asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science with which teachers' organisations she or her Department's officials have had separate discussions on issues raised in the current education debate.

At a series of meetings last November and December I met representatives of the teachers' organisations listed below, and I am currently holding a second series of consultations with the same organisations. Neither I nor my Department's officials have held separate meetings with indidual teacher associations as part of the formal process of consultation on the issues raised during the current debate on education. In the course of discussion on other matters with teachers' and other organisations and of recent wide-ranging speeches to the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Schoolmasters, education debate subjects have naturally been raised.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish the numbers and proportions of students on degree and advanced engineering and technology courses who come from overseas countries.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th April 1977; Vol. 929, c. 430], circulated the following revised information:The latest available information, which relates to 1975–76, is that there were 9,365 full-time and sandwich engineering and technology overseas students mainly on degree courses in universities in Great Britain, representing 26 per cent. of home and overseas students on such courses. The corresponding figures for engineering and technology degree and other advanced courses in maintained further education colleges in England and Wales are 5,855 and 24 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the pay, emoluments, pensions and other financial arrangements for members of a directly elected European Assembly are to be decided exclusively by the present Assembly, or whether they will be subject to the agreement of the Council of Ministers.

Under the Community's budgetary procedures, which are complicated, the budget of the European Parliament is regarded as non-obligatory expenditure on which—within overall limits—the Parliament has the final say. However, the United Kingdom has already made clear to other member States our view that member States have an interest in the financial arrangements for directly elected Members.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give an assurance that he will raise in the Council of Ministers that all moneys spent in the United Kingdom by the European Assembly on information work about direct elections will be carefully monitored so that the British public will be able to see month by month how much is being spent.

I do not consider that this would be appropriate. It is for the European Parliament itself to make arrangements for the control of the expenditure from its budget. I understand that the Parliament has these in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now set out in £ sterling the current value of the basic salary and the allowances of the President, Vice-Presidents and members of the EEC Commission together with the rate at which the special Community tax is levied and the terms of their pensions.

The following table shows the gross basic monthly salaries and entertainment allowances of the President, Vice-Presidents and members of the Commission, converted from Belgian francs to pounds sterling at the current market rate:

	Basic salary per month	Entertainment allowance per month
	£	£
President	5,109·86	549·04
Vice-President	4,628·49	352·81
Member	4,165·65	235·23

It is not possible to give representative sterling values for other allowances and pension terms, since these vary widely according to individual circumstances. Full details of the basis of calculation are in Council Regulation No. 14 of 18th December 1961, published in the Official Journal No. 62/1730 of 19th July 1962. The Community tax to which members and employees of the Commission are subject is levied in accordance with Council Regulation No. 260/68 of 29th February 1968, published in the Official Journal No. L56 of 4th March 1968. After deduction of various personal allowances, social security payments, etc., a progressive tax is levied on the residue of basic salary which rises to a maximum rate of 45 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the projects in Wales which have so far received EEC grants under the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund scheme.

Up to and including 20th April 1977 the following projects had received grant under the FEOGA individual projects scheme from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund:

• UK/8/73: Construction of a factory for cheese and milk products, Maelor, Clwyd. (a).
• UK/37/72: Extension and modernisation of cheese manufacturing capacity and installation of whey processing facilities at a dairy, Llandyrnog. (a).
• UK/87/73: Intensification of bulk milk collection in England and Wales. (a) (b).
• UK/58/74: Intensification of bulk milk collection in England and Wales (2nd phase). (a) (b)
• UK/72/74: Modernisation of a cheese factory at Pwllheli, Gwynedd.

(a) grants can be, and usually are, paid in instalments. Those marked (a) have, so far, received part payment only of the grant approved.

(b)Projects UK/87/73 and UK/58/74 cover both England and Wales.

(c)In addition to the projects listed above a further 14 have been approved for grant but no payments have yet been made.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to visit Pwllpeiran Experimental Hill Farm in Ceredigion in 1977.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the projects in England which have so far received EEC grants under the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund scheme.

Up to and including 20th April 1977 the following projects had received grant under the FEOGA individual projects scheme from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the recommendation of the Commission to raise a levy on isoglucose production was supported by him in the Council of Ministers; and what impact he estimates such a levy will now have on isoglucose production and future investment in United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom opposed in the Council of Ministers on 25th to 29th March the Commission proposal for a levy on isoglucose production. The levy proposed would be a serious disincentive to isoglucose production and to future investment in production facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what time scale he envisages for the full development of the Airborne Early Warning Nimrod.

Nimrod development is planned to be completed and the aircraft to enter service in time to meet the operational requirement for the replacement of our existing AEW force in the early 1980s.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current annual operating costs of the Quality Assurance Directorate (Weapons) Workshops at Woolwich Arsenal; and what would be the estimated saving following their closure.

The cost for the year ended 31st March 1977 was about £950,000. Most of this money would be saved through the transfer of work to other establishments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the incident in Rio de Janeiro involving HMS "Danae" and Mr. Ronald Biggs.

In company with other ships of a task group, the frigate HMS "Danae" was in Rio de Janeiro from 14th to 18th April on a good-will visit. As is customary on such visits, the ship's company were encouraged to meet the local community and to invite guests on board. Any entertainment would be at the host's own expense. Personnel are advised and expected to show discretion in offering hospitality. I understand that some junior ratings from HMS "Danae" received an invitation to dinner from Mr. Biggs whom they had met ashore, and responded by inviting him on board while they stowed their shopping. When the officers in charge had identified the ratings' guest as Mr. Biggs he was asked to leave the ship. He was on board for only about 25 minutes and no attempt was made to detain him. There were no powers under which Mr. Biggs could have been arrested. Mr. Biggs will not be allowed back on board any of Her Majesty's ships when some ships of the group return to Rio de Janeiro on 23rd April.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what date and by what method he informed his NATO ministerial colleagues that Her Majesty's Government's joint declaration on 7th December 1976 to increase defence expenditure in real terms was no longer valid.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Stretford (Mr. Churchill) on 3rd February.—[Vol. 925, c. 278.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to increase the number of registered disabled persons employed in his Department and the Land Registry; and when he expects to achieve the 3 per cent. target in each case.

Many of my Department's staff are recruited by the Civil Service Commission. For those which we recruit ourselves it is the practice to notify the British Council for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled of any recruitment exercise for clerical staff so that these employment opportunities can be brought to the attention of disabled people. Disabled persons applying are considered in the same way as other applicants. For industrial vacancies, which arise mainly in local units, the Employment Services Agency's jobcentres are told if the posts are suitable for disabled people. Because of staffing economies, there is at present little scope for recruitment in my Department and I cannot forecast when the target quota might be met.I have no Ministerial responsibility for the Land Registry, Questions on which should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will reconsider the policy which allows building development in the grounds and gardens of historic houses with only borough council planning permission required in view of the events surrounding building in the grounds of Cannon Hall, Hampstead.

All authorities should have regard to the effect which proposed development may have on the setting of a listed building when considering planning applications. I do not think any change is necessary in the procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has published the guidelines to district councils on parish reviews, as promised in reply to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight, Official Report, 28th June 1976, c. 31–2.

The Department is consulting the local authority associations on draft guidelines for parish reviews which it is hoped to publish this summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the local authorities on Merseyside regarding the proposed joint partnership concept to deal with the inner city; when such discussion will take place; and if he will make a statement.

Following my statement on 6th April—[Vol. 929, c. 1226–46]—I shall have discussions with Merseyside County Council and Liverpool District Council about an inner city partnership for Liverpool as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he hopes to publish a Green or White Paper on the Layfield Report on Local Government Finance outlining the Government's views.

In the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations take place with the Chairman of the British Waterways Board before non-executive directors are appointed to that Board.

As required by the Transport Act 1962 the Chairman of the British Waterways Board is always consulted before other appointments are made to that Board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost to public funds of the Location of Offices Bureau over the last three years; how many office jobs have been moved out of Central London over the same period; if he will now abolish the bureau; and if he will make a statement.

The cost to public funds of the Location of Offices Bureau for each of the past three years was:

• Year ended 31.3.75—£148,000
• Year ended 31.3.76—£173,000
• Year ended 31.3.77—£208,000

In the same period 36,600 jobs were moved by clients of the bureau. I propose to make a statement about the future of the bureau shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the latest situation relating to the proposed expansion plans by British Nuclear Fuels at Windscale in the light of the changes in the United State's Government's nuclear policy.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Moonman) on 21st April.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether he has received from the Price Commission its latest report on the prices and distributors' margins for potatoes and other vegetables; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a report covering the period December 1976 to February 1977 and I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library.The report is divided into three sections. The first deals with potato prices and distributors' margins. It finds that aggregate supplies and demand have both been lower than a year ago. Home-grown stocks are estimated to be considerably larger, but wastage is likely to be much higher. Retail prices and distributors' margins have been much the same as a year ago, although they showed some increase in the first six weeks of this year. The sharp fall in the volume of sales has, however, lowered the value of aggregate cash margins for the period September 1976 to January 1977 by about 20 per cent. from the corresponding period a year ago.The second part of the report examines the changes in the prices and distributors' margins for five other vegetables adversely affected by the weather. The situation has, of course, differed from one vegetable to another, but, if all five are taken together, the total wetight of supplies is estimated to have been not much different from the year before, despite the difficulties caused by the weather. At the same time average retail prices of the five vegetables were nearly 50 per cent. higher this winter than last. Distributors' gross cash margins increased on average by 0·7p to 5·4p per lb. but gross percentage margins fell from about 50 per cent. to 40 per cent. The aggregate value of the cash margins is estimated to have increased by about 20 per cent. for the five vegetables but to have fallen by about 8 per cent. for those vegetables and potatoes taken totgether.The final section of this report discusses the changes in the retail prices over periods of three months and one year of 14 processed vegetables and cereal foods which may be substitutes for potatoes and other vegetables in short supply. Over the three months from November 1976 to February 1977, retail prices for all items except rice were little changed. Rice prices rose by between 10 per cent. and 20 per cent. following increased import prices. Over the full year, the prices of all items surveyed rose, pasta items rose by 5–7 per cent. reflecting fairly stable wheat prices, while packeted rice and canned peas rose by more than 20 per cent. due mainly to the increased prices of the basic commodity and packaging. There have been substantial percentage increases in consumption of instant potato, rice and foods such as pasta, but the amounts are small in comparison with the consumption of other ceraal foods and potatoes.This has been a very instructive report. I have been particularly glad to note the signs suggesting that there is a fair chance of a significant fall in the retail prices of potatoes over the next month or two. We would thus be able to avoid the extremely high prices which prevailed last spring. The report also shows how distributors' aggregate cash margins may be carried on individual products and that a relatively sharp rise on one product does not necessarily imply an unreasonable increase overall.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide an estimate for 1977–78 of the taxation revenue and public road cost figures given in page 112 of the transport policy consultation document; and if he will break down the road cost figures into construction, maintenance, traffic policing, courts and administration.

The information asked for is given below:

TAXATION REVENUE AND PUBLIC ROAD COSTS 1977–78—GREAT BRITAIN
						Taxation revenue
						Vehicle numbers (thousands)						Total (including car tax)		Revenue to cost ratios
Vehicle category							VED*	Fuel tax*	VAT†	Total	Car tax		Costs attributed	Excluding car tax	Including car tax
							£m.	£m.	£m.	£m.	£m.	£m.	£m.
Cars and Taxis—non-business			…	…	…	14,990	510	1,175	130	1,815	170	1,985	800	2·3: 1	2·5: 1
business		…	…	…	…	—	190	440	—	630	65	695	300	2·1: 1	2·3: 1
Buses and Coaches	…	…	…	…	…	79	3	75‡	—	78	—	78	65	1·2: 1	1·2: 1
Light Vans (under 30 cwt. unladen)				…	…	1,181	75	230	—	305	—	305	120	2·5: 1	2·5: 1
Goods Vehicles (over 30 cwt. unladen)§				…	…	629	215	430	—	645	—	645	640	1·0: 1	1·0: 1
All vehicles	…	…	…	…	…	16,879	993	2,350	130	3,473	235	3,708	1,925	1·8: 1	1·9: 1
* Based on Budget proposals of 29th March 1977.
† VAT included at 4·5 per cent. on non-business petrol consumption.
‡ Fuel tax rebate on stage services (£60 million) not deducted.
§ All but 12 per cent. of these (about 75,000) are heavier than 3.5 tons gvw.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether, following the increases of motor taxation by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he will state the ratio of the motor income taxation and the public road costs attributable to the use of light vans, with 30 cwt. unladen, during the financial year 1976–77 and the estimated ratio during the financial year 1977–78 on the same basis as the information in the Government consultative document on transport policy for the financial year 1975–76;(2) whether, following the increases of motor taxation by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he will state the ratio of the motor income taxation and the public road costs attributable to the use of business cars and taxis during the financial year 1976–77 and the estimated ratio during the financial year 1977–78 on the same basis as the information in the Government consultative document on transport policy for the financial year 1975–76;(3) whether, following the increases of motor taxation by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he will state the ratio of the motor income taxation and the public road costs attributable to the use of non-business cars and taxis during the financial year 1976–77 and the estimated ratio during the financial year 1977–78 on the same basis as the information in the Government consultative document on transport policy for the financial year 1975–76;

For information relating to 1976–77 I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 2nd March; and for 1977–78 to my reply to the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Smith) today.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average length of time taken by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre, Swansea, to refund unexpired road tax between application for refund and actual payment; and what steps he is taking to speed up this process.

About 15–20 working days. I am currently considering what can be done to reduce this period without prejudicing the demands of public accountability.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with the Metropolitan Police on safety precautions needed on the bend of the M11 motorway near Ashten Playing Fields, Woodford Bridge; and if he will make a statement.

None. The motorway has been designed to the Department's normal standards for urban motorways.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he first received a letter from the hon. Member for Newham, North-West concerning the Institute of Cultural Affairs; why on the 6th April 1977 he wrote to apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in sending a substantive reply; why no reasons were given for this three months' delay; what were the reasons; what action he intends taking to expedite this matter and so take action against those responsible for this maladministration and neglect; and if he will make a statement.

I received my hon. Friend's letter on 12th January. I asked the Commissioner of Police for a report on the subject my hon. Friend has raised. This report raised matters on which I asked the police to make further inquiries, and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as I receive the Commissioner's further report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to increase the number of registered disabled persons employed in the court service and the Home Office; and when he expects to achieve the 3 per cent. target in each case.

My Department is always ready to consider sympathetically applications for employment from disabled persons. But more than half the posts in the Home Office are in the prison and immigration services and are unsuitable for disabled persons, and there is a shortage of disabled applicants for the remainder. The Department is therefore, unlikely to reach the standard quota of 3 per cent. in the near future. Employment in the court service is, in respect of magistrates' courts, a matter for the Magistrates' Courts' Committee concerned, and in respect of the higher courts the responsibility of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in prison at the latest available date for offences of theft of amounts of less than £50 in value.

I regret that this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has completed his review of the administration of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876: and if he will make a statement.

The administration of the Act is kept under continuing review. If my hon. Friend has any particular aspect in mind and will let me know I will look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Government hope to complete reconsideration of their personal injury compensation proposals in the light of the objections received; and when he will make a public statement.

My right hon. Friend expects shortly to complete his reconsideration of the proposal for a draft Criminal Injuries (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) Order taking into account comments expressed in the Northern Ireland Committee and elsewhere. A draft order will then be laid before both Houses of Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has yet found a suitable building on Merseyside to house the headquarters of British Shipbuilders.

I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's answer on 20th April—[Vol. 930, c. 96–7.]—to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Wallsend (Mr. Garrett) about the location of the headquarters.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he accepts the need for a steady ordering pattern for power stations by the Central Electricity Generating Board in order to ensure a stable future for the power plant manufacturing industry; and what steps he proposes to take in this regard.

A steady ordering programme is an important element in securing the long-term viability of the power plant industry. As I said in my answer to the hon. Member on 19th April, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry expects to be in a position to announce proposals for the future of the power plant industry shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if his Department was consulted by the Stock Exchange and the Take-over Panel over the newly announced code of conduct to prevent insider trading;(2) if he considers it necessary to introduce legislation to seek to prevent insider trading, in the light of the new code of conduct published by the Stock Exchange and the Take-over Panel;(3) in the light of the new code of conduct issued by the Stock Exchange and the Take-over Panel, what rôle his Department will now play in ensuring insider trading does not take place.

As my right hon. Friend announced on 21st October 1976, legislation will be introduced as soon as opportunity permits to bring insider trading within the scope of the law. It is hoped to publish a consultative document in the next few months. Although the Stock Exchange and the Take-over Panel did not formally consult the Department in advance of their recent statement, there is constant informal contact, and we welcome these measures which will complement and reinforce the coming legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) whether he will introduce regulations under the Insurance Companies Act 1974 requiring sellers of life assurance to provide a period during which a purchaser may change his mind and cancel the arrangement;(2) if the proposed requirement to allow a purchaser of life assurance to change his mind within a given period will not apply after the first premium on a long-term contract has been paid.

It is my intention to introduce regulations as soon as pos- sible under Section 65 of the Insurance Companies Act 1974. These regulations will activate Sections 66 and 67 of the Act, which provide for a 10-day cooling-off period within which a purchaser of a life assurance policy may withdraw from his contract without loss. Under Section 66(1) the cooling-off period cannot expire before the day on which the first or only premium has been paid and, in some circumstances, may extend beyond that day.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade on what date he gave his consent to extend Holy Island jetty; on what date he was first informed of this proposal, and by whom; which persons and bodies he has consulted about the proposal; and how many of them had already been consulted about it by other Government Departments.

I have not yet given my consent to the proposal. No application for consent was made to my Department until I asked the applicants to furnish one following the receipt on 17th March 1977 of news of the proposal through inter-departmental consultation. The applicants were advised on 17th November 1976 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food that my consent would be required. I have consulted Her Majesty's Coastguard, the Lord of the Manor at Chiswick House, Northumberland, and the Royal Yachting Association, none of whom had previously been consulted by any other Government Department. As soon as those consultations are complete, and provided there are no objections on navigational grounds, my consent will be given to the proposal.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will estimate the rate of increase of earnings under the present pay limit, referred to in the first sentence of paragraph 1 on page 10 of the Financial Statement and Budget.

The information at present available to me is consistent with an increase in earnings in single figures for the 12 months ending July 1977. I have seen some higher estimates based on simple projections of the rate of increase so far. Annual rates derived from a six or seven months' total can be very misleading. At this time last year they would have suggested too high a figure for the 12 months ended July 1976.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will set out, in 1977–78 terms, the revenue cost of reducing the top rate of income tax to 70 per cent, 60 per cent, and 50 per cent for earned income, assuming retention of the investment income surcharge.

If one assumes that earned income forms the bottom slice of any mixed income, the full year cost for 1977–78 of reducing the top rate of income tax on earned income from 83 per cent to 70 per cent, 60 per cent or 50 per cent would be £100 million, £230 million or £435 million respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report 1977–78 figures representing the effect in revenue terms of (a) a one penny movement in the basic rate of income tax, and (b) a one penny movement in the higher rates of tax taken as a whole.

The full year cost for 1977–78 of reducing the basic rate of income tax by one percentage point is about £480 million. The cost of reducing all the higher rates of tax by one point is about £40 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any country has, from international sources available to him, a starting rate for income tax higher than 33 per cent.

From the sources available to me I am not aware of any country other than the United Kingdom with a starting rate for national income tax higher than 33 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report 1977–78 figures representing the effect in revenue terms of a £10 movement in each of the principal personal income tax allowances.

Assuming the full implementation of the Budget proposals the additional costs of £10 increases in the allowances would be as follows:

	£ million
Single and wife's earned income allowance	35
Married allowance	45
Age allowance: single person	2½
Additional personal allowance	1
Child allowance	45
Age allowance: married man	3

asked the Chancel for of the Exchequer what is the present maximum amount of monthly investment permitted to an individual in SAYE index-linked savings contracts; when this figure was instituted; what is the present equivalent in money terms to the figures' value when instituted; and whether this latter sum will now be applied as the maximum permitted in order to restore the real value of the upper limit of this type of national saving.

The maximum monthly contribution under an index-linked Third Issue Save As You Earn contract is £20 and has remained unchanged since the issue was introduced in July 1975. An investment of £20 in July 1975 would have to be increased to £25 ·39 in March 1977 to maintain its original value. We keep the terms of all national savings securities under regular review, but have no plans at present for increasing the scope or limits of the index-linked national savings schemes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table comparing the tax threshold with the family income supplement entitlement level, where applicable, and with the supplementary benefit level, including an element for rent and rates, for each of a single person, a married couple, and a married couple with one, two, three and four children, in January of each year since 1970, and including January 1978.

The figures are as follows:

					Single person		Married couple		Married couple with I child
					Tax threshold	Supplementary benefit level	Tax threshold	Supplementary benefit level	Tax threshold	FIS entitlement level	Supplementary benefit level
					£ per week	£ per week	£ per week	£ per week	£ per week	£ per week	£ per week
January 1970	…	…	…	…	6·31	7·11	9·29	10·76	12·12	—	12·28
January 1971	…	…	…	…	8·04	7·79	11·50	11·81	14·35	—	13·49
January 1972	…	…	…	…	8·04	8·33	11·50	12·52	15·35	18·00	14·31
January 1973	…	…	…	…	11·38	9·28	14·85	13·97	18·67	20·00	15·96
January 1974	…	…	…	…	11·44	10·69	14·90	15·15	18·75	21·50	17·29
January 1975	…	…	…	…	12·02	11·63	16·63	17·45	21·25	25·00	20·57
January 1976	…	…	…	…	12·98	15·69	18·37	23·67	22·98	31·50	27·27
January 1977	…	…	…	…	14·13	18·39	20·87	27·70	26·63	39·00	31·28

		Married couple with 2 children			Married couple with 3 children			Married couple with 4 children
		Tax threshold	FIS entitlement level	Supplement benefit level	Tax threshold	FIS entitlement level	Supplementary benefit level	Tax threshold	FIS entitlement level	Supplementary benefit level
		£ per week	£ per week	£ per week	£ per week	£ per week	£ per week	£ per week	£ per week	£ per week
January 1970	…	13·92	—	13·98	16·35	—	16·08	18·77	—	18·33
January 1971	…	16·15	—	15·39	18·58	—	17·34	21·00	—	19·49
January 1972	…	18·13	20·00	16·31	21·54	22·00	18·76	24·94	24·00	21·76
January 1973	…	21·46	22·00	18·21	24·88	24·00	20·96	28·27	26·00	24·36
January 1974	…	21·44	24·00	20·15	24·81	26·50	22·66	28·17	29·00	26·05
January 1975	…	24·87	28·00	23·83	29·13	31·00	27·13	33·44	34·00	30·95
January 1976	…	26·60	35·00	31·22	30·88	38·50	35·73	35·17	42·00	40·90
January 1977	…	31·40	43·50	35·99	36·85	48·00	41·32	42·29	52·50	47·38
1. It has been assumed that the children are aged 4; 4 and 8; 4,8 and 11; and 4,8,11 and 15 respectively.
2. The tax thresholds relate to earned income.
3. The figures for supplementary benefit include an addition for rent and rates based on the estimated average amount allowed to an unemployed person in each Family Status and for each year; the estimate for January 1977 is provisional.
4. Figures for January 1978 are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any benefit is chargeable to tax in the case of an employee who has a company car provided for his use on company business, to whom the company forbids the private use of the car.

No, provided he does not in fact use it privately.

						Allotment			Sterling equivalent
8¾ per cent. U.S. Dollar Bonds			…	…	…	1982: $202 million		…	117·5 million
8⅝ per cent. U.S. Dollar Bonds			…	…	…	1984: $88 million	…	…	£51·1 million
8⅞ per cent. U.S. Dollar Bonds			…	…	…	1987: $18 million	…	…	£10·5 million
7½ per cent. Deutschemark Bonds			…	…	…	1984: DM 365 million		…	£88·8 million
5⅞ per cent. Swiss France Bonds			…	…	…	1984: SF 360 million		…	£82·3 million
8 per cent. Yen Bonds	…	…	…	…	…	1984: Y 21·5 billion		…	£45·1 million

These figures incorporate a small adjustment which is required to those given in the Treasury Press Notice of 15th April, in order to take account of a last minute application and allotment for the US Dollar Bonds 1982.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer between what years the Treasury in the past published import and export figures into and out of Scotland; and what categories of goods were included in these figures.

