asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will seek powers to have warning notices displayed on appropriate commodities which could be misused by young persons for solvent sniffing, in view of the increasing danger to life and limb resulting from this malpractice; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to his other Question on 15th February.—[Vol. 944, c. 278.]

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection (1) whether uniform pricing methods such as those where traders dealing in the Olympus OM-1 and Praktica LTL3 cameras have been effectively threatened with the cutting-off of supplies if they attempt to advertise these products at below the stipulated minimum advertised price are compatible with the Government's competition policy, and in the best of interests of consumers;(2) whether he will propose an amendment to the Resale Prices Act 1976 in order to extend its application to schemes requiring the minimum prices at which goods may be advertised.

The Resale Prices Act 1976 already prohibits the fixing of minimum prices for the resale of goods and makes it unlawful to withhold supplies as a means of enforcing minimum resale prices. The courts have held that the Act also applies to the enforcement of resale price maintenance through the use of minimum advertised prices. The Director General of Fair Trading examines complaints about attempts to maintain minimum resale prices contrary to the Act and, if my Hon. Friend will send him details of the particular cases he has referred to, the Director General will look into them.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection (1) if he or the Director General of the Office of Fair Trading have received any representations from insurance or mortgage brokers on the practice of building societies of requiring a share of insurance commissions as a condition of providing mortgage finance;(2) if he is satisfied that the undertaking given by the Building Societies Association not to require a sharing of insurance commissions as a condition of providing mortgage finance is being honoured; whether he or the Director General of Fair Trading plan further intervention; and if he will make a statement.

As far as the Director General of Fair Trading is aware, the agreement he reached with the Building Societies Association in 1976 is being honoured by all member societies. The Director General has made it clear that he would deprecate the practice of making the sharing of insurance commissions a condition of providing mortgage finance. I understand that he has recently received a number of complaints from insurance and mortgage brokers among others, which criticise building society practice in this area in general terms. However, no specific allegations have been made. Accordingly, he is writing to a number of the larger societies to ask for their comments and will consider any future action in the light of their replies and any further information he may receive. If the hon. Member knows of any specific instances of the practice he mentions, perhaps he will inform the Director General of the details.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what studies have been undertaken or sponsored by the Welsh Office into the impact of the abolition of regional employment premium on employment in the manufacturing sector of Welsh industry.

It is not possible to identify precisely the effects of withdrawal of regional employment premium among the many other factors affecting the level of employment. Detailed studies have therefore not been made, but I am satisfied that the additional resources made available for other employment creating measures are having a substantial effect in relieving the present high level of unemployment in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many access agreements have been made in the Snowdonia National Park; and how many are under negotiation.

No access agreements have been concluded to date. In connection with the disposal of the Snowdon

Scheme									Number Benefited	Estimated Cost
Temporary Employment Subsidy				…	…	…	…	…	27,011	25,099,650
Temporary Employment Subsidy (Supplement)						…	…	…	3,908*	813,840†
Job Creation Programme			…	…	…	…	…	…	13,246	20,408,853
Work Experience Scheme			…	…	…	…	…	…	5,183	988,687
Recruitment Subsidy for School Leavers					…	…	…	…	2,529	253,000
Youth Employment Subsidy			…	…	…	…	…	…	3,213	433,330
Job Release Scheme		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	1,971	2,400,000
Small Firms Employment Subsidy				…	…	…	…	…	301	153,600
Total	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	53,454	50,550,960
* Included in above total.
† Not included above.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the figure of 105,107 people entitled to right of entry into Great Britain includes their children; and to what extent he estimates the number will increase if children are included.

I have been asked to reply.The figure includes those children who are patrial. No estimate is available of the number of non-patrial children.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the 105,107 people with rights of entry into Great Britain have been able to claim for more than one wife; and, if

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales have benefited from the Government measures to alleviate unemployment; and what is the estimated cost of the measures to the latest convenient date.

Up to 27th January 1978, over 53,000 People in Wales had benefited from the Government's special measures at an estimated cost of £50,551,000. This was made up as follows:this information is not available, if he will take action to obtain details of the number of wives that the man is bringing in before he is granted right of entry.

I have been asked to reply.The information about the number of wives is not available. Because the men included in the total already have the right of entry under the Immigration Act 1971 the second part of the Question does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the 105,107 people who have rights of entry into Great Britain will additionally bring in a wife or husband; and whether these will be within or additional to the 105,107.

