asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received from the Construction Exports Advisory Board a report of its activities to date; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade have received from the Chairman of the Construction Exports Advisory Board, Mr. D. G. Scholey, his report of the board's activities to date.The board has looked at the adequacy of market intelligence made available by Government to the construction industry. The board has brought to the attention of diplomatic posts abroad the need for information about export opportunities to be notified quickly and to be more closely related to the special requirements of construction exporters.A shortage of facilities for bonding and protection against contingent liabilities is thought to be a major obstacle facing construction exporters.The board has been associated with certain proposals for expanding these facilities, which have been initiated by the Department of Trade, which is coordinating financial and industry interests in their efforts to achieve solutions to the problems. The board will take a continuing interest in this important subject. My right hon. Friends are studying proposals by the board for changes in present tax laws which might be inhibiting successful construction exporting.The board has determined the conditions under which it might be required to advise my right hon. Friends on the selection of firms or groups of firms to pursue particular construction projects overseas. It concluded that it should complement the arrangements already operated by the Overseas Project Group of the British Overseas Trade Board and would give advice only when the group, after consultation, had failed to get the agreement of the industry to a suitable British team. The board has so far not been called upon to act in this way.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now seek to confer powers on inspectors of his Department enabling them to apply disciplinary sanctions for contempt at public inquiries.

I am not convinced of the wisdom of adopting this suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the cases of the Town and Country Planning Acts and Highways Acts, he will now follow the precedent of the Civil Aviation Act 1971 and issue policy guidelines in the form of a Statutory Instrument.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 40 recommendations in the report by Doctor Charles Legg and Marion Brion entitled "The Administration of the Rent Rebate and Rent Allowance Schemes", and indicate in each case whether the recommendation requires (a) Government action, (b) administrative action by his Department, and (c) local authority action; and in each case what action the Government are planning to implement or to encourage the implementation of the recommendation.

The recommendations, many of which are more in the nature of observations than prescriptions for specific action, are too long to list, but copies of the report have been placed in the Library. The report was intended mainly for the information and practical assistance of local authorities, and has been circulated to them, with a request from the Department that each authority should consider how far it would be useful for it to adopt any of the recommendations not already in operation. One of the more important recommendations addressed to central Government related mainly to research, most of which has been or is being carried out. If the hon. Member is interested in any particular point in the report, perhaps he will write to me or to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is (a) the purpose, and (b) the total cost of Ordnance Survey gridding of all post codes.

I have been asked to reply.The purpose of allocating Ordnance Survey grid reference to Post Office post codes by the Department of Transport is to provide a rapid and efficient means of ascribing the origins and destinations obtained from traffic surveys to any zone of the country whose boundaries are defined by grid references. There is also a demand for the results of this work from other Government Departments for their own purposes. The total cost of compiling the grid references is estimated as £160,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what calculations he has made of the likely effect of his six-month moratorium on water and sewerage expenditure on the pipe manufacturing industry.

The regional water authorities are providing detailed assessments of the situation. These are being studied closely. The Department is in close touch with the regional water authorities, other Government Departments and the pipe manufacturing associations, and the situation is being kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his current attitude to chlorofluorocarbon in aerosol sprays.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wood Green (Mrs. Butler) on 8th December 1976.—[Vol. 922, c. 224.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is now in a position to outline progress in his consultations on building regulations for energy conservation, following the issue of BRA/668/20 by his Department on 9th April 1976; and by what date he proposes to conclude the consultations and publish draft regulations.

As stated in reply to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Rost) on 19th January—[Vol. 924, c. 307–8.]—the question of regulations is being considered in the light of the comments received. It is not possible at this stage to give dates for the conclusion of consultations and the circulation of any draft regulations which may be proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will identify the specific nature of the legal difficulty which he has discovered in making building regulations to conserve energy and which was referred to in the reply by the Minister for Housing and Construction to the hon. Member for Melton on 6th July 1976; and what progress he is making in his study of methods of overcoming it.

The legal problem was one of the timing and interaction of provisions. To activate the relevant amending provisions in the 1974 Act so as to enable formal consultation on new regulations about, for instance, energy conservation, might for a time have distorted the application of the existing regulations. The difficulty did not affect the development of energy proposals, since preliminary informal consultation was desirable. The legal problem has now been resolved and I expect an activating order to be laid in the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Minister of Housing's recent visit to Liverpool.