Separate trade statistics relating to Scotland have been published neither by the Treasury nor any other official body. Details of goods shipped through the major Scottish ports are published in the Central Statistical Office's "Regional Statistics" and the Scottish Office's "Scottish Abstract of Statistics", both of which are available in the Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report those inquiries being conducted by any Department of Her Majesty's Government known as programme analysis and review together with a similar list of those already completed, with actual and expected dates of completion in both cases.

As was made clear in the Government's reply to the Tenth Report of the Expenditure Committee,

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what value of foreign currency bonds offered by the Government has been taken up by official overseas holders of sterling.

Applications for the bonds amounted in total to a sterling equivalent of £395·3 million, and were allotted in full as follows:Session 1975–76 (Cmnd. 6678), programme analysis and review studies are internal to the Government, and the reports are part of the confidential advice given by officials to Ministers. For this reason it has been the policy of successive Governments not to disclose or identify such reviews publicly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement about legislation to counter artificial tax avoidance schemes for the sale of land subject to a provision for it to be reconveyed.

On 3rd December last year, in answer to a parliamentary Question, I said that the Inland Revenue had seen documents outlining an artificial avoidance scheme for the sale of land subject to a provision for it to be reconveyed. The object of the scheme was to produce large sums qualifying for tax relief under sections 83 and 134 of the Taxes Act. I went on to say that if, after the Revenue had examined this and any similar scheme, it appeared that there could be abuse of the reliefs, appropriate counter-legislation would be introduced in this year's Finance Bill, to take effect from the date of my answer.As my hon. Friend will have seen, there is no such legislation in the Finance Bill as published. I am advised that even under present law there is no certainty that the scheme in question would wholly achieve its objects. But so far as the Inland Revenue is aware, people in any case very sensibly took note of what was said in December and have not attempted to use the scheme since then. Also the scheme has suggested the need to take a longer look at the 1963 rules for taxing premiums and the like. If there is no immediate urgency for a counter-avoidance provision we have time before next year to make a more thorough review, which will also give better opportunity of considering any similar schemes, and so of dealing with them all adequately at the same time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of money would be required to provide a Member of Parliament who is (a) single, (b) married without children, (c) married with one child, (d) married with two children and (e) married with three children with the same net income after tax and

country					1974 on 1973	1975 on 1974	1976 on 1975
					Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.
Austria	…	…	…	…	9·5	8·4	7·3
Belgium	…	…	…	…	12·7	12·7	9·2
Luxembourg		…	…	…	9·6	10·7	9·8
Denmark	…	…	…	…	15·4	9·9	9·0
Finland	…	…	…	…	17·5	17·6	14·4
France	…	…	…	…	13·7	11·7	9·6
Germany	…	…	…	…	7·0	6·0	4·5
Iceland	…	…	…	…	43·3	49·0	32·9
Ireland	…	…	…	…	17·0	20·9	18·0
Italy	…	…	…	…	19·1	17·0	16·8
Norway	…	…	…	…	9·8	11·9	8·7
Portugal	…	…	…	…	25·1	15·3	21·1
Spain	…	…	…	…	15·7	16·9	17·7
Sweden	…	…	…	…	10·7	9·7	10·2
Switzerland		…	…	…	9·8	6·7	1·7
United Kingdom		…	…	…	15·9	24·2	16·5

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many companies were subject to statutory limits on dividends; and how many of these companies received Treasury consent to increase their dividends above the statutory limit in 1976;(2) what was the total amount of dividend distributed by companies in 1976 which had Treasury consent to exceed the statutory limit on dividends;(3) how many of the companies which received Treasury consent to increase their dividends above the statutory limit in 1976 fell into each of the categories listed in paragraphs 13 to 20 of section III of Command Paper No. 5444; how

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, from international sources available to him, he will indicate which countries in Western Europe have not introduced wage restraint policies in a statutory form in the last three years; and if he will show the rate of inflation in each country during that period.

The table gives the inflation rates of those countries which have not introduced a statutory incomes policy in the last three years. It includes the United Kingdom because the statutory policy withdrawn during 1974 was introduced more than three years ago: the current policy is not statutory.many fell into other categories; and what these were.

All companies incorporated in the United Kingdom are subject to the dividend controls with the exceptions described in Cmnd. 5444. There are about 3,000 companies subject to the statutory dividend limit. During 1976 the Treasury gave consent to 315 companies to increase their dividend above the limit. A number of other companies were told by the Treasury that consent would be given subject to certain conditions when they came to declare their dividends, but the consents did not fall in 1976. In addition the Treasury gave release from the controls to six companies on grounds that their operations were almost wholly overseas under provisions first introduced with the Treasury announcement of 20th October 1975.

