asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many legal abortions were notified as being carried out in 1975, and in the latest year for which figures are available, on residents in Leicestershire; how many of those on Leicester residents were carried out in the

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will list in the Official Report any means-tested grants or benefits which test the income of a person or persons from whom the claimant has no legal right to demand financial support.

I will let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services who decides what uniform is to be worn by nurses.

The decision as to whether a uniform is worn and what form it should take is a matter for individual health authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his attention has been drawn to Decision CS 1/78 of National Insurance Commissioner Mr. V. G. H. Hallett that a sick certificate, given under the Social Security

Available information is as follows:(Medical Evidence) Regulations 1976, in the form that the claimant should refrain from work was conclusive and binding and entitled the claimant to invalidity pension, thus rendering null and void the reports of two medical officers of his own Department that the claimant was capable of light work; and what action he proposes to take to change this situation.

I have made amending regulations—The Social Security (Unemployment, Sickness and Invalidity Benefit) Amendment Regulations (SI 1978 No. 394)—which come into operation today. They will ensure that a doctor's medical statement given under the Social Security (Medical Evidence) Regulations 1976 does not give automatic entitlement to benefit. My Department is also seeking leave to apply for an order of certiorari in respect of the Commissioner's decision on the ground that the decision is wrong in law.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the rate of medically certificated absenteeism from work in Glasgow, Edinburgh. Aberdeen, Scotland, Ipswich, Newcastle. London and England, respectively, for the past four years.

Figures of medically certified absence from work are available

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will announce a new target date for the achievement of the Robin Birch working party's target for social work training in place of the mid-1980s target which has been put aside.

It would be premature to propose new targets. For the certificate of Qualification in Social Work, the intake to courses increased by about 7 per cent. in both 1976 and 1977, compared with the annual increase of 5 per cent. envisaged by the Birch working party. Courses leading to the new Certificate of Social Services have taken longer to establish than the working party had hoped, but 14 schemes are in operation; 2 more are being set up this year and others are being arranged. This form of training is now becoming established and should develop more rapidly in the future, but it is too early to assess when the recommended target intake will be reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how his Department reached the estimate, made in its memorandum R/30/78 (Soc. 2), of £30,000 as the cost of applying the medical treatment provisions of EEC Regulation 1408/71 to self-employed and non-employed persons.

It is estimated that the proposed extension of the scope of the EEC regulation would increase by about 8 per cent. the number of United Kingdom nationals already covered. The figure of £30,000 represents this proportion of the present net costs of applying the medical treatment provisions of the regu-

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now publish the results of the second stage of the research undertaken into the feeding habits of schoolchildren, the first part of which was published in 1975; when it is expected that the third phase of this research will be completed; and whether he will make a statement.

The only report published by my Department in 1975 on the nutritional status of children was based on a cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of pre-schoolchildren—not schoolchildren—made over the year October 1967 to October 1968—Report on Health and Social Subjects No. 10, 1975. No plans were made for a follow-up study of this. If, however, I have misunderstood my hon. Friend's point perhaps he would be good enough to let me know.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total cost and duration of the research first commissioned by his Department in 1968 into the feeding habits of schoolchildren; when the first report on this study was (a) completed and (b) published; and when it is now expected that a comprehensive report on the research will be published.

The survey into the nutritional status of schoolchilden was carried out between 1968 and 1970 by the Department of Community Medicine at St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School in collaboration with the Kent County Council and my Department. It is not possible to quantify the cost of the survey, which was only partly funded by my Department, since it was part of an overall research programme on health services carried out at St. Thomas's.The results of the survey were published as a series of papers in the scientific journals in 1973 and 1975 as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has received a letter from Doctors Ilsley, Choppell, Negrani, Dyer, James, Williams, Wooltorton, Raithatha, Cluer, Hardwick, Helliwell, Morgan, Burrell, Wilson, Chambers, Tisdale and Hutchinson, as well as Senior Registrar Egan, which indicated that they have been forced to refuse admission to hospital to some acutely ill patients and have had to discharge others who ideally should have stayed; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I am making enquiries of the health authorities concerned and will write to the hon. Member and the doctors shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many Priority 1 cases are currently waiting for hip replacement operations at Frimley Park hospital; and how this compares with the situation six months ago.

