asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library an account of his representations to the European Economic Commission on the subject of the projected surplus butter sales to the USSR and Poland and also of the replies he received.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Dr. McDonald) on 22nd November.—[Vol. 958, c. 607–8]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many calves and barren cows, respectively, were exported to the EEC for slaughter up to the most recent convenient date; and what is his estimate of the proportion of the average dairy farmer's income which is derived from the sale of barren cows and calves for export on the hoof and destined for slaughter from the United Kingdom to another EEC member State.

Separate figures for barren cows are not available but the numbers of calves and cows other than those for breeding and dairy purposes exported to the EEC in the first 10 months of 1978 were as follows:

The GLC estimates that under the present construction programme the barrier will be operational in late 1983. The possibility of a change in the programme, which could bring forward this date by some 12 months, is at present under consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement in the light of the European Court's judgment in the case concerning the powers of the Northern Ireland Pig Marketing Board.

I have noted the European Court's judgment in this case. It is now for the court in Northern Ireland to apply the judgment to the facts of the case, and it would be premature for me to comment in detail before that has been done. We are, however, already engaged in urgent discussions with the Commission in Brussels about the longterm arrangements for Northern Ireland pigs in the light of the European Court's ruling and it will be the objective of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and myself to ensure that these provide for satisfactory marketing arrangements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken to ensure that horses and ponies are not exported from Great Britain.

An order was made today increasing from 27th December the minimum values that apply for export purposes as follows:

	Old value £	New value£
Pony over 12 hands up to and including 14½ hands	160	300
Pony not exceeding 12 hands other than Shetland	120	220
Shetland pony not exceeding10½ hands	60	145
Heavy draft horse	300	715
Vanner, mule or jennet	250	495
Ass	120	220

The existence of these minimum values helps to protect certain types of horse and all ponies from being exported for slaughter. They will be kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in setting up in Northern Ireland an independent grant-making charitable trust, referred to in the consultative document"The Government and the Voluntary Sector "; to what extent the trust would initially be financed by the Government; and if he will make a statement.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 29th November 1978; Vol. 959, c. 221], gave the following information:Steps are now being taken to set up an independent charitable trust to stimulate and support voluntary work in Northern Ireland.While some of the charitable trusts in Great Britain have in the past made welcome grants in Northern Ireland, and some are still doing so, it is important that Northern Ireland develop its own source of charitable funds. Generous grants for voluntary bodies are already available from statutory agencies, but local groups should not be totally dependent on Government. As well as raising money themselves, they should have access, as in the rest of the United Kingdom, to funds from independent charitable trusts, which can be geared to respond to need with speed, flexibility and the minimum of formality.The Government are therefore encouraging the establishment of a trust in Northern Ireland, the aims and objects of which will broadly be to promote the welfare of deprived groups in the community through support for voluntary organisations, groups or bodies engaged in charitable activities for the relief of poverty and social deprivation, especially where there is special social need. The trust would raise money from private sources in Northern Ireland and from the main charitable trusts in the United Kingdom and abroad. It should attract considerable support, accumulate funds and become an important factor in voluntary work in Northern Ireland. As it will take a year or two to achieve this level of support from private sources, and in order to enable the trust to begin operating as a funding agency from the date of its foundation, the Government will provide a capital sum of £·5 million to be pain on the setting up of the trust. To encourage private donors the Government will also match pound for pound up to a maximum of £250,000 any funds that the trustees raise from other sources. Parliamentary approval for the capital sum of £0·5 million, which will be by way of an extra-statutory grant in aid, will be sought in the Spring Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland.My noble Friend the Minister of State is now arranging for a group of people to come together as trustees-designate to discuss the legal setting up of the trust, which is expected to be in operation by 1st April 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many myoelectric hands have been issued to disabled children in Northern Ireland.

