asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many interdepartmental transfers of staff were made in the interests of the public service during 1977.

There were some 9,000 interdepartmental transfers of staff in 1977.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what action he has taken to make kidney donor cards available to people working in Government Departments and the public service; and if he will make a statement.

Since early 1973, kidney transplant donor cards have been freely available to civil servants from dispensers on staff notice boards and other suitable places, or from staff welfare officers. The importance of the kidney transplant donor scheme was emphasised in a circular to all Government Departments at that time, and announcements were made in office notices and news sheets.The Department of Health and Social Security expects shortly to be distributing donor cards direct to all its staff, and consideration will then be given to arrangements for further publicity for the scheme and availability of cards in other Departments.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on the price of the Official Report.

Hansard prices were last increased in January 1976 but, as production costs and overheads have continued to rise, it is now necessary to increase the price of the Daily Edition from 33p to 40p and the Weekly Edition from 90p to £1·10. There will be corresponding increases in the prices of indexes, Standing Committee debates, bound volumes and subscription rates. The scale of charges for reprints of Members' speeches appearing in the Official Report will also be raised. All the revised prices will come into effect in April 1978 when Parliament resumes after the Easter Adjournment. Despite these increases, the publication of Hansard will still incur a substantial financial loss.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will place in the Library a copy of the annual report of the Government Actuary's Department.

I have done so.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the expected benefits to the British consumer arising from the application of a Common Market sheepmeat regime.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his response to the European Economic Community proposals for a sheepmeat regime.

The EEC Commission's proposals for a sheepmeat regime are expected in the near future. Until I know their content I cannot assess their potential effects.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement as to why there should be an EEC sheepmeat regime.

The EEC Treaty requires the establishment of a common organisation of agricultural markets.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is his policy for Great Britain to supply the domestic demand for liquid milk from her own resources.

There are ample domestic supplies of milk to satisfy liquid demand and I am confident this will continue to be the case.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next meet the Chairman of the Milk Marketing Board.

I have no plans to do so in the immediate future, but my Department is in constant touch with the Board on all matters of mutual concern.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current position in the negotiations for the recalculation of pig-meat monetary compensatory amounts.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the long-term prospects of British pig producers.

The question of the need to change the way pigmeat monetary compensatory amounts are calculated is under active discussion in the EEC Council of Ministers. We now have firm support from France and Italy. My right hon. Friend will continue to press hard for the change which is both necessary and justified.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the size of the national pig breeding herd.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leominster (Mr. Temple-Morris) earlier today.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next meet the Chairman of the Countryside Commission.

I have no plans at present to meet Lord Winstanley, but am always willing to do so.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next attend a meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers of the European Economic Community.

I shall attend a meeting on 4th and 5th April.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will list his engagements for 16th March.

I attended a meeting of the Cabinet this morning, am answering Questions this afternoon, and shall be meeting some leading food distributors later this evening.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what new steps he is taking to stimulate the export of British mutton and lamb.

I have sent a telegram to the EEC Commission protesting against the further discrimination which now faces our exports to France, because of the recent increase in the French threshold price and levies. Over half United Kingdom exports, however, go to other markets in Europe where access is free.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish his updated version of the White Paper "Food from Our Own Resources".

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the progress in the review of the targets set out in the White Paper "Food from Our Own Resources".

"Food from Our Own Resources" did not set targets for individual commodities, but included projections and guidelines on the balance between sectors.The review is wide-ranging and thorough and all the relevant evidence has not yet been received. I hope that it will be completed by the early summer.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the damage caused to farm products by the recent severe weather conditions.

It is still too early to make a reliable assessment of the damage, especially in the South-West. Many individual farmers have suffered badly but total losses may not be as severe as was first feared.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next meet Commissioner Gundelach of the European Economic Community.

I have frequent meetings with Commissioner Gundelach.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the development of the viticulture industry.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next meet the Chairman of the Potato Marketing Board.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today to the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare (Mr. Wiggin).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to have discussions with the EEC on the farm review.

Discussions on Community farm prices in 1978–79 have been taking place in the Council of Agriculture Ministers since 12th December. The next meeting is on 4th and 5th April.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the current sizes of the butter and beef mountains in the United Kingdom.

On 28th February 1978 stocks of 4,760 tonnes of butter and 15,640 tonnes of beef were held by the Intervention Board.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he has taken on the EEC Commission report to the Council on the economic effects of the agri-monetary system.

I have told the Council that any suggestion that monetary compensatory amounts should be phased out as proposed by the Commission could only be considered in the context of a fundamental reform to establish an economically justifiable common price level expressed in a more representative unit of account. I have also told the Council of my disappointment at the report's inadequate consideration of the problem of pigmeat monetary compensatory amounts.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the Australian Government about the effect of the United Kingdom's membership of the EEC upon the Australian agriculture industry.

The concern felt by the Australian Government about the decline in Australia's exports of foodstuffs to our market has been expressed by Australian Ministers on a number of occasions. On 24th February my right hon. Friend discussed these problems with Mr. Victor Garland, the Australian Minister for Special Trade Representations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next meet the President of the National Farmers' Union.

I see the President of the National Farmers' Union frequently but no date has been fixed for our next meeting.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next meet the Chairman of the Food Manufacturers' Federation.

My right hon. Friend, the Minister, meets the President of the Food Manufacturers' Federation fairly frequently and has accepted his invitation to speak at the federation's annual lunch in May.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what public expenditure has been incurred to date on research into alternative methods of providing heat for the glasshouse industry.

Expenditure by my Department, and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland on alternative sources of energy for glasshouse heating has been approximately £11,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive the results of the investigations of the export trade in live food animals.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has yet received the report of the committee reviewing the export of live animals for slaughter; and, if so, when he expects to make a statement on its recommendations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will announce the outcome of his review of the export trade in live food animals for slaughter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is likely to be able to produce the results of the report on the export of live animals for slaughter before the Easter Adjournment.

I would refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today to the hon. Members for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Costain), and Louth (Mr. Brotherton).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has taken any further steps to safeguard the position of milk producers in Northern Ireland.

Since making available to milk producers in Northern Ireland an additional £3·6 million at the end of last year, my right hon. Friends the Minister and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland have been actively considering what further steps compatible with EEC rules might be appropriate to deal with the problem of maintaining their average returns. We hope to be able to make a statement before long.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his Department's estimate of the savings in a year to the United Kingdom's balance of payments which would accrue if all grain imports to the United Kingdom originated from non-EEC sources at current prices and free of EEC levies.

I regret that no realistic estimate is available because of the difficulties of predicting reliably the quantities and prices of grain imports from non-EEC sources under the conditions postulated. The levies on such imports currently accrue to the United Kingdom Exchequer, and are not a charge upon the balance of payments.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with millers and bakers about: the desirability of producing and promoting more wholemeal bread and flour to meet the needs of elderly people and others in need of a high-fibre diet; and if he will make a statement.

Neither my right hon. Friend the Minister nor I have had discussions with the millers and bakers specifically on this subject. The production of wholemeal flour and bread has increased in recent years in response to increased consumer demand and there is no evidence of any general shortage of these products.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give an assurance that the fumigant, methyl bromide, will continue to be applied only by private licensed contractors when used in the horticultural industry.

Under existing arrangements, only authorised servicing companies may apply this fumigant in agriculture or horticulture. I am informed that the Advisory Committee on Pesticides has neither received nor considered any proposal for modifying these arrangements; and in view of the toxic properties of this substance, I am sure that the committee would look critically at any suggestion, from any quarter, that existing safeguards should be relaxed in any way.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he intends to continue to support the efforts of the European Commission to keep the next increase in common agricultural policy prices down to a level well below that of general price inflation in the Community.

I have made clear that I welcome the Commission's proposal to limit increases in CAP prices to amounts that are on average well below the average rate of inflation in the Community; nevertheless, in my view even greater restraint is necessary particularly for products in structural surplus. I will continue to press for the reduction of CAP prices in real terms.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the United Kingdom's food requirements is produced in the United Kingdom according to the latest available figures.

The latest available information shows that nearly 54 per cent. of the United Kingdom's food requirements was produced in the United Kingdom in the year ending 30th June 1976. I cannot give a figure for 1977 for the reasons explained in the answers to Questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Rother Valley (Mr. Hardy) on 12th January and 16th February.—[Vol. 941, c. 815; Vol. 944, c. 320–1.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current total fuel bill for all establishments and transport 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.

The accommodation for my Department is mainly provided by the Property Services Agency, which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. My Department is, however, responsible for 22 experimental centres for which the estimated fuel bill in 1977–78 is £270,000. The fuel bill for all my Departments official vehicles in 1977–78 is estimated at £280,000. No specific target for fuel savings has been laid down. But the use of fuel is subject to continuous control, and standing instructions require the strictest economy in the use of vehicles to be exercised at all times.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how long his Department believes the mackerel stocks off the Cornish coast can sustain the present level of fishing.

The mackerel shoals currently being fished off the Cornish coast are part of the western mackerel stock which overwinters in the Bay of Biscay and in the seas to the south-west of the British Isles. The fishery off the Cornish coast is seasonal and the level of fishing there can be expected to decline within the next month or so. In the circumstances, a worthwhile estimate of the sort requested is not possible. The state of the western mackerel stock is currently being reassessed by ICES.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next attend a meeting of the Council of Fisheries Ministers of the EEC.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today to the hon. Members for Falmouth and Cambourne (Mr. Mudd) and Bodmin (Mr. Hicks).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about further conservation measures and his policy with regard to the common fisheries policy.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today to the hon. Member for Dorset, North (Mr. James).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the further position of producers marketing boards in general and the Milk Marketing Board in particular in the European Economic Community.

Our policy on the agricultural marketing boards remains unchanged: it is to seek to preserve those functions of the boards essential to the orderly marketing in this country of the products concerned. The Commission has made a proposal to amend the Community milk regime to safeguard the essential functions of the milk boards and I expect this to be considered further at forthcoming Councils.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the approaches made by him by the Consumers Association against other increases under the European Economic Community farm prices review, whether these approaches gave details of where the common agricultural policy has failed to meet the farm and food objectives of the Rome Treaty; and to what extent he expects to implement his promises and declaration to the Association that there should not be increases on surplus products and restraints on other food prices.

I have received letters from the Consumers' Association about the CAP price negotiations. I have also seen its Press release on 10th March which advocated a freeze on EEC support prices for commodities in structural surplus and restraint on other farm prices and commented generally on the functioning of the CAP. I have told the Association that I shall press for the maximum degree of price restraint in the EEC price-fixing and in particular shall continue strenuously to oppose increases in common prices for commodities in structural surplus.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the North Sea plaice quota is caught by trawlers operating from Lowes-toft; how much of that catch is caught outside the 50-mile limit; and how much is caught within the 50-mile limits of Norway, Denmark, West Germany and Holland.

North Sea plaice is not at present subject to quota. About two-thirds of the United Kingdom catch in the area is taken by Lowestoft vessels. Most of that is taken outside a line 50 miles from the British coast, some 30 per cent. of it in Norwegian waters and some 50 per cent. in Danish and Dutch waters.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in the light of the letter to the Countryside Commission from the President of the EEC regarding grants for upland farming, he will now adopt a policy of withholding grants for the improvement by ploughing or otherwise of moorland in the Exmoor National Park; and whether he will make a statement.

The letter from the President of the European Communities to the Countryside Commission regarding grants for upland farming largely reflects the advice officials and my Department received last year from the services of the EEC Commission. It is being taken into account in arriving at the Government's conclusion on Lord Porchester's report, on which a statement will be made shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement on the implications for British fishery protection of the decision in the Commission of the European Communities v. Ireland (Kingdom of the Netherlands) intervening, The Times European Report of 6th March.

The Court of Justice of the European Communities in its judgment on 16th February 1978 on cases 61/77 and 88/77 found that the conservation measures introduced by the Government of the Irish Republic on 16th February 1977 were discriminatory and therefore in breach of the EEC Treaty. This has no new implications, since the

(August-July years)
			1973–74	1974–73	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78
			£	£	£	£	£
Grant for 1st year of training	…	…	120	120	130	150	150
Grant for 2nd year of training	…	…	100	100	130	170	160
Grant for 3rd year of training	…	…	100	100	130	190	170

Over the same period until 31st July 1977 the Board provided a grant of £8 per student per month—or pro rata—to farmers who provided industrial training within certain conditions as part of a recognised sandwich course for agricultural students.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the farming communities in the East Midlands.

I met representatives of the East Midlands farming community in January and continue to keep in close Government have always recognised that conservation measures must be non-discriminatory.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the catch rates of white fish for human consumption in 1967 and 1977; and what is the estimated rate for 1978.

The latest year for which catch rates can be calculated is 1976 when 0·21 tonnes of white fish were landed per hour of fishing time compared with 0·24 tonnes in 1967. These figures are for England and Wales fishing vessels in all waters.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial contribution is available towards the cost of employing young agricultural workers in training and agricultural students employed in the industry in a temporary capacity; and how the amount of the subsidy has varied in each of the last five years.

The Agricultural Training Board pays grants to employers of young agricultural workers who enter its three-year apprenticeship scheme. The rates of such grants over the last five years have been as follows:touch with farming interests in the region. My own links with the East Midlands are very strong and I shall be making an official visit there tomorrow.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total sum of public money that has been expended on the hill land improvement scheme throughout the time it has been in existence.