I went to Liverpool to chair the final meeting of the Steering Committee of the Inner Area Study. The committee discussed the summary report of the study published on 12th January, and the final report due to be published in the summer. I stressed the importance I attach to the three studies, as a major contribution to the Government's current review of inner urban policy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list in the Official Report the local authorities which have confirmed to him that they will be complying with all the expenditure guidelines laid down by his Department for 1976–77.

Local authorities are not being asked for this information. Expenditure guidelines are couched in national terms and we look to individual authorities to interpret them in the light of their own particular circumstances.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will list the number of days on which the House of Commons sat for each of the years 1945 to 1976.

The information is as follows:

Session					Number of sitting days
1944–45	…	…	…	…	95
1945–46	…	…	…	…	212
1946–47	…	…	…	…	164
1947–48	…	…	…	…	171
1948	…	…	…	…	10
1948–49	…	…	…	…	208
1949–50	…	…	…	…	104
1950–51	…	…	…	…	153
1951–52	…	…	…	…	157
1952–53	…	…	…	…	161
1953–54	…	…	…	…	187
1954–55	…	…	…	…	84
1955–56	…	…	…	…	219
1956–57	…	…	…	…	159
1957–58	…	…	…	…	156
1958–59	…	…	…	…	159
1959–60	…	…	…	…	160
1960–61	…	…	…	…	168
1961–62	…	…	…	…	160
1962–63	…	…	…	…	162
1963–64	…	…	…	…	155
1964–65	…	…	…	…	178
1965–66	…	…	…	…	65
1966–67	…	…	…	…	246
1967–68	…	…	…	…	176
1968–69	…	…	…	…	164
1969–70	…	…	…	…	122
1970–71	…	…	…	…	206
1971–72	…	…	…	…	180
1972–73	…	…	…	…	164
1973–74	…	…	…	…	60
1974	…	…	…	…	87
1974–75	…	…	…	…	198
1975–76	…	…	…	…	191

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 27th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 27th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 27th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 27th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 27th January 1977.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for Thursday 27th January 1977.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 27th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 27th January.

asked the Prime Minister what are his public engagements for Thursday 27th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 27th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements of 27th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his public engagements for Thursday 27th January.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet. This afternoon I shall be meeting Vice-President Mondale for discussions and these will continue at a dinner at 10 Downing Street this evening.

asked the Prime Minister what responsibilities in the management of the economy he has assumed from the Chancellor of the Exchquer.

asked the Prime Minister what responsibilities with regard to the Government's economic policy he has assumed from the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Members for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton) on 20th January.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the Governor of the Bank of England.

On 13th January. January.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will pay an official visit to Scalloway.

As I indicated to the hon. Member in my reply to his Question of 25th January, I have at present no plans to visit Shetland.

asked the Prime Minister what is the average length of time between presentation of a CPRS report to Ministers and the Government policy announcing its view on the matter concerned.

Not every CPRS report leads to an announcement by the Government. The time required to consider those which do depends on the particular circumstances of each report.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if the public speech on 6th January about Indian government made by the Lord President of the Council to the India League represents official Government policy.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister what directions he has given to Ministers regarding the position they should take on industrial action by civil servants designed to change or frustrate Government policies.

None. There are standing arrangements which enable Ministers where necessary to take prompt action appropriate to the particular circumstances of an industrial dispute.

asked the Prime Minister whether, pursuant to his answers to the hon. Members for Eastbourne (Mr. Gow) and Moray and Nairn (Mrs. Ewing) on 13th December, Official Report, c. 509–10, he will now give details of the criteria under which he will decide whether a Cabinet Minister has made a speech in a personal capacity at a party political occasion, following which he wishes to disclaim ministerial responsibility for answering Questions about such speeches.

I shall judge each occasion on its merits.

asked the Prime Minister if he will seek to meet President Carter in the United States.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Sutton, Carshalton (Mr. Forman) on 13th January.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the CBI.

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

asked the Prime Minister when he last took the chair at the NEDC.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mr. Corbett) on 14th December.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to visit Aberaeron, in Ceredigion.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister (1) if he will make it his policy not to receive the President of Uganda at any official residence during the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference;(2) if the President of Uganda will be attending the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference in London in the current year;(3) which Commonwealth Heads of State or Prime Ministers will be attending the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference in the current year.

