asked the Minister of Overseas Development what response she intends to make to the appeal made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for aid to refugees in Southern Africa.

We are providing about £900,000 to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for this purpose. This will be in addition to our regular contribution this year to UNHCR £700,000 to our recent contributions to UNHCR special appeals in various parts of the world, and to the special contribution of £200,000 announced last April for assistance to Rhodesian refugees, particularly children, who had fled into adjacent countries, mainly in Botswana. Parliamentary approval for this expenditure will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for the Overseas Aid Vote.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether she is yet able to make a statement about additional Government financial assistance to Mozambique.

I have offered a further development loan of £2·5 million to the Government of Mozambique together with 10,000 tonnes of food as British national action under the European Community's food aid programme.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will make a statement about new British aid to India.

During my visit to India last July I pledged new aid to India totalling £144 million. Details of five grant agreements, turning these pledges into firm commitments were signed in Delhi last month, and are as follows:

£70 million maintenance grant to finance the import of British components, spares and industrial materials,

£30 million project grant to finance equipment from Britain for major projects,

£20 million capital investment grant to finance other capital goods from Britain,

£20 million sector grant to finance goods from Britain for specified priority sectors of the Indian economy—at present power and coal, and

£4 million debt refinancing grant. This is not tied to British goods and services, and represents the British contribution to a debt relief scheme agreed by members of the Aid India Consortium.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what is being done through the aid programme to promote projects for the conservation of solar energy in the developing countries as a means of energy saving; and whether she will make a statement.

We have so far supported through the aid programme a limited amount of research in the United Kingdom and developing countries in wind and solar power, and hope to encourage more. Details of my Department's current and proposed projects are as follows:MINISTRY OF OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT CURRENT AND PROPOSED RESEARCH PROJECTS IN THE FIELDS OF WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if dates have yet been set for the introduction of liaison, recruitment and training programmes to facilitate the early completion of the dispersal programme of her Ministry; and if she will make a statement.

The move of part of my headquarters to East Kilbride is not scheduled to take place until August 1980. A local recruitment campaign which will be followed by any necessary training is expected to begin about six months before then. My Department is already liaising closely with the East Kilbride Development Corporation about all aspects of the move.

The figures are shown below. In 1976 we provided £2·76 millions.Our firm planning extends only three years ahead, but we would expect to allocate about £1 million a year to St. Lucia over this period.Disbursements for the calendar years 1973–76 are as follows:

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what assistance the British Government is giving to Jamaica in its present economic difficulties.

When I was in Jamaica last month I signed with the Jamaican Government an agreement for a £20 million programme loan. This will help to ease Jamaica's present difficulties by assisting with the purchase of British goods necessary to the country's development. The loan will provide help quickly and should be fully disbursed before the end of the coming financial year. Other countries and institutions are also assisting Jamaica.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what steps her Ministry is taking to allay the provision of overseas aid more closely with the development of British trade.

My Department works closely with other Departments in Whitehall to obtain the maximum benefit for our trade and industries that is consistent with the aid strategy set out in the 1975 White Paper "More Help for the Poorest". As I informed the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke) on 12th January, we also decided last year to allow a small proportion of the bilateral aid programme—around 5 per cent.—to be available to give higher priority to the commercial importance of a limited number of developmentally sound projects we identify in developing countries for which there is no aid allocation available or where the allocation is already fully committed.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development which countries she visited on her recent Caribbean tour; what were the criteria on which she decided which countries to omit from the tour; and if she will make a statement.

I visited Costa Rica, Venezuela, Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica. I should have liked to visit other countries but this was not possible in the two weeks available. I visited Costa Rica at the President's invitation, and took the opportunity of discussing there and in Caracas the outcome of the recent World Bank conference on aid to the Caribbean. The greater part of my tour was spent in Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica, with all of which we have a close and long-standing aid relationship.I was struck by the present severe economic difficulties of the Caribbean countries, and am convinced of the need for international action to alleviate them with a view to creating the conditions in which democratic government can survive and flourish. In such action, as I showed by the two aid agreements I signed in Guyana and Jamaica, we are very ready to play a full part

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will provide a list of all bodies to which she appoints members other than civil servants, distinguishing between full-time and part-time, salaried, fee paid and unpaid appointments, indicating for each category of appointment the number of such appointees.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is in a position to make a further statement regarding the operation of the special unit at Barlinnie Prison.