£7,846,347 has been paid out in grant in the United Kingdom under this scheme which was in force between 10th August 1967 and 31st December 1970.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that the warnings given to the public prior to the storms and floods on 11th January were adequate.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19th January 1978; Vol. 942, c. 344], gave the following information:I can now say that I am satisfied that the public warning system operated satisfactorily in general. I regret, however, that due partly to the unexpected behaviour of the tidal surge in the Wash and partly to the failure of telephone communications adequate warning was not given in Wisbech and parts of King's Lynn. I have written the hon. Member explaining the steps that have been taken by my Department and the Anglian Water Authority to overcome these difficulties for the future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the greatly increased frequency in the use of firearms in the course of major robberies committed in London, he will reconsider the evidence submitted by the Police Federation on the abolition of capital punishment, in which the Federation predicted that this would lead to an increase in the use of guns in the commission of crime: and if he will make a statement on any further measures he is taking or proposing to take to limit the availability and punish more severely the use of such weapons by criminals.

The question of capital punishment has been considered at frequent intervals and we are satisfied that there are no grounds for reintroducing it. The Firearms Act 1968 provides a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for certain offences involving the possession or use of firearms for criminal purposes and 14 years' imprisonment for others. Nevertheless, the increasing use of shotguns in violent crime is a disturbing trend. Proposals for legislation to make it more difficult for criminals to obtain such weapons were circulated to interested parties last year. In the light of comments received on those proposals, the Government intend to introduce legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in order to save the time of party workers and cost to the taxpayers, he will amend existing regulations so that the free post is still available to parliamentary candidates at the next General Election who address envelopes to an entire family using such captions as "The Smith Family" instead of having to address envelopes to each individual elector.

Section 79(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1949 provides for a candidate at a parliamentary election to send an election communication free of charge to each elector. This right is subject to regulations which are made by the Post Office. A communication which contains documents for persons who are not electors would fall outside the provisions of Section 79(1), and it would require legislation to extend these provisions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the detention centres at Harmondsworth and at Gatwick are manned by employees of Securicor; what disciplines they impose on detainees; whether these disciplines are laid down by the Home Office; and to whom Securicor are responsible.

The answer to the first part of this Question is "Yes".Discipline is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure the safe custody of detainees and the trouble-free running of the centres. Detainees are informed of the facilities available for telephone calls, meals and medical care Securicor staff are required to comply with any lawful instructions given by an immigration officer or the Home Office and are told that they must treat detainees with humanity, kindness, courtesy and sympathetic understanding. Securicor is responsible, under contract, to the Home Office for the performance of its duties in connection with Immigration Act detainees.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons arriving at London Heathrow since 1st January 1977 seeking permission to enter the United Kingdom as visitors have been refused entry and have been detained at the Harmondsworth Centre; and how many of these were citizens of each of the following countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Yemen, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.

The detailed breakdown asked for could not be obtained without disproportionate cost, but the following are the numbers of persons detained under the Immigration Act 1971 at the Harmondsworth Detention Centre during 1977 pending further examination by immigration officers or pending removal after being refused entry:

Nationals or citizens of:
Bangladesh	…	…	138
Egypt	…	…	147
India	…	…	493
Israel	…	…	29
Japan	…	…	13
Jordan	…	…	18
Kuwait	…	…	11
Lebanon	…	…	17
Pakistan	…	…	698
Portugal	…	…	100
Saudi Arabia	…	…	30
Spain	…	…	72
United Arab Emirates	…	…	2
Total 3,388.

In addition, nine nationals of the Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen—Southern Yemen—were detained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he will not publish the evidence which caused him to ban the admission of American members of the Church of Scientology who wish to come to study and practise in the United Kingdom.

The reasons for the decision to impose restrictions on all people subject to immigration control who wish to come here to study, work for or promote the interests of scientology were set out in the statement made on 25th July 1968 by the then Minister of Health.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in the Official Report the details contained in his letter dated 7th March sent to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West giving particulars of passengers coming to Great Britain since 1970 under immigration control; how, in the light of the experience of Mr. Duke, he controls illegal entry and stops persons from entering Great Britain; whom he wishes to prevent from landing; and how he is able to trace their whereabouts.