									Number of companies	Percentage of aggregate increase
Grounds set out in Section III pf Cmnd. 5444, paras. 13–20
Takeover defence		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	4	1·5
Increases in share capital			…	…	…	…	…	…	27	5·2
Recoveries	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	166	42·2
No previous dividend declaration					…	…	…	…	3	0·1
Reconstructions etc.			…	…	…	…	…	…	6	1·1
Pre-1972 commitment			…	…	…	…	…	…	1	0·1
Other dividend forecasts, all associated with raising new money for investment		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	102	49·1
Minority shareholdings			…	…	…	…	…	…	Nil	—
Other grounds not given as example in paras. 13–20 of Cmnd. 5444
Putting right errors caused by incorrect calculations by companies resulting from ACT changes						…	…	…	3	0·7
Relisting on the Stock Exchange					…	…	…	…	1
Change in the company's accounting period						…	…	…	1
Consent to declare but not to pay above the limit							…	…	1
									315	100

The amount paid in dividend payments above the limit for the 315 companies was £32 ·7 million. The names of companies which receive Treaury consents are published from time to time as they are given. Information on the total dividends paid by the 315 companies in 1976 is not readily available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the rate of inflation in the United Kingdom in each of the past three years.

The information is as follows:

	per cent.
1974 on 1973	15·9
1975 on 1974	24·2
1976 on 1975	16·1

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current rate of inflation, as defined by the percentage rise in the retail price index over the three months to March, expressed as an annual rate.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 21st April 1977; Vol. 930, c. 140], gave the following information:19·9 cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which member countries of the European Economic Community, apart from the United Kingdom, meet the full cost of medical treatment to visitors under reciprocal health service arrangements.

All the EEC countries meet the cost of treatment, except for charges normally levied on insured patients resident in those countries, when this is provided for visitors from other EEC countries under the EEC Regulations on Social Security for Migrant Workers. Each EEC country may also have various reciprocal health arrangements with similar terms for visitors from non-EEC countries or for EEC visitors not covered by the regulations, but I regret that full details are not available to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effects in terms of cost he envisages as a result of his proposals for equality of treatment between men and women in occupational pension schemes.

The Government's legislative proposals for equality of treatment for men and women in occupational pension schemes are not expected to add significantly to the overall cost of pension scheme provision.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give a general direction through the Occupational Pensions Board that all new pension schemes should have a common retirement age for men and women.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total revenue expenditure on services for the mentally ill in 1975–76 for the Northern Regional Health Authority and for each area health authority within that region.

It is not possible from the accounts of NHS authorities to identify expenditure on the treatment of patients suffering from specified diseases or conditions, except where treatment is given in hospitals in which the beds are provided exclusively or predominantly for the use of a single specialty. Services for the mentally ill are provided not only in such special purpose hospitals but frequently in acute and other hospitals, and also as part of the community health services. I regret, therefore, that the information is not available in the form requested.Expenditure in 1975–76 of area health authorities within the Northern Regional Health Authority on hospitals specifically designated as Psychiatric (Mental Illness) was as follows:

Area Health Authority	£
Cleveland	1,631,106
Cumbria	3,353,748
Durham	4,203,549
Northumberland	2,600,206
Gateshead	1,951,523
Newcastle (Teaching)	3,123,804
North Tyneside	nil
South Tyneside	nil
Sunderland	2,526,202
Total for Region	19,390,138

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total expenditure on services for the mentally ill for 1975–76 for each local authority within the Northern Region, Regional Planning Area No. 1 of the Social Work Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total expenditure on services for the mentally ill for 1975–76 for each local authority within the London North Region, Regional Planning Areas Nos. 6 and 7 of the Social Work Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total expenditure on services for the mentally ill for 1975–76 for each local authority within the South Region, Regional Planning Areas 9 and 10 of the Social Work Service.

asked the Secretary of State or Social Services what was the total expenditure on services for the mentally ill for 1975–76 for each local authority within the West Midlands Region, Regional Planning Area No. 4 of the Social Work Service.

Some local authority services—e.g., field social work services—are of a general nature and it is not practicable to separate out expenditure on these into expenditure on specific client groups. Thus, total expenditure by individual local authorities on services for the mentally ill cannot be identified.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the arrangements for dealing with any casualties resulting from motor accidents occurring on the section of the M11 recently opened in Wanstead and Woodford.

I am assured by the Red-bridge and Waltham Forest Area Health Authority that local accident and emergency departments provide adequate cover. The procedures operated by the Ambulance Services are designed to minimise delay in directing casualties to the appropriate hospital. These arrangements are kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families he estimates are currently worse off as a result of the introduction of child benefit and the associated tax changes.

As a result of the proposals announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget Statement on 29th March—[Vol. 929, c. 279–86]—some of the relatively few families who would have been worse off from April 1977 will no longer be so. It is not possible to estimate the numbers of those who, depending on their particular circumstances, will, as is inevitable in a major reform in the structure of family support, be worse off.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many members of the public have contracted an asbestos-related disease from contact with asbestos cement since this product has been in use in the United Kingdom.

The only information available is of a study undertaken in 1967–68 in England, Scotland and Wales of the asbestos-related disease, mesothelioma, which revealed three deaths in members of the public exposed to asbestos cement sheeting. There are no other figures available regarding the numbers of members of the general public who may have contracted asbestosis or lung cancer due to asbestos cement.

asked the Minister of the Civil Service what action he is taking to increase the number of registered disabled persons employed in his Department; and when he expects to achieve the 3 per cent. target.

