asked the Lord President of the Council whether in the next review of secretarial allowances, he will ensure that secretaries of Members who die are treated no worse in salary protection terms than Members who are defeated at a General Election.

The terms and conditions of employment of a Member's secretary

HOUSE OF COMMONS VOTE	£	£
Members' Salaries	3,921,559·00
Members' Expenses	4,619,783·00
Contributions to Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund	985,519·00
		9,526,861·00
Staff Salaries	2,783,243·00
Retired Allowances	277,238·00
		3,015,481·00
General Expenses		1,198,219·00
Refreshment Department (Contribution towards staff costs during the periods of recess in 1976–77 and towards the payment of interest on the Consolidated Fund Loan.)		143,997·00
Members' Fund (Grant in Aid)		15,000·00
Police		294,185·00
		14,193,743·00
TREASURY
Salaries and Allowances		40,000·00
CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT
Parliamentary Printing and Stationery	5,279,000·00
Office Machinery	86,000·00
		5,365,000·00
DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Salaries, Wages etc.	1,060,000·00
Capital Expenditure (New Works and Improvements)	1,341,000·00
Current Expenditure and Repairs	1,078,000·00
		3,479,000·00

asked the Lord President of the Council what estimate he has made for 1976–77 of the cost of running the House of Commons, including all services of any kind whatsoever, salaries of all staff, maintenance, repairs and improvements, and including all buildings, such as Norman Shaw, Dean's Yard, etc., where Members and/or their secretaries have official working facilities provided; and if he will itemise the main constituent costs on the same basis as the Written Answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South, Official Report, 16th July 1975, c. 486.

Expenditure for the year ended 31st March 1977 is estimated as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next intends to raise the level for improvement grant.

I have no proposals to raise the general maximum level of approved expense for house improvement grant at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the expenditure on improvement grants in Scotland at the last available year; and what part of this was accounted for in the Western Isles.

House improvement grants paid by local authorities in 1976 totalled £6·396 million, and of this £0·156 million was paid by the Western Isles authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next intends to raise the amount of grant and loan for building crofter houses.

I have no plans for an increase in these grants and loans. Their level is kept under review against the background of the movement of building costs, the extent of the demand and the current financial situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking on the application to fly tourists by helicopter into the heart of the Cairngorms.

I have called in for my decision an application by Travel Centre (Norwich) Ltd. for planning permission to operate a helicopter service from a base at Aviemore; and I have asked the applicant and the planning authority whether they want a public inquiry to be held before I reach my decision on the application.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount paid by local authorities to private contractors in the construction industry in the last financial year.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the total amount paid by area health boards to private contractors in the construction industry in the last financial year.

On capital account about £28½ million in 1976–77. On revenue account some maintenance work is carried out by private contractors, but figures are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under what circumstances his Department pays fares and accommodation for the relatives of IRA prisoners, or prisoners convicted of terrorist activities, to visit the prison where the IRA or other terrorist prisoner is held, either in Northern Ireland or in another part of the United Kingdom; on how many occasions this has happened in each year, respectively, since 1969; to which prisons the visits were paid; what was the cost of the fare on each occasion; and what was the cost of the accommodation.

The assisted visits scheme is administered by the Northern Ireland Supplementary Benefits Commission on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office and is based on the scheme which operates in Great Britain. It applies to all prisoners, irrespective of the nature of their offences.The scheme applies to prisoners' close relatives who receive supplementary benefit or who, although in part-time employment, are near the qualifying level for supplementary benefit. Assistance is generally limited to one visit every four weeks. If the visit to the prison involves a lengthy journey and an overnight stay, the cost of bed and breakfast in modest accommodation may be met.Prison records do not separately identify persons convicted of terrorist offences, and in any case figures for particular groups are not readily available.

However, the following table shows the number of payments made under the scheme and the total expenditure for the years 1975 and 1976:

Year				Payments	Total Amount Paid
1975	…	…	…	2,344	£10,936·88
1976	…	…	…	1,464	£7,560·76

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will consider including in future rate demand notes a summary of how the money is to be spent, as is done by local authorities in Great Britain.

Of the total rate demand, approximately two-thirds are on account of the regional rate and one-third on account of the district rate. It is not possible to attribute specific heads of expenditure to the product of the regional rate, which is paid into the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund together with the proceeds of taxation and other items of revenue. So far as the district rate is concerned, if any district council is prepared to supply the necessary particulars of its planned expenditure, they can be sent out with the rate demand.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he now expects to receive, and to publish, the report on the future of the gas industry in Northern Ireland.

The final report has been received today and copies are being sent to the Northern Ireland gas undertakings and representatives of the workers in the industry. I will also arrange for copies to be placed in the Library and to be sent to hon. and right hon. Members representing Northern Ireland constituencies.Wider publication will take place in response to demand and as further copies become available.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many property developers have had to repay part or all of the compensation under Section 24 of the Land Development Values (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1965, having decided to build on land for which compensation was received on the basis that further development would not take place.

In 52 cases compensation paid under the Land Development Values (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1965 has been repaid in whole or part. Claims for repayment have been made in a further 10 cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he plans any further initiatives to promote a longer-term energy conservation policy.

A number of possible further initiatives for extending and reinforcing the Government's energy conservation campaign are being evaluated. The Government have decided on a three-year programme for the continuation and development of the "Save It" campaign. We shall announce other decisions as they are taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what further safety precautions have been taken since the Norwegian oil disaster to ensure that if such faults occur in British oil rigs, British workmen are able and available to rectify any faults or breakdowns without having to send for experts to come from the United States of America.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Dunbartonshire, West (Mr. Campbell) on 27th April.—[Vol. 930, c. 328–9.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, under any treaty with the USSR, he has received information on any Russian scheme to extract petroleum from coal; and whether the exchange of such information is the subject of any agreement between Her Majesty's Government and the USSR.

The answer to both Questions is "No", but I should be glad to know if the hon. Gentleman has any particular suggestion to make in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the reactors including prototypes at nuclear power stations which have already been installed or authorised, giving the type,

I MAGNOX
						Date Commissioned		Declared Station Net Capability
Site						1st Reactor	2nd Reactor	(MWSO)
Berkeley	…	…	…	…	…	1962	1962	276
Brad well	…	…	…	…	…	1962	1962	250
Dungeness A	…	…	…	…	…	1965	1965	410
Hinkley Point A	…	…	…	…	…	1965	1965	460
Hunterston A	…	…	…	…	…	1964	1964	300
Oldbury-on-Severn	…	…	…	…	…	1967	1968	416
Sizewell A	…	…	…	…	…	1966	1966	420
Trawsfynydd	…	…	…	…	…	1965	1965	390
Wylfa	…	…	…	…	…	1971	1971	840

II AGR
						Date Commissioned/Estimated Commissioning Date		Nominal Station
Site						1st Reactor	2nd Reactor	Capacity (MW)
Hinkley Point B	…	…	…	…	…	September 1976	Mid 1977	1,320
Hunterston B	…	…	…	…	…	February 1976*	March 1977*	1,320
Dungeness B	…	…	…	…	…	Late 1978	Early 1979	1,200
Hartlepool	…	…	…	…	…	Early 1979	Late 1979	1,320
Heysham	…	…	…	…	…	Mid 1979	Late 1979	1,320
* These dates refer to synchronisation with the grid, which is the statistic used by the SSEB. Comparable dates for Hinkley Point B are February 1976 and October 1976.

The following reactors have been installed in stations operated by AEA and BNFL:

Type			Number of Reactors	Operator	Site	Date of Start-up	Gross Capacity (MW)
Magnox	…	…	4	BNFL	CalderHall.	1956 (2 reactors) 1958–1959 (2 reactors)	240
Magnox	…	…	4	BNFL	Chapelcross.	1958–1959	240
AGR	…	…	1	AEA	Windscale	1962	33
SGHWR	…	…	1	AEA	Winfrith	1967	100
PFR	…	…	1	AEA	Dounreay	1975	250

The Government are reviewing thermal reactor choice for future orders.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether, in the light of the Report of the Steering Committee on Resource Allocations in Wales, he will now make the necessary resources available to the Dyfed Area Health Authority to enable it to retain the county hospital at Haverfordwest.

I shall be meeting a deputation from the authority on 19th May to hear its representations for additional resources for this purpose. The

The following reactors have been, or are being, installed at nuclear power stations operated by the CEGB, and SSEB which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland:enhanced allocation made to Dyfed AHA for 1977–78 already gives effect to the recommendations in the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales why leukaemia, which was formerly classified as a regional speciality, has been removed from the list of prescribed specialties as set out in the document on resource allocation for Wales.

Because, with the appointment of an increasing number of consultant haematologists in Wales treatment for leukaemia is now normally available in most district general hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he sought counsel's opinion on the Porthmadog Cob Tollgate; on what date he received counsel's reply; and what steps have subsequently been taken to make progress with this matter.

Counsel's opinion was originally sought last August 1976 and received in October. Following correspondence with the solicitors for the toll owners further advice was sought in January and received in February. There has been further correspondence and another letter from the solicitors received within the last few days is now being considered.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether it is his policy that holders of the licence of the University College at Buckingham should not be eligible to enter graduate competition for appointment to the Civil Service; and whether he will make a statement.

The responsibility for assessing and approving academic qualifications for entry to the Civil Service rests with the Civil Service Commissioners, who have discussed the question of recognition with the University College at Buckingham. I understand that they have told the college authorities that it is as yet too early for them to accept any equivalence between the college licence and degrees awarded by United Kingdom universities or validated by the Council for National Academic Awards. The Commissioners have undertaken to review their decision in due course, and to do so in any case if the college were to be granted a charter.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will publish in the Official Report the figures showing the achievement of each Government Department in recruiting registered disabled people during 1976 which he gave in a letter to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South.

The figures, which I gave in a letter to my hon. Friend showing the number of unemployed registered disabled persons recruited by Departments in 1976 to non-industrial posts in the Civil Service, are as follows:

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	2
Ministry of Defence	9
Department of Employment	1
Export Credits Guarantee Department	1
Office of Fair Trading	1
Department of Health and Social Security	12
Inland Revenue	8
Department for National Savings	6
Training Services Agency	1
HM Treasury	1
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	1

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many places at the Civil Service College are currently and were in each of the past five years taken by persons not employed in the Civil Service; and what proportion this represents of the total numbers attending courses during this period.

So far in the current academic year, 1976–77, 759 people not employed in the Civil Service have attended courses and seminars run by the Civil Service College. This represents 12·9 per cent. of the total numbers attending the college during this period. Of these total numbers, many would have been on courses not likely to be useful except to civil servants.In the preceding five years, the total numbers attending have been as follows:

Academic Year	Number of non-civil servants attending Civil Service College courses	Proportion of the total numbers attending Per cent.
1975–76	1,445	13·5
1974–75	1,425	13·8
1973–74	1,068	11·3
1972–73	1,123	13·0
1971–72	915	11·0

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if it is the policy of his Department to instruct the Government Hospitality Fund not to purchase goods or supplies from any supplier or manufacturer where there is an industrial dispute.

No.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if, pursuant to information supplied to the hon. Member for Christ-church and Lymington in his letter dated 2nd May 1977, he will indicate whether any hotels or catering establishments are currently barred from use by the Government Hospitality Fund due to the presence of circumstances that might cause embarrassment to guests of Her Majesty's Government; and if he will list all such establishments.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Moss Side (Mr. Hatton) on 3rd May. No hotels or catering establishments are specifically barred from use by the Government Hospitality Fund.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what was the cost of (a) pay settlements and (b) increased payments of employer's national insurance contributions in respect of staff of HMSO in the period 1973–74 to 1976–77.

In the period 1973–74 to 1976–77 the cost of pay settlements was £11·1 million and increases in payments of employer's national insurance contributions amounted to £1·4 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grants are paid from public funds to the Albany Trust; for what purposes and on what conditions; and if he will list the governing body of the Trust and its terms of reference.

The Home Office Voluntary Services Unit makes a grant towards the central administrative costs of the Albany Trust and I understand that the Department of Education and Science is making a temporary grant for the employment of a full-time youth officer. Both grants are made subject to the usual departmental conditions relating to reports and accountability. Details of the governing body of the trust and its objectives are available from the trust.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the report "Feasibility of an Experiment in the Tape-Recording of Police Interrogation", Command Paper No. 6630, since he received the report in October; if he is now in a position to take action on the report; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to his Question on 31st March.—[Vol. 929, c. 199.] My Department is awaiting the remaining comments on the report from those whose views have been particularly invited; a reminder has been issued. Meanwhile, we are considering the helpful, though divergent, comments already received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if it is his policy to issue firearms certificates to those threatened with attack by the Irish Republican Army or other organisations;(2) if Sidney John O'Shea, of 54 Eaton Road, Liverpool, a member of West Derby Conservative Club, was issued with a firearm certificate in order to protect himself following threats to the club from the Irish Republican Army.

The issue of a firearms certificate under the Firearms Act 1968 is a matter for the chief officer of police, who has to be satisfied that the applicant has a good reason for purchasing or acquiring and having the firearm in his possession.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in the light of his visit to the Manchester United versus Leeds United match at Sheffield on 23rd April, if he will consider making a supplementary grant to cover the additional cost to the ratepayers of South Yorkshire, estimated at £7,500, of providing police protection for law-abiding citizens.

No. In accordance with the standing arrangements for police grant, the costs of policing will attract a specific grant of 50 per cent. and will also be regarded as relevant expenditure for rate support grant purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the membership of the three-man committee of inquiry that is to review the negotiating machinery for the pay and conditions of the police; and if he has reached agreement among the parties concerned on the terms of reference for this review.

All the bodies represented on the Police Council for the United Kingdom have been invited to take part in the review and have been sent draft terms of reference. A number have still to reply, including the Police Federation of England and Wales I hope that all those concerned will reply as quickly as possible, so that I can set up the review and announce the membership and the terms of reference.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of reported cases of cruelty to animals arising from transportation or treatment in (a) horse and pony markets and (b) cattle, sheep and pig markets in each of the previous three years.

Such statistics are not kept in my Department or in that of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of prosecutions for cruelty to animals other than domestic pets in each of the last five years by counties.

Information in the form requested is not available; it is not possible from the data received centrally to distinguish domestic pets from other animals. Because of changes in police force boundaries comparable figures for counties are not available for the last five years. The total number of persons proceeded against for offences under various Acts dealing with cruelty to Animals is as follows:

1971	…	…	776
1972	…	…	736
1973	…	…	823
1974	…	…	790
1975	…	…	922

For 1975 the following table shows the statistics by police force area:

