asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the sponsors of the chess tournament at Hastings who applied early in December for visas for competitors from East Europe were told that such visas had been granted and later were asked for further details after these competitors had been barred from entry.

Applications for visas were made in Moscow on 2nd December on behalf of two contestants from the USSR and were granted on 15th December after the chief controller of the congress had provided a list of the contestants. The organisers of the congress were informed, and at no stage was it necessary to seek further information from them.On 8th December Mr. Hort, a Czechoslovak participant, applied for a visa for travel on 27th December and this was authorised on 16th December. It was collected on 22nd December. On 13th December Mr. Suba, a Romanian participant, applied for a visa to travel on 24th December. This was available for issue by 20th December but it was not collected until 30th or 31st December. Mr. Sax, a Hungarian contestant and a substitute, did not seek a visa until 27th December and this was available on 29th December.No application for a visa was refused, and all applications were dealt with expeditiously.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the advice given by an official to the employers' representative, on the eve of the talks with the Fire Brigade Union that under no circumstances any increase would be allowed to be given to the firemen over the employers original offer, was made with his authority.

I made it clear to the Fire Brigades Union when I met it with the Employers' Side of the National Joint Council on 3rd January that the Government stood by the guidance which I gave to the National Joint Council on 8th December last and that there could be no question of the firemen getting more than 10 per cent. in the current year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the light of the fact that, on the basis of the standard fee of £45 a day, the total amount of £872·99 paid to Mr. J. W. McDonald in respect of the recent public inquiry into the new byelaws proposed by the London borough of Bromley with regard to the flying of model aircraft in parks, represents less than 20 days' work, whether he will explain how it took from 31st January 1977 until 28th September 1977 for the report of this inquiry to be prepared for submission to the Home Office.

Mr. McDonald undertook the conduct of the inquiry and the preparation of a report in addition to his ordinary professional commitments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to seek to provide postal voting at parliamentary and local government elections for all persons in receipt of the State registered pension, the registered disabled and the registered blind.

Blindness and physical incapacity are already grounds for entitlement to a postal vote at parliamentary elections and at most local government elections. Any extension of this entitlement would, in the first instance, be a matter for consideration by a Speaker's Conference on electoral law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people succeeded with claims for criminal injuries compensation in each of the last three years, respectively: and how many of these made further claims as a result of further aggravation of their original injuries.

The number of awards made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each of the last three complete financial years was:

1974–75	10,708
1975–76	11,500
1976–77	13,951

Following an award by the Board a further claim for the same injury cannot normally be considered. Exceptionally, however, where at the time of making the award there is a foreseeable risk that an affliction such as epilepsy might arise in the future, the Board may undertake to review the award in the event of such a development. There have been only about 50 such cases to date and in only one of these has a further claim arisen.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what prosecutions have taken place in England and Wales against photographers who have photographed children under the age of 16 years, for pornographic purposes, in each of the last five years;(2) under what statutory provisions a photographer who photographs children

£ million

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977‡

Imports†

…

0·1

—

—

0·9

39·2

48·9

21·3

62·1

105·4

82·6

69·7

Exports

…

8·7

12·1

16·1

17·5

13·2

9·7

15·2

20·6

36·1

30·6

39·8

Balance*

…

+8·6

+12·1

+16·1

-16·6

-26·0

-39·2

-6·1

-41·5

-69·3

-52·0

-30·0

Notes:

* The crude balance of trade (exports valued fob minus imports valued cif).

† Post-1970 figures reflect the relaxation of import controls.

‡ January-November.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a full statement on progress in the renegotiation of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement.

I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave my hon. Friend on 10th January 1978—[Official Report, Vol. 941, c. 712–3]

Depending on the circumstances, charges under the Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964 or under the Indecency with Children Act 1960 may be appropriate. From the information collected centrally, statistics of prosecutions in respect of the particular kinds of case described cannot be separately identified. My hon. Friend the Minister of State wrote to the hon. Member yesterday about this area of the law.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the balance of trade in coal for each of the last 10 years.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will now permit the use of Edinburgh Airport for international flights either permanently or as an experiment; and, if not, if he will give his reasons for so refusing.

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

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the CBI.

I have been asked to reply.I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 10th November.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 12th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 12th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 12th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 12th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 12th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 12th January.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, North-West (Mr. Robinson).

asked the Prime Minister whether, at the next meeting of Heads of Government of the EEC, he will raise the desirability of national Parliaments being able to decide the salaries of their nationals elected to the European Parliament.

I have been asked to reply.I will bring my right hon. Friend's suggestion to the attention of the Prime Minister. My right hon. Friend has already raised the salaries question in the European Council and we are pursuing it in the Council of Ministers.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now answer Questions about Cabinet Committees.

I have been asked to reply. No.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when he next intends to meet the TUC.

I have been asked to reply.I refer my hon. Friend and right hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Arnold) on 8th November.

asked the Prime Minister what criteria he uses in deciding whether to place in the Library copies of letters addressed by him to the Secretary of the Labour Party.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend judges each case on its merits.

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Bexleyheath.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit the city of Strasbourg.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to his statement of 13th December, Official Report, column 267, than there will be in 1978 substantial improvements in the standard of life for the first time for some years, in which year the standard of living last rose.

In the absence of my right hon. Friend who is away on his official visit to South Asia, I have been asked to reply.The year in which living standards last rose for the population as a whole was 1975.

asked the Prime Minister if his statement of 13th December 1977 that the issue of the launch of new civil airliner projects must be approached on a commercial basis, Official Report, column 282, was intended to mean that no new civil airliner will be launched unless it has clear prospect of sufficient sales to show an adequate return on all costs incurred.

In the abesnce of my right hon. Friend who is away on his official visit to South Asia, I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend's statement on 13th December indicated that the Government would approach any new civil aircraft project as a commercial, not a political, matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give details of his recent television broadcasts, either live or on recording; and what broadcasts took place in December 1977 and for what purpose.

On 19th December I was interviewed in Brussels by a number of journalists representing television networks both in this country and abroad following the meeting of the EEC Finance Council. On 29th December I recorded a new year's interview for Independent Television News which was broadcast on 30th December. In addition, I accepted an invitation from the BBC, along with other Members of this House, to take part briefly in a light-hearted entertainment presented by the "Nation-wide" programme on 16th December.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of public expenditure in 1945, or the earliest convenient date, and 1976 provided the social wage in the United Kingdom and each of the OECD countries.

The social wage is defined in terms of the programmes of the Public Expenditure Survey, and such information is available only for financial years and is not available for other countries. However, the social wage comprised 69 per cent. of public expenditure in the United Kingdom in 1976–77 and 61 per cent. in 1969–70, which is the earliest year for which comparable figures are readily available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many firms are now being subjected to economic sanctions for having negotiated pay settlements above the voluntary 10 per cent.

The number of firms for the time being affected by Government discretionary action varies from day to day as up-to-date information comes in about their pay settlements. The number of firms currently blacklisted is 19.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of an average industrial worker's earnings was paid in (a) direct and (b) indirect taxation in 1945, or the earliest convenient date, and in 1976, and whether comparable statistics are available from other OECD countries.

The earliest date for which information is available on the burden of indirect taxation on the average industrial worker is 1959. The table below therefore presents a comparison for the years 1959 and 1976. The average industrial worker is assumed to be a married man with two children under 11 years.

PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE EARNINGS
	Direct Tax	Indirect Taxes
1959	2·8	18·9
1976	23·2	20·4

"Direct tax" comprises income tax and employees' national insurance contributions. Family allowance is treated as an offset to tax. Indirect taxes include employers' national insurance contributions.No comparable statistics are readily available for other OECD countries. An OECD publication "Revenue Statistics" provides information on tax receipts and occasionally direct tax as a proportion of average earnings. The latest volume refers to 1975.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will treat for taxation purposes the pin-striped trousers and jackets worn by restaurant managers, which are seldom removed from the place of work, as a business expense in the same way as the tail suits worn by waiters and the uniforms worn by chefs.

Expenditure on such trousers and jackets, unlike that on the tail suits and uniforms referred to, is not regarded as wholly, necessary and exclusively incurred in the performance of the manager's duties and is therefore not treated as allowable for tax purposes. It is, of course, open to any manager who disagrees with this treatment to take the matter on appeal to the Commissioners.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration has been given by his Department to the eventual settlement of existing Rhodesian official debt in any general financial and economic settlement covering Rhodesian independence and the advent of majority rule.

