asked the Lord President of the Council, in view of the fact that in May 1960 the Palace of Westminster's internal telephone directory contained 357 telephone numbers, 1,153 in 1970 and 3,713 in 1977, what were the costs of this service to public funds at these times.

Actual costs of telecommunications etc. provision within the Palace of Westminster for the years 1959–60, 1969–70 and 1976–77 were as follows:

	1959–60	1969–70	1976–77
	£	£	£
House of Lords	8,536	16,995	72,558
House of Commons	26,776	94,799	605,977
Lord Chancellor's Department	—*	—*	12,074
Department of the Environment	—*	—*	22,500
* Not available.

Before October 1969 Members were permitted to make free telephone calls on parliamentary business from the House of Commons only within the London area—that is, local calls. On and after 1st October 1969 this facility was extended to cover the whole United Kingdom.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will seek at the appropriate moment to ensure that the House will be in recess for the proper celebration of Whitsun, being the feast of the birthday of the Christian Church.

I am not aware of any suggestion that the House should sit on Whit Sunday 14th May.

asked the Lord President of the Council what would be the cost to the Exchequer if, as is the case for public officials, all existing hon. Members aged 60 years or over were able voluntarily to retire within their pension scheme; and what would be the cost if only 1 per cent. were able to opt for earlier pension.

If full immediate pensions were payable to all existing hon. Members over age 60 and to other existing Members on attaining that age, the increased capital cost would be £2·5 million. If only a proportion of Members were able to take immediate pension at age 60 the cost would be correspondingly reduced.

asked the Lord President of the Council (1) why he will not introduce legislation to abolish or reform the House of Lords and, in the latter event, arrange for the House of Commons to nominate a certain percentage of the membership of the House of Lords on the basis that 3 per cent. to 4 per cent. of the membership shall be from ethnic groups from the New Commonwealth;(2) why he will not introduce proposals to make the House of Lords representative of the various ethnic groups of the existing and multi-racial population of Great Britain.

The Government are continuing to keep under review the general question of the role of the House of Lords, including its membership and functions. It would be inappropriate to put forward specific proposals for changes in the present membership of that House without reference to the wider issues.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the Confederation of British Industry.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the Confederation of British Industry.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the Confederation of British Industry.

asked the Prime Minister when last he met the leaders of the Confederation of British Industry.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale (Mr. Noble) on 7th February.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the Trades Union Council.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the Trades Union Congress.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Woolwich, East (Mr. Cartwright) on 28th February.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the Trades Union Council and Confederation of British Industry.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery) on 2nd February.

asked the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit Caernarvon.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has had any further response from the Leader of the Opposition in his invitation to discuss immigration.

Following my proposal on 14th February that there should be talks between the leaders of the three parties, to see whether a national approach to immigration and race relations could be evolved, the right hon. Lady the Leader of the Opposition issued a statement to the Press declining my invitation, at any rate for the present. I have had no further response from the right hon. Lady on this matter.

asked the Prime Minister what representations he has received concerning his offer to hold discussions with the leaders of political parties on a national approach to immigration policies.

The right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Liberal Party has told me that he is willing to take part in such discussions; but the right hon. Lady the Leader of the Opposition has declined to do so, at any rate for the present.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make an official visit to Horsted Keynes in Sussex.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 2nd March 1978.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for Thursday 2nd March 1978.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 2nd March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 2nd March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements on 2nd March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 2nd March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 2nd March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 2nd March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 2nd March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 2nd March 1978.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 2nd March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 2nd March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements on Thursday 2nd March.

I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Smith).

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make it his practice to publish as far ahead as possible details of his forthcoming official engagements, keeping them up to date at frequent intervals.

No.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans to visit Salisbury, Rhodesia.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to visit Macclesfield.

I have at present no plans to do so.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Chertsey and Walton (Mr. Pattie).

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement concerning the publication of the report on the experimental scheme to pay unemployment benefits fortnightly rather than weekly.

I asked a joint working party, comprising representatives of management and Staff Side unions, to set up, monitor and evaluate the experiment in fortnightly attendance and payment of benefits to unemployed people. I have now received their report. This shows that the trial arrangements were found to be practicable, and were acceptable to the majority of claimants and staff. The majority conclusion of the report is that overall, the pilot scheme has demonstrated that fortnightly signing and payment offers a worthwhile improvement in the service that my Department offers to claimants. The representatives of the Civil and Public Services Association have attached their own minority conclusions. The Government will now be considering the report before deciding whether to put forward proposals for the extension of these fortnightly arrangements nationally. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House and in the Vote Office and are available to other interested people through the Public Enquiry Office of the Department of Employment at 8 St. James's Square, London S.W.1.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions have been taken on indictment under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 during the years 1975 to date; to what date each of the charges relates; what was the date of the committal proceedings; on what date the final hearing at the Crown court took place; and, if any of these periods have exceeded six months, what was the reason.

I am advised by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that 18 cases have been heard on indictment from 1st January 1975 to date, for offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Dates for these cases are given in the attached table.

TABLE OF DATES OF CASES
Case No.			Date of Offence	Date of Committal	Date of Trial
1	…	…	14th April 1975	31st October 1975	27th November 1975
2	…	…	11th June 1975	29th January 1976	19th March 1976
3	…	…	24th May 1975	22nd April 1976	11th June 1976
4	…	…	5th February 1975	26th September 1975	14th June 1976
5	…	…	3rd December 1975	17th May 1976	30th June 1976
6*	…	…	Between 8th March 1976 and 31st March 1976	22nd February 1977	22nd February 1977
7*	…	…	Between 8th March 1976	22nd February 1977	22nd February 1977
8*	…	…	11th May 1976	27th February 1977	27th February 1977
19*	…	…	28th January 1977	17th June 1977	17th June 1977
0	…	…	Between 24th March 1976 and 30th April 1976	6th May 1977	20th June 1977
11	…	…	Between 24th March 1976 and 30th April 1976	6th May 1977	20th June 1977
12	…	…	8th January 1976	15th May 1977	12th September 1977
13	…	…	6th February 1976	15th July 1977	12th September 1977
14	…	…	Between 1st April 1976 and 7th January 1977	9th December 1977	10th January 1978
15	…	…	Between 1st April 1976 and 7th January 1977	9th December 1977	10th January 1978
16	…	…	Between 1st April 1976 and 7th January 1977	9th December 1977	10th January 1978
17	…	…	4th November 1975	13th October 1977	16th January 1978
18	…	…	18th March 1976	10th November 1977	6th February 1978
* Cases Nos. 6 to 9 were Scottish cases, where the sheriff proceeded directly at "pleading diet" on a pleas of guilty.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will review the current method of collecting and collating statistics on employment and unemployment, in order to make apparent the types of skills available in each area, the likely demand for skills in such areas and thereby to minimise the mismatch of supply and demand, and properly to brief potential employers on the situation in the area.

Figures for unemployment and vacancies by occupation are compiled quarterly and are available for individual employment office areas. I am investigating what it might be practicable to compile on employment by occupation, in different areas, and on available skills. I will then write to the hon. Member fully.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list the skill shortages identified by his Department from its study of the reports recently issued by the sector working parties.

The references to skill shortages in many sector working party reports are in terms which do not lend themselves to listing. My Department has asked the working parties concerned for clarification so that appropriate action may be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current

				Leigh			Wigan
January			Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
1968	…	…	450	198	648	1,429	353	1,782
1969	…	…	396	106	502	1,328	326	1,654
1970	…	…	430	111	541	1,347	232	1,579
1971	…	…	486	107	593	1,660	296	1,956
1972	…	…	904	249	1,153	2,319	486	2,805
1973	…	…	711	194	905	2,278	612	2,890
1974	…	…	569	111	680	1,623	332	1,955
1975*	…	…	..	..	..	..	..	..
1976	…	…	999	356	1,355	2,971	892	3,863
1977	…	…	1,027	447	1,474	3,323	1,387	4,710
1978	…	…	1,255	602	1,857	3,412	1,678	5,090
*Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group, figures for January 1975 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current level of unemployment, in each

The following table gives the numbers of people registered as unemployed, males and females separately, in the Newton-le-Willows employment office area in January each year from 1968 to 1978.

January		Males	Females	Total
1968	…	131	57	188
1969	…	175	28	203
1970	…	191	47	238
1971	…	213	50	263
1972	…	348	89	437
1973	…	327	92	419
1974	…	245	47	292
1975*	…	..	..	..
1976	…	475	167	642
1977	…	478	190	668
1978	…	555	237	792
* Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group, figures for January 1975 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current level of unemployment, in each category, in Golborne, Wigan; and what were the figures in each of the past 10 years.

The following table gives the numbers of people registered as unemployed males and females separately, in the Leigh employment office area, which includes Golborne, and the Wigan employment office area, in January each year from 1968 to 1978:category, in Irlan, Salford; and what were the figures in each of the past 10

The following table gives the numbers of people registered as unemployed, males and females separately, in

			Irlam			Salford
January			Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
1968	…	…	90	9	99	1,661	154	1,815
1969	…	…	112	16	128	1,610	136	1,746
1970	…	…	90	7	97	1,585	128	1,713
1971	…	…	77	7	84	1,646	142	1,788
1972	…	…	670	26	696	2,933	311	3,244
1973	…	…	236	22	258	2,802	225	3,027
1974	…	…	117	15	132	1,803	114	1,917
1975*	…	…	..	..	..	..	..	..
1976	…	…	382	40	422	3,062	334	3,396
1977	…	…	343	68	411	3,143	566	3,709
1978	…	…	355	59	414	3,252	646	3,898
* Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group, figures for January 1975 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current level of unemployment, in each category, in Haydock, St, Helens; and what were the figures in each of the past 10 years.

			Ashton-in-Makerfield			St. Helens
January			Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
1968	…	…	151	31	182	1,068	349	1,417
1969	…	…	141	14	155	894	222	1,116
1970	…	…	183	9	192	953	210	1,163
1971	…	…	196	30	226	1,698	206	1,904
1972	…	…	395	34	429	2,397	469	2,866
1973	…	…	355	46	401	2,272	334	2,606
1974	…	…	260	65	325	1,585	216	1.801
1975*	…	…	..	..	..	..	..	..
1976	…	…	540	125	665	3,851	1,180	5,031
1977	…	…	515	167	682	3,425	1,540	4,965
1978	…	…	555	226	781	3,215	1,755	4,970
* Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group figures for January 1975 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many individuals, in each category of employment, are currently on the employment register in the Warrington travel-to-work area; and what were the equivalent figures for 1975, 1970 and 1965.

The following table shows the numbers of employees in employment, males and females separately, in the Warrington travel-to-work area at June 1976, the latest date for which this information is available, and for the earlier dates specified. The method of compilation changed in 1971. Estimates for this date are given (a) based on counts of national insurance cards, for comparison with earlier dates, and (b) based on the census of employment.

The following table gives the numbers of people registered as unemployed in the Ashton-in Makerfield employment office area, which includes Haydock, and the St. Helens employment office area, in January each year from 1968 to 1978

Thousands
		Males	Females	Total
June 1965	…	48	23	71
June 1970	…	46	25	71
June 1971—	…
(a)	…	45	24	68
(b)	…	51	25	76
June 1975	…	49	26	75
June 1976	…	49	26	74

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many individuals, in each category of employment, are currently on the employment register in the Wigan travel-to-work area; and what were the equivalent figures for 1975, 1970 and 1965.

The following table shows the numbers of employees in employment, males and females separately, in the Wigan travel-to-work area at June 1976, the latest date for which this information is available, and for the earlier dates specified. The method of compilation changed in 1971. Estimates for this date are given (a) based on counts of national insurance cards, for comparison with earlier dates, and (b) based on the census to employment.

				Thousands
		Males	Females	Total
June 1965	…	34	26	60
June 1970	…	35	28	62
June 1971—	…
(a)	…	34	27	60
(b)	…	39	28	66
June 1975	…	38	31	69
June 1976	…	38	30	68

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many individuals, in each category of employment, are currently on the employment register in the St. Helens travel-to-work area; and what were the equivalent figures for 1975, 1970 and 1965.

The following table shows the numbers of employees in employment, males and females separately, in the St. Helens employment office area at June 1976, the latest date for which this information is available, and for the earlier dates specified. The method of compilation changed in 1971. Estimates for this date are given (a) based on counts of national insurance cards, for comparison with earlier dates, and (b) based on the census of employment.