There are 71 patients at present awaiting operations for hip replacement at Frimley Park hospital; six months ago the number was 65.

asked the Secretary 01 State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of women over the age of 60 years and of men over the age of 65 years in the United Kingdom; how many are in receipt of a national insurance retirement pension; how many are in receipt of a private superannuation pension including public service pensioners; how many receive neither; and how many in each of these three categories are in receipt of supplementary benefit.

It is estimated that in November 1976, the latest date for which figures are available, there were, in the United Kingdom, about 3,000,000 men over age 65 and about 6,500,000 women over age 60. Of these, about 2,900,000 men and 5,350,000 women were in receipt of a State retirement pension, including old person's pensions; and about 2,000,000 men and 1,000,000 women were in receipt of an occupational pension from an employer's scheme. No information is available on the numbers who receive neither a State retirement pension nor an occupational pension. People receiving supplementary pensions include about 455,000 men and 1,425,000 women also receiving a State retirement pension and about 186,000 occupational pensioners—separate figures for men and women are not available. No information is available as to the numbers of men and women receiving supplementary pensions who have no other pension.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether special funds have been made available to health authorities to enable them to tackle waiting list problems; and if he will make a statement.

No special funds have been made available to health authorities. In 1975–76 and 1976–77 regional health authorities were notified individually of sums, amounting to £5 million nationally, that should be spent from within their normal financial allocations on projects designed to assist in reducing waiting lists. In the event, estimated expenditure on such projects was £4¾ million in 1975–76 and £7¾ million in 1976–77.For subsequent years, health authorities have not been asked to achieve a particular minimum spend on such projects but they have been asked to identify in their capital programmes projects designed to assist in reducing waiting lists. In their capital programmes for 1977–78, approximately £9·5 million has been identified as applying to such projects.During Question Time in the House on Tuesday 22nd November 1977 I was asked by the hon. Member for Devon, West (Mr. Mills) about

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what regulations there are which prevent a member of the Armed Forces who is also a member of a trade union becoming a shop steward or other unpaid official of his or her trade union.

The present arrangements and Service regulations in the Armed Forces for dealing with pay and disciplinary matters are such that there is no provision for the appointment of shop stewards or other unpaid trade union officials.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied that proper levels have been chosen when fixing the entitlement to free conveyance of baggage of Service men by weight and volume, in the light of the fact that rates for excess weight and volume have been increased by 174 per cent. and 189 per cent, and the free amounts have remained unaltered since 1948, and that the pay of Service men continues to be governed by Government restraint.

No. This is one of a number of areas in which I hope to see improvements made as soon as pay policy permits.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Written Answer of 1st March Official Report columns 283–4 why the number of serving Royal Air Force personnel whose requests for premature voluntary retirement have been rejected on the date requested have increased about fivefold, from 4·4 per cent. in 1975–76, to 20·9 per cent. in 1977–78; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on Thursday 16th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he will be able to make a statement on the investigations into the allegations of fraud by a Belfast company of the Ulster Defence Regiment.

The SIB, in conjunction with the RUC, is currently investigating certain financial discrepancies which have come to notice in 10 UDR. The investigation, which is still in progress, has also revealed some irregularities in stores and security procedures which are also being investigated. Until these inquiries are complete, I shall be unable to make any further statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade which are the 13 sensitive industries in the European Economic Community which are protected by tariff quota.

Under the European Community's Generalised Scheme of Preferences, access concessions on 13 "sensitive" industrial products—in addition to textiles and certain ECSC products—are subject to tariff quotas. These are: amino acids; bovine cattle leather; plastic travel goods; travel goods of other materials; leather clothing; plywood; plastic footwear; leather footwear; other footwear of plastic or rubber; radio and television transmitters, receivers and parts: diodes, transistors and parts; chairs and other seats; and other furniture and parts.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the provision of finance on credit terms of two years or more for exports to member States of the European Community.