I do not at this stage have a complete list of those who will be representing the Commonwealth Governments at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

asked the Prime Minister if he will publish the agenda of the 1977 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference.

No. The agenda for the Heads of Government Meeting is co-ordinated by the Commonwealth Secretary-General in consultation with Heads of Government. These consultations are confidential.

asked the Prime Minister (1) if he will list the dates on which he has met the Director General or President of the CBI since he became Prime Minister;(2) if he will list the dates on which he has met the General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers since he became Prime Minister;(3) if he will list the dates on which he has met the General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union since he became Prime Minister;(4) if he will list the dates on which he has met the General Secretary of the TUC since he became Prime Minister.

No; it is not the usual practice to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what official appointments he approved during the week 17th January to 24th January.

Any such appointments will be announced in the usual way.

asked the Prime Minister who is responsible for compiling official invitations to dinners, luncheons and receptions given by the Prime Minister.

I am.

asked the Prime Minister on how many occasions since he became Prime Minister he has made speeches calling for a higher level of profits in the private sector of the British economy.

For examples culled at random, I refer the hon. Member to my speeches to the CBI annual dinner on 18th May 1976, to the American Chamber of Commerce on 6th October 1976, to the Lord Mayor's Banquet on 15th November 1976 and to this House in the debate on the Address on 24th November 1976.

asked the Prime Minister how many times he has officially visited Cardiff, South-East since he became Prime Minister.

I am not clear what is meant by an official visit in this connection, but I am frequently in my constituency.

asked the Prime Minister what is the pension payable to retired Prime Ministers; what are the privileges and perquisites received, namely, car, chauffeur, secretary, and so on; and what is the cost to the Treasury.

There are four retired Prime Ministers in receipt of a Prime Ministerial pension of £7,500 per annum.A car and driver are allocated to two former Prime Ministers on security grounds; other former Prime Ministers may use the Government Car Service for engagements in and around London to which they are invited as a former Prime Minister. In both cases, payment must be made where the care is used for private or party purposes. The annual cost of an allocated car is estimated to be £10,600; this is a gross figure which includes items such as depreciation and interest on the current asset value of the vehicle.No other facilities are provided for former Prime Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received in regard to the grant of licences under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876; whether he is satisfied with the operation of the Act; and whether he will institute an inquiry to ascertain whether there is a need for revision or amendment in contemporary conditions.

My right hon. Friend receives a great variety of representations on the subject from both individuals and organisations. I am satisfied that the Act is not in need of amendment, but I have under review some features of its administration to see whether any improvements are needed to meet contemporary requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many clubs have been licensed in England and Wales in each year since 1971.

The information for the years 1971–75 is as follows. Figures for 1976 are not yet available.

Year				Number
1971	…	…	…	2,563
1972	…	…	…	2,659
1973	…	…	…	2,702
1974	…	…	…	2,854
1975	…	…	…	2,802

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the serious complaints about housing at Dartmoor Prison, why the Minister of State did not visit some of the officers' houses at first hand during his recent visit; and if he will make a statement.

My noble Friend the Minister of State visited Dartmoor Prison on the morning of 11th January. He considered it right to give priority to meet- ing representatives of the staff associations and examining the working conditions of the staff and inmates. The staff raised a number of issues with my noble Friend, including the conditions of some quarters which are the subject of complaint. We are aware of the problems of these quarters at Dartmoor, and the staff are involved in the joint study to determine the remedial measure they require.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department from what organisations he has received representations during the past 12 months calling for amendments to the Children and Young Persons Act 1969; and what has been his response.

I have received representations from the following organisations:

• Study Group of the Conservative Party's Parliamentary Home Affairs Committee.
• The Magistrates' Association.
• The Justices' Clerks' Society.
• The National Council of Women of Great Britain.
• The National Association of Women's Clubs.
• Corby Development Corporation.
• The National Union of Townswomen's Guilds.
• Inner Wheel Clubs.
• The Managing Bodies of Harbinger, Seven Mills and Cubitt Town Primary Schools.