				Thousands
		Males	Females	Total
June 1965	…	39	18	57
June 1970	…	38	19	57
June 1971—	…
(a)	…	36	18	54
(b)	…	37	18	56
June 1975	…	36	21	56
June 1976	…	35	21	55

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many individuals, in each category of employment, are currently on the employment register in the Salford travel-to-work area; and what were the equivalent figures for 1975, 1970, and 1965.

The following table shows the numbers of employees in employment, males and females separately, in the Salford employment office area at June 1976, the latest date for

asked the Secretary of State for Employment for what purpose the Manpower Services Commission is running a deep-sea diving school.

Primarily to train divers for the offshore development programme and to improve their standards of safety.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will investigate the circumstances in which temporary employment subsidy was granted to the F. D. Centre, Kirkby, and the consequent implementation of redundancies.

Information about individual employers is regarded as confidential and I regret I am unable to publish the information requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will compare the earnings of men working in the following industries or fields of activity: coal mining (face workers), North Sea trawling (deck hands), the Army (non-commissioned ranks) and the police (constables).

I regret that the information required for this comparison is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest available figures of average earnings, expressed as (a) mean average (b) median, and (c) mode, for (i) adult male manual workers, (ii) adult male non-manual workers and (iii) all adult male workers.

The following New Earnings Survey April 1977 estimates related to the gross weekly earnings of full time male employees, aged 21 and over, in all industries and services in Great Britain whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. The estimates are given to the nearest 10p and are subject to sampling errors.

	Mean	Median	Mode
	£	£	£
Manual occupations	71·50	68·20	62·30
Non-manual occupations	88·90	81·10	68·10
All occupations	78·60	72·30	63·00

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) in how many cases so far he has used his discretion to authorise direct payments to women from the Maternity Pay Fund; and for what reason the employer was unable to pay in the first instance;(2) if he will give a breakdown of (

Up to 31st January 1978 the Secretary of State has authorised direct payments to 17 women from the Maternity Pay Fund. I will write to my hon. Friend about the reasons why the employers in these cases did not pay in the first instance.Information about the type of work of women who have so far received maternity pay within the terms of the Act is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate effort and expense. Information about the ages of these women is not available.Up to 31st January 1978, 46,287 women have received maternity pay from their employers for which rebate has been paid. The number of employees covered by

rebate claims processed by Department of Employment regions was:

Northern	2,870 (1)
Yorkshire & Humberside	4,481 (1)
South East	15,389 (7)
South West and Wales	5,290 (1)
Midlands	7,737 (1)
North West	6,728 (3)
Scotland	3,809 (3)
	46,304(17)

(The figures in brackets represent the number of direct payments included)Since some firms submit centralised claims, not all claims are processed in the region where the employees work.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration he will now give to a review of the procedure for industrial tribunals; and, in particular, for cases dealing with claims for unfair dismissal.

I am giving careful consideration to the possibility of making certain changes in the procedural rules but have not yet completed my consultation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the latest available figure for the number of reported offences committed by juveniles.

Offences are known to be committed by juveniles only if the offenders are apprehended. The latest available information is contained in the 1976 Criminal Statistics for England and Wales, published last year, which shows that 173,610 juveniles were found guilty of, or cautioned for, indictable offences in 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the White Paper on the future of broadcasting.

When my right hon. Friend has completed his consideration of the report of the Committee on the Future of Broadcasting and of the many comments he has received on it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to publish the White Paper on the Annan Report.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hop. Friend the Minister of State gave earlier today to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. White-head).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the current rate of success of efforts to reduce the crime rate in the cities.

No one can be satisfied with the increase in recorded crime in the cities of the United Kingdom or indeed in Western Europe and the United States of America. Neither should anyone belittle the great efforts being made by the police and others to deal with it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about legalising polygamy in the United Kingdom.

My right hon. Friend has recently received one letter in favour of legislation to permit polygamy, and 11 against. Replies have been or will be sent saying that the Government do not intend to introduce such legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for increasing the provision of hostel accommodation for use by the Probation and After-care Service.

Encouragement is being given to voluntary organisations and housing associations through the Home Office grant scheme to increase after-care hostel places for ex-offenders from the current number of 2,250 by some 130 places in 1978–79.Two more probation hostels, 13 bail hostels and eight combined probation and bail hostels are in preparation or are planned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has no plans for introducing further legislation on animal welfare.

Because, having regard to other calls on parliamentary time, there is no such matter, within my right hon. Friend's responsibilities, on which we should feel justified in bringing forward Government legislation at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new proposals he is going to put forward to combat mugging; and if there has been an increase in Greater London in each of the last five years.

The prevention and detection of street crime in Greater London is primarily the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. My right hon. Friend has already announced increased expenditure on law and order services to support the police. "Mugging" is a term which has no legal or generally accepted definition, but most of the incidents referred to as "muggings" are classified in Home Office statistics as robberies. The number of offences of robbery recorded in the Metropolitan Police District has increased in four of the last five years, the exception being 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current total fuel bill for all establishments and transportation within his departmental responsibility; what programme is under way to reduce energy consumption; and what is the percentage target of savings over what time scale.

My responsibility in this context is for prison establishments, and the figures are £10·1 million for the calendar year 1977, with a programme aimed at a 10 per cent. reduction within the next five years. Motor fuels for Home Office vehicles over the same period cost about £590,000, and the need for economy is regularly emphasised. There are nearly 1,000 vehicles, ranging from the heavy local carriers used in the prison service for moving stores and farm produce, down to cars for immigration officers and utility vehicles for the field staff of the Directorate of Telecommunications.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he intends to introduce to increase parental liability in cases where persons under 10 years of age are found to be the cause of acts of vandalism.

None. Children under 10 who commit acts which in the case of an older child would be an offence may be brought before the juvenile court as in need of care and control. I am satisfied that the juvenile courts' powers are adequate in these cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to alter the law whereby the Parliamentary Boundary Commission may recommend interim changes of parliamentary boundaries between its general reviews of such boundaries.

None, Sir. The four Parliamentary Boundary Commissions already have power to recommend changes of constituency boundaries between their general reviews.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report details of Immigration Acts, and the Governments responsible in each instance, over a period of the last 20 years, for changes in the immigration laws which provided Commonwealth citizens with British passports and entry into the United Kingdom as of right.

No immigration laws have provided Commonwealth citizens with British passports the issue of which is by Royal Prerogative. The Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 controlled the entry into the United Kingdom of the holders of United Kingdom passports which were not issued by the Government of the United Kingdom. The Common- wealth Immigrants Act 1968 extended this control of citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies to those who derived that citizenship from their connection with former British dependencies and who might therefore hold passports issued by the Government of the United Kingdom. The Immigration Act 1971 maintained these controls in a different form and introduced the concept of a right of abode or patriality by virtue of specified connections with the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the future trends in immigration.

Forecasts of future immigration are not published because experience shows they are not sufficiently reliable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what obstacles still impede his approval of the request by the West Mercia Police Authority for an increase in establishment.

My right hon. Friend is not prepared to approve any increase in the authorised establishment of the West Mercia force except as part of the arrangements for implementing in an acceptable form the results of a review of the organisation and establishment. Work is now nearly completed and we hope that our officials, with Her Majesty's Inspector, can meet the police authority for further discussions very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further progress he has made in considering the law on public order pursuant to his Written Answer to the hon. Members for Manchester, Withing-ton and Lewisham, West (Mr. Price), Official Report, 2nd February, column 275, and the reply to the hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Allaun), Official Report, 15th December 1977, column 892.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the Operation of the law relating to incitement to racial hatred, in the light of recent demonstrations and public speeches.

I would refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Salford, East (Mr. Allaun).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if wives and children of men settled before 1973 and holders of United Kingdom passport holders' vouchers and their dependants are removed from the figures of those who settled in 1976 and 1977

ACCEPTANCES FOR SETTLEMENT OF COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS AND FOREIGN NATIONALS (EXCLUDING UNITED KINGDOM PASSPORT HOLDERS, WIVES AND CHILDREN UNDER 18)
	Commonwealth Citizens		Foreign Nationals		Citizens of New Commonwealth and Pakistan
	1976	1977 (January-September)	1976	1977 (January-September)	1976	1977 (January-September)
Acceptances on arrival
Grandparent born in United Kingdom	2,363	2,309	—	—	107	110
Husbands	1,677	1,000*	794	454*	1,424	586*
Others (mainly dependants)	2,632	1,320	1,500	947	3,183	1,507
Total	6,672	4,629	2,294	1,401	4,714	2,203
Acceptances on removal of time limit
Grandparent born in United Kingdom	536	418	—	—	36	28
Completed four years in approved employment	191	438	5,939	4,865	212	438
By reason of marriage—men	4,138	1,304*	3,944	1,666*	4,396	1,395*
By reason of five years residence (exempt from deportation)	6,199	4,617	474	417	6,407	4,791
Others	1,573	1,066	1,676	1,222	1,154	780
Total	12,637	7,843	12,033	8,130	12,205	7,432
Total acceptances	19,309	12,472	14,327	9,571	16,919	9,635
* The drop in 1977 is due to the introduction of the new rules relating to male fiancées and husbands in March 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many men, women and children from India obtained entry certificates from British embassies in Europe to secure admittance to the United Kingdom in the last approximate 12-month period;(2) how many men, women and children of Pakistani origin obtained entry certificates from British embassies in Europe to secure admittance to the United Kingdom in the last appropriate 12-month period.

Statistics of acceptances for settlement are classified by the date of acceptance and the citizenship of the persons accepted and not of the sponsor. The information available shows that during the period January to September 1977 12,472 Commonwealth citizens and 9,571 foreign nationals were accepted for settlement otherwise than as United Kingdom passport holders, wives or children under 18. The corresponding figures for the whole of 1976 were 19,309 and 14,327 respectively.The following is a breakdown of the figures:(3) how many Nigerians obtained entry certificates from British embassies in Europe to secure admittance to the United Kingdom in the last appropriate 12 month period.

Provisional figures for 1977 show that about 4,300 citizens of India, 2,000 citizens of Pakistan and 900 citizens of Nigeria were granted entry clearance for entry into the United Kingdom at British diplomatic posts in Europe. Fewer than 50 of these entry clearances were so granted for immediate settlement in the United Kingdom; the vast majority were granted to visitors or students. The breakdown of the figures between men, women and children is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute a review of the existing arrangements whereby chief constables have total discretion in respect of evidence presented in court for use by third parties, such as television companies, without prior reference to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

No. I do not believe that it would be appropriate to review the discretion which chief officers have in this as in other operational matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the steps taken by the Government to deal with the issue of law and order.

I dealt with this at length during the Supply Day debate on 27th February. The measures include the allocation of resources to support and strengthen the police service, and the prison system, to make possible further development of community service schemes run by the probation service and to enlarge the system of attendance centres for juvenile offenders; and the important improvements in the criminal law and powers of the courts embodied in the Criminal Law Act 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the report of the Edmund-Davies Committee of Inquiry into police pay is expected.

I know that the Committee is carrying out its review urgently. I am sure that it will report on pay as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Chilean refugees and Argentinian refugees obtained entry visas to Great Britain in (a) the first six months of 1977 and (b) the second six months of 1977.

Entry clearance was granted to 642 Chilean nationals seeking resettlement in the United Kingdom during the first six months of 1977 and to 379 in the second half of the year.Comparable figures are not available in respect of Argentinian nationals. who are not generally admitted under the special arrangements which apply to Chilean refugees.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in relation to the drawing up of boundaries for constituencies for European elections.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave on 11th January to a Question by the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten).—[Vol. 941, c. 732.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the degree of operational co-ordination within police authorities following reorganisation.

I take it that the hon. Member has in mind the consequences of local government reorganisation. We have no reason to believe that coordination between areas which were policed by different forces prior to reorganisation is deficient. I should make it clear that operational co-ordination is a matter for the chief constable concerned and not his police authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he expects in the year 1978–79 that existing standards in prison establishments, in respect of education and workshop hours, will be maintained.

We hope to avoid a decrease in average workshop hours but education hours can be held at their present level only if additional resources can be made available during the period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he expects to recruit addditional staff to Her Majesty's Prison Service during 1978–79.

Yes. In addition to the increase in the strength of the prison service this year, we shall be continuing to recruit as many additional staff as possible next year within the planned growth for the prison service in 1978–79.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present strength of the police force in Greater Manchester.

The strength was 6,276 at 31st January 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take any necessary action to enable General Election candidates to use the facility of the free post whilst at the same time sending only one copy of their election address to an entire family.

It is already permissible for candidates to send only one copy of their election communication to each family, so long as the envelope is addressed to an elector. It is equally permissible to address the envelope to all electors at the one address.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men are employed overall in the Fire Service in England; how many servicemen were on duty doing their job when they were on strike; and if he is satisfied that the number of firemen required has been correctly assessed.

The full-time and part-time strengths, including control room staff, of fire brigades in England at 31st December 1976, the most recent date for which figures have been published, were 30,956 and 13,229 respectively. During the recent firemen's strike, some 16,000 Service men were deployed on fire-fighting duties in England at any one time. 'The majority of regular fire officers were available to assist them and in those parts of the country in which fire cover is provided by part-time retained firemen, about 70 per cent. of them continued to provide fire cover without assistance from the Service men. It is for individual fire authorities to decide on the numbers of whole-time and part-time members of brigades needed to enable them to discharge the full range of their statutory duties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give an assurance that Her Majesty's Government will not seek to alter the constitutional status of the Channel Islands or of the Isle of Man without the consent of their peoples, expressed either by plebiscite or through their legislatures.

Her Majesty's Government have no plans to alter the constitutional status of these islands. If they were ever to seek to do so, they would certainly not proceed without the consent of their peoples.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet decided what action to take concerning the use of beagles by ICI in the testing of cigarettes; how many licensed animals are used in such tests; and whether he will make a statement.

My predecessor announced on 11th December 1975—[Vol. 902, c. 285]—that he accepted the advice of the Advisory Committee on the Administration of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 that the ICI experiment should be allowed to continue. Latterly 42 dogs have been used in the experiment. On a recent inspection the inspector under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 found the dogs to be in good condition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will give, for the years 1976 and 1977, the composition of the Community Relations Commission, the number of meetings held, the salary and expenses of the members and the annual costs;(2) whether he will give, for the years 1976 and 1977, the membership of the Community Relations Commission's administrative staff, the number of meetings held, the salary and expenses of the members and the annual costs;(3) whether he will give, for the years 1976 and 1977, the composition of the Field Work Committee of the Community Relations Commission, the number of meetings held, the salary and expenses of the members and the annual costs.(4) whether he will give for the years 1976 and 1977 the composition of the Advisory Committees on Education of the Community Relations Commission, the number of meetings held, the salary and expenses of the members, and the annual costs.

The Community Relations Commission was wound up in June 1977. The conduct of its day-to-day business was a matter for the Commission. Its composition and that of its committees

		1975–76	1976–77
		£	£
Organisations in the field of the treatment and care of offenders	…	971,252	1,407,470
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents	…	3,500	3,500
Marriage Guidance organisations	…	400,000	400,000
United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service	…	212,000	259,000

The following Departments made grants to voluntary or non-statutory organisa-

				1975–76	1976–77
				£	£
Department of Health and Social Security	…	…	…	2,066,000	2,758,000
Department of Employment	…	…	…	6,022,000*	8,954,000*
Department of the Environment	…	…	…	681,000	654,000
Department of Prices and Consumer Protection	…	…	…	2,153,000	2,965,000
Scottish Office	…	…	…	1,500,000	1,506,000
Northern Ireland Office	…	…	…	4,121,900	5,673,000
Welsh Office	…	…	…	486,054	489,602
* These figures do not include grants made under the Job Creation Programme.

Far the greater part of expenditure in the educational field is incurred by local education authorities. The direct expenditure by the Department of Education and Science cannot readily be categorised in the form required.Further detailed information in the form requested is either not available or could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and its administrative staff, and its expenditure in 1975–76 are set out in annexes to the Commission's annual report for that year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he will give the grant aid approvals, traditional grant aid, youth and community, for the years 1975–76 and 1976–77 individually, and the total costs, including grants for education, social services, housing, employment, arts, other community projects, policy aid, advice, health, under-fives, community action, self-assessment conferences, transition from school to work and activities and contingencies.

Details of grants made by the voluntary services unit of the Home Office in 1975–76 and 1976–77 were published in Hansard on 25th February 1976 and on 25th May 1977—[Vol. 906, c. 218–20; Vol. 932, c. 498–500.] Other Home Office grants to non-statutory bodies were as under:tions in fields broadly comparable to those mentioned in the Question:whether he will publish the names of the community relations councils in Great Britain as at 26th November 1976 and 1977, their full time officers and their salaries.

A list of councils and then full time officers at 26th November 1976 is given in Annex VIII of the report of the Community Relations Commission for 1975–76. I will let my hon. Friend have the corresponding list for November 1977 as soon as possible, together with available information about salaries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he will give the distribution of aid given to community relations councils by the Community Relations Commission and local authorities for the years 1975–76 and 1976–77.

The Community Relations Commission was abolished in June 1977. Information about the distribution of aid to local community relations councils by the Commission and local authorities for 1975–76 is given in Annex VII of the Commission's report for that year. I will let my hon. Friend have additional relevant information as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Fire Offices' Committee on monopolies and restrictive practices in the manufacture and installation of automatic sprinklers.

No representations have been received by the Home Office from the Fire Officers' Committee on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the general availability of community service orders, he will now implement Section 49 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972.

A number of probation areas are not yet fully covered by community service arrangements but resources have been made available to enable the scheme, to be extended to the whole country during the next 12 months. The implementation of Section 49 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972 to enable community service orders to be made in respect of fine defaulters is not feasible until there are sufficient additional resources to cope with the extra work which this would entail. There are also other practical considerations involved on which we are about to consult those concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, when giving consideration to per- mitting illegal immigrants to remain in Great Britain, he will bear in mind the adverse effects this has on the employment problem and on the social welfare payments.

Yes—except in considering the cases of those Commonwealth and Pakistan citizens who entered the United Kingdom illegally before 1st January 1973 and who fall within the scope of the arrangements set out in the announcements made by my predecessor in April 1974 and by me in November 1977, reflecting our decision not to use retrospective powers against such people.However, citizens of other foreign countries who entered illegally at any time, and all those who did so on or after 1st January 1973, are normally sent away. Fewer than 100 people in this group were allowed to remain between 1st January 1973 and 31st December 1977—usually for wholly exceptional compassionate reasons. In the same period 1,229 illegal entrants were removed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in his consideration of further independent local radio franchises, as proposed by the Independent Broadcasting Authority, he will take into account the local feeling in Norfolk, as expressed in the recent letter to him from Norfolk County Council, that Norwich be included to provide an independent local service for Norfolk as a whole.

The development of local radio services must await the Government's proposals for the future constitution, structure and organisation of broadcasting which my right hon. Friend hopes to publish in the form of a White Paper during the present Session.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report the number of parliamentary electors in each constituency in the United Kingdom.

The latest available figures relate to the 1977 register and have been published by the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys in the OPCS Monitor on Electoral Statistics, reference EL 77/2—provisional figures for the United Kingdom—and in the booklet "Electoral statistics", reference Series EL No. 4—final figures for England and Wales—copies of which are in the Library of the House. Provisional figures for the 1978 register will be published in an OPCS monitor later this year.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service, pursuant to his reply of 20th February to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West, whether he will publish the names of those hon. Members who attended more than one Government lunch or dinner, and the actual number of functions such persons attended.

My previous reply referred to invitations and not, since the information is not readily available, actual attendance. The information now requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, the following is a list of hon. Members invited to more than one function, showing the number of times they were so invited.

LIST OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT (OTHER THAN MINISTERS OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT) INVITED TO FUNCTIONS MORE THAN ONCE, 1ST JANUARY 1976–31ST DECEMBER 1977.
Mr. Robert Adley	2
Mr. Daniel Awdry	2
Mr. Robert Banks	2
Mr A. J. Beith	3
Sir Frederic Bennett	3
Dr. Reginald Bennett	3
Mr. John Biggs-Davison	4
Mr. Peter Blaker	2
Miss Betty Boothroyd	3
The Rt. Hon. Arthur Bottomley	4
Mr. Tom Bradley	5
Sir Bernard Braine	5
Mr. Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler	3
Mr. John Cartwright	2
The Rt. Hon. Mrs. Barbara Castle	2
Mr. John Cronin	4
Mr. David Crouch	3
Mr. George Cunningham	2
Mr. Joseph Dean	2
Mr Paul Dean	2
The Rt. Hon. Sir Geoffrey de Freitas	5
Mr. G. B. Drayson	4
Mr. Robert Edwards	2
Mr. Ben Ford	5