asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is now able to announce his decision on the public inquiry into the M63 from Cheadle Heath to Portwood.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport are now considering the inspector's report and will announce their decision as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport in how many rural areas minibuses or locally arranged transport schemes now operate; and if he will make a statement on their progress.

Minibuses or locally arranged transport schemes catering for particular groups such as the elderly, the disabled, or the young, operate successfully in most rural areas. There are now about 140 post buses and five community minibus schemes providing transport for the public at large, and 13 out of the 16 experiments in the Government's programme of rural transport experiments are operating, although it is too soon to assess the results.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to develop public transport integration of Ribble, Crosfields and local authority services in the west and central Lancashire area.

Responsibility for co-ordination of public transport services in non-metropolitan counties lies with the county councils under Section 203 of the Local Government Act 1972. Integration of Ribble and local bus services in Lancashire is therefore being carried out by the county council, which is negotiating agency agreements with the district councils and Ribble Motor Services Limited, under which Ribble operates as agents of the district council and its services are integrated with those of the municipal operator on a common fare scale.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will dismiss the chairman of British Railways.

No.

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

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesend (Mr. Ovenden).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department had with the Merseyside County Council about progress on the Garston bypass.

There have been discussions between the Department and Merseyside County Council about its transport policies and programmes, but it has not been able to include the Garston bypass in its plans for the current year. It none the less remains a top priority when money can be found.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the present regulations which cover the transport of dangerous substances by road; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend on 3rd May.—[Vol. 949, c. 156–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about extending public ownership in transport.

I have received no formal representations lately.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the legal provisions which require the manufacturers of motor vehicles to advise his Department of potentially dangerous faults discovered in these vehicles after they have been sold to the public.

There are no legal requirements. But there is a voluntary system under which manufacturers and the Department exchange information on such faults as a basis for remedial action.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received any proposals for major investment in improved facilities on the railway line from Chingford to Liverpool Street.

No. But services between Chingford and Liverpool Street will benefit in due course from improvements being carried out as part of a general programme of capital works planned for the Great Eastern section of British Rail's Eastern Region.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the White Paper, "Policy for Roads: England 1978", Command Paper No. 7132.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Stechford (Mr. MacKay).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the operation of the traffic commissioner system.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. member for Cheltenham (Mr. Irving).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the procedure for replacing lost driving licences.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will deposit in the Library copies of the correspondence between himself and Herr Gscheidle, Transport Minister of West Germany, relating to rail freight movements between Great Britain and Germany.

It is unusual to publish ministerial correspondence of this kind. I am not aware of any special reason for making an exception.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport which of the conclusions of the Price Commission's report on increase in passenger fares in British Railways he intends to adopt.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport which of the conclusions of the Price Commission's report "British Railways Board—Increase in Passenger Fares" he intends to adopt.

The Government's view of the Price Commission's report was set out in the Press notice issued by myself and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection on 10th April, of which copies are available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on extending public ownership in road haulage.

None of a formal kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning the carriage of dangerous materials on the roads and the safety of the population of the areas through which the vehicles pass; and if he will make a statement.

Representations are received from time to time from a number of sources and are being carefully considered in the course of preparing proposals for the new comprehensive regulations referred to in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Thomas) on 3rd May. —[Vol. 949, c. 156–7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet the chairman of British Railways to discuss further measures to encourage passengers to use the railways in North-East Lancashire.

When I next meet the chairman of British Rail, I shall draw his attention to my hon. Friend's concern.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the third annual road maintenance survey to be completed.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Leek (Mr. Knox).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to meet the chairman of the National Ports Council.

Some time soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what communications he has received from the EEC about metrication.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton).

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesend (Mr. Ovenden).

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is satisfied with progress in improving the operation of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea.

We are never satisfied, but the performance continues to improve.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects completion and opening of the south-western sectors of the M25 motorway between Reigate and Chertsey.

Subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures and to the availability of funds at the time, work on all sections of the M25 between Reigate and Chertsey is expected to start in 1979 or 1980 and to be completed in two to three years thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he can make of the number of lives that have been saved and the number of severe injuries sustained since the implementation of legislation requiring motorcyclists to wear crash helmets; and if he will make a statement describing the method used in producing these figures.

We estimate that a saving of nearly 120 fatal and 80 serious casualties per year can be attributed to the introduction of compulsory wearing of crash helmets. This estimate is necessarily approximate; it is based on a comparison of casualty rates for July to October 1973 with those for the same period of 1972.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy towards the introduction of lorries of 40 tonnes or more on to British roads.

Before allowing such lorries on our roads, I would need to be fully satisfied that they were consistent with the needs of safety and the environment.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent consultations he has had with the Port of London Authority.

I have regular meetings with the chairman of the Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received to date on the operation of community bus services in rural areas.

These matters have been debated at length during the proceedings on the Transport Bill, but there have been no other representations of late.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1), in view of the fact that the fares charged by the Trent Motor Traction Company for bus journeys between Loughborough and villages within a few miles distance are over 90 per cent. of the fare between Loughborough and Nottingham, which is 15 miles away, if he will take appropriate steps to remedy this situation, when he has received his inspector's report;(2) what his policy is with regard to comparability of bus fares between towns and nearby villages and between towns separated by much longer distances.

Bus fares are controlled by the traffic commissioners and my right hon. Friend cannot intervene in their decisions except in relation to an appeal. The Trent Motor Traction Company's fares are currently subject to appeal and we are awaiting the inspector's report. I cannot comment on a case which is sub judice, but I shall ensure that my hon. Friend is informed of my right hon. Friend's decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, in view of the fact that in "Policy for Roads: England 1978", Command Paper No. 7132, more roads schemes are planned than there will be funds available, if he will make available increased resources for trunk road construction if there are no delays in completing the design and statutory processes of schemes in the programme.

No. The Government's expenditure plans provide for a stable level of investment in road construction.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will announce the terms of reference and membership of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment; and what aspects of his Department's appraisal methods he will ask the committee to consider first.

The terms of reference are:

(i) to advise on any significant changes proposed in appraisal or forecasting methods;

(ii) to initiate proposals for such changes;

(iii) to make recommendations for expert studies in defined cases.

The following members have agreed to serve on the committee under the chairmanship of Sir George Leitch:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he will introduce the road tanker labelling regulations.

I am anxious to make these important regulations without further delay, and I have asked the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission to let me have his final proposals at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the British Railways Board's new corporate plan.

Later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has received for the introduction of further high-speed trains.

I have received and approved a proposal for a major investment scheme to introduce highspeed trains on services linking Edinburgh and North-East England with the South-West and South Wales. This involves construction of 18 high-speed trains, together with spares and necessary improvements to track and signalling, at a total cost of over £45 million. The new trains will be progressively introduced into service from 1981 and will cut journey times by up to one-quarter.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the meeting on 30th May of the Council of Ministers (Energy) of the European Community.

The Council of Ministers (Energy) met on 30th May. Discussion concentrated on a package proposed by the Presidency consisting of:

(a) agreement in principle to a scheme to aid intra-Community trade in power station coal and to review the existing scheme of aid for coking coal;

(b) a resolution on Community refinery policy;

(c) a regulation to provide Community financial aid for demonstration projects in energy saving;

(d) a framework regulation to provide Community financial aid for demonstration projects in alternative energies and implementing regulations for its application in the fields of solid fuel liquefaction and gasification and of geothermal energy;

(e) a regulation to provide Community aid for certain hydrocarbon exploration projects.

The Council also had a general discussion on nuclear questions and considered a statement of Community energy policy objectives for 1985.The Council agreed on the regulation on demonstration projects in energy saving and on the framework regulation on demonstration projects in alternative energies. These regulations will not, however, come into force until the Council has adopted regulations setting financial limits for the aid to be given under each scheme and until the first project under each scheme has been approved. The Council will consider these matters further at its meeting in December. No agreement was reached on other items.I made clear that we attached great importance to effective measures to aid intra-Community trade in power station coal and that I was deeply disappointed by the lack of progress here. I recognised that the refinery industry in certain Community countries faces difficult problems. In general, it was for the industry, in consultation with national Governments and the trade unions representing refinery workers, to tackle these problems but there were some areas, such as the import of refined petroleum products, where the possibility of Community action could usefully be studied. The Italian delegation was, however, unable to agree to proposals on either coal or refineries except on the basis of far-reaching proposals to aid the Italian refinery industry which were unacceptable to all other member States.I shall continue to work for progress on Community energy policy in a way consistent with our vital national interests. Such a policy, to be serious, will need to include as a central feature effective measures to utilise the Community's massive resources of coal for the common benefit. I shall also continue to work to improve the Councils procedures with a view to securing stronger political direction over, and more open discussion of, energy policy questions. Above all, we must be free to control our oil policy on the same basis as at present, and I made this crystal clear to my colleagues and to Dr. Brunner.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what improvements have been made in the Eastern Region in the provision of supportive help to families caring for mentally defective children and adults at home.