I have nothing to add, at this stage, to the White Paper "Rhodesia: Proposals for a Settlement" (Cmnd 6919), which stated that an independent Government of Zimbabwe would inherit the assets and debts of the Government of Southern Rhodesia. It also specified that the Transitional Constitution Order to be made by the United Kingdom Parliament would make it clear, for the avoidance of doubt, that the Government of Southern Rhodesian as set up by the order would be entitled to all the rights, and subject to all the obligations, of the Government of Southern Rhodesia as set up by the 1961 constitution.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the considerations which led him to the conclusion that it would not be in the public interest to take action against the Ford Motor Company following that company's breach of the 10 per cent. maximum pay increase policy.

All relevant considerations were taken into account. I do not think it would be helpful to specify particular factors in particular cases.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why persons paid to act as pickets in industrial disputes to which they are not party are not taxed upon such earnings.

Payments which are not the rewards of a paid employment are not taxable as emoluments; but it a person were employed to act as a picket, any remuneration received would be subject to tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, in view of the agreement reached at the recent EEC Heads of Government meeting regarding the British budget contribution, and the adoption of the own resources system, is the Government's current estimate of United Kingdom contributions to, and receipts from, the EEC budget over the next five years.

Following the decisions reached at the European Council on 5th and 6th December 1977, it is estimated that United Kingdom contributions to, and receipts from, the Community budget will be:

			£ million
	Gross Contribution	Receipts	Net Contribution
1978	1,120	460	660
1979	1,235	470	765
1980	1,320	490	830
1981	1,280	490	790
1982	1,295	495	800

These estimates supersede those given in "The Government's Expenditure Plans, 1978–79 to 1981–82" (Cmnd. 7049).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the current level of the dependent relative allowance, adjusted to take account of the increase in the RPI from the date it was set at the present level.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would the cost be to public funds of increasing the dependent relative allowance to £200 or £300.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the extra revenue in a full year which would accrue from a 12 per cent. increase in duties on (a) beer, (b) wines, cider, perry and spirits, and (c) tobacco, respectively

The estimated extra revenue, including the additional VAT, would be (a) £100 million, (b) £40 million and (c) £175 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the burdens placed on home owners as a result of the stamp duty charged on house sales on property over £15,000 and the variations in house prices throughout the United Kingdom, he will take steps to increase the exemption limit to take account of inflation and to consider alterations in the basis of assessing the duty.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a report on the progress made by water authorities in meeting the EEC directive concerned with the quality of river waters abstracted for public supply.

As the first step in the implementation of the directive, the Department has asked water authorities to complete a provisional classification of surface water sources and treatment plants. Most of the returns have now been received; the intention is to discuss them with the water authorities before further guidance is issued.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the construction content of public expenditure programmes contained in the forthcoming White Paper.

The details are set out below:

PUBLIC EXPENDITURE TO 1981–821 (CMND. 7049)—CONSTRUCTION WORK
£ million at 1977 Survey Prices
Programme or Sub Programme									1972–73	1973–74	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82
A. GREAT BRITAIN
Housing
1. Local authority and new towns: new dwellings							…	…	1,281	1,236	1,406	1,630	1,624	1,359	1,368	1,411	1,433	1,427
2. Local authority and new towns: improvements							…	…	467	638	545	467	431	417	505	489	453	459
3. Grants for private sector improvements2						…	…	…	214	285	217	89	80	91	155	157	158	158
4. Housing associations3			…	…	…	…	…	…	180	183	259	378	431	481	488	510	476	485
5. Housing from other spending programmes						…	…	…	66	77	70	61	43	42	48	43	40	36
Other construction (new buildings and works)
6. Trade, industry and employment					…	…	…	…	46	34	36	53	41	48	66	55	49	49
7. Roads and transport			…	…	…	…	…	…	999	1,040	945	1,015	862	695	714	724	712	708
of which:
Motorways and trunk roads					…	…	…	…	468	512	483	515	429	329	370	372	374	374
LA roads		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	396	416	341	371	314	250	235	242	240	247
Public transport			…	…	…	…	…	…	54	44	49	49	48	45	42	34	34	34
Ports4		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	39	33	35	57	59	56	40	42	38	32
8. Other environmental services				…	…	…	…	…	1,159	1,288	1,110	1,101	989	819	842	841	823	830
of which:
Regional water authorities					…	…	…	…	619	666	517	505	485	413	403	428	430	435
Other water and sewerage				…	…	…	…	…	71	76	62	73	55	61	59	63	65	65
Land drainage and flood protection						…	…	…	46	55	54	61	73	124	108	104	79	78
9. Law, order and protection				…	…	…	…	…	96	94	77	98	91	76	72	62	64	67
10. Education	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	647	621	487	464	438	264	231	236	229	233
of which:
Schools		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	504	476	369	367	346	194	163	166	154	154
Higher education			…	…	…	…	…	…	87	87	65	56	52	33	24	31	38	38
11. Health and personal social services					…	…	…	…	611	615	508	500	440	333	370	363	377	375
of which:
Hospitals and community services						…	…	…	497	465	383	387	362	279	311	309	317	317
LA personal social services					…	…	…	…	107	140	120	106	70	44	46	43	50	50
12. Miscellaneous5		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	283	273	246	263	257	246	257	269	277	274
of which:
Office and general accommodation						…	…	…	62	55	45	65	68	58	39	57	59	59
ALL GB DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAMMES			…	…	…	…	…	…	6,049	6,385	5,904	6,120	5,727	4,870	5,115	5,160	5,090	50,099
B. NORTHERN IRELAND
13. Housing	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	58	48	44	63	77	66	66	66	66	66
14. New buildings and work				…	…	…	…	…	150	128	119	145	122	112	132	131	126	129
ALL NI DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAMMES			…	…	…	…	…	…	208	177	163	208	200	178	198	197	192	195

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he is aware that there is considerable scope for economy in the use of paper on the part of Government Departments, nationalised industries, water authorities and local authorities, including the use of small acknowledgment slips instead of using a full page of foolscap for acknowledgments; and what steps he will take to secure such economy.

I am sure that there is always scope for economy in the use of paper. However, with the co-operation of Departments, the Civil Service Department and Her Majesty's Stationery Office introduced in 1976 a monitoring scheme within their field of responsibility. Since that time there has been a reduction of over one-third in the average quarterly consumption of paper within this area.I suggest that the right hon. and learned Gentleman should take up particular examples of waste with the Minister concerned or with the appropriate organisation.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will give an estimate of the saving to the Treasury if the tax-free daily attendance allowance and tax-free travel warrants granted to Members of the House of Lords were payable only to Members who are in receipt of less than £4,000 per annum total income.

The information needed to produce the estimate my hon. Friend requests is not available.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will accelerate the proposed re-establishment of the public sector Pay Research Unit so that it may consider the prospective pay negotiations in respect of Prison Service employees; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to my answers on Monday 21st November last year.—[Vol. 939, cols. 1089–1092.]

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will give for the longest and most convenient period of time the comparative details of salary and conditions of employment of the lower and middle-paid classes of civil servants compared with workers in private industry and other forms of public service, and, on this basis, to what extent these civil servants wage rates would have to be increased to put them back to the standard they were enjoying prior to the introduction of the various wage and salary restraints.

The information is not available in the form requested and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost. However, between 1st April 1975 and 1st April 1977 the salary maxima of the following grades were increased as follows: Principal, 7 per cent.; Executive Officer, 14 per cent.; Clerical Officer, 18 per cent. In the same period the retail prices index increased by 41 per cent.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many homeworkers are employed at present on income tax forms and related documents; and what steps he is taking to ensure that they are paid reasonable rates of pay.

Part of the work to which my hon. Friend refers is placed with contractors. I understand that these contractors employ some 140 homeworkers on this operation. All the contractors concerned have undertaken to pay rates not less favourable than those provided for under the Fair Wages Resolution of the House of Commons in 1946.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects his Department will be ready to issue official notices inviting applications for the sixth round of North Sea licences.

The matter is currently under consideration: decisions on the timing of an announcement have yet to be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what consideration has been given by his Department to the danger to those at work in industry which may be caused by cuts in electricity supplies due to industrial action made without warning; what means of indicating the imminence of such cuts are available; and if he will take steps to ensure that all possible means to avoid such danger are taken.

We are very much aware of the risks which consumers generally face when power cuts occur. The publicity which electricity boards gave to their rota cut schedules during the recent unofficial action at power stations did, however, enable many firms to minimise the dangers and inconvenience resulting from power cuts.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will give an assurance that all criminal cases committed for trial from magistrates' courts in the county of Clwyd will, save in exceptional circumstances, be heard at the Mold Crown Court.

No. My noble Friend considers that it would not be in the interests of the administration of justice to give such an assurance. The majority of criminal cases committed from the county of Clwyd are in fact heard at Mold, but the close proximity of a Crown court centre in Chester enables some cases to be taken more conveniently and expeditiously there. Cases are normally transfered with the consent of the parties, and it is open to any party to object to a proposed transfer, either informally or by means of an application under Section 7 of the Courts Act 1971.

asked the Attorney-General how many full-time chairmen and how many part-time chairmen of industrial tribunals were, at 31st December last, women, and how many were men.

On 31st December last, of the 71 full-time chairmen of industrial tribunals two were women and 69 were men. Of the 134 part-time chairmen, four were women and 130 were men.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, pursuant to her replies on 15th March 1977, the subsequent correspondence with the hon. Member for Eccles, and the completion of her Department's survey, she will make a further statement of her policy towards making mandatory grants for handicapped students undertaking further education.

While I appreciate the problems of handicapped students, I regret that no major extension of the scope of mandatory awards is possible within present resources. Discussions on the results of the recent survey of local education authority discretionary awards are being arranged between my Department and the local authority associations. The question of discretionary awards to handicapped students will be included in those discussions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether first-class rail travel is an allowable deduction for calculation of free school meals entitlement.

As the regulations refer to travelling expenses necessarily incurred in the course of the parents' employment, the cost of first-class rail travel would not normally be all able.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether a European school will be opening in Culham before the end of the year.

Subject to the final approval of the Board of Governors of the European Schools, the present situation is to open a European School in September 1978 for children of staff employed on the Joint European Torus—JET—project. The school will probably be located in the premises of the Culham College of Education.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if, pursuant to her answer of 12th December 1977 to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Sproat) she will say what was the cost to her Department of (a) that answer and (b) the answer to this Question.

About £30 in each case.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has given to area health boards and water authorities in Scotland over fluoridation of public water supplies in the light of the first report from the Expenditure Committee 1976–77, Preventive Medicine, and of his exhortations to local authorities on expenditure levels and the allocation of resources to area health boards.

None. The Government's support for fluoridation was reaffirmed in the White Paper on Prevention and Health "published on 15th December 1977 in response to the Expenditure Committee's Report. Guidance to health boards and water authorities—regional and islands councils—is contained in circulars issued in October 1976 which recommends that health boards should take steps to achieve the progressive fluoridation of water supplies in their areas and that water authorities should co-operate to that end. Water authorities are able to recoup the full cost of fluoridation schemes from the health board(s)concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations, and from what sources, he has had seeking the revaluation of the green pound.

The main organisations which have made formal representations to the Secretary of State are the National Farmers' Union of Scotland and the Scottish Landowners' Federation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many other cases his Department has paid social security benefits to the next of kin when their parents or relatives have died and when such persons were living abroad prior to their decease in addition to the case submitted to him by the hon. Member for Newham, North-West, and what action he takes to check to see that such payments are being legitimately made and not being paid for non-existent persons.

Supplementary benefit cases of the kind raised by my hon. Friend would be rare indeed, as regular declarations are required of financial circumstances, and other checks include visits to claimants' homes. Where such fraud is established the Department seeks to prosecute the person responsible; but it would not be possible to abstract from our records the number of prosecutions for this precise types of fraud without disproportionate effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) who conducted the study referred to in the last sentence of paragraph 99 of Command Paper No. 7047 "Prevention and Health"; when the report was published; what action he is taking as a result of its findings; and if he will make a statement;

The study in question was undertaken by Stewart, Turcan, Rawlings and Reynolds and was published in 1977 under the title "Prognosis for infants weighing 1,000g. or less at birth" in "Archives of Disease in Childhood", Vol. 52, pages 97–104. It forms part of a programme of research into the problems of low birth-weight and sick new-born babies which my Department is supporting at University College Hospital.This research confirms the value of intensive neonatal care in the reduction of mortality and handicap in very small babies. The importance of providing such care is accepted by my Department and is fully recognised in the documents referred to in paragraphs 98 and 99 of the White Paper on "Prevention and Health" (Cmnd. 7047).It is standard practice to list relevant studies and reports in White Papers and departmental publications. The White Paper on "Prevention and Health" is no exception, and contains a list of 44 detailed references. Regrettably, this particular item was inadvertently omitted.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services where he proposes the geriatric patients at the Memorial Hospital should go if that hospital is closed; and what reduction of facilities they would suffer and what new expenditure would be necessary at their new hospital.

The health authorities have been asked to examine the practicality of transferring the geriatric services to St. Nicholas Hospital, and they will be considering the matters raised by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the information requested in the Questions on hospitals (Greenwich and Bexley Area Health Authority) from the hon. Member for Woolwich, West was known to him when he decided to recommend the closure of the Memorial Hospital and the Eltham and Mottingham Hospital.

My right hon. Friend was aware of those facts which were relevant to his decisions, but not all the information available to him was in the specific form requested by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to be able to reply in detail to the Questions on hospitals (Greenwich and Bexley Area Health Authority) on 16th December from the hon. Member for Woolwich, West.

I replied in detail to the hon. Member's 21 Questions yesterday.—[Vol. 941, c. 743–56.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set up a departmental inquiry to investigate the circumstances in which Stephen Menheniott returned to his family following his being in care under the supervision of the East Sussex Social Services Department; and if he will publish the findings.

Yes. I am consulting the authorities concerned on the form that it should take and will make a further statement when the nature of the inquiry and its terms of reference have been decided. The report of the investigation will be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied with the existing procedures covering the transfer of a person from a local authority in whose care that person has been and for whom it retains parental responsibility to a second local authority in whose area that person is returned; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter which I shall be considering in the light of the report of an investigation that I propose to set up into the case of Stephen Menheniott.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the number of live births for Down's syndrome children and those suffering from spina bifida, for each regional health authority in England, Scotland and Wales for each of the years 1970 to 1977; if he will publish the number of spina bifida victims for the above regions and years which were (a) operated upon and (b) not operated upon but discharged from hospital alive; and if he will publish the number of Down's syndrome babies for each of the above areas, and years, discharged from hospital alive.

The number of babies in England and Wales reported as having been born alive with Down's syndromeand spina bifida for each of the years 1970–76 were as follows:

	Down's syndrome	Spina bifida
1970	547	1,138
1971	553	1,187
1972	535	1,180
1973	501	979
1974	Not available	Not available
1975	433	837
1976	384	678

SCOTLAND
Spina bifida
Children born in year			Total NHS hospital cases involved	Cases where surgery undertaken	Other cases where child is discharged alive	Deaths in hospitals	Deaths in hospitals (excluding column (3) cases)
(1)			(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)
1970	…	…	289	134	122	74	33
1971	…	…	291	124	103	75	46
1972	…	…	249	124	88	52	37
1973	…	…	175	61	68	51	46
1974	…	…	185	81	66	43	38
1975	…	…	161	62	81	21	18

Complete figures for Down's syndrome are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out the net weekly spending power of a married man with two children aged 4 and 6 years who is out of work for the first six months of the current financial year on the assumption that previous earnings were £35, £45, £55, £65, £75, and £85, that rent amounted to £5 ·60 per week and rates £2 ·20 and that unemployment

, Pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15th December 1977; Vol. 941, c. 408], gave the following information:As I have said in reply to earlier Questions of this kind, the general validity of the figures sought is very dubious. The answers given have to depend on broad assumptions, and it is not possible to know how far they are representative or characteristic of the real situation of wage earners or unemployed people, whose individual circumstances can vary very widely. For that reason, where the preparation of answers entails considerable work and expense I am not, in general, prepared to authorise it. In the present Question, moreover, the postulated assumption that unemployment benefit is to be treated as taxable income is not a realistic one at present, and this in itself makes the figures of questionable value.Subject to these general qualifications, the information requested is set out in the table below. It illustrates the position of someone out of work for the first six months of the current tax year-that is, between April and October 1977. The

Former Earnings	Unemployment Benefit	Child Benefit	Tax Payable	Family Income Supplement	Rent Rebate	Rate Rebate	Free School Meals	Free Welfare Milk	Net Weekly Spending Power
£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
35	26·50	2·50	—	3·80	5·60	2·17	0·75	0·75	34·27
45	32·62	2·50	—	—	5·44	1·99	—	—	34·75
55	35·37	2·50	0·12	—	4·76	1·77	—	—	36·48
65	36·64	2·50	0·55	—	4·44	1·66	—	—	36·89
75	37·92	2·50	0·99	—	4·12	1·56	—	—	37·31
85	38·68	2·50	1·24	—	3·93	1·50	—	—	37·57

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether there is any obligation arising from membership of the EEC to change from miles to kilometres.

Under the Treaty of Accession the United Kingdom accepted EEC Directive 71/354, which required the adoption of the metric system. Amendments were introduced by Directive 76/770. The directive does not set a date for the change from miles to kilometres or require the position to be reviewed before the end of 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects to receive the new Edwardes corporate plan for British Leyland; and, when he receives it, if he will undertake to publish it as a Command Paper or place a copy in the Library.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Mr. Sever) on 10th January-[Vol. 941, c. 709–10.]When my right hon. Friend has considered the NEB report, he will make appropriate arrangements to inform the House, but I expect that the plan will contain too much commercially confidential information to permit publication.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of the Rolls-Royce plan which he has received from the National Enterprise Board covering the period 1978–82.

The corporate plan is largely commercially confidential and, accordingly, unsuitable for publication.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what proposals the National Enterprise Board has made to him to pay interest on the public dividend capital allocated to it; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 23rd November last. [Vol. 939, c. 735.]

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list in the Official Report the names of those companies which are now wholly-owned subsidiaries, and which are partly-owned, showing the percentage shares, by British Shipbuilders and British Aerospace, respectively.

Following is the information:BRITISH SHIPBUILDERS

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the gross income from telephone rental, the gross income from charges for telephone calls and the overall profit of the Post Office's telecommunications division in each of the last five years.

The information is as follows. It is taken from published Post Office reports and accounts for the years 1972–73 to 1976–77.

(1) INCOME
£ million
	Telephone Rental	Call Charges
1972–73	322·0	562·2
1973–74	363·4	639·3
1974–75	441·1	767·8
1975–76	658·8	1,293·7
1976–77	747·1	1,660·5

(2) OVERALL TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROFIT/(LOSS)
£ million
1972–73	(9·7)
1973–74	(61·4)
1974–75	(194·6)
1975–76	154·7
1976–77	264·4

The losses in the years 1972–73 to 1974–75 are before compensation for price restraint. The 1976–77 profit is after provision of £101 million for the elimination of profit above the Price Code reference level.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what proposals he made during the meeting of the Council of Ministers and the EEC Commission in December 1977 on the financing of the European Coal and Steel Community Budget through part payments of import duties; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission proposed that member States should contribute a total of 32 million European units of account in 1978 to meet increased expenditure on grants to redundant steel workers and interest rebates on loans for projects to modernise steel production or create employment for redundant steel workers. The Council, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade attended, agreed in principle to the proposal, leaving the details of its implementation to be considered later.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many Acts of Parliament within his responsibility in the last three parliamentary Sessions have had clauses or sections not yet brought into force by appropriate commencement orders; and if he will list them.

None.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the level by which home production of food met demand in 1977; and if he expects the level to be improved in 1978.

Self-sufficiency forecasts for individual products for 1977 are set out in the White Paper on the Annual Review published today. I regret that I cannot yet give an aggregate estimate for 1977, but this will be published as soon as it is ready. I hope that production will continue to expand in 1978.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if, during his recent talks with EEC Ministers, he discussed the damaging effect of the present level of the green pound on British agriculture; and if, in the interests of the EEC as well as home producers of food, he made or intends to make any proposals to devalue it.

My right hon. Friend regularly reports to the House on his discussions in the Council of Ministers. The outcome of the December Council was set out in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George) on 14th December 1977. On the green pound, my right hon. Friend has repeatedly explained that he has no objection in principle to a change, but the timing and extent of any change must be judged according to the national interest—[Vol. 941, col. 249–50.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is his policy in negotiating a common fisheries policy that Great Britain should control an effective conservation and quota licensing system up to 200 or 50 or 12 miles from the coast.

The United Kingdom's fisheries jurisdiction extends to 200 miles from our coast or to the median lines; and it is our right and responsibility to enforce any Community or national conservation measures throughout these limits.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the degree of fair competition which exists between United Kingdom farmers and farmers of other EEC countries in the United Kingdom market; and what action he proposes to take in this regard.

I fully understand the pressures for a green pound change from producers who believe the present position to be unfair. As I explained earlier today, in answer to a Question from the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Griffiths), we must, however, look at this issue in terms of the national interest as a whole and this will determine the timing and amount of the next change.