Replies have drawn attention to the review of the 1969 Act carried out both by the Government and by the Expenditure Committee of the House and, subsequently, to the Government's proposals set out in the White Paper (Cmnd. 6494) for the improved working of this legislation; these proposals have been or are now being discussed with the bodies responsible for the administration of the law as it affects juveniles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to set up the National Consultative Council to consider the problems of juvenile offenders; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Social Services and the Secretary of State for Education and Science and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I are continuing consultations with the organisations concerned. We shall make an announcement when these are completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department

Population on 31st December
Establishments	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1974	1976
Yorkshire and Humberside:
Prisons for Males:
Hull	262	239	262	260	279	304	302	297	298	303	90
Leeds	923	832	935	1,033	1,120	946	928	821	864	933	1,036
Northallerton	121	129	130	134	138	78	180	181	178	187	194
Thorp Arch Remand Centre	73	92	95	123	139	76	135	154	156	118	115
Thorp Arch Prison	285	291	227	295	316	343	295	228	231	293	296
Wakefield	699	711	701	713	788	792	752	706	694	727	746
Prison for Females:
Askham Grange	65	65	53	70	89	84	100	87	94	109	111
North West (Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria):
Prisons for Males:
Appleton Thorn	261	251	252	263	305	303	334	244	261	278	297
Haverigg	—	29	80	252	414	480	428	405	437	462	485
Kirkham	399	439	348	375	502	482	367	310	289	366	409
Lancaster	225	246	219	243	252	270	218	212	198	202	209
Liverpool	1,343	1,359	1,307	1,590	1,739	1,643	1,562	1,197	1,336	1,478	1,574
Manchester	1,327	1,419	1,326	1,602	1,546	1,502	1,337	1,308	1,456	1,516	1,748
Preston	576	643	576	660	705	706	620	571	562	573	573
Risley Remand Centre	495	479	500	606	603	569	656	577	682	580	642
Prisons for Females:
Risley Remand Centre	53	39	45	68	82	68	89	72	111	136	106
Styal	187	141	112	120	178	188	186	177	185	188	212

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at whose suggestion the right hon. Member for Lanark (Mrs. Hart) was invited to write a foreword to the Community Development Project's pamphlet "The Cost of Industrial Change".

I understand that the invitation originated with the authors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to public funds of the National Community Development Project's pamphlet entitled "The Cost of Industrial Change".

The cost of printing and production is estimated at £3,500. It is expected that this sum will be substantially offset by income from sales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many

The information requested is given in the following table:copies of the Community Development Project's pamphlet "The Cost of Industrial Change" have been printed.

6,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy with regard to the suggestions contained in the report of the Community Development Project entitled "The Cost of Industrial Change".

All reports by members of the community development projects are considered by my Department as part of their work of advising my right hon. Friend on the development of Government policy for combating urban deprivation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current state of readiness of United Kingdom Civil Defence units.

The United Kingdom warning and monitoring organisation could be made fully operational within two days.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all the organisations which constitute the United Kingdom's Civil Defence.

Under the Civil Defence Act 1948 virtually all local and other public authorities and key nationalised industries in Great Britian have Civil Defence functions and so contribute to the total effort. Several voluntary organisations, including, for example, the WRVS, also contribute to local Civil Defence effort.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the United Kingdom's current expenditure on Civil Defence.

The estimated outturn for home defence net expenditure in Great Britain for the financial year 1976–77 is £8·6 million. The Home Office share of this is about £8 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report local authorities which have, or plan, nuclear war shelters or centres.

All local authorities in England and Wales should have places earmarked from which they would attempt to continue to co-ordinate essential local services in war time. I know of no local nuclear war shelters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what improvements are being made to enable the Royal Observer Corps to play its full rôle in modern Civil Defence.

The Royal Observer Corps, which is a part of the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation, already has a full rôle in Civil Defence. Improvements to main- tain operational efficiency are kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Royal Observer Corps posts exist in the United Kingdom.

There are 867 monitoring posts in the United Kingdom manned by the Royal Observer Corps.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of drunkenness offences in each year since 1971; and how many of them were under 21 years of age.

The information is as follows:

PERSONS FOUND GUILTY OF OFFENCES OF SIMPLE DRUNKENNESS OR DRUNKENNESS WITH AGGRAVATION—ENGLAND AND WALES
Year			All persons	Persons under 21 years
1971	…	…	82,961	12,757
1972	…	…	88,236	13,929
1973	…	…	96,779	17,277
1974	…	…	97,857	18,733
1975	…	…	99,639	18,772

Information for 1976 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the proposed Merseyside County Council's nuclear communications centre, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Scotland Exchange:(2) what is the estimated cost of the proposed Merseyside County Council's nuclear war communications centre; and what is the proposed cost to local authority and central Government funds, respectively.