The Eastern Health and Social Services Board provides supportive help to families caring for mentally defective children and adults at home through a full range of services, including education and training, day care

		Crimes	Murders	Rapes	Crimes of Violence	House-breaking
1964	…	133,654	27	39	2,276	59,848
1965	…	140,141	32	58	2,623	62,924
1966	…	147,749	30	64	2,929	65,883
1967	…	153,213	41	101	3,535	67,601
1968	…	152,242	41	81	3,586	64,243
1969	…	155,970	31	91	3,366	66,314
1970	…	167,223	29	77	3,204	70,545
1971	…	180,723	45	102	3,708	77,612
1972	…	178,384	47	131	3,724	74,436
1973	…	168,015	43	101	3,597	63,853
1974	…	192,233	38	120	3,765	74,917
Adjusted
1975	…	212,540	47	136	4,206	83,727
Actual
1975	…	232,482	47	141	4,372	97,400
1976	…	264,615	63	184	4,442	109,531
1977*	…	301,426	67	178	4,569	125,676
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the mileage of all-purpose dual carriageways in use in Scotland on trunk roads on 31st March 1978.

About 190 miles.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, giving the estimated cost of each, those trunk road schemes costing over £250,000 which were

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the numbers of reported (a) indictable offences, (b) murders, (c) rapes, (d) crimes of violence against the person, and (e) burglaries in Scotland in each year since 1964.

The information available is set out in the table below:added to the forward road programme during the six months ended 31st March 1978.

The information is as follows:

	Total Estimated Cost
	£ million
A952—Rocksley-Stirling Village	0·3
A78—Hunterston Improvement (Phase III)	0·3

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his most recent estimate of the capital and annual running costs of the proposed Scottish Assembly and the additional staff and officials which its creation would require.

The capital and annual running costs of the Scottish Assembly and the additional staff which its creation would require remain as estimated in the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum to the Scotland Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the numbers of (a) injuries sustained by police officers in the course of their duties, (b) resignations from the police force before the retirement period has been reached, and (c) police recruits in Scotland in each year since 1964.

The information requested at (a) is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate effort. The information requested under (b) and (c) is as follows:

Year		Resignations before retirement	Police recruits
1964	…	289	690
1965	…	313	875
1966	…	546	722
1967	…	445	779
1968	…	475	817
1969	…	461	740
1970	…	421	711
1971	…	269	845
1972	…	292	906
1973	…	393	848
1974	…	450	960
1975	…	376	1,416
1976	…	446	1,084
1977	…	661	884

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many building societies have been subjected to investigation by the police for fraud during the last 10 years; and how many prosecutions have taken place.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial and organisational arrangements have been made by his Department to provide courses for bilingual interpreters in Welsh and English to work in magistrates' courts in Wales.

None, since this is a matter for local arrangement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many courts in Wales are equipped with facilities for simultaneous translation; and how many translators have been instructed in the technique of simultaneous translation.

I understand from my right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Chancellor that the Crown court centres at Cardiff and Mold have facilities for simultaneous translations and that equipment is being installed at Carmarthen and is to be installed at Caernarfon. The Crown court has a panel of up to 12 interpreters who attend courses about once a year. These courses are presided over by a circuit judge experienced in the Welsh language.In magistrates' courts, simultaneous translation facilities are not provided. I do not think that they are needed, since it is generally possible for proceedings there to be conducted in Welsh, with translation into English where required.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the provision of translators in courts in Wales.

Neither my right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Chancellor nor my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is aware of any particular problems in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) full-time, and (b) part-time translators serve in magistrates' courts in Wales; and what is the breakdown of figures by county.

This information is not available centrally because the provision of translators in magistrates' courts is a matter for local arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many instances in 1977 courts in England and Wales which wished to make a detention centre order were unable to do so because of lack of accommodation.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of murders made known to the police in 1977; and what were the comparable totals for each year since 1945.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave on 20th January to a Question by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner)—Vol. 942, cols. 401–404]—when figures were given for the years 1967–1976 as at 1st June 1977. Comparable figures for 1977 are not yet available. Figures for the other years requested are not directly comparable with those for 1967 and later years as there was a change in recording procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of reported murders and rapes, separately, for the metropolitan area and England and Wales in each year since 1964.

In a case of homicide, it is not possible in the absence of a court decision to distinguish between offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide. Offences of homicide and rape recorded in the Metropolitan Police District are published in the annual reports of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, and, for the period beginning 1st April 1974, in the annual publication "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales". Since 1964 there have been some boundary changes in the Metropolitan Police District but they have not affected materially the comparability of these figures. Coresponding figures for England and Wales are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales". Available data for 1977 are given below.

OFFENCES OF HOMICIDE AND RAPE RECORDED BY THE POLICE, 1977
	Number of offences
	Homicide	Rape
Metropolitan Police District	142	188
England and Wales	482	1,015

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what classes of visit have been stopped by the prison officers' action at Her Majesty's Prison, Parkhurst; and how many such visits took place in April 1977;(2) what evidence there is of hardship caused to prisoners or their families or other visitors as a result of the dispute at Her Majesty's Prison, Parkhurst.

Prisoners have had visits as usual by relatives and friends; but in April 1977 16 other visits were affected. Staff refused to admit three prisoner patients on transfer to hospital in Parkhurst. There have been six complaints that access by lawyers has been impeded. 35 transfers to other prisons have been delayed, many designed to bring the prisoner nearer home.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate discussions with the BBC aimed at minimising the impact of frequency changes in BBC radio channels proposed for November 1978; and if he will have the issue raised at the World Administrative Radio Conference in Geneva in the autumn.

No. The changes which will take place in November 1978 constitute in the main a redistribution, between the different programme services and the different transmitting stations, of the frequency channels available for BBC use in the long and medium wavebands. The redistribution which was proposed by the BBC will, in the Corporation's view, give better service to listeners generally than they would receive if only the minimum changes dictated by international requirements were made. It was discussed extensively with the Home Office last year and is proceeding with my knowledge and agreement.No World Administrative Radio Conference is to be held in the autumn of this year. There will be one in Geneva in the autumn of 1979 but it will be concerned with the revision of the international Radio Regulations, not with the United Kingdom's domestic arrangements for its broadcasting services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now publish the numbers of men and women released from prisons in England and Wales after serving sentences in 1976 and 1977 respectively.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23rd May 1978; Vol. 950, c. 472], gave the following answer:

	England and Wales (excluding Metropolitan Police)		Metropolitan Police only
Year	Resignations prior to retirement	Recruits	Resignations prior to retirement	Recruits
1964	1,692	5,486	474	1,135
1965	1,714	7,165	405	1,315
1966	2,531	6,233	434	1,470
1967	1,877	7,101	385	1,738
1968	2,374	4,071	367	1,344
1969	3,100	5,296	507	1,154
1970	3,033	5,447	627	1,167
1971	2,032	5,959	565	1,118
1972	2,149	5,979	635	1,183
1973	2,720	5,616	793	1,070
1974	2,917	6,072	740	1,473
1975	2,186	8,776	515	1,622
1976	2,645	7,537	642	2,505
1977	4,106	6,205	1,060	1,798
1978 (January-April)	1,524	2,413	371	410

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is his latest estimate of the cost to public funds of paying immediately increases in public service pensions, which under current arrangements are postponed until the age of 55 years or over.

It is estimated that the cost in 1978–79 of paying cumulative pensions increase immediately to those public service pensioners below age 55 from whom it is at present withheld until that age would be of the order of £49 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of (a) injuries sustained by police officers in the course of their duties, (b) resignations from the police force before the retirement period has been reached, and (c) police recruits, separately, for the Metropolitan Police area, England and Wales, in each year since 1964.

The information for (a) is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. The figures for (b) and (c) are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects the first shipment of ore to go into Hunterston.

This is a matter for the British Steel Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many trains a day he expects will go to and leave from Hunterston.

This is a matter for the British Steel Corporation.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will take an early opportunity of visiting the parliamentary constituency of Hamilton in Scotland and addressing the electorate on the successes of Her Majesty's Government's administration since October 1974.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for. Social Services if he is satisfied with the supply situation in respect of spare parts for invalid tricycles; and if he will make a statement.

Over 2,000 spare parts for these vehicles are stocked by my Department. As at any other time, most of these parts are readily available from stock. Occasionally, and as happens generally in the motor trade, some shortages occur for a variety of reasons. Exhaust parts for the model 70 have been a particular problem. But, as I am informing my hon. Friend the Member for Dunbartonshire, Central (Mr. McCartney) in my reply to his Question today, the supply situation in respect of these parts has much improved. A few other parts are at present in short supply and appropriate remedial action has been taken. My Department is currently having discussions with its suppliers to ensure the continuing availability of parts during the phasing-out period for the three-wheeler.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps have been taken to remedy the shortage of spare parts for the exhaust system of the model 70 provided by his Department.

My Department has taken on additional suppliers of these components and, whilst some delays have been experienced by the firms concerned in starting production, I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that all outstanding orders have been cleared. Further deliveries have been promised in quantities which should be sufficient to ensure that these parts can in future be supplied on demand from stock, as is the case with most spare parts supplied by my Department. It is the intention, in due course, to provide each approved repairer of these vehicles with a float stock of these parts.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement about the chairmanship of the Occupational Pensions Board.

