asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many political refugees from Argentina have been accepted in Great Britain since the accession to power of President Videla in March 1976.

Up to 31st March 1978, the latest date for which figures are available, 614 persons who had been granted resettlement from Argentina had arrived in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to come to a decision on the establishment of a visa programme, similar to the Chilean one, for political refugees from Argentina fleeing the repressive policies of the Argentinian regime.

The Latin American refugee programme is under review; I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as a decision has been reached.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the average number of police officers on duty at Football League matches throughout the United Kingdom on Saturdays during the football season.

The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, having regard to the use of identity cards in the war period, the present use of identity cards in other member States of the European Economic Community and to the discussion of identity cards by Ministers in debates on the prevention of terrorism legislation, when the argument was of practicality rather than principle, he will clarify the Government's objections of principle, as opposed to practicality, to a universal issue of identity documents.

A requirement to carry and produce identity documents would be distasteful to many people in this country, and would need very strong justification. I am not persuaded that it would assist in the prevention of terrorism or be justified in the context of immigration control.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives and what funds are made available to local police forces for crime prevention.

Police crime prevention activities are the responsibility of chief officers of police. Frequent and regular consultations take place between the Home Office, chief officers and others involved in crime prevention, and a number of joint studies and reports have been made. Information about crime prevention activities is also circulated by the Home Office to all police forces, and guidance has recently been issued about the activities of crime prevention panels. Expenditure by local police forces on crime prevention attracts the same Government grant as other police expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in the United Kingdom were cremated in the years 1947, 1957 and 1967; how many people were cremated in the United Kingdom during 1977; and what percentage this was of the deaths occurring during that year.

The information requested is not available from official sources. However, I understand that records maintained by the cremation authorities provide the following information:

	Number of cremations	Percentage of total deaths
1947	55,197	10·6
1957	151,059	29·3
1967	272,061	50·1
1977	405,730	63·23

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether visiting ministers of the Church of Scientology from America, Canada or Australia where Scientology is a recognised religion would be refused entry to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Permission to enter the United Kingdom is refused to people wishing to do so for the purposes of studying or working at a Scientology institution, promoting or extending the interests and activities of Scientology, or otherwise engaging in its business.Refusals by the Home Office to accept that Scientology ministers are ministers of religion for the purpose of the immigration rules have been upheld on appeal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a foreign national who enters the United Kingdom for a private visit and subsequently visits a Scientology organisation to study is liable to be deported; and if he will make a statement.

Such a case would be considered on its merits. A person who is not patrial is liable to deportation if, among other things, he is in breach of his conditions or overstays, or if I deem his deportation to be conducive to the public good.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with consultation arrangements so far as matters relating to firearms certificate fees are concerned; if he will list those bodies with whom he consulted prior to the order raising fees being laid; and what notice they and others were given before the order was laid.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 13th March 1978.—[Vol. 946, c. 2.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to announce arrangements to combine renewal inquiries for firearm and shotgun certificates; and what legislation prevents such a combination from being introduced.

Section 26(3) of the Firearms Act 1968 provides that firearm and shot-gun certificates shall be valid for three years or such shorter period as may be prescribed by the Secretary of State. There is no power to issue certificates valid for a different period. Inquiries in relation to both types of certificate can therefore only be combined in those few cases where applications are made at the same time. I am considering whether any steps might be taken to enable a person who holds both types of certificate to renew them on the same date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish information of the fee charged for the grant of a firearm certificate in 1968 and at present; and if he will list the total number of fees which are set by his Department showing those occasions when the fee between 1968 and the present increased by an amount equal to the increase in the fee charged for the grant of a firearm certificate.

The fee for the grant of a firearm certificate in 1968 was £0·25. The present fee is £16.There has been no similar increase in any other fee set by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis the cost of inquiries concerned with the granting of a firearm certificate are reached; if he issued guidance on this matter to police authorities; and if he will place a copy of such guidance in the Library.

The police were asked to ensure that their estimates of the cost of dealing with successful applications reflected all properly attributable costs, including the costs of police time, office accommodation, common services, items such as stationery, printing and postage and, where appropriate, computer time. A copy of the letter, dated 10th June 1977, in which this guidance was given, has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities are exercising their powers under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to test vehicles used as mini-cabs, to test the driving ability of drivers of mini-cabs, and to subject mini-cab drivers to medical check-ups, respectively.

We have been notified by 92 district councils that they have brought into force Part II of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. We have no separate figures relating to the procedures followed by these district councils in the exercise of their powers under the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the testing of mini-cabs and their drivers throughout the United Kingdom; whether he believes these matters should remain the prerogative of the local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

I have no evidence to suggest that the provisions of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 for the control of private hire cars and their drivers are not satisfactory. I take the view that local authorities are in the best position to make use of the provisions of the Act in such a way as to meet the special needs and circumstances of their area.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what response will be made by the United Kingdom to the appeal by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees for $12 million assistance to refugees and displaced persons following the conflict in the Horn of Africa.

