asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has held on the subject of police pay; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on negotiations with the police on their pay claims and on the passage of branch resolutions by the Police Federation, of their determination to end restrictions on strike action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement about police pay and conditions of employment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the subject of police pay.

On pay I have, for the time being, nothing to add to the full statement I made to the House during the debate on crime prevention last Thursday, 27th January—[Vol. 924, c. 1751–52.] Because of their very special position the police do not have the right to strike; this has always been supported by the Police Federation and I hope this support will continue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that the recent functioning of the police pay machinery has been adequate.

Recent difficulties have been largely due to the need for an effective counter-inflation policy, but I have agreed that there should be a review of the police pay negotiating machinery. The form of the review has yet to be decided.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances prisoners being conveyed to court are handcuffed to the officers accompanying them.

Handcuffs are used only on male prisoners. Category A prisoners—i.e., those whose escape would be highly dangerous to the public or the police or to the security of the State—are always handcuffed to an officer. In the case of other male prisoners the Governor will decide whether handcuffs are necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the transfer arrangements of prisoners or suspects between prisons or police stations and other prisons or courts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what modifications he proposes to make to the system of transferring prisoners by private taxis and hire cars.

I will consider whether any change is required in existing practice as soon as I receive the report of the Chief Inspector of the Prison Service into the escape of William Thomas Hughes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the rules, concerning the categories of prisoners who may be transported from prison to court by hired motor vehicles rather than in prison vans.

Prisoners in security category A and those in other categories considered by governors to be unsuitable for transfer by other means, because of the prisoner's past record, the nature of the crime or the conditions of the journey, are transferred by secure vehicles in cooperation with local police forces. The remainder may be carried in hired motor vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he is speeding up the entry of immigrant dependants from the Indian sub-continent at present.

The Immigration Act 1971 and the Immigration Rules approved by Parliament confer an entitlement on certain dependants, mainly wives and children, to join their heads of families here. There should be no avoidable delay in processing applications for entry clearance from such dependants. It does not mean any increase in their total number, but some reduction in the often lengthy wait they have to undergo.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the procedures in regard to the reception, method of interview by immigration officers, and the detention and conditions under which people are detained at ports, the arbitrary system of bail and lack of consistent rules governing the refusal to allow certain visitors to enter the United Kingdom.

Although I cannot accept the premises in the latter part of my hon. Friend's Question, the matters he raises are kept under continuous review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of occasions with dates when the subject of immigration has been debated in the House of Commons since October 1974.

The occasions on which there were substantive debates are as follows:

• 23.1.1975—Immigration—(Consolidated Fund Bill).
• 15.7.1975—Immigration—(Adjournment debate).
• 18.12.1975—Foreign and Commonwealth Nationals (Work Permits)—(Consolidated Fund Bill).
• 19.12.1975—Immigrants (Advice Centres)—(Adjournment debate).
• 4.3.1976—Race Relations Bill (Second Reading).
• 24.5.1976—Immigration and Emigration—(Private Members' Motion).
• 25.5.1976—Adjournment (Spring).
• 28.5.1976—Pakistanis (Citizenship)—(Adjournment debate).
• 5.7.1976—Immigration—(Supply Day).
• 8.7.1976—Race Relations Bill—(Report and Third Reading).
• 5.8.1976—Adjournment (Summer).
• 25.10.1976—Mr. Jorgen Thorsen—(Adjournment debate).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the broad lines of his policy for the prevention and punishment of crime.

I refer the hon. Member to my speech in the Supply Day debate on crime prevention on 27th January.—[Vol. 924, c. 1741–60.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of cases of housebreaking in the last three years for which figures are available in the county districts of the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County.

The following table shows the number of offences of burglary and aggravated burglary in a dwelling, those being the offences which correspond with the term housebreaking. As police force areas were reorganised on 1st April 1974 figures are given for the Greater Manchester police area from that date until the end of 1975. Figures for 1976 are not yet available.

OFFENCES OF BURGLARY AND AGGRAVATED BURGLARY IN A DWELLING RECORDED AS KNOWN TO THE GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE—BY DISTRICT OF THE GREATER MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN COUNTY
	Number of offences
	Burglary and aggravated burglary in a dwelling
	April-December
District	1974	1975
Manchester (City)	5,060	6,748
Salford	1,670	1,898
Tameside	799	1,099
Stockport	1,288	1,902
Bolton	709	934
Wigan	664	741
Trafford	856	1,041
Bury	520	713
Rochdale	1,121	1,526
Oldham	1,296	1,606
Total	13,983	18,208

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of cases of mugging in the last three year for which figures are available in the metropolitan county districts of the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County.

There is no specific offence of "mugging", a term which has no legal definition.The following table gives details of the number of offences of robbery, including assaults with intent to rob, since it is into this category that incidents described as "muggings" will generally fall. As police force areas were reorganised on 1st April 1974 figures are given for the Greater Manchester police area from that date until the end of 1975. Figures for 1976 are not yet available.

OFFENCES OF ROBBERY RECORDED AS KNOWN TO THE GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE—BY DISTRICT OF THE GREATER MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN COUNTY
	Robbery
	April-December
District	1974	1975
Manchester (City)	175	291
Salford	20	34
Tameside	17	22
Stockport	37	28
Bolton	7	36
Wigan	11	14
Trafford	19	30
Bury	11	25
Rochdale	32	28
Oldham	28	39
Total	357	547

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent visit to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh by the Under-Secretary of State.

My hon. Friend's visit was one of a continuing series designed to provide Ministers and senior officials closely concerned with immigration matters with firsthand knowledge of the situation in the countries visited.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet received the report of Sir Henry Fisher into the Confait case; and when he expects to publish it.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General and I hope to receive Sir Henry Fisher's report before Easter, but I cannot yet say when its findings will be published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 14-year-old boys were on remand (a) in remand centres, and (b) in local prisons at the latest available date; and what steps he is taking to end the remand of 14-year-old boys.

On 31st December there were nine boys aged 14 on remand centres in England and Wales, and none in local prisons. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I are anxious to make further progress towards phasing out remands of juveniles to Prison Department establishments; and discussions with local authorities will continue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) girls aged 14 to 16 years and (b) boys aged 14 to 16 years passed through Prison Service establishments in the last year for which figures are available.

The following table shows the numbers of females and males finally discharged from Prison Service establishments in 1976 who at the time of their reception into custody had been between the ages of 14 and 16.

PERSONS AGED 14 TO 16 AT TIME OF RECEPTION WHO WERE DISCHARGED FROM PRISON SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS IN 1976
		Following a remand in custody	Having served a sentence
Males	…	1,747	6,674
Females	…	245	111

A very small number of persons who were received on separate occasions on different charges are counted more than once in this table.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) boys aged 14 to 16 years and (b) girls aged 14 to 16 years were in prisons and remand centres at the latest available date.

The information requested is given in the following table:

PERSONS AGED 14–16 YEARS IN CUSTODY ON 31ST DECEMBER 1976
	Males	Females
Remand centres	281	13
Local prisons	24	9
Young prisoner establishments	16	—

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met representatives of the Police Federation.

On 19th January this year I expect to meet them again this month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce amending legislation to allow the Police Federation to affiliate to the TUC without prejudice to the present restrictions on the right to strike.

Under the Police Act 1964, as amended by the Police Act 1972, the prohibition on the Police Federation being associated with bodies outside the police service was relaxed, and I am empowered to authorise association with such bodies. When the relaxation was granted the federation emphasised that it had no plans to affiliate to the TUC.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the Franks Report on the feasibility of a register of immigrants' dependants.

Very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the purpose of the restriction on the visitors whom Category A prisoners may receive to persons whom the prisoner knew prior to his arrest; and in what respect visits to Franklin Davies by Mr. G. Scrano and Miss S. Daunt would conflict with the purpose of the rule.

The rule that convicted prisoners are normally allowed to receive visits only from relatives and from people who were their friends before their reception into custody is especially important for Category A prisoners such as Mr. Davies. Security considerations are clearly paramount. This rule would be prejudiced by permitting Mr. Scrano and Miss Daunt to visit Mr. Davies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now announce steps to encourage magistrates to make community service orders in appropriate circumstances.

The Government have already emphasised the importance they attach to the appropriate use of community service to the extent permitted by the resources available to the probation and after-care service. I do not consider that magistrates generally are in need of special encouragement in this respect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to ensure that the conditions attaching to community service orders are strictly complied with.

An offender subject to a community service order works under supervision and a record is kept of his work and attendance. Any failure to comply with the requirements of an order renders an offender liable to proceedings under Section 16 of the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973, which enables a court, where a breach of requirements has been proved, to fine an offender or to revoke the order and deal with him for the original offence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied as to the speed at which arrangements for community service orders are being made available throughout all probation areas.