I have now had a report of the inquiries, carried out by the Prisons Division of the Scottish Home and Health Department, and I have considered this together with the findings of the fatal accident inquiry held on 29th November into the death of Laurence Winters, an inmate of the special unit, on 11th September 1977.

The following is the information required:The unit was set up in March 1973 on an experimental basis following the recommendations of a departmental working party on the treatment of certain male long-term prisoners and potentially violent prisoners. An essential feature of the operation of the unit has been that the staff/inmate relationship should be a close one and should attempt to break down traditional antagonisms. Notwithstanding that certain irregularities have taken place in the operation of the unit it has effectively achieved its main objectives. The removal of a small number of inmates from the main stream of the present population has been to the benefit of staff and inmates at various establishments. Within the unit, the "community" of staff and prisoners has played a positive part in the establishing of meaningful relationships though it is still too soon to assess the long-term effect of the unit on prisoners who have been held there.It is my intention that the work of the unit should continue and that the broad principles on which the unit has been run should be maintained. Information obtained in the course of the inquiries confirms that many of the irregularities about which concern has been expressed arose from departures from the normal operational procedures which apply at other establishments. The decisions which I have taken are designed to eliminate operational deficiencies without adversely affecting the basic concepts of the unit. Domestic arrangements within the unit will continue to be discussed and considered by the community of staff and inmates, under the overall authority of the Governor. I have invited representatives of the Scottish Prison Service staff, including the Scottish Prison Officers' Association, to join my Department in considering the future staffing structure of the unit. Many of the operational procedures in the unit have already been reviewed and revised but other changes will be necessary if the unit is to operate effectively. I have given instructions to clarify the roles of my Department, the Governor, the other staff and the community and this should prevent the recurrence of irregularities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will instruct his Department not to purchase brands of whisky, gin, vodka and brandy manufactured by the Distillers Company until the Distillers Company pay the 85 thalidomide children on the Y list the same compensation as that paid to children on the X list which was drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services to Questions about the Distillers Company.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on goods manufactured by the Distillers Company Ltd. in the last financial year.

My Department's records do not enable information about such purchases to be extracted.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance is being paid to shipping companies for the maintenance and improvement of services to the Scottish islands.

I am offering the following revenue grants for the year 1978 or the financial year 1978–79 as appropriate:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until they settle the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until they settle the claim for compensation of the Y list children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief and other terms of aid until they settle the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claims for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until they settle the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until they settle the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation for the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will blacklist the Distillers Company from all future Government grants, subsidies, tax relief, and other forms of aid until it settles the claim for compensation of the Y list thalidomide children on the same terms as those on the X list drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

I have been asked to reply also to the Questions to other Departments.My hon. Friends will wish to know that, in keeping with a suggestion made by my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) in a Question on 16th December 1977—[Vol. 941, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much his Department spent on goods manufactured by the Distillers Company Ltd. in the last financial year.

Nil, but the Department has a contract with United Glass in which the Distillers Company Ltd. has a holding.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to amend the automatic payment of supplementary benefits to any person who claims poverty on landing in Great Britatin to payment only where one year's national insurance contribution or one year's residence and payments of taxation can be proved.

Payment of supplementary benefit is by no means automatic for such people. It is not payable to those such as students and visitors who are admitted for a limited period strictly on the basis that they will be self-supporting. Those who are admitted for permanent settlement qualify for benefit on the same terms as anyone else. So do foreign nationals admitted temporarily to take or look for work, but they are subject to special checks to safeguard public funds. We have no plans to alter these arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what extent social security benefits are affected by insurance payments, as in the case of flood victims; and if he will make a statement.

Supplementary benefit is affected by a person's capital resources. A lump-sum payment under an insurance policy would normally constitute capital, but a payment specifically for the purpose of making good flood damage, and to be spent as soon as practicable for that purpose, is not regarded as capital, although it would naturally be taken into account in considering any request for an emergency payment. I am writing to the hon. Member about the particular case which we discussed recently.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much was paid in total or annually to claimants for social security benefits who have not been in Great Britain for one year or more, have not contributed for one year to the National Insurance Fund or have paid no income tax.