I have been asked to reply.The number of people who may wish to bring in a spouse is not known. Whether or not these spouses would be in addition to the figure quoted would depend upon whether they are patrial or not.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the latest estimate of the number of United Kingdom passport holders, including heads of households and dependants, in East African countries entitled to enter the United Kingdom under the special voucher entry scheme and the dates of the latest national censuses upon which this estimate is based.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer my hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Arnold) on 15th February 1978.—[Vol. 944, c. 279–80].No national census statistics giving the required information are available. The figures given have been estimated by our diplomatic missions in the countries concerned taking account of whatever information is locally available. Precise figures are not available because citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies overseas are not obliged to register with our diplomatic missions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Written reply of 8th February regarding immigrants into the United Kingdom, if he will give the number of persons allowed to enter from Hong Kong, South Africa and Rhodesia.

We have no records to show accurately the number of citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies in Rhodesia who are patrial and thus have the right of abode in the United Kingdom, but we estimate that there are about 80,000 such persons.We have no figures for patrial citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies resident in South Africa and Hong Kong, but as I explained in my letter of 27th September 1976 to my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Lewis) it is thought that not more than a few thousand of the citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies in Hong Kong have the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what is the number of employees in Alexander Hall and Company Limited; and whether they come within the scope of the Shipbuilding (Redundancy Payments) Bill;(2) what is the number of employees in Hall Russell and Company Limited; and whether they come within the scope of the Shipbuilding (Redundancy Payments) Bill;(3) what is the number of employees in Simons-Lobritz Limited; and whether they come within the scope of the Shipbuilding (Redundancy Payments) Bill;(4) what is the number of employees in Doxford-Hawthorn Research Services Limited; and whether they come within the scope of the Shipbuilding (Redundancy Payments) Bill;(5) what is the number of employees in Devroome Developments Limited; and whether they come within the scope of the Shipbuilding (Redundancy Payments) Bill;(6) what is the number of employees in Universal Welding and Construction Company Limited; and whether they come within the scope of the Shipbuilding (Redundancy Payments) Bill;(7) what is the number of employees in High Pressure Spraying and Painting Company Limited; and whether they come within the scope of the Shipbuilding (Redundancy Payments) Bill;(8) what is the number of employees in Morgan Asbestos and Insulation Company Limited; and whether they come within the scope of the Shipbuilding (Redundancy Payments) Bill.

I understand from British Shipbuilders that Hall Russell and Company Ltd. employs 830 people and that the companies referred to in the other Questions have no employees. All are within the definition of "relevant company" in the Shipbuilding (Redundancy Payments) Bill. The eligibility of their employees will depend on the terms of the order.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many people other than members of the Board are in the paid employment of the National Enterprise Board; and if that total includes the staff of the recently announced Northern Panel.

This is a matter for the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report details showing the number of craftsmen in each of the respective building trades who were registering for employment in Lanarkshire at the most recent convenient date.

The following table gives the numbers of unemployed people last employed in the construction industry who on 12th January 1978 were registered at employment offices in Lanarkshire, for work in each of the building trades listed.

Carpenters and joiners	332
Electricians	58
Cable jointers and linesmen	3
Heating and ventilation engineering fitters	5
Plumbers, pipe fitters and gas fitters	87
Metal scaffolders	16
Other steel erectors, riggers and cable splicers	85
Painters and decorators	186
Bricklayers, masons and stone setters	178
Plasterers	73
Terrazzo workers and tile setters	8
Roofers	37
Glaziers	3
General builders	1
Pipe layers and jointers	6
Site work concreters	2
Earth moving and civil engineering equipment operators	83
Crane, hoist and other materials handling equipment operators	37

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will seek to arrange that the answers to oral Questions tabled to Ministers who are top for answering on any day but not reached, appear as Written Answers in the Official Report published the following morning, and not later in the same week.

This should certainly be the normal practice. I am writing to the right hon. Member about the particular case he may have in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of the growing number of criminal cases of various sorts where those found guilty are known to be aliens and others here in the United Kingdom on temporary permits, in such cases he will, to assist the housing, unemployment and social problems including race relations, deport these people to their countries of origin.

I consider on its individual merits, in accordance with the immigration rules, every case in which a court has recommended deportation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give an assurance that, in the event of Rhodesia becoming an independent Commonwealth country, no one will be allowed to enter the United Kingdom and to take up permanent residence if he or she has been engaged in any acts designed to promote or sustain the present illegal regime, notwithstanding the fact that no proceedings for treason have been taken; and if he will make a statement.

It would not be appropriate for me to give an assurance of this kind. I would, however, draw my hon. Friend's attention to paragraph 18(c) of the White Paper "Rhodesia: Proposals for a Settelement", Cmnd. 6919.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he will give for the longest and most convenient stated period of time the number of persons other than those from Africa and Asia without British passports who have been allowed to enter Great Britain and remain either permanently or temporarily with and without permits; what are their countries of origin; and what action he takes to ensure that they return in accordance with their temporary entry permits.

