asked the Lord President of the Council whether, in the Government's forthcoming Bill to deal with hon. Members' pensions, he will ensure that this is based upon the principle that hon. Members receive no more or less than that granted already to all civil servants, police and other public servants, including the right to pensions at 60 years of age, with full service being pensionable and redundancy payments on the same basis as that for the employees of Swan Hunter and the British Steel Corporation.

No. The terms of the Parliamentary Pension Scheme must be related to the circumstances of service in Parliament and the wishes of the House as expressed from time to time.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the consequences for agriculture of the flooding and severe weather this winter.

Gales and floods followed by blizzards between November and February this winter have caused widespread damage to agriculture and horticulture throughout Great Britain. The direct damage was mainly to fixed equipment and livestock. Loss of income on milk sales and future yields from livestock and crops will also be substantial. Farmers have also lost stock-in-trade such as feedingstuffs, and suffered damage to their homes and domestic goods.I should like to pay tribute to local authorities and to the Defence Services for their efforts to relieve distress. As announced on 20th February, in a Press Notice issued by my Department, the Government propose to meet the appropriate part of the cost of the arrangements made to drop fodder to livestock at risk.The full extent of all the agricultural damage cannot be known for some time. Fortunately, much of it has been minor in relation to the operations of individual farming enterprises, but some farmers and growers have suffered very severe losses. My advisory staff have been in touch with farmers and growers from the outset to help them assess the damage and make plans to get back into production. It is clear that the most severe losses have been on land affected by sea water and to farm buildings, glasshouses, fences and roads and to breeding animals.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to inject cash into the hill livestock producing industry before the March 1979 introduction of increased hill livestock compensation amounts; and what effects he estimates that the delay in implementing these new hill livestock compensatory rates will have on the industry.

The Government will review the economic position of hill farmers in the United Kingdom in the autumn and determine whether any change should be made in the hill livestock compensatory allowances due at the beginning of next year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect he calculates that the fall in value of the pound sterling has had on the value of payments due to be made to hill farmers under hill livestock compensatory amounts following the green pound devaluation of 2nd February 1978.

Neither the fall in the value of the pound sterling nor the devaluation of the green pound has had any direct effect on the rates or values of the hill livestock compensatory allowances payable in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for ensuring that the effects of the revaluation of the green pound will be extended to cover grants paid to farmers under the farm and horticultural development scheme.

The procedure for applying changes in exchange rates to the agricultural structures policy has recently been set out in EEC Regulation 129/78. The effect of this is that amounts expressed in units of account in instruments relating to this policy will generally be converted into national currencies at the representative rate obtaining on 1st January of the year during which the decision to grant aid is taken. The recent devaluation will thus be reflected in grants paid to farmers from 1st January 1979.

asked the Secretary of State of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set out in the Official Report a table showing far each of the member States of the European Economic Community (a) the anticipated difference between the latest rates and the green currency rates based on the new European unit of account and (b) the present differences between the market price and the green currency rates based on the European unit of account.

This information is set out below. Table A shows the percentages which would have been used for the calculation of monetary compensatory amounts from 20th March had the European unit of account been introduced into the common agricultural policy from that date on the assumption that 1 EUA = 1 UA and that existing green rates were unaffected. Table B shows the percentages actually used as the basis for MCAs from that date.

TABLE A		per cent.
Belgium/Luxembourg	…	19·7
Denmark	…	+11·2
Germany	…	+25·4
France	…	+0·4
Ireland	…	+12·2
Italy	…	+2·6
Netherlands	…	+20·1
United Kingdom	…	-10·7
		(-2·4)

TABLE B		per cent.
Belgium/Luxembourg	…	+1·4
Denmark	…	Nil
Germany	…	+7·5
France	…	-23·0
Ireland	…	-7·2
Italy	…	-19·9
Netherlands	…	+1·4
United Kingdom	…	-35·1
		(-25·0)

NOTES

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is in a position to make a further statement about the assistance which will be given to local authorities and farmers who have suffered losses as a consequence of the storms and floods this winter.