I have agreed to provide £750,000 towards the recent appeal by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for relief assistance in Somalia, Ethiopia and Jibuti; and £100,000 towards an interim appeal from the International Red Cross. I have also made £25,000 available to help meet the costs of transport of material relief provided by British voluntary agencies.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will report on the United Kingdom contribution of $115 million part of $1 billion special action programme by donors arising out of the Conference on International Economic Co-operation which she announced to the House on 4th July 1977.

An agreement is being signed today between the International Development Association—IDA—and the Community and its member States under which the latter will make additional contributions to the IDA to a total of $385 million. The United Kingdom's share of this will be $115 million, currently, equivalent to about £61 million. Full details of the agreement will be published in a Command Paper and the approval of the House for the United Kingdom to make its contribution will be sought by the submission of a Statutory Instrument.

asked the Lord President of the Council on which Vote the costs of telephone calls from (a) Government Whips' offices and (b) Opposition Whips' offices are borne.

The costs of the telephone calls made from the extensions on the main Palace of Westminster telephone exchange, which include those extensions in the several Whips' offices, are shared between the following Votes:

	per cent.
House of Commons	83·6
House of Lords	11·1
Lord Chancellor's Department	1·8
Department of the Environment	3·3
Post Office	0·2

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of those currently unemployed in the Tayside Region are under 25 years of age.

In January 1978, the latest date for which this information is available, 39·9 per cent. of those registered as unemployed in the Tayside Region were under 25 years of age. This figure can now be expected to be somewhat lower due to the absorption in employment of a substantial number of the Christmas school leavers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now raise the amount of grant and loan for crofter housing

I have completed my review of the levels of assistance for the erection and improvement of croft houses and other buildings and hope to make an announcement on this matter shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the present mileage of motorways in Scotland; and what is the present mileage under construction.

124 miles of motorway are at present in use in Scotland, and 23 miles are under construction.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to report on his review of education authority bursaries.

The current review of education authority bursaries is nearing completion and I hope to be able to announce the rates for 1978–79 at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the fall in regional authority support for bus services.

Financial support for bus services is a matter for regional and islands councils to determine in the light of their assessment of the needs of their areas. In 1976–77, they spent £9·1 million on this support, and the figure for 1977–78 was about £4·6 million. The difference was due to reduced requests for support from the Scottish Bus Group and to lower levels of support for PTE, municipal and privately owned undertakings. Support payments in 1978–79 are likely to be rather above the 1976–77 level.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what statutory powers he or local authorities have to acquire properties in urban areas which because of their neglect by their owners seriously affect the general environment of the area.

Planning authorities have powers to acquire neglected properties under Sections 102—(compulsory acquisition, 104—compulsory acquisition of a listed building where a repairs notice has been served—and 109—acquisition by agreement—of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will review Scottish Development Department guidance to housing associations on the rehabilitation of tenement property to take account of modern building standards; and if he will make a statement;(2) what plans he has to increase the overall resource allocation to housing associations through the Housing Corporation to take account of the developing programme in Glasgow; and if he will make a statement;(3) what plans he has to increase the current level of cost limits so that proposed new housing association projects can be processed by the Housing Corporation without the need for scrutiny by the Scottish Development Department; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend sees no reason to review the guidance that has been given about standards since it is clearly right that housing associations should be expected to achieve the same standards as private owners must achieve for their houses after grant-aided improvement. Public expenditure plans already include a substantial allocation for investment by housing associations and there are no proposals to change that allocation. The level of the cost limits for improvement by housing associations was raised in a circular dated 28th April from the Scottish Development Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Government's plans to make allowance for the electoral distortions caused by the imposition of the 40 per cent. requirement in the referendum on the Scottish Assembly take account of those students whose names appear twice on the electoral register; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member on 13th April.

asked the Attorney-General (1) what was the average number of days served by jurors on jury service in 1977;(2) how many citizens did jury service in England and Wales in 1977;(3) what number and percentage of those called for jury service in 1977 did not actually serve on a jury.

I regret the information is not available.

asked the Attorney-General what is the annual cost of administration of means-testing for (a) criminal legal aid, and (b) legal aid for civil cases; what proportion of those who apply for criminal legal aid is refused on financial grounds; what proportion is required to pay a contribution; and what is the annual total sum received in respect of such contributions.

I have been asked to reply.The cost of administration of means testing for civil legal aid in 1976–77 was £2,427,000. The grant of legal aid in criminal proceedings is dependent not on a means test but on the court's conclusion as to the defendant's ability to meet the costs of his defence. The expenditure involved in reaching such conclusions, and of making and enforcing contribution orders at the conclusion of proceedings, forms part of the general running costs of the courts and is not separately identifiable.In 1976, 8·5 per cent. of all applications for legal aid in criminal proceedings were refused, but the proportion refused on financial grounds is not available. 9·2 per cent. of legally aided defendants were ordered to pay contributions. In the financial year 1976–77, contributions of £998,235 were received.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied that helicopters are as easily available to help with mountain rescue in the Lake District and Pennines as they are in North Wales.

Yes, although helicopter flight times to the Lake District and Pennines tend to be longer than to North Wales because of the position of the SAR helicopter bases.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence his Department has submitted to the Serpell Committee on the Ordnance Survey, particularly in relation to mountain safety and the use of helicopters for rescue work.

Ministry of Defence evidence has not yet been submitted. However, it will concentrate on the broad question of the long term relationship between the Ministry of Defence and the Ordnance Survey.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the loss of local overseas allowance to (a) a captain, (b) a sergeant and (c) a private on being posted from BAOR to Northern Ireland while leaving their families in West Germany; and by how much they are better or worse off in net take-home pay taking account of the increased Northern Ireland allowance.

The abatements of local overseas allowance remain unchanged at £2·43 a day for a captain, £1·95 for a sergeant and £1·40 for a private soldier.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of officers and non-commissioned officers in each of the Services, respectively, have decided, on reaching a natural breakpoint in their Service careers, not to engage for a further period of service in the year 1977–78; and what are the comparable figures for each year since 1970–71.

The number of Royal Navy/Royal Marine and RAF officers who left the Services at option points in their careers is as follows—the percentage which these figures represent of the total reaching such option points is shown in brackets:

	Royal Navy/Royal Marines	Royal Air Force
1970–71	53	140
	(43 per cent.)	(26 per cent.)
1971–72	45	113
	(36 per cent.)	(23 per cent.)
1972–73	39	85
	(29 per cent.)	(21 per cent.)
1973–74	46	83
	(35 per cent.)	(24 per cent.)
1974–75	37	73
	(38 per cent.)	(22 per cent.)
1975–76	46	96
	(33 per cent.)	(25 per cent.)
1976–77	39	54
	(36 per cent.)	(18 per cent.)
1977–78	44	86
	(34 per cent.)	(27 per cent.)

There are no comparable option points at which Army officers can elect to leave the active list during their Service careers.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many officers and non-commissioned officers in each of the Services, respectively, have resigned or signified their intention to resign in the year 1977–78, together with the comparable figures for each year since 1970–71.

The number of male officers who have applied to leave the Services prematurely during the period is as follows:

	Royal Navy/Royal Marines	Army	Royal Air Force
1970–71	234	499	*
1971–72	130	394	248
1972–73	144	543	348
1973–74	221	597	514
1974–75	204	606	447
1975–76	182	539	472
1976–77	270	509	497
1977–78	307	908	778
* Central records for this year are incomplete.

Comparable figures for applications from non-commissioned officers are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she intends to publish the report on the national plan for museums.

The Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries hopes shortly to receive from a working party which it has set up proposals for a national system of museum services. It will then be for the Commission to consider whether the report should be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the percentage of installed productive capacity currently utilised in each sector of British manufacturing industry at the latest convenient date; and in each case, what are the current plans to increase that capacity.

Information is not generally available about the level of capacity utilisation in particular sectors of manufacturing. For the sectors for which information is available the figures^* for 1977 are as follows:

	Per cent.
Mineral oil refining	66
Iron and steel	68
Non-ferrous metals†	75
Man-made fibres	60
Bricks	70
Cement‡	80
Paper and board	85
* Estimates based on official and trade sources.
† Relates to aluminium, copper, lead and zinc.
‡ Excludes ready mix.

An indication of the extent of full capacity working in different industrial sectors is available from the Confederation of British Industry's quarterly Industrial Trends Survey.The Department's investment intentions survey suggests that the volume of manufacturing industry's investment will be 10 per cent. to 13 per cent. higher in 1978 than in 1977. Higher rises are expected for the coal and petroleum products, the chemicals and the vehicles industries; average rises for the nonferrous metals, the engineering, the textiles, leather and clothing and the paper, printing and publishing industries; and little change for the food, drink and tobacco and the residual "other manufacturing" industries. The extent to which this investment will increase productive capacity is not known. For the iron and steel industry, future investment by BSC and the resulting capacity position are explained in White Paper Cmnd. 7149 of March 1978 "British Steel Corporation, the Road to Viability."

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, following his statement to the House on 22nd March 1978, what provision has been made for funds to be subscribed to the British Steel Corporation under Section 18(1) of the Iron and Steel Act 1975 in place of public dividends capital and National Loan Fund advances.

My right hon. Friend's statement explained that the British Steel Corporation's financial requirements, other than short-term, will be met for the time being by subscriptions of new capital under Section 18(1) of the Iron and Steel Act 1975. It would not be appropriate for moneys already voted by Parliament as public dividend capital to be used for this purpose. A supplementary estimate will therefore be submitted and, pending parliamentary consideration of this, the Corporation's essential capital needs will be met by advances from the contingencies fund to be repaid to the fund by voted moneys when available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps are taken to ensure that the advance factory building programme of the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas when undertaken in areas near to assisted areas does not compete directly with the advance factory building programme within those areas of the English Industrial Estates Corporation when both programmes are financed by public funds.

I have been asked to reply.Expenditure by COSIRA on factory building programmes in rural areas is incurred only with the approval of my Department. There is consultation with the Department of Industry on the siting of these factories and on the selection of the tenants to avoid conflict with regional policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what steps are being taken to prevent price increases in the cost of insulating materials following the announcement of grant support to owner-occupiers who install such material to prevent energy loss in their properties.

I agree that it would be undesirable if the proposed insulation scheme for private houses led to an increase in the price of insulating materials, and I am therefore considering whether any special measures need to be taken. Price increases by individual firms are a matter for the Price Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether there is a Statutory Instrument controlling the water content of sausages; and whether he is contemplating taking steps to deal with any manufacturer who wishes to advance the price of sausages through added water weight.

I have been asked to reply.There is no direct control on the water content of sausages, but under the Sausage and Other Meat Product Regulations 1967 50 per cent. of a sausage must be meat. The addition of water to food has been considered by the Food Standards Committee which advises on all aspects of composition and labelling of food. Its report will be published shortly. It is also reviewing regulations on meat products and will take into account the addition of water to sausages and other meat products. My right hon. Friend, the Minister, will need to consider any recommendations made and the comments made by interested parties before deciding if changes in legislation are necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if there is any trade involving the import of cat and dog skins; and, if so, how great it is by volume and value.

Yes, but separate figures for imports of skins of domestic cats and dogs are not readily available. They are included with other animals in the details of raw furskins given in the Overseas Trade Statistics under SITC(Rev 1) subgroup 212·0 and SITC(Rev 2) Item 212·09. To recover quantitative details would require retrospective analysis of the documents submitted by importers on individual consignments and would entail undue cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to decide the appeal by British Island Airways against refusal by the Civil Aviation Authority to grant it routes from Gatwick to various European destinations.

Shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when his Department first commenced consultations with some representatives of those engaged in the fishery industry in some areas in respect of the proposed certificates of competency; when the first draft of the proposed regulations and/or requirements for such certificates was first drawn up; when the first consultations with representatives of the South West Fishermen's Organisation took place; and who represented the South West Fishermen's Organisation at that meeting.

Consultations began in April 1975. Proposals on the engine and deck sides were drawn up in working groups representing departments and industry which reported respectively in December 1976 and August 1977. These reports were not considered by the main fishing industry working group on the new certificate structure until April 1978 but in the meantime were brought more widely to the attention of the fishing industry in order that all who might be affected might be assured of the direct opportunity to comment upon them and be represented at any subsequent meeting. Mr. Leslie Cunnington represented the SWFO at the meeting on 17th April 1978. It has been made clear to the industry that there would be a long period of transition before any new regulations could come into force.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will press for an improved system of control of textiles for the Mediterranean countries and, in the meantime, urge very strict observance of the limits set for 1978.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 26th April 1978; Vol. 948, c. 557], gave the following information:The Commission envisages a special system of surveillance with Mediterranean suppliers in addition to the monitoring of imports. Where import levels of sensitive products from Mediterranean suppliers are causing concern to the United Kingdom, details have been reported to the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of purpose-built pensioner dwellings in Wales by district.

The information requested is not available at present. However, surveys which are already under way will provide details of dwellings built for old people in Wales by local authorities, new town development corporations and housing associations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the last meeting of the Council of Ministers.

I attended the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council held in Brussels yesterday.The Council had a first wide ranging exchange of views on the Commission's "fresco" report on the overall implications of enlargement of the Community to 12. It reaffirmed its political will to proceed with enlargement. The subject will be considered further at the next meeting of the Council on 6th June, when the Commission's opinion on the Portuguese application is also expected to be discussed.The Council discussed the question of imports of footwear from outside the Community. Ireland withdrew a request to impose national restrictions on Irish footwear imports pending further discussion by the Commission with third country suppliers. There was also discussion of a Commission regulation establishing prior surveillance licensing on a Community-wide basis on footwear imports from certain sources. The implications of measures of this kind for the world trading system generally were debated and it was agreed to return to the topic at a future Council meeting, but in the context of the world economic situation.The Commission reported on the progress of the multi-lateral trade negotiations, on current steel negotiations with certain third countries, and on tripartite talks on steel imports between the EEC, the United States and Japan. The Council took note of a series of proposed measures designed to tighten discipline in the Community steel market.The Council also took note of a progress report by the Presidency on work on the common economic strategy called for by the April European Council. Following the call by the European Council in April for co-ordination of measures to prevent marine pollution, the Council reviewed proposals which aim to complete the framework of anti-pollution measures, and to strengthen Community action in the wider international framework.At the United Kingdom's initiative there was a discussion of trade relations with Australia. Strong support was shown for greater efforts to clear up current problems. The Council will return to this topic on 6th June shortly before the talks to be held between the Commission and the Australian Minister for Special Trade Representation.Some progress was made on certain outstanding problems in the draft Fourth Directive on company law.

