upon this aspect of the road programme.

Yes, where motorway standards are justified. The cuts may mean that we have to wait rather longer.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of cuts in the road building programme announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in December.

Not today, but I shall as soon as possible, although my review may take some time.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the policy of his Department on the implementation of EEC Regulation 543/69, particularly as it relates to tachographs.

EEC Regulation 543/69 deals with drivers' hours and rest periods—not tachographs. Implementation of the regulation in the United Kingdom is at present deferred until 28th February 1977. Discussions are taking place within the EEC on a revised regulation and in the meantime the Government is seeking further deferment until the end of the year.My policy on tachographs remains as stated in my Answer to the hon. Member for Arundel (Mr. Marshall) on 22nd December 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for road improvements to the A21.

Subject to completion of the statutory procedures, the A21 will become a trunk road by 1st April. We shall then consider what priority to give individual improvements to the A21 in the context of the national trunk road programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations his Department has carried out with the railway unions and other interested bodies, such as Transport 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Arising from the consultation document there has been extensive discussion with many different interested bodies. For example, I myself met the British Railways Board and the three main railway unions in November and my hon. Friend the Under Secretary met Transport 2000 and the British Transport Officers' Guild in December.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with the Chairman of the new London Rail Co-ordinating Committee.

I hope to meet the chairman later this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the present economic situation, he will make a statement on the planned programme for the completion of the Humber Bridge and associated road systems.

As the works on the Humber Bridge, its approach roads and the associated road system to the west of the bridge have all progressed beyond main contract letting stage, the timing of their planned completion is not affected by the recently announced cut-back in the national roads programme and local transport expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement giving the date to the nearest month by which he expects the Humber Bridge to be officially opened.

This is a matter for the Humber Bridge Board, and its last announcement indicated that on the latest information then available it expected the Humber Bridge to be opened at the end of March 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the likely impact of public expenditure cuts on capital investment programmes on the railways, especially the provision for high-speed services.

British Rail's capital investment ceiling is not affected by the recent public expenditure cuts.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the annual cost the community would have to bear from the operation of an average 40-ton axle lorry, on the basis of current taxation arrangements.

There are great difficulties in quantifying total costs to the community for any type of vehicle. But I shall not agree to an increase in lorry weights until I am convinced that the benefits of greater efficiency and fewer lorries can be reconciled with the needs of safety and the protection of the environment.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received the report of the public inquiry into the railway accident at Shippea Hill; what conclusions and recommendations have been made by his inspector; if he accepts them; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the Railways Board acts quickly to implement these proposals in the interests of both road and rail safety.

We have yet to receive the inspecting officer's report, but he has already recommended that road traffic signals giving a positive warning of the approach of trains should be provided at this private crossing. We are assured that the Railways Board is implementing this as a matter of urgency.In the meantime, the farmer is keeping a man posted at the crossing.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many bus lanes in the GLC area he has approved in the last four weeks.

None. Only where a proposal for a bus lane relates to a trunk road is it necessary for the Greater London Council to obtain my right hon. Friend's consent.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total cost of subsidising rural bus services in Scotland and England and Wales, respectively; and what steps he has in mind to improve those services.

The Scottish Bus Group and the National Bus Company operate most rural bus services in Scotland and in England and Wales, respectively. In 1976–77 support from the Regional and Islands Councils to the Scottish Bus Group is expected to amount to about £5·4 million, at November 1975 prices, and from the English and Welsh non-metropolitan counties to the National Bus Company to about £20·2 million and £4·1 million, respectively, also at November 1975 prices. It is the responsibility chiefly of the regional and islands councils in Scotland and of the non-metropolitan counties in England and Wales, in consultation with the bus operators, to develop policies concerning the provision of public transport in their areas. Nevertheless, my right hon. Friends and I are promoting experiments in four areas of Great Britain to test out various unconventional means of transport for people living in rural areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made with the consultations with the Peak Park Planning Board about proposed lorry routes through the park.

Discussions on particular roads to be included in the proposed national lorry route system cannot begin until a final decision has been taken on whether or not to proceed with the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the fact that revenue from motorway service areas is not shown as an offset against motorway expenditure in the roads and transport budget, he will either take steps to exclude the expenditure incurred by central Government on provision of service areas from the motorway and trunk road budget, or include both revenue and cost in the roads and transport budget, as is the case for car parks.

For the purposes of the annual public expenditure survey, receipts from motorway service area leases are treated in accordance with national accounting definitions, namely, as receipts from the ownership of land, property or buildings, and are not offset against expenditure. These receipts are, however, shown as offsets against expenditure for Parliamentary Vote and Supply—see Supply Estimates Class VI, Vote 1, AZ(1).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in view of the rising costs of motor insurance, he will consider a switch from vehicle cover to each independent driving licence holder.

A change of this kind has been considered in the past, and was then thought likely to increase costs; more policies would have to be issued and claims would tend to be more complex. I am writing to the hon. Member to develop the reasons in more detail.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the programme for the completion of the Beverley South-West bypass.

The programme will depend on the completion of the statutory procedures, which include the recently reopened public inquiry, and on the availability of funds. The effects on individual schemes of the recent cuts in public expenditure are still being examined and a statement will be made in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the programme for the completion of the M18.

Contracts have been let for the construction of the final section of the M18, between Wadworth and Armthorpe, and the whole motorway is expected to be completed by the end of 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the percentage increase in the cost of travel by train, car, and bus, respectively, since 1966; and if he will give the comparable percentage increase in final income for a family with two children under 11 years of age, during the same period.

I shall write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when the next edition of Transport Statistics for Great Britain will be published.

It is planned to publish Transport Statistics Great Britain 1965–1975 towards the end of February 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, before he approved the British Rail application for the £8 million Bedford-Moorgate electrification scheme, a cost benefit analysis or discounted cash flow analysis of the scheme was considered; and, if so, whether he will publish the analysis.

The Bedford-Moorgate electrification scheme was subjected to both financial and cost-benefit analysis by the Railways Board and these studies were carefully considered before I gave approval to go ahead with the scheme.As to publication of the board's analysis, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 1st December 1976.—[Vol. 921, c. 195.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport which British Rail electrification schemes in addition to the BedfordMoorgate scheme are under consideration at the present time.

My Department does not have any British Rail electrification schemes currently under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that the British haddock quota for 1977 does not mean that the Scottish white fishing fleet is tied up for over a quarter of the year.

This is only one of the urgent issues on which discussions with representatives of the industry are in progress. The need to devise fair and effective systems of quota management is accepted on all sides.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the rents per square foot payable in respect of Scottish Development Agency factories; what age, size, structural or regional factors are taken into account when fixing such rentals; what other oncosts such as insurance are added to the rentals concerned and what percentage of rents and oncosts payable to the SDA make up the final accounting to the SDA.

These are matters primarily for the SDA. The Agency is required, however, to charge rentals assessed on the basis of current market value by the district valuer, who has due regard to the factors the hon. Member has mentioned. In certain circumstances rent-free periods of up to two years may be authorised.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the payments for loss of office to which members of the development corporation of Stonehouse New Town are individually entitled; and what are their salary entitlements.

No occasion for compensating members of the East Kilbride and Stonehouse Development Corporation for loss of office will arise, since the Corporation will have a continuing remit in relation to East Kilbride new town. Current rates of remuneration are: Chairman, £4,432; Deputy Chairman, £1,966; and members, £700.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many persons were employed in administration by the Greater Glasgow Health Board in 1974; and how many are presently employed;(2) what was the total number of persons employed to administer the National Health Service in Scotland in 1949 and in 1975.

The information is not available in the form requested. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible with such information as is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total cost of the administration of the Scottish Health Service in the year 1975–76.

The total cost of administration, including central government administration, as well as the running costs of area and district headquarters of health boards and the salaries of administrative staff in hospitals in 1975–76 was £44·8 million. Of this total, salaries accounted for approximately £27 million.

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take steps to ensure that the Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers is represented in all discussions relating to sea fisheries between his Department and angling associations.

Yes; my officials have recently been in touch with the Federation on this matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when Bodmin Moor hill farmers eligible for compensatory payments in respect of their hill cows can expect to receive these payments.

These compensatory allowances which relate to a qualifying date of 1st January 1977 are paid as soon as possible after claims are received and verified at my Ministry's divisional offices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the dairy industries of each EEC country have contributed to the current stocks of butter and skimmed milk, respectively.