The selection of premises and the responsibility for a county council's war-time headquarters is a matter entirely within the discretion of that authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is prepared to encourage people to hand in firearms for which they no longer have any use.

It is certainly desirable that people should hand in, or sell to an authorised firearms dealer, any firearms for which they no longer have a use; but we have no special measures in mind to encourage them to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money remains unspent in the Voluntary Services Unit in the year ending 31st March 1977.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to a Question from the hon. Member for Woolwich, West (Mr. Bottomley) on 21st January.—[Vol. 924, c. 348.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is proposing a new fund for local grass-root, neighbourhood and community organisations in place of the Urban Aid Programme.

The future of the Urban Programme is among the matters being considered by the Committee on Inner City Areas chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what security arrangements he has proposed regarding the protection required for Commonwealth Heads of State and Prime Ministers attending the 1977 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis will make appropriate arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the fire at 33 Devizes Close, Belle Vale, Liverpool 25, on 23rd January 1977 which resulted in loss of life; what was the cause of the fire; and how long it took for fire appliances to arrive after they were alerted and were confused by inadequate street signs.

At 09.08 hours on 23rd January the Merseyside Fire Brigade received a call to premises described as 21 Devizes Walk. I understand that the brigade had no difficulty in locating the fire, which was at nearby premises, 33 Devizes Close. This is a two-story maisonette of brick construction in a terrace situated in an area of category C fire risk which, in accordance with recommended standards of fire cover, requires the attendance of one fire appliance within eight to 10 minutes. The appliance from the Belle Vale fire station was in attendance within two minutes of the time of call and a second pump from the Mather Avenue fire station within seven minutes. Five children were rescued by the brigade. I am sorry to say that one child was found to be dead on arrival at hospital and another died on 25th January. Three members of the brigade suffered injuries, one of whom was detained in hospital. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the delay between local review committee and Parole Board consideration of parole applications, he will delegate greater powers to local review committees and promote their independence and democracy by improved training programmes.

The arrangements for the release of prisoners on the recommendation of local review committees without reference to the Parole Board were greatly extended with effect from 1st January 1976. In 1976 it is estimated that nearly 2,000 prisoners—over 40 per cent. of parole releases—were approved in this way. We do not propose further changes at present but shall keep the parole system under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to improve prisoners' understanding of the parole system; and whether any visual aids are used in explaining how the system works.

All prisoners eligible for parole receive a copy of a booklet "Parole—Your Questions Answered", a revised version of which has been issued recently, or for those serving life sentences, a booklet "Life Licence—Your Questions Answered". Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. In addition, an information card is placed in each prisoner's cell and one of the duties of prison staff is to help a prisoner to understand the parole system.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make public the reasons for the release from Walton Prison, Liverpool, in 1976 of John Robinson who subsequently committed murder; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will inquire into the circumstances surrounding the release of John Robinson following his conviction in 1962 for murder, and his sentencing to life imprisonment for another murder at Leeds Crown Court this week; and if he will make a statement.

The Home Secretary may order the release of a person sentenced to life imprisonment only if recommended to do so by the Parole Board and after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice and, if he is available, the trial judge. He is not required to accept such a recommendation from the Parole Board, and the final decision rests with him. The Board recommended Mr. Robinson's release after he had been detained for 13½ years, and on the information available to him, which included the views expressed by the Lord Chief Justice and a report from a consultant forensic psychiatrist, my predecessor concluded that there were no grounds for thinking that Mr. Robinson was likely to commit a further similar offence and that the recommendation should be accepted. At the time of the trial the judge, who is now dead, made no recommendation to the Home Secretary about the length of time for which Mr. Robinson should be detained.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is satisfied with the workings of the Customs and Excise Act in relation to the method of payment by individuals and garages for vehicle licence duty; and if he will make a statement.

I am generally satisfied with the way in which the Act is working from my point of view.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the number of foreign vehicles entering Great Britain during 1976, both commercial and passenger.

Following are available estimates of the number of powered foreign-registered goods vehicles entering Great Britain in 1976.

1st Quarter 1976	…	…	23,000
2nd Quarter 1976	…	…	22,000
3rd Quarter 1976	…	…	26,000*
* provisional

The figures exclude imported vehicles and a small amount of foreign goods traffic embarking in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.I regret that corresponding figures for foreign passenger vehicles are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider imposing a tax at the port of entry on all commercial vehicles entering the United Kingdom which emanate from countries where road tolls and other taxes are levied on British vehicles using their roads.

