asked the Lord President of the Council what is the cost per hour of the sitting of the House; and what is the

	£	£
Members salaries	4,014,000 00
Members' expenses	4,859,000 00
Contributions to Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund	991,00000	9,864,000.00
Staff salaries	2,886,000·00
Retired allowances	310,00000	3,196,000 00
General expenses		1,500,000 00
Refreshment Department (Contribution towards staff costs during the periods of recess in 1977–78 and towards the payment of interest on the Consolidated Fund Loan)		170,000 00
Members' Fund (grant in aid)		15,000.00
Police		288,000.00
TOTAL		15,033,000 00

asked the Lord President of the Council (1) whether he will circulate a list of the sites of all photocopying machines in the Palace of Westminster and elsewhere available for the use of

Operating Times
	Sitting Days		Non—Sitting Days
Locations	Mondays to Thursdays	Fridays	Mondays to Fridays	Number of Machines
Sale Office (Interview Floor)	10.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m.	10.00 a.m. to rising of the House	10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m	Two
Off the Committee Corridor opposite Room 13	9.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m.	9.00 a.m. to 6.00 P.m.	9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.	One
Entrance to Upper Committee Corridor (South).	9.00 a.m. 9.00 p.m.	9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.	9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.	One
Norman Shaw (North)	9.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m.	9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m	9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.	Four
3 Dean's Yard	9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m.	9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.	9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.	Two
6/7 Old Palace Yard	9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m.	9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m	9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.	One
2 The Abbey Garden	9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m.	9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.	9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.	One
In addition, Members may use the copying machines on the Clerk of the House Floor above the Commons Chamber and on the North Bridge off the Upper Committee Corridor when they are not required for departmental purposes.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he is satisfied with the maintenance and servicing of photocopying machines provided for the use of Members in a special room on the

The information requested is not available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.Expenditure from the House of Commons Vote for the year ending 31st March 1978 is estimated as follows:hon. Members, giving the times during which the machines may be operated;(2) whether he will ensure that at least one photocopying machine is available for the use of Members in the room set aside for this purpose on the Interview Floor until 10 p.m. on each sitting night.

:The list is as follows:Interview Room Floor, in view of the fact that it is rare that both are operable at the same time for longer than half a day; and whether he will cause an inquiry to be made into the number of times this Session that one or other of these machines has been out of service.

I am generally satisfied with the maintenance and servicing of these photocopying machines. This Session's serviceability record shows:

Machine 1 had 13 breakdowns—produced 276,000 copies.

Machine 2 had 11 breakdowns—produced 282,000 copies.

The longest period any one machine was out of service was from 12.30 p.m. on a Friday to 5 p.m. on the following Monday.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he intends to propose an increase in the size of the Select Committee on House of Commons (Services) before the Summer Adjournment.

Yes. A motion for this purpose is amongst the orders of the day.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection when he expects to publish the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report on the supply in the United Kingdom of cat and dog foods.

The report is being published today.The Commission found that monopoly situations existed in favour of the Pedigree Pet Foods Division of Mars Ltd. and Spillers Ltd. on the ground that each of these companies provided more than 25 per cent. of all the prepared cat and dog foods supplied in the United Kingdom.The Commission considered the effect of these monopoly situations on the public interest under three main headings. These were (i) the effectiveness of competition between the reference type goods and other forms of cat and dog foods—that is, fresh food and scraps; (ii) the effectiveness of competition between suppliers of reference goods; and (iii) the prices, profits and efficiency of Pedigree Pet Foods and Spillers. It also looked at certain policies and practices of Pedigree Pet Foods and Spillers which might have constituted steps taken for the purpose of exploiting or maintaining the monopoly situation. These were the level of advertising, the wide variety of flavours and brands and the discount policies of both companies.The Commission concluded that no facts found by it operated or might be expected to operate against the public interest. There are, therefore, no grounds for any action on the report by my right hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection when the report of the Consumer Protection Advisory Committee on VAT—exclusive prices will be published; and what action he proposes to take.

The Committee's fourth report, based on a reference from the Director General of Fair Trading, has been laid before Parliament and is published as a House of Commons paper today.The reference contained proposals for controlling the practices of (a) advertising displaying or otherwise quoting to consumers VAT—exclusive prices sought or likely to be sought and (b) advertising for the attention of consumers VAT—exclusive recommended retail prices. The Committee agreed with the Director General that the first practice adversely affects the economic interests of consumers and it substantially endorsed his proposals for controlling the practice. However, it had some reservations regarding the extent of criminal offences which might ensue and it accordingly suggested some modifications to the proposals. The Committee was unable to agree with the Director General that the second practice adversely affects the economic interests of consumers.I welcome the report and am considering carefully what action to take on the proposals.

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

The House is aware that my right hon. Friend has asked the Price Commission to keep under review and to report periodically on the prices and distributors' margins of potatoes and other vegetables whose supplies and, therefore, prices have been seriously affected by last year's drought. The essential purpose of these reports is to ascertain whether, in a period when prices have unavoidably been exceptionally high, distributors are aggravating the situation by widening their margins unjustifiably.I reported to the House on 22nd April on the Commission's report covering the period December 1976 to February 1977. I now have a further report covering the period up to May 1977, and I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how many credit reference agencies hold information about identifiable individuals on computer; and how many individuals are covered by such computerised systems.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection (1) how many applications for a licence under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 have been received by the Director General of Fair Trading; how many have been granted; how many have been refused; and how many credit reference agencies he estimates are operating outside the terms of the Act;(2) when the process of licensing credit reference agencies under the Consumer Credit Act is expected to be completed.

Since the Act imposes on the Director General the duty of administering the licensing system, I am asking him to write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will publish, for those nationalised industries for which he is responsible, a list showing the latest available figures for the net assets deployed and the numbers of people employed in each.

Following is the information:

	Net Assets Employed	Numbers Employed
	£m
Post Office	5,405†	420,665†
British Steel Corporation and subsidiaries	3,067‡|	207,900‡
British Aerospace and subsidiaries	*	66,500§
British Shipbuilders and subsidiaries	*	82,000¶
* British Aerospace and British Shipbuilders vested on 29th April 1977 and 1st July 1977 respectively. The net assets employed by each corporation cannot be determined until their commencing capital has been settled after payment of compensation for the companies acquired.
† As at 31st March 1976; the numbers employed exclude 21,299 sub—postmasters who are employed on an agency basis.
‡ As at 2nd April 1977.
§ As at 31st May 1977.
¶ As at 1st July 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what licences are currently issued by his Department governing the activities of commercial and other productive enterprises.

My Department is responsible for issuing industrial development certificates under the Town and County Planning Act 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when the Report of the Post Offices Review Committee will be published; and what action he then proposes to take.

The report of the committee chaired by Mr. George Carter was presented to Parliament yesterday and published today. Copies are now available in the Vote Office. The Government wish to provide a full opportunity for consideration of the issues raised in the report, both for Parliament and in the country as a whole. We are inviting the comments of those with a major interest and should also welcome comments from anyone who has a contribution to make. These should be addressed to Miss Fisher, Posts and Telecommunications Division, Waterloo Bridge House, Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8UA, and should reach her not later than 1st December. My right hon. Friend would propose to publish the Government's conclusions in the form of a White Paper after comments have been received and appropriate consultations have taken place.My right hon. Friend has already placed on record his thanks to Mr. Carter and to the other members of the committee for all the hard work they have done and for the speed with which they have produced their report. The report raises important issues affecting the future of the Post Office and the Government will give it the most careful study before decisions are taken.

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

My Department maintains no systematic record of unilateral actions taken by member States in the absence of Community agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what is the total of private British investment in Common Market countries to date; and if he will list the amounts for each country individually;(2) what is the total of private British investment in the United States of America to date.

The information available relates to the book value at the end of 1974 of United Kingdom direct investment overseas, excluding oil, banking and insurance, and is as follows:

Book value of UK direct investment overseas (excluding oil, banking and insurance)
		£ million; end 1974
EEC	…	2,197
of which:
Belgium and Luxembourg	…	290
Denmark	…	72
France	…	460
German Federal Republic	…	627
Irish Republic	…	312
Italy	…	199
Netherlands	…	237
United States of America	…	1,273

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will detail, by volume and value, the extent of nontraditional exports, including milk, by Chile to the United Kingdom over recent years to the latest available date.

Table II of the 1976 "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", which is available in the House of Commons Library, does not show any significant changes in the pattern of imports from Chile in recent years. Copper is still the most important item and accounted for three—quarters of the total value of imports in 1976. There have been no imports of milk from Chile.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will publish, for those nationalised industries for which he is responsible, a list showing the latest available figures for the net assets deployed and the numbers of people employed in each.

At 31st March 1977 the net assets of the British Airports Authority stood at £307 million and the Authority employed 5,351 people. Corresponding figures for the British Airways Group were respectively £692 million and 59,410, of which 53,144 were employed in airline activities.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many people were employed by the Insolvency Service in each of the years 1970 to 1976.

Numbers of staff in post, on 1st April each year, were:

1970	…	…	…	…	1,092
1971	…	…	…	…	1,199
1972	…	…	…	…	1,237
1973	…	…	…	…	1,211
1974	…	…	…	…	1,209
1975	…	…	…	…	1,268
1976	…	…	…	…	1,368

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations have been made to the Spanish Government to ensure that the 25 per cent. concession on duty payable on industrial goods exported from the United Kingdom to Spain is extended to paper and board exports; and if he will make a statement.

On 1st July the tariff provisions of the 1970 EEC /Spain agreement, which was negotiated before our accession to the EEC, became effective for trade between the United Kingdom and Spain. Under the terms of this agreement most United Kingdom exports to Spain now receive a 25 per cent. or 60 per cent. reduction in the Spanish customs duties, but about one—sixth of United Kingdom exports, including paper and board products, receive no concessions. A major revision of the agreement will be negotiated in the autumn when one of the United Kingdom's objectives will be to obtain tariff concessions from Spain on those products which do not at present receive them.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what advice he has been given by the Advisory Committee on Pilotage, which he appointed in January of this year.

The Advisory Committee on Pilotage has now submitted a report on the content of future pilotage legislation. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and are being sent to the national organisations concerned with pilotage and to all pilotage districts. The report deals comprehensively with the issues which have been debated since publication of the Report of the Steering Committee on Pilotage (SCOP) and I am pleased to note that the committees have been able to reach an agreed report. I shall now consider this advice carefully with a view to preparing the pilotage legislation which we hope to include in a Merchant Shipping Bill for the next Session.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will use the authority granted to him to stop the payment of pensions to the police convicted under the corruption and pornography trial on the grounds of their having brought disgrace and discredit to the police force.

I have this matter under consideration, but I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the police convicted during the corruption and pornography trial will serve their sentences in closed or open prisons and, together with their pensions and cost of imprisonment, what will be the weekly or annual costs involved in keeping these men in prison.

Of the 13 members or former members of the Metropolitan Police convicted during the recent cor- ruption trials, 10 are in open prisons, one is in a closed prison and two are awaiting allocation. It is not possible to say at this juncture whether they will serve the whole of their sentences in these prisons. In the financial year ending 31st March 1976, the latest date for which the information is available, the average weekly cost of keeping a man in prison was £75.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will now make a statement giving as much information as may be available showing to what extent police officers were investigated with regard to the recent corruption and pornographic cases; how many officers were involved; how many resigned or retired; and to what extent these receive their pensions;(2) which of the police officers charged and found guilty at the recent pornography and corruption trial were advised to retire before, at, or during the investigations; which of these did retire; what pension they have and will be drawing; and whether these will continue whilst in prison.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the investigations into allegations made by James Humphreys and others embraced the activities of 74 officers or former officers of ranks from constable to commander. Full reports of all the investigations were submitted for the independent scrutiny and advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions, who decided after consulting senior Treasury counsel that nine former officers and six suspended officers should be prosecuted. I understand that no further prosecutions are contemplated.The Commissioner informs me that of the 74 officers or former officers investigated, 12 have resigned, and 28 have retired with a pension entitlement in accordance with the Police Pensions Regulations. These officers left the force voluntarily: they were not advised or encouraged to reach a decision to leave. In addition, eight officers have been found guilty in disciplinary proceedings and dismissed or required to resign, in one case for offences unconnected with the above mentioned allegations; and disciplinary proceedings against another officer are pending.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will move to appoint a committee to in investigate whether Republic of Ireland citizens should continue to have the right to vote in Great Britain or whether this privilege should be revoked.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the White Paper corresponding to Command Paper No. 6504 to be published for 1976.

Within the next few weeks I regret that publication has been delayed by the incorporation in the White Paper of certain refinements and improvements in presentation. At the same time I will make available, as my predecessor undertook to do, the embarkation figures for 1976. However, since Sir Claus Moser found in his report "On the general significance of statistics relating to admissions and embarkations", that the embarkation figures, and hence the net balance figures derived from them are inherently unreliable, I have decided that statistics of embarkations will not be compiled in the future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the sum allocated to Scotland from the horserace betting levy in the last year;(2) what was the total amount raised in the last year by horserace betting levy; and how much of this was raised in Scotland.

The Horserace Betting Levy Board allocated some £903.000 by way of prize money, fixture fees, payments for technical and security services, and grants and loans for capital improvements to Scottish racecourses, grants for poinT—to—point meetings and veterinary research at Scottish Universities. Scotland also benefits to a significant but unquantifiable extent from other Levy Board expenditure, notably the racehorse transport allowance scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discretion he allows to the governors of Her Majesty's prisons in determining what kind of work prisoners may be called upon to undertake.

The governor has full discretion, subject to any limitations imposed by the medical officer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the statistics for the years 1974, 1975 and 1976 for; (a) crimes against the person and (b) vandalism.

There is no specific criminal offence of vandalism. The available figures for numbers of the relevant indictable offences recorded by the police are given in the following table:

INDICTABLE OFFENCES RECORDED BY THE POLICE ENGLAND AND WALES 1974–1976
	Number of Offences (thousands)
Offence Group		1974	1975	1976
Violence against the person	…	63·8	71·.0	77·7
Sexual offences	…	24·7	23·7	22·2
Criminal damage*	…	67·.1	78·.5	93·.0
* Excluding criminal damage of value £20 and under.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters he has received from the public on the matter of mass picketing at Grunwick Processing Ltd.

About 400.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of cases of shoplifting brought before (a) magistrates courts and (b) Crown courts, resulted in acquittals, for each of the last five years.

The information available is as follows:

PROPORTION OF PERSONS TRIED FOR OFFENCES OF SHOPLIFTING WHO WERE ACQUITTED
England and Wales1971–1975
				Percentages
				Magistrates Courts	Crown Court
1971	…	…	…	5	33
1972	…	…	…	5	32
1973	…	…	…	5	36
1974	…	…	…	5	32
1975	…	…	…	5	31

Figures for 1976 are not yet available.These percentages are affected by the much higher proportion pleading guilty at magistrates' courts than at the Crown court. The proportion of persons who plead not guilty to shoplifting and are acquitted is about the same for magistrates' courts and the Crown court.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to ensure that all communities of local councils include members of minorities on those councils and are open to Press and public.

My right hon. Friend has no proposals to make on either of these matters. The composition of local authority committees is best left for each local authority to decide in the light of its own circumstances; it is not a matter on which it would be reasonable to legislate. On the right of admission to meetings, the law already requires council and committee meetings to be open to the Press and public save only where the body resolves to exclude them on grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to public interest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the terms of reference of the Fraenkel Report.

Broadly, to undertake a study of the costs of operating and maintaining the waterways of the British Waterways Board having regard to the Board's statutory and contractual obligations. The detailed terms of reference are set out in the Fraenkel Report which will be published shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the cost of clearing the backlog of maintenance works on British waterways estimated in the White Paper at £37 million at 1974 prices, includes the backlog on the remaining waterways.

No. The Transport Act 1968 imposes specific maintenance obligations only in respect of the commercial and cruising waterways designated in Schedule 12; in the case of remainder waterways there is a duty to see that they are dealt with in the most economical manner possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to publish the Fraenkel Report on British Waterways Maintenance Programme.

Shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will pay an official visit to the Ickenham Conservation Area.

No. My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the prices of goods displayed in the Department of the Environment souvenirs and publications shop in Parliament Street are not marked.

The prices of all goods displayed are marked inside the shop. Goods in the window are not price—marked. The shape of the window makes changing price tags a lengthy and time—consuming business for the staff.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on further progress in the provision of housing for disabled people since the reply to the hon. Member for Eccles on 14th April 1976.

In the 15 months since the beginning of 1976, there have been some 12,000 proposals, 3,050 starts and 269 completions of mobility homes—ordinary housing designed to be convenient for disabled people not confined to wheelchairs. In the same period, housing authorities and housing associations in England have notified my Department that over 1,000 wheelchair homes have been started and over 750 completed, bringing the total completed since the passing of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 to over 2,000. These statistics now appear annually in the publication "Housing and Construction Statistics", and we intend later this year to begin annual publication of local statistics.The number of housing authorities which have made no proposals for building for disabled people at all has been reduced from 80 to 55, and, of these, 13 authorities make provision through adaptations of existing housing.I am encouraged by this continuing progress in the provision of housing especially suitable for disabled people. But, as we made clear in our Green Paper on housing policy, very much more remains to be done.I maintain my commitment to seeing that the housing needs of disabled people are met and, in conjunction with my colleagues, shall look for ways of ensuring that the momentum of provision is maintained. In particular, I am asking the regional offices of my Department to continue to make provision for disabled people an integral part of their programme discussions with authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish, for those nationalised industries for which he is responsible, a list showing the latest available figures for the net assets deployed and the numbers of people employed in each.

The latest details of the assets and staff of the British Waterways Board may be found in its recently published annual reports and accounts for 1976. Comparable details for the nine regional water authorities in England, which have certain features in common with nationalised industries, are published in their annual reports and accounts for 1975–76. Copies of all these documents are available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the particular stringency in public resources mentioned in "Policy for the Inner Cities", and the recently stated views of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities, he will in future permit local authorities to sell freeholds to developers proposing a viable project for the re-habilitation of properties in inner city areas.

I am examining ways in which the community land scheme can be used more positively to help with the revitalisation of inner cities. But I do not believe that the sale of freeholds by local authorities in such circumstances is either necessary or sensible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial assistance his Department, in conjunction with the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas, has given to small industries in Wales over the past five years.

In the five years to 31st March 1977, the amounts of loans given by COSIRA to small industries in Wales were as follows: 1972–73, £114,432; 1973–74, £125,682; 1974–75, £133,326; 1975–76, £130,220; 1976–77, £122,670.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list showing, in order, the 10 local education authorities with the highest loan charges per 1,000 population in England.

Details of loan charges for the education service, and of population, for each individual education authority in England are already published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. The most recent edition is "Education Estimates Statistics 1976–77".

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the percentage of total needs element in the rate support grant distribution formula distributed by education factors; and how the percentage has varied between 1975–76 and 1977–78.

Of the total needs element of rate support grant paid to local authorities in England and Wales under the main order for 1975–76, 39 per cent. was distributed by reference to education factors; the corresponding figure for 1977–78 was 41·9 per cent. Factors for the number of school and further education pupils will reflect expenditure needs for other services than education as well as education itself.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what special allowance has been made in the current year's rate support grant for counties that have new towns within their boundaries.

No special allowance is made in the rate support grant distribution. There are, however, arrangements to enable certain new town corporations, including Northampton, to make interesT—free loans to their host county councils to cover the "undue financial burden" of new town development. This grant is calculated retrospectively and was paid to Northamptonshire for 1975–76 and is likely to be available again to cover the financial year 1976–77.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the social factors in the rate support grant distribution formula based on the 1971 census, are the figures for social factors in the rate support grant distribution formula updated by him; and, if so, by what method.

Those factors used in the rate support grant distribution derived from the 1971 Census and the method of their updating are set out in the Rate Support Grant Order 1976 (SI No. 2203) laid before the House on 6th December 1976.

asked the Seccretary of State for the Environment what discussions his Department has had during the last six months with bottle and can manufacturers to encourage them to produce returnable bottles and cans, rather than disposable ones.

I have been asked to reply.A working party of the Waste Management Advisory Council, on which the bottle and can manufacturers are represented, is at present studying the problem of returnable and non—returnable containers. The purpose of the study is to examine the economic and environmental impacts of returnable and non returnable systems and to consider whether there are grounds for encouraging the development of one system at the expense of the other. The working party, which also includes representatives of retail, consumer and environmental interests, is due to report at the beginning of next year. I shall then consider, in the light of the council's recommendations, what action should be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what request has been made by the Property Services Agency to the London borough of Hillingdon to consider undertaking the development of 200 dwellings for the United States Navy on the site of West Ruislip Air Base; and if he will make a statement.

At the request of the Ministry of Defence, joint discussions between the London borough of Hillingdon, the Ministry of Defence and my Department have been held to consider such a proposal. Any statement will be a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has held with the Greater London Council and the London Transport Executive on future financing policies for the London Transport road and Underground network.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why the safety regulations governing movement of hazardous chemicals by road are not accompanied by appropriate regulations for movement of such cargoes by water.

All major ports have bye—laws covering the movement of certain classes of dangerous goods. My right hon. Friend has drawn the attention of the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission to the need to make progress with the preparation of regulations having national effect covering all classes of dangerous goods. I am writing to the hon. Member on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received any further representations on the policies outlined in the Select Committee Report on British Railways.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Chairman of British Railways on improving productivity in British Railways.

Ways of improving productivity are primarily matters for the British Railways Board and management, but the Chairman knows of the importance I attach to building on the improvements that have already been achieved.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he hopes to arrive at decisions relating to railways in Scotland, in the light of the White Paper.

I am not entirely sure what my hon. Friend has in mind, as the White Paper applies to Scotland. No further decisions are contemplated in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he will begin discussions on the proposed new arrangements for deciding on the retention or closure of local railway services.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a similar Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South—West (Mrs. Wise) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to discuss his proposals on local railway services with the National Union of Railwaymen.

As soon as convenient to all concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport with which organisations he has discussed his proposals for new machinery to determine the retention or otherwise of local railway services, prior to the publication of his White Paper.

None, but I received advice from many quarters in the consultations on transport policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to bring forward legislation to provide for continuing Exchequer support for British Railways passenger business.

As soon as necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what he expects to be the cost to the Exchequer of his proposal in the recent White Paper for a new special replacement allowance for the renewal of the assets of British Railways passenger business.

I would draw my hon. Friend's attention to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Cook) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what the net cash flow from central and local government to the British Railways Board has been for each of the years 1972. 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976; and what the estimated net cash flow will be for 1977.

Following is the information:

			£ million outturn prices
1972	…	…	120·.8
1973	…	…	154·.0
1974	…	…	393·.3
*1975	…	…	542·.3
*1976	…	…	483·.1
1977 (estimate)	…	…	543·.4
* Figures for 1975 and 1976 include elements for PSO, level crossings and freight grants that remain subject to audit adjustment.

These figures exclude local government contributions to the British Railways Board's investment, for which figures are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what further plans he has for legislation to improve rural transport.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what further plans he has for legislation to improve rural transport.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Mid-Oxfordshire (Mr. Hurd). In addition, the new framework of public transport plans, with the increased provision for rural services that has already been announced, will allow operators and local authorities to plan services with greater confidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has had about the need to improve rural transport.

We received many such representations in response to the transport policy consultation document, and took all of them carefully into account in preparing the recent White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the increasing costs now being faced by the road haulage industry.

I have received representations from a number of indi- viduals and organisations, including the Road Haulage Association, about the effects of increased costs on the road haulage industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what specific steps will be taken to ensure that road inquiries are conducted without obstruction.

It is for the inspector at an inquiry to take what steps he considers necessary to ensure that the proceedings can make progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement on the conduct of road inquiries.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Winchester (Rear—Admiral Morgan—Giles) on 1st July.—[Vol. 934, c. 383.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what advice on road safety he gives to local authorities in circumstances in which there is a road adjacent to a waterway into which vehicles plunge from time to time, causing death.

No specific advice has been issued. I think this is a matter best left to the discretion of local highway authorities, who are free to erect warning signs and safety fences.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why he did not include a statement on road safety in the transport White Paper.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Smith) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many centres process vehicle registration applications apart from Swansea.

81.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, in giving increasing encouragement to use public transport, what consideration was given when preparing the White Paper to the adequacy of the supply of double—decker buses to bus operators.

This was in my mind and led to the decision, announced in the White Paper, to continue new bus grants to 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now estimate the starting date of the section of M25 between the A13 and Al2.

The summer of 1978, subject to the satisfactory completion of the outstanding statutory procedures and to the availability of funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement about the London outer orbital road (M25).

The Government continue to attach the highest priority to the completion of the London outer orbital road, the M25.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely implications for commuter fares over the next five years of the policies set out in the recent transport White Paper.

I invite the hon. Gentleman to study what the White Paper says.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what studies his Department has made of the effectiveness of various methods of improving the flow of traffic in towns; and if he will make a statement.

My Department, through the Transport and Road Research Laboratory, the Traffic Advisory Unit and its regional offices, has a continuing programme of studies with the objective of improving traffic flow. Many of these are made in collaboration with local authorities. Some studies are specific to one device or technique whilst others are concerned with improving traffic flow through an urban network. Such studies, which make a material contribution to the policies set out in the White Paper, will continue. The results are made available in reports and technical advice.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why the White Paper did not include a statement of his policy towards the National Freight Corporation.

I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 236–240 of the White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his latest estimate of the profit or loss of the National Freight Corporation for the current financial year.

The National Freight Corporation expects its 1977 results to show a considerable improvement over 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects that heavy lorries will meet in full the costs attributed to them; and when they will conform to the rules of safety and hours of work obtaining in other European countries.

Lorries as a class now meet their allocated costs, although some particular types with high axle loadings do not. Preparations are in hand to change the vehicle excise duty system to deal with this, but changes cannot be made before 1979. I have nothing to add to my previous statements about the EEC requirements on drivers' hours and tachographs.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport by what date it is expected that heavy lorries will meet in full the costs attributed to them.

I refer my hon. Friend to the relevant part of the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Springburn (Mr. Buchanan).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the future rôle of the transport users' consultative committees in considering rail closures in the light of the proposals contained in his recent White Paper.

I refer to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Springburn (Mr. Buchanan) on 13th July.—[Vol. 935, c. 175–6.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on road maintenance in the last three years.

Expenditure on road maintenance in England was £425 million in 1974–75, £425 million in 1975–76 and is estimated at £419 million in 1976–77 at November 1975 prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made with the Preston Borough Council in negotiations regarding the maintenance of the Preston Dock; and whether he will make a statement.

Preston Borough Council is currently preparing an application for assistance under the Industry Act 1972 to help it to continue to operate the port for a trial period to test the validity of the National Ports Council's assessment of the port's future prospects. Officials of my Department and of the Department of Industry are in close touch with Preston officials about the details of the application.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the creation of a comprehensive heavy lorry network.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Woolwich, West (Mr. Bottomley).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department gives to local authorities when installing bus lanes or allowing such lanes to be used by cyclists.

Our Department's guidance is in? Technical Memorandum No. H6/76—Implementation of Bus Priorities". It recommends that cyclists should always be permitted to use a kerb side with—flow bus lane, but that they should be permitted to use contra—flow lanes or bus—only streets only when the hazards at either end of such lanes and streets can be overcome.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents to riders of two—wheeled motorised vehicles occurred in the year ended 30th April 1977; and how this compares with the previous year.

I regret the information is not readily available in the precise form requested, but the following is available:

CASUALTIES AMONGST USERS OF TWo—WHEELED MOTOR VEHICLES: GREAT BRITAIN
12 Months Ended February					Number
1977	…	…	…	…	67,650*
1976	…	…	…	…	57,441
Increase	…	…	…	…	18℅
*Provisional

Over the same period, two—wheeled motor vehicle traffic (vehicle mileage) is provisionally estimated to have increased by 17 per cent. in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements he intends to introduce to enable local authorities and other interested parties to make representations on the road programme aspects of the White Paper on Transport Policy.

Arrangements for consultation with local authorities are already well—established. We shall explore the idea of a new little NEDC which might, among other things, consider priorities for road schemes in the light of industrial needs. I do not think any additional machinery will be necessary for other groups. Present informal consultations work well.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the effect on rail fares of a stable passenger supplementary grant up to the end of the decade as foreshadowed in his recent White Paper.

I hope it will encourage everyone concerned to work together to keep rail fare increases to the minimum compatible with the financial obligations of the British Railways Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the reaction from Scotland to the recent White Paper on transport.

My right hon. Friend has had no formal representations from Scottish interests on the White Paper. Initial reactions as reported in the Press have generally welcomed the benefits which rural areas stand to gain.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of car drivers for the most recent year for which statistics are available who were killed in motor accidents had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit at that time.

The provisional estimate for England and Wales in 1976 is 39 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he will be in a position to announce his conclusions on the feasibility study for the proposed construction of an MI—M11 link road which has been under consideration by his Department.

My right hon. Friend recognises the desirability of an early decision, and will announce his conclusions on the feasibility study as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what savings in cost are anticipated by economies and cuT—hacks in motorways in 1977, 1978, and 1979.

It is too early to say. Any major changes affecting the costs of individual trunk road or motorway schemes will be announced as and when they are made.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, as part of his studies in connection with the White Paper on Transport Policy, he will initiate a study of the volume of trade carried on inland waterways, including the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation, during each of the past five years; and what expansion is envisaged.

The Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation was the subject of exhaustive traffic studies when the proposal to improve it was put to the Government. As the recent White Paper on Transport Policy makes clear, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, who has immediate responsibility for inland waterways, was unable to approve the proposal because these studies failed to identify a likely volume of traffic sufficient to produce an adequate return on the investment. New information concerning freight traffic on inland waterways is likely to emerge from my Department's forthcoming origin and destination survey of freight passing through United Kingdom ports.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to evaluate the success, or otherwise, of the 12 months' experiment in the use of speed control humps; and if he will make a statement.

A series of experiments by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory on the use of speed control humps in residential areas is continuing until the spring of 1978, and full results should be available later that year. Preliminary results from the experiments show desirable reductions in traffic speed, volume and noise.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, in view of the need for good road links to Manchester, and in particular Manchester Airport, if he will indicate what discussions he has now had with the Sheffield Metropolitan District Council, the South Yorkshire County Council, and the Yorkshire and Humberside Planning Council, following his decision not to proceed with the M67 motorway, to provide adequate road links.

Since my right hon. Friend announced his decision, he has had no talks with the planning council about the Manchester—Sheffield route, but we have received deputations from the South Yorkshire County and Sheffield District Councils. These deputations pressed for an early start on a bypass for Stocksbridge and Deepcar and we have agreed that public consultation on the alternative routes under consideration for this scheme should begin before Christmas. Regular meetings between the Department and the local authorities are now being held at official level.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport after what period of time, following the issue of a motor vehicle test certificate by an authorised examiner, his Department is prepared to withdraw the examiner's authorisation where his Department's technical officers have retested the vehicle and found it unfit to be issued with a test certificate.

If an authorised examiner who issues a test certificate for a vehicle which is found to be defective has received within the past five years a written warning about the testing standards of his garage, his authorisation is generally withdrawn at seven days' notice. I believe this to be desirable for the protection of the public.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers are authorised to use disabled drivers' notices on their cars; and what evidence he has of the abuse of this arrangement, particularly by others who are not disabled.

A census carried out in the middle of last year showed that there were then about 200,000 holders of orange badges in England and Wales. Evidence of some abuse reaches us from time to time, and we are currently consulting interested organisations about this. However, allegations that badges are displayed by non—entitled persons are not always well founded. Some of the entitlement rules require medical judgment and a layman may sometimes wrongly conclude that a badge has been improperly issued. Non—entitled persons who make use of the parking concessions available under the schemes are committing an offence and are liable to prosecution.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will publish, for those nationalised industries for which he is responsible, a list showing the latest available figures for the net assets deployed and the numbers of people employed in each.

Following is the information as at 31st December 1976 as shown in the reports and accounts for 1976 of the four industries concerned:

	Net Assets(£ million)	Number of Employees
British Railways Board	496·.3	251,627
British Transport Docks Board	150·.9	11,656
National Bus Company	161·7	67,911
National Freight Corporation	65·.4	41,707

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will initiate a comprehensive study to investigate the extent to which traffic exceeds the design capacities of inter—urban trunk roads.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence has been submitted to the Leitch Committee on Trunk Road Assessment concerning those roads which are carrying traffic in excess of their design capacities.

None by my Department. The committee is looking at the methods of appraisal and traffic forecasting applied to the trunk road programme as a whole. It has not been asked to consider individual roads.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what the net cash flow from road users to central Government has been, after deduction of attributable road costs, for each of the years 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976; and what the estimated net cash flow will be for 1977.

Comparison of attributable public costs, some of which fall in cash terms on local authorities rather than central Government, with tax revenue is as follows:

£ million
Financial year		Attributable public costs	Tax revenue	Difference
1972–73	…	961	2,256	1,295
1973–74	…	1,129	2,314	1,185
1974–75	…	1,256	2,340	1,084
1975–76	…	1,554	2,971	1,417
1976–77	…	1,738	3,505	1,767
1977–78	…	1,700	3,980	2,280

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the completion of the M3 motorway between Popham and the M27; and if this will he constructed to the required standards for e—routes in Europe.

Like all schemes not yet under construction, the extension of the M3 from Popham to the M27 is being looked at in the light of the principles set out in the recent Transport Policy White Paper. The design of this section of the M3 is compatible with that for an E-route.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he intends to take to ensure that those lengths of the United Kingdom trunk road network that are designated as European Routes will be improved to e—route standards as soon as possible.

The routes designated as e—routes ate important trunk roads which have already been improved or will be improved according to the priorities set out in Command 6836, Transport Policy. The standards adopted by the Department conform with those internationally agreed for E-routes.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when the hon. Member for Hampstead will receive a reply to the letter sent to him on 21st June in connection with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea on behalf of his constituent Mr. J. J. Merrett;(2) when the hon. Member for Hampstead will receive a reply to the letter sent to him on 16th June in connection with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea on behalf of his constituent Mr. M. Nunnelly;(3) when the hon. Member for Hampstead will receive a reply to the letter sent to him on 2nd June in connection with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea on behalf of his constituent Mr. B. Lewisohn.

I have replied to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what action she has taken to promote United Kingdom private investment sources, other than through the operations of the Commonwealth Development Corporation; and with what success.

The promotion of private investment as such is not a function of the aid programme, though the Pre—Investment Studies Scheme is at present available in relation to proposals of developmental value.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development (1) who are the manufacturers of the 38 trucks and two land rovers now ready for shipment for the use of the armed forces or police of Uganda; what is the contract price of these vehicles; and how much of that contract price has been paid;(2) what spare parts have been supplied by the Crown Agents to Uganda and what public works equipment.

I have nothing to add to the answers I gave my hon. and learned Friend on 7th July 1977.—Vol. 934, c. 615–6.]—Detailed information about individual transactions is commercially confidential as between the Crown Agents and their principals.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what loss of profits she estimates would be suffered by the Crown Agents if they repudiated their contract for the shipment of 38 trucks and two landrovers for the use of the Ugandan police or army.