Separate figures of benefit paid to such claimants are not maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received the communications dated 3rd February from the hon. Member for New-ham, North-West drawing attention to the views of Dr. Niranjar Singh Maagat on the abuses of the social services benefits by some of the immigrant population, and making proposals which would overcome these abuses; and whether he will arrange to meet this gentlemen and discuss these matters with him.

I have read Dr. Maagat's views with interest, but they do not persuade me that any change is needed in the rules whereby immigrants are entitled to social security benefits.So far as Dr. Maagat's allegations about abuse and exploitation of the system are concerned, I have always made it clear that I am determined to act against the small minority who discredit our welfare system. I will gladly arrange for Dr. Maagat to meet one of the officials concerned with such problems if he believes that he has information which would be useful to us.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what decision has been arrived at concerning the future of the Lady Forester Hospital, Much Wenlock, Shropshire.

None. The Salop Area Health Authority will be considering at its April meeting the future of the hospital's maternity unit. The longer term possibility of the whole hospital closing when the proposed Telford District General Hospital is built will be the subject of formal consultation nearer the time if closure is still thought appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Service what is the present purchasing power of the 25p per week supplement to the pension for those over 80 years of age compared to February 1974.

On the basis of the movement in the general index of retail prices between February 1974 and December 1977, the latest date for which a figure is available, the present equivalent of the 25p age addition in February 1974 is 13p.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the effectiveness of his Department's policy on birth control, in the light of the need to ensure adequate publicity in the media for birth control aids.

I am not satisfied that the family planning services are reaching all in need. The continuing development of these services, including information and publicity about them, is therefore one of the priorities for the National Health Service. While it is clearly not for the Government to determine the policy of the media about publicising birth control services or aids, I would hope that the importance of making such information available to people at risk of unwanted pregnancy would be given sympathetic consideration by those concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to provide a maternity grant for adoptive mothers; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plan to make maternity grant available to adoptive mothers. Maternity grant is a lump sum payment of £25 made to the natural mother to assist with the expenditure she incurs in giving birth to a baby and for help she may need during the lying-in period. These expenses do not arise in the case of adoptive mothers; accordingly, it would be inappropriate to extend maternity grant to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would have been the cost in 1976–77 of giving the maternity grant to adoptive mothers.

As my hon. Friend is aware, social security legislation does not provide for paying maternity grant to adoptive mothers because they do not incur the expenses in childbirth for which the grant is paid. If the grant had been payable to all mothers who, in 1977, adopted children under six months of age, the additional cost to the National Insurance Fund would have been in the region of £30,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children adopted in each of the last five years had either serious physical or serious mental handicaps.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what conclusions he has drawn from the research carried out by his Department into the incidence of cervical cancer in relation to occupation, as opposed to social class.

Research into the relation of abnormal cytological smears and carcinoma of the cervix uteri to the husband's occupation has been carried out by the late Dr. John Wakefield at the Christie Hospital, Manchester. Mortality from cervical cancer and yields of abnormal smears have been shown in a number of studies to occur more frequently in the wives of men employed in occupations contained in the Registrar-General's Social Classes 4 and 5. My Department continues to encourage cytology screening with a view to the early detection of cervical cancer.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what number of National Health Service hospital and institutional beds was unoccupied on 1st January 1978 owing to lack of resources and staff; how many were unoccupied for other reasons; and what were those reasons.

I regret that information in the form requested is not available centrally.Beds in National Health Service hospitals may be temporarily unavailable for use for a variety of reasons, including staff shortages or illness, lack of resources, redecoration or alteration of wards, and other local circumstances. The average daily number of available beds in National Health Service hospitals in England for all specialties during 1976—the latest year for which this information is available—was 383,100, of which an average of 310,800 beds—81 per cent.—were occupied daily. A major reason for the difference between bed availability and bed occupancy is the time interval which necessarily occurs between the vacation of a bed by one patient and the admission of another.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the cost of installing and the cost of running a renal unit at the Basingstoke District General Hospital; whether he has any plans to do so; and, if not, why not.