None. The myoelectric hand is not available for general issue under the Health Service as it is still in the testing stage. Steps have been taken to identify suitable children to take part in trials of the hand at the limb fitting centres at Roehampton and Manchester but so far no disabled children in Northern Ireland have been found who would be suitable for inclusion in the trials.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to make a statement about the report of the Cockcroft committee.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 29th November 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the murder on 26th November of the deputy governor of Her Majesty's Maze prison by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and what security was available at the deputy governor's home on the night of the murder.

At 8.30 p.m. on Sunday 26th November, Mr. Miles, the Deputy Governor of Her Majesty's Maze prison was shot dead by a gunman who called at his home in North Belfast. Police investigations into this crime are continuing. It would not be in the interests of security to disclose the security precautions which apply to members of the prison service either generally or in any particular case.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the total amount of money paid to"Enterprise Ulster"out of Government funds since it was set up.

I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the leading officials of"Enterprise Ulster ", the dates of their appointment, their qualifications and the amount of their salaries and expenses, respectively, and the dates when their terms of office expire.

I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number of jobs which were tendered for by small private landscaping firms which have been undertaken by"Enterprise Ulster."

I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the murder of a part-time sergeant in the Ulster Defence Regiment on Monday 27th November by the Irish Republican Army; what sort of weapon was used in the attack; how many shots were fired; and how many arrests were made.

Shortly after 5 p.m. on 27th November, a part-time sergeant in the Ulster Defence Regiment was shot dead by a gunman as he sat in his parked car near Belfast city centre. It is believed that the gunman fired four or five shots from a 38 revolver: forensic tests are being conducted in order to establish the facts. Police investigations into the incident are continuing but no arrests have been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why he has delayed the implementation of the democratic decision by the Ballymena borough council to close its swimming pool on Sundays; while Sunday opening decisions by other councils have been implemented immediately.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report 24th November 1978; Vol. 958, c. 798], gave the following information:Ballymena borough council first submitted byelaws relating to the hours of opening of its swimming pool complex to the Department of Education for Northern Ireland on 14th March 1978. After these byelaws had been carefully considered the council was told on 23rd June that, on the basis of legal advice, the byelaws fell short of the statutory requirements. On 15th August the council told the Department that it had clarified this, and revised byelaws were received by the Department in early October. The Department wrote to the council on 21st November conveying further legal advice and comments on the byelaws.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when Steven-son's school, Dunmurry, will be acquired by the Department of Education for youth work and recreational purposes.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report 27th November 1978; Vol. 959, c. 87], gave the following information:The South-Eastern Education and Library Board intends to acquire these premises for youth activities. There have been problems over the title to the property, following its closure as a primary school, and on advice the Board is applying to the High Court for permission to use the building for youth work and recreational purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table for each year since 1948, showing unemployment by entitlement to benefit, and including numbers in receipt of earnings related supplement.

I shall publish the available information in the Official Report as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate each regional health authority's share of the capital sums allocated since 1976 for the establishment of regional interim secure psychiatric units; and what use, in detail, each regional health authority has made of the money.

Central capital funds are not normally made available for interim units. In 1976–77 Yorkshire regional health authority was allocated £40,000 to meet capital expenditure on interim regional secure facilities at Lynfield Mount hospital, Bradford—£15,000—and Stanley Royd hospital, Wakefield—£25,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) why he is continuing to allocate money to regional health authorities for the establishment of regional secure psychiatric units when they have not used the money to date for that purpose;(2) how 60 per cent. of the special revenue allocated to regional health authorities for 1977–78 was spent on the provision of staffing of intensive secure units in the absence of a single regional interim secure psychiatric unit;(3) if he will indicate each regional health authority's share of the £17·7 million revenue allocation made since 1976 for regional secure psychiatric units; and what use in detail each regional health authority has made of the money.

The distribution of the £5·2 million in 1976–77 and the recurrent amounts for subsequent years totalling £17–7 million is shown below. The amounts for 1977·78 and 1978·79 were not separately identified in each region's allocation; the figures shown for these years are revaluations of the 1976·77 distribution.

			£'000
RHA	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79
Northern	347	400	434
Yorkshire	398	459	497
Trent	510	588	637
East Anglian	201	232	251
NW Thames	386	445	482
NE Thames	415	479	519
SE Thames	403	465	504
SW Thames	325	375	406
Wessex	296	342	370
Oxford	246	284	308
South Western	352	406	440
West Midlands	582	672	728
Mersey	280	323	350
North Western	459	530	574
Total	5,200	6,000	6,500

On the use made in 1976–77 by health authorities of the special revenue allocations, I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him and to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Thomas) on 28th July 1977—[Vol. 936, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services where the interim secure psychiatric facilities providing 100 places are located.

Designated interim secure psychiatric facilities are located as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which regional health authorities have not sent in plans for regional secure units.

Plans for regional secure psychiatric units have not so far been submitted by the East Anglian, South-West Thames, North-West Thames and Oxford regional health authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultants, and from which National Health Service hospitals, have visited the special hospitals with members of their nursing teams in order to obtain first-hand knowledge of patients waiting transfers.

Consultants from the National Health Service hospitals listed below have made a total of 142 visits to the special hospitals so far this year in order to obtain first-hand knowledge of patients awaiting transfer.It is thought that on at least one-third of the visits the consultants have been accompanied by members of their nursing teams but a precise record is not maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which health authorities and which National Health Service hospitals his officials have visited in order to discuss the transfer of patients from the special hospitals, and what was the outcome of the discussions.

The following health authorities and National Health Service hospitals have been visited this year:

• South Western Regional Health Authority.
• Wessex Regional Health Authority.
• Birmingham Area Health Authority.
• Hampshire Area Health Authority.
• Mary Dendy Hospital, Alderley Edge.
• Church Hill House Hospital, Bracknell.
• Little Plumstead Hospital, Norwich.
• Middlewood Hospital, Sheffield.
• St. Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough.
• Farmfield Hospital, Hortley.
• Balderton Hospital, Newark.
• Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury.
• Leavesden Hospital, Watford.
• Garth Anghard Hospital, Dolgellau.
• King's Mill Hospital, Sutton in Ashfield.
• St. Laurence's Hospital, Caterham.
• Scalebor Park Hospital, Ilkley.
• Whittingham Hospital, Preston.

The discussions have helped to overcome the difficulties in arranging transfers in individual cases. They have generally speeded the process of negotiation and led to clearer and more prompt identification of the reasons for the delay in effecting transfers from the special hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients awaiting transfer from the special hospitals have been taken to National Health Service hospitals for assessment by the local clinical team; and what has been the result.

Nine patients awaiting transfer from the special hospitals have been taken to National Health Service hospitals so far this year for assessment by the local clinical team. Of these, seven have been accepted for admission, one has been rejected and one is awaiting a decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients transferred in the last year from special hospitals and National Health Service hospitals have been readmitted to the special hospitals.

Nine, one of whom has since returned to the NHS hospital.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how long each of the eight men and three women currently in Rampton and who have been waiting for over four years for a transfer to a National Health Service hospital have been waiting; how many hospitals have refused to take each of them; if they would be suitable for transfer to a regional interim secure psychiatric unit: and what is the age of the two ladies over 60 years.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how long the man and 10 women currently in Moss Side who have been waiting for over four years for a transfer to a National Health Service hospital have been waiting; how many hospitals have refused to take each of them; and what are their ages.

The man, aged 66, has been waiting eight years four months for a place at Royal Eastern Counties hospital.Only one woman at Moss Side hospital has been waiting for transfer over four years. She is aged 65 and has been waiting four years three months for a place at Church Hill House hospital, Bracknell.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the ages of the two men aged under 20 years currently in Moss Side and awaiting transfer to a National Health Service hospital; and which hospitals have refused to accept them.

