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

About £64 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make an announcement about the next increase in the television licence fee.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 27th February.—[Vol. 945, col. 4–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many coloured persons are now in post in each of the probation offices which serve Willesden, Southall, Brixton and Bradford.

I understand from the chief probation officers concerned that, including ancillaries, the figures are two, three, none and none, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the recruitment campaign to enrol coloured persons to the probation service suggested in the answer to a Question on 14th April 1976 by the hon. Member for Brent, South has been successful; and if he will make a statement.

The annual advertising campaign designed to attract persons to a career in the Probation and After-Care Service has, since the autumn of 1976, been extended to various ethnic minority newspapers. It will not be possible to assess the effect on recruitment until the completion of current training courses when students apply for appointments to the probation service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are serving sentences for crimes involving the planting of bombs and causing death.

Fifteen prisoners are serving sentences of life imprisonment for murder where death resulted from the planting of bombs. Three other prisoners are serving determinate sentences of imprisonment for offences related to incidents in which bombs were planted and caused death.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women remanded in custody awaiting trial during the past year were subsequently found (a) guilty and (b) not guilty.

The latest available information relates to 1976 and is contained in Table 2.3 of "Report on the Work of the Prison Department 1976: Statistical Tables", Cmnd. 6884.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any of the women who have been remanded in custody at present, or during the last year, were (a) pregnant at the time of remand, (b) took babies into prison during remand, and (c) had babies under three years who were left outside prison during the custodial remand.

I regret that the full information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Of those women who were in custody on remand in Prison Department establishments on 16th March 1978, 15 were known to be pregnant and 42 had stated that they were mothers of children under three years old. There were two women who had their babies with them on the same date; there were no others in the preceding 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women have been remanded in custody awaiting trial (a) at present and (b) during the last year.

On 28th February there were 169 females in Prison Department establishments awaiting trial. The latest available information on the number of women received into custody to await trial relates to 1976 and is contained in Table 2.3 of "Report on the Work of the Prison Department 1976: Statistical Tables", Cmnd. 6884.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to introduce legislation to seek to reform the Official Secrets Act.

Not until we have published a White Paper and had the benefit of any comments that are made on it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the statutes which confer on citizens of the United Kingdom the opportunity of taking cases against the Government in relation to electoral law to an international court.

I am not aware of any statutes in this category, but if the hon. Member would care to provide examples of the situation he has in mind I will took into the question further.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the proportion of cases in which the accused has been found guilty by stipendiary magistrates hearing cases arising from Grunwick incidents and the proportions of those found guilty by justices of the peace.

The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, since the statistics collected centrally do not contain details; of the circumstances of offences and do not distinguish cases heard by stipendiary magistrates from those heard by lay justices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report the cost of keeping a young person in (a) a community school, (b) detention centre, and (c) borstal, for a one-year period; and if he has any statistics relating to subsequent reconviction rates of young people in each of these categories.

In 1975–76, the last financial year for which full details are available, the average annual cost of keeping a young male in a borstal or young prisoners centre was £4,461 and in a detention centre £4,381. The cost of keeping girls in borstals cannot be distinguished from costs in other female establishments where the average cost was £5,265. Reconviction rates for persons released from borstals and detention centres in the years 1970 to 1973 appear in Tables 8.4 and 8.6 of Cmnd. 6884.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services tells me that separate information is not available about the cost of community homes with education on the premises—formerly approved schools. The average cost of maintaining a child in all types of community homes in England and Wales in 1975–76 was £3,545. This figure excludes administration costs and takes no account of parental contribution. There are no comparable national statistics of reconviction rates for community homes with education.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment of the reasons for officers leaving the service of the West Mercia Police Authority during the last 12 months.

I am in no position to give reasons other than those stated in my reply to the hon. Member's Question on 20th March, which are similar to those given in other forces in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to take any further action on kerb crawling to protect users of the streets from persistent importuning.

The Government have accepted in principle the recommendations of the Working Party on Vagrancy and Street Offences on this subject, but we must await an opportunity for legislation.

asked the Lord President of the Council what studies he has made to project the future profits or losses of the Refreshment Department; and what conclusions these studies have produced.

The Catering Sub-Committee has been constantly seeking to improve the present extremely unsatisfactory financial position of the Refreshment Department. In this connection, it has had regular consultations with the Chief Secretary and myself. Since the Mikardo Report on House catering, a Financial Controller has been appointed, and the committee has had a series of studies carried out of the profitability of the various facilities provided, and of other financial aspects of House catering. The aim is to put to the House a considered plan which will set the finances of the Department on a satisfactory long-term basis.

asked the Lord President of the Council what are the major factors in the increases in Refreshment Department losses since 1974.