I have appointed Lord Brimelow, GCMG, OBE, to be chairman of the Occupational Pensions Board from 1st July 1978, in succession to Lord Allen of Abbeydale, GCB, who has found it necessary to resign from the board in view of his other commitments.Lord Allen has been chairman of the board since its formation in 1973. This has been a crucial period in the developing partnership between the State pension scheme and good occupational pension schemes. In particular, these years have seen the implementation of the pension preservation requirements of the Social Security Act 1973 and, more recently, the successful launching of the contracting-out arrangements under the Government's new pension scheme, involving the issue of over 20,000 contracting-out certificates. I am glad to pay tribute to the great respect in which the work of the board, under Lord Allen's chairmanship, has come to be held.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the economically active population is employed in automotive related industries in (a) Walsall, and (b) each of the 14 districts and London boroughs designated other than programme and partnership authorities, under the Inner Urban Areas Bill.

The nearest available information is given in the table below. The percentage figures relate to employees in employment in the areas of the employment offices wholly or mainly in Walsall district and the designated local authority districts and London boroughs. As my Department's statistics are analysed according to the minimum list headings and orders of the Standard Industrial Classification, the percentage figures relate to the manufacture of vehicles (Order XI of the Standard Industrial Classification (1968)) and therefore do not include employees classified to minimum list headings not confined to automotive activities.

PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYEES IN EMPLOYMENT ENGAGED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VEHICLES (ORDER XI OF THE STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION (1968)) AT JUNE 1976
Local Authority District/London Borough		Employment Offices wholly or mainly in the District/London Borough	Per cent.
Walsall	…	Walsall	6·3
		Brownhills
		Darlaston
		Willenhall
Barnsley	…	Barnsley	0·3
		Goldthorpe
		Hoyland
		Royston (Yorks.)
		Wombwell
Blackburn	…	Blackburn	0·6
		Darwen
Doncaster	…	Doncaster	5·9
		Mexborough
		South Elmsall
		Thorne
Hartlepool	…	Hartlepool	0·2
Rochdale	…	Rochdale	0·4
		Heywood
		Littleborough
		Middleton
Rotherham	…	Rotherham	0·1
		Dinnington
		Maltby
St. Helens	…	St. Helens	0·5
Sandwell	…	Cradley Heath	3·7
		Oldbury
		Smethwick
		Tipton
		Wednesbury
		West Bromwich
Sefton	…	Bootle	0·4
		Crosby
		Southport
Wigan	…	Wigan	1·8
		Ashton-in-Makerfield
		Atherton
		Golborne
		Hindley
		Leigh
		Standish
Brent	…	Wembley	2·4
		Willesden
Ealing	…	Acton	4·1
		Ealing
		Southall
Haringey	…	Tottenham	0·1
		Wood Green
Wandsworth	…	Clapham Junction	0·3
		Tooting

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many claims have been submitted to the Central Arbitration Committee under Section 11 of the Employment Protection Act 1975 for settlement outside stage 3 incomes policy; how many were successful; how many workers were involved; in which trade unions; and what was the range of additional payments made, expressed annually.

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to claims under Schedule 11 of the Employment Protection Act 1975.I understand that up to 30th April 1978 898 claims had been submitted to the Central Arbitration Committee. My Department has received details of 264 awards made up to that date of which 193 were successful, either wholly or in part. Approximately 32,000 workers have been affected.Claims have been brought by a large number of unions, notably ASTMS, AUEW (TASS), AUEW (engineering) and TGWU. I regret that insufficient information is contained in published awards to calculate the range of additional payments on an annual basis. Some awards are, of course, in respect of conditions of employment other than pay.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if provision is being made for unemployed teachers under the Special Temporary Employment Project, in view of the fact that any person who serves on it must have been unemployed for six months.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the special temporary employment programme provides temporary jobs as an alternative to prolonged unemployment. In filling places on the programme, preference is given to those aged 19 to 24 who have been unemployed for six months or more and to those aged 25 and over who have been unemployed for 12 months or more. Where no suitably qualified candidates are available, unemployed people who have been unemployed for shorter periods may be recruited if their participation is essential to the successful running of the scheme. In addition to provision made under the special temporary employment programme, there will be opportunities for up to 8,000 adults to act in a supervisory or managerial capacity in projects mounted under the youth opportunities programme. It is expected that a number of such openings would be suitable for unemployed teachers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made with the job release scheme since the changes announced on 15th March; and if he will make a statement about further extensions to the scheme.

Following the announcement by the Secretary of State for Employment on 15th March 1978, the job release scheme was extended from 1st April 1978 for a further 12 months and now covers the whole country. Up to 30th May a total of 26,347 applications have been approved for job release. Since the scheme was extended on 1st April, the number of weekly applications received has more than doubled. We would expect the rate of applications to improve further after 1st July, when the allowance for a married person with a dependent spouse is to be increased from £26·50 to £35 (tax free). A draft order has been laid before the House to provide continuing financial authority for the scheme until 29th September 1979. No decision has yet been taken on whether to extend the scheme beyond 31st March 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the total number of people in employment in (a) July 1945, (b) October 1951, (c) October 1964, (d) June 1970, (e) February 1974 and (f) February 1977.

The table below gives the available information. Because of changes in the method of making employment estimates in 1948, a consistent series of figures from 1945 to 1951 does not exist. Accordingly, two figures are given for 1948 on the old and the new basis. Because of a later discontinuity, two figures are also given for 1964. Details of the methods used to produce the estimates are given in British Labour Statistics—Historical Abstract 1886–1968 (Appendix B and footnotes to pp 218–220) and Department of Employment Gazettes for March 1975 (pp. 193–196), December 1976 (pp. 1344–1346) and June 1977 (pp. 604–605).

Numbers in the employed labour force in Great Britain1
		Thousands
July 1945	…	21,506
July 1948 (1)	…	19,910
July 1948 (2)	…	22,504
September 1951	…	23,125
September 1964 (1)	…	25,099
September 1964 (2)	…	24,569
June 1970	…	24,197
March 1974	…	24,345
March 1977	…	24,163*
(1) The employed labour force comprises employees in employment, the self-employed (with or without employees) and Her Majesty's Forces.
* Provisional estimate

NOTES(i) the above figures include no allowance for seasonal variations.(ii) where there are no figures for the months requested, those for the nearest available month have been used.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what are his proposals for the consultations which the Prime Minister has indicated will be necessary on the industrial democracy White Paper.

The White Paper set out the main lines of the Government's proposals and indicated certain issues on which decisions remain to be taken in the light of further consultations and representations. The Government intend to press ahead with the introduction of legislation on industrial democracy. I would, therefore, invite all interested parties to put forward their comments on the White Paper as promptly as they conveniently can, and in any event before the end of September of this year.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether Her Majesty's Government have any proposals for providing further aid to refugees from the Western Sahara.

In response to requests for assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Red Cross, we have in the past two years made available three allocations, each of £20,000, for the relief of Western Saharan refugees. We have now agreed to make available a further £20,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take following the report of the Institute of Trading Standards and the Association of Public Analysts that pre-packed forms of ham and beef are being sold with excessive quantities of water for which customers are now paying as much as 15p per pound.

Water in food was the subject of a report by the Food Standards Committee published on 15th May 1978. It recommended that added water, where appropriate, should be included in the list of ingredients for all pre-packed foods, including ham and beef.Representations have been sought on this report. Further consideration is being given to the control of the use of water in meat products in the course of the Committee's current review of the Meat Products Regulations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what representations he has made to the French Government on the total ban on the advertising of Scotch whisky, which does not apply to rum, brandy and other spirits derived from the distillation of wines, having regard to Article 30 of the Treaty of Rome;(2) what representations he has made to the French Government about the discriminatory taxes on Scotch whisky in France as opposed to the lesser taxes on brandy and rum in that country having regard to Article 95 of the Treaty of Rome.

Responsibilty for ensuring that member States fulfil their obligations under the Treaty of Rome lies with the European Commission. The Government have made numerous representations to the Commission on the discriminatory practices of the French Government. The Commission some time ago issued reasoned opinions against the French Government relating both to discriminatory taxes on Scotch whisky and on restrictions on advertising under the procedures laid down in Article 169 of the Treaty.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases have been: (a) considered for prosecution and (b) prosecuted in each of the last five years for which figures are available for alleged contravention of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 and the Disease of Animals Act 1950 under the following orders: Transit of Animals (Road and Rail) Order 1975, the Conveyance of Live Poultry Order 1919 and the Transit of Animals (General) Order 1973.

I have been asked to reply.The only information available centrally is given in the following table.

Prosecutions in England and Wales for Offences against the Protection of Animals Act 1911
Year			Number of persons prosecuted
1972	…	…	531
1973	…	…	569
1974	…	…	502
1975	…	…	606
1976	…	…	665

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Church of England chaplains are currently serving in the Royal Naval Reserve, the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve and the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, respectively.

The information is as follows:

Royal Naval Reserve	24
Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve	59
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve	Nil

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, bearing in mind the present rate of wastage, how many years he estimates it will take to make good the loss of experienced fast jet pilots for the Royal Air Force; and what estimate has been made of the total cost of making good the shortfall.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19th May 1978; Vol. 950, c. 345], gave the following information:Figures for the loss of fast jet pilots are not kept separately from those for all trained pilots. Figures for the costs associated with the departure of experienced pilots from the fast jet force are not readily available. Indeed, the term "fast jet pilot" has been in use only since 1976.The numbers of trained pilots who have left the RAF in recent years are:

1973	1974	1975	1976	1977
413	305	386	453	306
(8·3)*	(6·4)	(8·4)	(10·9)	(8·0)
* The figures in brackets are percentages of the average trained pilot strength for the years given.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the net take-home pay, after stoppages and rent, of a married RAF senior aircraftsman with four school age children, two of them teenagers, following the most recent pay review; and if he will give a break-down of this figure, and the percentage increase which this represents in net weekly take-home pay.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22nd May 1978; Vol. 950, col. 437–38], gave the following information:In assessing the senior aircraftsman's "lead" over the man receiving supplementary benefit, I previously gave the hon. Member two figures, the lower relating to the Band 1 SAC, the higher to the SAC with the more demanding Band 3 job. Both were on Scale C, which goes to men with long service or long commitment. The figures below apply to the same two categories. One change has, however, been made in the mathematics: the amount of income tax likely to be payable by the Band 1, Scale C SAC as a result of the Finance Act has been reassessed and reduced, thus somewhat increasing his take-home pay, and of course his "lead" over the supplementary beneficiary. The difference is only about 40p a week.Perhaps the hon. Member will forgive me if I repeat that only one in 400 SACs has a family fitting his specification, that almost all SACs have a smaller family or none and that the normal "lead" possessed by airmen is accordingly far greater than the range I gave in my previous correspondence.The percentage increase in take-home pay is, as the hon. Member can see, rather less than the average gross percentage of the April pay award, but this was bound to be the case, given that the net income other than pay was reduced by the pay increase and the incidence of tax. In all the circumstances perhaps the only surprising—and certainly gratifying—thing is that the percentage difference is so small.

S.A.C. TAKE-HOME PAY AFTER 1978 PAY AWARD
	Band 1	Band 3
	Scale C	Scale C
	£	£
Basic pay	60·34	70·84
Rent rebate	2·40	—
Child benefit	9·20	9·20
Gross total	71·94	80·04
Less:
M.Q. Charge	9·59	9·59
Income Tax	6·00	9·60
National Insurance	2·42	2·77
Total deductions	18·01	21·96
Net income	53·93	58·08
Net income before pay award	48·32	51·54
Percentage increase	11·6	12·7

asked the Secretary of State for Education and. Science (1) whether, in making her decision to reject the North Riding County Council's proposals for the reorganisation of secondary education in Selby, she has taken into account the probable effects of the development of the Selby coalfield;(2) why she has rejected the secondary reorganisation scheme for Selby which had the approval of the Selby and Barlby Local Advisory Committee for Education.

My right hon. Friend rejected the North Yorkshire education authority's proposals for secondary reorganisation in Selby because she did not consider that the proposals would achieve parity between the three secondary schools involved, and because, in her view, the proposals were not in the best educational interests of all the children concerned. A meeting with representatives of the authority will shortly be arranged, and the probable effects of the development of the Selby coalfield in relation to the reorganisation of secondary education in the area are likely to be included in the matters to be discussed.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of children receive free school meals in (a) Walsall and (b) each of the 14 district and London boroughs designated other than partnership and programme authorities under the Inner Urban Areas Bill.

Since Blackburn, Hartlepool and Wandsworth are not local education authorities, separate information about them is not available in my Department. The information about the other areas, relating to January 1978, is as follows:

			Numbers of pupils taking free school meals as a percentage of those present
Walsall	…	…	13·1
Barnsley	…	…	15·8
Brent	…	…	14·2
Ealing	…	…	13·6
Doncaster	…	…	13·5
Haringey	…	…	15·5
Rochdale	…	…	20·3
Rotherham	…	…	12·7
Sandwell	…	…	12·7
Sefton	…	…	16·4
St. Helens	…	…	16·6
Wigan	…	…	17·1

asked the Secretary of State for Education when she expects to issue her consultative document on school uniform grants.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to issue a consultative document on the subject, but the present arrangements are under review within the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the purpose of the Experimental Projects Group;(2) what are the criteria to be used when applying for grants from the fund administered by the Experimental Projects Group; what has been the budget of this fund for the last three complete financial years; and how much has been spent in each year;(3) if she will list all projects financed out of the Experimental Projects Fund in the last three years, specifying the amount awarded to each;(4) if she will list the members of the Experimental Projects Fund Committee and detail their experience in youth work;(5) with regard to grants awarded by the Experimental Projects Group, how many of the projects financed over the last three years were visited by officials of her Department to assess the degree of experimentation and innovation.

The Experimental Projects Group is a small informal committee set up by my Department to advise us on the award of grant to experimental projects likely to be of value to the youth service. The membership of the group varies. At present it comprises an officer of the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, an officer of the National Association of Youth Clubs, a member of Her Majesty's Inspectorate, and a principal from my Department. All but the last have considerable practical knowledge and experience of youth work.Projects must normally be sponsored by a national voluntary youth organisation or a recognised research organisation. The main criteria are that they should be:

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what is his policy towards the banning of manufacturers' recommended prices on retail goods

My right hon. Friend's policy is to consider possible

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) when it is proposed to commence work on the widening and realignment of the A5 trunk road at Froncysyllte, Clwyd(2) when it is proposed to commence work on the widening and realignment of the A5 trunk road in the vicinity of the Llangollen Golf Club, Llangollen, Clwyd.

Work started on both these schemes as one contract on 14th February 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to set up a special committee of inquiry to look into the situation of marginal farmers in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to set up a special committee of inquiry to consider the problems of marginal farmers.As the hon. Member is aware, we are currently considering with other Agriculture Ministers the conclusions of officials who have been studying these problems—as they relate to the United Kingdom as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to reduce the pricing inequities in the public and private rented housing markets.

The Government's views on pricing in relation to housing are set out in Chapter 5 of the Housing Green Paper (Cmnd 6851). The private rented sector is also being considered in the review of the Rent Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many councils in England and Wales have so far made claims on the fund established to compensate them for damage due to floods and storms during the winter.

My Department wrote to some 140 authorities telling them of the arrangements for submitting claims for special financial assistance in respect of the additional expenditure they were known to have incurred as a result of floods and storms last winter. Many authorities expressed an initial interest and so far two of them have been able to work up detailed claims.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the acceptable level of lead pollution in England and Wales; what is the level of lead pollution in Walsall; if he had studied the Harwell Atomic Energy Corporation study of Walsall; and if he will make a statement.

There is no single limit for the acceptable level of lead pollution in the environment. Lead enters the body in a number of ways, principally through food and drink; to a lesser extent through the air. Other sources are lead from paint, pottery glazes, etc. A measure of man's uptake of lead is the lead content of blood and although there is no set standard in the United Kingdom the normal upper limit for the general population is taken to be 35 microgrammes/100 ml. Work is now being planned under an EEC directive to measure the blood lead contents of sample populations in major cities and also of critical groups who might be exposed to above average lead concentrations.In the United Kingdom steps have already been taken to limit the total exposure of the population by a number of measures. These include phased reductions of lead in petrol, a reduction in the lead content of paint, treatment of plumbosolvent water, proposals to lower the permitted lead content of food. In addition, a major research programme is in progress to improve our understanding of lead and its effects.Lead levels in the air in Walsall have not been sampled in any research projects sponsored by the Department of the Environment. I am aware of the Hanwell study, but the Department and other Departments concerned, including the Department of Health and Social Security, have not yet had the opportunity to study it in detail. I will write to my hon. Friend when this has been done.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake a study to assess the practicability of the recently-published proposals of the Oxfam Public Affairs Unit for the more efficient collection of domestic waste and its recycling for commercial use; and if he will make a statement.

Officials from my Department and the Department of Industry have already had preliminary discussions with Oxfam on its proposals. The Government's present view is that mechanical sorting offers better prospects in this country for increasing the economic reclamation of municipal waste than the methods proposed by Oxfam. We are already funding an extensive programme of research into methods of reclaiming this type of waste and are helping the Tyne and Wear and South Yorkshire County Councils to build fullscale prototype mechanical sorting plants.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment which of the 14 districts and London boroughs designated under the Inner Urban Areas Bill, other than partnership and programme authorities, were previously designated as housing stress areas; and which received assistance under the inner cities construction package programme.

Of the 14 further districts to be designated, other than the partnership and programme authorities, the following were housing stress areas:

Hartlepool	Rotherham
Blackburn	Sandwell
Rochdale	Brent
Wigan	Ealing
Barnsley	Haringey
Doncaster	Wandsworth

The following of the 14 districts received assistance under the inner cities construction package:

Rochdale	Brent
Sefton	Haringey
St. Helens	Wandsworth
Sandwell

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the total housing and flat stock in Greater London consists of the long leasehold tenure.