According to information available to the Management Committee for Milk and Milk Products on 6th January, stocks of butter and skimmed milk powder held in the intervention stores of member States were as follows:

tonnes
		Butter	Skimmed Milk Powder
Belgium	…	4,560	100,670
Denmark	…	8,720	29,780
Germany	…	87,090	581,450
France	…	67,410	306,680
Ireland	…	—	56,950
Italy	…	—	—
Luxembourg	…	790	6,950
Netherlands	…	6,740	43,760
United Kingdom	…	2,980	7,640

Butter may be offered only to the intervention agency of the member State in which it was produced, but skimmed milk powder can be offered to any intervention agency.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much beef has been taken into United Kingdom intervention in the last 12 months; how much has been sold for intervention during the same period; and what are current stocks.

Approximately 16,900 tonnes of beef were purchased into intervention in the United Kingdom in 1976. During the same period about 13,500 tonnes were sold out of intervention of which about 2,900 tonnes are still awaiting collection.On 31st December 1976 unsold stocks amounted to about 4,000 tonnes including, about 1,000 tonnes of boneless beef.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce the outcome of the 1977 Annual Review of Agriculture.

The Annual Review of United Kingdom agriculture has now been completed and the results are set out in a White Paper which has been presented to Parliament today. The White Paper deals only with the economic condition and prospects of the industry; decisions on agricultural support for 1977–78 under EEC arrangements and, where appropriate, on United Kingdom guaranteed prices for 1977–78 will be taken later.As a result of the drought, 1976–77 has been a difficult year for agriculture and production has not expanded as expected at the time of the last Review. The net product of the industry is forecast to fall by about 10 per cent. and the net income by about 9 per cent. in real terms; aggregate cost increases since the last Review are assessed at £895 million. There has been a further fall in the volume of new investment, particularly in buildings and works. The

FOOD SUPPLIES PER HEAD MOVING INTO CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
(Kg. per head)
						1972 (per annum)	1975 (per annum)	1976 (January-June)*
Canned fruit	…	…	…	…	…	8·1	6·8	3·1
Butter	…	…	…	…	…	7·2	8·2	4·2
Cheese	…	…	…	…	…	5·4	6·3	2·8
Beef and veal	…	…	…	…	…	21·0	23·5	10·6
Mutton and lamb	…	…	…	…	…	9·2	8·3	4·0
Pork	…	…	…	…	…	12·3	10·3	4·9
Bacon and ham	…	…	…	…	…	11·2	8·7	4·2
Poultry meat	…	…	…	…	…	12·0	11·3	5·3
* Provisional.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the quantities of food surpluses currently held in official EEC intervention stocks; and what has been the estimated annual cost of holding them in stock.

The table below shows the quantities, based on Commission figures, of produce held in Community intervention stores. Member States are reimbursed by the Community for the cost of holding intervention stocks at standard rates. It is estimated that the amount the Community would pay for Review has shown, however, that the industry is basically healthy; given normal weather, production should recover in 1977–78 and the Government expect to see progress towards the expansion aims described in "Food from Our Own Resources".

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the consumption per head of meat, canned fruit, butter and cheese in 1972, 1975 and 1976.

Estimates of total food consumption per head in the years 1972 to 1975 were published by my Department in its "Food Facts" series on 23rd August 1976. Those for the commodities requested are shown in the table. Figures for the whole of 1976 are not yet available but provisional estimates for the first six months have been included.holding these quantities for a year would be in the order of 120 million units of account or some £50 million converted at the Community budget rate of 2·4 ua = £1 sterling.

Commodity			Quantity (tonnes)
Cereals—
Common wheat	…	…	1,376,519
Rye	…	…	160,506
Barley	…	…	210,143
Durum wheat	…	…	364,914
Milk products—
Butter	…	…	178,285
Skimmed milk powder	…	…	1,133,858
Beef	…	…	262,000
Olive oil	…	…	41,000
Rape seeds	…	…	1,642
Sugar	…	…	126,000

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the approximate cost to the British taxpayer of adopting the AWACS system or continuing with the use of Nimrod aircraft, respectively.

To reveal costs at this stage could prejudice both our contractual position on the Nimrod and current discussions within NATO on cost-sharing for the AWACS.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what conditions were laid down at the meeting of NATO in December about the termination of the Nimrod AEW project in favour of the Boeing E3A.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) on 14th December 1976.—[Vol. 922, c. 654–55.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the average cost of journeys by parents to visit children in special schools in 1966 and 1976, respectively.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what investigation is being carried out by the EEC into the operation of the Offshore Supply Office; under what authority this is being done; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission has made inquiries about the United Kingdom's full and fair opportunity policy for supplies to the United Kingdom Continental Shelf and the interest relief grant scheme. Apart from specific treaty provisions empowering the Commission to review particular measures, the Commission is obliged by Article 155 to ensure that the treaty provisions are applied.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what study he has made of the explosion in Chadsmoor, Cannock, on Saturday, 18th December; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed by British Gas that a full investigation has already been launched and that the Chairman of the West Midlands Region has written to my hon. Friend expressing the Corporation's concern at the event. An investigation into the circumstances of this incident will be included in the independent inquiry whose terms of reference were announced on 5th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will put before the EEC the case in favour of siting the Joint European Torus (JET) project in the United Kingdom; and if he will actively canvass other EEC Ministers for support.

United Kingdom Ministers have taken, and will continue to take, every suitable opportunity of putting the case for siting JET at Culham to their Community colleagues, and of seeking their support, both bilaterally and in the Council of Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to be represented at the special IAEA "Atoms for Peace" conference in Salzburg later this year; if he will now state the date of the conference, and name the nuclear engineer he propose to nominate for the residential vacancy following the retirement of Mr. Eklund; and if it is the intention of Great Britain to come to a conclusion about the future of the fast breeder before this conference opens.

The Government will be represented at this conference whose subject is "Nuclear Power and its Fuel Cycle". It takes place from 2nd to 13th May. Dr. Eklund's present term of office as Director-General of the IAEA, which can be renewed, continues until September. I am currently reviewing our policy on the fast reactor and shall announce a decision in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the value of North Sea gas royalties in each year that they have been payable (a) on a receipts basis and (b) on an accruals basis; and what the value is estimated to be on both bases for 1976–77.

This information is being collected and I will reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the responsibilities of his Department with regard to conservation of archaeological objects recovered by excavation.

My Department aims to ensure that objects of archaeological significance are conserved sufficiently to enable an adequate report to be made in respect of excavations for which it is responsible or to which it is contributing funds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes in response to the document submitted to his Department by the West Midlands County Council on the economic needs of the inner areas of the county; and if he will make a statement.

I welcome the document for its clear analysis of the problems in the West Midlands. The issues it raises are being considered as part of the Government's review of policies towards the inner urban areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report the full details of the actual cost incurred in supplying cars, petrol, oil, cleaning, garaging, repairs, insurance, drivers' salaries and all other outgoings since the incept of the scheme for personal cars to former Prime Ministers; and who have availed themselves of these emoluments.

Two ex-Prime Ministers have cars allocated for their use for security reasons. The average annual gross cost of allocated cars is £10,600.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his meetings in the EEC since the debate on 6th December 1976 on Commission Document R/2098/75, such statement to deal with the various points raised in that debate.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of State attended a Council of Ministers on 9th December 1976. No agreement was reached on the Directive on Quality of Water for Human Consumption. It was agreed that there is a need for a drinking water directive but that the values of the parameters, including that of lead, needed further consideration. In particular, the extent to which it was necessary to set a maximum admissible concentration for all parameters was questioned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the water authorities regarding the Water Charges Equalisation Bill.

I have received formal representations against the Bill from the Severn-Trent Water Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the consultants' conclusions on their inner area studies.

Final reports will be published in the early summer, but the consultants have, at my request, produced summaries of their reports, which are being published today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will take the initiative as President of the Council of Ministers of the European Communities to launch a European Foundation on the lines recommended in the Tindemans Report.

One of the conclusions which the Community Foreign Ministers reached in discussing the ideas in M. Tindemans' Report was that the proposal for a European Foundation deserved careful consideration. This was endorsed by the European Council which met in The Hague on 29th and 30th November last year, and it was agreed that the Commission should be asked to prepare a report on the current situation and the possibilities for the future. This is where matters stand at present. The interesting suggestion of a European Foundation is thus firmly on the agenda for further study in the Community during the United Kingdom Presidency and we shall be following the matter up.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Dominican Government regarding independence in 1977; and what reply he has sent.

I met the Premier of Dominica twice in the first half of 1976 for informal talks on constitutional advance for the Associated State. The Government of Dominica have also recently sent to me a copy of a Green Paper about proposals for independence which they have published.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to implement the recommendation for European cultural activities made by the representatives of the 22 European countries who attended the Oslo Conference in June 1976; and whether he will make a statement.

Together with the other member Governments of the Council for Cultural Co-operation of the Council of Europe Her Majesty's Government are playing a full part in following up the work of the Ad Hoc Conference of European Ministers with Responsibility for Cultural Affairs. The Ministers' Deputies of the Council of Europe will continue at their current meeting their examination of the conclusions and resolutions of the conference. These and the guidance of Ministers' Deputies will be taken into consideration both in the Council of Europe's medium-term plan and in the programme for 1977 which the Council for Cultural Co-operation is expected to adopt at its meeting starting at the end of this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest estimate of the numbers of black Rhodesians murdered by terrorists.

Her Majesty's Government are not in a position to make accurate estimates of the numbers killed in the current conflict.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the criteria he uses to distinguish between marriages of convenience and other marriages in making his decisions on immigration cases and the legal basis on which such administrative decisions rest.

Compliance with the formal requirements of the Immigration Rules for Control After Entry for stay in this country is not conclusive in the applicant's favour and I am required to take account of all the relevant facts. I do not consider that the rules confer any obligation on me to grant settlement on the strength of marriage where it can be shown that the marriage was entered into as a means of achieving settlement with no intention that the parties should thereafter live together. This interpretation has been upheld by the Immigration Appeal Tribunal.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how far above or below the average for England and Wales, in percentage terms, was the charge for

£000
			1972–73	1973–74	1974–75	1975–76*	1976–77†
Financial Aid	…	…	813	2,007	1,782	901	2,000
Technical Co-operation	…	…	536	635	432	527	525
Total	…	…	1,349	2,642	2,214	1,428	2,525
* Provisional.
† Estimated.

Future disbursements of financial aid and technical co-operation are expected to continue at about the same level as in 1976–77.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development what aid has been given

£000's
			1972–73*	1973–74	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77
Capital	…	…	2,471	1,971	1,965	2,087	2,500†
Technical Co-operation	…	…	511	571	576	738	831
* 1972–73 capital aid included an element for budgetary assistance.
† Estimated expenditure.

Capital assistance is made on a three-year basis. For the period 1st April 1976 to 31st March 1979, we are providing £ll million. It is hoped to maintain technical co-operation support at least at its present level.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether in view of the Government's declared policy of providing a car and driver to former Prime unmetered domestic water supply in the WNWDA area in 1975–76.

The average charge in the Welsh National Water Development Authority area in 1975–76 was £19·20 per domestic property, which was 44·9 per cent. above the average for England and Wales of £137·25 per domestic property.

asked the Minister for Overseas Development what aid has been given to Mauritius during the past five years; and what is now planned for the future.

Gross disbursements of bilateral aid to Mauritius in the financial years 1972–73 to 1976–77 are as follows:to Lesotho during the past five years, and what is now planned for the future.

Assistance to Lesotho takes the form of both capital aid in grant form and technical co-operation; the amounts provided over the last five years have been:Ministers on grounds of security, what happens when these people travel to or stay in the British offshore islands, so far as these vehicles are concerned.

I have been asked to reply.This varies with the circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he proposes to make changes in the system of incentives to industrial location to remove discrimination against inner city areas in cities outside the areas for expansion.

The Government are currently examining the problems of inner- city areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what applications for contributions from the EEC Regional Development Fund were made by Her Majesty's Government in 1976; and how many were granted.

During 1976 the Government applied for contributions totalling £62·1 million towards the cost of projects in the United Kingdom, and the Commission announced its intention to contribute £56·1 million. The remainder are expected to be included in announcements made during 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, of the contributions made from the EEC Regional Development Fund to investment in the United Kingdom in 1976, how many supplemented assistance given by the British Government and how many were substituted for assistance which would otherwise have been given by the British Government.

In 1976 the Commission agreed to contribute £59·1m. from the European Regional Development Fund towards the cost of Government and other public authority expenditure on 691 projects in the United Kingdom. Contributions totalling £27·8m. to-wards Government expenditure on regional aids to industry will be retained by the Government and the receipts taken into account in settling the level of Government expenditure on regional aids. Contributions totalling £31·3m. to-wards other public authority expenditure will be passed on to the authorities concerned and used to reduce the amounts borrowed to finance the projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what regional development programmes, and what precise planning objectives for each area for expansion in the United Kingdom, have so far been submitted by Her Majesty's Government to the EEC Commission in support of applications for contributions from the EEC Regional Development Fund.

Under the Fund Regulation the first regional development programme is not due to be submitted to the EEC Commission until the end of 1977. Nevertheless, all member States have agreed to submit experimental versions from the beginning of this year. It is hoped that the United Kingdom's programme will be submitted within the next month. The programme is a description of the United Kingdom's regional problems and the measures being taken to deal with them; it is not a detailed planning document.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many meetings the EEC Regional Policy Committee has held; and what aims and priorities have so far been established by that Committee which have affected regional policy in the United Kingdom.

The Committee has held seven meetings so far. Its main priority has been to get the administration of the European Regional Development Fund running smoothly and to clarify areas of uncertainty about eligibility for assistance from the fund. The Committee's work has not affected regional policy in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will take action to publicise the concept of planning agreements amongst shop stewards and workers in industry.

The trade unions have done much to publicise the concept of planning agreements amongst shop stewards and workers in industry. My officials are also providing assistance and have been active in addressing seminars and other gatherings at the invitation of trade union members.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection by what percentage the retail prices of butter, bacon, cheese, lard, beef and bread have risen since January 1973.

The percentage increases in the prices of butter, bacon, cheese, lard, beef and bread between 16th January 1973 and 16th November 1976 were as follows:

PERCENTAGE INCREASES BETWEEN 16TH JANUARY 1973 AND 16TH NOVEMBER 1976
Butter	…	…	…	…	121
Bacon	…	…	…	…	113
Cheese	…	…	…	…	71
Lard	…	…	…	…	147
Beef	…	…	…	…	76
Bread	…	…	…	…	96

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection by what percentage the cost of food has risen in each member country of the EEC since January 1973.

Increases in food price indices in EEC member countries between January 1973 and October 1976—the most recent period for which data are commonly available—are as follows:

		Percentage increase between January 1973 and October 1976
Belgium*†	…	42·3
Denmark†	…	55·0
Federal Republic of Germany*§	…	18·3
France§	…	52·5
Irish Republic	…	68·7‡
Italy	…	93·8
Luxembourg	…	42·0
Netherlands	…	36·2
United Kingdom†	…	103·4
* Including alcoholic beverages.
† Excluding restaurant meals.
‡ Quarterly index January 1973 to March 1976.
§ Including tobacco.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what evidence he has that the operation of the Price Code has resulted in any price being greater than it would have been had the code not been in force.

A survey conducted by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research early last year and sponsored by my Department indicated that 18 per cent. of a sample of manufacturing firms believed their prices would have been lower in the absence of a Price Code. No distributors shared this belief; and 37 per cent. of manufacturers and 17 per cent. of distributors believed that their prices would have been higher but for Price Code constraints. No corresponding evidence is available for the present code, which was introduced on 1st August 1976, after the conclusion of the survey.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what assistance he is giving to British industry to compete for the overseas market in desalination equipment.

The normal range of assistance provided by the British Overseas Trade Board and, in particular, the Overseas Projects Group, is available to British manufacturers of desalination equipment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conclusions he reached about the decline in the value of the £ sterling in the light of his comparison of United Kingdom and United States consumer prices or wages in 1976 which suggests that the decline in the £ sterling has been about right, even a bit low.

A comparison of United Kingdom and United States consumer prices and of the dollar/sterling exchange rate for October 1976 against October 1975 shows:

United Kingdom consumer prices (£ terms)	+14·8 per cent.
United States consumer prices ($ terms)	+ 5·3 per cent.
$/£ spot rate (monthly average)	-20·3 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) for what reasons Mr. P. Atkins, of 141 Rose Valley Crescent, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, has been refused a "714" certificate enabling him to be paid gross for sub-contracting work;(2) for what reasons Mr. J. Inglis, of 48 Dylan Thomas House, Denmark Road, London, N.8, has been refused a "714" certificate enabling him to be paid gross for sub-contracting work;(3) for what reasons Mr. B. G. Smith, of 167 Battersea Rise, London, S.W.11, has been refused a "714" certificate enabling him to be paid gross for subcontracting work;(4) for what reasons Mr. G. Chesson, of 47 Sheen Road, St. Mary Cray, Kent, has been refused a "714" certificate enabling him to be paid gross for sub-contracting work;(5) for what reasons Mr. J. Felstead, of 6 Ivy Road, London, N.14, has been refused a "714" certificate enabling him to be paid gross for sub-contracting work;(6) for what reasons Mr. T. Breen, 222 Devonshire Road, Forest Hill, London, S.E.23, has been refused a "714" certificate enabling him to be paid gross for sub-contracting work;(7) for what reasons Mr. D. M. Barrett, of 380 Stockfield Road, London, E.17, has been refused a "714" certificate enabling him to be paid gross for subcontracting work;(8) for what reasons Mr. John Lord, of 8 Elmley Close, Wokingham, Berkshire, has been refused a "714" certificate enabling him to be paid gross for sub-contracting work;(9) for what reasons Mr. A. W. Light, 4 Hazel House, Bromley Road, Short-lands, Kent, has been refused a "714" certificate enabling him to be paid gross for sub-contracting work;(10) for what reasons Mr. J. H. Bredemere, of 6 O'Meara Street, London, S.E.1, has been refused a "714" certificate enabling him to be paid gross for sub-contracting work.

The rules of confidentiality do not allow me to disclose information about the tax affairs of particular individuals, but the general rule is that in order to qualify for a certificate an applicant must meet all of the conditions laid down in Schedule 12 to the Finance (No. 2) Act 1975.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish monthly figures for domestic credit expansion, as newly defined, made up to the third Wednesday of each month to coincide with bank reporting days.

I have nothing to add to the answer my hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Thornaby (Mr. Wrigglesworth) on 23rd December. I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if any tax relief is available to employers on payments to employees specifically intended to meet the costs of travel to work.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the total amount of increased tax assessments which have been made on multinational companies as a result of the work of the special unit set up to investigate pricing policies.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 10th January 1977; Vol. 923, c. 420], gave the following information:Precise figures are not available, but adjustments which have been made centrally to profits since the beginning of 1974, relating in some cases to a number of years, are somewhere about £20 million. In addition, adjustments have been made by local inspectors in some smaller cases. Figures for these cannot readily be obtained. There will be a continuing effect on future liabilities in some cases.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the special unit investigating the pricing policies of multinational companies is co-operating with any foreign tax authorities; and if he will list them.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 10th January 1977; Vol. 923, c. 420], gave the following information:Exchange of information with other countries about transfer pricing is authorised by more than 60 double taxation agreements, and a number of exchanges take place under these powers. They are most frequent with major trading countries, such as the USA, France and Germany.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied with the co-operation from industry with the special unit investigating the pricing policies of multinational companies.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 10th January 1977; Vol. 923, c. 420], gave the following information:The co-operation of industry in inquiries relating to transfer prices is as satisfactory as its co-operation in other dealings with the Inland Revenue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has received any complaints about the activities of the special unit set up to investigate the pricing policies of multinational companies; and if he will indicate from whom he has received them.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 10th January 1977; Vol. 923, c. 420], gave the following information:No. There is no special unit, but some difficult cases involving possible transfer price adjustments are handled centrally within the Inland Revenue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his meetings in the EEC since the debate on 29th November 1976 dealing with Community documents R/1746/73 and R/2268/74, such statement to deal with the various points raised in that debate.

I am not yet in a position to make such a statement, but I hope to be able to do so shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total increase in unemployment which will result from all the cuts in public expenditure announced in 1976 affecting 1977–78, indicating the basis of his estimates.

pursuant to the reply [Official Report, 20th December 1976; Vol. 923, c. 73], gave the following information:The following cuts in public expenditure affecting 1977–78 have been announced during 1976.Cmnd 6393—£1·6 billion at 1975 Survey Prices (equivalent to approximately £2 billion at 1976 Survey Prices).July 22nd—£1 billion.December 15th—£1 billion.Total—£4 billion.According to the Treasury's Macro-Economic Model, cuts in public expenditure of this order of magnitude are likely to increase unemployment by around 100,000 on average in 1977–78, although the industry and employment measures announced on 15th December, which are additions to public expenditure, will partially offset this effect. Calculations of this sort do not, however, take adequate account of the impact of the various sets of measures on domestic and foreign confidence.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total cost of increases in unemployment and other benefits, together with redundancy pay, of the rise in unemployment expected as a result of the expenditure cuts announced in 1976 and affecting 1977–78.

pursuant to the reply [Official Report, 20th December 1976; Vol. 923, c. 73], gave the following information:I estimate that the total cost in 1977–78 of increases in unemployment and other social security benefits resulting from a rise in unemployment of the magnitude quoted in my answer to my hon. Friend's earlier Question would be about £100 million at 1976 Survey Prices. It is not possible to say what calls there would be on the Redundancy Fund, since these would depend on such additional factors as the reduction in recruitment and the length of service of the workers laid off.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will indicate the basis of his estimates of the rise in unemployment in 1977–78 resulting from public expenditure cuts announced in 1976, including the extent to which his estimates take into account the multiplier efforts of the immediate loss of jobs' caused by the cuts in public expenditure in that year.

pursuant to the reply [Official Report, 20th December 1976; Vol. 923, c. 73], gave the following information:My estimate of the rise in unemployment in 1977–78 resulting from the public expenditure cuts announced in 1976 are produced with the aid of the Treasury's Macro-Economic model. They take full account of multiplier effects.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report the names of firms from which he has had direct reports of the high rate of export profitability; and whether he has any comparable evidence to the contrary.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 10th January 1977; Vol. 923, c. 414], gave the following information:No list of the kind which my hon. Friend is seeking is available, but we are discussing with the main exporting companies the balance in their response to sterling depreciation between increasing market share and maximising foreign exchange earnings.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he has taken to ensure that employers are made aware of the requirement of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (Amendment) Act 1976; and if he will make a statement.

I am advised that the Manpower Services Commission has proposals for providing information about this Act. These include a reference to the proposed employers' guide on the employment of disabled people and the issue of a memorandum to local disablement advisory committees. Details of the legislation will also appear in a future issue of the Employment Service Agency's publication "Outlook", which deals with all aspects of the resettlement of disabled people into employment and has a wide audience. Local resettlement staff will also be able to let employers know about the Act, when appropriate to do so, during the course of day-to-day contacts.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his estimate of the scale of under-reporting of industrial accidents.

The Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission informs me that on the basis of an examination of claims made against the Industrial Injury Fund during 1969–70 it is estimated that in manufacturing industry about 27 per cent. of non-fatal accidents legally notifiable under the Factories Act were not reported, but reporting of fatal accidents is virtually complete. Reliable information for other industries is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the ratio between reported accidents per man hour shift on day and night shifts in premises covered by the Factories Act.

The Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission informs me that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action the Government are taking to implement the EEC proposal, dated 27th July 1975, that the principle of a 40-hour week and four weeks' annual paid holiday should be implemented by 31st December 1978; and if he will make a statement.

The Government supported the EEC recommendation on the basis that its progressive achievement was a matter for collective bargaining, subject to the requirements of counter-inflation policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if additional payments by employers to meet increases in travelling costs are subject to any restrictions under the terms of present pay policy within the social contract.

Travelling expenses which are necessarily incurred in the course of employment and which are reimbursed under existing arrangements may be increased in line with actual increases in costs.Improvements in real terms must be offset against the pay limits.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs have been created in Inverness-shire under the job creation scheme; and what was the cost of these projects.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that 21 projects have been approved, providing 214 jobs, in Inverness-shire, at a total cost to the commission of £275,029.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he is taking to reduce unemployment in the Greater London area; and if he will state the reasons for his omission of London from his job release scheme.

So far over 11,800 people in the Greater London area have been assisted by the temporary employment subsidy scheme, the Job Creation Programme, the work Experience Programme and the youth employment subsidy—and the recruitment subsidy for school leavers, which it replaced. The job release scheme, which came into operation on 3rd January 1977 for a period of six months, was restricted to assisted areas because, in general, they are the areas most affected by structural unemployment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, pursuant to his Written Answer of 26th July 1976, c. 78–9, he continues to estimate the expected level of unemployment at the end of 1979 to be 700,000; and, if not, what is the new estimate.

The Government have repeatedly stressed that the figure of 700,000 was an ambitious target; not a forecast.When we reach our objective of sustainable full employment depends upon our performance in world markets.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are now unemployed.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22nd December 1976; Vol. 923, c. 154], gave the following additional information:Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group, it was not possible to complete the full count of unemployment in December 1976. However, estimates and returns were received from just over half the country and thus an estimated national total has been published. The latest available information therefore relates to 9th December 1976 when, it is estimated, 1,316,000 people were registered as unemployed in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which days will be designated as Bank Holidays at Christmas and New Year in December 1977 and January 1978; and if he will make a statement.