Yes, if there is discrimination against United Kingdom vehicles in those countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is: (a) the purpose, and (b) the total cost of roadside census teams now asking for the post code of car drivers being stopped.

The Secretary of State for Transport does not have any roadside census teams in operation at the present time. The proposal to obtain national information on road traffic was announced in April last year. A programme of roadside interviews was completed by November at a cost expected to be about £1 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he intends to make any further payments in the current year to British Railways and to the National Freight Corporation in addition to funds provided for in the Transport (Financial Provisions) Bill;(2) if he will specify the payments made by the Government in each year (

Grant payments are as follows:

		£ million
		1975	1976	1977
Support to rail freight	…	59·5	39·5*	—
Support to NFC	…	—	22·0	3
* including £3·5 million in respect of 1975.

Grants will also be payable to British Railways in 1977 under the Transport Act 1968 and the Railways Act 1974, chiefly to support their passenger service and pensions obligations. How much more it might in addition be necessary to pay to either industry under authority of the Appropriation Acts will depend upon the date by which the Bill can be brought into effect.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he proposes to improve safety for motor vehicles on the two-lane stretch of the M1 motorway between junctions 4 and 7.

As I told the House on 1st December, I am looking into the suggestion that heavy goods vehicles should be confined to the nearside lane. Despite the overloading of this stretch of motorway, present indications are that the accident rate is not exceptional.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table, showing, for the period since 1st January 1976, the total grants made from EEC agricultural funds to the United Kingdom, and also giving details of the amounts and percentages allocated to the North-East and Scotland, and the grant per head of population for the country as a whole and the specified region.

Since 1st January 1976 grants announced in respect of United Kingdom applications under the Individual Propects Scheme from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (Regulation 17/64) have been as set out below:—

	Grant*	Percentage	Grant per head of population†
	£
United Kingdom	18,107,522	—	32p
North-East‡	718,817	4·0	27p
Scotland	6,400,463	35·3	£1·23

The selection of projects rests with the EEC Commission and not with member States.

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent coated rice is available to shoppers in the United Kingdom; what instructions in its preparation for cooking are required; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed that rice can be coated with several substances to improve its nutritional quality. The term "coated rice" is also sometimes applied specifically to rice which has been subjected to a very high degree of milling. As far as we know there is little demand for this type of rice in this country, and imports into the United Kingdom have not been reported.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he proposes to introduce controls over the quantity of extraneous water in frozen or deep-frozen chickens; and how such controls will be enforced.

The EEC has adopted a regulation controlling the quantity of extraneous water in frozen or deep frozen chickens which will come into effect on 1st July and will apply fully from 1st December. My right hon. Friend proposes that food and drugs authorities, who are already responsible for the enforcement of general legislation on this matter, should enforce this more specific legislation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what instructions are currently in force for the turnover of EEC intervention foodstuffs stocks situated in the United Kingdom so as to minimise losses through age and deterioration; and if he will make a statement.

Commodities held in intervention under United Kingdom control are monitored regularly, and machinery exists at Community level to consider disposal arrangements if there are signs of likely unacceptable deterioration. Sales of stocks have been such that ageing has not been a problem and current stocks are at a low level.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what prospect there is of a successful bacon contract for 1977–78 acceptable to the producers; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for the parties concerned. Although I understand the important rôle the bacon contract plays in the pigmeat industry, I would not want to speculate on the likely outcome of discussions about next year's contract.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many pig units there are in the United Kingdom; and how many of them are recorded with the Meat and Livestock Commission.

At the latest available count there were 35,900 holdings in Great Britain on which pigs were being kept. Of this total, 4,268 holdings kept 50 or more breeding pigs. I understand that the Meat and Livestock Commission's Pig Feed Recording Service covers approximately 1,300 pig units.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to take a decision on the Eggs Authority levy and budget for 1977–78; and what representations he has received about the matter.

My right hon. Friend has consulted organisations representing producers and those upon whom the levy will be imposed about the Eggs Authority's budget and the rate of levy required to meet it. Their replies are being examined and an announcement will be made in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the write-off of £600 million by the National Insurance Fund's managers in 1975.

