asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools will be taken out of use in the United Kingdom in the years 1978–79 and 1979–80 as a result of the falling birthrate.

:In 1978 approval was given to proposals by local education authorities in England to cease to maintain 77 primary schools and 13 secondary schools, of which 28 are due to close in the school year 1978–79 and nine in 1979–80. Although an important factor, it is not possible to ascribe these closures to the decline in pupil numbers in every case. I regret that information is not available about closures in these years as a result of earlier approvals.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools in the Greater Manchester metropolitan county will be taken out of use in the years 1978 to 1980 as a result of the falling birthrate.

:Approval has been given for the closure of two secondary and 13 primary schools in the area of the Greater Manchester metropolitan county between September 1978 and September 1980. Although the most important reason for most of these closures is the decline in pupil numbers, it is not possible in every case to ascribe the closure to this single cause.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the main areas of responsibility of her Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within her Department to examine the problems which will arise.

:The proposed enlargement of the EEC is unlikely to have any significant implications for the main areas of responsibility of my Department, but we shall continue to keep the matter in view.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in theOfficial Reportinformation on the spending per capita on school books in each of the EEC countries, including the United Kingdom, distinguishing so far as possible between primary and secondary education.

:In England and Wales for the financial year 1977–78, local education authority expenditure per pupil on school text and library books was £3·70—at 1978 survey prices—in primary schools and £6·40 in secondary schools. There are no comparable figures available for the United Kingdom as a whole or for other EEC member States.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will initiate a study into the public reaction to the broadcasting of Parliament.

:The need for any study would, I suggest, be a matter for consideration by the Select Committee on Sound Broadcasting.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what figures are available for the number of Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Naval personnel used in recruitment for each of these Services; and what estimates are available for the numbers of these staff who could be redeployed if prestige town centre recruiting offices were replaced by jobcentre recruitment.

:There are approximately 1,800 regular Service personnel serving with the recruiting organisation, some 450 in the Navy, 830 in the Army and 525 in the RAF. They are engaged on all aspects of recruiting and not merely the staffing of careers information offices. As I told my hon. Friend on 21st November, we are looking at ways of making the most effective use of jobcentres but this is not in itself likely to lead to large reductions in staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will describe the present capacity of the Royal Air Force, and state how this compares with the position in March 1974.

:The RAF possesses a powerful and well-balanced capability over the range of tasks with which it is likely to be confronted. Since 1974 this capability has been steadily improved and still further substantial improvements are in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has received any request from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation for facilities to store components of neutron bombs.

:No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will approach the Romanian Prime Minister with a view to making joint demands for the reduction of arms spending by both the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the Warsaw Pact.

:No. We have strong security and economic interests in controlling increases in armaments spending and in securing balanced and verifiable reductions in military expenditures. But international agreement on such reductions requires prior agreement on how military expenditures are measured and reported. That is why the United Kingdom is playing an active part in the development by the United Nations of a standardised method for reporting such expenditures.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate of the total defence expenditure in the year 1978–79.

:Total defence expenditure in the year 1978–79 is expected to be in line with the cash limit of £6,880 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will consider extending the payment of separation pay to everyone at sea regardless of how long they have been away or how far they are from home.

:No. Separation allowance is designed to provide some compensation to Service personnel for the personal and emotional disadvantages of separation from their wives because of reasons attributable to service at home or abroad: it would not therefore be possible to extend its payment to single personnel whether at sea or ashore. For married seagoers, sevice on board seagoing ships is by definition separated service unless the ship operates on a restricted day running basis or is otherwise able to grant regular weekend leave. As explained by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence on 7th March 1978, there is a minimum qualifying period of continuous separation of 30 days.—[Vol. 945, c. 625.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to preserve HMS "Ark Royal ".

:I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Drake (Miss Fookes) on 21st November 1978.—[Vol. 958, c. 533.]

the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects next to meet his NATO colleagues.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to meet his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation colleagues.

:I shall be meeting some of my NATO colleagues at the nuclear planning group in the spring of this year and will meet my colleagues collectively at the ministerial meeting of the Defence Planning Committee later in the spring.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has held with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies about the defence of trade routes through the Indian Ocean.

:I have held no such discussions. My staff, of course, have routine discussions with our allies and with the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic in connection with this contingency planning for the protection of allied merchant shipping outside the NATO area.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what action is being taken to speed up reinforcements to the northern flank in time of tension; and if he will make a statement.

:Together with our NATO allies the Government have under constant review the arrangements for reinforcing the northern flank in time of tension. For example, the United Kingdom has recently agreed with the Norwegian Government to stockpile Royal Marine oversnow vehicles in north Norway. The regular exercises conducted in northern Norway by British and allied forces are designed to test and improve our capability.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will increase the resources available for the air defence of the United Kingdom and explain how the concept of NATO funding affects new projects associated with this need.

:We are always seeking to improve our air defence capability, and presently plan a substantial increase in the resources available. NATO infrastructure funding provides a valuable contribution to this effort, since it enables the United Kingdom to obtain funds to assist with projects in some essential areas of air defence, notably those connected with early warning radar sites and hardened aircraft shelters.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his public engagements for Tuesday 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister what are his official engagements on Tuesday 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his engagements for Tuesday 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for Tuesday 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister what are his official engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 16th January.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 16th January.

:I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Reigate (Mr. Gardiner).

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the meeting of Western leaders in Guadeloupe.

:I refer my hon. Friend to the statement which I made earlier today.

asked the Prime Minister what levels of earnings in various occupations in the United Kingdom he took into account in deciding to estab- lish the proposed differential basis of remuneration of British Members of the European Parliament.

:The Government took into account the level of salaries of Members of this Houses.

asked the Prime Minister when he expects next to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when next he will meet the TUC.

:I meet representatives of the TUC from time to time, at NEDC and on other occasions. Further meetings will be arranged as necessary.

asked the Prime Minister when he next will meet leadeers of the CBI.

:I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr. Atkinson) on 7th December.

asked the Prime Minister if he will visit Hanwell in the London borough of Ealing.

:I have at present no plans to do so.

Fisher asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government are taking to ensure the distribution to the public of adequate supplies of food, animal feeding stuffs and other necessities.

:I refer the hon. Member to the statement made yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement on his proposals to improve the A52 road at Muston Bends, near Bottesford, Leicestershire in view of the bad accident record there.

:An improvement scheme is being designed which will replace the present sharp bends by an easy curve. Subject to the satisfactory completion of the necessary statutory procedures it is hoped that work will commence in 1981. Meanwhile, road markings and warning signs have been improved to further drivers' awareness of the need to negotiate the present bends with care.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will cause an investigation to be made regarding the long-term pollution effects of vehicle exhaust fumes and in particular the effects of such pollution upon ozone levels in the atmosphere; and if he will make a statement.

:Research is already being carried out into the contribution made to photochemical oxidants by exhaust emissions from motor vehicles. Photochemical air pollution, including ground level ozone, occurs rarely in the United Kingdom but is one of the factors in mind in controlling vehicle emissions. All new petrol engined vehicles produced in the United Kingdom since 1973 have had to be constructed to meet emission standards drawn up under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. These standards were tightened in 1977; and measures are in train to tighten them further.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the main areas of responsibility of his Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within his Department to examine the problems which will arise.

:Enlargement of the EEC is unlikely to affect Community policy on road passenger transport, inland waterways or railways. On freight, the United Kingdom already has bilateral road haulage agreements with all three applicant countries. Against the background of the accession negotiations Spain and Portugal have agreed with the United Kingdom reciprocal exemption from cormercial vehicle taxation. Greece is in the process of ratifying a similar agreement.No major problems arising from the proposed enlargement of the EEC are thus foreseen, but my Department will continue to watch the implications of the present negotiations closely.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the timetable for work on the proposed bypass of Kingsclere on the A339 trunk road.

:It is too early to state a precise timetable. A line (variation) order and a side roads order were published in draft last month and the associated draft compulsory purchase order will follow in the early spring. Progress depends on public reaction to these orders. I hope that it will be possible to start work in 1980; construction will take about two years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement reporting the business transacted at the EEC Agricultural Council held on 19th December 1978.

:I represented the the United Kingdom at this meeting together with my hon. Friends the Parliamentary Secretary in my Department and the Under-Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection.The main topic was the application of the new European monetary system to the common agricultural policy. The Commission has made proposals for basing common prices and the future calculation of monetary compensatory amounts on the new European currency unit. These proposals provided, as decided by the European Council, that the changeover should not in itself lead to changes in prices in national currencies, or in the levels and distribution of MCAs, and therefore in the levels, at market exchange rates, of common prices. The Council was unable to agree on these proposals, however, owing to the insistence of France on linking them with measures to prevent the development, on a lasting basis, of new or increased MCAs.The Council agreed that the existing arrangement under which United Kingdom MCAs are paid in the exporting country should be extended for a further year.The Council decided to maintain this year's allocation of the tariff quotas for frozen beef and veal in 1979, and to increase to 60,000 tonnes the estimate of imports in 1979 of beef for manufacturing under the balance sheet arrangements.The Council discussed a Commission proposal for an increase in the sluice gate price for pig carcases on 1st February. I made it clear that the United Kingdom could not accept this proposal until coefficients used for calculating MCAs on cuts of pig carcases and pigmeat products had been satisfactorily revised. The

	Stock at 31st December 1978 (tonnes)	Percentage increase or decrease in quantity during last 12 months	Increase or decrease in value over last 12 moths
Beef	15,815*	+20 per cent.	+£7,446,768
Butter	28,335	+344 per cent.	+£33,934,609
Skimmed milk powder	59,032	-18 per cent.	-£3,522,507
Barley	20,921	All barley acquired within last 12 months	+£1,690,000

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the main areas of responsibility of his Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within his Department to examine the problems which will arise.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what percentage and value the level of the Common Market agriculture intervention surpluses sited in the United Kingdom have increased or decreased during the last 12 months; and what are the total book volumes of each surplus at the latest available date.

:The information is as follows—all figures are subject to final verification:

:The implications of enlargement of the EEC were assessed in the memorandum submitted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Select Committee on European Legislation on 7th March 1978. The main areas of my Department's responsibilities which will be affected are those concerned with the common agricultural policy, the common fisheries policy, the United Kingdom agriculture, horticulture and fishing industries, and the supply of food and drink to United Kingdom processors, distributors and consumers. I have arranged for the division responsible within my Department to obtain information on the agriculture, fishery and food industries of the applicant States, to co-ordinate a view on the problems and opportunities which will arise for the United Kingdom and to keep in touch with the Community's preparation for enlargement in these sectors.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in theOfficial Reportthe figures for EEC and United Kingdom food levies

	Common Levy*		M.C.A.		Net Import Levy
Item and CCT No.	£/MT	P/LB	£/MT	P/LB	£/MT	P/LB
Common Wheat (10.01A)	68·269	3·10	23·452	1·06	44·817	2·04
Barley (10.03)	72·981	3·31	20·817	0·95	52·164	2·36
Maize (10.05B)	65·982	3·00	20·817	0·95	45·165	2·05
White Sugar (17.01A)	226·087	10·26	60·740	2·76	165·347	7·50
Butter 82–84 per cent. Fat content (04.03A)†	1,575·600	71·53	403·640	18·33	1,171·960	53·20
Cheddar Cheese (04 04Elblbb)	1,396·632	63·41	318·180	14·45	1,078·452	48·96
Skimmed Milk Powder (04.02A11b1)	716·519	32·53	164·010	7·45	552·509	25·08
Boneless Frozen Meat (02.01AI1b4bb33)	1,512·800	68·68	369·080	16·76	1,143·720	51·92
Lard (15.01A11)	99·794	4·53	52·400	2·38	47·394	2·15
Pigmeat Carcasses (02.01AllIal)‡	311·946	14·16	163·750	7·43	148·196	6·73
Salted Bacon Sides (02.06BIa2aa)	421·164	19·12	221·070	10·04	200·094	9·08
Eggs (04.05A1b)§	402·076	18·25	53·150	2·41	348·926	15·84
Poultrymeat 70 per cent. Chickens (02.02AIb)║	186·459	8·47	45·570	2·07	140·889	6·40
*Conversion from units of account into sterling has been by means of the representative rate of £1=1·57678 ua and multiplying by the current monetary coefficient of 1·27.
†There is a special rate for New Zealand butter.
‡Does not include a supplementary levy which at present applies only to imports from the German Democratic Republic.
§Includes a supplementary levy applicable to imports from certain countries of origin. Regulations provide for supplementary levies to operate in this sector when average free-at-frontier offer prices fall below the sluice gate price.
║Does not include a supplementary levy which at present applies only to imports from the German Democratic Republic, Spain and Czechoslovakia.

asked the Attorney-General whether, in view of the setting up of the committee of inquiry, he will issue a nolle prosequi in respect of any prosecutions that may be brought for alleged breakers of the Rhodesia sanctions order.

:No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle),Official Report,13th November 1978, c. 36–7, what steps he is taking to ensure that small firms properly understand the Employment Protection Act.

:The following is the information requested as at 2nd January 1979:

:My Department published last year a new booklet for employers explaining the basic provisions of the legislation, and this has been widely distributed to employers and employers' organisations. The booklet has been advertised in the press and I have also sent copies to nearly every employers' association in the country.We are now preparing another leaflet, on the unfair dismissal provisions of the legislation, with the needs of the small employer in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the main areas of responsibility of his Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within his Department to examine the problems which will arise.

Section VI—on employment and social affairs—in the Government's memorandum on enlargement of the EEC, submitted on 7th March 1978 to the Select Committee on European Legislation, indicates that the main areas of concern to my Department are the free movement of labour, the European Social Fund, and some of the Community secondary legislation in the social affairs field. My Department attempts to assess the effects of enlargement in these areas on the United Kingdom and takes them into account both in formulating domestic policies and in advising on negotiating positions in Brussels.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees have become redundant in the United Kingdom; and what has been the cost to the redundancy payments fund since the coming into operation of the Redundancy Payments Act 1965.

:Employees who received payments under the Redundancy Payments Act 1965 since its inception on 6th December 1965 to 31st October 1978 totalled 3,343,924. In the same period the cost to the redundancy fund in rebates to employers and direct payments to employees was approximately £715·1 million.The figures relate to employees in Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will carry out a study into the number of firms in 1978–79 which allow a week-plus holiday covering Christmas and the new year; and if he will initiate discussions with the TUC and CBI aimed at progress towards the 1975 EEC recommendation of a general holiday entitlement of at least four weeks including where possible a mid-winter holiday week covering the period from Christmas to the new year.

:I have no plans for such a study. Holiday arrangements between Christmas and new year and at other times are, in general, a matter for agreement between employers and employees. The Government supported the EEC recommendation for four weeks' annual paid holiday on the basis that its progressive achievement was a matter for collective bargaining, subject to the requirements of counter-inflation policy. The recommendation imposes no obligation for legislation to achieve its objectives and I do not propose to start discussions on this subject with the TUC and CBI.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, in the light of the fact that boat builders and house repairers require a licence if storing 3 gallons or more of spirit-based adhesives and that the cost of this licence has now been increased from £1 to £10 per annum, whether he is satisfied that the cost is an economic proposition for a small trader; and whether the increase is in conformity with the Government's prices policy.

:I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the increased scale of fees for petroleum licences was designed to conform with Government and the Health and Safety Commission's policy that the cost of issuing a licence for health and safety purposes should be borne by the licensee who introduces the hazard rather than by the general ratepayers. These fees were last increased in 1968 and, while they do not constitute prices or charges falling within the Price Commission's field of jurisdiction, the increases are compatible with the general policy on prices since they are necessary to cover costs.Whether the cost of a licence to keep petroleum spirit/mixture is an economic proposition is a matter of individual judgment for the trader concerned, but I have no reason to doubt it.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the 1978 full-time work force in Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Portugal and the United States of America were women.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report,15th January 1979; Vol. 960, cols. 598–599],gave the following information:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the use of section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1959 has increased so sharply in recent years.

:As indicated in paragraph 2.22 of the White Paper "Review of the Mental Health Act 1959" (Cmnd. 7320), the use of the power has, according to national statistics, been fairly constant over the last few years. But the Committee on Mentally Abnormal Offenders drew attention in paragraphs 9.4 to 9.6 of its report (Cmnd. 6244) to the need to interpret these statistics with care.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to close Oxford and Dartmoor prisons as promised.

:Not until sufficient suitable accommodation is available elsewhere, or there is a substantial and sustained fall in the total prison population.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the main areas of responsibility of his Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within his Department to examine the problems which will arise.

:The main effect within the Home Office would probably be in connection with the administration of the Immigration Act 1971. We are considering what changes would be necessary as a consequence of enlargement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to public funds of the recent prosecution of the two men who climbed Nelson's Column in October 1978.

:No estimate of the total cost to public funds is available, but I understand that the costs of prosecuting counsel are not expected to exceed £200.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department who authorised the prosecution of the two men who climbed Nelson's Column in October 1978.

:The decision to prosecute was taken by the Metropolitan Police.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what are the main areas of responsibility of her Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within her Department to examine the problems which will arise.

:I refer my hon. Friend to the memorandum on enlargement dated 7th March 1978 submitted by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to the Select Committee on European Legislation. That indicated that Spain, Portugal and Greece were likely to favour the present geographical bias of Community aid programmes towards Africa and the Mediterranean, though Spain and Portugal might press for a new priority to be given to Latin America.Portugal and Greece at present benefit from Community aid through the financial protocols attached to their agreements for association, but when they join the Community no further financial commitments will be undertaken under the protocols and there will accordingly be no call on my Department for a contribution to the EEC budget other than for commitments already entered into.My Department will take an active part in all discussions on the involvement of the new member States in EEC aid policy and programmes and will continue to press for distribution of Community aid on a world wide basis which takes due account of the poverty and population of the recipient States; and it will take an active part in all discussions of the effect of enlargement on the Community's trading relationships with developing countries.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will publish in the Official Reporta chart showing the disbursements of bilateral aid to India over the 10 years to March 1978 together with the amounts by which these disbursements fell short of the budgets for each year.

:Figures for total expenditure of United Kingdom bilateral capital aid to India, as published in the Appropriation accounts for the 10 years to March 1978, and the amounts by which these figures fell short of the budget, are:

	Total expenditure £ million	Amount by which short of budget £ million
1968–69	27·061	1·611
1969–70	331·990	51·303
1970–71	421·370	31·025
1971–72	60–434	7–011
1972–73	711·410	31·806
1973–74	771·229	81·265
1974–75	601·509	2–073
1975–76	791·245	41·450
1976–77	951·710	31·800
1977–78	1031·039	171·472

These figures do not include technical co-operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to continue the work on the Coal Exchange in Cardiff in preparation for the establishment of the Welsh Assembly.

:After the referendum.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of civil servants employed in the Welsh Office (a) in Cardiff and (b) in London, respectively, is specialists; and what proportion is administration.

:The information is as follows:

Administration Group Staff and Professional Staff, respectively
Cardiff	63·7 per cent.	18·0 per cent.
London	59·4 per cent.	3·1 per cent.

The remaining staff work in a supporting capacity.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of civil servants employed in the Welsh Office (a) in Cardiff and (b) in London, respectively, is at or above assistant secretary grade.

:The proportions are 3·7 per cent. and 3·1 per cent., respectively, including professional staff on equivalent salary scales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average length of employment of civil servants working in the Welsh Office.

:I regret that this information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what reply he has sent to the chairman of the Corby district council's letter of 5th January on the future of iron and steel making in Corby.

:I have replied to this letter saying that the Government's policy remains as set out in Cmnd. 7149.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the main areas of responsibility of his Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within his Department to examine the problems which will arise.

:The accession to the EEC of Spain, Portugal and Greece will increase the prospects for trade between these countries and the existing member States. This will mean increased opportunities in some sectors of United Kingdom industry, and increased difficulties in others. It will also have implications for other policy areas, for example the size of the European Regional Development Fund. A primary concern of my Department is to ensure that United Kingdom industry is able to respond to the opportunities which arise, as well as to face competition in the sectors which new members will seek to exploit. Our overall objective is to ensure that full account is taken of the industrial implications for the United Kingdom of actions proposed at the level of the Community in the context of enlargement. My Department co-operates fully with other Depart- ments in the formulation of Community policy for the accession negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish the reasons why he did not agree with the working party report prepared by the joint Yorkshire water authority and the wool textile delegation.

:This report provides much useful information, notably about comparative charges to the wool textiles industry for water and trade effluent treatment within the EEC. The Government have not disputed these findings. However, we have not accepted the major recommendation to Government, which was that an annual subsidy of some £750,000 should be paid to wool scourers in Yorkshire to compensate them for the estimated difference in effluent treatment costs between Yorkshire and the Lille area of France. This would be contrary to the "polluter pays" principle, and the grave difficulties such a subsidy would cause, both domestically and within the EEC, have already been explained to the industry. Moreover, a subsidy cannot he justified by looking at one isolated element in production costs; in respect of water charges and labour costs, for example, the industry has an advantage over its competitors in France.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the Lo-Flo scouring process, stating when he considers this method could be adopted throughout the United Kingdom.

:The Lo-Flo scouring process, which was developed in Australia, is claimed to reduce significantly both water usage and, by reducing the amount of solids in effluent discharged to the sewers, the costs of effluent treatment. One plant is installed in a United Kingdom company and is under test. The nature of the process and the claims made for it have been widely publicised and are well known in the wool scouring industry. There are other new systems of wool scouring, such as the Wronz process developed in New Zealand, for which similar claims are made. No single system is likely to meet the requirements of all scouring companies. Whether to invest in any of them, and the timing of such investment, are matters for decision by the companies, not by the Government, though I have made it clear that financial assistance could be given to viable projects of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has investigated the possibilities of obtaining a subsidy for the Lo-Flo system from the EEC.

:I am not sure what my hon. Friend has in mind, but financial assistance to wool scourers intending to modernise their scouring plant can be made available under the Industry Act 1972, provided that the investment project is judged to be viable.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will publish a list of his ministerial duties for the month of December.

:My right hon. Friend's responsibilities for the month of December were as listed in the answer which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, North-West (Mr. Robinson) on 9th November 1978.— [Vol. 957, c. 269.]

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what extensions have been made in the loan arrangements for small firms from the European Investment Bank, and, in respect of the loans already made, if he will state the effective rate of interest, taking into account regional development grants and the equivalent rate of interest payable on similar loans from the National Enterprise Board.

:The scheme introduced on 1st January 1978 has recently been extended until 31st December 1979. An additional facility of £30 million has been negotiated with the European Investment Bank. The minimum level of investment has been lowered and we are now able to arrange as agents of the Bank loan from £17,000 to £2·5 million for small and medium-sized companies. Loans already made under this scheme are at an interest rate of 7½ per cent. per annum—plus a 1 per cent. charge for exchange risk cover. This interest rate reflects the cost of the funds to the Bank plus its small charge. They are not subsidised by the Bank.The provision of regional development grants does not affect the interest rates of loans from the European Investment Bank or National Enterprise Board. The NEB is required, when lending to its companies, to charge a rate of interest not less than that paid by commercial companies of the highest standing when raising finance.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what working experience of small businesses is possessed by Mr. H. Loebl and Mr. S. G. Hall, who will represent small businesses on the Economic and Social Committee of the EEC.

:I have been asked to reply.Mr. Loebl and Mr. Hall are businessmen with personal experience of running small firms. Mr. Loebl built up his own manufacturing business, which won the Queen's Award for Industry in 1967, and is now actively involved in the glass ceramic industry. He is also a director of Enterprise North which is an organisation seeking to draw on the experience of voluntary experts to assist in the formation and development of new businesses in the North of England. Mr. Hall, a trained accountant, is the managing director of a small chemical company and also owns a restaurant.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what delay occurs on average between the making of an appeal to the National Insurance Commissioners and the hearing of it.

:The average time between the making of an appeal to the National Insurance Commissioners and its determination is about 18 months. With a view to achieving an appreciable reduction in the time taken, two additional full-time commissioners have been appointed as from 11th January and consideration is being given to the appointment of one or more part-time commissioners.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the consultative papers on the Butler committee's recommendations are to be published.

:A number of recommendations of the Butler committee on mentally abnormal offenders are discussed in the recent White Paper, "Review of the Mental Health Act 1959 ", Cmnd. 7320. Paragraphs 5.59 to 5.66 of the White Paper discuss proposals in chapter 12 of the Butler report for new powers for the courts to remand to hospital. This was the subject of a detailed consultation paper sent to interested bodies in July 1978. I have now placed a copy in the Library of the House.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department issued two consultative papers in April 1978 on the Butler committee's recommendations concerning disability in relation to the trial and the special verdict. Copies were placed in the Library of the House.I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department is considering whether to issue a consultative paper on the question of the powers of magistrates' courts to call for medical reports.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the cost to the Exchequer if the mobility allowance at current rates were extended to disabled people above the age of 65 years.

:The immediate total cost of making mobility allowance available to all disabled people over 65 would be of the order of £260 million a year. The net cost to the Exchequer would be marginally less, since the allowance is taxable, but it is not possible to arrive at any reliable estimate of the likely off-set.The Social Security Bill now before Parliament will enable women as well as men to qualify for mobility allowance up to the age of 65. It will also enable both men and women to retain their allowance up to the age of 75. These proposals will, at the current rate of £10 a week, cost a minimum of £35 million a year when fully operative.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the main areas of responsibility of his Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within his Department to examine the problems which will arise.

:The main areas of responsibility of my Department likely to be affected are set out under the heading of "Social Security and Health" in part VI, paragraphs 14–25 Of the Government's memorandum on enlargement submitted to the Select Committee on European Legislation on 7th March 1978. Paragraphs 26–29 also deal with matters partly within my responsibility.My Department is keeping in close touch with the Community's preparations for enlargement and relevant problems arising, as it does with the implications of any other Community proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will discuss with the World Health Organisation the sale to developing countries by multinational companies of drugs which are banned in the United Kingdom.

:Yes, I have asked the United Kingdom representatives at the WHO discussions on the action programme on essential drugs for developing countries to see that this aspect is taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will bring forward legislation to ban the export of drugs which are banned from domestic use within the United Kingdom.

:I am not convinced that it would be right that decisions taken in the light of circumstances prevailing in this country should deny other countries the opportunity of deciding for themselves what medicines are necessary or desirable, particularly where conditions, such as the availability of medical services. endemic disease, climate and diet, are quite different.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he hopes to issue the circular on prevention of inappropriate admission of mentally handicapped children to hospital for long-term care.

:As I said in my reply to my hon. Friend on 17th July 1978— [Vol. 954, c. 1071—a draft circular was sent to the local authority associations and other interested organisations on 26th June 1978, with a request for their comments by the beginning of September. A large number of comments were received, expressing a wide range of views. Many organisations welcomed the aim of the draft circular, but many also stated that additional resources must be provided, to develop community facilities, before dates could be set for the ending of inappropriate admissions. My colleagues and I are now considering what further action would be appropriate in the context of decisions on the overall priorities for planning and the use of available resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when a new permanent director of the Health Advisory Service will be appointed following the resignation of Dr. Woodford Williams in 1978.

:I hope to be able to announce an appointment very soon. In the meantime, I am very grateful to Dr. Christopher Wharton who has taken on the directorship pending the announcement of a longer-term appointment.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what conditions a copy of the Shooter report on Birmingham university was made available to the general secretary of the Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs.

:Legal advice tendered to me was that the report should not be pub- lished at present, in view of the impending prosecution of Birmingham university by the Health and Safety Executive. However, pre-publication copies were made available on 21st December 1978 to the University of Birmingham, the Health and Safety Executive, the World Health Organisation, the TUC and trade unions directly concerned, including ASTMS, under cover of a letter setting out the legal advice I had received. This was done to enable them to take such immediate action as might be appropriate on general issues of health and safety which were involved. Copies of the report have also been sent to laboratories recorded as holding category A pathogens.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the future of the kidney transplant unit at Hammersmith Hospital.

:The special renal ward has been closed temporarily as part of a package of economies proposed by the North Hammersmith district management team to reduce an expected deficit of £600,000 in this financial year. I understand that the renal ward was staffed largely by agency nurses who did not need to be retained while the unit is closed. The medical executive committee proposed that kidney transplant patients should be nursed elsewhere in the hospital. The Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow area health authority—teaching—will be considering the whole package of economies at their meeting on 17th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to involve representatives of disabled drivers in surveying the maintenance of invalid vehicles supplied by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

:For this purpose, in late 1975, I formed a liaison group representative of voluntary organisations concerned with mobility for the disabled, of the approved repairers and of my Department. The group included officers of the Disabled Drivers' Association, the Disabled Drivers' Motor Club, the Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled and the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation. I have today placed in the Library of the House a report prepared by the group from questionnaires completed by 1,700 invalid three-wheeler users. This is quite a large sample and results show that a high proportion of users are satisfied with the service they get from approved repairers and from garages that carry out work on these vehicles. Approved repairers are, of course, visited regularly by the Department's staff who make routine checks on standards of workmanship and service.The liaison group has provided a very useful forum where ideas for improvements in the practical running of the repair service can be considered. It has been instrumental in setting up liaison groups at local level. These comprise representatives of disabled drivers and of the Association of Approved Repairers and the local groups investigate any problems in relation to maintenance and repair work that three-wheeler users may have been unable to resolve satisfactorily through other channels. So far, 11 local groups have been established and the aim is to extend this new facility nationwide.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services who are the present members of the Humberside area health authority.

:The current membership of the Humberside area health authority is as follows: —

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will issue a direction to the British National Oil Corporation that no employment black list, official or unofficial, should be used to prevent current employees of the British National Oil Corporation who wish to leave the British National Oil Corporation and go to another oil, or other, company, from doing so; and if he will make a statement.

:I am advised that no such black list has ever existed: suggestions to the contrary are grossly misleading and damaging to BNOC's reputation as an employer.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has issued any instruction to the British National Oil Corporation to black list or boycott or otherwise take action in any commercial relationship with companies that are in breach of the Government's 5 per cent. guideline; and if he will make a statement.

:The Prime Minister told the House on 14th December that the Government would no longer use discretionary powers in relation to the private sector as a measure to counter inflation where settlements breach the Government's pay policy. BNOC has been advised accordingly.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the latest figures available for the expenditure by the Central Electricity Generating Board on the research and development of more effective methods of storing electrical power; and if he will make a statement.

:The Board keeps possible advanced methods of electricity storage under review and is undertaking appraisals of the two most promising alternatives to pumped water storage schemes—storage of hot water at a power station, and the combined storage of compressed air and heat which is being studied in collaboration with the United States Electric Power Research Institute. Work at present is limited to theoretical assessment and is at a total expenditure level of about £100,000 per annum, but, depending on the outcome of the current studies, expenditure might increase substantially in the future if either system showed sufficient promise for further development.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of total United Kingdom energy supplies is currently derived from geothermal sources; and what were the corresponding percentages for 1960 and 1970.

:No United Kingdom energy supplies are or have been obtained from geothermal sources. My Department announced a R & D programme in July 1976, to assess the geothermal resources of the United Kingdom and the use which might be made of them. The commitment to this work to date is £1·77 million. The major projects of this programme have been accepted as part of the geothermal R & D programme of the European Economic Community and receive funds through the Commission from the Community budget.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the meeting of the Energy Council on 21st December.

:The Council of Ministers (Energy) met in Brussels on 21st December 1978. The Council agreed a recommendation to member States on energy saving by the modernisation of buildings. On the basis of the Commission's report on member States' national energy programmes, the Council requested further work on possible Community energy policy objectives for 1990. The Council also requested further work on the Commission's proposals for a draft framework optional directive to provide for the energy consumption labelling of domestic electrical appliances, and a draft directive applying this scheme to electric ovens. I made it clear that the United Kingdom's final attitude could not be determined until the Scrutiny Committee had reported on these documents.In the light of member States' differing views on the detailed scope and provisions of the Commission's three coal proposals—to provide Community support for coking coal, for intra-Community trade in power station coal, and to promote the construction of coal-fired generating capacity in the Community—it proved impossible to agree any support measure for Community coal. We pressed for modifications to the schemes proposed, which would be necessary to avoid their producing an economic disadvantage for the United Kingdom. We made clear the Government's deep dissatisfaction at the lack of progress on coal and emphasised the importance of continuing work on Community support for this major long-term indigenous energy resource. We suggested that alternative approaches should be examined, including the possibility of supporting coal use near to the point of production thereby reducing the element of total support required to cover transport costs.The meeting of the Council on 30th May had decided that the Council in December should consider regulations fixing financial limits on the schemes to support demonstration projects on energy saving and alternative energies and substantial first tranches of projects. As only small first tranches were available for consideration the United Kingdom reserved its position on the proposal, acceptable to the majority of the Council, to approve these tranches and the following financial limits for the schemes: —

Energy saving	55 meua
Alternative energies	95 meua
of which Coal based	50 meua
Solar	22·5 meua
Geothermal	22·5 meua

In reserving our position we made it clear that in general we welcomed these schemes and had sympathy with the arguments of our colleagues but that we considered it essential that the Council should only approve new expenditure after the same rigorous scrutiny as would be applied in national Governments. The Government will now be considering their future position.The Council took note of the Commission's report on the refinery situation and of the interim report of the expert group set up to examine certain hydrocarbon exploration projects put forward by some member States for possible Community support.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the main areas of responsibility of his Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within his Department to examine the problems which will arise.

:As indicated in the memorandum on enlargement submitted on 7th March 1978 by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Select Committee on European Legislation, enlargement of the Communities is not expected to have significant implications for the United Kingdom's energy policy. My Department does, however, keep in close touch with the accession negotiations and the prospect of enlargement is naturally considered, along with other factors, in formulating energy policy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what tests are undertaken by water authorities for viral contamination;(2) if he will make a statement on the progress of the discussions regarding the establishment of new bacterial and viral standards for drinking water.

:The EEC directive on drinking water standards, agreed at the Council of Ministers on 19th December, gives some guidance here, but I am also considering the implications of the recent article in the bulletin of World Health Organisation which my hon. Friend presumably has in mind, and I shall write to him further about it.There is no standard practice among water undertakers on testing for viral contamination, but a substantial amount of testing is carried out, particularly by the Thames water authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the main areas of responsibility of his Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within his Department to examine the problems which will arise.

:I do not expect the proposed enlargement of the EEC to have any significant effect in areas for which my Department has primary responsibility. My Department keeps a close watch on possible effects of enlargement in the course of its normal examination of proposed EEC measures.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the differences between the effluent charges on the Yorkshire wool scouring industry and those charged to its principal European competitors.

:All member States of the EEC have accepted the principle that the costs of action taken to combat pollution should be borne by the polluter, as laid down in Council recommendation of 3rd March 1975 regarding cost allocation by public authorities on environmental matters. However, circumstances vary between countries and exact comparisons are difficult. The joint working party of the Yorkshire water authority and the wool textile delegation, which reported on the problem of trade effluent charges in this context in May 1978, identified from comparisons with France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Italy that charges for high-strength low-volume discharges in Yorkshire were second only to Holland. It also noted that water charges in Europe were generally higher than in Yorkshire.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will take action to ensure that the Director General of Fair Trading has effective power to uncover price fixing cartels.

:My right hon. Friend intends to introduce at the earliest convenient opportunity an amendment to the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 to strengthen the powers of investigation of the Director General of Fair Trading. The object of the amendment would he to enable the Director General to require information where it appeared to him that there were grounds for believing that an unregistered agreement was being operated, and remove the requirement at present in the Act that the power can be exercised only if

" he has reasonable cause to believe"

that an agreement exists. This change has been necessitated by a ruling of the Court of Appeal in 1969 which heavily circumscribed the Director General's scope for action. The proposal has been the subject of consultation with interested bodies, which have raised no objection.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what are the main areas of responsibility of his Department which are likely to be affected by the proposed enlargement of the EEC to include Spain, Portugal and Greece; and what special action is being taken within the Department to examine the problems which will arise.

:The main area with which my Department is concerned is the possible effect on food prices. My officials, therefore, liaise closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on the implications of the enlargement of the Community for the common agricultural policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how many price fixing agreements were registered with the Restrictive Practices Court in 1978; which industries were involved in these agreements; how many were found to be in the public interest; how many against; and what is the number of decisions awaited.

:Of the agreements placed on the Register of Restrictive Trade Agreements during 1978, 358 contained restrictions of information provisions relating to prices and charges.Some were notified in accordance with the timing provisions of the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 and the Director General is continuing to evaluate and dis-

cuss them with the parties concerned. However, the majority were not furnished for registration in due time and, as a consequence, the restrictions are void and their operation is unlawful. They involve ready-mixed concrete—90 agreements—, "black-top" road surfacing materials—139— sand, aggregates and other construction material— 60— coal—1— and animal feedingstuffs —2—. Proceedings are pending in respect of 93 ready-mixed concrete agreements—including some registered in 1977—and 79 "black-top" agreements are being considered in respect of the remainder of those mentioned above. The Director General is applying to the Restrictive Practices Court for (

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish in theOfficial Reporta table showing for each year since 1945 (a) the total national debt, (b) the amount of the national debt that is held privately, (c) the total national debt per capita and (d) the amount of the national debt that is held privately per capita;(2) if he will publish in the

:It is convenient to answer these Questions together. The information requested is given in Tables 1 to 4 below. Statistics of the national

TABLE 1
NATIONAL DEBT AT CURRENT PRICES
(31st March each year)
		National debt(£ million)	National debt held privately*(£ million)	National debt per capita £	National debt held privately per capita*£
		National debt (£ million)	National debt held privately*(£ million)	National debt per capita£	National debt held privately per capita*£
1945	…	21,366	Not available	439	Not available
1946	…	23,637	15,206	486	312
1947	…	25,631	15,822	524	323
1948	…	25,621	16,197	518	328
1949	…	25,168	Not available	505	Not available
1950	…	25,802	Not available	510	Not available
1951	…	25,922	16,233	516	323
1952	…	25,891	Not available	513	Not available
1953	…	26,051	Not available	516	Not available
1954	…	26,583	Not available	524	Not available
1955	…	26,934	Not available	526	Not available
1956	…	27,039	17,378	527	338
1957	…	27,008	17,411	524	338
1958	…	27,232	18,058	526	349
1959	…	27,376	18,162	526	349
1960	…	27,733	18,229	529	348
1961	…	28,252	18,371	535	348
1962	…	28,674	18,375	538	345
1963	…	29,848	17,867	557	333
1964	…	30,226	17,806	561	330
1965	…	30,441	17,144	561	316
1966	…	31,341	17,324	575	318
1967	…	31,986	18,018	583	329
1968	…	34,194	18,398	621	334
1969	…	33,984	17,395	614	315
1970	…	33,079	17,954	596	324
1971	…	33,442	18,820	601	338
1972	…	35,840	21,632	642	388
1973	…	37,156	21,315	664	381
1974	…	40,458	22,695	722	405
1975	…	46,405	25,685	829	459
1976	…	56,584	34,020	1,011	608
1977	…	66,854	41,995	1,195	751
1978	…	79,180	48,706	1,417	871
*Up to 1962, total market holdings less holdings by local authorities, public corporations and overseas official holders; in 1963 and later years, also excludes overseas non-official holdings