Hitherto finance has been made available at fixed rates of interest by the banks with the support of the Export Credits Guarantee Department—ECGD—for all exports on credit terms of two years or more. The Commission of the EEC has now drawn the attention of Her Majesty's Government to the fact that in so far as these arrangements relate to exports to other members of the Community, they are in contravention of the Treaty of Rome and it has therefore been agreed that they shall be withdrawn in respect of the generality of exports to the EEC. About 1 per cent. of total United Kingdom exports to the Community are affected. It has however been agreed with the Commission that the fixed rate arrangements may be continued in respect of sales of ships, which are governed by a separate OECD agreement, and that similar exceptions may be considered on a case by case basis after discussion with the Commission for other business, for example European aircraft and aeroengine projects.Accordingly, although ECGD will continue to give its full guarantees in respect of finance to the EEC, no new offers of finance at officially supported fixed rates will be made from 1st April 1978 unless the business falls within the terms of agreed exceptions. Under ECGD guarantees the banks will assist exporters to make the best commercial arrangements possible as regards rates of interest for financing EEC trade, and to give exporters maximum flexibility in making arrangements with the banks ECGD will no longer require any category of exports to the EEC to be financed in foreign currency rather than sterling. With this added flexibility it may be possible to provide medium-term fixed-rate finance at commercial rates in some instances. Where fixed rates are not possible finance will be made available at a variable rate of interest at a margin over LIBOR. For sterling lending this will not normally exceed 1¼ per cent. over the three-month rate and for lending in foreign currencies the margin above LIBOR will continue to be negotiated on a case by case basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce the commencement of the improvements to the LamplughCockermouth junction on the A66; and what is the estimated time that these improvements will take.

Work on the improvements to the Lamplugh-Cockermouth junction on the A66 is expected to start in early June and to take about six months to complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the statutory provisions which govern the safety of pedestrians and others against personal injury arising from skateboarders.

There are no statutory provisions which at the time of their enactment were intended to deal with this situation, but I am advised that one or more of the statutes listed below might be relevant.Section 72 of the Highways Act, 1835.Section 35 of the Offences against the Person Act, 1861.Section 74 of the Public Health Act, 1925.Section 140 of the Highways Act, 1959.In addition, there is a power under Section 235 of the Local Government Act 1972 for local authorities to make byelaws for good rule and government or for the prevention and suppression of nuisances.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he is now in a position to honour the pay agreement of 1973 with the Chief Police Officers' Association.

The pay of the chief police officers in the MOD was increased from 1st September 1977 in accord with the 1973 agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the estimate of the total amount of central Government finance made available to the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell (a) through the rate support grant; (b) for house building; and (c) for house improvements in the current year and for the two preceding years.

The initial estimate of the total rate support grant payable to Sandwell for 1978–79 is £38·5 million; the latest estimate for 1977–78 is £37·1 million; and the final amount for 1976–77 was £34·7 million.Under the housing strategies and investment programme arrangements for 1978–79, Sandwell's allocation for Block 1—which covers housebuilding, slum clearance, acquisition and renovation—was £15·60 million; that for Block 2—private sector renovation grants and gross lending to private persons for house purchase and renovation, was £1·15 million and that for Block 3—gross lending to housing associations—was £0·90 million. Its allocations for 1977–78, when revalued to a comparable price basis, were £15·63 million for Block 1, £0·73 million for Block 2 and £0·21 million for Block 3. Similar figures for earlier years are not available. In addition, the Housing Corporation is currently investing £2·355 million in new building and renovation, ad Sandwell has been allocated a further £90,000 on housing for the period up to March 1979 as part of the inner cities construction package.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the re-examination of grant programmes and grant criteria for inner city sport and leisure facilities and grants and loans to voluntary clubs in accordance with the recommendations of the Sports Council seminar held in Manchester in November 1977.

I welcome the Sports Council's concern to play its full part in promoting suitable recreational projects in inner city areas. The 1975 White Paper on sport and recreation stated the Government's view that the highest priority for grant aid should be given by the Sports Council to such projects. I am currently holding a series of conferences in the regions at which a major theme is the contribution of sport and recreation to alleviating problems in areas of special need.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now introduce legislation to provide for mandatory action by local authorities in respect of safety standards in the siting, maintenance and construction of equipment provided in local authority children's playgrounds, including surfaces, slides, swings and roundabouts;(2) whether he will introduce legislation to provide minimum standards of design by the manufacturers of equipment intended for use in children's playgrounds.

As my right hon. Friend indicated in reply to my hon. Friend on 6th February 1978—[Vol. 943, c. 403]—the British Standards Institution is now preparing a new standard for play equipment which will cover the design of such equipment, as well as including advice on its constructon, installation and maintenance. We will consider what action is required when the new standard is issued.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the sale of council houses in each housing authority area for each of the last five years.