Scotland suffered severely from both flooding in the south and exceptionally heavy snow in the Highlands during this winter. The full extent of the damage caused by the storms will not be known for some time. Until the losses incurred by various sections of the community in the areas affected have been accurately assessed, it is not possible to decide how to allocate the financial assistance which can be made available.Nevertheless, it is already clear that some local authorities have incurred heavy additional expenditure in dealing with the storms and their aftermath. I have already announced that I shall give local authorities a special grant of 75 per cent. on additional costs over a reasonable threshold. The grant will be paid on expenditure which exceeds the equivalent of 2·27 times the standard penny rate product for the authority—or the actual rate product if it is higher. This is the figure which, in terms of the burden on the individual ratepayer in 1977–78, is equivalent to the threshold of a 1p rate product which is being applied to local authorities in England and Wales.I recognise that, despite this help, some authorities will have to bear exceptionally heavy costs and may require extra assistance. The Government have considered carefully how best to use the assistance which has been promised by the EEC. They have concluded that it should he used partly to give further assistance to those authorities which have exceptionally heavy costs to bear, even after the special 75 per cent. grant, and partly to assist farmers who have suffered severe losses of livestock.Although the full extent of agricultural damage is not yet known, much of it has been relatively minor. Some farmers, however, have suffered considerable damage or loss. This has mainly been livestock, fences and floodbanks—the last especially in the Borders. It is, of course, a firm principle that the Government do not pay compensation for losses due to natural hazards, especially in food production where the weather is a factor to be taken into account every year; nor do they cover insurable risks. Nevertheless, the Government have concluded that assistance should be given to those farmers who have suffered substantial losses.Acting jointly with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, I have already made an order providing on a temporary basis 50 per cent. grants towards the restoration of land affected by flooding. I hope that Parliament will approve this after the recess. On the same basis, I now propose that grants at the rate of 60 per cent. of approved expenditure should be made toward the cost of replacing and reconditioning farm buildings, compared with rates of between 20 per cent. and 40 per cent. under the existing capital grant schemes; grants of 50 per cent. in the lowlands and 70 per cent. in the hills toward the restoration of farm fences, and roads, against 20 per cent. to 50 per cent., at present; and to raise the rates of grant for arterial drainage works in Scotland to 75 per cent. and 85 per cent.—from 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. This will be a major contribution toward necessary investment in the businesses worst affected.So far as losses of livestock are concerned, the Presidents of the National Farmers Unions have indicated that farmers intend to initiate measures of self-help, including a Great Britain fund for contributions toward especially heavy losses of livestock. The Government welcome this initiative and the Agriculture Departments are ready to help with the verification and payment of claims according to agreed criteria for assistance. A contribution to this fund will be made out of the assistance made available by the EEC. Meantime, my officials, in consultation with the National Farmers Union of Scotland, will prepare more precise estimates of the losses incurred.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the waiting list for admission to geriatric beds in Glasgow.

The figure at 31st December 1977 was 252, of which 102 were for geriatric assessment beds and 150 for geriatric long-stay beds.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the remit and function of the Hill Farming Advisory Committee.

The statutory function of the Hill Farming Advisory Committee for Scotland is to advise the Secretary of State for Scotland on the exercise of his powers under the Hill Farming and Livestock Rearing Acts 1946–59. The Committee's remit has been extended informally to include any other matters relating to hill fanning that may be referred to the Committee by the Secretary of State.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish the agendas and items of discussion undertaken by the Hill Fanning Advisory Committee in its 1976 and 1977 meetings; and what written material or reports it has furnished to his Department;(2) what representations and recommendations have been submitted to him by the Hill Farming Advisory Committee.

The Committee last met in 1976. At its meeting in 1975, the Committee discussed the implementation of the EEC directive on fanning in less-favoured areas. At its meeting in 1976, the Committee discussed the regulations by which the directive was being implemented in the United Kingdom, and their operation, and the marketing of store cattle in Scotland. The Committee has not produced any written reports on that period. My Department has, however, taken account of the views of members in administering the schemes on which the Committee's advice was sought.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further steps he is prepared to take to arrest the continuing decline of the Scottish pig herd; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend and I are very much aware of the decline in the pig herd in Scotland and in the United Kingdom as a whole, and the Government have drawn particular attention to this in pressing the case in the Council of Ministers for a reduction in the level of monetary compensatory amounts for pigmeat. We have succeeded in obtaining some lowering of these subsidies, and we shall continue to argue for a change in the way in which they are calculated.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has made any estimate of the time required between notice of the referendum on the Scotland Bill and the actual poll.

No. This will depend on factors which can only be assessed once the Bill has made further progress in Parliament towards Royal Assent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Social Work Services Group has investigated the continuity of supervision in each region; if he will publish figures showing in percentage terms where there has been one or more changes in the supervising social worker during the currency of supervision orders; and if any recommendations or directions have been made to social work directors thereanent.

Information is not available centrally on the frequency of changes in the supervising social worker during the currency of supervision orders. The main factors which have increased the frequency of staff changes in recent years are the secondment of staff for training and the development of services requiring the creation of new posts. Local authorities are fully aware of the need to secure the maximum level of continuity of supervision consistent with the, other demands made upon their staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportions of referrals to children's hearings in 1975, 1976 and 1977 related to offences committed by children while on weekend or other leave from List D schools and by children who had absconded or overstayed their leave.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is now in a position to make a final announcement on future financial and administrative arrangements for List D schools.

My right hon. Friend has only recently received comments on his consultative memorandum from the last of the interested organisations and will not be able to announce his conclusions until the consultations are complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many List D places are available; and how many committal applications made by children's hearings were outstanding as at 31st December 1977.

1,626 places and 103 firm applications for admission.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for the installation of lighting on the M85 at Friarton Bridge, Perth.