The principal factors which have lead to this deterioration are rises in wage costs, including those arising from the introduction of a double shift system; interest on the bank overdraft; and the increasing effect on a labour-intensive service of having to cater for unpredictable and widely fluctuating daily levels of demand.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will state his official engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements on 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister what are his official engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 21st March 1978.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 21st March 1978.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his public engagements for 21st March 1978.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements on 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 21st March 1978.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 21st March.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official arrangements for 21st March.

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

asked the Prime Minister when he next intends to meet the CBI.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the CBI.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet leaders of the Confederation of British Industries.

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

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the TUC and CBI.

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

asked the Prime Minister when next he intends to meet the leaders of the TUC.

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

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the TUC.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave him on 28th February.

asked the Prime Minister when he next intends to visit New York.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East (Mr. Lamond) on 16th March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will dismiss the Secretary of State for Industry.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Griffiths) on 16th March.

asked the Prime Minister if he has any plans to seek to visit Japan.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the heads of nationalised industries.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Thornaby (Mr. Wrigglesworth) on 1st December.

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with the progress made in the last 12 months towards more open government.

Yes. The first review of the effects of my statement in the debate on the Address on 24th November 1976 shows an encouraging trend in the amount of material published.

asked the Minister if he will visit Essex.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his speech on law and order made in Cardiff on 3rd March 1978.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his public speech on law and order made in Cardiff on 3rd March 1978.

I did so on 6th March.

asked the Prime Minister if, in the light of the Price Commission report on commuter rail fares, he will now transfer responsibility for this matter from the Department of Transport to the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston, North (Mr. Atkins) on 14th March.

asked the Prime Minister what issues he expects to discuss when he next meets the President of the United States of America.

In our talks in Washington on 23rd March, I expect to review with the President political and economic developments in a variety of areas.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Social Services.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Stechford (Mr. MacKay) on 16th March.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will, as a matter of routine, make available in the Library a list of his public engagements on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a list of his visits to overseas capitals and copies of speeches made within the previous four weeks.

Copies of speeches are placed in the Library and visits to overseas capitals are always made known. I do not think we need depart from the present arrangements for other engagements.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the National Union of Mineworkers' leaders; and if he will make a statement.

I met some of the leaders of the NUM when I addressed the Durham Miners' Gala on 16th July and when I spoke at the Coal Industry Society lunch on 13th December.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what administration and other action he is taking to carry out the recommendations of the Porchester Report regarding Exmoor.

I told the House on 29th November last that my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food would be giving urgent consideration to Lord Porchester's recommendations for conserving the exceptionally important areas of moorland on Exmoor.I should like to thank all those bodies which were consulted at very short notice and whose comments have helped my right hon. Friends in reaching their own conclusions. It is clear that Lord Porchester's closely argued and balanced recommendations have been welcomed in principle by all those who care for Exmoor, even if they may have some reservations about specific aspects of the proposals.My right hon. Friends particularly welcome the prompt and positive response of the Exmoor National Park Committee to Lord Porchester's report. The Committee has already arranged to carry out the survey and prepare the maps which Lord Porchester suggested. The maps will identify the heartland and other areas of moor and heath of exceptional value which ought, if humanly possible, to be secured for all time; and the wider area of moor and heath which may need to be conserved and managed but where there will not be such a strong presumption against moorland conversion. In this context, the Committee has formally adopted the policy objectives proposed to them by Lord Porchester. It has also taken first steps toward establishing a standing advisory committee of all users of the moor which will help it to reach a balanced view on the best interests of conservation and the social and economic life of the area.For their part, my right hon. Friends accept the recommendations which Lord Porchester addressed to them with a very few reservations. Thus, they have concluded that it would be appropriate for them to decide jointly whether to confirm any moorland conservation orders made by the National Park Authority in order to protect specific areas of moorland and to be able to initiate such orders themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why maintenance payments are not taken into account when calculating rate rebate.

The statutory rate rebate scheme as laid down in the Rate Rebate Regulations 1974, and subsequent amendments, does not at present allow for maintenance payments made by an applicant to be taken into account when calculating his entitlement to rebate. My right hon. Friend recognises that this may sometimes give rise to problems and is currently considering whether any changes ought to be made to the rate rebate scheme to deal with this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will produce a statement, by individual local authorities receiving needs element of rate support grant, showing how the actual distribution of needs element for 1978–79 compares with the distribution which would have taken place if the 1977–78 distribution formula had been applied to 1978–79.

The table below shows in terms of rate poundage equivalents the estimated changes in authorities needs element entitlements as a result of the replacement of the 1977–78 rate support grant arrangements by those for 1978–79. Final figures are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress his Department has made with the review of travelling and subsistence allowances for local councillors announced in November 1976.

Following the statement I made on 22nd November 1976 in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Mr. Edge), discussions have taken place between representatives of Government Departments and of the local authority associations about members' travelling and

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list in the Official Report the total sum of rate support grant for the years 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78 and 1978–79, respectively, measured both at current and at fixed prices which have been made available to the Lancashire County Council.

The total sums of rate support grant which have been made available to Lancashire County Council for the years 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78 and 1978–79, respectively, measured both at outturn and at 1975–76 fixed prices, are as follows:subsistence allowances.—[Vol. 919, c.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will reach a decision on the Ealing Town Centre Plan.

As I stated in reply to a Question by the hon. Member on 28th November 1977, my right hon. Friend is considering the matter and will announce his decision as soon as possible.—[Vol. 940, c. 74.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of total local authority revenue is accounted for by charges other than rent, charges for school meals and charges for school transport.

Income from sales, fees and charges—excluding rent and school meals and school transport charges—represents between 6 per cent. and 7 per cent. of total local authority income from sales, fees and charges, Government grants and subsidies and rates.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he now intends to take action about water authority representation at Kyoto.

This is essentially a matter for the water authorities themselves. It is up to them to take a view as to appropriate representation at this important conference. I have no locus over the number of officers they send. My attention has been drawn, however, to the fact that there is some legal doubt as to their powers to send members. In these circumstances, I have issued a general sanction permitting the atten- dance of up to three members. Water authorities which wish to send more will have to convince me that they have a good case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied with progress under the Community Land Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

I expect local authorities in England to have disposed of a further 350 to 400 acres of development land under the scheme by the end of this financial year, at a value of about £4 million. 1977 was a specially difficult year for the Community Land Scheme, but the outlook is now much better. With larger resources available in the coming financial year, I am now rescinding the earlier constraints on loan sanctions—in GNLAs 12 and 14. A further communication to local authorities, GNLA 17, to be issued in the next few days, will bring this into effect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, for each county and district where appropriate, the amount spent on coastal erosion work, for each of the last three years, and what proportion was borne respectively by his Department, by county councils and by district councils.

The Department has no records of the apportionment between county councils and district councils or of the amount spent on routine maintenance, and this information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.The overall figures of capital expenditure and grant aid on schemes approved under the Coast Protection Act 1949 for the last three financial years are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will initiate an inquiry into the health hazards arising from the outfall of flood water from the River Lee and untreated sewage and waste in close proximity to new council housing in the London borough of Haringey.

My inquiries have not revealed any health hazards from these causes, but if my hon. Friend has any particular incident in mind and will let me have details I shall look into the matter further.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to which authority as having the riparian responsibility for the river bank and tow-path reconstruction for those parts of the River Lee which pass through the London borough of Haringey he will be making funds available; and if it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to support the use of funds for this purpose during the current year.

The Government do not make specific grants for river bank maintenance or towpath reconstruction, and they have no plans to do so in respect of those adjacent to the River Lee in the London borough of Haringey.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if application has been made to him by the Greater London Council for the sale of council houses now being constructed by the Greater London Council on the Ferry Lane Estate in the London borough of Haringey; and if he will make a statement as to the criteria which will need to be satisfied before he endorses their application.

The GLC has not applied to my right hon. Friend for consent to dispose of dwellings on the Ferry Lane Estate, Haringey. They would not need to do so if their proposal fell within the ministerial consents for such sales which are already available to them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he accepts the finding of the Fraenkel Report in regard to the British Waterways Board; and if he will make a statement;

These raise matters on which the recent Select Committee on Nationalised Industries Report on the British Waterways Board makes recommendations. The Government will be stating their position on that report as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to provide the necessary financial support to local authorities which made promises to purchase the houses of owner/occupiers or tenants who need rehousing following the death of a close relative, in view of the anxiety and suffering caused by the inability to make a change in accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

Resources for the acquisition of existing dwellings are included in the block allocations made to local authorities, and the cost of such acquisitions ranks for housing subsidy. It is a matter for individual authorities to decide how the available resources are utilised.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will detail in the Official Report the manner in which married women currently at home caring for young children or elderly persons, who when last in work paid reduced national insurance contributions and do not plan to work in the next few years, can use their current period of home responsibility to qualify for home responsibility credit under the Social Security Pension Act 1975.

For details of the categories covered by home responsibilities protection in draft regulations which were laid before the House on Friday 24th February, I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for East Kilbride (Dr. Miller) on the same date.—[Vol. 944, c. 836.] The new provisions will not apply to married women or widows who have retained their right to pay reduced rate national insurance contributions—reduced liability. If a married woman or widow who has retained the right to reduced liability wishes to be covered by the home responsibilities provisions from the beginning of the new pension scheme, she must choose full liability before 6th April 1978. A married woman can do this by completing form CF9, the back page of leaflet Nil, and a widow by completing form CF9A, the back page of leaflet NI51. The forms should be sent to the local social security office to reach there before 6th April 1978.Further details of the home responsibility protection provisions are contained in leaflet NP27. These leaflets can be obtained from social security offices, which should be consulted without delay by any woman who is in doubt about her position.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has for furthering the transferability of occupational pension rights.

Under the contracting-out provisions of the Government's new pension scheme commencing next month, if a Member of a contracted-out occupational scheme changes his employment before State pension age, accrued pension rights corresponding to the additional pension under the State scheme will be not only preserved but also effectively increased in value to reflect the increase in national average earnings up to State pension age.This is a major advance in statutory provision for preservation or transfer of pension rights. But it applies compulsorily only to that part of the occupational pension accruing from April 1978 onwards which replaces the earnings-related element of the State pension. The Government are anxious to see further progress towards the maintenance of occupational pension rights, whether by transfer of rights between schemes or by enhancement of the value of preserved rights.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is his policy to impose on young people in institutions of further education such regulations as may compel them to leave their courses when examinations are pending.

In general, students aged under 19 on non-advanced further education courses are dependants of their parents for social security purposes, not claimants in their own right. But, exceptionally, unemployed young people who have completed their normal education may continue to get supplementary benefit if, while looking for work, they take a part-time course of study not normally leading to formal examinations. The Supplementary Benefits Commission makes it a condition of receiving benefit in these circumstances that the young person has to take up suitable work at once if it becomes available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many acute medical beds there were in Cornwall per 1,000 population and per 1,000 retired

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the number of administrators employed by his Department has risen from 78,826 in 1974 to 94,287 in 1978.

The rise has resulted primarily from the increase in the number of claimants to social security benefits, but many extra staff have also been required for the major improvements, such as the new child benefit scheme and various benefits for the disabled, introduced during the last few years and for the preparatory work on new pensions. In addition, helped by improved recruitment, it has been possible to fill about 3,000 posts, previously occupied by casual clerical staff, with permanent staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what computer spare capacity exists within the National Health Service accessible to the Prescription Pricing Authority; how many clerical staff are at present engaged in processing prescription forms; what is the total number of scripts being processed; and if he will make a statement.

Some spare computer capacity exists at certain installations within the National Health Service which in the main would be expected to be absorbed by the forecast work loads of the relevant authorities. It is not acces-

The information requested is as follows:sible to the Prescription Price Authority because that authority at present has no economic means of presenting prescription data in a form suitable for pricing by computer.A specially prepared small sample of prescription data is processed by a departmental computer to provide required statistical information only. An experiment is now to be undertaken which, if successful, will lead to the designing of a computer system for pricing and otherwise processing prescription data. The PPA, its staff and those to whom it is responsible for providing a service would the all need to be assured that any installation where prescription data was to be processed would be geographically accessible and capable of providing the necessary substantial resources, with the appropriate high degree of priority, over a long and continuous period. It is unlikely that any such assurances could be given unless the installation or installations in question were under the PPA's immediate managerial control.Out of the PPA's total staff complement of 1,928 at 31st December 1977, there were 1,784 clerical staff employed on prescription processing. During the year ending 31st December 1977 about 196 million forms were processed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the progress of the Motor Industry Research Association study commissioned by his Department and the Department of Transport of road vehicles of help to disabled people.

While this important study is still at an early stage, useful progress as been made. My Department is, of course, co-operating fully with the project team. As my hon. Friend will appreciate, there is a great deal of ground to cover, and the study is expected to take about one year to complete. I shall make a further statement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many full-time equivalent occupational therapists are employed in each local authority social services department; and how many vacancies for occupational therapists exist.

The whole-time equivalent numbers of qualified occupational therapists are given below. The numbers of vacancies are not collected by my department.