The following are numbers of passengers given leave to enter the United Kingdom at sea and hoverports and at airports since 1970:

Year		Number of passengers subject to immigration control admitted at United Kingdom sea and hover ports	Number of passengers subject to immigration control admitted at United Kingdom airports
1970	…	2,102,476	3,925,433
1971	…	2,205,869	4,514,153
1972	…	2,281,226	4,867,771
1973	…	2,478,248	5,426,544
1974	…	2,731,892	5,252,312
1975	…	3,279,435	5,753,242

In addition to their general instructions, immigration officers have details of certain individuals and categories of passengers who should be refused leave to enter the United Kingdom. When it is decided that a person should be removed or his stay ended—in such a case the person concerned is not necessarily an illegal entrant—the Immigration Service and the police, as appropriate, are given all the available information to trace his whereabouts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of cases that the Equal Opportunities Commission handled in each year since its inception and the percentage yearly increases that these figures indicate.

This is a matter for the Equal Opportunities Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what response he has made to the submissions of the Police Federation on Home Office Circular No. 63/1977 on the subject of the working of the Police (Complaints) Act 1976; and, in particular, whether he intends that police officers subject to complaints that involve criminal offences shall be informed immediately if criminal charges are to be preferred against them, if such officers, after being warned are to have the same "right of silence" as all other citizens, and if before trial or disciplinary hearings they are to have access to all letters and other documents contained in the complaints made against them;(2) when he expects to meet representatives of the Police Federation to consider the working of the Police (Complaints) Act 1976 and its effect on the police service.

I have written to the secretary of the Police Federation proposing that, as previously envisaged, the review of the working of the complaints procedures, which will also involve the other interested parties, should await the publication of the first report of the Police Complaints Board, which is expected shortly. I have also suggested that in the meantime the Federation might wish to discuss with officials of my Department matters arising from Home Office circular No. 63/77, including the issues to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the increase as a percentage of indictable crimes in the West Mercia police area; and what has been the increase in the percentage of cases cleared up during the same period.

The number of indictable offences recorded by the West Mercia police force increased by 34 per cent. in 1977 over 1976. The proportion of those offences cleared up fell from 58 per cent. in 1976 to 51 per cent. in 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information is available to him on the number of policemen who have been injured during each week of the past five years whilst on duty at (a) mass marches, (b) outdoor protest meetings, and (c) football grounds; and if he will make a statement.

The information is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that the leaders of the 1 million Muslims in Great Britain are demanding changes in the law to enable Muslim men to practise their beliefs and actions on the question of divorce, their inheritance rights and on other matters, whether he will publish in the Official Report his letter to Dr. Syed Pasha General Secretary of the Union of Muslim organisations, on these demands; and whether he will agree to meet representatives of this organisation to discuss these demands.

I have told Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha that I will be happy to meet a deputation from his organisation, and have suggested a preliminary meeting at official level, to discuss specific points they may wish to raise. I have, however, made it clear that the Government could not support the union's proposal for incorporating into the law of England and Wales Muslim law as a whole or for any general statutory recognition of Islam and its traditions. I await his reply.I shall not, however, publish in the

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of the growing practice of registered charity organisations charging excessive costs for expenditure in collecting charity, and paying very large salaries, expenses and tax benefits to their full-time staffs, he will take action, if necessary by new legislation, to control such expenditures to a reasonable figure.

Under the House to House Collections Act 1939, a licensing authority may refuse or revoke a licence where it appears that the amount of money to be applied for charitable purposes is inadequate in proportion to the proceeds of the collection, or that anyone will retain or receive excessive remuneration from the proceeds. More generally, the matters referred to in the Question are among those which the Charity Commissioners may take into account in deciding whether to exercise their powers of inquiry into the affairs of a registered charity under the Charities Act 1960.I would, however, draw my hon. Friend's attention to the view expressed by the Committee on Charity Law and Voluntary Organisations under Lord Goodman's chairmanship in paragraph 220 of its report that, in regard to the proportion between expenditure on administration and the amount of money available for charitable purposes,

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will give a commitment that, when economic conditions permit, an increased building programme of maintained boarding schools will commence.

Our priorities for the special education building programme already include hostel provision by the education service and residential provision for the most severely handicapped. We have no plans to establish a building programme exclusively for boarding provision for non-handicapped pupils, but any local education authority that wished to put forward such a project within the main school building programme would be free to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what evidence her Department has on the effect of boarding school education on the social and psychological development of children.

My Department has sponsored research by Dr. Royston Lambert and his colleagues on aspects of boarding education. Many of their findings have been published, most recently in a book entitled "The Chance of a Lifetime?"—Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1975—which discusses the subject raised by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is her policy to encourage or discourage boarding school education.

My right hon. Friend believes that boarding education should be available for those children for whom—for a variety of reasons—it is appropriate, and views with concern the decline in the provision of boarding places in maintained schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many State schoolchildren attend as boarders.

In January 1977 there were 9,260 non-handicapped pupils and 14,995 handicapped pupils who were boarders at schools maintained by local education authorities in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the continued existence of public schools-is consistent with her policy of comprehensive education.

No. My right hon. Friend remains firmly committed to the long-term aim in our manifesto of phasing out fee paying in schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the estimated cost of incorporating the public schools into the State system.

There are too many uncertainties for an accurate estimate to be made, but the additional annual cost of public funds of maintaining all independent schools and all direct grant schools not already joining the maintained sector would be of the order of £150 million a year for tuition alone, excluding any capital costs and additional recurrent expenditure on boarding, transport and school meals.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of schoolchildren attended public schools in 1965, 1970, 1975, and at the latest available date.

The proportion of school pupils of compulsory school age and over attending independent schools in England and Wales was as follows:

				per cent
January 1965	…	…	…	5·8
January 1970	…	…	…	4·8
January 1975	…	…	…	4·4
January 1977	…	…	…	4·2

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is her estimate of what would be the gross cost of providing grants for young people in full-time education between the ages of 16 and 18 years (a) an equivalent rate to the payment which young people will receive under the youth opportunities programme and (b) an equivalent rate to the supplementary benefit which an unemployed young person at present receives, resectively.

Precise figures are not available, but it is estimated that the gross costs of paying non-means-tested awards to all young people aged 16–18 in full-time education at the youth opportunities programme allowance rate or at supplementary benefit level might be of the order of £1,000 million or £500 million respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the expenditure on education, expressed in per capita terms, of numbers employed in the education service in each of the past five years for which figures are available.

Following is the information related to expenditure by local education authorities and by universities. Comparable information related to other educational establishments is not readily available.

RECURRENT EDUCATIONAL EXPENDITURE EXPRESSED PER HEAD OF THE NUMBERS EMPLOYED
Financial year		Local Authorities* (England and Wales)	Universitiesl (Great Britain)
		£ outturn	£ outturn
1972–73	…	2,890	7,357
1973–74	…	3,749	8,047
1974–75	…	4,872	9,341
1975–76	…	5,289	11,356
1976–77	…	6,204	12,660
* Per head of full time equivalent of all staff employed by local education authorities.
† Per head of academic and related staff only: excludes ancillary staff for which figures are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance she has issued to local education authorities concerning residential qualifications for statutory awards for overseas students.

My Department has issued no general guidance on this subject to local education authorities relating specifically to overseas students. The Department's circular letter of 27th January gave guidance on the requirement for a three-year period of ordinary residence in the United Kingdom which any applicant must satisfy to be eligible for a mandatory award.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representation she has received on the future level of school meal charges; and if she will make a statement about the charges which she proposes for 1978–79.

Since January I have received representations about school meal charges from 46 individuals and organisations. An announcement about the school meal charge in 1978–79 will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what percentage of children of compulsory school age in England and Wales is estimated to suffer from dyslexia:(2) what arrangements are made in England and Wales, and by whom, for diagnosing or providing assessments of children with dyslexia.

Neither my Department nor the Welsh Office collects statistics of children who have reading difficulties of various kinds. The discovery, diagnosis and assessment of children's special educational needs are matters for individual local authorities in consultation with the parents. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of DES circular 2/75 which deals with the matter in more detail.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will make a statement about changes in the Chairmanship of the Schools Council and the Further Education Curriculum Review and Development Unit.

The present Chairman of the Schools Council, Sir Alex Smith, will relinquish the post on 20th April, and I have appointed Mr. John Tomlinson, the Director of Education for Cheshire, to succeed him from that date. At the same time, the Rev. Canon George Tolley will succeed Mr. Tomlinson as Chairman of the Board of Management of the Further Education Curriculum Review and Development Unit.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether it is his policy that young people at courses of further education should have to leave such courses when examinations are pending; and whether he will add to any official circulars he has issued on this matter some advice as to how his officials might explain to young people his Department's view of examinations.

I can add nothing to the reply given to my hon. Friend by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and Science—[Vol. 946, c. 80–1]—other than to say that the official circular on the subject of eligibility for supplementary benefit of unemployed young people attending part-time further education courses from my Department to the Local Education Authorities' Careers Service merely provides information about the regulations of the Department of Health and Social Security.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the amount of money made available to the job creation programme has been used in projects undertaken on behalf of (a) the National Health Service and (b) local authorities according to the latest available figures.

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that 3·4 per cent. of job creation programme funds have been allocated to projects sponsored by the National Health Service and 51·3 per cent. to local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many nurses, qualified as SRN and SEN respectively, were registered as unemployed at the last available date and how many were so registered in each of the different regions in England.

The following table gives the numbers of unemployed people registered at employment offices in Great Britain and the English regions at 8th December 1977 for employment as State registered and State enrolled nurses and certified midwives. Information is available for these categories collectively but not separately:

Great Britain	…	4,635
South-East	…	1,164
East Anglia	…	124
South-West	…	533
West Midlands	…	313
East Midlands	…	206
Yorkshire and Humberside	…	412
North-West	…	518
North	…	401

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give the actual or estimated savings in cash and manpower by paying unemployment pay on a fortnightly, monthly, three-monthly and six-monthly basis in advance; and what plans he has for taking this action.

Consideration has not been given and there are no plans for the payment of unemployment benefits fortnightly, monthly, three months or six months in advance. I am therefore unable to give any actual or estimated savings in cash or manpower that might result from the introduction of such methods of payment.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will refer to the Price Commission the proposed increase in charges by the Football Association for the Cup Final in 1978, bearing in mind that the charges were increased by 39 per cent. in 1975.

Under the Price Commission Act 1977, it is for the Commission to decide whether it wishes to investigate increases in prices for Cup Final tickets.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what representations have been made to him regarding drilling for oil on the Solway and surrounding areas; and if he will make a statement.

I have received no such representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what thermal efficiency and saving of fuel is likely to be achieved by using vortometric burners for the combustion of hydrocarbon liquid or gaseous fuels.

The vortometric burner can burn hydrocarbon liquid and gases at near stoichiometric proportions of air and thus can attain the highest levels of combustion efficiency. The actual amount of energy which can be saved depends upon the application in which the burner is used, and in many cases significant savings could result.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the current discussions between the British National Oil Corporation and oil interests in the Argentine.

No such discussions are in train.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average number of in-patients in Scottish hospitals at any one time.

The average daily number of beds occupied by NHS patients in Scotland in the year ended March 1977 was 51,449.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an estimate of the number of disabled persons in Scotland who are currently resident in their own homes.

A survey undertaken in 1968–69, the results of which were published in 1971, estimated that there were in Scotland some 274,000 handicapped people aged 16 and over living at home. Although no later estimate is available, there is no reason to suppose that the number has altered markedly. It should be noted, however, that the survey excluded certain groups—for example, the blind, the deaf, the mentally disordered—unless their impairment limited their mobility or their ability to work or care for themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the security screening procedures in force before personnel are engaged to work in connection with the oil terminal at Sullom Voe in Shetland.

I have been asked to reply:It is not the practice to disclose such information.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when Her Majesty's Government intends to ratify the Inter-government Maritime Consultative Organisation Convention for Safe Containers.

The International Convention for Safe Containers was ratified by Her Majesty's Government on 8th March 1978 and the instrument of ratification has been deposited with the Secretary General to the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what support his Department has given to the effort now being made by British Aerospace to secure an export order for the BAC111 aircraft from Japan; and if he will make a statement.

We have taken every opportunity to make our interest known in Japan and have been working closely with British Aerospace and the British Embassy in Tokyo to support the company's effort. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State gave the latest news of the Japanese airline's attitude on 13th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if, in view of the Court of Appeal's decision in the uncontested appeal brought by the Performing Right Society Limited to the effect that, on a technical construction of the relevant provisions of the Companies' Acts, the Performing Right Society Council can continue to deprive the members of the list of the Society's voting members, thereby perpetuating themselves in office, he will seek to amend the laws governing non-share companies.

When a transcript of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which was only given on 10th March, is available, I will consider whether any change in the law is desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the gross amount remitted from South Africa to the United Kingdom arising out of British corporate assets in South Africa for each of the last five years.

The information available relates to receipts of interest and dividends from the direct investment by United Kingdom companies, other than oil companies, in subsidiaries and associates in South Africa and the total net profits from their direct investment in branches in South Africa. This amounted to £56 million in 1973, £70 million in 1974, and £87 million in 1975, the latest year for which information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the total value of imports from and exports to South Africa for each of the last five years.

Following is the information:

		Imports (£ million c.i.f.)	Exports (£ million f.o.b.)
1973	…	401·2	374·3
1974	…	558·4	530·9
1975	…	632·6	690·0
1976	…	614·8	653·2
1977	…	879·8	581·1

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the gross value of official British aid or relief to promotional organisations and companies wishing to invest in or trade with South Africa for each of the last five years.

BOTB direct expenditure on the promotion of exports to South Africa by way of support for participation in trade fairs, assistance to outward and inward collective missions, export marketing research, etc. has been as follows:

			£000
1973–74 (estimated)	…	…	246
1974–75 (actual)	…	…	288
1975–76 (actual)	…	…	242
1976–77 (actual)	…	…	260
1977–78 (estimated)	…	…	228
(representing about 1·3 per cent. of the world total).

There is no direct expenditure designed to promote investment in South Africa. Companies operating there are subject to the same tax and exchange control arrangements as apply to overseas investment elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the level of new British capital investment in

£ million
	1973	1974	1975
Direct investment other than unremitted profits of South African subsidiaries and associates of United Kingdom companies	-19	35	29
Unremitted profits of South African subsidiaries and associates of United Kingdom companies	105	143	124
Total direct investment	86	178	153

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the value in total of British corporate assets in South Africa.

The total book value of British investments, both direct and indirect, in South Africa, including South West Africa, as estimated by the Reserve Bank of South Africa was £4,817 million at the end of 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many men and women in all three Services with the equivalent rank of Army private are at present members of a trade union; and of which union or unions they are members;(2) how many members of the Armed Forces are at present members of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, the Electrical, Electronic, Plumbing and Telecommunications Union, Union of Construction and Allied Trades Union, Transport and General Workers Union, Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs, and Civil Service unions or other trade unions.(3) how many non-commissioned officers below the rank of sergeant or equivalent in each of the three Services are members of a trade union; and of which trade union or unions they are members;(4) if he will arrange to publish in the

The information available relates to direct investment overseas by United Kingdom companies, excluding oil, up to 1975. Such investments in South Africa were:Services who are members of a trade union, indicating precise rank and trade union concerned;(5) how many sergeants and equivalent ranks in all three Services are members of a trade union; and of which trade union or unions they are members.

Service personnel who join trade unions under the current arrangements are not required to inform the military authorities. The information required is not therefore available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many invitations were issued in 1977 to trade union officials to visit defence establishments to discuss with officers and other ranks the benefits arising from trade union membership and organisation.

None for this particular purpose, as far as I am aware, but trade union officials are sometimes invited to give talks or participate in seminars on defence matters. No central record is kept of such invitations.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the current use of Ministry of Defence land on Rainham Marshes, Essex; and what future uses he has in mind.

The Ministry of Defence land-holding at Rainham Marshes, Essex totals 1,145 acres. Most of this area is taken up by the Purfleet Range complex, which consists of three 600-yard ranges, including an electric target range, and their associated danger areas. As is the case with many Ministry of Defence land-holdings, a large proportion of the area, including part of the range area, is let for grazing. Some is also used under licence by the Port of London Authority for silt tipping, and for other purposes. Two hundred and thirty acres of the old Rainham Rifle Range are scheduled for disposal but, apart from this, no other changes in the use of the area are contemplated in the foreseeable future.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list in the Official Report those Acts of Parliament which protect workers' rights in civil employment, the provisions of which expressly exclude members of the Armed Forces.

The Armed Forces are expressly excluded from some of the provisions of the following Acts which relate to terms and conditions of civil employment:

• Explosives Act 1875;
• Merchant Shipping Acts 1894–1970;
• Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963;
• Equal Pay Act 1970;
• Fire Precautions Act 1971;
• Contracts of Employment Act 1972;
• Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974;
• Employment Protection Act 1975;
• Sex Discrimination Act 1975;
• Social Security Act 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to granting Army personnel a rent allowance in certain circumstances as is applied to the police force.

No consideration has been given to granting Army personnel a rent allowance in certain circumstances as is applied to the police force. The "military salary" concept, upon which Service pay is based, aims to provide comparable pay and charges to the civilian sector. Payment of such an allowance would be directly opposed to this concept.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the expenditure on defence, expressed in per capita terms, of numbers employed in the defence services in each of the past five years for which figures are available.

Table 2.1 of Cmnd. 7049-II shows expenditure on defence in each of the last five years, at 1977 survey prices. The table below shows that information in per capita terms, using the average strengths of the regular Armed Services, including locally entered personnel, and average numbers of civilian personnel employed by the Ministry of Defence including locally engaged civilians, in the years in question. These figures exclude approximately 200,000 job opportunities generated in the defence industries by our equipment programme.

£ 1977 Survey Prices
1973–74	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78
9,400	9,200	9,800	9,700	9,900

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the cost of increasing Armed Forces pay to take account of the increase in retail prices over the past two years.