It is not intended to provide street lighting on this new bridge, which should present no more hazards than a normal stretch of trunk road.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what working parties have been formed to review the operations of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968; what recommendations have been made regarding the powers available to children's hearings; what consultations are in progress; and when legislation is envisaged.

The operation of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 is kept under review by my Department and by the Advisory Council on Social Work in consultation with other interests. My right hon. Friend is considering the comments received from the Council and a number of other bodies which have been consulted about possible changes in the powers of children's hearings. Consultations are also in progress on recommendations on this subject contained in the recent reports of the Committee on Truancy and Indiscipline in Schools, the Committee on Reparation and the Working Party on Football Crowd Behaviour. Some of the possible changes which have been suggested would require legislation, and my right hon. Friend will announce his proposals in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Kelvingrove on 13th March, if he will list in the Official Report any road or section of road in Scotland on which the traffic flow figures equals or exceed the lower design flow figures given in that answer.

The sections of road which have reached or exceeded their lower design flow figures are as follows:

Dual 2-lane all purpose with 7·3 metre wide carriageways
A90	Edinburgh city boundary to Forth road bridge.
A8	Edinburgh city boundary to Newbridge.
A8	West of Newhouse to Glasgow city boundary.
A74	English border to Dumfries and Galloway-Strathclyde regional boundary.
A80	Glasgow city boundary to Cumbernauld.

All are well within the upper design flow figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the level of waiting lists of psychogeriatric patients for each of the appropriate hospitals in the Greater Glasgow Health Board area, giving a breakdown of the waiting list by: (a) sex, (b) those living at home and (c) those living in another hospital or institution.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the level of real expenditure in each of the last 10 years on the provision of facilities for psychogeriatric patients in the Greater Glasgow Health Board area, taking 1970 as base 100, and indicating how many extra places were provided in each of these years.

Accounts of health boards are maintained on a hospital basis and it is not possible to identify the cost of particular specialties within the total. Patient statistics for the psychogeratric specialty were not collected prior to 1975–76. The numbers of staffed beds available since then were:

1975–76			399
1976–77	…	…	415
1977–78 (estimated)	…	…	420

asked the Attorney-General what study he has made of the judgment of the European Court in the case of the Italian Tax Administration and S.A. Simmenthal, Monza, that existing European Economic Community law overrides subsequent law enacted by national Parliaments; and if he will make a statement.

The judgment of the European Court in Amministrazione delle Finanze dello Stato v. S.p.A. Simmenthal is not yet available in English, and I have read only the summary of the judgment printed in The Times on 13th March 1978. The principle of priority of directly applicable Community law over national law enunicated by the European Court appears to accord with my understanding of the impact of that law as indicated in previous decisions of the Court.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he remains satisfied with the recruitment into the administrative trainee grade of the Home Civil Service.

Yes. However, as stated most recently in the Government's Observations on the Eleventh Report of the Expenditure Committee—Cmnd. 7117—the administration trainee entry is currently the subject of review by an interdepartmental committee. The committee will be considering not only the recruitment of graduates into the administration group of the Home Civil Service but also the parallel question of the identification and development of officers of high potential already serving.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents there are in a year involving failure of tyres; how many of these incidents involve remoulded tyres; and if he will provide separate figures for lorries.

I regret that such information is not available on a national basis because the resources required to conduct the necessary in-depth investigations would be disproportionate to the benefits that might be expected. However, localised investigations are conducted by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory into the causes of road accidents, and I refer my hon. Friend to its leaflet LF 392 issue 2, published in April 1975, which contains some information on the contribution of tyre defects to the road accidents investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be able to issue a statement on drivers' overnight accommodation.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave my hon. Friend on 15th March.—[Vol. 946 c. 244–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what response there has been to his announcements on 16th February and 8th March that the Government would be refunding part of the vehicle excise duty paid by those who were misled by a reminder form at the time of the Budget Statement on 29th March 1977; and whether he is now in a position to make an estimate of the likely cost of the repayments and of the administration of the scheme.

Up to this morning, we had received 115,000 requests for claim forms. More may come before 7th April, the closing date for asking for forms. I cannot make any very accurate estimate of total costs until we have received and verified a representative number of claims. But at the present rate of application it seems possible that repayments will be around £1 million. The costs of advertising, publicity and administration are likely to add about 25 per cent. to that figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects that his first annual White Paper on roads and the White Paper on the review of highway inquiry procedures will be published.

Very shortly after the Easter Recess, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I will be presenting the White Paper on highway inquiry procedures jointly.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will now provide increased assistance in the form of medical care for chest diseases in those developing countries where promotional campaigns to sell cigarettes have been increased.

Aid projects concerned with medical care relate to the health programmes of the developing countries themselves. My Ministry has funded research programmes which seek to improve the control and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in developing countries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made any decision about the allocation of the funds the European Economic Community have offered for the alleviation of damage caused by the recent bad weather; and if he will make a statement.

The damage caused by the severe weather between November and February this winter has affected, in varying degrees, many of the people who live and have their livelihood in areas which bore the brunt of the storms.The full extent of the damage cannot be known for some time, but it is already clear that some local authorities, in bearing the main burden of dealing with the emergencies in their areas, will incur heavy and unexpected costs in restoring essential services and giving relief to those in need.My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have already announced that the Government will give special financial assistance at the rate of 75 per cent. of their expenditure beyond the product of a 1p rate to those local authorities which would otherwise have to bear an undue burden.The Government have given very careful consideration to the best use which can be made of the extra assistance provided by the EEC and have concluded that, apart from special assistance to farmers, who have suffered particularly severe livestock losses, the fund should provide further help to the most severely affected local authorities in the northwest, east, south-east and south-west of England and in Wales which have already demonstrated their need by incurring exceptional expenditure beyond the product of a 1p rate. The EEC money will be used to top up the United Kingdom Government's own assistance and will be distributed according to the severity of the burden remaining to be borne by local ratepayers. The amount of EEC money to be allocated to local authorities will be determined when the losses to agriculture and other interests respectively have been assessed.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is making a statement about the allocation of the EEC funds in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he plans to meet the officers of Friends of the Earth concerning their publication "What choice Windscale"; and when.

No. The argument which is set out was examined very fully in the course of Mr. Justice Parker's Inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has conducted in the field of toxic waste disposal.

A large-scale research programme was initiated by the Department in 1973 into the disposal of waste as landfill with special reference to toxic wastes. The report on this research, which was undertaken jointly by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, the Water Research Centre and the Natural Environment Research Council's Institute of Geological Sciences, will be published soon. I shall arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish a committee of inquiry to examine the safety aspects of the current methods and techniques of toxic waste disposal.

Expert committees, including both official and independent members, have already advised on the safe disposal of a wide range of toxic wastes. Copies of their reports, published in this Department's series of waste management papers, have been placed in the Library of the House. Reports on some other toxic wastes are expected within the next 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many licences have been granted in the West Midlands County Council area for poisonous waste disposal; and how many indictments and convictions there have been under Parts I and II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 in this area.

Sixty-nine licences have so far been granted, but not all of these would necessarily cover toxic waste. There have been no proceedings under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 in the area.

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

Under the rent rebate, rent allowance, and rate rebate schemes the income of such persons is assessed in certain circumstances, usually when they are married to or living with the tenant or occupier. Such assessments may also possibly be made for the purpose of house renovation grants, at local authorities' discretion, in cases of potential hardship.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will hold consultations with the West Midlands County Council and the Walsall Borough Council with the view to achieving an agreed policy for the preservation of the interim green belt extending between Aldridge and Walsall.

Policies for the preservation of areas of green belt are matters for inclusion in structure plans prepared by the county councils in consultation with the district councils and approved by the Secretary of State. In 1975 the Secretary of State directed that green belt submissions which were, or might be, contentious should be approved as interim green belt only until firm decisions could be taken in the new structure and local plans. It is hoped that the appropriate structure plan covering Aldridge and Walsall will be approved in the near future.The final definition of green belt boundaries is for the local planning authorities in the preparation of their local plans. An early submission of local plans is expected once the structure plan has been approved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, since Lancashire County Council proposes to extend tipping at Platts Lane, Burscough, Ormskirk, in departure from the approved development plan, if he will call in the application for consideration and decision.

No. Since this appears to be of purely local concern, my right hon. Friend would not normally call in the application for his decision; but if Lancashire County Council refers the application to my right hon. Friend as a substantial departure from the approved development plan, he would then consider whether such action was appropriate in the light of the information submitted to him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing grants have been awarded for the improvement of homes of disabled people in each of the last three years; and what proportion of total improvement grant money this represents in numbers and money spent.

Following is the available information:

RENOVATION GRANTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF DISABLED PERSONS—ENGLAND
		No. of dwellings
1975 (July to December)	…	125
1976	…	563
1977		759

In 1977 these grants represented about 1 per cent. of all renovation grants paid, both in numbers and amount.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action the Government intend taking on the Derek Robertson report on payment and expenses to local borough councillors; and how these payments if and when adjusted will affect payments to Members of Parliament; and whether he will bear this in mind when reaching a decision.

The Government are studying the recommendations made by the Robinson Committee on councillors' remuneration, prior to consulting the local authority associations and other interested bodies. In the reaching of any final decisions, account will, of course, be taken of the implications for other areas of public service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now in a position to state the names of those to serve on the proposed working group which he is to set up to study the operation of the water equalisation scheme.

An examination of the water charges equalisation scheme is being undertaken as part of the statutory process of consultation by officials of my Department, in conjunction with officers and advisers nominated by the National Water Council and the Water Companies Association. The aim is to review the operation of the scheme in its present form.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice has been given to local authorities on the collection of waste for recycling.

A waste management paper dealing with the reclamation, treatment and disposal of wastes including general advice on this subject. In addition, we have issued advice on the organisation and costing of waste paper collections. Copies of our guide for voluntary

CONDITION OF DWELLINGS AND AMENITIES: ENGLAND 1976
	Unfit	Lacking WC inside dwelling	Lacking fixed bath in bathroom	Thousands lacking both
North, Yorkshire and Humberside, North West	382	468	299	N.A.
South East (including Greater London)	195	249	280	N.A.
Rest of England	217	366	221	N.A.
England	794	1,083	800	683
Wales	100	85	101	N.A.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make an announcement on the report of the working party on dogs.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Drake (Miss Fookes) on 11th January.—[Vol. 941, c. 1649–50.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the objectives and content of the proposed extension of the research programme into the social and economic problems of the inner cities.

The Department has initiated a new phase of research into the problems of inner urban areas, which will carry forward the research effort previously centred on the inner area studies and will assist the development of the Government's inner area policy as announced in the White Paper "Policy for the Inner Cities", Cmnd. 6845. The proposals include projects on population

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for each region in England and Wales, the number of unfit houses, the number of houses without an inside toilet, the number of houses without a bathroom, and the number of houses without either a bathroom or inside toilet.

Following are estimates from the 1976 English and Welsh House Condition Surveys. The sample size of the English survey is too small to provide accurate estimates for individual regions.movement, employment, industrial change, the land market, housing, and local authority activities, both in inner city and related areas. The exact scope of each project will be determined by the Department, in consultation with the research institutions involved and the local authorities, where they are concerned. The funds to be made available for this phase of research will amount to some £350,000 per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Wolds Way.

I have nothing to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State in reply to the hon. Gentleman's Question on 26th July 1977.—[Vol. 936, c. 160.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Ince on 15th March, if he will state which of the councils listed in that answer are known to have had to increase their rates by 15 per cent. or more.

On the basis of the returns examined in connection with the answer to my hon. Friend on 15th March, the following nine local authorities are expected to levy general rates for the year 1978–79 which are 15 per cent. or more higher than the rates which they levied in 1977–78:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department's housing cost yardsticks permit the provision of flues so that all options on the future use of alternative forms of energy are kept open.

The housing cost yardstick does not prevent local authorities from providing flues in new houses, where this is practicable and authorities wish to do so. It should normally be possible to contain the cost of the flue within the yardstick plus the 10 per cent. tolerance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now in a position to announce target dates for the winding up of those new towns in which he considers that the development corporations have largely fulfilled their purposes.

Following my statements on the future of English new towns last year, consultations have taken place with the development corporations of most of their earlier new towns and their local authorities on the work that remains to be done and the arrangements needed for the continued normal growth of these towns. As a result of these consultations, I have decided on the following programme of target dates for winding up development corporations:

Corby	…	…	31st March 1980
Stevenage	…	…	30th June 1980
Harlow	…	…	30th September 1980
Runcorn	…	…	31st December 1981
Bracknell	…	…	31st March 1982
Redditch	…	…	30th June 1982
Washington	…	…	31st December 1982
Basildon	…	…	30th September 1983

These dates are those on which the property of the corporations will vest in the Commission for the New Towns and the corporations will cease to act except for the limited purposes provided under Section 41 of the New Towns Act 1965. The dissolution of development corporations will normally follow within three months of these dates.I should emphasise that these are target dates for all concerned to work towards. They are not immutable if considerable problems arise in any one town, and they cannot be confirmed until the formal consultations required by the Act have taken place. I intend that these statutory consultations shall be initiated at least 12 months in advance of the target dates and envisage that the consultations in respect of the first three towns will start before the end of 1978.I hope to be able to make an announcement about the future of Aycliffe, Peter-lee and Skelmersdale within the next few months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now make a statement on the terms of compensation to be offered to staff becoming redundant on the winding up of new town development corporations

I have examined very carefully the case put to me by new town chairmen, and the unions, for the application of Crombie code compensation for staff made redundant on dissolution of the development corporations. The Crombie code was developed as a special compensation arrangement exclusively for staff affected by a statutory change which they could not reasonably have foreseen when taking up their appointments. From the inception of the development corporations it has been foreseen that they would be wound up when their development task had been completed. I have therefore decided that their dissolution cannot be regarded as a consequence of a statutory intervention and that, therefore, it would not be right to apply Crombie code terms in this case. Terms will, however, be negotiated, which will follow those normally applied by the public services where redundancies are caused by reorganisation required for managerial or administrative reasons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the future of the Agrement Board; and if he will make a statement.

It is now 13 years since the report of the Gibson Committee, which led to the establishment of the Agrement Board, and the Board itself has nearly completed 12 years' work and has recently issued its 5OOth certificate. It is, however, generally acknowledged that the agreement system has not been able to develop in this country as was

		Local Authority Tenants			Private Unfurnished Tenants
		Number receiving rent rebate	Percentage take-up of rent rebates		Number receiving rent allowance	Percentage take-up of rent allowances
			(a)	(b)		(a)	(b)
		(000)			(000)
April 1975	…	870	70–75	—	150	30–35	—
October 1975	…	940	75–80	—	NA	—	—
January 1976	…	955	75–80	—	180	35–40	—
April 1976	…	970	75–80	75–80	190	40–45	45–50
October 1976	…	995	75–80	75–80	190	45–50	50–55
January 1977	…	990	70–75	75–80	190	50–55	55–30
April 1977	…	1,000	75–80	80–85	200	50–55	55–60
October 1977	…	1,005	Not yet available		200	Not yet available
Notes:
1. All figures exclude tenants receiving supplementary benefit.
2. The take-up percentage has been calculated in two ways. Column (a) in each category shows the number of tenants in receipt of rent rebates or allowances respectively as a percentage of the total number of tenants eligible in each category, excluding those actually receiving supplementary benefit.
Column (b) shows the number of tenants in receipt of rent rebates and allowances respectively as a total of the numbers eligible, excluding those actually receiving supplementary benefit and also eligible non-claimants who would be better off claiming supplementary benefit. This method of expressing take-up is consistent with that used by the Department of Health and Social Security in estimating take-up of supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the numbers of local authority and private unfurnished tenants receiving rent rebates and rent allowances, respectively, from April 1975 to the latest convenient date; and if he will express these figures as a percentage of those estimated to be eligible for each benefit.

The available information is as follows:a statement regarding the way in which Mr. David Duke has been able to elude police interception.

A variation order was served on Mr. Duke on 13th March. I am not in a position to say how he avoided service before that date, but I am satisfied that the police made vigorous attempts to effect service and am glad to express my appreciation of their work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost to date, inclusive of police manpower time, to his Department arising from the scrutiny of the movements of Mr. David Duke since his arrival in the United Kingdom.

I regret that it would involve a disproportionate expense to obtain this information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers, both male and female, left the Lancashire Police Authority in 1977; and how many recruits joined in the same period.

The figures are as follows:

		Male	Female	Total
Number of recruits	ߪ	149	34	183
Number leaving	ߪ	172	31	203

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what instructions were in force governing the conduct of immigration officers, at the time of entry into the United Kingdom of Mr. David Duke of the Ku Klux Klan, regarding the admission of members of the Klan; and if he has made any changes in these instructions since in the light of Mr. Duke's behaviour;(2) if he maintains a list of members of foreign racialist and Fascist organisations, including the Ku Klux Klan, to assist in the effective exclusion from the United Kingdom of such members; and if he is satisfied that any lists are revised frequently enough to take account of new membership of these organisations.

The reply that I gave to Questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short), Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose) and Birmingham, Handsworth (Mr. Lee) on 16th February indicated the instructions that were given about the admission of members of the Ku Klux Klan. Such instructions and names of individuals may be given about similar organisations. These are kept under regular review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people awaiting deportation are being held in Her Majesty's prisons.

On 15th March there were 152 people in prison awaiting deportation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department who is responsible for security at the detention centre at Heathrow.

The responsibility is ultimately mine but the security duties are undertaken by employees of Securicor Limited under contract to the Home Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted youngsters under the age of 17 years were being held in (a) prison, (b) borstal and (c) detention centres, respectively, at the latest available date.

On 28th February there were 256 people aged under 17 in prisons and remand centres who had been sentenced or who had been convicted and were awaiting sentence. On the same date there were 923 people aged under 17 serving sentences in borstals and 709 in detention centres.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the longest time for which a woman was remanded in custody awaiting trial during the past year; and with what offence she was charged.

372 days was the longest time spent in custody awaiting trial by a woman whose case was disposed of by the courts in 1977. The woman concerned was charged with robbery and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Caernarvon, Official Report, 1st March, c. 233–4, whether he was given only the figures for 1974 because figures for later years are not available; and, if not, if he will give the figures.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to prevent the import of phencyclidine (PCP) or angel dust and to restrict its legal use in the United Kingdom.

Phencyclidine (PCP) is legally imported into the United Kingdom in small quantities for strictly limited use in veterinary practice; its distribution is subject to control under the Medicines Act 1968. Occasional incidents of misuse of the drug obtained from illicit sources are reported by the police and the situation is being carefully watched by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in implementing the findings of the Lord Edmund-Davis inquiry into police pay, he will take account of the widespread feeling in provincial forces that, whatever weighting allowances apply to London there should be a national pensionable rate of pay.

We must await the recommendations of the committee of inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any of the 14 inspectors under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876, have previously been licensed to perform experiments on living animals.

Yes—nine.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the 583 registered premises under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876, are visited by the 14 Home Office inspectors every month, and, if not, how often they are visited.

Some are visited monthly and the rest at other intervals which may be more or less frequent. The frequency of visits depends on considerations such as the size of the premises, the number of licensees there and the type and scale of experimental work undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the 18,666 persons licensed to perform experiments on living animals under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 are employed by the Government.

This information is not recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many experiments were performed on living animals in Scotland during 1976 and 1977 to the latest available date;(2) how many registered premises under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 there are in Scotland; and which one of these premises performed the most experiments on living animals during 1976 and 1977 to the latest available date;(3) how many inspectors there are in Scotland to supervise the registered premises under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876.

The latest available figures are for 1976. At the end of 1976, there were 71 places in Scotland registered under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 and 303,340 experiments on living animals were performed in them during that year. It is not our practice to give information about experiments performed at individual premises. There are two inspectors of the Cruelty to Animals Inspectorate in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether arrangements allowing sentences of community service orders to be imposed are now available all over the country; and, if so, from what date this became possible in (a) the first area and (b) the last area.

As from 1st April 1978, when arrangements will be extended to more petty sessions areas, schemes for offenders to work under community service orders will exist in the whole of 42 of the 56 probation and after-care areas and in parts of 13 others. The Government hope to see such schemes operating throughout the country by the end of the coming financial year. The first experimental community service schemes began on 1st January 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of taking a young person to court.

No meaningful estimate can be made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the average probation service cost per client under 19 years of age at the latest available date.

I regret that I am unable to offer such an estimate. People under 19 are dealt with by the probation service by various forms of supervision, at varying annual costs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about proposed steps to counter violence at football grounds.

The Government will continue to ensure that adequate powers are available to the courts. I shall shortly have another meeting with my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of the Environment, who has responsibility for sport and recreation, and the Chairman of the Football Association to discuss recent incidents and see whether any lessons are to be learnt from them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each authority in England and Wales by how much the current level of the police force exceeds or falls short of the establishment.

The figures are as follows:

	Authorised establishment	Vacancies (28.2.78)
Avon and Somerset	2,851	100
Bedfordshire	941	88
Cambridgeshire	1,090	87
Cheshire	1,805	78
Cleveland	1,411	110
Cumbria	1,082	77
Derbyshire	1,709	219
Devon and Cornwall	2,673	79
Dorset	1,114	21
Durham	1,349	60
Dyfed Powys	916	5
Essex	2,511	190
Gloucestershire	1,100	58
Greater Manchester	6,735	435
Gwent	964	27
Hampshire	2,935	143
Hertfordshire	1,483	18
Humberside	1,939	147
Kent	2,665	11
Lancashire	3,080	38
Leicestershire	1,705	76
Lincolnshire	1,182	43
Merseyside	4,451	212
Norfolk	1,264	54
Northamptonshire	950	67
Northumbria	3,322	134
North Wales	1,276	31
North Yorkshire	1,328	61
Nottinghamshire	2,144	82
South Wales	3,069	198
South Yorkshire	2,752	255
Staffordshire	2,066	112
Suffolk	1,087	77
Surrey	1,503	38
Sussex	2,785	125
Thames Valley	2,995	319
Warwickshire	876	18
West Mercia	1,671	36
West Midlands	6,509	756
West Yorkshire	5,104	502
Wiltshire	995	37
City of London	1,022	199
Metropolitan	26,628	4,699

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed in the Community Relations Commission for each of the years 1968 until June 1977; and what were their salaries individually or collectively.

Figures of the numbers of staff employed by the Community Relations Commission in 1968–70 are not available. Staff in post on 1st April 1971 and subsequent years were:

1971	…	…	…	…	53
1972	…	…	…	…	61
1973	…	…	…	…	93
1974	…	…	…	…	117
1975	…	…	…	…	139
1976	…	…	…	…	133
1977	…	…	…	…	132

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table in the Official Report

OFFENCES OF ROBBERY RECORDED BY THE POLICE IN WHICH FIREARMS WERE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN USED: METROPOLITAN POLICE DISTRICT AND CITY OF LONDON
	Total	Shotguns*	Pistols or revolvers	Air weapons	Imitation or supposed† firearms	Other firearms
1969	336	111	137	11	66	11
1970	330	113	131	16	63	7
1971	379	136	149	13	70	11
1972	377	171	126	12	58	10
1973	358	149	146	9	45	9
1974	419	140	196	26	53	4
1975	654	222	271	41	108	12
1976	754	276	336	36	96	10
* Includes both long-barrelled and sawn-off shotguns.
† Firearms which the victim believed to be present, but were not seen by the victim, were not fired, and of which there was no subsequent evidence.
Figures for 1977 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many persons are now employed in the Defence Sales Organisation; what is the annual salary bill; and what was the value of sales in latest available full year.

Four hundred and twenty-one personnel are currently employed in the Defence Sales Organisation. The

The figures are:

YEAR AND NO. OF RECRUITS
1970	6,614
1971	7,077
1972	7,162
1973	6,686
1974	7,545
1975	10,398
1976	10,042
1977	8,003
1978 to 28th February	1,575

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing over the last 10 years the number of times firearms were used in each year in armed robberies in London; the types of firearms used in each year under the headings of shotguns, sawn off shotguns, handguns, rifles, sub-machine guns, guns which discharged gas or noxious liquid, air or gas-powered weapons and other weapons of unidentified types.

The information readily available is as follows:annual salary bill is approximately £1·9 million. The estimated value of sales by the United Kingdom in 1976–77 was £600 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed on RMAS Kingarthh, Greenock how many are on maritime agreements regulation wages and conditions; how many are working under Civil Service agreements; and what steps have been taken to provide the crew with adequate machinery for consultation and negotiation of wages, conditions, and grievances.

Six officers and six ratings in RMAS Kingarth work under Civil Service pay and conditions; 12 ratings have pay and conditions which are generally linked to National Maritime Board agreements. The pay and pay related conditions of both are negotiated nationally on the joint trade union and official Marine Services Committee. Grievances not related to pay are dealt with on the Joint Whitley Committees at Greenock.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is yet in a position, since her recent consultations, to make a statement regarding the Government's attitude towards corporal punishment in schools.

We are at present considering the responses received from the wide range of bodies which were invited to let us have their views on the use of corporal punishment in schools, but it is too early yet to say what the outcome of this consultative exercise will be.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance her Department has issued to local education authorities on the subject of payment for meals at school by teachers.

Circular 16/68 of 15th August 1968 and Circular 3/78 of 20th January 1978 make it clear that teachers who undertake the oversight of pupils during the midday break, whether in the dining hall or elsewhere, should be entitled to receive a free school dinner. Other teachers who wish to have a school dinner are expected to pay.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will issue a circular to advise local authorities to phase out school uniform.

My right hon. Friend's views on school uniform were conveyed to local education authorities in a circular letter dated 26th May 1977 which includes the following:

"The Secretary of State would not wish to express a view on the question whether or not school uniforms should be worn: this is normally decided by the particular school, in the light of the authority's general policies. She would, however, strongly commend the practice of an increasing number of schools which take this decision only after consulting parents, teachers and, where appropriate, pupils."

I am sending a copy of the letter to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list in the Official Report those former direct grant schools which have expressed their intention of joining the maintained system and becoming comprehensive schools, indicating (a) which have already received their first comprehensive intake and (b) the dates on which the remainder will join the maintained sector.

Fifty-one direct grant grammar schools expressed their intention of joining the maintained system as comprehensive schools in accordance with the Direct Grant Grammar Schools (Cessation of Grant) Regulations 1975. Details follow:(

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list in the Official Report those former direct grant schools which so far have not expressed any intention of joining the maintained system and becoming comprehensive schools; and what progress was reported in those schools towards a comprehensive intake in her Department's annual review of January 1978.

The 174 direct grant grammar schools in existence at the time the Direct Grant Grammar Schools (Cessation of Grant) Regulations 1975 came into operation had until 31st December 1975 to declare an intention to join the maintained sector. Schools which chose not to do so received no grant in respect of pupils admitted from September 1976 and will not be joining the maintained system. Of these, 119 are becoming independent schools and four have closed: details follow. The recent review was concerned only with schools which had opted to enter the maintained system.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make it a condition of appointment that members of the Open University Council declare their business and political interests in a register provided for that purpose.

My right hon. Friend has no power to introduce such a condition.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the expenditure per 1,000 population on school books, further education and teaching equipment in (a) Walsall, (b) the average for the West Midlands county districts and (c) the average for England and Wales, for each year since 1974.

Following is the information requested for England and Wales:tics for 1974–75 published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, a copy of which is in the Library, but information is not available in this form for later years.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what Government research is being carried out into diabetes; and at what cost.

, pursuant to her reply [Official Report, 13th March 1978; Vol. 946, c. 81], gave the following information:The Medical Research Council is currently supporting the following projects relevant to diabetes:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the United Kingdom trade deficit with the European Economic Community Six each year since 1970 for total visible trade, manufactures, foodstuffs, precious stones and crude oil; and what are the figures for December 1977 to February 1978 at an annual rate.

I shall reply to my right hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the value of United Kingdom imports and exports to and from the rest of the member countries of the EEC compared with non-EEC countries on the balance of payments basis for 1976 and 1977, respectively.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20th March 1978; Vol. 946, c. 432] gave the following answer:The figures can be readily derived from table 4 of the article "United Kingdom trade in the fourth quarter and year of 1977", on page 555 of

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to announce his decision on the proposals from the Manpower Services Commission concerning changes to the fares-to-work scheme for the disabled.

I hope to be able to make an announcement on these proposals shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all the firms in the construction industry in receipt of the temporary employment subsidy, along with the amount of money received by each firm and the number of jobs involved.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men in the man-made fibre industry currently in receipt of temporary employment subsidy; in which areas; at what cost; which firms are concerned; and what proportion of jobs in the industry this represents.