I regret that an error occurred in my reply of 20th November 1978—[Vol. 958, c. 944–6.]—giving a break-down in tabular form of the number of patients at the special hospitals who are awaiting transfer to NHS hospitals. The entries in the"Under 20"category also covered patients age 20.The two men are now both aged 20. The delays in effecting their transfers are not due to the refusal of National Health Service hospitals to accept them. The one, who requires to be treated in some degree of security, has been accepted for transfer to the Royal Western Counties hospital as soon as that hospital has suitable facilities. In the case of the other one, the consent of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the transfer has been sought but not yet given. I understand that he is in the process of seeking the advice of the Advisory Board on Restricted Patients.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the age of the girl aged under 20 years who is currently in Rampton and who has been waiting for up to a year for transfer to a National Health Service hospital; and which hospitals have refused to accept her.

The girl is now aged 20. She is on the waiting list for St. Margaret's hospital, Birmingham and will be admitted when there is a vacancy in a suitable ward.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures he is taking to ensure that the medical profession is aware of the need to screen surgical patients for sickle cell anaemia.

I am satisfied that the medical profession is already aware of

	Groups receiving supplementary allowances	Total in group(including the temporarily separated)	One-parent families in group (excluding the temporarily separated)
(i)	Unemployed and registered for work	671,000	7,000
(ii)	Lone parents except those in other groups	309,000	307,000
(iii)	Sick and incapable of work	229,000	3,000
(iv)	Widows with a national insurance widow's benefit	22,000	5,000
(v)	People caring for elderly or sick relatives at home	11,000	None
(vi)	Others	11,000	1,000

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what savings (a) in staff numbers and (b) in staff costs would be achieved if the recovery and collection of maintenance from husbands, ex-husbands and other close relatives of one-parent families on supplementary benefit were ended.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in the latest year for which figures are available, how many women out of what totals there were among appellants to supplementary benefit appeals tribunals and the three panels from which the members of these tribunals are drawn, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many one-parent families are included in each of the groups I, III, IV, V and VI of the table in paragraph 2.5 of the Department of Health and Social Security's report"Social Assistance ".

A detailed breakdown of the number of one-parent families in each of these groups of recipients of supplementary allowances can be obtained only from the annual special inquiry. The latest available figures from this source are for 30th November 1977, when the numbers in each group were as shown in the table below.

I regret that information is not readily available about the number of women appellants to supplementary benefit appeal tribunals and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.The current composition of the three panels from which the members of these tribunals are drawn is as follows:

	Total	Women
Chairman	314	56 (18 per cent.)
Workpeople's representatives.	1,199	234 (20 per cent.)
Other members	1,224	460 (38 per cent.)

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he hopes to implement EEC legislation ensuring women equality with men in social security rights.

I very much welcome the agreement which we have reached on an EEC directive which will represent a major step towards full equality for women. It provides, subject to some exceptions affecting widowhood and maternity benefits, child benefit and certain other long-term benefits, that within six years men and women must enjoy equal entitlement to personal social security benefits and increases for dependent adults and children. We shall of course be considering how the directive should be implemented and I shall report further to the House in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he now expects to receive the report of the working party studying back pain; and if he will make a statement.

I have received the report of the working group on back pain. It is being published and should be available as an HMSO publication in March or April of next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now give details of the phasing-in of the next age-group of disabled people to be included in the mobiilty allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement.

I am glad to say that a further commencement order will be laid before the House in January. This will bring into the scheme men and women aged 59 and 60. They will be invited to claim mobility allowance in March and payments will commence next June. We anticipate that between 8,000 and 10,000 successful claims will be received from this age group. I shall make a further announcement as soon as possible about the precise date from which claims may be made.Our present expectation is that ultimately there will be 145,000 receiving the allowance when it is fully phased-in. By the financial year 1980–81 we shall be spending an estimated £89·7 million on outdoor mobility for the disabled.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now update the table of total expenditure by his Department on mobility help, which was provided in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for West Stirlingshire (Mr. Canavan) on 24th February, to reflect the proposed further improvements in the mobility allowance scheme.

The following is the information:

ANNUAL TOTAL EXPENDITURE BY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SECURITY
Financial Year	£-million
1972–73	9·2
1973–74	11·2
1974–75	13·1
1975–76	17·2
1976–77	26·2
1977–78	40·3*
1978–79	65·7*
1979–80	82·5*
1980–81	89·7*
*estimated

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the report of the National Insurance Advisory Committee on the revised draft regulations designed to limit the entitlement of students to unemployment benefit in the short vacations is to be published.

The report of the National Insurance Advisory Committee has been laid before Parliament today, and will be published as a Command Paper as soon as circumstances permit. The Government are disappointed that the majority of the Committee felt unable to recommend that the regulations should be made, and in the light of the Committee's report we do not propose to proceed with the regulations for the present. We still consider it important in principle, however, that students should not have such easy access to unemployment benefit, and we shall be examining the matter further to see whether these, or other changes, should be brought into effect for the 1979–80 academic year.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he proposes to take with regard to the household duties test for disabled housewives; and if he will give an undertaking that no housewife will have non-contributor invalidity pension taken away from her under the Social Security (Non-Contributory Invalidity Pension) Amendment Regulations 1978 (S.I., 1978, No. 1340), dated 12th September 1978, until Parliament has had a chance to debate the issue in Government time and vote on it.

I have decided to refer to the National Insurance Advisory Committee for consideration and advice under section 138(3) of the Social Security Act 1975 the following question:

" Taking into account the implications for cost and manpower (including medical manpower), and the decision of the Tribunal of National Insurance Commissioners dated 8th September 1978 (C55/78) to consider, in relation to housewives non-contributory invalidity pension, alternative ways of using the power conferred by Section 36(7) of the Social Security Act 1975 to prescribe the circumstances in which of performing normal household duties; and a woman is or is not to be treated as incapable to report."

Such a reference will enable the issues to be fully discussed, and provide an opportunity for those who have a concern in this field to give evidence to an independent body whose conclusion will of course be made available in a published report which can then be debated in the House.Decisions on national insurance claims are given by independent adjudicating authorities. Our intention in amending the regulations in September was to provide in statutory form the same test of incapacity for household duties as had been applied by the adjudicating authorities by means of case law in over 60,000 cases before the tribunal of commissioners gave its decision. It seems unlikely therefore that the application of the new regulation would itself result in the disallowance of any claim on which an award had been made before the tribunal decision was given. If, however, before Parliament has had a chance to debate the NIAC report a disallowance is imposed on such a claim, solely because of the amendment

	Weekly Tax Refund
	Tax paid at 25 per cent, only	Tax paid at25 per cent, plus33 per cent.
Family type	£	£
Single person	4·75	7·60
Married couple	7·40	11·05
Married couple plus one child aged 3	7·90	11·70
Married couple plus 2 children aged 4 and 6	8·35	12·35
Married couple plus 3 children aged 3, 8 and 12	9·00	13·20
Married couple plus 4 children aged 3, 8, 11 and 16	9·80	14·25

Receipt of tax refunds may affect entitlement to free school meals but is unlikely to affect any other means-tested benefit. Figures are not readily available to the regulation, the Government will take steps to ensure that the housewife does not lose benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now bring up to date the net weekly spending power figures published in reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Official Report, 22nd November 1977 and 24th July 1978), showing the relative financial position in and out of work for each family grouping, on the assumption that earnings or previous earnings were £30, £35, £45, £55, £65, £75, £85, £95, and £105 per week, using the new rates of benefits and the new benefit levels due to take effect in November, assuming that the taxpayer is in each case contracted into the new State pension scheme, and including examples for a family with three children as well as for families with each of one, two and four children; and if he will also show in each case the maximum number of weeks for which tax refunds could be payable during sickness or unemployment.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9th November 1978; Vol. 957, c. 334–5], gave the following answer:The information requested is set out in the tables below. The assumptions made about the ages of the children and housing and work expenses are shown at the head of each table. Income tax refunds have not been included as part of net weekly spending power of the unemployed man, for the reason given in the reply to the hon. Member on 15th October 1976–[Vol. 917, c.