asked the Prime Minister (1) whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Melton on 30th November, he is now in a position to decide on the question of publication of the official history of intelligence in World War II, and the related question of the publication of intelligence material not released under the 30-year rule, and whether he will make a statement;(2) whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Melton on 30th November, and to the publication of books such as "Bodyguard of Lies", by Mr. Anthony Cave Brown, which purport to give details of hitherto confidential material of World War II regarding "Ultra", the Venlo incident, the work and identity of the London Controlling Section and the security services, any new instructions have been given to the "Weeding Committee" about files not yet released under the 30-year rule, or about the responsibility of those involved to maintain secrecy about those incidents to this day;(3) whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Melton on 30th November, any changes have been made in the rules regarding the "weeding" of sensitive files on World War II intelligence matters not previously released under the 30-year rule; and what arrangements have been made with the United States of America regarding files on joint allied operations, in the light of the new American Freedom of Information Act.

On the questions of publication of the official history of intelligence in World War II and the rules governing the release of intelligence-related records after 30 years, at this stage I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 30th November.The principles governing the extent of permitted disclosure by those who gave undertakings of reticence in regard to their wartime activities were fully set out by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Miss Richardson) on 12th January 1978. There are standing arrangements for consultations between the United States and United Kingdom Governments on the release of records on joint wartime operations and these arrangements are not affected by the United States Freedom of Information Act.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the recent visit of a deputation from Liverpool City Council to discuss with him unemployment on Merseyside.

Representatives of the Liverpool City Council, the trade unions, the CBI and the Merseyside Chamber of Commerce, together with my hon. Friends the Members for the Liverpool constituencies of Edge Hill (Sir A. Irvine), Garston (Mr. Loyden), Walton (Mr. Heffer), Toxteth (Mr. Crawshaw), Scotland Exchange (Mr. Parry), West Derby (Mr. Ogden) and the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Mr. Steen), met my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Industry, Employment and myself on 27th April.There was a valuable and comprehensive discussion on a number of problems affecting Liverpool, including unemployment, housing, crime and roads.The discussion took account of the very considerable help already available to Liverpool, including the assistance to industry arising from special development area status—£124 million in regional development grants has been provided since 1974 and £51 million in regional selective assistance—the inner city partnership and dispersal of the Civil Service. The meeting recognised the need for concerted action by the local authorities and other representatives of the local community, including the trade unions, and by the Government, to combat the city's problems.The Ministers present undertook to consider the various points raised by the deputation, including the proposal for an inner city ring road, more Civil Service dispersal, and the need to encourage service industries.

asked the Prime Minister when he expects to publish the report of the Royal Commission on Gambling.

I understand that the chairman of the Royal Commission hopes that it will be possible to publish the report in July.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the negotiations with the representatives of the medical and dental professions on a new contract for hospital consultants.

The health departments and representatives of the Central Committee for Hospital Medical Services have recently completed negotiations on the content of a new contract for hospital medical and dental consultants.The negotiations, which began a year ago, had their origin in proposals made by the profession for a form of contract which would more closely reflect variations in workload and responsibility between individuals and between specialties. The Government would see no objection in principle to the introduction of changes of this kind if they were acceptable to the consultant body as a whole. The Government have however been concerned throughout the negotiations to ensure that the interests of the NHS were fully protected in three important areas.First, we have been determined to preserve the primacy of whole-time commitment to the Service. This is given special recognition in the present form of contract and is essential to the interests of the Service. Secondly, we have wanted to introduce provisions to assist recruitment to specialties and posts where there have been recruitment difficulties in the past. Thirdly, we have pressed for reforms in the distinction awards system for consultants, which would more clearly acknowledge outstanding service contributions, bring about a more equitable distribution of awards between regions and specialties and modify the present confidentiality of the system.The Government are satisfied that these important objectives have now been achieved in the negotiations.Accordingly, I wrote yesterday to the representatives of the professions with a formal offer of contract on the terms which have been negotiated subject to their acceptance by the professions as a whole. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, joined with me in this offer. I have placed a copy of my letter and of the terms of the offered contract in the Library of the House.I understand that the offer will be considered tomorrow at a meeting of the Central Committee for Hospital Medical Services, which will decide whether to recommend its terms to the profession as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the operation of the mobility allowance in the light of the case of Chris de Martell, a spastic boy of 11 who was ordered by a medical appeals tribunal to rise from his wheelchair and walk when pursuing his appeal for mobility allowance: and if he will make a statement.

Over 72,500 awards of mobility allowance have now been made and I have no reason to believe that the adjudication arrangements by which claims to the allowance are decided, and which Parliament has decreed should be independent of Ministers, are not in general working well.I have had inquiries made into the case raised by my hon. Friend and understand the position to be as follows. The medical board which disallowed the appeal in the first place heard the case at the residential school which the boy attends. A statement from the school indicated that he could walk with crutches about a quarter of a mile with an occasional stop to rest. The statement continued:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the break-down of the numbers of those of Her Majesty's Forces personnel claiming family income supplement by size of family in the last four years and the proportion of all family income supplement beneficiaries that they represent for the latest four years.

I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. Members of Her Majesty's forces are coded for family income supplement purposes in an occupational group classification—based on the industrial classification used for censuses—which contains 16 other professions and trades. The numbers of beneficiaries—families headed by men—included in this group at the end of 1975, 1976 and 1977 were 90, 90 and 190 respectively or, as a percentage of the total numbers of families receiving the supplement, 0·2 per cent., 0·1 per cent. and 0·2 per cent. respectively. Comparable figures for earlier years are not available. It is not possible to identify Service families within this small category, but clearly the number can only be very small.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what regulations govern experiments on living animals conducted by his Department, or agencies for which he is responsible, or bodies which receive funds from his Department; how many officials in his Department are engaged full-time on ensuring any such regulations are observed; and how many breaches of any such regulations have been notified to his Department over each of the last five years.

The relevant legislation is the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876. Persons conducting experiments in the fields of my Department's responsibility or on behalf of bodies funded by my Department are subject to the Act in the normal way. The Act is administered by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department. Officials of my Department are not involved in its enforcement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many letters were received on the subject of scientology in each of the years following the publication of the report of the inquiry into the practices and effects of sicentology from members of the pub- lic; and, of these, how many were (a) favourable, (b) unfavourable and (c) neutral towards Scientology.

The information requested in the first part of the Question is not readily available and could not be obtained without a disproportionate amount of time and cost. It would in any case be impracticable to allocate the correspondence to the categories specified in the second part of the Question as it does not lend itself to such clearcut distinctions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in order to avoid confusion and cost to patients, he will instruct dentists to display notices prominently in ther waiting rooms indicating whether treatment is private or under the National Health Service.

General dental practitioners are independent contractors and are free to accept or refuse any patient for National Health Service treatment and to practise privately. I have no powers to compel them to display a notice of the kind mentioned. I think it unnecessary as each dentist is under an ethical obligation to clarify the nature of the contract whether it be National Health Service or private before commencing treatment and to indicate the probable cost. Nevertheless it is in patients' own interest to make sure before each course of treatment begins that they have been accepted for National Health Service treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to announce his decision on whether he will visit the Oakmere Rehabilitation Centre.

I wrote to the hon. Member on 27th April informing him of my intention to visit the Centre on 11th May.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many prescriptions for oral contraceptives were issued in 1974 and 1977, respectively, in the United Kingdom as a whole and in England and Wales.

Estimates of the prescriptions dispensed in the family practitioner services for drugs in individual therapeutic groups are not yet available for 1977. However, 5,939,000 prescriptions for oral contraceptives were dispensed in England and Wales in 1976 as compared with 1,357,000 dispensed in 1974 for drugs that could be used for contraceptive purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many prescriptions were written by doctors in the United Kingdom in 1974 and 1977, respectively; and what were the figures in those years for England and Wales.

An estimated 318,457,000 prescriptions were dispensed in the family practitioner services in England and Wales during 1977 as compared with 295,385,000 in 1974. Similar comparative figures for Great Britain and the United Kingdom are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the estimated cost in 1978–79 of extending the right to unemployment benefit to the self-employed.

It has never been found possible to extend unemployment benefit cover to the self-employed, as a class, because of the difficulty in deciding whether people who, to some extent at least, can control their own employment and working patterns are really unemployed.Even if this difficulty could be overcome, we do not have sufficient data to enable us to forecast the consequent rise in the number of self-employed people registering for work. I regret therefore that no reliable estimate of the cost can be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the future of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital.

The North East Thames Regional Health Authority has recommended to me that in view of the unsuc- cessful efforts to provide alternative accommodation for the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson hospital in a district general hospital, the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson hospital on Euston Road be closed. I am now giving the matter urgent consideration and hope to make an early statement to end the prolonged uncertainty over the future of this hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what calculations have been made of (a) the additional cost of pensions, and (b) the loss of insurance contributions, if the retirement age for men for the purpose of State pensions was reduced to 62 years.

On the basis that the pattern of retirement in the five years following a pensionable age of 62 for men was the same as it is now in the five years following age 65, the additional annual cost of retirement pensions, in 1978–79 terms, would be about £1,000 million. The loss of national insurance contributions would be about £250 million, and there would in addition be a loss of about £50 million by way of Exchequer supplement.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the illnesses other than salmonella which may be associated with the drinking of farm-bottled, untreated milk, together with the numbers of known cases that have occurred as a result of drinking such milk since 1976.

Illnesses other than food poisoning due to salmonella which have been associated with the drinking of untreated milk include: food poisoning due to Campylobacter, Escherichia Coli and staphyloccocus; Q Fever, Tuberculosis; and Brucellosis. Apart from Salmonellosis, the Public Health Laboratory Service has since the beginning of 1976 recorded one incident in England and Wales involving 30 cases of Campylobacter food poisoning which were thought to be due to the consumption of untreated milk.

asked the Minister of State for Social Services how many people are known to have suffered from salmonella as a result of drinking untreated milk; and what percentage this number represents the total number of people estimated as being consumers of untreated, farm-bottled milk.

In 1977 the Public Health Laboratory Service recorded in England and Wales 184 cases of food poisoning attributable to salmonella in untreated milk. This represents ·01 per cent. of the number of consumers of untreated milk as estimated at 31st March 1977.

asked the Minister of State for Social Services what percentage of known salmonella cases in the years 1976, 1977 and 1978 to date is attributed to the drinking of untreated, farm-bottled milk.

Between 1st January 1976 and 28th February 1978 the Public Health Laboratory Service recorded in England and Wales 217 cases of salmonella food poisoning attributable to the consumption of untreated milk. This represents 6·9 per cent. of all salmonella food poisoning cases during this period in which the food responsible for the outbreak was identified.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what are the criteria applied by the National Health Service to determine who should receive and who should be refused vasectomies and female sterilisations;(2) what is the cost to the National Health Service, including all hospital, nursing and profession charges of (

The decision whether a man or woman should be sterilised is a matter for clinical judgment.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations or invitations he has received from the Transport on Water Association concerning the operation of the Port of London.

At the invitation of the association, I made a fact-finding trip on the River Thames on 22nd March during which I heard the views of many of its members.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the public on the need for the outer orbital motorway to be completed around Greater London, following his recent White Paper on roads policy.

Two, in the short time since the White Paper has been published, but prior to that date we received numerous representations in support of individual sections of the route.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has available relating to the financial situation and accounts of the British Railways Board which is not published in the board's annual report and accounts; and if he will publish it.

The board provides my Department with a great deal of detailed information each year on its

BRITISH RAILWAYS BOARD—FORECASTS OF PASSENGER RAILWAY BUSINESS SECTORS EXPENSES AND REVENUE AND SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS FOR 1978
Table 1—DIRECT EXPENSES AND REVENUE
						Direct Expenses	Revenue	Contribution to Indirect Costs
						£ million	£ million	£ million
Inter City	…	…	…	…	…	193	331	138
London and South-East			…	…	…	182	270	88
Other provincial services			…	…	…	77	46		(31)
PTE services		…	…	…	…	51	38		(13)
						503	685	226	(44)
								182	(a)

TABLE 2—INDIRECT COSTS
									£ million	£ million
Track, Signalling and Electric Track Equipment (Freight and Passenger):
Scottish Region	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	45
Eastern Region	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	106
London Midland Region			…	…	…	…	…	…	115
Western Region		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	50
Southern Region		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	75
Headquarters and Miscellaneous				…	…	…	…	…	31
Total	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	422
Less: Costs charged to Freight and Parcels						…	…	…	85
Total Passenger			…	…	…	…	…	…		337
Other (includes Administration, Depreciation and Interest):
All Business Sectors		…	…	…	…	…	…	…	327
Less: Freight and Parcels			…	…	…	…	…	…	81
Passenger	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…		246
Total Indirect Costs (Passenger)					…	…	…	…		583	(b)

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he next intends to meet the chairman of British Railways.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my answer earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Helens (Mr. Spriggs).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make available the British Railways Board's forecast of passenger railway support requirements in 1978, as promised in the Government's response to the report of the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries on British Railways.

I have accepted the British Railways Board's claim for passenger support for 1978 for £403 million. The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current shortfall in revenue collected in relation to allocated road costs for heavy goods vehicles.

In the coming year revenue from goods vehicles over 30 cwt. unladen is expected to exceed allocated road costs by about £65 million. This figure takes account of the fact that two groups of the heaviest vehicles—four-axled 30 and 32 tonners—are not wholly covering their costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the question of roads maintenance; and whether he will make a statement.

From all sources about 85 representations concerning roads main- tenance have been received in the past 12 months.Together with local highway authorities, which are responsible for the maintenance of local roads, we are at present conducting the third annual road maintenance condition survey, which together we originated in 1976.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the question of roads maintenance; and whether he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet the General Secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen.

Soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he intends to adopt in his plans to extend nationalisation of the ports.

I have no plans for the present Session of Parliament, but the public interest in terms of the efficiency of the industry and the proper use of national resources will be the determining factor.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied that low-cost imported tyres meet approved safety standards.

We have no evidence of any general deficiency in the quality of low-cost imported tyres.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now publish the alternative proposed routes for the Macclesfield by-pass.

I cannot add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 6th April. We are still considering the choice of routes.—[Vol. 944, c. 185.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made in the preparation of comparative studies of returns on road and other forms of transport investment, as recommended by the Leitch Committee.

Studies of this kind raise a number of practical difficulties. A working group within my Department is looking at ways of overcoming these, in consultation with the British Railways Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he intends to adopt in his plans to extend public ownership in road haulage.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for the City of Chester (Mr. Morrison).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints he has received from the public during the last 12 months concerning the efficiency of the Swansea Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre; and whether he will make a statement.

The centre does not keep records of complaints. Enquiries of all kinds represent some 3 per cent. of all transactions.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the annual totals of representations from hon. Members in connection with matters dealt with by the Swansea Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre received by Ministers or by public servants of the centre during each of the last five years.

Records have been kept only since June 1973. The information, related to the volumes of transactions handled by the centre, is as follows:

1973	262 (57·1 per million transactions)
1974	338 (28·6 per million transactions)
1975	774 (35·7 per million transactions)
1976	1,349 (39·4 per million transactions)
1977	2,071 (39·8 per million transactions)

323 representations—22·2 per million transactions—were received during the first quarter of 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the accounts of the National Freight Corporation for 1977.

The 1977 annual report and accounts of the National Freight Corporation were published, and copies deposited in the Library, on 26th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement on his proposals for a by-pass round Bottesford, Leicestershire, now that the A52 road has become a trunk road; and what proposals he has for improving the safety aspects at Muston Bends, and in Bottesford itself, prior to any by-pass construction.

We expect to receive during the summer reports on the need for improvements to the A52 between Nottingham and the A1 near Grantham. We will then consider what works, if any, should have priority. In the expectation that there will be a need for an early improvement at Muston, a small scheme to improve the bends is already in preparation. Accidents are not a major problem at Bottesford and we do not propose to take any action there until the question of a by-pas is settled.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made with the construction of the section of the link between the M4 and the M40, running between Maidenhead Thicket and Burchetts Green roundabout; and when he anticipates that work will be started.

Appraisal and preliminary design for a scheme is proceeding. If required, an inquiry into the proposal could be held in 1979, and, subject to the outcome, construction could start in 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in light of the recent serious coach accidents, he will speed up the implementation of the EEC regulations on coach roof strengths, seats and seat mountings; if he will now require escape hatches to be fitted in roofs; and if he will make a statement.

We will do what we can to speed up consideration of these matters, but we are not yet in a position to add to the statement which I made in reply to my hon. Friend on 1st March.—[Vol. 945, c. 220.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport which projects at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory concerning safety are being slowed down or abandoned owing to manpower cuts.

One safety project, on pedestrian segregated areas, has been stopped.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to introduce legislation to fulfil Great Britain's obligation in the EEC concerning the introduction of tachographs.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representatives he has received regarding legislation providing for the use of tachographs in the long distance haulage industry.

I have received a number of representations, expressing various points of view.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has received from the British Railways Board for the substitution of rail services by buses in East Anglia.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is planning to have discussions with Bedfordshire County Council about their proposals on advisory lorry routes and the workings of the Heavy Commercial Vehicles Act 1973; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to have discussions of that kind. It is for the county council to decide how to regulate lorry traffic on roads for which it is the local highway authority, using the statutory powers available to it as necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he can now provide from the new survey an approximate figure to indicate the extent of evasion of road tax on cars.

I hope to make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what talks he has had with the Avon County Council about its financial allocations for public transport within the county.

Our officials recently met representatives of the county council. Bristol City Council, and the Bristol Omnibus Company to discuss the finances of public transport in Bristol. Further discussions will be held as necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to remedy the discomfort caused to drivers and adjoining residents as a result of the experimental road surface on the M40 motorway west of Uxbridge.

The randomly-grooved concrete road surface on this section of the M40 is not experimental and we have no evidence that discomfort is caused to drivers. Measures have been taken to protect the properties most affected by traffic noise: barriers have been erected and noise insulation of those properties which qualify for it is being carried out.