Community service arrangements already exist in the whole of 26 probation and after-care areas and in parts of 27 others. There will be further extensions of these arrangements during the course of the year, and I am confident that probation and after-care committees will develop community service schemes as quickly as is practicable within the resources available to them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he will permit the staff of Winchester Prison to arrange a prison dog display at the Combined Cadet Force Tattoo which is being held in the summer in Winchester.

Severe restrictions on the use of manpower and determination of strict priorities for its use as a result of cuts in public expenditure forced the Department, reluctantly, to discontinue displays by prison dog teams at local shows during 1976. The same restraint is likely to be necessary in the coming financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government intend to produce to reduce the level of vandalism of property and violence against the person, especially in urban conurbations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government intend to produce to reduce levels of vandalism to property and violence against the person, especially in urban conurbations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government intend to produce to reduce the level of vandalism to property and violence against the person, especially in urban conurbations.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to Questions by the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Hodgson) and others.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of vandalism.

I have discussed the problem with chief officers of police and am planning with my colleagues in other Departments a conference to discuss what further measures can be taken to complement the considerable efforts which are already made locally by the police and others. The Criminal Law Bill, which is being considered in another place, proposes substantial increases in the maximum fines and amounts of compensation which offenders may be ordered to pay by magistrates' courts for offences including those associated with vandalism.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total sum of money outstanding through non-payment of fines at the latest available date.

Outside the Inner London area, for which figures are not available, the amount of fines outstanding in England and Wales on 30th September 1976 was £20,677,681. This figure includes fines not yet due for payment because the time for payment had not expired.

asked the Sectary of State for the Home Department how many Chilean refugees are still awaiting visas to enter the United Kingdom.

Out of 4,215 applications so far received, involving some 10,000 people, 577 involving 1,500 people are still awaiting a decision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Chilean refugees have been admitted to the United Kingdom in the months October, November and December 1976 and January 1977, respectively.

68, 47, 12 and 8 refugees from South America are known to have reached the United Kingdom in the months indicated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had with local authorities in Northumberland about the temporary use of empty houses at Her Majesty's Prison, Acklington, to house homeless local families.

No local authority in the area has approached my Department about the temporary use of the prison staff houses currently vacant at Acklington.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now received the reports of the inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the escape from his escort of William Hughes.

No. The Chief Inspector of he Prison Service is still conducting his inquiry at Leicester Prison.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet representatives of the Prison Officers' Association.

I met representatives of the Prison Officers' Association last December. The association has not asked for a further meeting, but I should be happy to consider such a request if the occasion arose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes he proposes in the security procedures of the Immigration Act 1971 arising out of the cases of Messrs. Agee and Hosenball.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider amending the provisions of the Immigration Act 1971 concerning the procedure for deportation on the grounds of security.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to introduce changes in the Immigration Act 1971 to deal with the vague use of the term

"conducive to the public good"

being used to exclude people from the United Kingdom without detailed charges being put to them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in the light of the problems arising from the hearings of the advisory panel in the cases of Mr. Philip Agee and Mr. Mark Hosenball, he will seek to amend the relevant provisions of the Immigration Act 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the guidelines adopted to determine the amount of information which can be provided to aliens recommended for deportation, the reasons for their continued residence in the United Kingdom being deemed not to be in the public interest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has given consideration to any amendments in the Immigration Act 1971 following the recent cases of the two United States writers.

Procedures under the Immigration Act 1971 are kept under review, and I shall consider in due course points that have been raised in regard to the cases of Mr. Agee and Mr. Hosenball.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the present operation of the nationality laws.

I regard the nationality law as in need of revision. A review of it has reached an advanced stage and I hope before long to be able to make an announcement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received recently on the operational effects of the Lotteries Act 1975.

My right hon. Friend has received a considerable number of representations from Members of Parliament and others, relating particularly to the provisions in the Act which define the date of a lottery.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to deal with the problem of overcrowding in many English prisons.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a similar Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdare (Mr. Evans) on 18th November last.—[Vol. 919, c. 652–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the index of average length of prison sentence passed by the courts in 1967 and for each of the last five years.

When, as in the case of prison sentences, most of the sentences are short and crowded at one end of the scale, leading to a skew distribution, averages can be misleading. But the indices requested are shown in the following table.

IMMEDIATE IMPRISONMENT—INDICES OF AVERAGE LENGTH OF SENTENCE
England and Wales
		Type of Court
Year		Magistrates' Courts	The Crown Court
1967	…	100	100
1971	…	100	95
1972	…	100	100
1973	…	100	100
1974	…	100	95
1975	…	100	95

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to receive the report of the Committee on the Future of Broadcasting under the chairmanship of Lord Annan.

I understand that Lord Annan's Committee has not yet finished its deliberations, but that it hopes to do so, and to submit its report, in the reasonably near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the parking of itinerants' caravans; and what action he proposes to take.

My right hon. Friend has received some 15 representations in the past 12 months about difficulties arising from parking or camping by itinerants, and we are currently considering a letter from my hon. Friend. On the general question of adequate accommodation for gipsies, I would refer to the reply given to the Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Merton, Mitcham and Morden (Mr. Douglas-Mann) on 10th January by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment—[Vol. 923, c. 392.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now reconsider the deportation orders served on Messrs. Agee and Hosenball.

I have not yet made a final decision in these cases. I shall do so when I have received and considered, together with other representations made to me, the reports of the panel of advisers to whom Mr. Agee and Mr. Hosenball have made representations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which immigrants' organisations are subsidised from central Government funds.

The United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service receives a grant in aid under Section 23 of the Immigration Act 1971 for the purpose of providing advice and assistance to persons having a right of appeal under the Immigration Act 1971. Various grants are made to voluntary organisations, either directly or through local authorities, for specific projects which benefit immigrants wholly or in part. If the hon. Member has any specific organisation in mind, perhaps he would let me know.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the advice he has received from the Association of Chief Police Officers about the effect of local authority expenditure cuts on the ability of the police to deter and detect crime, to protect property and to maintain the public peace.

I shall be seeing senior members of the Association of Chief Police Officers soon to discuss these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his latest estimate of the number of unoccupied houses in the county districts of the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County belonging to the metropolitan police force.

On 28th January 1977 the total number of houses held by the Greater Manchester Council for police purposes was 757, of which 62 were unoccupied. 28 of these have been allocated to police officers and are awaiting occupation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the composition of the Commission for Racial Equality.

I hope to be able to do so shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning the release of John Robinson during 1976 from Liverpool Prison in spite of the observations made by Mr. Justice Finnemore when he was sentenced to be kept in prison for the rest of his life, and in view of the fact that he subsequently committed another murder for which he was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 24th January 1977.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to Questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Don Valley (Mr. Kelley) and Leeds, West (Mr. Dean) on 27th January.—[Vol. 924, c. 715.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his future policy with regard to junior detention centres.

It is our intention that junior detention centres shall remain in being until adequate alternative treatment facilities for the 14–16 age group are available to the courts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will declare a firearms amnesty.

I would refer the right hon. and learned Member to my reply to his Question on 20th January.—[Vol. 924, c. 261.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for the last 12 months the number of prosecutions for parking offences initiated by the police and subsequently dropped.

The figures for parking offences in 1976 are not yet available, but the particular information requested could in any case be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it a condition of licensing breeders of laboratory animals that they insure to provide for the feeding and care of their animals in the event of a business collapse.

A breeder of dogs for sale requires a licence from a local authority under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 whether or not the dogs are being bred for experimental purposes, but no breeders of other animals require a licence. The authority has power under the 1973 Act to attach conditions designed to ensure the well-being of the animals. It would be for the local authority to decide whether to interpret this power as extending to a condition requiring insurance against a risk of the kind described and, if so, whether to impose such a condition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements there are in his Department to monitor regional views programmes on television and local radio to keep him, and senior civil servants, informed of regional news and opinion.

Regionally originated news and current affairs broadcasts relating to the responsibilities of the Department are regularly monitored through the COI or other agencies and transcripts are made available to Ministers and senior civil servants as appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many copies of each of the following newspapers are purchased each day by his Department in order to keep himself, and senior civil servants informed and how many copies of each paper purchased are northern editions: The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Mirror, respectively.

34, 22, 18, 17 and 14 copies respectively. The editions are those normally available in London.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many copies of each weekly and biweekly newspaper published within Greater Manchester are purchased by his Department to keep himself, and senior civil servants informed of regional news and opinion.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many copies of each evening newspaper published in the North-West of England are purchased by his Department to keep himself, and senior civil servants, informed of regional news and opinion.