Tables showing all council dwelling sales reported to the Department by local authorities and new town corporations during each of the years 1973 to 1976 have been published in Local Housing Statistics, Issues 29, 33, 37 and 41. I have placed a similar table for 1977 in the Library. Unlike the national sales estimates—referred to in my reply of 8th March 1977 to the hon. Member for Leek (Mr. Knox)—these tables do not make any allowance for non-response.—[Vol. 945, c. 638.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is aware of the concern amongst Chiswick residents and others who know Chiswick House about his Department's plans to add an extension; and if he will arrange for a public inquiry to be held to examine those proposals.

I am aware of the concern; I have nothing to add at present to the reply I gave on 15th February to the hon. Member for Staffordshire, South-West (Mr. Cormack).—[Vol. 944. c. 233–4.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 set out in Circular 7/77 from his Department are relevant to an application by the United States Air Force to reactivate or change the status of an air base in the United Kingdom; and whether he is satisfied that, in the case of any such application currently under consideration, the relevant provisions are being complied with:(2) what representations he has received concerning the environmental effects of any application by the United States Air Force to reactivate or change the status of any air base in the United Kingdom; and what action he has taken or intends to take upon any such application.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 14th March 1978; Vol. 946, c. 170], gave the following information:The only request by the United States Air Force currently under consideration is one for the reactivation of RAF Green-ham Common. This proposal is being considered by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence, and the representations I have received have been passed on to him for consideration in the first instance along with those which have been made to him direct. For the relevance of DOE Circular 7/77 I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Air Force to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Hooson) on 13th March.—[Vol. 946. c. 89.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he anticipates bathymetric maps will be prepared covering the sea bed areas up to the median line in the North Sea and other areas of the United Kingdom Continental Shelf.

I have been asked to reply.Basic bathymetric charts already cover the entire United Kingdom Continental Shelf. These are updated to reflect the results of the latest surveys, which are undertaken in accordance with the capacity available. The dates of the information on which the charts are based are shown on them.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what assessment has been made of alluvial tin deposits off Cornwall and the reserves; and at what prices for the commodity the domestic industry working offshore would become viable.

It is particularly difficult to make any reliable assessment of the alluvial tin deposits off Cornwall. More information should become available when a start is made on the offshore operations planned for 1979–80. Until the domestic offshore industry has had some operational experience it would be premature to try to assess viable price levels.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will break down by component and value the constituent elements of the 88 per cent. of orders intended for United Kingdom suppliers in the current British Shipbuilders' contract from Poland.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. McNair-Wilson) on 27th February 1978.—[Vol. 945, c. 8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what is the annual cost to his Department of providing post-school education and training; and what was the distribution of this expenditure by (a) regions, (b) industrial sectors and (c) the various types of educational establishment, including training within industry;(2) how many people underwent, or are undergoing, post-school education and training paid for by his Department in 1975–76, 1976–77 and 1977–78; and what was the breakdown of these numbers by (

Training in industry is primarily the responsibility of the Department of Employment. However, in certain of its current activities the Department of Industry is contributing towards post-school education and training in industry, though it is not possible to analyse the figures as requested.Training costs may be taken into account within total project costs in determining what amount of selective financial assistance should be offered under Sections 7 and 8 of the Industry Act 1972, but are not separately identified.Since March 1976 the Department has provided £42,008 to assist in the setting up of an advanced course in production and manufacturing management run jointly by Cambridge and Lancaster universities. 33 students are attending the course.The Department of Industry and the Science Research Council are jointly funding the teaching company scheme, the aims of which include the training of selected graduates entering manufacturing industry. The scheme, still in its early stages of development, has cost the Department £38,752 to date, and 28 graduates are participating. It is not possible to apportion costs between training and the other aims of the scheme.In adition, the Departments of Industry, Trade and Prices and Consumer Protection have a common training service for departmental staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what percentage of the labour force now work for employers who have gained exemption from the industrial training levies by implementing their own training levy exemption schemes.