I have nothing to add to my replies to my hon. Friend on 11th, 17th, 18th and 26th January 1977.—[Vol. 923, c. 446–7; Vol. 924, c. 23; Vol. 924, c. 175–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many detoxification centres are now in operation; where they are sited; how many persons each has treated; how many other centres are planned and for how many persons; and when they will be built and in operation.

One is open, at St. Mark's House, Leeds: there have been over 450 admissions since May 1976. A second, with nine places at Withington Hospital, Manchester, and a third with 15 places at St. Thomas's Hospital, London, are expected to open this year. A proposal for a centre on Merseyside with 20 places is receiving consideration. Detoxification is carried out in many general and psychiatric hospitals as part of their normal work and by some voluntary bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on how many occasions in the last 12 months for which figures are available it was decided not to reclaim social security benefits fraudulently drawn; and what was the total amount consequently not reclaimed.

None and nil respectively. It is the Department's policy to seek to recover all benefits fraudulently drawn.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what would be the gross annual cost and the net annual cost, assuming replacement of all benefits and allowances with an element for child support as quoted in the reply to the right hon. Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Jenkin) on 15th November 1976, column 398, and of child tax allowances, of paying child benefit at £7 per week to all dependent children;(2) what would be the gross annual cost and the net annual cost, assuming replacement of all the benefits and allowances with an element of child support as quoted in the reply to the right hon. Member for Wanstead and Woodford on 15th November 1976, column 398, and of child tax allowances, of paying child benefit at £7 per week for all second and successive children, and for the first children of lone parents and of families in receipt of national insurance and supplementary benefits, and at £2 per week for the first children of all other parents.

As my reply to the hon. Member on 29th June—[Vol. 914, c. 128]—indicated, the withdrawal of child tax allowances, and the withdrawal—net of tax—of benefits relating to children, would save about £2·2 billion. Paying £7 a week, tax free, to all dependent children would cost about,£5·1 billion a year, and paying £7–£2 a week, tax free, to dependent children, as the hon. Member stipulates, would cost £3·5 billion a year. The net annual costs would thus be £2·9 billion and £1·3 billion respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the Supplementary Benefits Commission advises claimants in the receipt of heating additions that they may be entitled to grants for insulation, available not only from the commission but also from other agencies.

It is not the function of the Supplementary Benefits Commission to provide for house improvements by way of measures such as double-glazing or loft or cavity wall insulation but it does pay for minor improvements such as draught-proofing where this can increase the comfort of old or infirm claimants. House renovation grants are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the immunisation programme has any purpose other than protecting individuals who come into contact with the disease; and if he will attach some weighting to the primary purpose and any secondary purpose.

The primary purpose of immunisation is to protect the individual against the disease. If a substantial proportion of the population is immunised this will have the effect of reducing the incidence of the disease and thus reducing the chances of any individual becoming exposed to infection.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what discussions he has had with EEC Social Security Ministers about the extension of reciprocal medical arrangements to self-employed persons; and if he will make a statement.

The Government pressed for early action in this matter at a Council of Ministers meeting in June 1974, and the Commission then undertook to submit proposals to the Council. A Community Working Party of Experts from member States was set up in January 1976 to seek solutions to the complex technical problems which had emerged from an examination of the possibility of extending the scope of the EEC Social Security Regulations, as many member States have no comprehensive cover for self-employed persons. Considerable progress has been made towards overcoming these difficulties. I stressed the Government's desire to see an early extension to the self-employed of the existing provisions when the new Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs visited me in London on 24th January last.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the names and subjects of Royal Commissions which are relevant to his Department which have reported in the last 25 years.

The 14 Royal Commissions referred to in my right hon. Friend's reply on 18th January 1977—[Vol. 924, c. 155]—deal with the following subjects:

• Marriage and Divorce.
• Scottish Affairs.
• Pay and Conditions of Service in the Civil Service.
• Law relating to Mental Illness and Mental Deficiency.
• Remuneration of Doctors and Dentists.
• Local Government in Greater London.
• Trades Unions and Employers' Associations.
• Medical Education.
• Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence Act 1921.
• Local Government in England.
• Local Government in Scotland.
• Assizes and Quarter Sessions.
• Distribution of Income and Wealth.
• Standards of Conduct in Public Life.

		Under 16		16 to 19		20 to 24		25 and over		Total
Year		Syph.	Gon.	Syph.	Gon.	Syph.	Gon.	Syph.	Gon.	Syph.	Gon.
1972	…	8	529	110	9,995	286	18,028	783	24,822	1,187	53,374
1973	…	8	609	121	11,299	329	19,679	1,055	26,970	1,513	58,557
1974	…	5	578	143	11,197	378	19,751	1,122	26,545	1,648	58,071
1975	…	3	552	133	11,755	350	19,732	1,120	26,917	1,606	58,956
1976*	…	8	283	80	5,072	195	8,796	536	12,491	819	26,642
* Half-year ended 30th June.

Persons infected more than once are counted on each occasion.Substantial health education and preventive work is undertaken by area health authorities through treatment clinics and health education departments but this is not separately costed. In addition the Health Education Council spent over £50,000 over the three years ended 31st March 1976 on publicity and training schemes for the control of sexually transmitted diseases.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy towards the consultation with the health authorities about the impending change in the basis of tobacco taxation from a system based on raw tobacco content to the EEC system.

I am discussing with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor the implications for health of the impending changes in the basis of tobacco taxation and what measures might be advanced within the new basis to safeguard health. The view health authorities would take on this subject is I believe, quite clear, but if further consultation is appropriate at any stage I shall certainly undertake it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report details of the number of people broken down by age notified and treated for gonorrhoea and syphilis in the years 1972 to the latest available date in 1977; and what is the approximate budget allocated for preventive and health education on the subject.

The figures of new cases of infection of syphilis, primary and secondary only, and post-pubertal gonorrhoea treated in clinics for sexually transmitted diseases in England from 1972 until 30th June 1976, the latest date for which figures are available, are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the revised forecast for population in Norfolk in 1975; what is the estimated increase over that figure in 1976; and how this compares with the increase between 1974 and 1975.

The revised population estimate for Norfolk at 30th June 1975 is 657,400. It is provisionally estimated that between mid-1975 and mid-1976 the population increased by 5,100 to 662,500. The corresponding increase between mid-1974 and mid-1975 was 7,200.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much between the provisional and revised population estimates for Norfolk in 1975 the figure was revised; what were the reasons; and whether the size of change is normal or abnormal in population estimates.

The revised population estimate for Norfolk at 30th June 1975 was 1,900 lower than the provisional estimate. The revision was made in the light of later and more complete information on births, deaths and migration. The size of the revision is not abnormal.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out the latest available figures by medical speciality for (a) patients admitted to hospitals managed by the Haringey (London) health district, but resident elsewhere, (b) patients resident in Haringey who have been admitted for treatment to hospitals not managed by the Haringey health district, (c) the districts of residence of patients identified under (a) above, and (d) the health districts responsible for the hospitals to which patients identified under (b) above were admitted, in the cases of Hackney, Islington, North Camden and South Camden, detailing also the hospitals concerned.

Information is not available in the form requested. In 1975 approximately 17,600 patients were discharged from local acute specialties in hospitals managed by Haringey Health District; of these some 9,600 were not resident in the London borough of Haringey. Roughly 10,000 inhabitants of Haringey were discharged from local acute specialties in other hospitals in the same year. I will write to my hon. Friend with an analysis of the data available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if there is a unified system throughout all NHS hospitals of identifying for statistical pur- poses the district of residence of all patients being admitted; if any machinery exists for area health authorities to exchange this information for the purpose of co-ordinating the planning of health care services by area and regional health authorities; and if he is satisfied that sufficient attention is given to this particular aspect.

The "Area Code for Recording Place of Residence and Place of Birth" (January 1974) issued by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys is in general use in the National Health Service for identifying patients' district of residence for statistical purposes. This assists regional health authorities to co-ordinate the planning of health care services by their area health authorities, and to exchange information with other authorities for planning purposes. I am not aware of any evidence to suggest that sufficient attention is not given to this particular aspect.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the number of dependants covered by payments to (a) supplementary allowance and (b) supplementary pension claimants, for the first year for which information is available; and if he will give a similar breakdown for the latest available date.

The information is as follows:

Type of benefit		Numbers (1,000s) of dependants (including wives)
		1967	1975
Supplementary pensions	…	363	284
Supplementary allowances	…	926	1,358

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the percentage of the total population dependent on supplementary benefits for the latest available date.

In December 1975, the latest date for which information is available, 8·3 per cent. of the estimated population of Great Britain were wholly or in part dependent on supplementary benefits.