The Wessex Regional Health Authority has no plans at present to provide a renal unit at Basingstoke District General Hospital, since the unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth, provides a service to patients throughout the region.No meaningful estimate of the installation and running costs of such a unit can be given, since these would depend upon its size and the range of facilities to be provided.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what number of persons in the United Kingdom requiring kidney machine treatment in the year 1977 were unable to be supplied with it; and what number of persons died during that year as a consequence.

I regret the information is not available in the form requested. In 1972 a joint committee of the Royal Colleges estimated that each year in the United Kingdom between 23–39 patients per million population might benefit from treatment for chronic renal failure either by dialysis or transplantation. Since then the medical criteria for acceptance for treatment have broadened and the probable total need is now estimated to be around 40 new patients per million population each year. In the year ending 30th June 1977, 14·8 new patients per million population were accepted for treatment. If untreated, end-stage renal failure is invariably fatal. In the same year 788 renal transplants were undertaken in the United Kingdom.I am naturally concerned about this shortage of dialysis facilities and for this reason I recently announced that I am making available to health authorities an additional £1 million of special medical development money over the next three years for setting up a number of limited care dialysis units. Recently an additional £270,000 special medical development money was provided for paediatric dialysis.

ascked the Secretary of State for Social Services what discussions he has had with EEC Ministers about the extension of reciprocal medical arrangements to self-employed persons; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission has recently submitted to the Council draft regulations which would extend the provisions of the EEC Social Security Regulations to self-employed persons, as well as non-employed persons previously employed or previously self-employed. One of the main effects of these proposals would be to enable such persons, when visiting another member State, to receive urgent medical care on the same basis as insured nationals of that State. This is a measure for which the United Kingdom has consistently pressed. Detailed considerations of the proposals will take place in the Social Questions Working Group of the Council. A first meeting of this group took place on 1st February. The Commission proposals under reference R/30/78(SOC2) were deposited in Parliament on 16th January 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the short- and long-term employment consequences of £100 million additional expenditure on new facilities in the National Health Service; and what would be the effect of £100 million additional revenue.

A capital investment of £100 million in Health Service facilities would have a short-term employment effect on the construction industry, the extent being dependent on the time-scale of the programme. For example, it is estimated that an investment of £50 million during each of two years would create jobs for about 4,000 people over the two-year period. As to the longer-term effect, a capital investment of this size would provide 3,500 acute hospital beds, which would employ about 8,000 staff. However, the overall long-term effect of the investment on the numbers of NHS staff employed would depend upon how far the capital was used to create new NHS facilities additional to those already in existence and how far it was used to rationalise, replace or repair existing facalities. Normally there would be considerable redeployment of existing staff; additional staff would of course require additional revenue expenditure. It is estimated that £100 million additional revenue would lead directly to the creation of about 20,000 new jobs in the NHS. There would also be a secondary effect on employment in those industries that equip and supply the NHS although it is not possible to make an estimate of the magnitude of this effect.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the terms of the answer to the hon. Member for Carlton on 7th February mean that all claimants will receive the same non-contributory disablement benefit, irrespective of sex or marital status.

I have written to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why form CH(A)297D(TO), issued by the Child Benefit Centre, asks parents to say whether the child is expected to sit the Certificate of Secondary Education, the General Certificate of Education, O level, the Scottish Certificate of Education, O grade, the General Certificate of Education, A level, the Scottish Certificate of Education, higher grade, and other examinations, and when; how parents can make such a forecast in view of the fact that trained and experienced professionals in schools and careers services are not always able to do so; what relevance this labelling of a child's potential has to the payment of child benefit, bearing in mind that the parent has already declared on the form the date to which the child is expected to remain in full-time education; and to what purpose his Department intends to put this information.

Child benefit is payable after age 16, and up to age 19, only where a child is receiving full-time non-advanced education. Although many children may now leave school at the end of May, some others take examinations later and continued payment of child benefit will depend on the dates of the examinations. Experience has shown that it is necessary for the Department to know what examinations, if any, the child is expected to take because parents do not always appreciate that some examinations take place after May. Without this additional information, there could therefore be a loss of benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when a reply will be sent to the letter from the hon. Member for Goole to the Minister of State responsible for health matters dated 12th December 1977, enclosing correspondence about the sports injuries clinic at St. James's Hospital, Leeds.

My hon. Friend will by now have received my letter of 9th February.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will place in the Library a copy of the Health Service Circular HN (77) 142, dated September 1977, in connection with purchasing.

I have done so today.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many disabled housewives are now receiving the new non-contributory disability pension; and how many of these receive no other pension.

I have taken it that the right hon. Gentleman's Question refers to the number of married women receiving the non-contributory invalidity pension (NCIP). Up to 10th February 1978 about 34,000 awards of this benefit had been made. As NC1P is a "maintenance" benefit it cannot, in general, be paid in addition to any other "maintenance" benefit which a woman may already have. The vast majority of women who have been awarded NCIP are unlikely, therefore, to be receiving any other personal "maintenance" benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department has circulated a memorandum of blacklisted companies; and what directives it contained on tendering and purchasing policy.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury gave him to a similar Question today.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services upon what date he expects construction work to start on stage 2 of the Eastbourne District General Hospital; and upon what date he expects that work to be completed.

This is one of a number of future projects proposed for the South East Thames Region. Relative priorities have not yet been determined by the regional health authority and it is not yet possible to forecast a starting date.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many dangerous, or potentially dangerous, mentally ill patients there are for whom the only secure accommodation at present is a prison hospital or a special hospital, such as Broadmoor or Rampton.

At 31st December 1977 there were 2,108 patients in the special hospitals of whom just under half were mentally ill. A minority of these are no longer considered to be dangerous or potentialy dangerous and their transfer to other hospitals or discharge is being sought.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the total weekly payment of unemployment benefit which would arise from the closure of the Barry Staines Factory in Newburgh.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is now able to make an announcement on the Court Committee's recommendation for a joint committee for children.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have decided to ask the Central Health Services Council and the Personal Social Services Council to co-operate in the establishment of a children's joint committee to advise us on the co-ordination and development of health and personal social services as they relate to children and families with children. We propose that the two councils should each nominate five members and that a further five should be chosen by the Secretaries of State; two of these appointments would be made on the advice of the Secretary of State for Education and Science. These arrangements will be subject to review after three years. I am delighted that Dr. F. S. W. Brimblecombe has agreed to be the first chairman.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in the light of the fact that many National Health Service patients are being refused treatment by dentists in Darlington unless they are prepared to pay as private patients, what steps he proposes to take to enable dental treatment to be obtained under the National Health Service.

I have written personally to all general dental practitioners urging them not to make patients suffer because of disagreement between the British Dental Association and my Department. In spite of this appeal and my attempts to resolve the disagreement, some dentists are refusing to provide certain treatments under the National Health Service. The advice I would give to patients who have difficulty in finding a dentist to treat them under the NHS is to contact the administrator of their local family practitioner committee. While he has no power to compel a dentist to accept a particular patient, he will do his best to help. In the meantime, I am continuing in my efforts to bring the dispute to an end.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many new public national governmental organisations have been created and for which he is responsible since the Government assumed office; and how many paid situations there are within them.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 6th February 1978; Vol. 943, c. 397], gave the following information:Two bodies which seem to fit the hon. Member's description have been established since the Government took office in October 1974: the Health Services Board and the National Biological Standards Board.The Health Services Board has 13 paid members on the board and Scottish and Welsh Committees, plus 11 full-time and three part-time staff. The National Biological Standards Board has 17 members and 197 staff. The Biological Standards Act 1975 provides for payment to members of remuneration and allowances but members are paid no remuneration under this provision. The staff were previously employed by the Medical Research Council on similar work.I have assumed that the hon. Member is not concerned with purely advisory committees.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether work expenses affect entitlement to any meanstested benefits other than free school meals.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13th January 1978; Vol. 941, c. 850], gave the following information:Yes: free milk and vitamins; help with or exemption from National Health Service charges for dental treatment, dentures, glasses, prescriptions, wigs and fabric supports; patients' hospital travelling expenses; legal aid (civil and criminal); assistance with fares to work for severely disabled people, and supplementary benefit. Entitlement to means-tested benefits administered by local authorities on a discretionary basis may also be affected by work expenses but because the conditions of entitlement are determined locally it is not possible to give details.

asked the Lord President of the Council which members of the staff of the Palace of Westminster have the right to walk through Members' desk rooms; who, other than hon. Members, have the right to use the corridor and stairs leading from the Members' Entrance to the Members' Lobby and the Corridors leading from the Members' Lobby to the Library and Smoking Room; who, other than hon. Members, have the right to use the Library and its facilities; and whether he is satisfied with the security of Members' desks and filing cabinets.

Staff on duty are required to visit Members' Desk Rooms from time to time. The Members' Staircase may be used only by Members and Peers. The Members' Corridor may be used by Members, Peers, those who have offices in the Star Chamber Court building, officials visiting the Liberal Party Rooms above the Cloisters, and staff on duty. The old Ways and Means Corridor may be used by Members, Peers, staff of the Whips' Offices, Lobby Journalists and staff on duty. Members' secretaries and research assistants may use the Library Corridor to collect material set aside for them from the entrance to the Library. Apart from Members and Officers of the House, a restricted number of research assistants may use the Library at certain specified hours on certain days.In the interests of security, Members are strongly advised to keep their desks and filing cabinets locked when they are absent from their rooms.

asked the Lord President of the Council what handling work has been carried out on the machines on the Interview Floor within the past six months; and if he will make a statement.

During the past six months no work has been handled by the machines on the Interview Floor. However, a test run and service of the machines took place on 25th October 1977.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will now answer Questions on matters relating to the pay and conditions of the House of Commons staff.

No. I refer to my hon. Friend to the statement made by Mr. Speaker to the House on this matter on 20th May 1975—[Vol. 892, cc. 1216–17.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to make a statement on the Government's review of the export of live animals.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mr. Corbett) on 19th January.—[Vol. 942, c. 639.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the amount of food, by item, which has been bought through intervention buying within the common agricultural policy during 1977.

The following amounts of food were bought into official public intervention stores in the Community as a whole during 1977:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total tonnage of fish caught by the British inshore fleet in 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977 if available.

The total tonnages of demersal, pelagic and shellfish landed by United Kingdom vessels under 80 ft. in registered length in the years mentioned were as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has circulated a memorandum of blacklisted companies; and what directives it contained on tendering and purchasing policy.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that has been given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will instruct his Department not to purchase brands of whisky, gin, vodka and brandy manufactured by the Distillers Company until the Distillers Company pays the 85 thalidomide children on the Y list the same compensation as that paid to children on the X list which was drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him today by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Disabled.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department spent on goods manufactured by the Distillers Company Ltd. in the last financial year.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service in establishing the genuine membership figures of teachers' unions; when she expects to receive the complete figures; and whether these findings will be published.

My Department has not asked the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to establish the membership figures of teachers' unions. It has asked ACAS to attempt to establish a pattern for the representation of the teachers' unions at joint consultation meetings. ACAS has yet to report on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she intends to make any provision in the calculation of the next year's rate support grant for the additional costs of higher fees to self-financing students in higher education.

Discussions about the 1979–80 rate support grant have not yet started. For 1978–79 the settlement announced last November is calculated on the basis that the income levels of local authorities from tuition fees will be maintained overall, but not increased in real terms. Circular 2/78, a copy of which has been placed in the Library, reminds local authorities of the guidance given last year in relation to individual cases of hardship.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she has any plans to increase from three to five years the period of ordinary residence which is a condition of eligibility for maintenance grants for higher education.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans she has to make further hardship grants during 1977–78 or 1978–79 to universities for the assistance of home and overseas students affected by fees increases; and at what level such grant will be.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to add to the provision already made in the universities' grant for 1977–78 to meet hardship. She hopes to announce next month the universities' grant for 1978–79 which, it is expected, will include a small amount for hardship. It will be for the universities themselves to determine what level of assistance to offer from the total resources available to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance she has given to local education authorities over the retention and provision of single-sex schools in the light of the Sex Discrimination Act.

My Department's Circular 2/76 drew the attention of local education authorities to the duties and obligations imposed on them by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. It explains specifically that admissions to single-sex educational establishments are exempt from the relevant provisions of the Act, by virtue of the provisions of Section 26 of the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if her Department has circulated a memorandum of blacklisted companies; and what directives it contained on tendering and purchasing policy.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much her Department spent on goods manufactured by the Distillers Company Ltd. In the last financial year.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will instruct her Department not to purchase brands of whisky, gin, vodka and brandy manufactured by the Distillers Company until the Distillers Company pays the 85 thalidomide children on the Y list the same compensation as that paid to children on the Xlist which was drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for the disabled to similar Questions from my hon. Friend and my hon. Friends the Members for Luton, West (Mr. Sedgemore), Bedwellty (Mr. Kinnock) and Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Heffer).

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to safeguard the waste of resources as a result of the overheating of many public buildings.

The Property Services Agency maintains buildings occupied by central Government Departments. It defines temperature standards throughout these buildings and is involved in a substantial programme of technical measures to improve heating controls and thermal insulation where these are deficient. Over the last five years the Agency has succeeded in reducing its energy bill by about 25 per cent. and is aiming to achieve greater reductions. It would be helpful if my hon. Friend could write to me with any examples of buildings which she considers to be overheated at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he pro- poses to have further talks with the building societies with a view to moderating the increase in house prices in 1978;(2) whether he will publish his estimate of the supply of and demand for new houses for sale in 1978, and state the estimated increase in 1978 in the cost of the average new home in the West Midlands which was £11,000 in 1977.

The November private enterprise housing inquiry indicates that builders then expected to start 150,000 private houses in 1978. Prospects for sales should be good in view of the lowering of mortgage interest rates and the continuing flow of adequate mortgage finance. House prices—new and secondhand—in the United Kingdom last year rose by about 8 per cent.; a rather higher increase may be expected this year.The Joint Advisory Committee on Building Society Mortgage Finance is closely monitoring the level of lending for house purchase with particular reference to the trends in house prices. This matter has been discussed with representatives of the BSA, and I am satisfied that building societies are fully aware of the need to avoid excessive house price increases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the length of the housing waiting list of each local and new town authority at the latest available date.

This information is not available in the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any information as to the current incidence of gazumping; what effect this is likely to have on house prices; and if he will make a statement.

I have heard reports of instances of "gazumping" but I have no evidence that this practice is widespread. "Gazumping", of itself, should not affect prices: it is an unpleasant symptom of demand exceeding supply. The Government, with the building societies, are closely monitoring levels of lending for house purchase with particular reference to trends in prices. Building societies are fully aware of the need to avoid excessive increases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department has circulated a memorandum of blacklisted companies; and what directives it contained on tendering and purchasing policy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a list of the ethnic and national categories in terms of which householders are being asked to identify themselves by his Department's investigators now carrying out the survey of housing and housing occupancy.

Respondents are asked by the research interviewers to indicate for each member of the household:

(i) whether that person was born in the United Kingdom and (ii) to which of the following 12 categories on a show card they consider that person belongs:

(1) White

(2) West Indian

(3) Indian

(4) Pakistani

(5) Bangladeshi

(6) Chinese

(7) Turkish

(8) Other Asian

(9) African

(10) Arab

(11) Other (please state)

(12) Mixed Origin (please state)

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will instruct his Department not to purchase brands of whisky, gin, vodka and brandy manufactured by the Distillers Company until the Distillers Company pays the 85 thalidomide children on the Y list the same compensation as that paid to children on the X list which was drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him today by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for the disabled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much his Department spent on goods manufactured by the Distillers Company Ltd. in the last financial year.

The information sought is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what general action he proposes to take to reduce the risk to gas mains from the movement overhead of heavy vehicles.

I have nothing to add to the replies given to my hon. Friend on 23rd January 1978 and 1st February and that given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy to my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline (Mr. Hunter) on 15th December 1977.—[Vol. 942; c. 439; Vol. 933, c. 190; Vol. 941, c. 315.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if the terms of reference of the Prior Committee include the giving of evidence on the spacing and siting of service stations on motorways and in particular the environmental implications of siting service stations in conservation areas or areas of natural beauty.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the average cost of laying one mile of single-line railway, exclusive of land costs.

British Rail estimates that the average cost of completely renewing one mile of single track railway is £92,500, at July 1977 prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many cases have been raised by hon. Members concerning delays in the work of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre, Swansea, in each month since January 1976.

Separate figures for complaints of delay are not available. The table below lists monthly totals of complaints of all types raised by hon. Members each month since January 1976. On average, in half of such cases investigation shows that the centre is not at fault.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has circulated a memorandum of blacklisted companies; and what directives it contained on tendering and purchasing policy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement saying why he has rejected the advice of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration regarding vehicle licence refunds resulting from the admitted maladministration of his Department.

I have not rejected it. As I explained to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Mr. Kelley) on 9th February—[Vol. 943; c. 655]—I am studying the difficult issues it raises and will make a statement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on goods manufacturered by the Distillers Company Ltd. in the last financial year.

This information is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will instruct his Department not to purchase brands of whisky, gin, vodka and brandy manufactured by the Distillers Company until the Distillers Company pays the 85 thalidomide children on the Y list the same compensation as that paid to children on the X list which was drawn up prior to the 1973 settlement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today to our hon. Friend the Member for Bedwellty (Mr. Kinnock) by our hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for the disabled.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to start the construction of the proposed bypass of Steyning, Bramber and Beeding in West Sussex; and when he expects it to be completed.

West Sussex County Council is the highway authority for the A283 through these villages. It is for the council to programme construction following satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give for the longest and most convenient period of time the total or the annual amounts of money spent on all matters relating to community relations including community relations councils, and their staffs and office upkeep.

I would refer my hon. Friend to published figures in the Supply Estimates for 1977–78 and the Appropriation Accounts for earlier years. Information about grants to community relations councils is available in the annual reports of the Community Relations Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the percentage of those charged with shoplifting who pleaded guilty or not guilty in (a) magistrates' courts, and (b) Crown courts for each of the last 10 years.

The information available is as follows. Information for earlier years could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost of police time and courts' administrative time in handling all allegations of shoplifting, for each of the last 10 years.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which police areas the police now require supermarkets to bring their own shoplifting charges; why they do so; and if he will make a statement on this practice.

I understand that the Metropolitan Police encourage supermarkets and other large businesses to conduct their own prosecutions where they are willing to do so, while other police forces in England and Wales normally conduct all prosecutions for shoplifting, unless the company concerned wishes to undertake the prosecution itself. Decisions about prosecutions are within the responsibility of chief officers of police, who have to have regard to the circumstances in their force area and other competing demands on resources.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the percentage of shoplifting cases coming before the courts, expressed as a percentage of all cases coming before (a) magistrates, and (b) Crown courts throughout the country for each of the last five years.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of alleged shoplifting offences were for goods to the value of (a) under £5, (b) between £5 and £10, and (c) over £10, for each of the last 10 years for which statistics are available; and what was the percentage of acquittals in magistrates' courts and Crown courts, in each of the three categories, for the years concerned.

The information available is given in the following tables:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the increase, or decrease, in cases coming before all courts, for each of the last 10 years, concerning the following offences, namely, shoplifting, arson, robbery with violence, breaking and entering, rape and assault.

The numbers of persons coming before the courts in England and Wales by type of offence are published in the issues of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" for 1966 to 1976 (Tables 1(a) and 5(a) of the 1976 issue). The figures for rape and assault are comparable for all these years, but for offences of shoplifting, robbery and burglary the figures are comparable for only 1969 to 1976, and for offences of arson the figures are strictly comparable for only 1972 to 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of cases were heard in magistrates' courts and Crown courts, respectively, for each of the last 10 years, concerning people on charges of (a) shoplifting, (b) theft, and (c) breaking and entering; and what percentage, in each category of crime, for each court, was found guilty or not guilty.

Comparable information is available only from 1969 and is given in the following tables: