asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act since 1974; and how many have been convicted.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to questions by my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, Central (Mr. McNamara) today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many European Economic Community Governments have made arrangements for their nationals living in other European Economic Community countries to participate in the forthcoming direct elections; and what steps he is taking to enable British subjects similarly to participate.

I understand that six EEC countries have made arrangements for their nationals resident in other Community countries to participate in the election of their representatives to the European Assembly. Under the European Assembly Elections Act 1978, only those British subjects who are on a current electoral register and who are otherwise qualified may vote.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of prisoners currently serving sentences in each of Her Majesty's prisons in England and Wales who at their court hearings had a plea on the grounds of diminished responsibility accepted; if he will list the categories of their crimes; and if he will give the average sentence for each category of crime.

A plea of diminished responsibility is applicable only in cases of murder and if a plea of diminished responsibility is accepted the offence is reduced to manslaughter under section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957. Information on the number of persons serving prison sentences after being found guilty of "other homicide or attempted homicide" is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales"—table 1.5 of the volume for 1977, Cmnd. 7286, separate figures for those serving prison sentences for manslaughter under section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information on the number of persons found guilty and sentenced under section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957 is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" under offence classification 4—table 5 of the volume for 1977, Cmnd. 7289—and includes the distribution of the lengths of sentences of immediate imprisonment given—table 6 of the volume for 1977, Cmnd. 7289. The average length of sentence of immediate imprisonment is not readily available and would not show the variation that occurs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many persons have been detained under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act; how many have subsequently been charged with offences; and with which offences they have been charged;(2) of the charges brought against suspects initially held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, if any have been dropped before the case was heard, if so, which charges; if any charges have led to an unsuccessful prosecution, if so, which charges; if any charges led to a successful prosecution; and, if so, what was the sentence imposed.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9 February 1979, Vol. 962, c. 3147], gave the following information:Some of the figures in the table below differ from those given in previous written answers following a complete review of all the information available centrally on persons detained under the Acts and charged with criminal offences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average weekly administration cost in respect of a person (a) placed on probation, (b) given a term of community service and (c) living in a bail hostel.

We estimate that in 1977–78—the latest year for which figures are available—the average weekly cost of supervision of a person on probation was about £5 Comparable information about community service orders is not available but I will send the hon. Member such information as I have. Information about the cost of bail hostels alone is not available. The average weekly cost per place in probation and bail hostels together in 1977–78 was about £65.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the light of the low level of wages paid to non-industrial cleaners in his Department, if he will reduce the £112 per week costs of keeping a prisoner in prison and reallocate the money to improve the wages of the cleaners.

A significant reduction in the cost of running the prison service could be achieved only by a substantial and sustained reduction in the prison population which would permit the closure of a number of establisments with a consequent saving in staff costs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the purpose of the visit of Brigadier Visser, Chief of Police in Soweto to Scotland Yard in 1978; if it had his approval; and if he will make a statement.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is not aware of any such visit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report the recommendations of the departmental committee report on experiments on living animals —the Littlewood committee—which have been implemented by his Department or by other means; and if he will make a statement.

Using the numbering adopted in chapter 27 of the Littlewood report, the following recommendations have been implemented administratively, either wholly or in part, by the Department:

1–3
6–7
11
13
23
30
33
36
48
53
58
62–64
67
70–73
83

The following recommendations required no specific action by the Department:

5
9
14
16–17
22
27
66
69
76

Some of the remaining recommendations would require legislation. We have no immediate plans for general legislation but we are considering whether it is necessary and practicable to introduce a statutory scheme to control the breeding and supply of experimental animals—recommendations 20, 21 and 77–82. Administrative arrangements are currenly under review and the implementation of more recommendations administratively will be further considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) if he will list the dates on which meetings, negotiations or other forms of communication took place between Ministers or officials of his Department and the following companies with a view to concluding a planning agreement: Shell, ICI, Esso, GKN Sankey, Tube Investments, Vickers Ltd. Engineering, Babcock and Willcox, Monsanto Chemicals, Unilever Ltd. and Cadbury Schweppes; and what were the results of the negotiations in each case;(2) if he will list the dates on which meetings, negotiations or other forms of communication took place between Ministers or officials of his Department and the following companies with a view to concluding a planning agreement: British Railways, Cable and Wireless, British Airways, British Steel Corporation, British Aircraft Corporation, Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, Scott Lithgow Ltd., Harland and Wolff, and Alfred Herbert Ltd.; and what were the results of the negotiations in each case;(3) if he will list the dates on which meetings, negotiations or other forms of communication took place between Ministers or officials of his Department and the following companies with a view to concluding a planning agreement: the Bank of England, Barclays Bank, Lloyds Bank, Midland Bank, National Westminster Bank, Prudential Assurance, the Royal Insurance Company and the Nationwide Insurance Company; and what were the results of the negotiations in each case;(4) if he will list the dates on which meetings, negotiations or other forms of communication took place between Ministers or officials of his Department and the following companies with a view to concluding a planning agreement: Marks and Spencer Ltd., Sainsbury Ltd., May and Baker, Stanley Industries, British Electric Traction, Costains Ltd., Sir A. MacAlpine Ltd., Wimpeys Ltd., Rank Spillers Ltd., Plessey Group Ltd. and Rolls-Royce Ltd.; and what were the results of the negotiations in each case;(5) if he will list the dates on which meetings, negotiations or other forms of communication took place between Ministers or officials of his Department and the following companies with a view to concluding a planning agreement: Smith Industries Ltd., IBM Ltd., Cincinnati Machine Tool Company, Procter and Gamble, Reed International, International Latex Corporation, Standard Cables, AEG Telefunken (UK) Ltd., and Albright (Engineers Ltd.); and what were the results of the negotiations in each case;(6) if he will list the dates on which meetings, negotiations or other forms of communication took place between Ministers or officials of his Department and the following companies with a view to concluding a planning agreement. Dunlop Ltd., Pirelli Ltd., BICC Ltd., Chloride Alcad Ltd., Chloride Automotive Batteries Ltd., Chloride Industrial Batteries Ltd., Crompton Parkinson Ltd., Fisons Ltd., EMI Ltd., Dowty Engineering Ltd., Massey Ferguson, Ferranti Ltd., Fine Tubes Ltd., and Frigidaire Europe—General Motors; and what were the results of the negotiations in each case;(7) if he will list the dates on which meetings, negotiations or other forms of communication took place between Ministers or officials of his Department and the following companies with a view to concluding a planning agreement: GEC Computers Ltd., GEC Gas Turbines Ltd., GEC Industrial Controls Ltd., GEC (Lamps and Lighting) Ltd., GEC Machines Ltd., GEC Power Engineering Ltd., GEC (Radio and Television) Ltd., GEC Switchgear Ltd., GEC Telecommunications, GEC Traction, GEC Turbine Generators and GEC-Elliott Process Automation; and what were the results of the negotiations in each case;(8) if he will list the dates on which meetings, negotiations or other forms of communication took place between Ministers or officials of his Department and the following companies with a view to concluding a planning agreement: British Brown-Boveri Ltd., Lucas Aerospace Ltd., Lucas Batteries Ltd., Lucas Control Systems Ltd., Lucas Electrical Ltd., Lucas Metal Working, Marconi Communications Ltd., Marconi Space and Defence Systems Ltd., Marconi-Elliot Avionic Systems, Mullard Ltd., and the Midlands Electricity Board; and what were the results of the negotiations in each case;(9) if he will list the dates on which meetings, negotiations or other forms of commmunication took place between Ministers or officials of his Department and the following companies with a view to concluding a planning agreement: Batchelors Foods Ltd., Baur (Great Britain) Ltd., The Carborundum Company Ltd. Caterpillar Tractor Company, Champion Spark Plug Company, Charles Churchill Ltd., Clarke Engineering (UK) Ltd., and the Crabtree Engineering Group Ltd.; and what were the results of the negotiations in each case;

Discussions on planning agreements between Government and individual companies are confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the factories or plants in the public sector of which he has received notification of closure.

Announcements of proposals to close factories or plants in the public sector are made by the corporation or company concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will issue a direction under section 11 of the Post Office Act 1969 to require the Post Office to provide an emergency service for the restoration of telephones of elderly and housebound persons reported to it as being out of order.

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what is his policy on the negotiations currently in progress between Austin and Pickersgill and the Vietnamese Government concerning ships for Vietnam; what contact he has had with either party; and if he will make a statement concerning the financial implication of any such project;(2) what would be the implications for employment in the shipyards of the North-East if negotiations currently in progress to build ships for Vietnam were successful; and how long-term the consequences would be;(3) what negotiations have taken place concerning the building of ships in Great Britain for Vietnam, stating how far those negotiated have progressed and what the financial implications are likely to be.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement about the financial objective for the National Girobank.

On 18 July 1978 my right hon. Friend announced to the House that he had agreed with the Post Office Board a financial objective for National Girobank of a return of 12 per cent. on public dividend capital plus retained profits over the period 1 April 1978 to 3 March 1979. This was an extension for a further year of the target which had been agreed for National Girobank for the period 1975–76 to 1977–78 and which Girobank had achieved. He explained that the extension was an interim measure pending the outcome of a review of the target for 1979–80 and subsequent years. Present indications suggest that National Girobank will successfully achieve the interim target for the current financial year.National Girobank has continued to make sound progress, in the development of its range of services and the size of its business. In April 1978 it introduced bridging loans, budget accounts, and personal deposit accounts, and now holds in total 630,000 accounts with total customer balances of £300 million. In August my right hon. Friend announced the provision of an additional £8 million capital for National Girobank to strengthen its capital base in line with this growth in business.My right hon. Friend has now completed the review of the target in the light of the development of National Girobank, of the White Paper on Nationalised Industries—Cmnd. 7131—and the introduction of prudential supervision of National Girobank on the lines exercised by the authorities in the banking sector generally. He has concluded, in agreement with the Post Office Board, that National Girobank's financial target for the period 1979–80 to 1981–82 should be to make an average annual return of 13 per cent. before interest on its net assets, and that additionally it should aim to earn a further £5 million over the three-year period, from which it will be in a position to make a substantial reduction in its accumulated deficit. This level of target, while having regard to the profitability of its present business, takes account of National Girobank's aim to offer a wider range of services to the public subject to its earning an adequate return on new capital. I consider that this target will provide a sound basis for the future development of National Girobank.

asked the Prime Minister if he will consider changing the required period between senior civil servants' retirement from public service to their appointment to commercial bodies from three months to three years.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister how many references he has made to the Diamond committee on applications from home civil servants for outside appointments; how many such applications have been approved; and how many have not been approved.

I have referred applications in respect of 10 home civil servants to the advisory committee. All of these applications have been approved except one on which no decision has yet been reached.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to his written answer to the hon. Member for Blaby on 19 February concerning the national economic assess- ment, if he can confirm that the assessment will be placed before the House before the Budget.

My right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council announced the date of the Budget to the House yesterday. On the timing of discussions on the national economic assessment, I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave him on 19 February.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when it is proposed to improve and straighten the dangerous bend on the A5 trunk road in the vicinity of Maerdy post office, near Corwen, Clwyd.

There are no immediate plans to carry out work on the trunk road in this vicinity. As announced in "Roads in Wales, 1978" a route study is currently being undertaken to determine the longer term need for improvement of the A5 between Pentrefoelas and Llangollen, including the section near Maerdy post office.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether the proposed percentage proportion available to the National museum of Wales of the moneys referred to in the question asked by the hon. Member for Warley, East Official Report, 25 January, column 260, is expected to be 6 per cent., as it was in the previous year.

The Welsh share of the national heritage money in 1979–80 will be 6·5 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales under what provision of the Wales Act the proposed Welsh Assembly will have power to intervene in police matters, and authority to determine the levels of expenditure of police authorities on police pay, manning levels and equipment and capital expenditure.

The Welsh Assembly will have no such powers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what records are kept of damage caused to fishing vessels by debris arising from North Sea oil work; and whether he has any proposals for notification of such damage.

The two fisheries departments maintain records of all notifications made to the fisheries inspectorates of damage to fishing vessels, alleged to have been caused by debris arising from

					For further fattening		For immediate slaughter
Destination					1977	1978	1977	1978
Belgium	…	…	…	…	102,171	121,719	1,553	5,927
France	…	…	…	…	352	501	32,918	11,505
West Germany	…	…	…	…	449	—	58,255	129,043
Totals	…	…	…	…	102,972	122,220	92,726	146,475

These figures exclude substantial numbers of sheep exported for purposes other than breeding from Northern Ireland to the Irish Republic.

asked the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied with the progress of the current South-Western mackerel fishery.

I have been keeping the progress of this winter's south-western mackerel fishery under close review. The United Kingdom fleet caught some 100,000 tonnes during the 1978 part of this fishery and in the first six weeks of this year has caught a further 72,000 tonnes. In these circumstances, having regard to the recommended total allowable catch of 435,000 tonnes and to the requirements of the further phases of the western mackerel fishery due in the summer off the west of Scotland and in the winter of 1979–80 off the south-west, I have decided that fishing for mackerel by vessels subject to the mackerel licensing scheme should be suspended in ICES areas VI and VII from midnight on Saturday 10 March until midnight on Saturday 2 June. Handliners and vessels of less than 40-ft. registered length are not subject to licensing and will be able to continue fishing for mackerel.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many sheep for (a) slaughter after further fattening and (b) immediate slaughter were passed by official veterinary inspectors in the United Kingdom as fit to travel in 1977 and 1978, listed by country of stated final destination.

The number of sheep inspected by veterinary officers in Great Britain in 1977 and 1978 and certified as fit to be shipped was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects that ministerial consideration of the future financing of civil requirements for hydrographic surveys will be completed.

This is an important issue affecting the interests of several Departments. Decisions will be taken as soon as possible, but I am not at present able to forecast precisely when that will be.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he intends to make proposals for the replacement of lost jobs arising from the transfer of Ministry of Defence establishments to Glasgow.

A major objective of the Government's dispersal programme is to provide a better job structure and balance of job opportunities throughout the country. As the dispersal of some Ministry of Defence work to Glasgow is not due to take place until the period 1984–88, it is not clear at this stage what the impact of this will be on the areas from which work will be transferred, but we shall do our best to minimise the effects.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the number of establishments under consideration for transfer to Glasgow, the numbers of personnel involved and the individual costs of such moves;(2) when he expects to announce his decision on the transfer of selected Ministry of Defence establishments to Glasgow.

I hope to make an announcement shortly about the areas of Ministry of Defence work to be dispersed to Glasgow and the number of posts involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will now order new Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers so that the Royal Navy may be assured of adequate fleet support in the years ahead; and what plans he has to order Royal Fleet Auxiliaries from the Tyne-side yards of British Shipbuilders.

Invitations to tender for RFA support tankers have already been issued to a number of shipbuilders, including Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Ltd., with the expectation of placing an order for two vessels in mid-1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has for improving Moody Brook camp in the Falkland Islands; whether he has any plans to rebuild the Royal Marines camp at a site closer to the airfield; whether he will list the special allowances paid to Her Majesty's Forces in the Falkland Islands; and what criteria he applied when deciding on the rate of those allowances.

The Property Services Agency is to undertake a feasibility study in the near future into ways of improving accommodation at Moody Brook camp. At the same time an assessment will be made of the possibilities of rebuilding at alternative sites. Members of Her Majesty's Forces in the Falkland Islands receive the normal allowances to which they are entitled; there are no special allowances for Her Majesty's Forces in the Falkland Islands.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has of the size of the army in each Common Market country.

It is not the policy of Her Majesty's Government to publish such information.

asked the Lord President of the Council (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report any information he has regarding the secretarial and individual research or administrative assistance, available to Back Bench Members of Parliament in other Common Market countries;(2) if he will publish the pay per hour, based on salary divided by the number of parliamentary working hours per year, for hon. Members of Parliament in Great Britain, other EEC countries. Canada and Australia.(3) what information he has of the salaries and allowances paid to Members of Parliament in other EEC countries; and if he will publish the latest figures calculated in the £ sterling equivalent.

As with previous inquiries our embassies in the EEC can supply information in standard form on salaries and allowances, and accordingly I am arranging for this to be collected centrally for publication in due course. Disproportionate costs would, however, be incurred in extending the scope of this standard exercise to provide information on parliamentary working hours.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he is now ready to announce the publication of the results of the study of overseas experience of open government.

No, not yet. The intention is that the results will now be available for publication during March.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish in the Official Report a detailed list of the number of social scientists, sociologists, and psychologists employed in the various Government Departments, their individual or collective salaries and

	1977		1978
Grades	Numbers	Salary Cost	Numbers	Salary Cost
		£		£
Senior principal psychologist	11	104,000	12	128,000
Principal psychologist	49	345,000	48	370,000
Senior psychologist	117	640,000	123	732,000
Psychologist	61	225,000	57	228,000
Chief research officer (social science)	1	10,000	2	22,000
Senior principal research officer (social science)	4	35,000	6	59,000
Principal research officer (social science)	87	613,000	85	656,000
Senior research officer (social science)	144	783,000	161	958,000
Research officer (social science)	80	295,000	47	188,000
TOTAL	554	3,050,000	541	3,341,000

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, if he will state the percentage increase of money supply as nearly

NOVEMBER 1976—NOVEMBER 1977
			Percentage increase in money supply
United Kingdom*	…	…	M1	20·8	£M3	7·1
West Germany	…	…	M1	10·5	M2	9·5
Switzerland	…	…	M1	5·5	M2	7·0

NOVEMBER 1977—NOVEMBER 1978
			Percentage increase in money supply
United Kingdom*	…	…	M1	14·1	£M3	13·4
West Germany	…	…	M1	12·7	M2	14·3
Switzerland	…	…	M1	23·5	M2	8·1
* Banking months.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, following publication of his recent public expenditure White Paper, he will list those industries in the

There is no Civil Service grade of sociologist. Numbers of social scientists and psychologists, by grade, together with their collective salaries, are set out in the following table:as possible on the same basis, in the United Kingdom, West Germany and Switzerland between the latest convenient two 12-month periods.

The information is as follows:public sector where the total number of employees will decline in the next five years.

This is a question for the individual industries concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy towards the extension for a further period of tax allowances for British residents with children overseas; and if he will make a statement.

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

					Total personal income before tax	Gross domestic product (income-based)
					(Current prices)(1)	(Current prices) (2)	(1975 prices) (3)
					Percentage change over preceding year
Financial year—
1975–76	…	…	…	…	+23·9	+23·5	−0·8
1976–77	…	…	…	…	+14·7	+16·9	+3·4
1977–78	…	…	…	…	+11·4	+12·2	+1·2
1978–791st half*		…	…	…	+14·4	+14·0	+3·1
* Change over 1st half of 1977–78 financial year.
Source: Derived from national income and expenditure data published in the January 1979 issue of Economic Trends.

For consistency with the series for total personal income, the income-based measure of gross domestic product at current prices has been used to measure changes in the value of production of goods and services. Corresponding changes in the volume of production of goods and services are given in the third column of the table.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total revenues accruing from North Sea oil and gas exploitations in the year 1978–79 and for each of the 10 subsequent years broken down into individual categories, on the same basis as used in the reply to the hon. Member for Reigate (Mr. Gardiner), Official Report, 9 February, columns 341–2, and on the basis of the Department of Energy's latest estimates of production assuming (a) the current prevailing levels of taxation and (b) the increased rate and revised allowances for petroleum revenue tax proposed by Her Majesty's Government on 2 August 1978.

I shall let the the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional financial

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the increases in personal incomes and in the production of goods and services for each of the financial years since 1974, including the latest available figures for the financial year 1978–79.

Following is the information:support the Government have agreed to give the National Coal Board for the current financial year.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy to his hon. Friend the Member for Hemsworth (Mr. Woodall) on 22 February 1979

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the Government's policy concerning cash limits on expenditure programmes for 1979–80.

The Government propose to set and operate cash limits for the year ahead so that they support the observance of the Government's monetary targets and a public sector borrowing requirement for 1979–80 in line with the projection in the recent public expenditure White Paper—Cmnd. 7439.In respect of prices, the cash limits for both central and local government will provide for price increases as in the Industry Act forecast published last November, which, consistently with the guidelines in Cmnd. 7293, implied a retail price index 8½ per cent. higher in the fourth quarter of 1979 than in the fourth quarter of 1978. The Government do not intend to increase cash limits to accommodate any higher price increases.In respect of pay, the cash limits will be set in accordance with the policy stated in Cmnd. 7293, together with the £3·50 underpinning subsequently announced. The Government will review each case as setttlements are reached. Certain adjustments may be necessary, but for central Government expenditure on manpower, the general principle will be that a substantial proportion of any excess cost above the provision already made will have to be absorbed within the existing cash limit. Local authority settlements are covered by the cash limits on rate support grant. It has been agreed that the cash limits should be increased in respect of the Government's contribution to the offer made to the manual workers. Whether the Government make any further contribution in respect of other settlements will depend on the circumstances of each case, but in no such circumstances will the Government contribute more than their standard share of local authority current expenditure.For nationalised industries, the Government's policy is that external financing should be contained within the aggregate provision in Cmnd 7439.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present total of foreign borrowing by public corporations; what is the amount or the estimate of the £ sterling cost having to be borne by Government, not the public corporations, due to the alterations in exchange rates affecting this borrowing; and why costs when they arise are not a charge on the individual public corporation rather than being borne by Government, so increasing the central Government borrowing requirement.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22 February 1979; Vol. 963, c. 266], gave the following information:The purpose of the exchange cover scheme—which was introduced in 1969, suspended in 1971 and reintroduced in 1973—is to provide official external finance for the balance of payments. The scheme achieves this by encouraging public sector bodies to borrow abroad; the foreign currency proceeds of such borrowing accrue to the reserves. The borrower is protected from the exchange risk and is allowed to retain some of the interest benefit from foreign currency financing compared with sterling financing. The balance of the interest rate benefit accrues to the central Government as a charge for providing exchange cover.Total foreign currency borrowing by public corporations outstanding at 31 December 1978 amounted to $10·9 billion, of which $8·7 billion was borrowed under the exchange cover scheme.For the period January 1974 to December 1978 the costs of providing exchange cover to public corporations in respect of their foreign currency interest payments and capital repayments were about £205 million and £125 million respectively. Central Government receipts for exchange cover were about £260 million. Estimates for the years before 1974 are not readily available. Central Government receipts and costs in the early years of the scheme were not, however, substantial.These transactions between central Government and the public corporations do not measure the cost to the public sector of the scheme. The transactions between the Exchange Equalisation Account and the public corporations do not necessarily match any particular foreign currency transactions in the markets by the Account. For example, the Account might retain the proceeds of a particular exchange cover borrowing throughout.Central Government costs relating to capital repayments of covered foreign currency borrowing are financing items, which do not form part of the central Government borrowing requirement. Central Government receipts for exchange cover and costs relating to covered interest payments are current payments which do affect the central Government borrowing requirement. For public corporations, the net effect has been to relieve the borrowing requirement by about £55 million between January 1974 and December 1978.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will list the total revenue, net of capital consumption, the total wages and salaries, the total interest paid and the surplus or deficit that then accrues, and the combined total of this deficit, from the accounts of public corporations for the years 1963 to 1978; and if he will make a statement on what action the Government are taking to reduce this deficit.

PUBLIC CORPORATIONS
£million
					Total revenue net of capital consumption(1)	Total wage sand salaries etc.(2)	Total interest paid	Surplus + deficit−
1963	…	…	…	…	2,133	1,930	333	−130
1964	…	…	…	…	2,286	2,023	394	−131
1965	…	…	…	…	2,403	2,138	421	−156
1966	…	…	…	…	2,490	2,215	473	−198
1967	…	…	…	…	2,668	2,393	552	−277
1968	…	…	…	…	3,019	2,630	636	−247
1969	…	…	…	…	3,187	2,759	722	−294
1970	…	…	…	…	3,261	3,067	780	−586
1971	…	…	…	…	3,525	3,394	865	−734
1972	…	…	…	…	3,792	3,863	926	−997
1973	…	…	…	…	4,173	4,328	1,133	−1,288
1974	…	…	…	…	4,622	5,615	1,586	−2,579
1975	…	…	…	…	6,869	7,691	1,906	−2,728
1976	…	…	…	…	8,826	8,641	2,395	−2,210
1977	…	…	…	…	9,964	9,563	2,522	−2,121
1978	…	…	…	…	Not available
Total 1963–77			…	…	63,218	62,250	15,644	−14,676

As to action to reduce this—already declining—deficit, the White Paper on the Nationalised Industries—Cmnd. 7131—made clear the Government's policy of allowing the industries to set economic prices within a framework of financial targets fixed by the Government. The profitability of the industries, and hence the proportion of their capital requirements financed from internal resources, have in consequence risen steadily since 1975–76. The profits of other public corporations—to which the general principles of the White Paper have some application—have also been improving recently.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the value to date of all common agricultural levy payments

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22 February 1979; Vol. 963, c. 266], gave the fallowing information:so far made to the Common Market central funds from the United Kingdom: if he will provide a breakdown of those funds commodity by commodity; and what was the date upon which such funds first began to be paid over to the Market.

The net amount of levies charged on food imported up to the end of October 1978 was £467 million. The value of all common agricultural levy payments so far made to the Common Market central funds from the United Kingdom is less that this figure because of the transitional arrangements laid down in the Treaty of Accession.The information by commodity group is:

(£million)
Commodity Group	February 1973–October 1978
Cereals and cereal products	268·7
Milk and milk products	118·1
Sugar	15·5
Beef and veal	10·4
Pig meat	18·4
Eggs	2·3
Poultry meat	1·8
Apples and pears*	20·7
Others	11·1
Total	467·0
* Accession Compensato Amounts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the changes in industrial output between the latest possible date in 1978 and the corresponding

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION* EXCLUDING CONSTRUCTION
						Percentage change:
						3rd quarter 1973 to 3rd quarter 1978	4th quarter 1973 to 4th quarter 1978
United Kingdom	…	…	…	…	…	+3½	+3
United Kingdom other than extraction of petroleum and natural gas	…	…	…	…	…	−3	−4½
Japan	…	…	…	…	…	+5	..
Canada	…	…	…	…	…	+12½	..
United States of America	…	…	…	…	…	+12½	..
Federal Republic of Germany	…	…	…	…	…	+5½	..
Italy	…	…	…	…	…	+4½	..
.. Not available.
Sources:
United Kingdom data are consistent with those published by press notice on 13 February 1979.
Other countries data are provided by OECD.
* Based on seasonally adjusted index numbers of industrial production excluding construction.
† This series represents the production of all industries—excluding construction—other than petroleum and natural gas activities classified to minimum list heading 104—Petroleum and Natural Gas—of the standard industrial classification.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of gross national product went to wages in 1953, 1963, 1973 and 1978.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22 February 1979; Vol. 963, c. 267], gave the following information:

Wages and salaries—including Forces' pay—as a percentage of gross national product at factor cost (1)
1953	60·8
1963	61·8
1973	60·4
1978January—September	60·9
(1) Income-based.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, further to his reply Official Report, 5 February, column 54, to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North-East, (Mrs. Short) he will publish figures showing company taxation, including rates, as a percentage of total

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22 February 1979; Vol. 963, c. 267], gave the following information:Such compatible information as is readily available is shown in the table below:taxation, both central and local, for as many of the following countries as figures are available: Japan, the United States of America, France, West Germany. Sweden and the United Kingdom.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 21 February 1979; Vol. 963, c. 203], gave the following information:The reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton North-East (Mrs. Short) gave figures for taxes on corporate income—including capital gains—as a percentage of total taxation, both central and local. The amounts of other taxes, such as local authority rates, paid by companies cannot be ascertained from international sources.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government are prepared to allow companies operating on the continental shelf to set off against tax the full cost of either the eventual removal of production platforms or their transfer to other locations; and what would be the cost to the revenue of such a concession;

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will explain in the Official Report how the costs of abandoning offshore oil and gas platforms are treated for taxation purposes.

, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Gosport (Mr. Viggers) [Official Report, 20 February 1979; Vol. 963, c. 151–2], gave the following information:The net cost of demolishing an offshore production platform in use for the purposes of a trade will normally rank for capital allowances for corporation tax purposes; expenses of closing down a field are allowable for PRT to the extent that the expenditure is incurred for the purposes of safety or the prevention of pollution. How far the cost of eventual removal of offshore oil and gas platforms would obtain tax relief under these provisions will depend on the facts of the particular case.The Inland Revenue will be discussing with the industry whether the present rules are likely to give rise to serious anomalies when the expenses come to be incurred, which will not be for some years. It will report to me on the outcome of these discussions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Banbury, Official Report, 15 February, column 1301, in what areas other than the common agricultural policy he is seeking to reduce the United Kingdom's budgetary contribution to the European Economic Community.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22 February 1979; Vol. 963, c. 267–8], gave the following information:I refer the hon. Member to the statement of the British Government's attitude to the United Kingdom's level of net contributions to the Community Budget made by my right honourable Friend the Minister of State in the House on 21 February during the debate on Community Budget documents. A reduction in the cost of the common agricultural policy is a major objective. In addition, we should like to see more resources devoted to Community programmes in non-agricultural sectors, in particular to benefit regions with declining industries and with urban and social problems. We also favour a modification, by introduction of the principle of progressivity, of the method of financing the Budget. Overall, we consider that member States' net contributions to the Budget should be brought much more into line with their relative prosperity.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement about maintenance grants for senior school students.

On 24 May 1978 my noble Friend the Minister of State announced the Government's intention to introduce an improved scheme of educational maintenance allowances for 16–18-year-old students attending full-time courses at schools or institutions of further education in Northern Ireland. The details of the scheme are still being finalised, and the Government hope to make a further statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for the Armed Forces to vacate the Gaelic athletic sports ground at Crossmaglen, County Armagh; and if he will make a statement.

Two small portions of land will be returned to the Gaelic Athletic Association as soon as current reconstruction work on the security force base as Crossmaglen has been completed. The security forces cannot at present give up the rest of the land requisitioned from the GAA, but it will be returned as soon as the security situation permits. This land represents only about 6 per cent. of the area of the ground, and is on its edge. The recent realignment of existing facilities has been planned so as to interfere as little as possible with sporting activities on the ground and I hope that the club will seek to develop the kind of constructive relationship with the Department of Education currently enjoyed by the other GAA clubs in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if an inquiry has been requested by the director of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum into the administration of the museum's affairs.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22 February 1979], gave the following information:The museum has grown rapidly in recent years; the number of staff has trebled since 1974, and the museum's current budget has increased from £238,000 in 1974–75 to 719,000 for 1978–79.Because of this welcome growth in the services which the museum is able to provide for the public, the Director has asked the Department of Education for Northern Ireland to carry out a general review of the museum's administrative section. Reviews are undertaken by the Department from time to time, on request, for other similar public sector institutions funded by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he is satisfied that adequate powers exist under the monopolies legislation to prevent the undue concentration of any part of the private sector of the economy, in view of the difficulties of breaking down such concentrations where mergers or takeovers have already taken place or of preventing any consequent closures.

My right hon. Friend is considering this question among others in the light of comments received on the Government's Green Paper "A Review of Monopolies and Mergers Policy"—Cmnd. 7198.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what progress the National Gas Consumers' Council has made on answering the question submitted to the National Fuel Poverty Forum in July 1978, at his request, on gas disconnection.

I understand that the National Gas Consumers' Council gave answers last September to those questions put by the National Fuel Poverty Forum for which it was able to compile the information.Further research into the issue of disconnection of domestic gas and electricity supplies forms part of the independent study of the working of the code of practice which my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Energy announced on 1 August.—[Vol. 955, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what procedures are available to ensure that the qualifying levels for rent and rate rebates keep pace with rate of inflation.

My right hon. Friend has powers under section 17(2) of the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972 to make regulations governing rent rebates, and under section 112 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to make regulations governing rate rebates. My right hon. Friend has used these powers each year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration his Department is giving to the views on restructuring of fares and financial support in road passenger transport in the memorandum submitted by the Scottish association for public transport which was submitted to him.

My right hon. Friend is considering carefully the views expressed in the memorandum in consultation with his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, and will be replying to it in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the proposed percentage proportion available to national museums and galleries in Scotland of the moneys referred to in the question asked by the hon. Member for Warley East, Official Report, 25 January, column 222, is expected to be 10 per cent., as it was in the previous year.

If it is approved by Parliament the grant in aid of the Scottish heritage purchases fund in 1979–80 will represent 106 per cent. of the £2 million announced in Cmnd. 7049.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why there is a five-week delay in the delivery of stock feed potatoes in the Scottish area of the Potato Marketing Board.

Transport problems caused by industrial action and extreme weather conditions have made it difficult to move supplies to meet the increased demand for stock feed potatoes. In addition, some producers have been unable, because of severe frosts, to open up their stores.The Potato Marketing Board hopes to clear the backlog of orders within the next three or four weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made with the setting up of a tertiary educational council for Scotland since his statement to the House last summer.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (Lord James Douglas-Hamilton) on 19 February 1979.—[Vol. 963, c. 45.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many disabled people in (a) Merseyside, (b) Kirkby and (c) Ormskirk have received allowances to go on employment rehabilitation courses.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of disabled people in these areas who have received allowances to go on employment rehabilitation courses are as follows:

12 months ended 2February 1979:
(a) Merseyside	489
(b) Kirkby	42
(c) Ormskirk	15
12 months ended 2 February 1978:
(a) Merseyside	455
(b) Kirkby	39
(c) Ormskirk	4

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers (a) in Merseyside, (b) in Kirkby and (c) in Ormskirk have participated in the job introduction scheme for disabled people; and how many employers have applied for grants to adapt their premises for the disabled.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of employers in these areas who have participated in the job introduction scheme for disabled people since it commenced on 4 July 1977 are as follows:(

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered disabled unemployed there are (a) on Merseyside, (b) in Kirkby and (c) in Ormskirk; and what measures are being taken, and are proposed, to reduce that number.

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that on 8 February 1979, the latest date for which information is available, 3,343 registered disabled people were unemployed in the county of Merseyside, including 153 in Kirkby. A further 50 were unemployed in Ormskirk.The MSC is very concerned to reduce unemployment among disabled people. Efforts to persuade employers to adopt positive policies on the employment of disabled people will continue and will be boosted by a major promotional campaign this coming autumn.The MSC published its programme for developing employment and training services for disabled people in February 1978. The programme sets out measures designed to improve the specialised services to help disabled people choose, train for, get and keep worthwhile jobs. Measures such as the capital grants, job introduction and revised fares to work schemes should help improve employment prospects for disabled people.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of employers in (a) Merseyside, (b) Kirkby and (c) Ormskirk are meeting his Department's

	Merseyside County	Kirkby	Ormskirk
Number and percentage of employers satisfying their 3 per cent. quota	460 (42·5%)	33 (58·9%)	17 (46%)
Number and percentage of employers below quota who obtained permits in the previous 12 months before engaging able-bodied people	430 (39·7%)	17 (30·4%)	3 (21·6%)

The remaining employers who were below quota and without permit had not necessarily broken the law unless they had engaged able-bodied people.Disablement resettlement officers are in regular contact with employers to explain the quota obligation and to advise them on the employment of disabled people, and authorised officers of the MSC carry out an annual programme of inspections of the records of employers subject to quota. However, the MSC recognises the difficulties facing employers in satisfying quota, particularly as only disabled people who voluntarily register count towards quota, and is aware of the need to reflect the true extent to which employment is being provided for disabled people. The MSC is currently reviewing the quota scheme with a view to making recommendations about the best way of helping disabled workers. The Commission will issue a discussion paper in the near future to give interested organisations a chance to give their views.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Blaby [Official Report, 13 February, c. 432–3], he will publish indices for hourly earnings in national agreements in the National Health Service for each year since 1973 for full-time men workers aged over 21 years on the basis that average hourly manual earnings in the year in question equals 100;

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that at 1 June 1978, the latest date for which information is available, the information requested was as follows in respect of employers subject to quota in the employment office areas which approximate to the county of Merseyside—including Kirkby but not Ormskirk—and which cover Kirkby and Ormskirk respectively:(2) whether, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Blaby [

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22 February 1979; Vol. 963, c. 273–7], gave the following information:The following figures are based on new earnings survey estimates of average gross weekly and hourly earnings, for pay periods including the survey reference date in April, of full-time men aged 21 and over and women aged 18 and over whose pay for those periods was not affected by absence. They include the effects of overtime. The hourly figures exclude those without specified normal basic weekly hours. They take account only of reported normal basic weekly hours and hours for which overtime pay was paid. This measure of hours is much smaller for teachers than other groups, and consequently the hourly indices for teachers are high. The figures are subject to sampling errors.It is important to note that for some groups in some years—including 1978—the reported pay for the period was subsequently increased when delayed settlements were implemented retrospectively. The important considerations referred to in my reply to the hon. Member's questions on 13 February are again relevant.—[Vol. 962, c.