The available information is given in the annual Command Papers the latest of which is "Control of Immigration, Statistics, 1976". Cmnd. 6883. As I have previously told my hon. Friend, selective checks are made to ensure that persons who have entered on a temporary basis have left the country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-British citizens are on the electoral register; what action he has taken or intends taking to advise those who are not entitled to vote that they should refrain from voting; as there is no limit to the number of registers that a person with several homes or part-time residences may register on, what action is taken to ensure that these people only vote once; and whether he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave to Questions by him, on 10th November and 30th January and to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Chingford (Mr. Tebbit) on 10th February.—[Vol. 938, c. 216–7; Vol. 943, c. 10; Vol. 943, c. 714–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many New Commonwealth immigrants who are married to more than one wife have been admitted to the United Kingdom since 1973.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in view of the decision of the Lord Chief Justice in quashing the conviction of Mr. Hands due to the conviction of the two policemen who gave evidence leading to his conviction having themselves been found guilty of perjury, what compensation is to be awarded to Mr. Hands; and what action has been, or will be, taken against the two policemen in this case.

If Mr. Hands wishes to apply for an ex-gratia payment of compensation I shall be prepared to consider his application. I understand that one of the police officers concerned was dismissed from the Metropolitan Police in November 1973; the other had previously retired.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to write to the hon. Member for Woking concerning the review of the question of references on application for registration and naturalisation, as promised in his reply to the hon. Member on 26th October 1977.

I am sorry that the review has taken longer than I expected. I hope to write to the hon. Member very soon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department has any plans to encourage the dispersal of new immigrants from cities which have a higher than average immigrant population.

New guidance for prospective immigrants will shortly be issued which will mention the difficulty of finding accommodation in large cities. Many new immigrants, however, will be dependants who will need to join the head of a family already settled here; and there will he many who will feel a need for support from their own minority communities if they are to settle successfully.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will institute an independent inquiry into firearms control.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to his reply to the hon. Member for Surrey, North-West on Monday 13th February when, approximately, he expects the consultations, now taking place with interested parties as to whether or not to allow the London Hospitals' Broadcasting permission to include advertising in their programmes for patients on an experimental basis, to be completed.

I expect the consultations to be completed within the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the numbers of citizens from New Commonwealth Countries and Pakistan who entered Great Britain after 1st January 1973 and have since been admitted for settlement on removal of time limit, being neither United Kingdom passport holders nor dependants, nor fiancées or fiancés of persons previously settled in the United Kingdom; and under what criteria they have been accepted for settlement in each of the years from 1973;(2) if he will list the numbers of dependants, other than wives and children under 18 years of age, of New Commonwealth and Pakistani citizens who entered the United Kingdom before 1st January 1973 who have themselves been accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in each of the years from 1973, detailing the number of those who have been parents, grandparents, unmarried children between 18 and 21 years and other distressed relatives of those previously settled in the United Kingdom.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning the result on the current work of the Local Government Boundary Commission of the court action successfully brought against it by a district council challenging its ruling; and what overall delay in the work of the Commission is likely to ensue.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has reported to me that it is appealing against the judgment delivered in the High Court on 25th January 1978 in a case brought by the London borough of Enfield. The Commission has concluded that, until the appeal is decided, it should suspend work on all its current reviews of electoral arrangements. It is not possible at this stage to say what delay will be involved in this aspect of the Commission's work.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what he attributes the difference in academic achievements between school leavers in Northern Ireland and England and Wales; and what he anticipates will be the impact on the higher Northern Ireland figures of the spread of comprehensive education in the Province.

It is not possible to attribute the differences in academic achievements between school leavers in Northern Ireland and those in England and Wales to any particular causes. The spread of non-selective secondary education in Northern Ireland will provide a wider range of children with opportunities for academic achievement.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the £584,565, spent on publicity in 1976–77, was attributable to publicity for the Ministers of State and Under-Secretaries of State in Northern Ireland, respectively.

None. This expenditure was incurred on general publicity services for Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the annual increase from 1973 of the average gross weekly wages for full-time working women (a) manual, (b) non-manual, and (c) overall, for England, Scotland and Wales, respectively;(2) if he will publish in the

The following percentage increases between the New Earnings Survey estimates of gross weekly earnings for April in 1973 to 1977 relate to full-time men and women whose pay for the relevant pay period was not affected by absence. They are subject to sampling errors. They are liable to be affected by differences in occupational and industrial employment structures, both between the countries and between the survey dates. For example, the overall changes in earnings, for all occupations, can to some extent reflect changes in the proportion of manual and non-manual workers, as well as changes in earnings.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he proposes to take in the light of the damage being done to firms which are members of the British Association of Landscaping Industries, in areas where job creation schemes have cut down their opportunities for work and endangered the livelihood of long-term employees.

I have drawn the attention of the Manpower Services Commission, which administers the job creation programme, to the concern felt by the British Association of Landscaping Industries. I am satisfied, however, that the conditions for approving JCP projects provide a reasonable safeguard against work being funded by the programme which could otherwise have been available to member firms of the Association.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many complaints have been received by the certification office for trade unions from members who have been unable to stop the payment of the political levy.

I am informed by the certification officer that he has received 15 such complaints covering 22 cases since 1st February 1976 when he assumed responsibility for administration of the Trade Union Act 1913.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff are available within his Department to deal with fair wage resolution claims; how many are currently carrying out such work; and what are their grades.

Claims under the fair wages resolution are currently dealt with by five staff. One higher executive officer and one clerical officer are engaged full-time in handling claims and a principal, legal assistant and executive officer spend part of their time on this work. These numbers can be adjusted to meet changes in workload.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many claims made under the fair wages resolution in the past three years have been made as a result of the main contractor carrying out his contractual obligations to ensure that sub-contractors also paid fair wages

In the three years to 31st December 1977 11 claims were made under the fair wages resolution against subconstractors, all of them by trade unions.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current number of fair wages resolution claims registered with his Department, the number awaiting decision by the central arbitration committee, the average length of time being taken between stages of the process of determination and any proposals he has to cut this waiting time.

On 31st January 1978, 129 claims made under the resolution were being dealt with by my Department. Of these 40 had been referred to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service for conciliation and 89 were awaiting confirmation of a current contract containing the Fair Wages Resolution 1946, and reference to the Central Arbitration Committee. A further 116 claims had been referred to the Central Arbitration Committee for decision.The usual time taken for my Department to establish a current contract, for the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to report on its efforts to conciliate and for a formal reference to be made to the Central Arbitration Committee is about six weeks. Owing to the measure of work on the Central Arbitration Committee, there is at present a further period of about 16 to 20 weeks before an award is made. The number of deputy chairmen of the Committee has been increased to 18 and I am informed by the Committee that it is taking other steps, including opening a new office in Manchester in addition to those in London and Birmingham, and holding more frequent hearings, which should assist in reducing the present delays in hearing cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those wages councils that did not award the full entitlements under (a) stage 1, (b) stage 2 and (c) stages 1 and 2 of the pay policy.

Following is the information (a) cotton waste reclamation, hairdressing undertakings, retail bespoke tailoring—England and Wales—retail bespoke tailoring—Scotland—retail news-agency, tobacco and confectionery trades—Scotland; (b) button manufacturing, hairdressing undertakings; (c) button manufacturing, cotton waste reclamation, hairdressing undertakings, retail bespoke tailoring—England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will include fishermen within the terms of the Redundancy Payments Act; and from what sections fishermen are excluded in the Employment Protection Act.

Fishermen—except share fishermen who are in effect self-employed—are already covered by the Redundancy Payments Act 1965.Sections 22, 29, 35, 53, 57, 58, 59, 61, 64, 65, 70, 81, 99 and 100 of the Employment Protection Act 1975 do not apply to share fishermen.Sections 99 and 100 of the Employment Protection Act 1975 do not apply to other fishermen who form part of a crew of a seagoing ship.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were out of work at the end of December for each of the last 10 years.

The numbers registered as unemployed are counted on a selected day in each month, currently the second Thursday. Following is the information available for Great Britain.

December 1968	540,015
December 1969	565,512
December 1970	604,286
December 1971	867,588
December 1972	743,099
December 1973	484,296
December 1975	1,152,499
December 1976 (estimated)	1,316,000
December 1977	1,419,726

Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment group, figures are not available for December 1974 and are estimated for December 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether Fords Ltd., the National Coal Board, and the electricity industry, which decide to pay their workers £400 per annum for their telephone bills, will be within the 10 per cent. guidelines; and how he will check and monitor such payments by these and other firms.

