asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Government's reply to the Expenditure Committee report on the fishing industry will be published.

The Government's reply to this interesting and wide-ranging report is being laid before the House today. As our reply makes clear, we welcome the Expenditure Committee's support for our defence of United Kingdom interests during the negotiations on the European Community common fisheries policy. We are determined to stand out for a settlement which meets this country's essential requirements and provides a satisfactory future for our fishing industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what action he has taken following his promise in the debate on preventive medicine to write to area health authorities with high perinatal and infant mortality rates;(2) if he will list the area health authorities with higher than average perinatal and infant mortality rates in recent years from whom he has requested details of the specific policies they are adopting to improve the situation.

On 9th August 1978, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security, wrote on my behalf to all chairmen of regional health authorities sending them a copy of the perinatal and infant mortality statistics for 1974 to 1977 inclusive and drawing their attention to those areas with worse-than-average figures whose performance seemed to afford grounds for real concern, either because they were not improving or because they were improving at an unacceptably slow rate. Chairmen were asked to make a special approach to the area chairmen concerned, requesting them to report back by the end of the year on the specific policies they are adopting now and in future years to improve the situation.My hon. Friend's letter emphasised that variations in the infant and perinatal death rates are in no sense a true measure of the effectiveness of an area's health services, and may also reflect a whole range of wider social and environmental factors; even areas with the best overall figures may have some localities with high perinatal and infant mortality where further effort may be called for.In the planning manual issued in January this year, all regional health authorities were asked to incorporate in their strategic plans proposals for tackling the incidence of perinatal and infant mortality, together with the incidence of related handicaps, especially for those areas with persistently high figures.A table is appended showing the areas which have been asked to furnish the special reports referred to.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress Sir Edward Pochin has made in his inquiry into radiological health and safety at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston.

I have just received an advance copy of Sir Edward Pochin's report for which I am very grateful. Arrangements are in hand for publication and I hope to be able at the same time to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether it is his intention to exempt United Kingdom banks from the requirements of the EEC fourth directive on the structure and content of company accounts.

The matter is under consideration. My proposals will be contained in a consultative document on the implementation of the EEC fourth directive which my Department intends to publish early next year.

asked the Secvretary of State for Trade if he will provide an analysis, for the last few years, of applications and grants for quota relief under section 4 of the Films Act 1960, as amended, for combination of quota periods under section 6 of the Films Act 1960, and for quota failures, for the totality of cinemas and for the largest chains of cinemas.

The following are the figures showing those chains with over 100 screens: