asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he next expects to meet the board members of British Shipbuilders.

My right hon. Friend has no plans at present for a meeting with the board members of British Shipbuilders.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether the Government intend to make any further attempts to achieve a restructuring of the power generating manufacturing industry as recommended by the Central Policy Review Staff.

There is general acceptance in the industry of the need to restructure. This remains the Government's objective.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if any grant or loan has been allocated by any European agency for steel projects in Workington and near Motherwell.

The European Investment Bank has approved loans totalling £70·2 million to steel projects at Motherwell, a loan of £2·1 million to a steel project at the Distington plant, and a loan of £11·4 million to modernisation works at the Workington and the Distington plants.The European Commission has approved contributions from the European Regional Development Fund of £0–8 million towards the cost of United Kingdom regional aid to the plate mill expansion at Dalzell. Motherwell and £0·6 million towards the cost of United Kingdom regional aid to improve mould refurbishing facilities at Distington near Workington.The European Commission has also approved a loan of £4 million from European Coal and Steel Community funds towards replacing coke ovens at Ravenscraig, Motherwell.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if any grant or loan has been allocated by any European agency for steel research projects on noise, fume control and waste recycling.

In its decision of 6th August 1974 the Commission allocated 10 million units of account for a research programme over a five-year period which would cover noise, fume and dust control, pollution and waste disposal or elimination. About £260,000 has been allocated for five projects in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if any grant or loan has been allocated by any European agency for the new welded steel tube plant at Tafarnaubach, South Wales.

There have been two loans from the European Coal and Steel Community for the new welded steel tube plant at Tafarnaubach, South Wales: one in 1976 of £1·25 million and one in 1977 of £1·09 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if any grant or loan has been allocated by any European agency for a chemical plant on Teesside.

In July 1976 the European Commission allocated a sum of £260,000 from the European Regional Development Fund towards the cost of the Government's regional aids to a chemical plant on Teesside.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the most recent allocation of funds from the European Regional Development Fund; and which areas will benefit.

In July this year, the European Commission approved contributions amounting to £23·42 million from the European Regional Development Fund towards the cost of projects in the United Kingdom as follows:

Region	£000's
Northern	10,622
North-West	1,807
Yorkshire and Humberside	772
East Midlands	86
South-West	234
Total England	13,521
Northern Ireland	4,195
Scotland	4,061
Wales	1,643
Total United Kingdom	23,420

Details of the projects were given in "Trade and Industry" of 22nd July.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what is the average cost per job provided or assisted by projects receiving the regional development grant;(2) what is the total amount of regional development grant spent in 1976–77; and how many jobs this has provided or assisted;(3) how much regional development grant has been spent in 1976–77 on projects providing under 100 jobs, between 100–500 jobs and over 500 jobs, or whatever other similar divisions are conveniently available.

In 1976–77 the total amount of regional development grant paid was £407,709,257. As was explained in the White Paper "Industrial and Regional Development" issued in March 1972 (Cmnd. 4942) these grants are not limited solely to projects which provide employment. No statistics are available of the number of jobs provided or assisted as a result of these grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if any grant or loan has been allocated by any European agency to the North Sea Iron Company for work at Jarrow.

The European Commission approved in July a loan of £28 million under Article 54 of the ECSC Treaty towards the cost of constructing an iron ore direct reduction plant at Jarrow. However, the North Sea Iron Company has decided to postpone this

DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY EXPENDITURE (including support for nationalised industries)
£ million (1976 Survey Prices)
Sub-Programme									1972–73	1976–77
Regional Development Grants				…	…	…	…	…	13·6	393·0
Land and Buildings			…	…	…	…	…	…	21·0	25·8
Selective Regional Assistance				…	…	…	…	…	0·8	27·8
Publicity	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	0·1	0·2
Local Employment Act			…	…	…	…	…	…	83·0	-3·4
General Industrial R & D				…	…	…	…	…	29·7	51·0
Technological Sponsorship				…	…	…	…	…	6·1	8·4
Air R & D		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	22·6	19·1
Concorde	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	132·5	36·8
RB 211	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	89·7	10·1
Other Air Assistance			…	…	…	…	…	…	-1·4	-1·3
Space	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	13·9	30·3
Selective Assistance to Industries and Individual Firms								…	8·8	132·7
Refinancing of Home Shipbuilding Lending						…	…	…	85·8	75·0
Shipbuilding Assistance			…	…	…	…	…	…	19·3	36·5
Other Support Services			…	…	…	…	…	…	-26·6	-3·1
Investment Grants			…	…	…	…	…	…	515·6	29·0
NEB	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	—	225·0
Other Compensation (Redundant Steel Workers)							…	…	—	1·1
Total		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	1,014·5	1,094·0
Note: The above figures exclude expenditure on Central and Miscellaneous Services (staff and administration costs). The NEB figure is in money terms.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what further study he has made of the application of the use of United Kingdom added value concept in the control and automation industry; and if he will make a statement.

A very careful study is being made by my Department. I understand that the industry itself is also carrying out a study of the feasibility of this idea and I am awaiting the outcome of this.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the latest figure for total Government aid to industry; and how this compares with the figure five years ago.

In 1976–77 the provision for assistance to industries which fall within my Department's responsibilities was £1,094 million, compared with £1,015 million in 1972–73; both figures are at 1976 Survey prices and exclude staff and administration costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has made an assessment of the information published or made available by firms in response to the White Paper, Command Paper No. 5845, on their employment practices in South Africa.

We have studied the information published or made available by firms up to February of this year and I am arranging for an assessment to be published in the Official Report. It bears out the indications given in my written reply of 15th February to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) that the information shows progress in improving African wages and some improvement on fringe benefits and other aspects mentioned in paragraph 5 of Cmnd 5845. I shall invite fuller and more consistent coverage of these aspects in the guidance I propose to issue with Ole Code of Conduct of the Nine.EMPLOYMENT PRACTICESIN SOUTH AFRICABRIEF ASSESSMENT OF BRITISH FIRMS' PERFORMANCE(Based on published information)This assessment is based on reports published by British companies or on information tent to the Department of Trade between 1st January 1975 and 28th February 1977. Companies provided this material in response to an invitation in a White Paper (Cmnd. 5845) to publish information on the progress made by their South African subsidiaries towards attaining the level of African wages and other conditions of employment advocated in the Code of Practice defined by the TISC Report.2. This current assessment is based on 189 reports, of which only 43 provided fully the information requested by the White Paper. These 43 reports related in aggregate to 52,080 African employees. Another 53 reports, relating to 48,324 African employees, provided substantive information on African wage rates but less, or none, on other important matters covered by the Code of Practice. The absence of standardisation in the form of reply has made analysis difficult—indeed almost impossible.WAGES AND THE PDL/MEL

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he next proposes to meet the General Council of British Shipping.

My next meeting has not yet been arranged.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he proposes to issue any circular or guidance to local authorities to the effect that they should not commit themselves to major investment schemes for the development of regional airports before the publication of the Government's White Paper on the subject.

No. The White Paper is expected to be published early in the new year and local authorities are unlikely to commit themselves to major investment schemes over the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the increase in the imports of foreign manufactured goods in the last 12 months; what percentage of such imports are goods also manufactured in the United Kingdom; to what he attributes the public preference for foreign goods; and what steps he proposes to take to meet this challenge.

I am aware of this increase, which, between the years in question, has been matched by a broadly similar increase in exports of manufactured goods. For many finished manufactures, I expect that there are comparable United Kingdom-manufactured products, but there may be less scope for substitution for semi-manufactures. Public choice as between United Kingdom or Foreign goods is likely to vary for different products, and will probably reflect factors such as availability, reliability and price. My Department continues to be closely involved in the effort to improve our share of both home and export markets, particularly through the industrial strategy programme and the work of the sector working parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade why the number of new registrations for the Business Names Register processed per head of staff during 1976–77 has gone down to 27 from the figure of 35 new registrations processed per head in 1966–67; and whether he has any plans to restore the level of productivity.

As will be seen from my answer on 24th November 1977—[Vol. 939, col. 865–6]—productivity in the Registry of Business Names was significantly higher in 1976–7 than in 1966–7.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the fall in the volume of exports in the last six and 12 months, respectively; how the present volume compares with the preceding year; and to what he attributes this fall.

The volume of exports, far from falling, has shown strong underlying growth during the past two years or so, with the marked increase in 1977 achieved despite weak world demand. In the six months to October 1977 the volume of deliveries was 6 per cent. higher than in the preceding six months, while between the 12 months to October 1976 and the 12 months to October 1977 there was a rise of 91 per cent. In the three months to October 1977 the volume of exports was 10 per cent. higher than a year earlier.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the cost to public funds of the legal action in which the High Court barred the Department's attempt to stop Mr. Freddie Laker from operating his low-price Skytrain service to the United States of America.

The costs of the action are not yet known.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade to what extent manufacturers of machine tools in Great Britain are also involved in the import of foreign-made machine tools.

I have been asked to reply.Figures are not available, but it is a common practice for manufacturers of machine tools also to act as agents for imported machine tools.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the occasion of the publication of the report by Sir Henry Fisher on his inquiry into the Confait case.

1. The full report by the hon. Sir Henry Fisher has been published today as a return to an order of the House of Commons. My right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General and I should like to pay tribute to Sir Henry Fisher for his comprehensive report and for the thoroughness with which he has conducted the independent inquiry into this case.2. The inquiry was set up by my predecessor and my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General to examine the circumstances leading to the trial of Colin George Lattimore, Ahmet Salih and Ronald William Leighton on charges arising out of the death of Maxwell Con-fait and the fire at 27 Doggett Road, London, S.E.6 in April 1972. The inquiry was set up following the judgment by the Court of Appeal in 1975 that the convictions of the three young men arising from those charges were unsafe and must be quashed.3. The report examines in detail the events leading to the trial. Sir Henry Fisher makes a number of criticisms of the conduct of the police investigation, including the interviewing of the youths in the absence of their parents and certain specific breaches of the Judges' Rules. He rejects, however, other allegations about the way in which the youths' confessions were obtained and finds that the allegations that the police had assaulted them were untrue. Sir Henry Fisher also criticises some aspects of the handling of the case by the pathologist concerned, the Officer of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the prosecuting counsel.4. As to the involvement of the three young men, Sir Henry Fisher finds, on the balance of probabilities, that the most likely explanation is that all three of them took part in the arson of which they were convicted by the trial court; that Leighton and Salih were involved in the killing—in relation to which Salih never stood trial; and that Lattimore, who was convicted of manslaughter by the trial court, was not involved in the killing. Sir Henry makes it clear that in coming to these conclusions he was not bound by the verdict of the jury or the judgment of the Court of Appeal, that the arguments addressed to him were not in all respects the same as those put to the courts, and that he had available to him a great deal of evidence which was not before the courts.5. As Sir Henry Fisher also makes clear in his report, the burden of proof in a criminal trial is on the prosecution, and is to establish the charge beyond reasonable doubt; and the task of the Court of Appeal was to decide whether the verdict of the jury should be set aside on the ground that under all the circumstances of the case it was unsafe and unsatisfactory. Sir Henry's findings were, I must emphasise, findings about what probably happened. It does not, of course, follow that if all the evidence available to Sir Henry had been available to, and admissible in, the criminal courts, it would have led the courts to conclude that the burden of proof was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt.6. My predecessor agreed when the convictions were quashed that all three young men were eligible for

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for each of the last five years or other convenient period, how much money has been paid in and out of court by his Department or the police on behalf of policemen as a result of any action brought against them;(2) whether he will give for each year during the last five years, or other convenient period, how much money has been paid in or out of court by the Home Office or the Metropolitan Police on behalf of policemen as a result of claims or actions brought against them, whether before or after the commencement of action against officers of the Metropolitan Police, giving the number of such actions and the amounts paid out for (

The Home Office has made no payment in or out of court on behalf of police officers as a result of any action brought against them. The settlement of actions and claims against members of provincial police forces is a matter for individual police authorities in accordance with the terms of Section 48(4) of the Police Act 1964. Information about the amounts paid by such authorities is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.The total amount—not including legal costs—paid by the Metropolitan Police

each year for the last five years in respect of claims or actions brought for false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, assault or trespass to the person, together with the total number of actions, etc. in respect of which the payments were made for each year, is set out below. It is impossible to distinguish the payments made in respect of each cause of action because in many cases the payment would be made in respect of more than one cause of action:

	Number of actions in respect of which payments have been made	Total amount paid
		£
1973	3	200
1974	2	725
1975	9	2,668
1976	7	7,521
1977	4	1,150

There were also payments of £5,500 for detinue and £1,432 for conspiracy to defraud.Payments made in settlement of civil claims and actions against Metropolitan Police officers and civil staff, in respect of traffic accident personal injuries, property damage and loss were as follows:

Financial year	Amount of payment out of MP F and (to nearest £)
1972–73	58,426
1973–74	99,537
1974–75	91,599
1975–76	77,700
1976–77	101,767

Records are not readily available of the precise number of personal injury actions or claims in the five-year period; subject to liability the vast majority are settled by negotiation and without recourse to litigation. In the past 30 months there have been 26 personal injury civil actions against Metropolitan Police officers, of which 25 arose from road traffic accidents. In the same period one payment—of £40—was made in settlement of a non-motoring accident personal injury claim.No payments have been made from the Metropolitan Police Fund in settlement of actions or claims arising out of contract.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles born in the United Kingdom have been compelled in recent years to leave the United Kingdom because their mothers have been deported.

Information about the number of juveniles born in the United Kingdom who have left the country because their mothers have been deported is not available. Persons born in the United Kingdom are not liable to deportation whilst they remain citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will instruct the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to return to Barclays

Session period							Total number of Questions to Secretary of State for Home Department	Total number of sponsored and supplied Questions	Expressed as a percentage of total
1974	…	…	…	…	…	…	963	20	2·08
1974–75	…	…	…	…	…	…	2,336	48	2·05
1975–76	…	…	…	…	…	…	2,778	40	1·44
1976–77	…	…	…	…	…	…	2,138	37	1·73
1977–78 (up to 2nd December, 1977)					…	…	340	5	1·77

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will have consultations to initiate a system of cleaning, pressing and repairing allowances for uniformed officers in the police, fire and ambulance services.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of his decision to allow an amnesty to all pre-1973 illegal immigrants on the ground that they may be blackmailed, when he expects to end all immigration thus preventing illegal immigration and blackmail.

The Government will stand by their commitments to the close dependants of people already settled here and to certain United Kingdom passport holders who have no other country to go to.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give for the longest and most current period of time the number of parliamentary Questions sponsored by his Department, or supplied by his Department to hon. Members.

The information about such Questions is as follows:he will give for the latest most convenient stated date the number of known illegal immigrants serving prison sentences, their unexpired period of sentence to serve and their countries of origin; how many entered the United Kingdom before 1973; and whether they will be able to claim residence under his recently announced amnesty.

According to our records there were no people in prison department establishments in England and Wales on 31st October 1977 serving sentences for illegal entry. Central records do not show how many of those serving sentences for other offences were illegal entrants.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will give for the new fingerprint computer, which he recently opened, the capital cost, the expected annual running costs, and its capacity in terms of the number of fingerprints for storage and retrieval; whether it has the capacity for storing fingerprints for the entire population of the United Kingdom; and, in addition to the Police National Computer, to which other computers it can be linked;(2) what are the parameters of the fingerprint computer.

The capital cost of the Videofile system now being introduced into the Fingerprint Branch at New Scotland Yard is £2·9 million, and the annual running cost when the system is fully operational in two years' time is expected to be £330,000. The system will then allow visual comparison of prints to be automated for the national collection, comprising fingerprints of about 2,200,000 convicted people; it has capacity to store the prints of about 3,400,000 people. The system is not linked to the Police National Computer or any other computer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Mrs. Blanca Zamorra, an international pickpocket and shoplifter known to the British police and to Interpol, a native of Chile, was freely allowed to enter the United Kingdom where she has now been sentenced for further illegalities.

She has been charged with a number of criminal offences and it would not be appropriate for me to comment while the case is sub judice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total cost to date in 1977 of his Department's advertising in the Morning Star.

£1,500.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider setting up a committee to investigate whether or not firms, and particularly warehouses and the like, over a period of time should be made to equip their premises with sprinklers and fire extinguishers.

Existing statutory requirements for the provision of means for fighting fire in places of work are designed essentially to protect life rather than property. Research is, however, being undertaken to establish whether there is a sufficient case, on economic grounds, to require or induce the more effective protection of property.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that many people from the Western and Arabian world are allowed to settle in the United Kingdom for long and indefinite periods of time, and some permanently, whereas others from the Eastern, Far East and African countries are barred; why this difference of treatment is meted out; and, for the longest and most convenient stated periods of time, if he will give details of persons allowed to come and remain in the United Kingdom under the categories and arrangements as mentioned.

The Immigration Rules make no distinction between persons of different nationalities who wish to settle in the United Kingdom, apart from the special provisions in the Rules for Commonwealth citizens who have a grandparent born in the United Kingdom and Islands and who wish to take or seek employment in the United Kingdom, and for United Kingdom passport holders who have a special voucher for settlement. The numbers of persons allowed to settle in the United Kingdom during 1976 are shown by nationality in the Control of Immigration Statistics (Cmnd. 6883), Tables 2(a) and (b) and 3(a) and (b).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that the Libyan Embassy has brought 2,229 patients to London for medical treatment in the current year, and the Kuwaiti Embassy brought in 1,200 patients, whether nationals of all countries have the same rights of entry without let or hindrance for the same purpose.

The Immigration Rules provide that visitors may be admitted for private medical treatment at their own expense. There is no discrimination on grounds of nationality. Each person must have the necessary documentation and adequate funds and be able to satisfy the immigration officer about the purpose of his visit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for what reasons of policy, in an area designated as a holiday resort, shopkeepers selling goods specified in the Schedule 7 to the Shops Act are permitted to open for only 18 Sundays each year;(2) for what reasons of policy, in an area designated as a holiday resort, it is permitted under Section 51 of the Shops Act 1950 to sell on a Sunday any article of food, but not butcher's meat;(3) for what reasons of policy it is permitted under the Shops Act 1950 to sell fresh tomatoes or peas in the pod on a Sunday, but not permitted to sell either commodity in a tin;(4) for what reasons of policy it is permitted to sell spare motor parts on a Sunday under Part IV of the Shops Act 1950, but not permitted to sell a motor car or the tools and screws needed to fit the parts;(5) for what reasons of policy it is permitted under the Shops Act 1950 to sell cut flowers on a Sunday, but not plants or seeds.

The restrictions to which the hon. Member refers date back to the Shops (Sunday Trading Restrictions) Act 1936 and the Retail Meat Traders' Shops (Sunday Closing) Act of the same year. The reasons for their introduction are now a matter of history, which the hon. Member will find set out in chapters 2 and 11 of the report of the Crathorne Committee on the Law on Sunday Observance (Cmnd. 2528).The Crathorne Committee made a number of recommendations for the removal of what they regarded as anomalies in the present law, but Private Members' Bills founded on their recommendations have so far failed to obtain the approval of this House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for offences against the Sunday trading laws have been brought in England and Wales in the last 12 months.

The latest figures available relate to the year 1976, when 402 persons were proceeded against in England and Wales for offences against Part IV (Sunday Trading) of the Shops Act 1950.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will give the individual or collective costs of the five committees of inquiry into the wages and conditions of employment of firemen held since 1966; and what were the payments made in salaries or expenses of the chairmen and members of these committees of inquiry;(2) whether he will give as much information as may be readily available, without incurring disproportionate costs, concerning the extent to which the five inquiries into the hours, wages and conditions of firemen held since 1966 have been implemented either wholly or in part.

I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give for the longest and most convenient stated period of time the public funds paid to the chairman of the Horserace Totalisator Board in salaries and expenses; and how many hours per week he is employed in this job.

The chairman is paid, on the basis of an average commitment of four days a week, a salary of £8,480 a year, and a stage 2 pay supplement of £167·04 a year. He is reimbursed for expenses reasonably incurred up to a maximum of £1,500 a year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what number the West Midlands Metropolitan Police Force fell below establishment strength on the latest available date.

On 30th November, 1977 there were 745 vacancies on the establishment of 6,509.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish rent and mortgage allowances payable to the police at the latest date showing how this compares with previous figures and state if any part of allowance counts towards pensionable pay.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith) on 1st December—[Vol. 940, cols. 319–320]. Rent allowance does not count as pensionable pay. There is no mortgage allowance as such.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how far plans for the installation of computer outlets in police vehicles are advanced in the Metropolitan Police area, Merseyside, Thames Valley, West Midlands and other police areas of the United Kingdom;(2) how much has been spent in feasibility studies in the programme of installing computer outlets in police vehicles; and what has been the capital expenditure and the annual cost of such studies.

Police vehicles are not equipped with computer outlets having access to data bases, and there are no plans for such installations. Computers are used in some police communications systems to which police vehicles are linked. The Home Office is conducting a study, with the co-operation of police forces, to see to what extent processes in such systems can be automated. This study began in 1971 and the expenditure to date is £800,000

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, during the last five years, how many crimes in the Metropolitan area and the United Kingdom as a whole have been solved wholly or partly due to the existence of computers.

It is impossible to say; records are not kept on this basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will make a statement on the discussions held by the Director General of Fair Trading with the processing companies following the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on frozen foods.

The Director General has concluded his discussions with the three major processers of frozen foods—Birds Eye Foods Ltd., Findus Ltd. and Imperial Foods Ltd. In Accordance with the one recommendation in the Commission's report, Birds Eye has undertaken not to give retailers discounts in return for a commitment to reserve cabinet space for the company's products, which the Commission concluded put at a disadvantage smaller suppliers seeking to introduce their products into the retail market and which restricted competition between the three major suppliers. I regret that it has not been possible to obtain similar undertakings from the other processing companies. However, the undertaking given by Birds Eye will be reviewed by the Director General if the granting of such discounts by other processers causes detriment to Birds Eye.The Commission was critical of Birds Eye's past practice of loaning freezer cabinets on restrictive terms. The Director General has confirmed that Birds Eye has now stopped making loans of refrigerated cabinets to retailers and that the company has no intention of resuming this practice.The Commission said that it would be a matter of serious concern if Birds Eye were to attempt to build up its business in the home freezer sector of the market by running County Fair at a significant loss over an extended period. The Director General is satisfied that County Fair is now making a profit.Birds Eye has demonstrated to the Director General that it has changed its discount arrangements, as foreshadowed in the Commission's report, but to establish fully whether these arrangements are likely to encourage competition and efficiency in distribution would require a detailed inquiry. The Monopolies and Mergers Commission is currently investigating the general question of the relationship between cost-saving and discounts paid to retailers and I have decided to await the Commission's report before considering what further modifications it may be necessary to propose in the case of discounts relating to the frozen foods industry.I shall be asking the Director General to keep under review the operation of the undertaking given by Birds Eye. Copies of the undertaking will be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will make a report on the introduction of unit pricing for meat.

The order made on 16th August 1977 under Section 4 of the Prices Act requiring the price per pound to be indicated for virtually all fresh and frozen meat comes into operation on 1st March 1978. I welcome the more informative labelling that has already appeared in some shops; this is of particular help to consumers at a time of year when meat purchases are traditionally at a higher level. I appeal to those butchers who have not yet finalised their permanent plans for prices display to consider making arrangements to cover the Christmas period.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will set out the investigations currently being undertaken by the Price Commission together with the estimated dates on which each is likely to be completed.

Investigations are cur-recently being carried out by the Price Commission under Sections 4 and 5 of the Price Commission Act 1977 in respect of the following enterprises. The reports must be made to the Secretary of State and to the enterprise by the dates shown:Central Electricity Generating Board—21st December 1977.Area Electricity Boards-30th December 1977.Southern Western Electricity Board in respect of Isles of Scilly—1st January 1978.Barclays Bank Ltd,—lst January 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science further to his reply, Official Report, 29th November, column 175, if she will publish in the Official Report the methods by which the Arts Council is made responsible to the ordinary taxpayer who supports it, and is made responsive to his needs.

The Arts Council's charter requires it to develop knowledge, understanding and practice of the arts and to increase their accessibility to the public. To perform these functions effectively my right hon. Friend appoints the members, and the Council appoints expert voluntary advisers in the specialist areas. The Secretary General is accountable to Parliament for the Council's expenditure. The Council's annual report, which has just been published, gives a full description of the Council's work, together with detailed accounts of expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which particular aspects of pay policy prevent a settlement satisfactory to the university teachers, in view of the assurances that the provision of flexibility in pay policy would allow a settlement within it of both the existing anomaly and a normal annual increase.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend on 21st November in reply to Questions from the hon. Members for Somerset, North (Mr. Dean), Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) and Birmingham, Edgbaston (Mrs. Knight)—[Vol. 939, c. 509–510.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science is she will publish for each university in receipt

University or College								Undergraduates	Postgraduates	Total
Aston		…	…	…	…	…	…	4,480	905	5,385
Bath		…	…	…	…	…	…	3,065	511	3,576
Birmingham			…	…	…	…	…	6,927	1,636	8,563
Bradford		…	…	…	…	…	…	4,097	672	4,769
Bristol		…	…	…	…	…	…	5,928	893	6,821
Brunel		…	…	…	…	…	…	2,084	435	2,519
Cambridge		…	…	…	…	…	…	9,164	1,961	11,125
City	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	2,315	360	2,675
Durham		…	…	…	…	…	…	3,713	640	4,353
East Anglia			…	…	…	…	…	3,376	362	3,738
Essex		…	…	…	…	…	…	2,189	493	2,682
Exeter		…	…	…	…	…	…	3,681	626	4,307
Hull		…	…	…	…	…	…	4,327	546	4,873
Keele		…	…	…	…	…	…	2,297	335	2,632
Kent		…	…	…	…	…	…	3,285	500	3,785
Lancaster		…	…	…	…	…	…	3,864	634	4,498
Leeds		…	…	…	…	…	…	8,057	1,765	9,822
Leicester		…	…	…	…	…	…	3,378	699	4,077
Liverpool		…	…	…	…	…	…	6,386	1,080	7,466
London Graduate of Business Studies							…	—	213	213
London		…	…	…	…	…	…	28,433	9,674	38,107
Loughborough			…	…	…	…	…	4,484	613	5,097
Manchester Business School					…	…	…	—	146	146
Manchester			…	…	…	…	…	8,926	1,790	10,716
University of Manchester:
Institute of Science and Technology						…	…	2,777	959	3,736
Newcastle		…	…	…	…	…	…	5,972	1,201	7,173
Nottingham			…	…	…	…	…	5,409	982	6,391
Oxford		…	…	…	…	…	…	9,255	2,910	12,165
Reading		…	…	…	…	…	…	4,692	1,080	5,772
Salford		…	…	…	…	…	…	3,928	355	4,283
Sheffield		…	…	…	…	…	…	6,144	1,374	7,518
Southampton			…	…	…	…	…	5,000	976	5,976
Surrey		…	…	…	…	…	…	2,732	498	3,230
Sussex		…	…	…	…	…	…	3,412	934	4,346
Warwick		…	…	…	…	…	…	3,863	450	4,313
York		…	…	…	…	…	…	2,561	509	3,070
University of Wales				…	…	…	…	15,359	3,294	18,653
Aberdeen		…	…	…	…	…	…	4,718	601	5,319
Dundee		…	…	…	…	…	…	2,504	322	2,826
Edinburgh		…	…	…	…	…	…	8,103	1,126	9,229
Glasgow		…	…	…	…	…	…	8,636	822	9,458
Heriot-Watt			…	…	…	…	…	2,469	231	2,700
St. Andrew's			…	…	…	…	…	2,953	230	3,183
Stirling		…	…	…	…	…	…	2,235	259	2,494
Strathclyde			…	…	…	…	…	5,369	1,014	6,383
Total Great Britain				…	…	…	…	232,547	47,616	280,163

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish a table showing (a) the number of undergraduates who leave each university having failed to obtain

The information for full-time and sandwich students, which is provisional, is as follows:a degree and (

I regret that this information is not available. It is estimated that the total wastage of full-time and sandwich first degree students at British universities from all years of their courses is about 12–13 per cent of students entering.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in the absence of a specific grant for education, how she intends to ensure that education finance is protected, in view of the statements being made by some counties as a result of the proposal to reduce their rate support grant that education could take the brunt of the cuts.

The Government's proposals for the 1978–79 rate support grant settlement provide the basis for a small increase in education expenditure overall and also seek to stabilise the distribution of grant with a view to protecting services at local level from undue pressure. My right hon. Friend will be issuing guidance on the Government's priorities for education in a joint circular to assist individual local authorities in their examination of the implications of the settlement for their own plans and decisions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the major projects carried out during the last six months by (a) the Medical Research Council, (b) the Natural Environment Research Council, (c) the Science Research Council, and (d) the Social Science Research Council.

Major projects are seldom if ever completed within a period of six months. Each Council will be publishing a full account of its activities since 1st April in its annual report for 1977–78.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in the Official Report the names of the current members of the Social Science Research Council, giving in each case the salary or fees paid on an annual basis; and what information she has on the normal full-time occupation of each.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of for Education and Science if she will publish in the Official Report the names of the current members of the Science Research Council, giving in each case the salary or fees paid on an annual basis; and what information she has on the normal full-time occupation of each.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in the Official Report the names of the current members of the Natural Environment Research Council, giving in each case the salary or fees paid on an annual basis; and what information she has on the normal full-time occupation of each.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in the Official Report the names of the current members of the Medical Research Council, giving in each case the salary or fees paid on a 12-month basis; and what information she has on the normal full-time occupation or qualification of each.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she intends to publish the findings of the October census of pupils taking school dinners in light of the recent increases in the cost of the school meal; what is the current level of take up; how it compares with the same period in 1976 and just before the 1977 summer holiday; and how many children are eligible for, and how many receive, free school meals.

The information is as follows:own food compared with 10 per cent. of primary pupils—last year 11 per cent. and 5 per cent.School meals should be available for all children attending maintained schools. My Department has estimated that about one-quarter of those children who take school meals may be eligible to receive them free of charge, on the basis of the current net income scale for entitlement—which came into effect after the census, in November.A detailed statement of the returns from local education authorities on which these figures are based is being placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress she is making with the establishment of a nutrition committee; what are the proposed terms of reference of this committee; and if representatives of consumers will be invited to serve upon it.

The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) are establishing a committee which is expected to have the following terms of reference:

"To advise the MRC and ARC on research leading to the improvement of human nutrition".

I understand that the membership of the committee has not yet been settled.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the results of the October census of school milk are now available.

In October, 1,787,000 pupils in maintained special schools and pupils in other maintained schools in England who were entitled to it on grounds on age were receiving free school milk. In addition, nearly 32,000 primary schoolchildren over the age of 7 were receiving free milk on health grounds. These figures represent 93·4 per cent. and 1·3 per cent. of the respective age groups present on the day of the census. On that day 34 local education authorities were selling milk to pupils in 775 primary and 26 secondary schools.

asked the Attorney-General how many full-time and how many part-time chairmen of industrial tribunals there are at the present time; and what were the equivalent numbers in March 1974.

There are 71 full-time chairmen and 132 part-time chairmen of industrial tribunals in England and Wales at the present time, and there were 26 full-time chairmen and 46 part-time chairmen in March 1974.

asked the Attorney-General when he expects the Pearson Committee to publish its report.

I understand that the Commissioners hope to sign the report within the next few days and that it will be sent to the printers as soon as possible thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Mr. H. A. R. Philby and Mr. D. D. Maclean hold current British passports.

No, the last British passports held by Harold Adrian Russell Philby and Donald Duart Maclean expired on 31st July 1967 and 29th July 1954, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the United States Government for permission to import killer dolphins into Scotland for the protection of nuclear submarines stationed at the Holy Loch; what is the attitude of Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement.

I am assured that the United States Government have no intention of bringing dolphins to Britain for the purpose of protecting nuclear submarines in Holy Loch or for any other reason.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service, in the light of the fact that for the 12 months ended 31st August 1977 the cost of the Sunningdale and London centres of the Civil Service College was £3·754 million, what action, in accordance with the Government's call for reductions in public expenditure, he has taken to reduce this figure.

The figure of £3·754 million compares with one of £4·462 million for the previous year when the college included a centre in Edinburgh. The closure of that centre was the college's contribution to meet the Government's call for reductions in public expenditure.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether, in view of the loss of taxpayers' money by the Treasury, and the report of Judge Fay on the Crown Agents case, he will change the present situation, whereby civil servants and those in public positions found guilty of misdemeanour or neglect of duty are placed on pension or transferred to new jobs, to that of dismissal in the same way as every other employee in all types of employment other than the Civil Service.

My hon. Friend is misinformed. Civil servants whose conduct justifies it are dismissed Civil Service policy in these matters accords with the practice of other good employers. All employers must have regard to the unfair dismissal provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1975 and the Employment Protection Act 1975.Under the Social Security Act 1973 no private employer is permitted to deprive an employee of pension, unless he has been convicted of treason or a major offence under the Official Secrets Act. A public servant is less protected, since he may in addition be deprived of his pension if he has been convicted of a criminal offence certified by a Minister to be gravely injurious to the State or liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the total cost to date in 1977 of his Department's advertising in the Morning Star.

Nil.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will give the present salary and conditions of Sir Ian Bancroft; what his salary will be when he succeeds Sir Douglas Allen as Head of the Home Civil Service; what was the salary of Sir Douglas Allen; and what his retirement pension will be.

Sir Ian Bancroft's present salary as a Permanent Secretary is £18,884, his conditions of service being those laid down in the relevant sections of the Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code, a copy of which is available in the Library. On appointment as Head of the Home Civil Service Sir Ian Bancroft's salary will be £20,384, which is Sir Douglas Allen's present salary. The pensions of all civil servants are calculated on the same basis under the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme. Each reckonable year of service gives rise to a pension of one-eightieth of pensionable salary and a lump sum of up to three times that amount. It is Civil Service practice to give details of individual pension entitlements only to the beneficiaries concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if any grant or loan has been allocated by any European agency to help finance 10 National Coal Board projects.

On 4th October I gave my consent, with the approval of the Treasury, for the National Coal Board to accept a loan of $34·3 million US from the European coal and steel community to cover 10 mining projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost to public funds of feeding, clothing, educating and caring for a year-old illegitimate child born in the United Kingdom whose parents have disappeared or been deported and who has no relatives in the United Kingdom.

I regret that information in the form requested is not available. However, according to the Social Services Statistics estimates, published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, a copy of which is in the Library of the House, the average net cost of keeping a child in a residential nursery provided by a local authority in England and Wales in 1977–78 is £9823 per week. Similarly, the average net cost of boarding out a child of any age is £12·01 per week.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many mass X-ray units are employed in the West Midlands; how many factories are visited; how many workpeople X-rayed; and if there is any intention of increasing the number of such visits.

Six, of which three are mobile. In 1976 75 factories were visited and 19,043 workers X-rayed. In accordance with national policy, units do not visit factories indiscriminately but respond to requests where there is felt to be a particular health hazard. It is therefore not possible to say whether this number of visits will be increased in future years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, from international sources available to him, he will set out the number of qualified doctors per 100,000 population, the number of medically-qualified diagnostic radiologists per 100,000 population and the number of such radiologists in training per 100,000 population for each of the following countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the USSR.

The table below shows the figure for 1970—the most recent year for which comparable data for different countries is available. It should be stressed that there are differences in definition from country to country and that the work done by medically non-qualified staff or by doctors in training varies. Moreover, referral practices may be expected to vary from country to country. The available figures do not distinguish qualified doctors from doctors in training and do not always distinguish diagnostic from therapeutic radiology. The figures in the table refer to both subspecialties therefore; where separate figures for diagnostic radiology are known, they are given in brackets. No comparable figures are available for Australia.

Country	Doctors per 100,000	Radiologists per 100,000
Canada	145	4·4
France	134	4·5
Germany	172	2·9
Sweden	142	8·1 (5·5)
United Kingdom	129	2·6 (1·9)
United States of America	158	6·5
United Socialist Soviet Republic	238	9·9

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the effect of a 10 per cent pay increase on the net weekly spending power of families with each of one, two, three and four children, assuming housing costs equal to the average for local authority tenants, and assuming current wages of £25, £35, £45, £55, £65 £75 and £85 a week, respectively.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will show the increases in net weekly spending power for a married man with two children of school age, whose housing costs are £7·80 a week, when his wage of £75 is increased by (a) 10 per cent., and (b) 15 per cent.; and if he will compare these figures with the increase in spending power of an unemployed person with similar family commitments and with previous earnings of £75: (i) with tax refunds, and (ii) without tax refunds, following the recent 14 per cent. uprating of unemployment benefit.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements there are in the Cheshire area for the provision of beds for the young chronic sick.

There are at present 56 beds for these patients in the Mersey Region, of which 30 are in Princes Park Hospital, Liverpool, and 26 in a new unit for the younger disabled at Fazakerley Hospital. These provide a service for the region as a whole, including Cheshire. A second unit for the younger disabled, with 26 beds is due to be completed next year at Clatter-bridge Hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money has been paid out in social security benefits to the families of persons on strike in each of the past 10 years, including the figure to date for 1977.

The amount of supplementary benefit paid to strikers' families was as follows:

	Amount
Year	£
1968	333,722
1969	747,141
1970	1,445,912
1971	4,309,149
1972	8,380,124
1973	729,302
1974	4,994,090
1975	776,441
1976	363,062
1977 (to end October)	1,325,833

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South on Monday 5th December 1977 regarding the 87,000 Girocheques returned to the local office of his Department, what was the approximate total value of these Girocheques.

On the basis of the average value of all Girocheques issued by my Department in the 12 months ending July 1977, the latest period for which this information is available, the approximate total value of the 87,000 Girocheques was £1·9 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the saving in 1978–79 if the upper earnings limit on social security contributions were abolished.

There would be a saving of about –370 million on the assumptions used in the Government Actuary's report on the 1978–79 contribution rates (Cmnd. 7036).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South of 1st December 1977 that 324 local offices of his Department had been broken into since January 1976, in how many of the cases a person has been charged with the crime.

Investigating robberies and preferring charges are matters for the responsible police force. However, in the case of the seven serious incidents listed in my reply on 1st December, it is known that charges have been preferred as follows:

Southend-on-sea	1
Crystal Palace	3
Clacton	1
St. Margaret's Hall	3

In the case of the incidents at the two Glasgow offices, it is known that persons are in custody but the procurator fiscal has not yet decided whether charges should be preferred.In the remaining 317 cases of break-ins resulting in 207 incidents of petty theft, information on the police action is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.In my reply to the hon. Member on 1st December—[Vol. 940, c.