asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of people in full-time employment in December 1975 and December 1976 whose income was not more than 10 per cent. above the appropriate supplementary benefit level.

It is estimated that in December 1975 there were about 300,000 families in Great Britain, in which the head of the family was under pension age, in full-time employment or self-employed, and the family's net income was not more than 10 per cent. above supplementary benefit level. Information is not yet available for December 1976.This estimate is rounded to the nearest 10,000 and is subject to sampling error. It is based on an analysis by the Department of Health and Social Security of Family Expenditure Survey data for 1975. The Family Expenditure Survey refers to the household population only.The supplementary benefit level is taken as being the supplementary benefit scale rate appropriate to the family. This is compared with the family's net income less net housing costs, less work expenses.The estimate does not indicate unclaimed entitled to supplementary benefit since persons in full-time work are not normally eligible to claim.The comparison is based on the family's normal income in the normal employment situation of the head. The estimate might, therefore, include families where the head has been off work due to sickness or unemployment for less than three months, if the family income when the head was at work was below supplementary benefit level.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average weekly payment by the Supplementary Benefits Commission to heads of households over pensionable age, excluding that part of supplementary benefit payable in respect of rent and rates.

Information is not available in the form requested, but in February 1977 the average suplementary benefit payment to all supplementary pensioners with insurance benefits was £6·10 and to those without £18·17. The average rent addition for supplementary pensioner householders was £4·89.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will estimate the average level of national insurance retirement pensions received by single supplementary pensioners at the latest date for which figures are available.

£13·10 in December 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate how many single supplementary pensioners received weekly supplementary benefit, excluding that part of supplementary benefit upayable in respect of rent and rates of less than £1·50.

This information is not available and a reliable estimate could be made only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the locations of drug addiction clinics in the area of the East Anglian Regional Health Authority; and how many new cases were recorded at each clinic in the last year for which records are available.

Drug addiction clinics in the East Anglian Health Region are located at Burnet Place, Cambridge, and at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, Norfolk. Drug addiction patients are also treated in the Psychiatric Department of the Peterborough District Hospital.In the year ending 31st December 1976 the number of new patients treated at Burnet Place, Cambridge, was 14.The clinic at Norwich is a combined one for the treatment of both alcoholics and drug addicts and no breakdown of the overall number of new patients treated is available; the combined figure is, however, 20.Information about the number of the new patients treated for drug adiction in the Psychiatric Department of Peterborough District Hospital is not readily available but I am in touch with the Cambridgeshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) about this, and as soon as I hear from it I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of drug addiction were being treated at the Peterborough District Hospital's special clinic at the last count; and how many of the patients gave addresses outside the area of Peterborough City Council.

The information is not readily available but I am in touch with the Cambridgeshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) about this and as soon as I hear from it I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average waiting time for admission for orthopaedic surgery for each hospital in (a) Birmingham Area Health Authority and (b) Staffordshire Area Health Authority.

In 1975, the latest year for which figures are available, the average waiting times were:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the Acts or regulations which are the responsibility of his Department where full-time or part-time work is defined; and what is the definition used in each case.

The only definitions of "full-time" and "part-time" work are in Regulation 5 of the Family Income Supplements (General) Regulations 1971 (S.I. 1971 No. 226). This prescribes the circumstances in which a person is to be treated as being, or as not being, engaged and is normally engaged in remunerative full-time work. The test is whether he is and is normally enagged in remunerative work for not less than 30 hours a week.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the catchment area of the Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield, is greater or less than the average for the region; and whether the waiting lists for non-urgent surgical operations are greater or less than the average for the region.

The catchment population is about 248,000, including Lichfield and Tamworth, compared with a regional average for health districts of about 235,000. In 1975, the latest year for which figures are available, the average waiting time for submission to hospital for non-urgent surgical cases was:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of pharmaceutical products is produced from within Scotland; and what are the numbers of people in the United Kingdom and Scotland so employed.

A census of production of the pharmaceutical chemicals and preparations industry carried out in 1972 showed that the net output in Scotland in that year totalled £2·796 million compared with a total net output of £326·807 million in the whole United Kingdom. The Census of Employment for 1975 showed that in June 1975 there were 3,300 employees in the industry in Scotland compared with 76,200 in the United Kingdom. More up to date figures are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimates his Department has made of the likely rate of closure of independent pharmacies over the next five years.

Current pharmacy closure rates, which have recently shown signs of abating, cannot be projected reliably, because of the number of different factors, which singly, or in combination, may lead to closure.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average profit for a pharmacist per prescription and the average profit per pharmacy of National Health Service prescribing, expressed in constant values in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Following are the figures, at 1972 values:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will investigate the conditions of the Birmingham and Midland Accident Hospital with particular reference to the patients and staff who are at risk.

No. I am aware that conditions are less than satisfactory, but the Birmingham Area Health Authority (Teaching) knows of no evidence that patients and staff are at risk. If my hon. Friend has any evidence to the contrary I will gladly have it investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has yet issued guidance to health authorities on precautions to be taken to protect the health and safety of hospital staff working in operating theatres.

My Department gave general guidance on the implications of the Health and Safety at work etc. Act 1974 for health authorities at the time when the Act first came into force in April 1975. Specific guidance on how to reduce the pollution of operating departments and certain other areas by waste anaesthetic gases was given in a circular issued in July 1976, which advised authorities that any necessary capital works required under this circular should be put in hand during the 1976–77 financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of benefits paid by his Department by way of a loan has in fact been repaid in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether families where the father is on invalidity benefit and has transferred his tax allowances to his wife who is working are 70p a week worse off as a result of child benefit; how many families are thus affected; and what action he intends to take.

In order to be affected in the way my hon. Friend suggests an invalidity pensioner would have to have a wife who earned a substantial amount. Taking a family with one child, the joint income including invalidity benefit and the wife's earnings would have to exceed £67.95 a week before tax liability could arise. By contrast, a married man whose earnings are the sole support of himself, his wife and child would pay up to £14 a week by way of income tax out of a £68 wage.The number of invalidity pensioners with a wife who earns over £42.80 a

This information is not available, as records of recoverable payments of benefit are not kept centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the regional headquarters of his Department and give the number of local offices in each region.

As follows:week—the amount of wife's earnings included in the figure of £67.95—is thought to be about 30,000. But given that only about one-third of married invalidity pensioners have dependent children, and that a wife is less likely to be in a full-time job if she has dependent children than if she has not, the number of families actually affected may be of the order of 10,000.In all the circumstances, and given the relative tax positions, we do not consider that any special action is called for.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether every social security claimant has a right to demand a written explanation showing how his or her benefit is calculated.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) why there is a difference of timing between the proposed dates for reopening the closed wards of St. Mark's Hospital and the other closed wards in the same district;(2) what additional costs per month will result from the opening of Fournier Ward at St. Mark's Hospital;(3) what is his estimate of the increased cost under the heading of administration and clerical in his previous replies which will fall on St. Mark's Hospital when Fournier Ward is reopened;(4) what is the ratio between his figure for the savings accruing from Fournier Ward at St. Mark's Hospital, being closed in a given month and the costs of its being open in the same month.

The timing of ward reopening in the City and Hackney District is a matter for district decision in the light of its priorities. An estimate of the cost associated with reopening Fournier Ward is £6,000 per month. A more accurate figure would require disproportionate expenditure of time and effort. The estimated figure of £6,000 includes the cost of one part-time member of both catering and medical records staffs and one member of the clerical staff at St. Mark's. Recruitment of all or some of these and the gradings required are now under consideration, and an exact ratio of reopening costs to previously estimated closure savings cannot, therefore, be calculated.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, as a way of reducing the NHS drugs bill, he has considered arranging for general practitioners to be visited regularly by well-informed doctors or pharmacists in order to complement the information about drugs which general practitioners receive from other sources.

One of the functions of my Department's Regional Medical Service is to visit doctors and give advice about prescribing where appropriate. The measures for promoting economies in the drug bill currently being discussed with the medical profession include devising ways of improving the quality and quantity of the information provided to doctors. I hope to widen these discus- sions in due course so as to include the pharmaceutical profession.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence he has that local authorities have cut the provision of services made for disabled people under the terms of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970; and if he will make a statement.

There has been a general and consistent increase in the provision of services. Expenditure on aids, adaptations to homes and telephones rose from about £2·8 million in 1972–73, the earliest year for which figures are available, to about £8·8 million in 1975–76. Similarly, other services of which disabled and frail elderly people are the main beneficiaries have shown a marked increase. For example, expenditure on meals on wheels has risen from about £4·5 million to about £12·8 million and, on home helps, from about £37 million to about £90 million over the same period. My hon. Friend may also like to know that the number of households helped under Section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act rose from about 185,000 in the year 1972–73 to about 370,000 in 1975–76.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if his review of the Rent Acts is yet complete; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley) on 18th May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it was his Department's intention by its Circular 45/75 to indicate to local authorities that they should, as a matter of course, release to the Press all information relating to planning applications, in order that the Press may be able to publish details before the committee considered such applications; and what steps have been taken to ensure that local authorities fully understand the intention of this circular.

Circular 45/75 stressed the need for all those concerned in local authority affairs to take postive action to ensure the maximum degree of openness in the conduct of public business. The circular recommended that local authorities should not seek to prevent newspapers publishing comments or reports in advance of meetings by means of an embargo on information they are obliged to supply under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960. This applies to planning matters as much as to other council business.We are not aware that local authorities generally are failing to understand the intention of the circular.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what acreage of land was bought individually by each local authority in England in 1976–77 for housing and other purposes, respectively, under the Community Land Act.

The provisional figures supplied by authorities are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what acreage of land was acquired by local authorities in England in each of the last four financial years for housing and other purposes respectively.

Unfortunately, apart from the information on the acreage of land acquired by local authorities under the Community Land Act, given to my hon. Friend in a separate answer today, there is at present no other reliable information on the acreage of land acquired by local authorities. In the future, information on the acreage of all local authority acquisitions of development land is expected to become available as a by-product of the development land tax returns made to the Inland Revenue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of the Central Excavation Unit of the Inspectorate of his Department in 1976–77; and how much of this was attributable, respectively, to establishment expenses, permanent staff salaries, running costs and services such as the laboratory, drawing and office.

The cost of the Central Excavation Unit in 1976/77 was £112,688. This figure is made up of £3,727 establishment expenses for setting up and running the unit's base at Fort Cumberland; £22,367 permanent staff salaries, including staff providing laboratory and drawing services; £86,594 running costs, including fee paid and volunteer staff, equipment, transport, etc.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many companies have been refused office development permits by the Location of Offices Bureau up to the latest available date in 1977; and what is his estimate of the number of jobs which would have beep created with each application.

The issuing of office development permits is my responsibility and is not the responsibility of the Location of Offices Bureau. In the few years ended 31st March 1977 the number of applications refused were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the light of the judgment given by the Divisional Court on 15th February 1977, in reinvestigation into complaint against Liverpool City Council, he will make a statement about the disclosure to local commissioners of information and documents which in their opinion are relevant to investigations into complaints of alleged maladministration.

The Government fully share the concern expressed by the Commissions for Local Administration in England and Wales and the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland about the practical consequences of the judgment given in this case. It is the Government's intention to seek an appropriate opportunity to amend Section 32(3) of the Local Government Act 1974 and Section 30(3) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 to ensure that local commissioners have an unrestricted right of access to such information and documents as are relevant to the conduct of their investigations. In so doing it will be the Government's intention to achieve a result similar to that achieved by Section 11(3) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 and thus to provide that, whatever restriction a Minister or an authority may seek to impose in the public interest on disclosure by a local commissioner, they must nevertheless supply him with such information and documents as he requires in the course of his investigation.I am confident that pending the introduction of such legislation the authorities subject to investigation under the respective Acts will co-operate to the fullest extent with the local commissioners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes in the staff of the Location of Offices Bureau he anticipates following the bureau's new remit.

The implications of the proposed change in the terms of reference of the Location of Offices Bureau on the Bureau's staffing arrangements are currently under consideration, but no immediate change in the number of staff employed by the Bureau is envisaged.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if recent applicants who have been refused office development permits by the Location of Offices Bureau now have their applications automatically reconsidered following the bureau's new remits.

Office development permits are my responsibility, not that of the Location of Offices Bureau. It is normal for unsuccessful applicants to renew their applications, if they wish to do so, in the light of changes in office development control policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what qualifications are necessary to hold the appointment of Her Majesty's Ambassador in Washington in 1977; and which of these qualifications are held by Mr Peter Jay but not by any serving member of the Diplomatic Service.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to what my right hon. Friend said publicly on the day of his appointment.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has happened to the goods, vehicles and agricultural equipment left by the Turkish Cypriots on British based soil in 1974–75; whether these goods, vehicles and agricultural equipment are being serviced; and when these goods, vehicles and agricultural equipment will be returned to their owners.

The goods, vehicles and agricultural equipment left in the Western Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus by their Turkish Cypriot owners are at present stored in a fenced and protected compound, at Episkopi. Regular surveys of the goods and other equipment are made by the Sovereign Base Area authorities and the heavier vehicles are kept as roadworthy as practicable. Some of the soft goods are, from time to time, condemned on grounds of hygiene and destroyed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the strength of the Belize Police Force and local defence force and what plans he has to strengthen the local defence force.

The Belize Police Force currently numbers 653 men. There is also a Belize Volunteer Guard. We are assisting the Belize Government in the establishment and training of a local defence force.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether bullet-proof cars will be used for the carriage of the Heads of State attending the Commonwealth Conference in general, and for President Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada, in particular.

It is not customary to provide information on security matters of this type.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the £4,500 to be spent by the Government on flags for the Commonwealth Conference is to be spent on Ugandan flags.

The estimated cost is £125.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Libyan Embassy about the inclusion in its diplomatic staff of Ibrahim El Mabruk; and if he will make a statement.

No representations have been made to the Libyan Embassy about the inclusion in its diplomatic staff of Ibrahim El Mabruk. Mr. Mabruk's appointment as a member of the staff at the Libyan Embassy was terminated on 11th March and he left the United Kingdom the same day.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she proposes to take any further action about the use of corporal punishment in schools

My Department has today sent a consultative letter about corporal punishment in schools to a number of interested bodies. The text of the letter is as follows:

• Department of Education and Science
• Elizabeth House, York Road, London, SE1 7PH
• Telegrams Aristides London Telex 23171
• Telephone 01-928 9222 ext

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make a statement about the impending sales of fine art collections in 1977 mentioned in the Adjournment debate on 17th May by the Under-Secretary of State.

I had in mind the sale of objects from Mentmore Towers, and the sales planned for 22nd June and later of books from the John Evelyn Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if it is the practice of the British Library Research and Development Department to approach one organisation which is a potential guarantee indicating its willing- ness to give a grant for a particular project while not approaching other interested bodies; and if she will make a statement.

The British Library's practice in financing research required in the national interest is similar to that of Government Departments. A single organisation may be approached if the amount of money involved is small or if only one organisation has the necessary qualifications.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which authorities had not submitted plans for secondary reorganisation on non-selective lines by Tuesday 24th May; and whether she will make a statement.

Bexley and Kingston have submitted complete and definitive proposals in reply to the Department's letter of 24th November. Buckinghamshire, Essex and Sutton have sent complete but provisional replies containing proposals which are subject to ratification by education committees or councils or both, and I expect to receive a similar reply from Trafford before the end of the month. Redbridge has submitted incomplete proposals. Tameside has not submitted proposals. I am considering what action to take in each case, and my Department will be writing to several of these authorities shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) which former colleges of education, other than Wentworth Castle, she proposes, upon the completion of the current closure programme, for use as centres of adult education and continuing education, in accordance with the suggestion of the Minister of State at Leeds on 14th May 1977;(2) in respect of which former colleges of education, other than Wentworth Castle, she has received proposals from local education authorities or voluntary bodies for the future use of the premises as centres of adult and continuing education.

It would be for the local education authority or voluntary body to make proposals for such uses. My right hon. Friend has received no such proposals except for Wentworth Castle.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, following the recent accident on the Winchester Bypass, he is satisfied that the safety precautions for carrying nuclear fuels in road vehicles are adequate.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to regulations that vehicles carrying nuclear fuels should be given police escort throughout their journey.

The safety of all radio-active material in transit is ensured by the type of packaging used which varies according to the level of radioactivity involved. In the case of irradiated nuclear fuel elements, the flasks used are designed to standards which would enable them to withstand very severe accident conditions involving both impact and fire. Because of these built-in design features it is not considered necessary on safety grounds to regulate for police escorts to be provided.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, following the recent accident on the Winchester Bypass, he is satisfied that the safety precautions for the transport of nuclear fuels by road are adequate; and whether he will make a statement.

Yes. The carriage of all radioactive material in the United Kingdom is governed by stringent regulations and codes of practice, based on internationally agreed standards. This incident involved natural uranium hexafluoride, which, in the radioactive sense, is an innocuous material, and the absence of any spillage is evidence of the adequacy of the packaging used.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new motorway he expects to be built in England during the next 10 years.

On current plans about 450 miles of trunk road motorways.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken to ensure that only amounts properly payable are included in the final account for the Gloucester to Cheltenham contract of the M5, and to seek compensation from Messrs. Freeman Fox and Partners for the additional cost to his Department arising from investigation of the matters reported in House of Commons report HC18.

The matters requiring investigation were shown by HC18 to have involved no question of corruption or fraud, and I should like to take the opportunity for re-emphasising this. It is also appropriate to recall the strongly expressed wish of the then Department of the Environment that part of the works under the Gloucester to Cheltenham contract of the M5 which would effectively permit Tewkesbury to be bypassed should be completed in 12 months in time to handle the summer traffic of 1970, and that the fact that this was achieved reflected credit on all concerned, not least Messrs. Freeman Fox and Partners.When Messrs. Freeman Fox and Partners saw HC18 on its publication and presentation to the House they considered that certain of the Report's findings were inconsistent with the facts as known to them. Discussions were held between Messrs. Freeman Fox and Partners and the Department of the Environment—now Transport—and a number of points were raised by the firm and re-examined with the assistance of Messrs. Corderoy. The outcome of these processes, as agreed between my Department and Messrs. Freeman Fox and Partners, is as follows.First, Messrs. Freeman Fox and Partners explained that the "Final Account" referred to in HC18 was in fact a draft which they prepared in December 1974 to assist the investigation and which would be subjected to detailed scrutiny before forming the basis for certifying the Final Account due to the contractor. The result of the firm's checking is that £27,809 of the apparent net overbilling of £41,662 summarised in Appendix B of HC18 is properly payable under the terms of the contract and that the net balance of £13,853 will, therefore, not be certified and will be excluded from the Final Account.Secondly, at my Department's suggestion Messrs. Corderoy compared the information concerning early payments with that of other payments which could be considered to have been delayed under the terms of the contracts rigorously applied. From this work my Department has concluded that it has not incurred additional cost in the discharge of the contract.Thirdly, Messrs. Freeman Fox and Partners will adjust the Final Account to allow for revalution of Claim 18, which they agree they undervalued by £11,862.Fourthly, they have also agreed to examine an alternative valuation of Claim 14 which is now being prepared, and to discuss any differences between this and their own valuation with the Department with a view to making any last adjustment to the Final Account which may be necessary for this reason.The investigation has imposed costs on Messrs. Freeman Fox and Partners as well as upon the Department. For the Department the question is how far it is justified in calling upon the firm to pay the fees due in Messrs. Corderoy. Many aspects of the matter which have been investigated have proved to be within the scope of discretion exerciseable by Messrs. Freeman Fox and Partners under the contract. On the other hand, the firm accept that there were two exceptional grounds in this case for calling upon them for a payment: first, because the investigation resulted from a disagreement between the firm and its measurement engineer on this contract, thus involving expenditure in fees to Messrs. Corderoy; secondly, because work done by that employee when he was within the firm on salary reimbursed by the Department had to be duplicated for the purpose of the investigation by other employees of the firm whose salaries were similarly reimbursed.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to respond to the Report on Advanced Ground Transport Research which the Select Committee on Science and Technology published in 1976.

A White Paper setting out the Government's response to the Select Committee's Report will be laid before the House on the afternoon of 26th May. Copies will be available from the Vote Office.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has made an assessment of the increase in food distribution costs in Scotland as a direct consequence of the additional taxes and duties levied in the Budget.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hove (Mr. Sainsbury) on 26th April—[Vol. 930, c. 279–80.]—about the increased costs to food distributors in the United Kingdom arising from changes in vehicle excise duty and duties on road fuels. I am afraid that it is not possible to break down these estimates between different parts of the United Kingdom. I should add that the decision to rescind the increase in petrol duties will not substantially affect the estimates provided in that answer since most commercial vehicles use derv rather than petrol.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if any milk or meat from animals, which have consumed feeding stuffs found to have been contaminated by aflatoxin, is known to have been supplied in Great Britain for human consumption over the course of the past two years; and what steps are being taken to prevent such an eventuality;(2) if any incidents involving the contamination of animal feeding stuffs imported into the United Kingdom or produced at home have been reported over the course of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

During the past two years my Department has received three reports of animal sickness suspected to have resulted from the consumption of feeding stuffs contaminated by aflatoxin. The present procedure, in cases such as these, is to inform the local health and enforcement authorities and the manufacturer concerned. With effect from 1st October 1976 the Fertilisers and Feeding-stuffs (Amendment) Regulations 1976 fixed maximum levels for aflatoxin in feeding stuffs. These take account of the need to protect human, as well as animal, health. At these levels there would not be any significant carry-over into milk and meat.Additionally, there have been cases of anthrax in animals attributable to feeding stuffs. Circumstantial evidence points to an importation of groundnuts as the source of infection in recent cases in Salop and neighbouring counties.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, given the growing consumer interest in common agricultural policy negotiations he will take an initiative to convene once a year a joint conference of consumer and agricultural organisations in order to promote a better understanding of the problems and needs of both sides.

I have frequently emphasised that farmers and consumers have common interests, but I believe that the promotion of better understanding between them is primarily for the representative organisations concerned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much cultivatable land has been lost since 1970 through the construction of motorways and other major trunk roads.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are the total exports from the EEC to non-EEC countries of each of the 10 most important items of food in the diet of the average United Kingdom family;(2) what were the imports of food for the 10 most important items in the diet of the average United Kingdom family in 1971; and from which countries they came;(3) if he will set out the 10 most important items of food in the diet of the average family; what percentage of total consumption of these items is produced in the United Kingdom; and what percentage is imported from (

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 18th May 1977], gave the following information:Ranked according to expenditure per head, as recorded in the 1976 National Food Survey, the 10 most important food groups in the diet of the average household are (1) meat other than carcase meat—including bacon, ham, poultry, manufactured products; (2) carcase meat; (3) liquid milk; (4) bread; (5) cakes and biscuits; (6) oils and fats—butter, margarine, etc.; (7) potatoes; (8) processed vegetables; (9) fish and fish products; (10) fresh fruit.Much food is imported or exported in raw form but is bought by households as processed products. So the classification of food for the National Food Survey differs considerably from that for trade statistics. Moreover, it is not possible to give self-sufficiency statistics for manufactured food which may be produced from home-grown or imported commodities. The following table contains statistics which are related as closely as possible to the information requested on self-sufficiency and on the percentages of total

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is satisfied that there are adequate safeguards to protect the nests of rare birds in Scotland being plundered by thieves.

Rare birds, their nests and eggs are specially protected under the Protection of Birds Acts, and, given the remoteness of-many of the nesting sites, I am satisfied that as much as possible is being done by the official and voluntary agencies concerned to ensure that the safeguards provided by the law are effective.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to visit Edinburgh.

My right hon. Friend is in Edinburgh at present in attendance on Her Majesty the Queen during her Silver Jubilee visit.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of the fishing industry.

My right hon. Friend and I met representatives of the fishing industry in Brussels on Monday 16th May. Further meetings will be arranged whenever circumstances warrant this.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he has taken to encourage fish farming in Scotland.

Government support for this growing industry takes a number of forms, including research and development work, disease control measures and financial assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the present arrange- ments for outside groups to visit the State hospital at Carstairs for the purposes of fulfilling sports fixtures or other activities.

The arrangements are made by the senior recreation officer and take place under the security supervision of nursing staff. Sports fixtures and activities with outside groups at the hospital are now being gradually resumed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from the National Farmers' Union of Scotland in regard to the present state of the agricultural industry in Scotland.

The President of the Union wrote to my right hon. Friend on 6th May expressing concern at some of the decisions arising from the annual review and the EEC farm price settlement. I discussed the matter with the President and other office bearers last week.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has received from Glasgow District Council for house building or modernisation projects in Govan.

Since 15th May 1975 my right hon. Friend has approved proposals from Glasgow District Council for the provision of 810 new houses and for the modernisation of 66 council houses in Govan.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will initiate and publish research work showing the prospects for the Scottish economy in 1980.

There are no plans to initiate such a study at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will institute an official study into the Scottish economy on the lines of the BBC study.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received regarding the problem of coast erosion in the Kirkcaldy constituency; and what action he intends to take to assist the regional council in financing the necessary capital and maintenance expenditure involved in coast protection.

The Scottish Development Department is at present corresponding with the regional council about the problem of coastal erosion at Buck-haven, and I understand that, following an approach by my hon. Friend, my noble Friend has agreed to meet him and a delegation from the council in the near future. Exchequer grant will be available to the regional council under the Coast Protection Act 1949 to assist in financing approved capital works. Specific grant is not available towards the maintenance of such works.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many brain scanners are currently in use in Scotland: in which hospitals they are sited; what further brain scanners are to be installed in Scotland; in which hospitals they will be sited; what criteria are used in deciding where brain scanners should be sited; what provision is made for the training of staff to operate and maintain them; what assessment has been made of the extent of their clinical use; and how many patients have benefited from their installation in Scottish hospitals.

Four EMI brain scanners are at present in operation, one at each of the neurosurgical departments in Scotland, located at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Dundee Royal Infirmary, and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. A further scanner is to be installed at the Southern General Hospital. Current advice is that each neurosurgical department should have at least one brain scanner.Comprehensive training courses are provided by EMI for staff using the equipment, who also co-operate closely with the respective health board's medical physics department. EMI have engineers and stocks of spares based in Scotland to ensure rapid response in the event of faults or breakdowns.The clinical uses of the scanners are under continuous review at the units where they are installed; in particular an evaluation, including an assessment of clinical uses, was carried out at the Southern General Hospital in 1975.The number of patients investigated at the Southern General Hospital was over 2,300 in 1976. The other scanners have not been in operation long enough for comparable figures to be available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied in the light of the Price Review, that adequate food supplies will be available for the housewife from home-produced sources.

The decisions on farm support prices and related arrangements assure our farmers of a fair return for their labours and should encourage them to produce more food at prices the consumer can afford.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement about the progress of the conversion of the former Royal High School in Edinburgh into a building for the proposed Scottish Assembly.

So far as progress is concerned, I have nothing to add to my reply given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Gow) on 27th April. As my right hon. Friend indicated in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy (Mr. Gourlay) on 7th April, the estimate of the cost of the work being done meantime on the Royal High School is £2 million. Of that sum, £1–35 million is for building works.—[Vol. 930, c. 1205–6; Vol. 929, c. 653–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of typing originating in London was sent outside London in, respectively, 1976 and January to March 1977; where such typing was sent during these periods; what is the average time taken, at the latest available date, between the original dictation of a letter sent outside London for typing and its return to London for signature; how such letters are sent to and from London; and how many typists are employed in London, and outside London, respectively, in the places to which typing is sent.

It would require a disproportionate amount of time and effort to establish what proportion of all typing work originating with personnel in central London was sent elewhere for typing in 1976 and in the period from January to March 1977. The time taken between the original dictation of a non-urgent letter sent outside Central London for typing and its return to London for signature averages about two and a half working days. Material for typing is sent outside Central London by departmental van service or through the post.About 470 typists are employed in typing pools in Central London and 140 in the following locations to which work is sent:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest estimated cost of running a fourth television channel in Wales providing Welsh language programmes and in addition English language programmes of Welsh interest; and, under the Government's proposals, what proportion of this cost should come from central Government funds.

The initial capital cost for a fourth television channel in Wales providing Welsh language programmes as envisaged in the Siberry Report (Cmnd 6290) would, at 1976 prices, be of the order of £11 million, together with annual operating expenditure of the order of £7 million. These estimated costs and the precise method of meeting them, including any Government subvention, will be among the matters to be considered in the forthcoming talks between officials and the broadcasting authorities to which my right hon Friend referred in the reply he gave to a Question by my right hon. Friend the Member for Anglesey (Mr. Hughes) on 25th February—[Vol. 926, c. 721–22.]. The cost of any English language programmes of Welsh interest on the same channel would be additional, but no estimate is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will deposit in the Library a set of the annual reports by chief constables for the most recent convenient year.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total size of the police service to which he referred in his answer of 5th May to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central.

The reference was to the establishment of the Police Service in England and Wales, which stood at 118,210 on 31st March 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police pensioners there are who (a) had their police service interrupted by war service in the 1914–18 war and (b) being members of the Civil Service, would have joined earlier and earned police pension rights, had it not been for the war; and what would be the estimated cost of providing police pensions for these two categories.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many grants for project aid to voluntary bodies in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively, in 1976–77 have been made by the Voluntary Services Unit; and what was the expenditure in each case;(2) what grants have been made by the Voluntary Services Unit in 1976–77 in Scotland, England and Wales; and if he will express these figures in percentage terms.

In 1976–77 the Voluntary Services Unit made the following 68 grants to voluntary organisations in Scotland, England and Wales: