asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give full details of grants and loans received to date in

£million*
	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977
A. European Coal and Steel Community
(i) Article 54 (loans): Steel Industry—
1. BSC Port Talbot (coke ovens—Phase 1)	—	—	35·00	—	—
2. BSC Port Talbot (rebuilding No. 4 blast furnace and raw material handling scheme)	—	—	7·00	—	—
3. GKN Cardiff (electric are furnace continuous casting plant and mills)	—	—	—	20·00	—
4. BSC Port Talbot (coke ovens)	—	—	—	—	5·81
(ii) Article 55 (grants): Steel Industry†			5·132
(iii) Article 56 (loans): Steel Industry—
1.BSC Ebbw Vale (tin plating plant)	—	—	15·55	—	—
2. BSC Tafarnaubach (steel-coating plant)	—	—	—	1·25	—
3. Natural Gas Tubes Ebbw Vale (welded tube mill)	—	—	—	0·95	—
4. Natural Gas Tubes Ebbw Vale (spiral weld mill)	—	—	—	1·36	—
5. BSC Tafarnaubach (welded steel tube plant)	—	—	—	—	1·086
(iv) Article 56 (re-adaptation grants): Steel Industry—
1. Re-adaptation benefits allocated to redundant steelworkers	—	0·02	0·51	0·38	0·86
B. European Investment Bank Loans
1. BSC Llanwern (modernising of stripmill)	14·70	—	—	—	—
2. BSC Port Talbot (new sinter plant for the preparation of raw materials)	—	8·00	—	—	—
3. BSC Port Talbot (new coal handling and blending system)	—	—	—	12·60	—
4. BSC Shotton (new installation of coating lines)	—	—	17·50	—	—
5. Post Office (improvement of telephone services in Wales)	—	—	17·50	—	—
6. British Rail, Holyhead (improving Sealink services)	—	—	—	5·50	—
7. CEGB/Electricity Council Dinorwic (Welsh Hydroelectric Scheme)	—	—	—	26·00	—
* Figures notified to Departments. Approval dates where known.
† Figures relate to United Kingdom as a whole, the grants benefiting industry generally.
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund—Assistance to individual undertakings under the Guidance and Guarantee Sections of the Agricultural Fund cannot be readily identified except in respect of grants awarded under Regulation EEC 17/64 (Individual Projects Scheme). Up to 15th July 1977 the following projects had been approved:

Year		Description	Grant Awarded
			£
1973	…	Construction of a factory for cheese and milk products at Maelor, Clwyd	517,200
		Extension and modernisation of cheese manufacturing capacity and installation of whey processings facilities at Llandyrnog, Clwyd	198,581
		Conversion of non-refrigerated store into a cheese pre-packing unit and cold store at Johnstown, Carmarthen	87,103
		Milk standardisation at three dairies in Glamorgan and Gwent	25,680
		*Intensification of bulk milk collection in England and Wales (Phase I)	850,983
1974	…	*Intensification of bulk milk collection in England and Wales (Phase II)	2,129,010
		Modernisation of a cheese factory at Pwllheli, Gwynedd	17,000
		Installation of equipment for pre-packing cheese at a creamery at Maelor, Clwyd	21,600
		Installation of additional cheese presses, packaging equipment and transport facilities at a creamery at Maelor, Clwyd	118,840
		Modernisation of a butter making plant at a creamery at Felinfach, Dyfed	153,185

Details of EEC loans and grants in respect of industrial investments in Wales since the United Kingdom joined the Community are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the schemes submitted to him by Welsh local authorities for aid from the European Regional Development Fund in 1975, 1976 and 1977 which his Department refused to submit to the EEC; and what was the reason for that refusal.

A large number of schemes were discussed informally with local authorities in order to establish their eligibility for fund assistance. Only those schemes which failed to meet the current criteria of eligibility were subsequently not proceeded with. Details of the schemes could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the schemes submitted by Welsh local authorities in 1975, 1976 and 1977 which his Department submitted to the EEC for assistance from the European Regional Development Fund and which the Commission rejected; and what reasons were given for the rejection.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will publish a list of prisoners convicted of scheduled terrorist offences who have been released on remission, and indicate the offences for which they were convicted and the length of sentence served.

The information is not available in the form requested and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. In any event it is not the practice to publish particulars of individual prisoners.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners still have special category status.

939 as at 17th July 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many additional jobs in industry have been created with the help of the Department of Commerce, the Local Enterprise Development Unit and the Northern Ireland Development Council or Finance Corporation according to official statements, in each of the last five financial years; how many of these jobs exist at present; and how many are actually filled by workers.

The following are the published figures showing the number of jobs promoted by the Department of Commerce and the Local Enterprise Development Unit in the last five financial years:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many manufacturing enterprises employ five to 10 people, 10 to 25 people, 25 to 50 people, 50 to 100 people, 100 to 250 people and over 250 people, respectively.

In June 1976, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of establishments in the manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland categorised according to the number of people they employ was as follows:

EMPLOYEES
5–10	11–24	25–49	50–99	100–249	250+

Establishments
439	447	265	214	188	111

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the schemes submitted to him by Northern Ireland local authorities for aid from the European Regional Development Fund in 1975, 1976 and 1977 which his Department refused to submit to the EEC; and what was the reason for that refusal.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give any convenient approximate yearly figures indicating the incidence of coronary heart disease in Scotland.

Total figures of patients suffering from coronary heart disease are not available. The following are figures of discharges from and deaths in hospital:

Discharges and Deaths—Coronary Heart Disease
1970	…	…	…	18,517
1971	…	…	…	18,525
1972	…	…	…	20,510
1973	…	…	…	20,898
1974	…	…	…	21,588

Discharges and Deaths/Million Population
1970	…	…	…	3,562
1971	…	…	…	3,551
1972	…	…	…	3,937
1973	…	…	…	4,010
1974	…	…	…	4,130

These figures do not represent the total number of patients, as some patients may be discharged from hospital more than once during the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give approximate yearly figures indicating the number of deaths as a result of coronary heart disease in Scotland during each of the last five years.

The numbers of deaths registered in Scotland in the years from 1972 to 1976 as due to ischaemic heart disease are shown in the following table:

Year					Number of Deaths
1972	…	…	…	…	19,001
1973	…	…	…	…	18,936
1974	…	…	…	…	19,028
1975	…	…	…	…	18,251
1976	…	…	…	…	18,977

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, giving the estimated cost of each, those trunk road schemes, costing over £250,000, which were added to the forward road programme during the six months ended 31st March 1977.

As follows:

		Total Estimated Cost £m
Al Henderson's Bridge	…	1·0
A96 Alves Bridge	…	0·4
A882 Burnside-Scrabster	…	0·6

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the mileage of all-purpose dual carriageways in use

PERSONS PROCEEDED AGAINST FOR OFFENCES UNDER SECTION 40(1) OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE ACT 1970
ENGLAND AND WALES
Number of persons
					Sentence
Year			Total proceeded against	Total found guilty	Absolute discharge	Fine
1970*	…	…	3	3	—	3
1971	…	…	8	5	—	5
1972	…	…	5	4	—	4
1973	…	…	5	5	1	4
1974	…	…	1	—	—	—
1975	…	…	2	1	—	1
* From 1st July when the Act came into force.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in the Official Report the numbers of attempted escapes from prisons in England, Scotland and Wales, together with the number of successful escapes; and whether he will publish separate figures for Northern Ireland.

In the first six months of this year 19 prisoners escaped from prisons and remand centres in England and Wales and a further 51 attempted to escape. The numbers for previous years are published in the annual reports on the work of the Prison Department, copies of which are in the Library. The report for 1976 was published on 21st July (Cmnd. 6877 and 6884). Responsibility for prisons in Scotland rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, and for prisons in in Scotland on trunk roads on 31st March 1977.

About 184 miles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought under the Administration of Justice Act 1970 in respect of harassment of debtors; and what was the outcome of these prosecutions.

The information given in the following table covers the period from 1st July 1970 when the Act came into force; figures for 1976 are not yet available.Northern Ireland with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make and issue the rules due under the Bail Act 1976; and when the Act will be brought into effect.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ormskirk (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) on 16th June.—[Vol. 933, c. 224.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the latest and most convenient date, the total amount of unpaid fines outstanding; for how much of these fines the time period for payment has expired; how these figures compare on an annual basis for the longest period of time; and what action he has taken or intends taking to enforce payment.

The table below shows the amounts of fines collected by magistrates' courts in England and Wales during each of the last six financial years and the amounts outstanding—excluding Inner London—at the end of each financial year:

	Fines Collected	Fines Outstanding
	£	£
1970–71	18,095,966	6,381,604
1971–72	21,338,865	6,946,074
1972–73	25,529,658	7,871,879
1973–74	32,045,242	10,436,914
1974–75	35,570,348	12,800,148
1975–76	45,885,990	17,818,896
1976–77	59,022,051	20,581,337

The figures for outstanding fines include fines imposed but not yet due for payment; figures for fines outstanding where the period of payment has expired are not available.The enforcement of fines is a matter for the courts concerned. They have several methods open to them, including the threat of imprisonment and distress upon goods.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is yet in a position to reply to the letter of 24th June from the hon. Member for Kingswood about his constituent, Mrs. I. L. Lapham, who is waiting for the issue of a British passport, inasmuch as her situation is now urgent.

I replied to my hon. Friend's letter on 20th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights the atrocities committed by Indonesian authorities in East Timor.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens) on 21st July.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the concern expressed by Her Majesty's Government at the 1977 meeting of the Inter-Governmental Group on Indonesia that the release of political prisoners be speeded up, he has taken steps to find out how the recently announced programme of releases has been proceeding; and if the names of released prisoners have been made available.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leek (Mr. Knox) on 20th July.—[Vol. 935, c. 596–7.]—The names of some released detainees are known. We shall maintain our contacts with the Indonesian Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the concern expressed by Her Majesty's Government at the 1977 Meeting of the Inter-Governmental Group on Indonesia that the release of political prisoners be speeded up, Her Majesty's Government have taken steps to find out how the recently announced programme of releases has been proceeding; whether names of released prisoners have been made available; and whether Her Majesty's Government will approach the Indonesian Government for information of this nature.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leek (Mr. Knox) on 20th July.—[Vol. 935, c. 596–7.]—The names of some released detainees are known. We shall maintain our contacts with the Indonesian Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will bring forward legislation to seek to establish the British citizen's right to a passport.

No. My right hon. Friend has no plans to bring forward such legislation at this time.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which member States of the United Nations Organisation Great Britain does not have full diplomatic relations.

The member States of the United Nations with whom the United Kingdom has no diplomatic relations are:

• Albania Angola
• Bhutan
• Comoro
• Islands
• Guatemala
• Sao Toméand Principe
• Uganda.

The term "full diplomatic relations" is open to a number of interpretations. The United Kingdom is in diplomatic relations with the following member States of the United Nations in which, however, our senior representative is not at present an accredited ambassador or high commissioner:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the light of President Giscard d'Estaing's latest comments, he will confirm that it remains the intention of Her Majesty's Government to co-ordinate, with the French Government, British policy on securing landing rights for Concorde at New York, and on taking similar steps to the French Government if those rights are denied.

We maintain the closest contact with our French partners on all aspects of Concorde policy. We and the French will consider the next step when we know the outcome of the action which the airlines currently have before the United States courts.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will raise the issue of atrocities in East Timor with the Indo- nesian authorities in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens) on 21st July.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with other Governments, including the USA, about their supply of arms and services to Guatemala which are being used to threaten Belize.

Our views on this are well known to the Governments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) steam, and (b) diesel locomotives are currently owned by his Department and how many track miles are currently in operation.

The Ministry of Defence owns, in the United Kingdom and in Germany, four steam and 157 diesel standard gauge locomotives and 68 diesel narrow gauge locomotives. There are 607 miles of standard gauge and 100 miles of narrow gauge railway track in current use in rail served installations.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of his current programme of research into systems to protect the confidentiality of official microwave telephone transmissions in urban areas; and if he proposes to make available the results of his research for protection of private and commercial transmissions.

Encryption facilities are available to protect official telephone conversations which contain classified information, whether or not these telephone conversations are carried on microwave circuits; and there is continuing research into ways of improving and extending this protection. It would not be in the public interest to give any details of the protection provided or of the resources which are allocated to the research effort. The protection of other than official conversations is a matter for the individual subscriber.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many rifle ranges have been temporarily taken out of use during the past 12 months; for what

Range	Reason	When reopened or to be reopened
Purfleet, Essex (three ranges out of a five range complex).	Maintenance of stop butts	October 1977
Gosport (Browndown), Hampshire.	Reductions in civilian manpower	Not known. To be reviewed in 1978.
Churn, Berkshire	Safety	Not known
RMA Sandhurst, Surrey	Realignment due to building in vicinity	Not known
Chickerell, Dorset	Safety	September 1977
Mere, Wiltshire	Safety	Reopened
Bulford, Wiltshire	Maintenance	Reopened
Llansilin, Shropshire	Lack of usage due to move of nearby unit	Not known
Wedgnock, Warwickshire	Safety, due to subsidence of firing point and stop butts.	Not known
Ross on Wye, Herefordshire	Problems over firing rights	Not known. Negotiations are in progress.
Sealand, Cheshire	Repairs to stop butts	Not known
Cragbank, Lancashire	Repairs to fences	July 1977
Bromeswell, Suffolk	Safety	Not known
Penally, Dyfed	Maintenance	Reopened
Severn Tunnel, Gwent	Maintenance	Reopened
Ty Croes, Gwynedd	Reductions in civilian manpower	Not known
Totley, Yorkshire	Safety	Not known
Cwm Gwdi, Powys	Maintenance	Reopened

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is satisfied that GCE examining boards adopt a reasonably uniform system of marking; and whether she has received any recent representations to the contrary.

The complex task of monitoring standards in public examinations is undertaken by the examining boards themselves under the general oversight of the Schools Council. I am satisfied that there are well-established procedures which are designed to maintain comparability of examination standards and that these are kept under review. I have received no recent representations about the consistency of marking by GCE boards.

pursuant to his answer [Official Report, 13th July 1977; Vol. 935, c. 131–132], gave the following revised information:20 ranges have been temporarily taken out of use during the past 12 months, of which six have already been reopened and a further four are due to reopen before the end of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the current surplus of teachers and the threatened surplus of doctors, if she will publish a White Paper showing what went wrong with forecasts of requirements; what action can be taken to improve forecasts for the future; and what the latest estimates are for requirments in each of the professions.

The steady decline in the birth rate in recent years, contrary to earlier forecasts, has made it necessary to reduce intakes to the colleges of education, and in the future size of the training plant. However, the main reasons for the current surplus of teachers are constraints on public expenditure, and the marked decline in wastage from the profession in the last two years. Projected teacher numbers in schools in Great Britain are given in the table on page 71 of Volume II of Cmnd 6721.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations she has received from Equity about the future of touring productions in the regions.

Equity has made representations to the Prime Minister on this subject, and my noble Friend the Minister for the Arts will be replying to them. My noble Friend is aware of the problems faced by certain major theatres in the provinces and of the talks that the Arts Council is having with the proprietors and local authorities involved. The Council hopes that it will be able to reach agreement between those parties to safeguard the future of at least the most important of the theatres affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the cost of the accreditation charges being introduced for laboratory animals at the Medical Research Council animal centre at Carshalton; what these charges will raise in a full financial year and what other charges are being considered for any other service by the Medical Research Council centre; how these will affect the work of the unit; what consultations have taken place with the recognised trade unions in relation to these matters; what effect the proposals will have on standards at this institution; and what effect this will have on staffing of this unit.

pursuant to her reply [Official Report, 18th July 1977, Vol. 935, c. 384–5], circulated the following information:The introduction of charges, details of which are still being assessed, for the services provided by the Medical Research Council's Laboratory Animals Centre under its accreditation scheme are not expected by the Council to affect the work of the centre, or lead to any increase in its running costs. In the first full year after their introduction, these charges will raise £14,000, about one-fifth of the cost to the Council of the scheme. It is the Council's intention that the charges should increase over a period of five years to recover the full costs of the scheme, estimated at £70,000 a year. The centre already imposes charges for most of its other services, and in accordance with Government policy the Council is considering the introduction of charges for the remainder.There have been several consultations with the staff of the centre through the joint negotiating and consultative machinery. The Council sees no reason why the introduction of these charges should have any effect on either standards or staffing at the centre.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in the textile industry in the United Kingdom in 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1976 and currently.

Estimates for the earlier years specified are available on a comparable basis only for June each year. The following table gives estimates of the numbers of employees in employment in the textiles industry in the United Kingdom up to June 1976 and at May 1977. Estimates for June 1977 are not yet available.

June 1960	…	…	843,000
June 1965	…	…	765,000
June 1970	…	…	678,000
June 1975	…	…	529,000
June 1976*	…	…	522,000
May 1977*	…	…	526,000
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment to what extent chairmen and members of industrial courts, trades arbitration tribunals, and their committees appointed to arbitrate on wages and industrial disputes receive less than £135 per week in salaries and expenses.

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to arbitrators appointed by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, who are paid on a daily basis. The fee for a single arbitrator or the chairman of a board of arbitration is £35 per day, whilst side members of boards of arbitration receive £21 per day.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out in tabular form the full range of training courses now provided for young people from 16 years old on; and if he will give the numbers of those now doing such courses that are (a) funded exclusively by industry, (b) funded exclusively by Government and (c) jointly funded by industry and Government, as well as the total sums of money involved in providing them.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 18th July 1977; Vol.

Type of Course	Government Numbers in training on 31st March 1977	Funding Estimated cost*	Joint Industry/Government Numbers in training on 31st March 1977	Funding Estimated cost*
		£million		£million
Short industrial courses	3,329	13·5†
Occupational selection courses	1,070		—	—
Wider opportunities courses	69
Incentive grants to employers for additional recruitment to long-term training	—	—	26,631	26·69*‡
Incentive grants to employers providing additional places for college-based sandwich course students	—	—	1,064	0·98*‡
Training award schemes	4,237	6·36	1,907	2·72
Grants and awards for redundant apprentices and unplaced award holders	368	0·38	2,855	2·35†
		£
Schemes of unified vocational preparation	150	36,000§	—	—
* Cost figures relate to expenditure spread over the financial years 1976–77 and 1977–78 except where otherwise stated.
†Represents the cost of training 15,000 young people during the financial year 1976–77.
‡These figures represent the contribution of Government and industrial training boards to training funded jointly with employers.
§ Represents the cost of training 150 young people during the financial year 1976–77.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what research is known to the Health and Safety Executive in relation to safety on fishing vessels;(2) what research is known to the Health and Safety Executive in relation to safety on merchant navy vessels.

I have been asked to reply, as safety of merchant ships and fishing vessels is one of my responsibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy under what statutory provision the CEGB is participating in uranium exploration in Saskatchewan in Canada.

Section 2(7)(c) of the Electricity Act 1957 gives the Board power to carry on certain activities which appear to the Board to be requisite, advantageous or convenient for it to carry on for or in connection with the performance of its functions, or with a view to making the best use of any assets vested in them. I am asking the chairman of the Board to write to the hon. Member about the particular venture which he mentions.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will give the salary and expenses drawn or allowed to Mr. Geoffrey Shepherd, the Chairman of the Midlands Electricity Board; how many of the members of the Board who are full time receive £135 or more per week, and what are the average hours worked.

Mr. Shepherd's salary as Chairman of the Midlands Electricity Board is £14,038 per annum and he is reimbursed travelling, subsistence and reasonable hospitality expenses incurred directly on the business of the Board. The only other full-time member, the deputy chairman, also receives a salary of over £135 per week. No record is kept of the average hours worked, since full-time members are available at all times to meet the requirements of the Board's affairs.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details of his investigation of the employment of British ships by BNOC in its North Sea operations.

I find that 36 per cent. of the fleet currently employed by BNOC is United Kingdom owned or United Kingdom flag. As my right hon. Friend surmised at the end of the debate on the motion for the Adjournment on Tuesday 28th June, BNOC inherited contractual obligations from both Burmah and Signal, its predecessors as operators for Thistle. It is thus committed to the long-term charter of four Norwegian supply boats which provide the mainstay of the supply operation for the installation of the Thistle modules and for the hook-up work. However, these boats, although Norwegian flag, were bid by United Kingdom supply boat operators who had no boats of their own available at the time. The Offshore Supplies Office has confirmed that Signal, Burmah and BNOC have been meticulous in giving a full and fair opportunity to United Kingdom supply boat operators to compete for charters.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many public servants have been employed in the assessment of applications for selective financial assistance to industry under Section 8 of the Industry Act 1972 in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not available in the form requested and cannot be obtained without disproportionate effort. Most officials involved in this work have other duties. About 70 staff in the five Departments principally concerned are currently engaged full time on Section 8 work.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will analyse by industry the total commitments made under the industrial sectoral schemes of Section 8 of the Industry Act 1972.

At 30th June 1977 the total commitments made under the sectoral industry schemes were as follows:

				£m
Clothing	…	…	…	2·2
Electronic components	…	…	…	Nil
Ferrous foundry	…	…	…	35·9
Machine tool	…	…	…	6·2
Non-ferrous foundry	…	…	…	Nil
Paper and board	…	…	…	5·8
Poultrymeat processing	…	…	…	2·6
Printing machinery	…	…	…	0·7
Redmeatslaughterhouse	…	…	…	0·6
Textile machinery	…	…	…	0·1
Wool textile (part 1)	…	…	…	16·6
Wool textile (part 2)	…	…	…	0·1
				70·8

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what help his Department has given to industry and others seeking to reclaim polythene and similar substances from waste.

The processing of scrap and waste materials is a qualifying activity under the Industry Act 1972 and, under Section 7 of the Act, Reclamat International Ltd. was given an interest relief grant of £40,800 in 1976 for the reprocessing of plastic waste. No assistance has yet been awarded under Section 8 of the Industry Act to companies seeking to reclaim polyethylene—commonly known as "polythene"—or other plastic materials. Several United Kingdom companies are successfully recycling plastics, either into new articles or into granules for moulding by the plastics industry. With encouragement of the Waste Management Advisory Council officials of my Department have recently met the British Plastics Federation Environment Committee. As a result of this meeting, a survey is now being carried out to identify plastic waste arisings. This will indicate opportunities for plastic material recycling.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give a revised version of the statistical definition of small firms adopted by the Bolton Committee, Command Paper No. 4811, page 3, in line with the subsequent movement in the latest figure for the retail price index, in order to embrace the same kind of firm as was originally considered by the Committee.

I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the present ceilings imposed by the EEC on financial aids to investment in assisted areas; whether there are any proposals pending to alter these ceilings; and what effect the ceilings are having on British policy.

The EEC ceilings on aids to investment in assisted areas are set out in the communication from the Commission to the Council on general systems of regional aid (R/650/75 dated 3rd March 1975), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The ceilings for Great Britain are expressed in terms of the "net grant equivalent", which is the post-tax discounted value of the aid given. The ceilings are due to be reviewed at the end of 1977. In granting regional aid, the Government ensure that the appropriate ceiling is observed.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether he is aware that a major brewery has announced a further increase in the price of beer and that a spokesman of the company has publicly declared that this has been a regular practice on its part every three months; and whether this is in accordance with the Government's prices and incomes policy.

I deplore the regularity with which beer prices have been raised. The Price Code limits the interval between price increases to a minimum of three months, but this does not mean that companies should automatically raise their prices so often. Nevertheless, the recent price increases by the major brewers have been scrutinised by the Price Commission to ensure that they are justified under the terms of the Price Code. It will be open to the Price Commission to investigate future price increases under its new powers.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection in view of the fact that prices rose by 1p in the £ in June, bringing the annual rate of price increases to 17·7 per cent., because many of the items which rose in price were unaffected by world prices and import price increases, and since the wage control was not the cause, if he will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain the reasons for these price increases.

The effect of last autumn's sterling devaluation is estimated to have contributed up to one-third of the 17·7 per cent. year-on-year rate in June. We are, however, now coming towards the end of the period of feed through of goods and materials bought when sterling was down, and also of certain food items—tea, coffee, cocoa—bought when world prices were very high, and my right hon. Friend will be keeping the situation under close scrutiny.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what was the maximum price of a standard loaf of bread when the Bread Prices (No. 2) Order 1976 (S.I. 1976 No. 2128) was laid on 13th December 1976; and what was the maximum price on 18th July 1977.

The statutory maximum price for a 28 oz. sliced and wrapped standard loaf was 20p on 13th December 1976 and became 24½p on 18th July 1977. I would estimate that over the same period the average price in shops has risen from about 19½p to about 22p a loaf.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has completed his examination of methods for increasing exports to developing countries; and if he will publish a White Paper or issue a statement.

The examination has not yet been completed. I shall inform the hon. Member about the outcome in due course.

asked The Secretary Of State For Trade What Is The Total Value To Date Of Contracts Signed Under The 1975 Anglo-Soviet Credit Agreement; And Whether He Is Satisfied With The Amount Of Contracts Concluded To The Present Date.

The Total Value Of Con-tracts Placed Under This Agreement Is £363 Million. While I Would Like To See Contracts Concluded For Even Larger Amounts, I Do Not Consider The Value Of Orders Placed Under This Agreement To Be Unsatisfactory At This Stage Of Its Operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) whether he will discuss with the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics their undercutting of freight rates; and what concessions he proposes to seek;(2) when he will next meet the Russian Minister for Shipping.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Shoreham (Mr. Luce) and my hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (Mr. Blenkinsop) on 27th June 1977—[Vol. 934, c. 25–26]—I hope to have further discussions with the Soviet Minister of Merchant Marine in the USSR in October.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the current adverse balance of trade between the United Kingdom and Japan.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 21st July 1977; Vol. 935, c.659–60], gave the following information:I want to see a much better balance in our trade with Japan. Our intensive export promotion efforts in Japan are being maintained. We continue to seek the co-operation of Japan to improve the access of our exporters to its market, to increase substantially the level of its imports from the United Kingdom as well as to continue restraint of Japan's sensitive exports to us.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what recent representations have been made by British manufacturing companies about Japanese non-tariff barriers;(2) if he will instance those non-tariff barriers, identified by his Department in United Kingdom/Japanese trade, which have been removed in the past five years; and if he will make a statement;(3) what progress has been secured with the Japanese authorities in the removal of non-tariff barriers to British goods entering Japan; and how many such barriers have been identified by his Department as being operated by the Japanese authorities.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 21st July 1977; Vol. 935, c. 659–60], gave the following information:Representations have been made about a number of specific obstacles facing particular exports, and there has been recent progress towards reducing some of them such as difficulties resulting from Japanese pharmaceutical and vehicle testing requirements and vehicle emission standards. But other obstacles remain, and the Government and the European Commission are continuing to make representations to the Japanese authorities about these and other difficulties faced by our exporters. I will write to my hon. Friend with a fuller description of the obstacles and what has been done to remove them.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will inquire into the affairs of R. J. Manners Limited, Scarborough; and when he proposes to report on this matter and make a statement.

R. J. Manners Limited is in compulsory liquidation by order of the High Court made on 25th April 1977. Accordingly the Official Receiver is under a statutory duty to investigate its affairs and his inquiries are continuing. I am not in a position to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the schemes from Lancashire local authorities submitted by his Department in 1975, 1976 and 1977 for aid from the European Regional Development Fund which were rejected by the Commission, and the reasons for that rejection;(2) if he will list the schemes which Greater Manchester local authorities submitted to his Department for aid from the European Regional Development Fund in 1975, 1976 and 1977 which his department refused to submit to the EEC and the reasons for that refusal;

I will write to my hon. Friend giving the information requested.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he uses when (a) agreeing to submit schemes and (b) refusing to submit schemes to the EEC for assistance from the European Regional Development Fund.

In considering whether or not to submit applications for aid from the European Regional Development Fund for infrastructure projects, regard has been paid to the provisions of the regulation establishing the Fund, particularly the requirement of an industrial link and the priority for development areas; to the relative severity of the economic and employment problems of the area concerned; to the contribution which individual projects would make to relieving them; and to the total amount of grant likely to be available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the 1976 levels of radiation of low-grade waste discharged (a) into the Irish Sea and (b) into the atmosphere from the Windscale plant, expressed as percentages of authorised limits and as curies for the total alpha and beta activity; and if he will itemise the activity levels of Strontium 90, Iodine 131 and Caesium 137 into the atmosphere.

The information is as follows:

1976 WINDSCALE LIQUID WASTE INTO THE IRISH SEA
	Curies	Percentage of authorized limits
Total Beta	183,482	61
Total Alpha	1,614	27
Caesium 137 (included in Total Beta)	115,926	—
Cerium 144 (included in Total Beta)	3,996	—
Ruthenium 106	20,698	35
Strontium 90	10,344	35

There is no separate limit (within the total) for Caesium 137 or for Cerium 144 in the current authorisation for liquid discharges.

1976 Windscale Airborne Discharges to Atmosphere
			Curies
Total Beta	…	…	4·6
Total Alpha	…	…	0·05
Strontium 90	…	…	0·36
Iodine 131	…	…	0·076
Caesium 137	…	…	1·13

Discharges to the atmosphere are authorised subject to the adoption of the best practicable means to control them and do not prescribe numerical limits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, assuming that the proposed expansion at the Wind-scale plant is allowed to proceed and that its operating work load is as anticipated, what are the expected levels of radiation of low-grade waste discharged (a) into the Irish Sea and (b) into the atmosphere expressed as percentages of authorised limits and as curies for the total alpha and beta activity; and if he will itemise the activity levels of Ruthenium 106, Strontium 90, Caesium 137 and Cerium 144 into the Irish Sea and the activity levels of Strontium 90, Iodine 131 and Caesium 137 into the atmosphere.

I am not yet able to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 17th December 1976.—[Vol 922, c. 873.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Envorinment whether the Atomic Energy Authority has now identified suitable sites for test drillings in granite and other hard rocks in pursuance of its preliminary research programme into rock formation likely to prove suitable for the disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear waste; where these sites are; which of these sites have been selected for drilling; and when test drillings will begin on each of these selected sites.

I understand from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority that so far only one site has been identified for test drilling. This is in the Mullwharchar Range in the region of Strathclyde. Planning permission will be required, and an application is still

				Percentage of households receiving Rent allowances
				Rent rebates	(unfurnished only)	Rate rebates
Pensioners	…	…	…	55–60	70–80	70
With dependent children	…	…	…	25–30	5–15	15–0

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take to assist the application of public health regulations in the case of overcrowding of hostels providing low-quality accommodation to young people and students visiting London.

There are provisions in the Housing Acts 1957 and 1961 to enable local housing authorities to control overcrowding in accommodation being prepared. It is not, therefore, possible at this stage to say when, or whether, test drilling will start. A number of other areas of granite and other hard rocks, in England and Scotland, are under study.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received about the proposed Singleton development near Ashford, Kent; and what reply he has sent.

Representations have been made to my right hon. Friend that this development should be reconsidered in the light of changes in local housing needs and the GLC overspill policy, but, in his view, this is a matter for Kent County Council. I will send the hon. Member copies of the Departments' replies to these representations in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Woolwich, West (Mr. Bottomley) Official Report, 12th May 1977, column 576, whether it is possible to show how many of the rent and rate rebates and allowances in each year were awarded to pensioners, and to families with dependent children, respectively.

From a sample survey made in 1975 the following approximate estimates can be given for households then receiving rent and rates assistance in England and Wales. No data are available for other years.such as hostels and to require the provision of additional amenities. The application of these provisions is entirely a matter for the local authority concerned. If the hon. Member wishes to pursue any particular points concerning these powers perhaps he could write to me about them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the average domestic rates paid in 1977–78 in the following district areas, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool and Northampton.

It is estimated that the average domestic rate payments in these areas in 1977–78 will be as follows:

			£
Leeds	…	…	63·92
Sheffield	…	…	92·70
Liverpool	…	…	100·41
Northampton	…	…	118·57
National Average	…	…	114·89

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in considering the allocation of resources to local authorities, special consideration is given to those counties in which town expansion schemes exist and new towns are sited, having regard to the fact that they are performing a service for London and the nation as a whole.

Yes. The special claims of all areas are taken into account in considering the allocation of available resources. In particular, where a county faces an undue financial burden to meet the expenditure needs of a new town, the development corporation can make a contribution to mitigate this, using powers under Section 3(3) of the New Towns Act 1965.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority in England, the total amount of key sector borrowing allocations, other than housing, for the years 1975–76, 1976–77 and 1977–78.

This information involves several Government Departments and is not readily available. It could not be provided without disproportion effort and cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on Circular 47/72 concerned with the use of waste material for road fill and joint tendering procedures; how many times that procedure has been used by his Department or by local authorities; how many times joint tenders have been accepted; and what monetary assessment of environmental benefit have resulted.

I have been asked to reply.The possibility of using a nominated source of waste material is now considered as part of the Department's normal procedure in preparing trunk road schemes. I regret that information about the number of schemes involved is not readily available.Tenders higher than the lowest tender have been accepted for trunk road schemes on two occasions in order to use a total of 1·2 million tons of colliery waste. The additional cost of £64,000 was accepted because of the environmental benefits gained. I have no information about local authority road schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in view of the widespread growing us of acupuncture techniques in the United Kingdom, if he will introduce legislation to seek to control the operation of acupuncturists in order to ensure the establishment of a proper register and proper standards of hygiene.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to seek to compel the registration of acupuncturists and enforce proper standards of hygiene and safety in their practice.

My right hon. Friend does not consider that new legislation to introduce compulsory registration of acupuncturists would be justified. Application of the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960 can be extended to provide for the creation of a registration board for acupuncturists should they themselves seek this and should the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine and the Privy Council agree following consultation with existing registration boards for other professions registered under the Act.Registration would not in itself ensure hygiene. A self-employed acupuncturist offering services to the public already has

a responsibility under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for extending long-term benefit to the unemployed of 55 years of age and over after one year of signing on.

The Government will keep under review the conditions for entitlment to the long-term rate of supplementary benefit, together with other competing claims for resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much it would cost to put all the unemployed over 55 years of age on to long-term benefit after one year.

To make unemployed people aged over 55 eligible for the longterm rate of supplementary benefit after one year would cost about £8 million a year at current rates of benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed over the age of 55 are on short-term benefit.

Of those persons aged 55 and over registered as unemployed in May 1976, the latest date for which figures are available, 87,000 were in receipt of unemployment benefit only, 13,000 were in receipt of unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit, and 46,000 were in receipt of supplementary benefit only.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the evaluation of the GKN prototype vehicle for disabled persons.

I am glad to say that my officials will be given an opportunity, in about a month's time, to have a prototype vehicle from GKN for a short period to undertake a technical appraisal. Later in the year it is hoped that the vehicle will be available for a longer period during which functional assessments will be made. My hon. Friend may like to know that I have myself seen and travelled in the vehicle.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his inclusion of the six beds at the Hospital for Sick Children, London, in the list of existing burns units in England and Wales in his answer published in the Official Report for 27th May is meant to imply that this unit currently offers full facilities for the treatment of burns and that its proposed closure in 1978 will not now take place.

The unit has recently been reduced from six beds to two because the average daily occupancy is less than two. The hospital continues to provide full facilities for the treatment of burns and has no plans to stop doing so. However, consideration is being given to discontinuing the separate bums unit and treating serious burns cases in cubicles in the plastic surgery ward.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many appeals to his Department by patients concerning treatment by general practitioners and in hospital were (a) upheld, and (b) rejected in the latest years for which figures are available.

In 1975 and 1976 there were 65 and 52 appeals respectively to the Secretary of State for Social Services by persons whose complaints against general medical practitioners had been decided adversely to them by family practitioner committees under the service committee procedure. The numbers of appeals upheld were three and six respectively.The procedure for investigating complaints about treatment in hospital does not provide a formal right of appeal to my right hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will withdraw his proposals to cut the net profitability of National Health Service dispensing chemists by 23 per cent., as a contribution to keeping the pharmacist viable at a time when pharmacies are closing at the rate of one per working day, and have reduced by one-third in recent years, in view of the effects in rural and dispersed communities particularly for mothers and the elderly.

I hope to discuss these and other aspects of the remuneration of pharmacist contractors when I meet representatives of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee on 25th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what evidence he has received that patients do not like mixed wards in hospitals;(2) how many hospital mixed wards were available to National Health Service patients in each of the years 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976.

A number of letters critical of mixed wards have been received by my Department and I am aware of a recent newspaper article which resulted in some of the letters to me. In the main these do not indicate that the writer has actually been in a mixed ward. But I do know that some people feel strongly about this.I have no national information on the number of mixed wards, and such information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. But undoubtedly they

			England 1973	As at30th September1976
Administrative and clerical staff	…	…	77,108	98,400*
Doctors (including general medical practitioners)	…	…	49,897	53,741
Nurses (excluding agency nurses)(4)	…	…	304,359	339,000*
Ancillary staff	…	…	165,135	173,500*
*These figures are provisional.
(1) All figures are whole-time equivalents except for general medical practitioners (numbers).
(2) 1973 figures include staff of local health authorities employed on work transferred to the NHS on reorganisation.
(3) Excludes clinical assistant appointments, which are usually held part-time by general medical practitioners.
(4) In 1973 there were 4,158 agency nurses; in 1976, 1,800 (provisional).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his replies to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, Official Report, 11th May 1977, column 482, what is his latest estimate of average work expenses for single parents, including the costs of child minding.

I regret that there is insufficient information available on which such an estimate might be based.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the percentage of single mothers in part-time and full-time employment, respectively, in each year since 1969, and distinguishing between widows and divorced, separated or unmarried mothers.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many administrators, doctors, nurses, and auxiliary staff, respectively, were employed by the National Health Service in the last full year before reorganisation and in the latest year for which figures are available.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many appeals for extra needs payments for school clothing were upheld by the Supplementary Benefits Commission in the last 12-month period for which figures are available;(2) how many requests for extra needs payments were made for school clothing in the last 12 months.

I regret that this information is not available. I understand that the Supplementary Benefits Commission regards grants for distinctive school cloth-

Diagnosis	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
Acute myocardial infarction (International classification of Diseases Code 410):
Male	57,010	60,570	65,230	63,930	62,840
Female	25,220	26,490	28,570	28,970	29,430
Total	82,220	87,060	93,800	92,900	92,270
Other ischaemic heart disease (International classification of Diseases Codes 411–414):
Male	20,490	23,770	24,670	25,660	27,310
Female	14,740	15,940	17,100	17,280	17,910
Total	35,230	39,720	41,780	42,930	45,220
The totals may not cash because of rounding

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give approximate yearly figures indicating the number of deaths as a result of coronary heart disease in England and Wales during each of the last five years.

The deaths attributed to ischaemic heart disease (ICD 410–414) in England and Wales were as follows:

1972	…	…	…	151,686
1973	…	…	…	151,893
1974	…	…	…	153,250
1975	…	…	…	154,412
1976	…	…	…	157,015*
*Provisional

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what dietary recommendations shounld be made to the general public with a view to reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease.

The attention of the public was drawn in 1974 to the dietary recommendations contained in the Report from a Panel of the Chief Medical Officers Committee on Medical Aspects of Food

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give any convenient approximate yearly figures indicating the incidence of coronary heart disease in England and Wales, during each of the last five years.

Following are estimated numbers of in-patient spells for treatment of coronary heart disease in NHS hospitals in England and Wales in the years 1970 to 1974 inclusive, 1974 being the latest year for which data are available.Policy entitled "Diet and Coronary Heart Disease"—DHSS Report on Health and Social Subjects No. 7, June 1974. I have subsequently received no advice from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy to justify any variation in these recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what information he has as to the association of consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol with the incidence of heart disease;(2) what information he has as to the relationship between the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats in the diet and the incidence of coronary heart disease.

I have no further information that would be relevant to matters of food policy other than the Report entitled "Diet and Coronary Heart Disease" published in June 1974—DHSS Report on Health Services Subjects No. 7 —by an expert advisory panel of the Chief Medical Officer's Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy and in the Joint Working Party Report of the Royal College of Physicians and the British Cardiac Society published in April 1976 entitled "Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease."

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the association of obesity with coronary heart disease.

Both the report of the advisory panel of the committee on medical aspects of food policy, 1974, and of a joint working party of the Royal College of Physicians and the British Cardiac Society, 1976, concluded that obesity is associated with an increased mortality in general and may be associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Obesity is usually associated with other risk factors such as increased blood pressure or glucose intolerance, and as such may be an indication of a person at high risk. However, in the relatively few cases where there is no other risk factor present there is less evidence that it is a serious hazard.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will consider the appointment of a Chief Scientist to his Department.

A post of Chief Scientist was created in the Department in 1972 and is currently held by Sir Douglas Black, MD, MSc, PRCP.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in the case of disabled people, he will consider abolishing or raising the capital limit of £1,250 which disqualifies them from receiving supplementary allowance.