asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he next proposes to meet the Chairman of the CEGB.

I am frequently in touch with the Chairman of the CEGB, most recently having met him twice last week.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the steps he has been taking over the past 12 months to obtain an increase in the exports of coal from the United Kingdom to the other Common Market countries.

The main responsibility for exports of coal lies with the National Coal Board and we have consistently encouraged it in the strenuous efforts it has been making and have sought through bilateral contacts to identify and maintain potential market opportunities. Specifically, in the European Community we have strongly supported the Commission's proposals for financial assistance towards the provision of more coal-burning capacity in power stations and have advocated restraint of coal imports from third countries. But we must accept that there are limits to what can be achieved, especially bearing in mind the present low price of steam coal on the world market.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, in the light of the fact that fuel cost adjustments of electricity charges are frequently made monthly, whether he will give a direction in the national interest that such fuel cost additions should not be made more often than quarterly.

Fuel cost adjustments affecting domestic consumers are already made quarterly. It is only monthly-billed tariffs, which apply to the larger industrial and commercial customers, which include fuel cost adjustment reflecting monthly fuel costs; and they have done so for many years. The electricity supply industry, which has statutory responsibility for tariffs, does not believe it would be in the interest of either its customers or itself to change this.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what plans he has for ensuring that United Kingdom industry secures the cheapest sources of fuel available to it from whatever sources.

The Government recognise the importance to the industrial strategy of ensuring that industry has adequate and secure supplies of energy at the lowest practicable cost to the nation, and this is one of the objectives of our energy policy. It is also important that firms should themselves take steps, through efficient energy management, to reduce their fuel bills, and the Government are encouraging such action.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what calculations have been made by his Department of the capital cost at current prices of building a commercial fast breeder reactor.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Car-shalton (Mr. Forman) on 26th May 1977. —[Vol. 932, c. 536–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what recent action he has taken to evaluate the viability of tidal and wave power projects; and if he will make a statement.

I recently announced the results of two technical studies related to tidal power in the Severn Estuary. These studies, together with other relevant information, will be considered by my right hon. Friend's Advisory Council on Research and Development and I expect the council to report with recommendations later in the year. In April I announced the expansion of my Department's wave energy programme from a budget of £1 million to £2½ million. This will allow a better basis for judgment on the next phase of wave energy work in the autumn of 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what study he has made of the possibility of dispensing with surface platforms in the procurement of North Sea oil.

Various current and potential methods for developing offshore oilfields are constantly reviewed by my Department. These include subsea production systems which could avoid the use of large fixed or floating production platforms. While subsea completion systems are already in use in the North Sea, no completely subsea production system has yet been developed on a commercial basis. The indications are that production systems involving surface platforms will be preferred for the development of all existing North Sea fields.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what changes, if any, he expects to see in British Petroleum's policy for exploiting North Sea oil as a result of the recent reduction in the company's public shareholding to 51 per cent. of the equity.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what progress has been made in the provision of an emergency fleet of fire and rescue vessels to safeguard North Sea oil installations; and whether he will ensure that such vessels are built in British shipyards.

A working group of my officials and the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association is looking into the need for and scope of emergency vessels and its recommendations will be made to the study group whose creation my right hon. Friend announced on 27th April following the Ekofisk incident. The study group's report is expected very soon. The Offshore Supplies Office will seek to ensure through the voluntary procedure agreed with the operators that United Kingdom yards are given a full and fair opportunity to compete for orders.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what expenditure will be incurred in the current financial year upon research and development in the field of alternative energy sources; and what was the amount so spent in 1973–74.

Expenditure by the Department on research and development in the field of alternative energy sources is expected to be about £1½ million in the current financial year. The amount spent in 1973–74 was not separately recorded but was comparatively negligible.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total amount of Government finance given towards research in the United Kingdom into the practical use of solar energy for industrial and domestic purposes; and how this compares with levels of expenditure in (a) EEC countries and (b) the United States of America.

In 1976 Government expenditure on solar energy research in the United Kingdom was about £600,000. The total for the other EEC countries, excluding the United Kingdom, was of the order of £10 million, the main programmes being in France and Germany. In addition there was collective expenditure of about £1·2 million by the European Commission as distinct from its member countries. In the United States of America the expenditure was about £50 million.Solar energy research is in its infancy in most of these countries, and the figures given, although the latest available, may not give a reliable guide to the future level of expenditure. The United Kingdom programme of £6 million to be spent over the next four years, covers developments of solar water and space heating, biomass conversion, photovoltaic conversion and insolation data. Some other national programmes cover additional items, which are technically applicable under their conditions.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now hold a regular Prime Ministerial public radio, Press and television report of the Government's activities and in addition a regular public phone-in discussion with taxpayers.

Not on a regular basis, but I will continue to use all these means when necessary and when appropriate opportunities arise.

asked the Prime Minister why he has changed the rules that those Ministers holding ministerial office do not write, broadcast or take up other employment, paid or unpaid, while in office; and whether those Ministers who are now taking up other employment are entitled to receive and keep fees or payments for these activities, outside of their ministerial activities.

I have not changed the well-established rules governing Ministers' private interests or those governing broadcasts or writings by Ministers. As regards Ministers taking up other employment whilst in office, Ministers are not permitted to engage in private activities that might give rise to a conflict of interest with, or which might be thought to distract their attention from, their public duties. There is no prohibition on the retention by Ministers of fees or payments in respect of, for example, broadcasts or Press articles which are unrelated to and do not draw upon their ministerial position.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will arrange for all Ministers to have to declare their shareholdings in public companies generally and where their ministerial office might conflict with their shareholdings in particular.

No. Ministers are not permitted to hold shareholdings which might give rise to conflict of interest.

asked the Prime Minister whether his policy of permitting Ministers and junior Ministers to vote against the Bill on elections to the European Assembly also permits them to continue or become sponsors and patrons of organisations being formed publicly to oppose the introduction of this legislation.

My hon. Friend's Question is hypothetical.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what assessment her Department has made of the value of the STABEX scheme, set up under the Lomé Convention, in assisting the development of the ACP countries.

The first two years of operation show that the STABEX mechanism is working well, and that the transfers, ranging from 5 per cent. to 24 per cent. of total export earnings, will have greatly assisted those ACP States which suffered a loss of export earnings from the commodities covered by the scheme. Of the 1975 transfers, some 68 per cent. was provided in compensation for loss of export earnings due to changes in economic circumstances, whilst the remaining 32 per cent. compensated for the loss of export earnings from natural causes. Of these transfers some 57 per cent. went to ACP countries classified as least developed under the Lomé Convention. We have not yet made a detailed analysis of the 1976 transfers.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what economic aid is currently being given to the Seychelles by the United Kingdom; and what projects are proposed in the next two years.

In March of this year a £10 million loan was signed for development projects to be identified during 1977 and 1978. We are also providing budgetary assistance totalling £1·7 million over the years 1976 to 1979. The projects currently being considered for financing from the loan are mainly in the fields of infrastructure and natural resources development.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what steps she is taking to give scientific and professional staff in her Department better opportunities for promotion to management jobs, in the light of her replies to Questions asked by the Member for Norwich, South on 16th June.

Scientific and professional staff fill a significant number of management posts in my Ministry, within the scientific and professional categories and in the open structure. The Senior Professional Administrative Training Scheme, which is advertised annually, is available to give them experience of administrative work. They may also apply for lateral transfer to the Administration Group.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she has consulted interested bodies about the educational recommendations made by the Select Committee on Race Relations and Immigration in its report on the West Indian community.

I have issued a consultative document to a wide selection of bodies representing local authority and other educational interests as well as those representing ethnic minority and other interests. The consultative document seeks views on the recommendations of the Select Committee relating to education. Copies are available in the Library. The views of other bodies and individuals with an interest in the Select Committee's recommendations will also be welcome.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list any unilateral actions taken by any member of the EEC since 1st January 1973 in areas for which her Department is responsible for negotiating on behalf of the United Kingdom, following inability of all EEC members to agree on common action.

There have been no actions of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the future of teacher training colleges in Wales.

As my right hon. Friend said in her statement on 27th June, the future organisation of the education and training of teachers in Wales is still under consideration and she is hoping to make an announcement very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply of 14th June, why he will not make an approach to the Police Advisory Board to enable a police officer to have the same rights of taking up other employment when finishing his term of policy duty in the same way as is now applied to all other civilian public forces and services.

The regulations governing the activities of off-duty police officers are designed to ensure the proper exercise of the functions of a constable, in particular, the impartial discharge of his duties. Employment may already be taken, with the permission of the chief officer. I am not aware of any substantial dissatisfaction with the position

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons sentenced in England and Wales for terrorist offences and not acknowledged as connected with the IRA but still connected with the Northern Ireland troubles have been transferred to prisons in Northern Ireland.

No persons serving sentences in England and Wales for acts of acknowledged terrorism not connected with the IRA have been transferred to prisons in Northern Ireland. One prisoner believed at the time to have links with organisations not connected with the IRA but concerned in the Northern Ireland troubles was transferred there in 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individual letters and how many petitions with how many names he has received from the county of Leicestershire and from the city of Leicestershire, respectively, expressing concern at the effect which the implementation of the Annan Report proposals would have on Radio Leicester.

The information is not available in the form requested. Up to 30th June the Home Office had received 40 letters from individuals, and petition forms bearing about 6,600 signatures, indicating concern at the effect which the implementation of the recommendations in the report of the Committee on the Future of Broadcasting would have on Radio Leicester.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police cadets have attended courses organised by the Outward Bound Trust in each of the last four years; and whether it is his policy to encourage police forces to send cadets on such courses.

The information requested in the first part of the Question is not readily available. I support the general policy of giving police cadets opportunities for character development of the kind offered by Outward Bound and other courses, but the detailed arrangements for training cadets are matters for individual chief officers of police.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service under what circumstances a civil servant can deliver a speech, to be publicly reported, which was originally intended to be made by a Government Minister, as in the speech made on 27th June 1977 to the Howard League for Penal Reform by the Permanent Undersecretary to the Home Office; and if he will make a statement.

Civil servants have occasionally been authorised to read speeches on policy matters prepared for Ministers who have been prevented at the last minute from doing so themselves. The fact that the civil servant is reading the Minister's text is made clear. There is no conflict with the rules governing the conduct of civil servants in these matters.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service why a concession made to 1939–1945 personnel, in the matter of recognition of service for pension purposes, cannot be extended to those of 1914–1918; and why a distinction has been drawn between these two categories.

Those who entered the Civil Service during the 1939– 45 war did so in an unestablished capacity and if subsequently established became eligible to reckon that service as to one-half for pension. The concession in Section 1 of the Superannuation Act 1946 to allow pre-entry Armed Forces service to reckon as unestablished service removed a potential anomaly between those who entered during the war and those whose entry was delayed by war service. Since unestablished service does not reckon before 1919 for those who entered the Civil Service during the 1914–18 war, an anomaly would be created if forces service during that war, which would in any event be very difficult to authenticate, since the bulk of the records were destroyed by fire during the 1939–45 war, were now to reckon.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether assistant chief constables in the Ministry of Defence Police receive lower salaries than their chief superintendents or superintendents and receive commensurately small pensions; and what is the reason for any disparities.

Since 1st September 1975 the salary scale of the assistant chief constables in the Ministry of Defence Police has been lower than that of the chief superintendents, and in some instances lower than some parts of the superintendents' scale. Pensions are bound to be affected, because under the rules of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme they are based on pay in the best of the last three years of service.This situation arose because it was not possible under the Government's pay policy to implement the consequential adjustment to the pay of assistant chief constables which would normally have followed the settlement for the lower ranks. The Government have declared their intention to seek to ease this anomaly from the earliest moment that pay policy permits. For the details I would refer the hon. and learned Member to my reply to the Adjournment debate on 19th April 1977—[Vol. 930, cols. 161–170].

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish in the Official Report a detailed statement of all matters connected with Service personnel contracting encephalitis; how many these were in the three Services; how many have died or were seriously ill, generally, and after being injected for encephalitis; and any other information concerning the effects on Service personnel of this illness; and what action was taken and with what results to combat the general or more serious effects of this illness.

Information about the number of cases of encephalitis, which may take many forms, is not readily available and it would require a disproportionate amount of time and effort to produce statistics. However, it can be said that serious cases arc extremely rare among Service men. The last recorded death which was attributable to encephalitis occurred in 1974. The usual form of treatment is general nursing care followed, where necessary, by physiotherapy and rehabilitation. No preventive injections are given.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in view of the assurance given to the hon. Member for Woolwich, East, by his predecessor on 10th and 22nd February, he has any inten- tion of including Quality Assurance posts at Woolwich in the dispersal package for Glasgow.

There are no plans at present to disperse the Quality Assurance Directorate at Woolwich, but final decisions have yet to be taken as to the blocks of Ministry of Defence work to be dispersed to Glasgow.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many cadets, undergoing current officers' training in the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force colleges, respectively, there are whose ethnic origin is non-United Kingdom; and what percentage of the total they represent;(2) how many (

The Ministry of Defence does not keep records of the ethnic origins of members of the Armed Forces.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for increased military activity on Davidstow and Bodmin Moor.

None. However Davidstow, Hawkstor and East Moor are sites to be considered under the recommendation in paragraph 299 of Baroness Sharp's report on the continued use of Dartmoor for military training.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will analyse the £18·3 million credited from the European Regional Development Fund to the Votes of various Departments of Government, showing how much finance was credited to each Department, and an account of the regional development provision.

For technical reasons, the procedure described in my reply to the hon. Member of 16th June —[Vol. 933, c. 249]—was not fully operational in 1976–77. The Scottish and Welsh Offices surrendered their European Regional Development Fund receipts for that year to the Consolidated Fund as extra receipts. This made no practical difference to the level of funds available to those Departments.Current practice is that described in my earlier reply.The £18·3 million that I referred to was distributed as follows:

ENGLAND
Department of Industry
	£
Regional Development Grants	8,161,237
Selective Assistance to Industry in Assisted Areas	1,369,794
Advance Factories	1,805,429
WALES
Welsh Office
Selective Assistance to Industry in Assisted Areas	363,565
Advance Factories	1,451,100
SCOTLAND
Scottish Office
Advance Factories	837,937
NORTHERN IRELAND
Industrial Schemes	3,766,349
Advance Factories/Industrial Estates	530,958
Total	18,286,369

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last reviewed the exchange control rules relating to the settling-in allowance of £20,000 for emigrants; and if, in view of continuing inflation and changes in the sterling exchange rate, he will undertake a further review shortly.

The exchange control rules, including those applying to emigrants, are kept under continuous review and changes made whenever necessary and possible in the light of our balance of payments situation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the exclusion of the three Scottish clearing banks from the list of banks, Barclays, Lloyds, Midland and NatWest, chosen as the recipients of applications from Scottish applicants in the recent sale of BP stock.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many dog licences there have been in the United Kingdom for each of the past five years; what revenue this has raised; and what is the cost of administering the tax.

I have been asked to reply.Details for England and Wales are as follows:

LICENCES ISSUED
1972–73	…	…	…	2,737,257
1973–74	…	…	…	2,727,270
1974–75	…	…	…	2,611.039
1975–76	…	…	…	2,662,649
1976–77	…	(Estimated)		2,650,000

REVENUE
				£
1972–73	…	…	…	1,026,471
1973–74	…	…	…	1,022,726
1974–75	…	…	…	979,140
1975–76	…	…	…	998,493
1976–77	…	(Estimated)		993,750

COST OF ADMINISTRATION
				£
1972–73	…	…	…	459,548
1973–74	…	…	…	518,316
1974–75	…	…	…	630,482
1975–76	…	…	…	720,743
1976–77	…	(Estimated)		900,000

Responsibility for these matters in Scotland and Northern Ireland rests with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates would be the annual cost if capital allowances were made available on new hotel construction, taking the rate of applicable allowances as the average rate pertaining in the other EEC countries, and defining a hotel as in the Development of Tourism Act 1969.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide estimated figures for 1977–78 on the same basis as those provided for earlier years in the Written Answer given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) Official Report, 27th June, c. 91.

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

Period					Inquiries	(Transactions)
1st June 1976–31st May 1977:
(a) Driver	…	…	…	…	960,000	(14,584,600)
(b) Vehicle	…	…	…	…	605,000	(29,130,400)
1st June 1975–31st May 1976:
(a) Driver	…	…	…	…	505,000	(13,672,000)
(b) Vehicle	…	…	…	…	340,000	(14,439.000)
1st June 1974–31st May 1975:
(a)Driver	…	…	…	…	400,000	(12,077,100)
18th September 1974–31st May 1975:
(b)Vehicle	…	…	…	…	35,000	(2,466,300)
13th December 1973–31st May 1975:
Driver	…	…	…	…	150,000	(8,015,300)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding the "Save the Public Transport" campaign launched in the West Midlands to block the 30 per cent. increase in bus fares proposed by the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority.

I have met representatives of the Transport and General Workers' Union from Staffordshire.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received the report made jointly by the Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands County Council about the Birmingham Inner Ring Road; and what action he proposes to take.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints have been received regarding the operation of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre in Swansea, for the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and what were the comparable totals for each of the years since its inception.

The Centre does not keep records of complaints as such. In round figures, however, the specialist inquiry units there have dealt with inquiries as follows, with the total number of transactions—to which they should be related for purposess of comparison—shown in brackets:

I have been sent, and am studying, the report made recently to the West Midlands County Council and the Birmingham City Council. It is for the two councils to decide what action is necessary to repair the Birmingham Inner Ring Road but I shall keep a close interest in the outcome, as there may be some useful general lessons.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether, when writing to motorists to remind them of the renewal of their driving licences, he will send a copy of the document containing all relevant details of the person concerned as fed into the computer by Swansea, so that the applicant may check the correctness of this information.

People who receive licence renewal reminders already have licences which contain all the details about them which are held on the Swansea Computer. They can thus readily check whether the details are correct.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reorganise the component parts of the National Bus Company that operate in Wales in order to bring all of them under an all-Wales bus group.

As will be clear from the White Paper on Transport Policy, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I see no need for such a change.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport which local authority areas in the United Kingdom provide for senior citizens to travel free of charge on public transport.

Information is readily available as at August 1976. At that date the local authorities for the following areas in the United Kingdom were providing for some or all residents of pensionable age to travel free of charge on some or all local transport services operating in those areas:

Greater London	Crawley
Merseyside	Halton
Knowsley	Harlow
Liverpool	Leicester
St. Helens	Nottingham
Sefton	Nuneaton
Wirral	Reading
South Yorkshire	Slough
Tyne and Wear	Southampton
West Midlands	Stevenage
Bedfordshire	Watford
Barrow-in-Furness	York
Blyth Valley	Lothian

asked the Secretary or State for Transport if, in view of the reduction in road schemes foreshadowed in his transport policy proposals, he will now announce the abandonment of the Pudsey-Dishforth trunk road project; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what effects the White Paper on transport will have on the M42; and if he will make a statement.

The Transport Policy White Paper set out the principles and priorities by which future decisions on the trunk road programme will be guided. Decisions on individual schemes will be announced in the usual way as they are made.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will take immediate steps to improve the flow of traffic off the southern end of the Ml into London; and if he will make a statement.

We expect the southbound carriageway of the Ml from north of Fiveways Corner, Hendon to the Staples Corner interchange on the A406 North Circular Road to be opened to traffic later this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what effect the changes in the road programmes outlined in the White Paper on Transport Policy will have on the workloads and numbers of staff employed in the regional road construction units.

It is too early to say.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is the average length of time from the receipt of a report from the agricultural dwelling-house advisory committees' finding agricultural need, and the rehousing of the people concerned;(2) whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Miss Maynard),

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Braintree (Mr. Newton) on 28th June 1977—[Vol. 934, c. 183–4.]— when I explained that statistics about rehousing applications are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, and referred to the arrangements he was making.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many wages inspections have been carried out on farms in the last three years for which figures are available; and how many prosecutions there have been.

The following is the information requested:

Wages inspections on agricultural holdings in England and Wales 1974–76
Calendar Year			Number
			Inspections	Prosecutions
1974	…	…	4,957	3
1975	…	…	5,045	0
1976	…	…	4,840	5

asked the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the number of cases currently referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions following Department of Trade investigations.

The answer to this Question is not at present available. I will give the information requested as soon as possible.

asked the Attorney General if he expects the Director of Public Prosecutions to make a decision concerning Messrs. Hardy and Berry of Birmingham Planning Department, before the Summer Adjournment.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement of policy regarding the disposal of nuclear waste, recycling and other relevant factors.

My hon. Friend will be aware that the Government published on 27th May 1977 a White Paper (Cmnd 6820) in response to the Sixth Report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (Cmnd 6618) on Nuclear Power and the Environment. I have nothing to add at this time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many grants have been made available per annum towards meeting the costs of area management schemes; and in which areas these schemes have been introduced.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 27th May 1977.—[Vol. 932, c. 728–9.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will refer the proposal for two new gas pipelines and associated installations between Scotland and Northern England to a planning inquiry commission so that full public consideration can be given to whether or not it should be proceeded with.

I understand that consultations on the proposal to which the hon. Member refers are still at a preliminary stage. It is too early, therefore, to be able to say what procedures will be most appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation along the lines of the US Home Mortgage Disclosure Act 1975 to seek to require financial institutions to disclose the number of mortgages granted in each urban postal district or if he will use the powers in Section 88 of the Building Societies Act 1962, to require such disclosure with a view to overcoming many building societies' reluctance to lend in the inner city areas.

The Government prefer to work on the basis of voluntary cooperation with building societies towards such objectives and believe that "redlining" can be reduced by close cooperation between local authorities and building societies. As suggested in Chapter 7 of the Green Paper on Housing Policy, local authorities should keep societies fully informed of the development of their housing strategies and of their plans for specific areas. This will give societies a sounder basis for assessing older houses as security for loans. The proposals for more flexible mortgage facilities—including the Government's proposed savings bonus and loans schemes—should be helpful to people with modest incomes who want to buy older houses in these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect he expects his housing policy review to have on the area covered by Coventry City Council.

The housing policy Green Paper emphasises the need for effective local assessments of housing

				Year
			1974	1975	1976
Number of planning appeals decided	…	…	12,198	11,486	9,253
Number of those that were allowed	…	…	2,715	2,920	2,717

The figures include appeals decided by inspectors and by my right hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why Command Paper No. 6721 contained no table of assumptions about the purchase and disposal of land under the Community Land Act similar to that contained on page 75 of Command Paper No. 6393, being the February 1976 White Paper on Public Expenditure; and if he will ensure that this information is included as a matter of course in future White Papers.

They are not contained in Cmnd. 6721 because in practice we now consider that such projections are unlikely to prove reliable enough to be worth publishing, bearing in mind such factors as the number and variety of authorities and transactions involved, the geographical spread, and the incidence of the financial year.

asked the Secrestary of State for the Environment why he told the hon. Member for Brigg and Scunthorpe (Mr. Ellis), Official Report, 12th May, columns 579–80, that the 1,571 acres of land acquired under the Community Land Act in 1976–77 were about one-third more than the acreage figure

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning appeals were disposed of by him in 1974, 1975 and 1976, respectively; and how many of these were allowed.

Following is the information requested:incorporated in Command Paper No. 6393, in view of the fact that the table on page 75 of Command Paper No. 6393 showed a projected figure of 1,500 acres to be acquired in 1976–77; and whether he will make a statement.

The Cmnd. 6393 figure of 1,500 related to Great Britain. The figure of purchases of 1,571 acres relates to England, and exceeds the England component of the 1,500 in Cmnd. 6393 by about one-third.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the figures contained in Table 2.8 of Command Paper No. 6721 for purchases of land under the Community Land Act are intended to be net of development tax; and, if so, what is the estimated loss of revenue to the Exchequer from the land having been purchased by the local authorities in this way.

The figures in table 2.8 are net of development land tax. They represent no loss of revenue to the Exchequer, since authorities' ability to buy land net of tax is a fundamental concept of the community land scheme and of the development land tax provisions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what assumptions have been made, in projecting the figures of £38 million, £64 million and £102 million for the financial years 1977–78 to 1979–80 for purchases of land under the Community Land Act, of the amount of land so purchased which will be resold, and at what average price per acre; and whether he will break his projections down for (a) housing (b) industrial and (c) commercial uses; (2) what is the projected acreage of land to be purchased by public authorities under the Community Land Act in 1978–79 and 1979–80, respectively, for (a) housing (b) industrial and (c) commercial purposes with the £64 million and £102 million at November 1976 prices contained in Table 2.8 of Command Paper No. 6721; and what is the assumed average purchase price per acre in each case; (3) what is the projected acreage of land to be purchased by public authorities under the Community Land Act in 1977–78 for (a) housing (b) industrial and (c) commercial purposes with the £38 million at November 1976 prices contained in Table 2.8 of Command Paper No. 6721; and what is the assumed average purchase price per acre in each case.

As I have said in another answer to the hon. Member today, we do not believe that it would be sensible to publish acreage and price projections. With regard to the different land uses, the aim is to encourage purchases and disposals in the direction of those purposes for which there is a strong local demand. My right hon. Friend has no predetermined mix in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the statutory provisions which enable the Greater London Council to charge a lower rate of interest on home loans than it pays on money borrowed: and if he will seek to enable other local authorities to reduce the rate of interest charged on home loans to the level recommended by the Building Societies Association.

The rate of interest to be charged on advances made under Section 43 of the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act 1958 is not laid down in the statute, but it is a condition of all lending schemes approved under this section where vari- able rates of interest are charged, that the rate should not be less than ¼ per cent. above the rate prevailing in the Consolidated Loans Fund or loans pool. The Greater London Council is subject to this regulation, in common with all other local authorities. Proposals to bring local authority interest rates into line with those charged by building societies are contained in the recently published Green Paper on housing policy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take to ensure that conditions are met which are laid down when a development is allowed by the Secretary of State after a public inquiry, in the light of the development by English and Continental Homes at Longwell Green in the Kings-wood parliamentary constituency.

I understand that agreements between the developers and local authorities are almost concluded and that outline planning permission is expected shortly. It is entirely for the Kingswood District Council to determine the planning conditions to be imposed and to enforce them if necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in exercising his powers to prevent the export of items of artistic or historic merit, he will include items of the United Kingdom's industrial archaeological heritage among the list of restricted exports; if, specifically, he will seek to make an order banning the export of any preserved railway steam-engine without a permit so to do being obtained from his Department; and if he will make a statement following the recent letter he received on this subject from the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington.

I have been asked to reply.My noble Friend the Minister who has responsibility for the Arts has written to the hon. Member explaining that steam engines are covered by the existing export control if they are over 100 years old, a specific export licence being required for any item worth £4,000 or more.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average waiting time for operations in the various specialities in the case of

		30th September 1975	31st March 1976	31st March 1977
All cases (urgent and non-urgent)	…	9,957	13,358	14,309
Urgent cases	…	692	915	739
Urgent cases waiting more than one month	…	375	360	382

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many beds in Essex hospitals are at present not in use; and if he will give the equivalent figure for a year ago and two years ago, respectively.

554. Equivalent figures for one year and two years ago, respectively, are 663 and 602.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many treatments by electro-convulsive therapy are received on average by mental health patients who are given such therapy; under what circumstances death is ascribed to such treatment; and what information he has on the professions and occupations of those presently receiving electro-convulsive therapy.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my replies to my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Mr. Gould) on 17th March and 27th May. [Vol. 928, c. 261; Vol. 932, c. 694–5.] Whether death is associated with such treatment is a matter for the medical practitioners who certified the death, and, where appropriate, the coroner. Information on the professions and occupations of those presently receiving ECT is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken, and is planning for the future, to encourage prescribing by chemical description and not by branded drugs.

Information on average waiting times is not readily available. Total waiting lists for all surgical specialties were:

Most modern drugs are marketed only under brand names. Nevertheless my Department commends to prescribers the use of generic, or scientific names, and a copy of each addition of the British National Formulary in which drugs are listed by generic name, is provided free to every doctor. Where a drug is available under both brand and generic names doctors are asked to prescribe the most economical alternative; and they are provided with information about the comparative costs of selected drugs.We are consulting the interested professions about ideas for improving the content and frequency of the information provided to doctors about drugs and drug costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the value of drugs prescribed under the National Health Service by chemists in the United Kingdom in each of the past three years.

Information is not available in the detail requested but the cost of drugs and appliances dispensed by chemists and appliance contractors under the National Health Service in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years was:

					£ million 1974
1974	…	…	…	…	255·0
1975	…	…	…	…	329·2
1976	…	…	…	…	427·3

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of persons in each country and region of the United Kingdom who now receive mobility allowance, and the number of people in each of these areas who received benefit under the scheme which preceded mobility allowance in its last full year of operation.

The total numbers of people in each country of the United Kingdom who now receive mobility allowance and the total numbers who received a benefit under the National Health Service invalid vehicle scheme, which preceded mobility allowance, in its last full year of operation are set out below:

			Mobility allowance (week commencing 27th June 1977)
England	…	…	40,683
Northern Ireland	…	…	1,845
Scotland	…	…	4,528
Wales	…	…	3,140
			NHS Invalid vehicle service (at 31st December 1975)
England	…	…	42,253
Northern Ireland	…	…	874
Scotland	…	…	3,480
Wales	…	…	2,457

The total number of people in England who now receive mobility allowance can be further sub-divided into the regions which are used in the administration of the social security system; and these are set out below. There are no comparable figures available for the National Health Service invalid vehicle scheme.

Northern Region	2,977
Yorkshire and Humberside Region	4,917
North West (Merseyside) Region	3,174
North West (Manchester) Region	3,641
West Midlands Region	4,433
East Midlands and East Anglia Region	4,557
London North Region	4,146
London South Region	5,075
London West Region	4,115
South Western Region	3,648

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what statute a woman widowed during pregnancy is unable to receive maternity allowance when she has had a full national insurance contribution record in her own right, in addition to a full contribution record by her late husband.

Regulation 3 of the Social Security (Overlapping Benefits) Regulations 1975 (SI 1975 No. 554) provides broadly that where a claimant is entitled to two or more basic social security benefits only the higher or highest of them can be paid. Thus, the widow in question would receive a widow's allowance at the standard rate of £21·40 a week together with an earnings-related addition of up to £12·18 a week, based on her husband's earnings, during the first six months of widowhood, and a widowed mother's allowance at the standard rate of £15·30 a week thereafter. The limitation I have mentioned does not in general, however, extend to earnings-related additions and earnings-related supplements to benefit; and, while the widow would be unable to receive the amount of the basic maternity allowance—standard rate £1290 a week—on top of her widow's allowance, she could receive an earnings-related supplement to maternity allowance, of up to £12·18 a week, based on her own earnings. Apart from additions for children, she could therefore receive up to £45·76 a week during the first six months of widowhood compared with £25·08 if she had not been widowed. Additions for children are also adjusted to prevent duplication of payment, but, in these circumstances, they would be paid at the higher rate of £7·45 a week—including child benefit—payable with widow's allowance instead of at the lower rate of £4·05 a week payable with maternity allowance. All the above figures are at current benefit rates. If the hon. Lady has a particular case in mind perhaps she would write to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he has given to social service departments of local authorities concerning the possible provision during school term time, of meals for pensioners at school canteens outside the hours when these canteens are used to feed the children.

No specific advice has been issued covering this particular form of provision. In guidance issued to local authorities reference has been made to the possible use of the school meals service in meeting the needs of the elderly; some local schemes are in operation. However, the different dietary requirements of children and old people and the need to make regular provision for old people may often limit the scope for such arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what changes have taken place in the death grant over the past 10 years; and what proportion of the average cost of a funeral this grant has represented over the period.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 9th February—[Vol. 925, c. 703.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of (a) all general practitioners, and (b) general practitioners aged over 40 years, have had a formal training in geriatrics.

Records of formal training undertaken by doctors prior to their entry into general practice are not kept centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance his Department gives to the special hospitals on: (a) the use of isolation on behavioural criteria, (b) the length of time spent in isolation without prior referral to the Department of Health and Social Security, (c) the required supervision of

Region		Former "Secretary of State" Members	Former "Trades Council" Members	Others*	Total
		(a)	(b	(c)
Northern	…	14	1	5	20
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	20	6	2	28
East Midlands and East Anglia	…	19	—	5	24
London (North)	…	17	1	1	19
London (South)	…	18	—	6	24
London (West)	…	14	3	1	18
Southwestern	…	33	6	2	41
West Midlands	…	12	2	4	18
North West (Manchester)	…	14	—	1	15
Merseyside	…	17	1	3	21
Wales	…	24	5	—	29
Scotland	…	30	10	4	44
Totals	…	232	35	34	301
* The 34 chairmen at (c) were either directly appointed as chairmen or had service prior to 1966 when the Supplementary Benefits Scheme came into operation.

No specific guidance has been issued by my Department on these matters. The decision to separate a patient from others for a time or to confine him to a single room as part of his care and treatment, or for security reasons, is a matter of clinical judgment and as such is not appropriate for guide-ance from my Department. I accept that there may be a need for guidance on certain aspects and will consider this in the light of the conclusions of the European Commission on Human Rights following its investigation into the complaint made by a patient at Broadmoor Hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many current chairmen of supplementary benefit appeal tribunals were originally trades council-nominated members and how many were originally nominated by the Secretary of State; and if he will provide this information on a regional basis.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many current chairmen of supplementary benefit tribunals are women and how many are men.

There are 51 women chairmen and 250 men.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the criteria used for choosing chairmen of supplementary benefit appeal tribunals.

Chairmen are selected by the Secretary of State for Social Services from a panel of persons appointed by the Lord Chancellor, in Scotland by the Lord President of the Court of Session. Chairmen normally will have served for a number of years as members of supplementary benefit appeal tribunals and all members, whether male or female, and whether originally nominated by trades councils or by the Secretary of State, are equally eligible. Following the report on supplementary benefit appeal tribunals by Professor Kathleen Bell, the Government have accepted that more legally qualified chairmen should be appointed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the definition of personal requirement used to determine the amount of supplementary benefit payable where resources are claimed to be inadequate.

The Supplementary Benefits Commission regards "normal weekly requirements" as covering all normal day-to-day expenses including food, fuel, light and clothing but not rent. The amounts fixed by Parliament to cover these requirements, excluding rent, are set out in Part II of Schedule 1 to the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976. The Commission may also make additional payments where there are exceptional circumstances or needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women are in receipt of a widowed mother's allowance for children under 19 years of age, not financially dependent but still living with her, in each of the last five years.

The information is as follows:

1972*	…	…	…	34,700
1973	…	…	…	29,900
1974	…	…	…	30,800
1975	…	…	…	30,700
1976	…	…	…	31,400
* Up to the academic year 1971–72 children of 15 were able to leave school, but the school leaving age was raised to 16 thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he plans to extend the maternity grant payment to the widowed husbands of women who die in childbirth or the week following.

The death of a mother in or as a result of childbirth does not end entitlement to a maternity grant. Regulation 27 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1975 (S.I. 1975/ 560) allows the Secretary of State for Social Services to appoint a person to claim any benefit due at death. It also allows him to pay any such benefit to various persons including the next of kin of the deceased. I am satisfied therefore that there is adequate provision for the fortunately very few cases, probably numbered in single figures, which might occur each year.We have no plans to change the provision whereby the weekly maternity allowance cannot be paid for any week after the death of a beneficiary. It is a general principle of the National Insurance Scheme that personal benefit comes to an end when the beneficiary dies and the contingency for which the benefit is paid ceases.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of persons in Wales who at the last available date were in receipt of dependent relative allowance; and whether he is satisfied with the take-up of the scheme.

I assume the hon. Member has in mind the industrial death benefits payable to relations other than the spouse. Separate figures are not available for Wales. The figures for Great Britain at 31st December 1975, the latest date for which information is available, are:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of qualified radiologists required to fill vacancies within the National Health Service; and what research has been undertaken into the reasons for the low recruitment into this profession.

At 30th September 1976 there were 24 consultant posts in the National Health Service in England and Wales which had been advertised and which had not yet been filled. A further 24 consultant posts without a permanent holder had not been advertised during the previous year. My Department has recently commissioned research into the factors that influence a doctor's choice of career.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what increase in gross earnings a married couple with three chidren aged 10, eight and six years would require, in order to obtain an increase in spending power of 17 per cent. assuming previous gross weekly earnings of £40, that the mother is not earning, that rent and rates are the average for local authority dwellings and that expenses associated with work are £2 per week.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what hours local offices of his Department are regularly open; and under what circumstances members of the public are prevented by members of his Department from entering a local office during those hours.

The normal opening hours to the public are from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday each week except on public holidays. Exceptionally the offices are closed during those hours when, for special reasons, eg industrial action by the staff, it is no longer possible to maintain a service to the public.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to announce the results of his Department's inquiry into what mail from his Department could be sent second-class in future in order to save money.

The detailed studies into the use of first- and second-class mail by my Department will involve extensive inquiries in many parts of the country and the results will probably not be available to me until the first part of 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list all the child additions to national insurance benefits which are liable for tax.

The following benefits for children are subject to income tax:

• Guardian's allowance
• Child's special allowance
• Industrial injuries death benefit
• Increases of retirement pension and widow's benefit for children

In order to prevent beneficiaries being made worse off as a result of the introduction of child benefit, £52 of benefit for each child in 1977–78 is exempted from tax.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many war widows there are at present.

At 30th April 1977 there were 85,084 war widows' pensions in payment from my Department, of which 3,540 were being paid to war widows residing overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications for family income supplement have been made and how many have been approved for families living in Nottingham or in the Nottingham area.

I regret that this information is not available because we do not keep figures for areas smaller than social security regions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the breakdown in numbers and amounts of payments to the registered unemployed of supplementary benefit only, of unemployment benefit alone and of unemployment benefit and earnings related supplement anticipated for November 1977 and used in the Government Actuary's Report, Command Paper No. 6848.

The information requested is not immediately available but I will publish a reply in the Official Report as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children are in care in the Basildon parliamentary constituency, and the Essex County Council area; and how these figures compare with the position 12 months ago.

At 31st March 1976 there were 1,861 children in the care of Essex County Council compared with 1,752 at 31st March 1975. Comparable information for Basildon parliamentary constituency is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the rate of infant mortality in the Basildon parliamentary constituency and the Essex County Council area in the most recent year for which figures are available.

The nearest available figures show that in 1975 the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 live births was 12·8 in Basildon county district and 13·6 in the County of Essex.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he remains satisfied with the doctor-patient ratio in the Basildon parliamentary constituency; and how it compares with the rest of the Essex County Council area.

Information on doctors in the National Health Service is collected only for geographic areas corresponding to the administrative responsibility of NHS authorities, and is thus not available for the Basildon parliamentary constituency. Doctor-patient ratios in the Essex area as a whole are lower than in other parts of the North East Thames Region. It remains Government policy to encourage regional health authorities to reduce disparities within their regions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give in the Official Report his conclusions on the advantages and disadvantages of issuing social benefit payment books in terms of unit amounts.

A system of payment of social security benefits by order books expressed in terms of unit amounts is not considered a practical possibility for a number of reasons.With the multiplicity of rates and possible combinations of rates, many of which are tailored to the beneficiary's individual circumstances, a unit system would be administratively complex and costly. It by no means follows that two identical rates are either made up in the same way or will be increased by the same amount at an uprating. To accommodate all possible combinations of benefit would need some form of machine assistance and the cost of providing such machines at every post office counter position would be prohibitive.Additionally, each order book foil acts as a declaration of entitlement, an order to pay, a receipt for the amount paid and subsequently an accounting document. It is thus essential that the foil should bear in conventional figures at the time it is signed by the beneficiary the true amount he or she receives and that foils be traceable for the resolution of any subsequent payment or other disputes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state, for the latest convenient period, the respective running costs of the Plaistow and Forest Gate Maternity Hospitals, the expected increase he expects for the latter, the net savings he estimates from the closure of Plaistow Hospital, and the approximate value of its site and buildings.

In 1976–77 the running costs were Plaistow Maternity £775,000, Forest Gate 954,671. Costs at Forest Gate may increase by approximately £400,000 per year and savings made may reach £300,000 to £400,000 per year. The estimated value of the Plaistow site and building is £110,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations took place prior to the decision to withdraw all support to the Birmingham HARP scheme for assisting pensioners with fuel bills; and with whom they were held.

Staff of the Supplementary Benefits Commisision held discusisons with officials of Birmingham Corporation when the Commission took the decision in principle to discontinue special rates of heating addition to supplementary pensioners in the HARP schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current annual cost of his Department's support of the Birmingham HARP scheme.

I regret that no precise estimate is available of the total amount by which the heating additions paid to supplementary pensioners in the HARP schemes currently exceeds the cost of the standard heating additions which they would otherwise receive but the amount could be approaching £1 million a year. The Supplementary Benefits Commission's decision to withdraw this extra help was not, however, taken on grounds of cost but because of its concern at the unfairness to other supplementary pensioners who do not recieve the increasingly higher additions going to those in the HARP schemes.