PERSONS PROCEEDED AGAINST FOR OFFENCES UNDER VARIOUS CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ACTS—BY POLICE FORCE AREA
ENGLAND AND WALES 1975
Police Force Area			No. of Persons
Avon and Somerset	…	…	32
Bedfordshire	…	…	10
Cambridgeshire	…	…	6
Cheshire	…	…	19
Cleveland	…	…	34
Cumbria	…	…	11
Derbyshire	…	…	24
Devon and Cornwall	…	…	29
Dorset	…	…	5
Durham	…	…	13
Essex	…	…	21
Gloucestershire	…	…	16
Greater Manchester	…	…	50
Hampshire	…	…	41
Hertfordshire	…	…	9
Humberside	…	…	18
Kent	…	…	28
Lancashire	…	…	25
Leicestershire	…	…	17
Lincolnshire	…	…	9
London City	…	…	2
Merseyside	…	…	28
Metropolitan Police District	…	…	25
Norfolk	…	…	12
Northamptonshire	…	…	11
Northumbria	…	…	13
North Yorkshire	…	…	22
Nottinghamshire	…	…	30
South Yorkshire	…	…	37
Staffordshire	…	…	28
Suffolk	…	…	8
Surrey	…	…	7
Sussex	…	…	31
Thames Valley	…	…	16
Warwickshire	…	…	14
West Mercia	…	…	32
West Midlands	…	…	43
West Yorkshire	…	…	38
Wiltshire	…	…	10
England	…	…	824
Dyfed Powys	…	…	19
Gwent	…	…	19
North Wales	…	…	21
South Wales	…	…	39
Wales	…	…	98
England and Wales	…	…	922

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications to remain in the United Kingdom on the grounds of marriage had been received but not decided when the new rules relating to marriages of convenience came into force on 22nd March.

We do not keep records in a form which provides this information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the year ended 1st April 1977 how many urban aid applications were concerned with play projects run by voluntary organisations; what percentage were funded; and what proportion this was of the total urban aid budget.

The information is being assembled and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the cost of providing a new set of doctor's stamps for prescription forms which include the GPC area concerned, as against the saving due to the cessation of printing headed prescription forms for each GPC area.

The once and for all cost of providing new stamps is estimated to have been about £30,000. Direct savings in printing costs from the introduction of a standardised form are estimated as £6,000 per annum. To this must be added unquantifiable savings from simplified handling and storage and greater flexibility in use.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the new National Health Service prescription form 7P 10 Rev 76 is longer than the old one.

To meet the wish of the representatives of the medical profession for an increase in the prescribing area on the form. The current size is the most economic non-international stationery size.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the assessment for retraining facilities operated by his Department for physically and mentally handicapped persons; and if he will make a statement.

Retraining in social and daily living skills is provided by medical rehabilitation departments in hospitals and by local authorities and voluntary bodies. For mentally handicapped persons social and work training is provided either in local authority adult training centres or in hospitals for the mentally handicapped. As with other health and social services demand is not evenly met in all areas and there are shortages of trained staff. In my Department's advice on priorities for the health and personal social services, having regard to limitations on growth of public expenditure, the development of rehabilitation services in general and of occupation and training facilities for the mentally handicapped has been recommended as a priority.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the number of serving police officers receiving supplementary or other benefits from his Department.

I regret the information is not available, but I would remind the hon. Member that a person in full-time work is not eligible for supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out the average times taken by ambulances on both emergency and non-emergency journeys from Abbey Wood, Belvedere and Plumstead to the Brook, Greenwich District and St. Nicholas hospitals over any recent seven-day period, differentiating between peak and off-peak traffic periods.

I regret that journey details are not recorded in this form; and the information could not be obtained without disproportionate expenditure and effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of the total population was represented by those aged under 16 years, in each year since 1945.

The figures for the United Kingdom are estimated to be as follows:

Mid Year				Percentage of Population Aged Under 16
1945	…	…	…	22·5
1946	…	…	…	22·5
1947	…	…	…	23·0
1948	…	…	…	23·3
1949	…	…	…	23·5
1950	…	…	…	23·6
1951	…	…	…	23·8
1952	…	…	…	23·9
1953	…	…	…	24·0
1954	…	…	…	24·0
1955	…	…	…	24·1
1956	…	…	…	24·3
1957	…	…	…	24·4
1958	…	…	…	24·5
1959	…	…	…	24·6
1960	…	…	…	24·6
1961	…	…	…	24·8
1962	…	…	…	24·9
1963	…	…	…	24·8
1964	…	…	…	24·7
1965	…	…	…	24·8
1966	…	…	…	24·9
1967	…	…	…	25·0
1968	…	…	…	25·3
1969	…	…	…	25·4
1970	…	…	…	25·4
1971	…	…	…	25·5
1972	…	…	…	25·5
1973	…	…	…	25·4
1974	…	…	…	25·1
1975	…	…	…	24·9
1976	…	…	…	24·5

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what sum has been allocated in the current estimates to research into the problems of multiple sclerosis.

Research on multiple sclerosis from Government funds is carried out mainly by the Medical Research Council from support by the health departments and the Department of Education and Science. Estimated expenditure by the Council in 1976–77 directly related to the disease was £829,000. Estimated expenditure in 1977–78 cannot be forecast but the Council anticipates it will remain at about that level.In addition to research directly related to the disease the Council also supports a substantial amount of work under other headings which may be of considerable relevance.Research directly related to the disease and under other headings which may be of relevance is also undertaken in universities and medical schools but details of the sums involved are not known centrally.The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland also promotes research from its own funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether there is any rule-of-thumb formula relating to the age structure of the population to public expenditure on social services programmes, assuming that the levels of provision remain broadly as at present.

There is no formula which links public expenditure provision for the personal social services with age structure. But as indicated in the White Paper "The Government's Expenditure Plans" (Cmnd. 6721) it is the Government's policy to maintain existing standards of service and demographic change is one of the factors taken into account in broad terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied that the provision of grants for students qualifying in the social sciences is sufficient, having regard to the increasing and widening responsibilities and demands of his Department, calling for an increase in the number of specialised social workers; and if he will make a statement.

About 40 per cent. of field social workers hold a professional social work qualification and in residential and day services the percentage is much smaller. I am anxious to see an increase in the percentage of qualified staff, but in the present economic circumstances progress must be slower than I would wish. I have however been able to allocate a further £500,000 from my Department's budget this year, to increase by about 300 the number of grants the Department will make to graduate students accepted on courses leading to the certificate of qualification in social work. I hope that, despite the difficulties with which they are faced, local authorities in England and Wales will be able to avoid a reduction in the number of non-graduate students they support this year and will increase their support in the future as their resources may allow.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the value of personal assets above which pensioners may be debarred from receiving supplementary benefits; and how this figure has increased since the schemes' introduction.

There is no fixed amount of capital which debars a person from receiving supplementary benefit. With capital of £1,250 or more a notional income is assumed and set against the claimant's supplementary benefit requirements and these may be greater or less than the assumed income. The Supplementary Benefits Commission's annual report for 1975 pages 24 and 25 contains a fuller explanation of the treatment of capital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many marriage guidance councillors will receive training in the treatment of sexual difficulties under the scheme of the National Marriage Guidance Council which is being supported out of public funds; how long their training will last; and what qualifications they will already be expected to have.

About 100 by the end of the current three-year project; one year of basic training and a further year of close supervision: National Marriage Guidance Council training and experience and the recommendation of their local National Marriage Guidance Council tutor.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what would be the extra cost of allowing periods where persons are in receipt of a national insurance benefit or non-contributory benefit for those not in work to count towards the qualifying period for the long-term supplementary benefit rate if the long-term rate were paid to all claimants under pensionable age after (a) two years, (b) one year and (c) six months;(2) what would be the extra cost of paying the long-term rate of supplementary benefit to all claimants under pensionable age after six months on benefit.

Information regarding the length of time a person was in receipt of some other benefit before claiming supplementary benefit is not recorded centrally and no estimate of the cost which would be incurred if that period was allowed to be counted towards the qualifying period for the long-term supplementary benefit rate can be given. The additional cost in 1976–77 of paying the long-term rate to all claimants under pensionable age after the receipt of supplementary benefit for only six months would be of the order of £70 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the approximate income accruing to his Department as a result of reduction in pension paid to retirement pensioners after eight weeks' stay in normal hospitals.

Information is not available as to the numbers of people in different categories of hospital who are actually receiving retirement pension. The reductions in retirement pension for retirement pensioners in all hospitals is estimated to amount to about £46 million in a full year at present benefit rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether officials of his Department have the power to make bank managers reveal the state of bank accounts of persons on, or asking to go on, social security benefits; and if he will make a statement.

No, but a claimant is required to satisfy the Supplementary Benefits Commission as to his financial circumstances and, if he has a bank account, this involves either producing a bank statement or giving his authority for the Commission to approach his bank.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to publish the report of the recent survey on sick pay schemes.

We hope to publish the report in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount paid to private contractors in respect of work carried out for his department in the last financial year.

I regret that information about the total payments made to private contractors for work of various kinds and chargeable to Departmental Votes cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost. Payments embrace a wide variety of contractual arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has now met the Environment Health Officers Association to discuss hygiene standards in hospital kitchens; what action he intends to take; and if he will make a statement.

Officials of the Welsh Office and of my Department met representatives of the Environmental Health Officers Association on 27th April. It was agreed that new arrangements will be developed to enable prompt and effective action to be taken at hospitals where the standards of food hygiene are found to fall below those laid down by the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations. New guidance will be published by the Department on food hygiene in hospitals and officials of my Department and the Welsh Office will continue to keep in close contact with the association.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will reconsider the decision which makes it impossible for an invalid who has opted to have a tricycle since 1st January 1976 to receive the no-age-limit mobility allowance.

No. Those who have claimed, under the new arrangements in operation from January 1976, whether claiming a tricycle or a mobility allowance, have done so subject to and in full knowledge of the upper age-limit laid down for mobility allowance. They are in a quite different position, therefore, from those with reserved rights under the old scheme. It would be inconsistent and unfair to remove the upper age-limit for tricycle optants alone; and removing it generally would be prohibitively expensive.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now amend paragraph 3(1)(b) of the Mobility Allowance Regulations SI 1975 No. 1573 to include all persons who are advised by their doctor that they must not walk; and if he will make a statement.

Mobility allowance is payable to anyone who is within the prescribed age-limits and who is unable or virtually unable to walk because of physical disablement; who is likely to remain so for at least a year; and who can benefit from the allowance. Regulation 3(1)(b) of the Mobility Allowance Regulations provides that a person shall be treated as unable or virtually unable to walk if the exertion required to walk would constitute a danger to his life or would be likely to lead to a serious deterioration in his health. If the age and duration conditions are satisfied, then any person who is not allowed to walk, because the medical advice is that the exertion required to do so would constitute a danger to his life, or would be likely to lead to a serious deterioration in his health, is likely to qualify without any amendment of the regulations. If my hon. Friend has a particular case or point in mind, however, I shall be glad to have it considered and to write to him.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements he has made with the Renault Company for the purchase and conversion of cars for use by disabled drivers; and if he will make a statement.

The Department buys Renault 4s on discount terms as required for issue to elegible disabled persons for whom our standard issue car, the British Leyland Mini, is not suitable and for whom a Renault 4 is medically prescribed. Any necessary adaptations of the foot controls to hand operation is carried out by a specialist firm—Reselco Ltd. of Hammersmith—which has been under contract to the Department for such work for many years. At present, there are about 500 Renault 4s on issue to eligible disabled persons in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the proposed closure of Liverpool Mill Road Maternity Hospital, details of which has been sent to him by

ALLOCATIONS TO AREA HEALTH AUTHORITIES
(£ million)
			Regional Health Authority Allocation	Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham (T)	Greenwich and Bexley	Bromley	East Sussex	Kent
1974–75	…	…	208·754	64·584	28·700	15·967	29·552	67·327
1975–76	…	…	279·587	89·487	37·372	20·803	39·014	88·759
1976–77	…	…	317·940	101·666	42·076	23·173	45·612	99·884
1977–78	…	…	352·261	112·031	46·498	25·117	51·475	109·998

ALLOCATED EXPENDITURE PER HEAD OF POPULATION
(£)
			Regional Health Authority Allocation	Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham (T)	Greenwich and Bexley	Bromley	East Sussex	Kent
1974–75	…	…	57·6	64·6	65·9	55·7	49·9	45·2
1975–76	…	…	77·6	98·2	91·7	77·2	68·7	63·1
1976–77	…	…	88·9	111·2	103·2	86·0	80·3	71·0
1977–78	…	…	98·5	121·8	114·0	93·2	90·6	78·2

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the financial allocations for 1977–78 by the South-East Thames Regional Health Authority to its area health authorities satisfy the principles laid down by the Resource Allocation Working Party; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the regional health authority has considered,

It would be inappropriate to comment until such time as the health authorities have completed their local consultations and discussions. I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the revenue allocation to the South-East Thames Regional Health Authority for 1977–78; what sums have been allocated to each area health authority in the region; what these represent in terms of finance per head of population; and how these figures compare with the last three years.

The revenue allocations are as follows:in accordance with the principles recommended by the Resource Allocation Working Party, what the eventual pattern of distribution of resources within the region might be. It considered however, having regard to the Press statement made by my right hon. Friend on 21st December 1976 and to guidance given by my Department on allocations within Regions, that in 1977–78 a breathing space was needed to meet immediate commitments and make possible proper planning for the rationalisation of services in relation to need. My Department will be discussing with the RHA the effect of its decisions upon the services in the region.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the consultative machinery set up to consider hospital closures; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has issued guidance to health authorities on procedures to be followed for proposed closures, including arrangements for consultation. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. The procedures generally are operating satisfactorily, but if my hon. Friend is concerned about consultation arrangements in any particular case, I shall be glad to consider the position if he will let me have details.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he can now give a date for the opening of the new Liverpool Teaching Hospital.

The hospital is now expected to open towards the end of 1978.

asked the Secretary of State fo Social Services (1) what obstetric facilities will be provided at the new Liverpool Teaching Hospital;(2) if he is satisfied with the provision of prenatal and antenatal facilities which will be provided at the new Liverpool Teaching Hospital.

No such facilities will be provided at the new hospital. The region's strategic plan envisages that obstetric, antenatal and post-natal facilities for Liverpool will be provided at Broadgreen, Liverpool Maternity and Sefton General Hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give the number of National Health Service staff leaving the service because of psychiatric assessment during the periods 1973–74, 1974–75 and 1975–76 by category; male and female, nurses and professional staff and technical staff;(2) what is the number of National Health Service staff who have been forced to leave the service because of psychiatric assessment during the periods 1973–74, 1974–75 and 1975–76.

There are no figures available centrally for the number of staff leaving the National Health Service on account of psychiatric assessment. But if my hon. Friend has a particular difficulty in mind and he would write to me with details I would be happy to have it looked into.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposes to make regulations governing the pension rights of people with home responsibilities; and if he will make a statement.

Regulations for this purpose under the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 will be laid before the House before the Summer Recess. It is intended that they will prescribe as a year of home responsibility any complete tax year in which a contributor is receiving child benefit for a child under the age of 16, is looking after a relative receiving attendance allowance or constant attendance allowance, or is receiving supplementary benefit to enable him or her to stay at home to look after an incapacitated or elderly relative. Any wider definition of home responsibility has, for the time being, to be ruled out on grounds of administrative cost.When it comes to calculating the basic pension, years of home responsibility will be deducted from the number in which a contributor must pay contributions, or have them credited, in order to secure pension at the full rate. However, it will not be possible to derive a full pension from a smaller number of years of contributions than the minimum laid down in the Act, nor will the regulations apply to women who are maintaining a current option to pay reduced-rate contributions. Where a person has some record or contributions or credits in a year which can also be reckoned as a year of home responsibility, the regulations will allow that year to count for pension purposes in whichever way is more favourable.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish an analysis of the figures given in his reply to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury on 4th May for the savings resulting from the closure of one ward at St. Mark's Hospital, showing how much is saved for each kind of expenditure avoided, such as on nurses' wages, heating, drugs, and on other things.

The estimated savings are as follows:

	£ per month
Nursing Staff	2,934
Administrative and Clerical Staff	750
Ancillary Staff	1,633
Medical and Surgical Supplies	258
Drugs	125
Provisions	150
Linen and Laundry	150
Total	£6,000

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of patients not admitted to St. Mark's Hospital during 1977 because of the closure of one ward; how many of these have consequently been treated in other hospitals; and whether this factor has been taken into account in calculating his figure of £6,000 a month as the savings resulting from the closure of the ward.

In comparison with the first three months of last year 84 fewer patients have been discharged from St. Mark's Hospital in the first three months of this year. The number of patients admitted to other hospitals because of bed closures at St. Mark's is not known and no account should be taken of them in calculations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report (a) how many wards in the following hospitals contain private beds: St. Bartholomew's, St. Mark's, St. Matthew's, Eastern, Hackney and German, (b) how many of the wards containing private beds are now closed and (c) how many wards containing National Health Service beds are currently closed in each hospital.

I will let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of appeals by widows accused under the cohabitation rule before the Supplementary Benefits Tribunal and the National Insurance Local Tribunal, respectively, during the years 1974, 1975 and 1976 were successful; and how many were represented.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 27th April 1977; Vol. 930, c. 341], gave the following additional information:The statistics for the supplementary benefit appeal tribunals do not distinguish between sex and marital status and the figures in the first paragraph of my reply relate to all claimants where cohabitation was in question and not solely to widows.

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services what was the expenditure per head of the population by central Government on the National Health Service for the years 1970 to 1976.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services for how many children child's special allowance is paid.

Awards of child's special allowance current on 31st December 1976 covered about 1,100 children.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services for how many children guardians' allowance is paid.

About 5,300.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services for how many children an allowance is paid under Section 70 of the Social Security Act 1975, relating to children to the deceased under industrial death benefit.

Allowances were in payment for 11,576 children on 1st June 1976, the latest date for which figures are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a comprehensive and detailed list of charges currently made for pay-beds within the NHS.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 4th May 1977; Vol. 931, c. 211–12], gave the following additional information:The following acute and other hospitals in teaching districts are also included in Class C:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what are the current regulations or other rules in respect of authorised helicopter air corridors over built-up area of London, other than those designated over or near to the River Thames; and if he will make a statement concerning helicopter safety in the London area.

The general arrangements for the regulation and routing of helicopter flights in the London area are matters which fall within the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority and I have drawn the attention of the Chairman of the Authority to my hon. Friend's inquiry. With regard to the safety of helicopter flights in the London area, this is also a matter for Authority, and I have been assured that the helicopter route structure in the London control zone has been designed to ensure that in the event of a failure of a power unit a helicopter can alight in an open space. In the Greater London area, as in other built-up areas, helicopters are required to fly at a specified height, clear of obstacles, from which they can alight without danger to persons or property on the surface in the event of a power unit failure. These requirements have been satisfactory but, nevertheless, the subject is kept under continuous review.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish a list of the vacancies for membership of the boards of public corporations for which he is sponsoring authority which have been advertised publicly in the last five years.

No such vacancies have been advertised.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the profit or loss on the operations of the Export Credits Guarantee Department for each of the last five years.

The Department's financial objective on the credit insurance operations representing its main trading activity is to operate at no net cost to the Consolidated Fund after providing such reserves against its liabilities as may be agreed with the Treasury. Since 1974 these operations have produced the following results:

	1974–75	1975–76
Increment to reserves (£m)
Section 1	29·2	19·2
Section 2	21·2	21·7
Value of reserves (£m)
Section 1	152	171·2
Section 2	109·8	131·5
Reserve as percentage of amount at risk at year end
Section 1	2·8	2·4
Section 2	4·2	4·2

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the total value of exports to Chile in 1976; what was the corresponding figure for Chilean imports; and what are the figures to date for 1977.

United Kingdom exports to Chile in 1976 and January to March 1977 were £36 million and £7 million fob, respectively, while imports into the United Kingdom were valued at £81 million and £20 million cif, respectively. These figures are published in the "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom" copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he is satisfied that Hong Kong carriers such as Cathay Pacific are adequately protected from retaliation in the light of United Kingdom withdrawal from the Bermuda agreement concerning fifth freedom rights previously granted to American and Thai airlines to pick up passengers in Hong Kong.

Yes. In our negotiations with the United States and with Thailand we take full account of the interests of Cathay Pacific.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the estimated benefit to the United Kingdom balance of payments derived from negotiated landing rights at Kaitak airport in Hong Kong.

The principal beneficiary from negotiated landing rights at Hong Kong is Hong Kong itself from the trade and tourism which air services facilitate and from the very substantial revenues earned by the Hong Kong-based airline, Cathay Pacific Airways. It is not possible to give other than a best approximation of the benefits accruing to the United Kingdom balance of payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will establish an inquiry into the insolvency of Morgan Heating Services (South West) Limited and the closure of its Bristol branch.

Insolvency is not regarded as a ground for an investigation under the Companies Acts. Nevertheless, if my hon. Friend will let me have all the relevant facts he has about this company it will be considered, together with other information available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the increase or decrease in the first quarter of 1977 in volume terms of (a) British exports and (b) imports into Great Britain of finished and semi-finished manufactured goods.

Following is the information:

VOLUME OF UNITED KINGDOM EXPORTS AND IMPORTS
(Overseas trade statistics basis)
	Percentage Change† Q1 1977 on Q4 1976
	Exports	Imports*
Finished manufactures	-2½	+3½
Semi-manufactures	+2½	+2½
† Based on seasonally adjusted data.
* The percentage changes for imports are likely to be overstated as a result of difficulties in allowing fully in the seasonal adjustment for the effects of the 1976–77 Christmas/New Year holiday period. Exports are probably little affected.

Source: Tables B13 and E7 of the April issue of "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics".

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether Hong Kong will be separately represented at the next round of talks within GATT on the Multi-Fibre Arrangement, or whether the Hong Kong delegation will sit as part of the United Kingdom delegation.

I will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will report on the progress being made in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotiations, and in the negotiations on a new Multifibre Arrangement.

At the Downing Street Summit Conference in London at the weekend it was agreed that a new impetus should be given to the GATT negotiations and that the objective should be to achieve substantive progress in key areas this year. As regards the renegotiation of the multi-fibre arrangement, the Community is now agreed on its general objectives but has yet to reach a final decision on the method it should propose to deal with the problem of cumulative disruption.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what explicit Government requirements will be satisfied by the statistical inquiry into catering being carried out by the Business Statistics Office for 1977.

Information is needed for estimates of consumers' expenditure, capital expenditure, stocks and output included in the national accounts. It will provide firm estimates as the bases for the published quarterly series of capital expenditure and catering turnover, together with Information on purchases by the catering trade from other industries which will be used in the construction of input-output tables. It will also provide information on the structure of the catering trade as shown by the number and turnover of different kinds of establishments, and on its size in the separate countries of England, Scotland and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what explicit outside-of-Government user requirements will be satisfied by the statistical inquiry into catering being carried out by the Business Statistics Office for 1977; and which questions are included for which there is no explicit Government requirement.

It will provide information about the structure of the catering trade to which parts of the trade attach importance. The breakdown of turnover by commodity groups is of interest to market researchers and to some catering trade users. The firm base provided by this inquiry for the quarterly series of catering turnover is also of importance to some catering trade users. The needs of the tourist boards for separate country information on catering turnover are met by the inquiry. No questions are included for which there is no explicit Government requirement.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what effect on the balance of payments he estimates will have resulted from the loss of car exports caused by the recent disputes at British Leyland.

I do not consider that any reliable estimate can be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what are the criteria for the presentation of the Queen's Awards to Industry for Export.

The criteria which applicants for the Queen's Award for Export Achievement have to meet are set out in paragraph 29 of the Report of the 1975 Review Committee on the Queen's Award to Industry. A copy of the report is available in the Library; I am also sending a copy to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if, as part of the renegotiation of the Bermuda Agreement, he will seek to withdraw all traffic rights for non-stop flights between New York (John F. Kennedy) and British airports until Concorde has obtained landing rights to John F. Kennedy Airport in accordance with current treaty obligations; and if he will encourage the French Government to take similar steps concerning traffic rights between John F. Kennedy Airport and French airports.

I do not think it would be helpful if I were to disclose to the House my tactics for the concluding stages of the renegotiation of the Bermuda Agreement. As for the intentions of the French Government, it is not for me to speak. I am, of course, in close touch with them.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what are the latest figures for bankruptcies and liquidations; and by what percentage they exceed or fall short of the average for 1972 and 1973, respectively.

In the 12 months ending 31st March 1977 there were 6,529 receiving and administration orders and 5,911 company liquidations in England and Wales. These exceeded the averages of 1972 and 1973 by 62 per cent. and 110 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether it is now his intention to bring forward revised proposals for employee participation before the end of the present Session of Parliament.

We shall bring forward legislative proposals this Session.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what net contribution he expects tourism to make to the British balance of payments in the current financial year.

The Government do not publish forecasts of tourism earnings and expenditure. The latest published figures, relating to the calendar year 1976, have already been supplied to my hon. Friend.