One copy each of the Liverpool Echo and the Manchester Evening News.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many, by numbers and as a proportion of the total, of those arrested and those charged with begging under Sections 3 and 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824, or with being on enclosed premises, or being a suspected person or sleeping rough under Section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824 in (a) the London metropolitan area, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Greater Manchester, were aged under 14 years, aged 14 to 17 years, aged under 21 years, and over 21 years, listing the figures for males and females, respectively; and of what ethnic origin, colour or nationality were those arrested and charges by numbers and by proportion of the total;(2) what was the total number of those arrested and those subsequently charged

last two years for which figures are available in the London metropolitan area, the West Midlands, and Greater Manchester for the offences of (

I am having inquiries made to see what relevant information is available, and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what special allowances are available for the retraining of workers in the Greater London Council area in new industrial skills; and what relaxation has been allowed on industrial development certificates and advertising to attract industry to this area.

During 1976 an experimental scheme was announced for the issue of industrial development certificates for the speculative replacement of obsolete industrial buildings, and the IDC exemption limits were raised from 5,000 sq. ft. to 12,500 sq. ft. in South-East England. London is able to benefit from both changes.On advertising, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced last August that the Government accepted that there should be some relaxation of the present statutory restriction on the advertising of London's commercial and industrial advantages. Proposals to give effect to a relaxation subject to the control of the Secretary of State for the Environment are included in the Greater London Council (General Powers) Bill which is now before Parliament.Training allowances are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much public money in constant values was spent per head of the population on creating jobs in each of the areas for expansion in the last five years.

		1971–72	1972–73	1973–74	1974–75	1975–76
Northern development area:
Total expenditure	…	£147·5 m.	£113·3 m.	£139·0 m.	£152·3 m.	£185·0 m.
Per capita	…	£43·7	£33·5	£41·2	£45·1	£54·9
North-West Region:
Total expenditure	…	£92·5 m.	£68·5 m.	£80·1 m.	£110·9 m.	£107·0 m.
Per capita	…	£14·0	£10·4	£12·2	£16·9	£16·3
of which:
Merseyside SDA:
Total expenditure	…	£76·9 m.	£57·9 m.	£65·0 m.	£82·4 m.	£79·0 m.
Per capita	…	£45·3	£34·3	£38·8	£49·4	£47·7
South-West assisted areas:
Total expenditure	…	£11·4 m.	£8·6 m.	£10·5 m.	£13·7 m.	£11·0 m.
Per capita	…	£14·2	£10·6	£12·7	£16·4	£13·0
Yorkshire and Humberside intermediate area:
Total expenditure	…	£5·8 m.	£3·5 m.	£15·1 m.	£19·9 m.	£23·0 m.
Per capita	…	£1·3	£0·8	£3·2	£4·3	£4·9
East Midlands intermediate area:
Total expenditure	…	—	£1·4 m.	£2·7 m.	£4·5 m.	£2·5 m.
Per capita	…	—	£2·1	£4·1	£6·8	£3·8
West Midlands intermediate area (Oswestry):
Total expenditure	…	—	—	£0·6 m.	£1·5 m.	£0·5 m.
Per capita	…	—	—	£13·7	£33·8	£11·6
Scotland:
Total expenditure	…	£164·3 m.	£146·3 m.	£164·0 m.	£182·6 m.	£228·0 m.
Per capita	…	£31·5	£28·1	£31·5	£35·0	£43·8
Wales:
Total expenditure	…	£84·9 m.	£93·2 m.	£99·2 m.	£101·5 m.	£104·0 m.
Per capita	…	£31·2	£34·1	£36·1	£36·8	£37·6
English assisted areas:
Total expenditure	…	£256·3 m.	£196·2 m.	£248·5 m.	£304·3 m.	£331·2 m.
Per capita	…	£15·9	£12·2	£15·4	£18·9	£20·5
Great Britain assisted areas*:
Total expenditure	…	£507·4 m.	£437·1 m.	£512·8 m.	£590·2 m.	£669·4 m.
Per capita	…	£21·1	£18·2	£21·3	£24·5	£27·8
Notes:
1. All payments are gross and include payments to nationalised industries. Major items included are regional development grants, regional selective assistance, Local Employment Act assistance, regional employment premium and investment grant differential.
2. * Includes payments which cannot be divided between regions.
3. No account is taken of assistance under section 8 of the Industry Act 1972, although in some cases this will have resulted in increased or safeguarded employment, nor of the various measures to combat unemployment introduced by the Secretary of State for Employment since August 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many companies in the county districts of the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County have approached his Department with inquiries or requests for advice on the new selective financial assistance scheme.

A large number of inquiries from all parts of the country have been received by Government Departments, both in the regions and in London. No overall figure or breakdown

Expenditure on regional preferential assistance to industry at 1976 prices for the financial years 1971–72—1975–76 is estimated as follows:by area is available, but the initial response is very encouraging.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what arrangements there are in his Department to monitor regional news programmes on television and local radio to keep him, and senior civil servants, informed of regional news and opinion.

Regional directors keep the Department well informed about the relevant aspects of local opinion. In addition we receive regular information about television and radio programmes, both regional and local, which cover the Department's area of responsibility. This guidance is supplemented by a daily survey of the leading regional Press which covers a considerable amount of industrial news and opinion. If my hon. Friend has any further suggestions I shall he pleased to hear from him.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many copies of each of the following newspapers are purchased each day by his Department in order to keep himself, and senior civil servants informed and how many copies of each paper purchased are northern editions; The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Mirror, respectively.

The following newspapers are purchased each day for Ministers and senior civil servants in the Department:

The Guardian	..	…	39
Daily Telegraph	…	…	30
Daily Mail	…	…	26
Daily Express	…	…	26
Daily Mirror	…	…	27

Of these, two copies of The Guardian and one of the Daily Telegraph are northern editions.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many copies of each weekly and biweekly newspaper published within Greater Manchester are purchased by his Department to keep himself, and senior civil servants, informed of regional news and opinion.

One copy of three weekly or biweekly papers published in Greater Manchester are purchased by my Department each week for Ministers and senior civil servants.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many copies of each evening newspaper published in the North-West of England are purchased by his Department to keep himself, and senior civil servants, informed of regional news and opinion.

Three copies of evening papers published in the North-West of England are purchased by my Department each day for Ministers and senior civil servants.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what representations he has received to date from industrial, trade union, local authority and other interests (a) supporting and (b) opposing the abolition of regional employment premium.

There have been a considerable number of representations, most of them expressing concern at the withdrawal of REP, but I regret that detailed figures are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make available the papers prepared on the industrial strategy for the meeting of the National Economic Development Council on 2nd February.

I have arranged for copies of the two main papers taken at the NEDC meeting, amended in order to exclude commercial information which must remain confidential, to be placed in the library.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what criteria local authorities and public corporations should employ in determining in any particular case that they are following the "buy British" injunction, in the light of his reply of 27th January 1977 to the hon. Member for Chingford that the definition of the proportion of value required to be added to each category of product to be purchased by such authorities or corporations for such products to be regarded as British could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

I have nothing to add to the answer cited by the hon. Member in his Question.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is his estimate of employment opportunities and proposals on North Humberside and the Hull travel-to-work area in the next 12 months.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 1st February 1977; Vol. 925, c. 92], gave the following information:There is no satisfactory basis for a comprehensive estimate, but during 1975 and 1976 the Department approved industrial development certificates for Hull, Hessle and Beverley in respect of investment projects estimated to create some 900 jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what is the total cost and tonnages of imports for the year ended 31st December 1976 for the following commodities with a breakdown into totals for EEC and third country origins: (a) live animals, (b) meat, frozen and other, (c) dairy products, (d) eggs, (e) fish, (f) cereals, (g) fruit, nuts and vegetables, (h) honey, sugar confectionery, (i) coffee, cocoa, tea, spices, (j) feeding stuffs (animals only), (k) margarine, animal fats and oils, (l) fixed and other vegetable oils, (m) processed animal and vegetable oils and (n) beverages;(2) what is the total cost and tonnages of imports for the year ended 31st August 1976 for the following commodities with a breakdown into totals for EEC and third country origins: (

Information on the value and quantity of imports, by country of consignment, is contained in Table III of the monthly publication "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", copies of which are in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the value of imports to the United Kingdom from Hong Kong and exports from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong for the last available year for which statistics are available.

The figures are:

UK TRADE WITH HONG KONG IN 1976
£ million
Imports		Exports
(cif)		(fob)
440	…	204

The information is contained in the December 1976 issue of "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations he has received from the Committee of London Clearing Bankers concerning the possible closure of the Registry of Business Names.

Abolition of the registry is one of the options now being considered as part of the Government's review of the cost of the Civil Service. Comments were invited from representative users of the registry, including the Committee of London Clearing Bankers, which has indicated its opposition to the proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many of the 75 overseas construction projects in which his Department's overseas projects group sought to assist United Kingdom firms, and which had not reached contract award stage as of 25th October 1976, have since done so; and how many of them have been won by British firms.

A contract has been awarded in one of these projects. It was not won by a United Kingdom firm. However, a United Kingdom firm has received letters of interest for two of the projects worth in total nearly £70 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the total value to date of the Export Credits Guarantee Department's facilities to support overseas construction work by United Kingdom firms; and whether any expenditure has yet been incurred as a result of a bond being called.

Since the bond support scheme was introduced in February 1975, ECGD has offered to support bonds to a value of £133 million for constructional works contracts worth £523·7 million. No bond supported by ECGD has been called; consequently no expenditure has yet been incurred by ECGD in this respect.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many of the seven contracts for overseas construction work, referred to in the replies to the hon. Member for Melton by the Joint Under-Secretaries of State on 5th July and 25th October 1976, for which his Overseas Projects Fund gave financial assistance, have since reached the stage of contract award; how many were won by British firms; and what was the total value of any successful tender.

No contracts have yet been awarded for these projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether, pursuant to the Under-Secretary of State's reply to the hon. Member for Melton on 25th October 1975, he has yet received any recommendations from the Construction Exports Advisory Board regarding changes in Export Credits Guarantee Department facilities; and, if so, what action he has taken to implement them.

I have not received any recommendations from the CEAB for changes in ECGD facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the value for the financial year 1975–76 of (a) the total business insured under the Export Credit Guarantee Department under its constructional works policy and (b) the premium income received; and whether any payments had to be made as a result of the blocking or delaying of sterling transfers by overseas Governments.

The total business insured by ECGD under its constructional works policies during 1975–76 was £147·3 million. Premium received by ECGD in respect of such business was £1·015 million. No claims payments due to the blocking or delaying of sterling transfers by overseas Governments were made under ECGD's constructional works policies in 1975–76.I regret that comparable figures given for 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74 and 1974–75, in reply to the hon. Member on 5th July 1976—[c.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will place in the Library a copy of the circular to Diplomatic Service posts regarding construction exports which was referred to in the Under-Secretary of State's reply to the hon. Member for Melton on 25th October 1976; and what further action has been taken following the issue of the circular.

A copy of the circular to Diplomatic Service posts overseas (reference OTM 11/76) has been placed in the Library for the information of hon. Members. I see no need for further action to convey the wishes and advice of the Construction Exports Advisory Board to the posts overseas, but shall be glad to consider any suggestions which the hon. Member has in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will set out in tabular form the value of United Kingdom construction exports to each of the following countries for the years 1974, 1975 and 1976, respectively, namely, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates; and whether he will subdivide those figures into (a) contracting and development, (b) profession services and (c) materials or plant exports; and what approximate proportion that United Kingdom exports to each country bears to the annual value of construction output in those countries.

Information in this amount of detail is not, in general, available; the limited amount that is available on visible exports could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what arrangements there are in his Department to monitor regional news programmes on television and local radio, to keep him, and senior civil servants, informed of regional news and opinion.

The Department uses an agency which provides a daily report of items of interest broadcast on regional news programmes. The service is shared with the Departments of Industry and of Prices and Consumer Protection. Additionally, regional offices of the Department draw our attention to local issues of interest on TV and radio.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many copies of each of the following newspapers are purchased each day by his Department, in order to keep himself and senior civil servants informed and how many copies of each paper purchased are northern editions; The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Mirror, respectively.

The following newspapers are purchased each day for Ministers and senior civil servants in the Department:

The Guardian	…	…	…	11
Daily Telegraph		…	…	5
Daily Mail	…	…	…	4
Daily Express	…	…	…	6
Daily Mirror	…	…	…	5

None of these are northern editions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many copies of each weekly and bi-weekly newspaper published within Greater Manchester are purchased by his Department to keep himself, and senior civil servants, informed of regional news and opinion.

The Department does not itself purchase any evening papers published in the North-West of England but is kept informed on regional news and opinions by the regional office of the Department of Industry which also undertakes work for the Department of Trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many copies of each evening newspaper published in the North-West of England are purchased by his Department to keep himself, and senior civil servants, informed of regional news and opinion.

The Department does not itself purchase any weekly or biweekly papers published within Greater Manchester but is kept informed on regional news and opinions by the Regional Office of the Department of Industry which also undertakes work for the Department of Trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement about the implementation of the Companies Act 1976.

Apart from Section 33 (Contents of prospectuses) which was brought into operation on 24th January, it is the intention of my right hon. Friend to bring the following provisions of the Act into operation on the dates indicated below:

• Sections 1 to 11 (Duty to prepare, lay and deliver accounts by reference to accounting reference periods):
• 1st October 1977 (apart from Sections 2(1) and 10(1) and (2), which will be brought into operation on 1st March 1977).
• Section 12 (Accounting records):
• 1st October 1977.
• Sections 13 to 20 (Auditors):
• 18th April 1977.
• Sections 21 to 23 (Returns as to directors and registered office):
• 18th April 1977.
• Sections 24 to 27 (Notification of interests in shares):
• 18th April 1977.
• Sections 28 and 29 (Disqualification Orders):
• 1st June 1977.
• Sections 30 to 32 (Welsh and Oversea Companies):
• 18th April 1977.
• Sections 34 to 37 (Forms, fees etc.):
• 18th April 1977.
• Section 38 (Part), 39 and 41 (Functions of Registrar, criminal proceedings, unregistered companies):
• 18th April 1977.
• Sections 42 and 43 (Amendments, repeals, expenses):
• As necessary.

Commencement orders and orders prescribing forms and other matters will be made and published at the appropriate times. There is already in force a number of prescribed forms orders made under the Companies Acts; when the present Act has been implemented. I propose to review all the forms in use with a view to re-enacting them in one consolidating measure, thus easing the burden on all those who use the forms. In prescribing the forms for use, under this Act, and in the subsequent review, I shall seek the views of the Companies Registration Office Users' Group.

	Yorkshire		Of which West Yorkshire
	Number of grants	Amount paid £	Number of grants	Amount paid £
Hotel development incentives scheme (Note 2)—
1973–74	23	934,262	Not available (Note 3)
1974–75	19	75,107	2	28,503
1975–76	6	28,140	4	22,097
1976–77 (to December 1976)	4	37,362	1	2,218
Assistance to tourism projects (available only in development areas)—
1973–74	10	72,396	Not applicable (Note 4)
1974–75	15	48,057	Not applicable (Note 4)
1975–76	24	208,719	Not applicable (Note 4)
1976–77 (to December 1976)	40	211,789	Not applicable (Note 4)

asked the Minister for the Civil Service (1) how many civil servants he estimates will be employed in the year 1977–78 in offices in the Northwich parliamentary constituency and by which Government Departments;(2) how many civil servants are employed in offices in the Northwich parliamentary constituency and by which Government Departments.

Records are not maintained of numbers of Civil Service staff in parliamentary consstituency areas. Information about staff in each Department in the District of Vale Royal is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, how many grants, and for what amounts, were given by his Department to Yorkshire as a whole, and West Yorkshire, respectively, during the last three years; and how these grants compare with the number and amounts of grants made to Scotland and Wales.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 17th January 1977, Vol. 924, c. 52], gave the following information:Grants made by the English Tourist Board to developments in Yorkshire in the last three years were:

Department	No. of Staff
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service	1
Court Service Department	10
Department of Employment	25
Employment Service Agency	19
Department of Energy	1
Department of the Environment	1
Department of Health and Social Security	97
Inland Revenue	50
Ordnance Survey	3
Total	207

Estimates for future years are not available.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what was the total expenditure in each year since January 1974 in the Government's Hospitality Fund; and to what extent cuts in Government expenditure have reduced this fund.

The total expenditure from the Government Hospitality Fund for the financial year 1974–75 was £243,537 and for the financial year 1975–76 £285,209. In the current financial year expenditure up to 31st December 1976 was £187,971. No reduction has recently been made in the grant-in-aid for the fund.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what steps he intends to take towards the application of the Bullock majority proposals to the machinery of Government; and if he intends to invite closer co-operation with Her Majesty's Opposition regarding policy formulation.

The Bullock Committee's proposals relate to employee representation on company boards. The question of employee participation in Government raises different issues, which, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade made clear on 26th January, we are still considering.

asked the Lord President of the Council what is the daily financial allowance given to Members, officials and assistants attending meetings of the EEC constituent bodies; and what is the amount in the case of Peers.

Allowances payable to Members of the European Assembly, whether Members of this House or Peers, are set out in the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Civil Service Department to the hon. Member for Faversham (Mr. Moate) on 22nd July 1976.—[Vol. 915, c.543.]The daily subsistence rates for the staff of the House who accompany the United Kingdom delegation to the Assembly range, according to grade, between 350 and 153 French francs—approximately £41·50 and £18·00.

asked the Prime Minister when he last gave an interview to the Defence Chiefs of Staff.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Arundel (Mr. Marshall) on 25th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the duties he has taken over from the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

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

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now appoint a Minister of Culture.

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