I have been asked to reply.I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that 22 per cent. of the working population are employed in companies whose training arrangements have qualified for exemption from levy in accordance with the appropriate industry training board's criteria.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the annual contribution to the cost of post-school education and training made by the industrial training levies, broken down by the 23 industrial training boards for the years 1974–75, 1975–76 and 1976–77.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what action has been taken by his Department to monitor the assurances given by YKK Fasteners (United Kingdom) Limited, referred to in his letter to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr of 4th June 1974, that over the next four years it plans to increase substantially the United Kingdom manufactured content of its products and correspondingly to reduce significantly its imports of both complete fasteners and components, and if he remains satisfied with the assurances;(2) if the estimates of imports and exports for the next three years given to his Department in late 1975 by YKK Fasteners (United Kingdom) Limited, and referred in the letter to hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr of 5th January 1976, are proving reliable; and what action he proposes to take.

, pursuant to Mr. Cryer's reply [Official Report, 15th March 1978; Vol. 946, c. 199–200], gave the following information:The value of YKK's imports, net of its exports, has not declined as the company has forecast, and indeed increased

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, how many overseas visits he has made, to which countries and for what purposes the visits were made, with what results were achieved, who accompanied him; and what was the actual or estimated costs of these visits.

The following table shows the 35 overseas visits my right hon. Friend has made since taking office in February last year. Details are given of the purpose of each visit, the numbers of staff who accompanied him and the cost. The aim of each visit, whether concerned with an international meeting or bilateral talks, was to further the Government's foreign policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how a person can obtain a passport if he has not been personally known for at least two years to a Member of Parliament, justice of the peace, minister of religion, lawyer, bank officer, police officer, doctor or person of similar standing.

The Passport Office has discretion to accept some alternative evidence of identity to faciltate the issue of a passport in those rare cases where an applicant is unable to obtain an acceptable countersignature.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those local authorities in Scotland which have benefited from EEC Regional Fund aid to infrastructure projects during 1977; if he will list the projects for which this aid was granted; and what share this represents of the total aid available to the United Kingdom.

The local authorities in Scotland responsible for projects approved for grant from the European Regional Development Fund during 1977 are listed below, together with details of the projects concerned. The total assistance for these projects represented 11·1 per cent. of the total aid available to the United Kingdom for infrastructure projects in 1977. If grants awarded to other public bodies in Scotland responsible for infrastructure are included the Scottish share becomes 23·4 per cent.LOCAL AUTHORITY AND NAME OF PROJECT

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the £100,000 allocated to him from the Department of Education and Science out of the £1 million, announced by that Department on 26th October 1977, as having been set aside to assist with the preservation of the national heritage, will be retained by him undivided in the form of a contingency reserve to meet the threat of loss by export of particular heritage objects; or whether it will be divided by him upon receipt among national galleries and museums in Scotland.

Following consultations with the national institutions in Scotland, my right hon. Friend decided not to divide this money among the institutions as an addition to their respective grants in aid, but instead to use it, on the advice of a committee on which the institutions would be represented, to assist individual institutions to acquire objects which they might not otherwise be able to do. Decisions on the use of the money would therefore be taken in the light of the views of these best able to assess priorities in this field. My right hon. Friend is at present considering the detailed arrangements with the institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what would be the total estimated cost of extending free school milk to pupils in full-time education up to the age of 16 years assuming (a) a 60 per cent. take up, (b) an 80 per cent. take up, and (c) a 100 per cent. take up, taking into account the moneys available from the EEC under the proposed co-responsibility levy and moneys currently available for this purpose from FEOGA.

The estimated cost would be as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest estimate of the annual gallonage of milk provided to children between the age of 5 to 7 years; and what is the latest estimate of the gallonage which would be taken up if free school milk was extended to all pupils in full-time education up to the age of 16 years.

The estimated gallonage of duty milk—that is free milk for school children up to the end of the session in which they reach their seventh birthday, children in special education and primary pupils certified as in need of milk—was 1·9 million in the financial year 1977–78. If free milk were made available to all pupils under school leav-

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when it is anticipated that construction of the Possilpark health centre will be concluded.

The health centre at Possilpark, Glasgow, is scheduled for completion by November 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will compare the economics of ethane and propane for petrochemical manufacture in the United Kingdom in contrast to naphtha and gas oil; and at what approximate price the

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many males and females over 65 and 60 years, respectively, there are per 1,000 of the population in each of the health board areas in Scotland; and how many geriatric beds there are in hospitals and other institutions per 1,000 of the population in these areas.

The information is set out in the table below. The ratio of geriatric beds per 1,000 population aged 65 and over has also been shown because this is the usual basis on which geriatric bed provision is planned.former have to be sold to make the feedstock competitive.

I have been asked to reply.This is one of the questions which I expect the Petrochemicals Sector Working Party will be examining.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give his estimate of the annual United Kingdom ethylene capacity, the capacity of new plant under construction or planned, and of the projected growth of ethylene consumption.

I have been asked to reply.Present United Kingdom ethylene capacity is 1·6 million tonnes per annum. The ICI-BP cracker under construction on Teesside will increase capacity by a further 500,000 tonnes per annum. Growth in consumption can be expected to reflect the expansion in the United Kingdom economy and in world trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will assess the current ethylene production (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in Western Europe, and the demand in the two sectors.

I have been asked to reply.In 1977, United Kingdom ethylene production was 1·16 million tonnes. 1977 Western European ethylene production figures are not available, but figures collected by the European Council of Chemical Manufacturers Federations (CEFIC) show that consumption was 10·37 million tonnes, with a forecast for 1981 of 12·6 million tonnes. Forecasts of United Kingdom ethylene production and consumption are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what, he assesses, is the state of the ethylene market in Western Europe and the future trend.

I have been asked to reply.I understand that there is current overcapacity in the ethylene market throughout Western Europe. The future depends on how far and how fast there is a resumption of general economic growth.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will indicate the percentage of total ethylene production in the United Kingdom from (a) naphtha, (b) gas oil, and (c) other feedstock; and what proportions he envisages for 1985.

I have been asked to reply.My Department does not collect statistics on feedstocks used for the manufacture of ethylene. I understand however, that at present all existing crackers in the United Kingdom use naphtha feedstock but that in the future companies are likely to incorporate some flexibility to use other feedstocks.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether Government policy recommending four ethylene crackers by 1985 has now been abandoned; and if he will indicate what his revised figure is for the mid-1980s.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next plans to meet the Metropolitan Police to discuss a revision of the establishment level of the force.

The results of the studies to be carried out by the Metropolitan Police, referred to in my reply on 3rd March to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Cunningham) will be relevant to any revision of the force establishment.—[Vol. 945, c. 399–400.] When I have these, and in the light of other relevant factors, including the recruitment situation at the time, the Commissioner and I will consider what further action is needed towards reviewing the force establishment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the rateable value of all the property of the Equal Opportunites Commission.

This is a matter for the Equal Opportunities Commission, which meets the cost of its accommodation from its grant in aid.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the salaries, fees, and allowances of all the members of the Equal Opportunities Commission.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 16th January to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Lewis), about the salaries and expenses of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission.—[Vol. 942, c. 2.]The part-time commissioners receive a daily attendance fee of £17. Expenses necessarily incurred on the Commission's business are re-imbursed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the total expenditure by the Equal Opportunities Commission for each year since its inception and the percentage yearly increase that these figures indicate.

The Equal Opportunities Commission came fully into operation in December 1975. Total expenditure is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of staff on the Equal Opportunities Commission; and how it has increased since its inception.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the number of convictions of licensed taxicab drivers for each of the last five years for (a) overcharging and (b) refusing to be hired; and what was the number of convictions of hirers over the same period for defrauding licensed taxi-cab drivers by non-payment of fares.

The information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many male officers left the service of the West Mercia Police Authority in the last 12 months; how many female officers have left the same service over the same period; and what has been the net effect on numbers in each case.

142 male officers and 31 female officers left the force during the 12 months ended 28th February 1978. After allowing for recruitment there was a net loss of one male officer and a net gain of 31 female officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it was not possible to give longer notice of his intention to raise firearms fees.

Notice was given as soon as the level of fees required to meet increased costs had been determined. Any delay in introducing new fees would have necessitated even higher fees.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the total Cornwall electorate for each year since persons of 18 years of age were allowed the vote.

Electorates for each of the years 1970–73 are published in The Registrar General's Statistical Review of England and Wales, Part II and for subsequent years in the booklet "Electoral statistics England and Wales" published annually by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish figures for the United Kingdom, the Greater London area and the London Borough of Harrow showing, weekly, casualties, fire incidents, cost of fire damage, with note of specially large losses, and other incidents attended during the fire brigades' strike, and similar figures for the corresponding period in 1977.

The information which is available for each week of the firemen's strike and for the corresponding periods one year earlier is given in the tables below. Separate information about the London Borough of Harrow is not available; and information about incidents attended by fire brigades was not collated in the previous year on a basis

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why, in view of the fact that the matter was drawn to her attention by the hon. Member for Ashfield on 15th December, her statement of 8th March indicated that she had only recently become aware of the problems of Sutton Centre School; and when the hon. Member may expect a reply to his letter of 15th December.

I have been fully aware of the concern over Sutton Centre School for several months now, including the issues brought to my attention by the hon. Member in his letter of 15th December 1977, but I wanted to await the results of the inspection undertaken by Her Majesty's inspectorate. I have now written to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the total estimated cost of extending the free school milk service to pupils in full-time education up to the age of 16 years assuming (a) a 60 per cent. take up (b) an 80 per cent. take up and (c) a 100 per cent. take up, taking into account the moneys available from the EEC under the proposed co-responsibility levy and moneys currently available for this purpose from FEOGA.

The information—England and Wales—is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many school pupils over the age of 7 years are provided with daily free school milk on health or social grounds; what is the total cost; what is the annual gallonage involved; and how the current numbers and supply compares with each of the three preceding years for which figures are available.

It is estimated that in the current financial year about 34,000 such pupils in England and Wales will be supplied with 263,000 gallons of milk at a cost of about £235,000. Figures for numbers and supply for earlier years are:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the latest estimate of the annual gallonage of milk provided to children between the age of 5 and 7 years; and what is the latest estimate of the gallonage which would be taken up if the free school milk scheme was extended to all pupils in full-time education up to the age of 16 years.

The estimated annual amount of milk provided free in England and Wales to the duty categories is 16 million gallons. This relates mainly to children between the ages of 5 and 7 but includes some under fives and some older pupils. If free milk were made available to all pupils up to the age of 16 it is estimated that the total annual consumption of milk would rise to 50 million gallons.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she expects to receive and make a statement on the study report on the question of fares for school transport and the three-mile limit.

I received the report this week and have had copies placed in the Library today. Revised proposals for school transport are now being prepared for consideration by local education authorities, transport undertakings and other interested bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out the trades for which courses are available at the Kidbrooke and Charlton skill-centres.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the following trades are available at the Kidbrooke Skillcentre annexe:

• Bricklaying (2 classes)
• Carpentry and Joinery (2 classes)
• Motor Vehicle Repair and Maintenance (2 classes)

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places are now available at the Charlton and Kidbrooke skillcentres; and how many of these had been taken up at the latest convenient date.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on 15th March 1978 all the 80 places available at Kidbrooke skillcentre annexe had been taken up. Training at the Charlton skillcentre is not expected to start until June 1978. When fully operational 122 training places will be available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is now in a position to publish the report by the Health and Safety Commission on Hazards in Conventional Energy Production.

The report is being published today and I am arranging for copies to be available in the Library and in the Vote Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement setting out the reasons why there has been such a delay in making pay awards due on 1st January 1978 to employees of the Construction Industry Training Board, bearing in mind that his Department has already issued guidances on the matter both directly to the industry training board and through the Training Services Agency.

It was necessary to clarify the original proposals put forward by the Construction Industry Training Board before approval could be given. Because of the complexities of the proposals officials of my Department met representatives of the Board on 16th February 1978 and the necessary approval was given by the end of that month. Implementation of the pay award is a matter for the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is aware that since 1974 unemployment has increased by 900,000 to 1·5 million, that in January 1978 it was the highest since 1940, that the number of school leavers was up by nearly 60,000 to more than 600,000; what action he has taken or intends taking to deal with this problem; and what successes he has had with actions already taken.

I am aware of the serious unemployment situation and that the number of school leavers wanting employmetn and training has been increasing.On 15th March my right hon. Friend informed the House of further steps which should increase the support for jobs or training places from the present 320,000 to 400,000 by March 1979. A range of opportunities for unemployed young people to improve their employment prospects will be provided under the youth opportunities programme which will become fully operational in September 1978.

asked the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to the reply of the Minister of State to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton) Official Report, 16th January, column 25, if he will confirm that persons such as students and second home owners who are registered to vote in both Scotland and Wales will be entitled to cast their votes in both the proposed referendums in the respective countries; and if this will also include any citizens of the Irish Republic who are currently living in Scotland or Wales.

The people eligible to vote in the referendums will be those who would be entitled to vote in parliamentary elections in Scotland and in Wales, plus peers.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what investigations are being made by his Department or by bodies responsible to his Department into the possibilities of alternative nuclear fuel cycles, such as that based on thorium and uranium.

Alternative fuel cycles are the subject of continuous consideration by most of the major nuclear power organisations in the world. In the United Kingdom most of these investigations are carried out by the Atomic Energy Authority which has studied uranium/plutonium and thorium/uranium fuel cycles and mixtures of the two in relation to various types of nuclear reactor. Its efforts in this field are currently concentrated on participation in the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation.The fuel cycle in use throughout the world now is a uranium/plutonium cycle. In order to introduce thorium cycles it is necessary first to recycle plutonium with thorium in a reactor or to make greater use of highly enriched uranium 235. All of these have been studied in the past by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and are currently being re-examined in the context of nuclear weapon proliferation risks.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total number of kilowatt hours from nuclear-generated electricity fed into the grid from 1972 to 1977, and the corresponding contribution from the taxpayer per kilowatt hours for the research and development expenditure.

During the period 1972–77 inclusive 171,457,000,000 kWh, or about 12 per cent. of public electricity supply, was contributed by nuclear power stations in Great Britain. In the financial years 1971–72 to 1976–77 net expenditure by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority on research and development in direct support of the nuclear power programme, including expenditure on specific reactor design and development work in industry, was about £410 million. However, this expenditure was for the most part in aid of future energy supplies and did not correspond directly to current nuclear generation of electricity.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will issue a directive to the generating boards to disclose in their annual reports and accounts the total cumulative sum spent by them on exploitating nuclear energy, and the total cumulative amount of nuclear-generated electricity fed into the grid.

No. The CEGB already publishes figures relating to nuclear expenditure and supply in its annual reports and associated Statistical Yearbook. The Scottish generating boards are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what share he has been allocated from the Department of Eduation and Science out of the £1 million announced by his Department on 26th October 1977 as having been set aside to assist with the preservation of the national heritage.

The share allocated to Wales is £60,000. This will be subject to the appropriate revaluation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total cost of running the Feedingstuffs Sub-Committee of the Veterinary Products Committee, including all main constituent costs of any sort what soever, such as expenditure on its own programmes, wages, rent, heating and lighting and maintenance, in the latest 12 months for which figures are available; and what are the projected costs for 1978–79.

The cost to my Department in the financial year 1976–77 was £1,994. The sum of £2,957 has been allocated for the financial year 1978–79. The increase between these two years is due in part to a change in the arrangement for taxing travelling and subsistence expenses of members of this body.No allowance has been made for expenditure in connection with this body on Ministry salaries and accommodation which would have been incurred whether or not this body existed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total cost of running the Veterinary Products Committee, including all main constituent costs of any sort whatsoever, such as expenditure on its own programmes, wages, rent, heating and lighting and maintenance in the latest 12 months for which figures are available; and what are the projected costs for 1978–79.

The cost to my Department in the financial year 1976–77 was £7,165. The sum of £21,233 has been allocated for the financial year 1978–79. The increase between two years is due in part to a change in the arrangements for taxing travelling and subsistence expenses of members of this body.No allowance has been made for expenditure in connection with this body on Ministry salaries and accommodation which would have been incurred whether or not this body existed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total cost of running the Plant Variety Rights Advisory Panels, including all main constituent costs of any sort whatsoever, such as expenditure on their own programmes, wages, rent, heating and lighting and maintenance, in the latest 12 months for which figures are available; and what are the projected costs for 1978–79.

The expenses incurred in the financial year 1976–77 amounted £913·56. The estimated provision for 1978–79 is £2,100. The increase between these two years is due in part to a change in the arrangements for taxing travelling and subsistence expenses of members of the panels.No allowance has been made for expenditure in connection with the panels on Ministry salaries and accommodation which would have been incurred whether or not they existed.