In local recruitment of staff to work in the Civil Service Department, selection boards are reminded of the 3 per cent. quota and told that candidates who are registered disabled persons (RDP's) should be recommended for appointment provided they are judged suitable by the normal criteria. Disabled people are encouraged to apply for vacancies by various means: advertisements include a sentence about the Department's willingness to consider RDPs; applicants are told that a physical handicap or disability is no cause for re- jection provided it would not prevent satisfactory service; registered disabled applicants for clerical vacancies may sit special tests if they lack the formal educational qualifications. In addition, local offices of the Employment Services Agency are told of all vacancies so that they can notify the Disablement Resettlement Service. A single departmental disabled persons officer is now responsible for the recruitment and career development of RDP's throughout the Department.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if, pursuant to his reply 6th April to the hon. Member for Chertsey and Walton (Mr. Pattie) concerning the disqualification of persons having, or having had, Fascist or Communist sympathies for employment in the Civil Service on work the nature of which is vital to the security of the State, he will state to which countries, groups of countries, persons or organisations he thinks it likely that (a) persons of Fascist sympathies and (b) persons of Communist sympathies might betray secret matters.

The restrictions to which I referred in my reply of 6th April to the hon. Member for Chertsey and Walton (Mr. Pattie) are related to the security inquiries which are made about all civil servants and others who are to be employed on exceptionally secret work. The inquiries are designed to provide sufficient knowledge of an individual to enable a judgment to be made whether he or she may be entrusted with exceptionally secret information. Membership of any organisation, whether political or not, is inevitably part of the background to an individual. The point at issue is whether a positive judgment can be made that the individual is fitted for exceptionally secret work.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the latest available information regarding earnings of men referred to by the Chancellor, Official Report, 29th March, c. 283, in a form which shows averages, medians, quartiles and deciles and percentage distribution of gross weekly earnings.

I understand that the rounded figures used in the Budget Statement were rough estimates which updated a few of the April 1976 figures in Table 22 of the 1976 New Earnings Survey results. A full range of information on the distribution of earnings in April 1977 will be published in due course in the results of this year's survey.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment pursuant to his reply, Official Report, 7th April, c. 675, concerning earnings within the regions of the United Kingdom, what information he has as to the cause of the situation whereby earnings of full-time manual workers are lower in England than in either Wales or Scotland; and whether he is satisfied with his regional employment policies in view of the lower level of earnings in East Anglia than in the assisted areas of northern England, Scotland and Wales.

The figures given in the reply to which the hon. Member refers relate only to the earnings of manual workers in manufacturing and certain other industries. Differences in average earnings between regions include the effects of different industrial and occupational structures. They do not, therefore, give a precise indication of differences in earnings for comparable work, and they are only one of the indicators of the relative prosperity of regions. Average earnings are, therefore, not the only criterion considered in determining the priorities for regional assistance. Such factors as the economic development and general character of the region, the state of employment and unemployment and population migration are also relevant. The Government's regional policy is designed to assist those areas judged to need assistance when all these considerations have been taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the individual dispute at the Bristow Helicopter Company in Aberdeen; and if he will invite the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to investigate means of resolving the dispute.

I understand that, following the dismissal of a pilot, a number of Bristow's pilots, members of the British Airline Pilots' Association, which is not recognised by the company, went on strike on 15th April. Contacts between the company and the pilots' representatives have failed to resolve the dispute, and the pilots on strike have been dismissed. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service has offered its services to the parties, but I understand that the employer has so far refused assistance from the Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is now able to announce a date for the decentralisation of responsibility for the Manpower Services Commission and for the Careers Service in Scotland and Wales.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Rodgers) on 21st April.—[Vol. 930, c. 124–125.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the reprogramming of the Department of Health and Social Services computer to make good the omission from 2nd January of information for payment of earnings-related supplement to the training allowance for married women whilst undertaking the training opportunities scheme is now operating effectively; if the re-examination of all affected cases is completed; and what suitable letters of explanation and apology accompany any arrears to all injured by this maladministration as in the case raised by the hon. Member for Sudbury and Woodbridge.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 7th April 1977; Vol. 929, c. 673], gave the following information:I am informed by the MSC that the system for paying earnings-related supplement to training allowances to married women undertaking training opportunities scheme courses is now operating effectively. The re-examination of all cases of the type raised by the hon. Member is complete; a verbal or written explanation and apology as appropriate has been given to trainees by TSA staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local education authorities in Scotland have implemented the recommendation of the code of practice on the use of corporal punishment in schools, formulated by the Liaison Committee in 1968.

Within a year or two of the publication of the code of practice the great majority of education authorities had subscribed to the approach to discipline recommended, and in many instances the document was formally adopted by education committees.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the recent complaint against the Government submitted to the European Commission of Human Rights by parents concerned about the refusal of Strathclyde Regional Council to give an undertaking that their child will not be subjected to corporal punishment, he will apply to the Court of Session for an order requiring specific performance of the duty of Strathclyde Regional Council to educate children according to the wishes of their parents, in terms of Section 29(1) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1962.

No occasion for considering such an application has arisen.