Inquiries of the employers concerned have not revealed any case where the pay guidelines have been breached in the manner suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what funds are available for training expenditure in the West Midlands through the Road Transport Industrial Training Board apprentice training scheme in the current year; and how this compares with last year;(2) how many new apprenticeships were sponsored in the West Midlands under the road transport industry training scheme in the current year; and how this compares with last year;(3) how many apprentices are currently being sponsored in the West Midlands under the road transport industry training scheme; and how many were being sponsored at the same time last year;(4) how many applications for sponsorship of apprentice training in the West Midlands under the Road Transport Industry Training Board apprentice training scheme have been refused in the current year; and what was the number last year.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that under the normal grant system of the Road Transport Industry Training Board the amount of the levy fund likely to be available for the encouragement of training is not known until the end of the relevant training year in July when a decision on the rate of the levy to be raised to pay grants is taken. Until all applications for grant are received by the Board from individual companies, which is usually at the end of the calendar year, the extent and number of apprentices being trained is not known. It is therefore not possible to make the comparisons requested. Applications for grant support for the training of apprentices are not usually refused, provided that the training is being carried out in accordance with the standards approved by the Board.In view of the prevailing economic conditions in recent years the Manpower Services Commission initiated and funded a special measures programme to make good the shortfall between the training employers were likely to undertake without additional help and the level appropriate to industry's long-term needs for skills. Under this programme the Road Transport Industry Training Board in training years 1976–77 and 1977–78 estimated that of the 12,000 apprentices annually required to meet future needs 4,000 would not be recruited without this additional help. The Manpower Services Commission allocated funds to meet the cost of 4,000 premium grants to meet this shortfall in each of the two years.In the Boards Central Midlands area based on Birmingham, 278 premium grants were received by employers in the training year 1976–77 and 239 in the year 1977–78. In the latter year the Board had to refuse 159 applications in that area because they were received after the national total of 4,000 premium grants had been allocated. No applications for premium grants were refused on these grounds in the training year 1976–77 because recruitment was at a lower level nationally.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of people employed full-time in Cornwall in 1970, 1974 and the latest date for which figures are available.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 16th November 1977; Vol. 939 c. 181], gave the following information:In June 1976 there were 95,900 employees in full-time employment in Cornwall.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to alter the status of Yorkshire and Humberside to that of special development area.

I have been asked to reply.No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how the £140 per week wage settlement for the oil and petrol tanker drivers falls within the Government's 10 per cent. guidelines.

Settlements are still being negotiated with the union in a number of oil companies. Where settlements have been reached in respect of tanker drivers my Department has been assured that they are strictly within the pay guidelines.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what progress has been made in the most recent 12-month period available in dispersal of Civil Service jobs.

In the 12 months ended 30th September 1977, the latest period for which information is available, 1,239 posts were dispersed from London, of which 788 were moved as a result of the programme announced on 30th July 1974.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service to what extent, in addition to use of Government cars and other stated benefits additional to houses, where supplied, Ministers and junior Ministers are entitled to use their departmental staffs and offices to undertake their parliamentary and non-ministerial correspondence, and what is the estimated worth of these benefits individually or collectively on an actual or estimated basis.

Ministers are advised that it is wrong in principle to use for non-ministerial work facilities provided at public expense. They must thus have constituency work done at their own expense.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the reason for the undue delay in providing Mr. Gerald McGrath, 241 Byers Road, Glasgow G12, with a replacement registration book for his car, registered number KGG 500, which he applied for on 13th December 1977; and when he may now expect it.

I am making urgent inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport by what year it will be illegal for new cars to be manufactured with speedometers registering miles per hour.

There is no proposal to legislate to prohibit speedometers registering miles per hour, but many speedometers are already marked in both miles and kilometers and new cars manufactured on or after 1st October 1978 and coming into use on or after 1st April 1979 will be required to have speedometers marked in both ways.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from individuals and organisations opposing his decision to press ahead with metric measurements of road distances.

I have made no such decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many disabled persons' car badges are currently on issue; and what proportion of the total number of road vehicles this represents.

The latest available figures relate to June 1976, when a census was conducted. The total number of badges then issued under the orange badge scheme in Great Britain was 218,247. This represented about 1 per cent. of the total number of road vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents have taken place near to the pair of motorway junctions listed in his reply to the hon. Member for Southgate of 6th February; and how many of these can be attributed to the proximity of the junctions.

The following information is available:

Injury accidents in 1977 near and between motorway junctions*
		Number
M6	Junction 7 to Junction 8†	72
M6	Junction 21a to Junction 22	2
M56	Junction 4 to Junction 5	4
M57	A580 Junction to B5192 Junction	3
M61	Junction 1 to Junction 2	17
M61	Junction 2 to Junction 3	17
M62	Junction 12 to Junction 13	18
M63	Junction 1 to Junction 2‡	6
M63	Junction 3 to Junction 4	6
M531	Junction 1 to Junction 2	—
* Includes slip roads
† Includes accidents on M5 arms leading to and from M6
‡ South of Junction 12 (M62) to Junction 2 (M.63). Junction 12 on M62 is also Junction 1 on M.63

I regret that no information is available on how many of these accidents were attributable to the proximity of the junctions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons are employed in local government and in the Civil Service with salaries of £12,000 per annum and above.

This information is not available in my Department but I am sure that in the case of local government it would be supplied on request to the hon. Member by the Local Authorities' Conditions of Service Advisory Board.Information on salaries in the Civil Service is a matter for the Civil Service Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing authorities paid no rate fund contribution into their house revenue account in 1976–77.

165 local authorities in England made no rate fund contribution to their housing revenue accounts in 1976–77 other than the mandatory contributions in respect of rent rebates which are made by all housing authorities.

NEW DWELLINGS COMPLETED IN CHESHIRE: 1977 JANUARY TO DECEMBER
						Public sector	Number Private sector	All
January		…	…	…	…	185	168	353
February		…	…	…	…	232	146	378
March	…	…	…	…	…	195	225	420
April	…	…	…	…	…	155	194	349
May	…	…	…	…	…	272	283	555
June	…	…	…	…	…	229	151	380
July	…	…	…	…	…	348	294	642
August	…	…	…	…	…	191	239	430
September		…	…	…	…	323	241	564
October		…	…	…	…	220	241	461
November		…	…	…	…	273	203	476
December		…	…	…	…	244	304	548

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Report Official the number of local authorities which have exercised their powers under Section 53 of the General Rate Act 1967 to reduce or remit a payment of any rate on account of the poverty of any person liable to pay it; how many times this power has been exercised; and what was the size of the rate bill remitted.

The information is not available centrally. The exercise of powers under Section 53 of the General Rate Act is entirely a matter for individual rating authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the functions and work of his consultant on council housing management.

The functions and work of the housing adviser in my Department have been taken on by the new Housing Services Advisory Unit which I announced on 8th February. Under the direction of Mr. W. Woof, FIHM, the Unit's aim, working closely with local authorities, will be to help develop professional practice throughout housing

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new private houses were built in Cheshire during each of the past 12 months for which figures are available.

The information reported is as follows:work. But I hope it will at the same time enlarge the Department's knowledge of local problems and so help us frame our policies with more understanding. The Unit's first programme of work will I hope include important current issues such as housing allocation, the improvement of unpopular estates, landlord-tenant relationships in the public sector and the costs of management and maintenance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he has received representations from old people's organisations and life assurance organisations asking him to extend the option mortgage scheme to non-tax-paying pensioners; and what reply he has sent;(2) what is his policy in regard to the extension of home income plans under-written by assurance companies to include elderly non-tax-paying pensioners.

I have received representations from one assurance company, from the Life Offices Association and from three members of the public. It would not be appropriate to extend the option mortgage scheme in the way proposed. The scheme is intended to assist those on modest incomes to buy or improve their homes. It is not designed to help those who already own their own homes to take mortgages to increase their general incomes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of option mortgages entered into in the current year; and what is the cost to public funds.

About 107,000 new option mortgages were taken out in England in 1977. The subsidy payable in 1977 on these new option mortgages was £26·5 million. No estimate is yet available for 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he

								Date of submission	Date of inquiry or inspection	Date of receipt in North West regional Office
Belmont Improvement Compulsory Purchase Order 1975								27.11.75	21.9.76	11.1.77
Belmont (Declaration of Unfitness) Order 1975						…	…	27.11.75	21.9.76	11.1.77
Buckingham Street Compulsory Purchase Order No. 1 1975								5.2.76	18/19.5.77	22.10.77
Buckingham Street Compulsory Purchase Order No. 2 1975								12.2.76	18/19.5.77	22.10.77
Buckingham Street Improvement Compulsory Purchase Order 1976	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	27.5.76	Unopposed	8.10.77
Buckingham Street (Declaration of Unfitness) Order 1976								27.5.76	29.9.77	8.10.77
Wellington Road North Compulsory Purchase Order 1976								18.11.76	18.1.77	1.6.77
Gorton Road/Criterion Street, Reddish Compulsory Purchase Order 1976		…	…	…	…	…	…	14.10.76	5.4.77	25.7.77

The inquiry into the Buckingham Street Compulsory Purchase Orders Nos. 1 and 2 1975 lasted for two days. The inquiries into the remainder were completed within one day.The decisions on the Belmont Improvement and the Belmont (Declaration of Unfitness) Orders 1975 have been issued today. The decisions on the remainder will be issued as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average total annual cost to both the taxpayer and ratepayer in 1977 of providing a new council house in England and Wales, having regard to any central Government subsidy, any local government subsidy, and the average rent or rate rebate or supplementary rent or rate allowance.

The average capital cost of a new council dwelling is estimated at

The information is as follows:£13,500. The corresponding revenue cost—loan charges, repair and maintenance, and supervision and management—are estimated at £1,555, and rents at £345. New capital cost element payable under the Housing Rents and Subsidies Act 1975 is £915 a year. How the remaining £295 is divided between the rate fund and pooled rents paid by tenants is a matter for decision by individual local authorities. In ensuing years the amount falling on the rate fund would diminish as rents increased.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider including domestic thermal insulation as an item under the missing standards amenities eligible for improvement grants.

The encouragement and promotion of energy conservation measures within the existing housing stock is under general consideration by the Government as part of the overall energy conservation programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he is giving to local authorities, architects and developers, to provide chimneys in new homes, so giving householders the option to use solid fuel.

No specific advice on this has been issued by my Department. However, in Domestic Energy Note No. 1 the joint working party on heating and energy conservation in public sector housing considered this subject and suggested that where it is possible to provide a flue in new dwellings, tenants in some areas of the country may appreciate a choice in the fuel they use. The joint working party intends, at a future date, to look at design considerations for heating systems and choice of fuel.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what special reasons have led to the delay in his announcing the result of the public inquiry held in 1975 into the compulsory purchase order of the Linnyshaw/Sandholes site in the city of Salford.

The inquiry raised especially difficult planning and housing issues.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the result of the public inquiry held in 1975 on the Linnyshaw/Sand-holes site in the city of Salford.

I hope the decision on the proposed compulsory purchase of the Linnyshaw/Sandholes site will be announced during the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average annual cost in 1977 of the tax relief available on an average mortgage provided in that year.

A mortgagor paying tax at the basic rate, who took out an annuity mortgage of average size—£8,552— from a building society on 6th April 1977, will receive approximately £287 in tax relief on mortgage interest during the current tax year. This assumes that the society followed changes in mortgage rates recommended by the Building Societies Association and that there are no further changes in this fiscal year.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what action he is taking to help promote solid fuel-burn in the domestic market by encouraging the construction of chimneys in new homes.

As I said on 13th February 1978 in reply to the hon. Members for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Smith) and Ross and Cromarty (Mr. Gray)—[Vol. 944, c. 13–14]—the question of providing a choice of fuels in houses in the public sector is primarily one for the Department of the Environment and local authorities. The Department of Energy is represented on a Joint Working Party on Heating and Energy Conservation in Public Sector Housing chaired by the Department of the Environment. The working party has already touched upon the question of flues in new local authority housing and intends to look further into the design considerations for heating systems in new housing and into the choice of fuels.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will now answer the Question put to him by the hon. Member for Bedford, Official Report, 26th January 1977, c. 633–4; and why it has taken him over one year to deal with the issues involved.

I have been asked to reply.I have now received from the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission the answers to the hon. Member's Question in the form of a report prepared by the Health and Safety Executive, and considering it with my ministerial colleagues concerned, with a view to its early publication and laying before the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list those natural gas fields on the Continental Shelf currently in production or under development, their estimated reserves, their estimated years of production, and indicate which are exempted from petroleum revenue tax.

The fields currently supplying natural gas are the southern North Sea gas fields, West Sole, Hewett, Leman Bank, Indefatigable, Viking and Rough, and the Frigg gas field in the northern North Sea. No other natural gas fields are under development at the present time.Petroleum revenue tax is not payable on any of these fields.Confidentiality conditions prevent the disclosure of individual field reserves; total remaining reserves for the above fields—excluding the Norwegian share of Frigg—are 553 billion cubic metres (19·5 TCF). The estimated life of these reserves is 15–20 years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reply he sent to the representations of the Potato Processors' Association that nearly 6,000 workers could have lost their jobs had the Government not acted to keep down raw material prices.

My right hon. Friend received representations from the Potato Processors' Association and others on the possibility of serious redundancies in the industry. We hope the scheme for processors set out in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes) on 6th February, will help to stablise employment—[Vol. 943, c. 457–8.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the decision has been taken to supply cheap potatoes direct to processors rather than through the distributive trade, when similar action in 1972 was only taken after the Ministry and the Potato Marketing Board had given specific undertakings that such action would not be repeated.

The reason for assisting processors to obtain supplies from potatoes contracted under the Potato Marketing Board's support buying programme was set out in the reply given to my hon. Friend the member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes) on 6th February.—[Vol. 943, c. 457–8.] I am aware of no undertaking to the distributive trade of the kind suggested and the arrangements do not preclude members of the distributive trade from acting on behalf of processors on certain aspects.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his ruling on debarring firms from obtaining Government contracts unless they sign agreements or contracts conforming to the Government's 10 per cent. guideline applies to firms where their tenders prove to be less than any other contractor making an application; and whether he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's statement in the House on 13th February.—[Vol. 944, c. 64.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will estimate the percentage increase in the yield of direct taxation and the yield of indirect taxation, assuming the following (a) indexation of personal allowances, (b) no indexation of income tax thresholds, (c) a 10 per cent. rise in retail prices,(d) a 3 per cent. rise in real gross domestic product, (e) revalorization of specific customs and excise duties.

It is not possible, without incurring undue expense, to calculate the change in the yield of both direct and indirect taxation that would take place on the assumptions outlined in the question. It is, however, possible to look at those changes in revenue which might occur taking each assumption in turn. It should be noted that the effects are not additive. Indexation of the personal allowances by 10 per cent. would reduce the yield from income tax by approximately 5 per cent. Indexation of the higher rate bands would reduce the yield from income tax by less than 1 per cent. Revalorization of the specific duties by 10 per cent. would add approximately 4 per cent. to the yield of central Government indirect taxes.A rise in prices—assuming equivalent increases in money incomes, profits, etc.—of 10 per cent. would lead to approximately a 13 per cent. rise in total tax revenue.It is not possible to state unambiguously the effect on total tax revenue of a 3 per cent. increase in economic growth. Such a calculation depends crucially on the pattern of growth at least in the short run. For example if the increase in economic growth was concentrated on consumers' expenditure more revenue would be raised from indirect taxes than if it occurred through, say, growth in investment. However, in the long run the average tax yield might be expected to rise by between 3·5 per cent. and 4·5 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what effect the closure of the Sheerness Customs launch station will have on the effectiveness of Customs surveillance in the Thames and Medway estuaries;(2) what value he attaches to the deterrent value of Customs and Excise surveillance; and if he will reconsider the decision to close the Sheerness launch station in the light of such considerations.

I recognise that surveillance by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise is an essential aspect of effective and economic revenue control. I am satisfied that the closure of the Sheerness launch station will not reduce the effectiveness of the Customs capacity to meet whatever smuggling risks may arise in the Thames and Medway estuaries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of smuggling and illegal importation have been detected by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in the Thames and Medway areas in the past year; and how many of these have been the result of work by the Sheerness launch station.

During 1977 1,616 cases of attempted smuggling were detected in the Thames and Medway areas. The Sheerness launch station assisted in bringing one of these cases to a conclusion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the number of Customs launches operative in the Thames and Medway rivers and the approaches after the closure of the Sheerness station.

After the closure of the Sheerness boarding station there will be a maximum of four vessels in operational use in the rivers Thames and Medway and their approaches.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what authority Her Majesty's Commissioners for Customs and Excise are empowered, when registering applicants for treatment as a taxable person for VAT purposes, to reserve the right to vary the conditions of registration or to impose new conditions at any time.

Paragraphs 7 and 11(b) of Schedule 1 to the Finance Act 1972 relate to circumstances in which persons not liable to be registered may nevertheless request registration. They empower the Commissioners to register such persons subject to such conditions as they think fit to impose. Against the possibility that circumstances may change, one of the conditions imposed at the time of registration is that the Commissioners reserve the right to vary or add to the conditions at any time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the principal recommendations of the review body investigating the preventive services of the Customs and Excise; what proposals are to be introduced by his Department, and when; what are the chief changes and effects of these proposals; what consultations have taken place with the staff side of the Customs and Excise Group of the Society of Civil Servants; and if he will make a statement.

The departmental review body which examined the aims, objectives and organisation of the Customs preventive controls reported in 1975. The recommendations were numerous, but the main theme was that efficiency could be improved by reducing the level of static and routine controls, and introducing a more selective system which could be applied in a flexible, unpredictable manner.The main proposals, which are due to be introduced progressively from 1st April 1978, embrace:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated yield of corporation tax in the current year, and the estimated yield for each of the next five years, from the oil industry and from the British Gas Corporation, respectively.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing (a) the effective rates of tax on estates of persons who died in March 1974 and (b) the effective rates in November 1977 on the same estates, on the assumption that the value of the estates had risen in line with the retail price index.

The table is below:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated yield of petroleum revenue tax in each of the next five years which would result if the British National Oil Corporation were not exempted; and what would be the yield when all the offshore fields in which it has participation have written off allowable capital expenditures.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated yield of petroleum revenue tax from the oil industry in each of the next five years; and what is the expected annual yield when all offshore fields now under development have written off allowable capital expenditure.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the underspending was in the public sector in 1976–77 and 1977–78.

A comparison of planned expenditure and estimated out-turn in 1976–77 and 1977–78 can be found in table 13 of Cmnd. 7049–1.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates the cost to the Exchequer would be of extending industrial building allowances to hotels.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15th February 1978]:Around £30 million a year for expenditure incurred from 1st April 1978, on the assumption that annual allowances were not also given on existing buildings.

asked the Attorney-General how many prosecutions have been initiated by the police, the Director of Public Prosecutions and private individuals, respectively, against members of the National Front in the Greater Manchester area.