asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government's reply to the Expenditure Committee's report on charity law will be published.

I regret that I cannot yet set a date for publication.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that the manufacturers of air rifles give adequate indication of those which require a firearms certificate and those which do not.

I am satisfied that, in general, dealers make this known.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which categories of air rifle require a firearms certificate.

Any air rifle capable of discharging a missile which on discharge from the muzzle has a kinetic energy in excess of 12 ft. pounds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the number of indictable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in 1978.

In 1978 the number of indictable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales was 2,561,500–3 per cent. fewer than in 1977. This was the first year-on-year fall since 1973. More detailed statistics by offence group and statistics on the number of indictable offences cleared up are published today in the first of a new series of Home Office statistical bulletins. Copies of all issues of this bulletin will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to bring into force sections 64 and 65 of the Children Act 1975.

I have been asked to reply.Section 65 of the Children Act 1975, which enables courts in certain circumstances to grant legal aid to parents in care and related proceedings, came into force on 26 November 1976. It can be used only where an order has been made under section 64 that parents may not represent the child in the proceedings. Part of section 64, which enables such orders to be made in proceedings arising from unopposed applications for the discharge of care or supervision orders, has been brought into force. The remainder, which enables orders to be made in proceedings where the child is first brought before the court, has not been brought into force because it has substantial resource implications for local authorities and the probation service. I am re-examining the costs and timing of implementing the outstanding provisions of the Act with the local authority associations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied with the current level of the green pound.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister explained to the House last week, he gave his support in Brussels to the Commission's proposal for a 5 per. cent. devaluation of the green pound. That has now been agreed in principle.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current percentage devaluation of the green pound.

The current difference between the rate for the green pound and the market rate of sterling used for MCA purposes is 27·7 per cent., giving an applied MCA of 26·2 per cent. The green pound would have to be devalued by 21·7 per cent. to bring it into line with the market rate.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what would be the effect of a 5 per cent. devaluation of the green pound on the cost of living index.

Devaluation of the green pound by 5 per cent raises the retail price index by about ¼ per cent. when the full effects have worked through.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to protect British dairy farmers by making a substantial devaluation of the green pound.

As my right hon. Friend told the House on 7 March, the Council of Ministers agreed in principle last week to the Commission's proposal for a 5 per cent. devaluation of the green pound. [Vol. 963, c. 1267–77.] His support for this move was determined by a number of considerations, including the position of British dairy farmers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the number of farms becoming available for letting by tender.

No. But I note that the results of the latest annual rent inquiry suggest that the number of farms let by tender in 1978 was the highest since 1974.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the value of foodstuffs containing manioc which attracted monetary compensatory amounts imported into the United Kingdom from the European Economic Community during 1978.

Statistics do not differentiate feedingstuffs containing manioc. The tariff heading under which these products would be imported from the EEC was valued at £26·8 million for 1978.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions his Department has had with the London borough of Ealing concerning measures to prevent flooding in Greenford.

None. The statutory powers to carry out flood prevention work rest with the Greater London Council as regards the River Brent, and the borough of Ealing as regards the minor watercourses. The initiative must, therefore, come from them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of the European Economic Community's common agricultural policy, he plans to explore the possibility of importing cheaper dairy produce from Australia and New Zealand.

Access for specified quantities of butter from New Zealand has already been provided for until the end of 1980 under the arrangements which the Government negotiated in 1976. When the Council comes to consider the position after 1980, my right hon. Friend will fight strongly to secure an arrangement which fully recognises the importance to New Zealand of access to the United Kingdom market. Future arrangements for the import of New Zealand and Australian cheeses are currently being discussed within the GATT multilateral trade negotiations as part of an international agreement on dairy products.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been realised since mid-1977 towards the supply of North Sea gas to the horticulture industry.

The British Gas Corporation is able in most cases to offer continuous supplies of natural gas to United Kingdom horticulturists who are in or near a gas supply area.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with representatives of the British horticulture industry as to the possible adverse effects of the entry of Spain, Portugal and Greece into the EEC upon their financial prospects; and what reassurances he has been able to give them.

My Department maintains close contact with representatives of the horticultural industry on all matters affecting its future prospects, including EEC enlargement. We are agreed that the entry of Greece and Portugal is unlikely to raise major problems for our growers; they may however, eventually face increased competition from some Spanish produce and we aim to achieve satisfactory transitional arrangements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current state of negotiations concerning fishing rights between the European Economic Community and third countries.

A provisional agreement has been reached on reciprocal fisheries arrangements for 1979 with Norway, the Faroe Islands, Spain and Sweden, although these have yet to be fully confirmed by the Council of Ministers. Quotas have also been established for fishing by member States' vessels in Canadian, United States and international waters in the North-West Atlantic.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current percentage self-sufficiency of the United Kingdom in milk products.

It is estimated that United Kingdom self-sufficiency in milk products—excluding skimmed milk powder—was about 52 per cent. in 1978. Overall self-sufficiency, including liquid milk sales, was about 70 per cent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when next he will attend a meeting of the Council of Fisheries Ministers of the European Economic Community.

No date for the next meeting has yet been fixed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans to meet representatives of the National Farmers' Union.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will meet the president of the National Farmers' Union.

I have arranged to meet the president of the National Farmers' Union on 19 March.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the state of the dairy sector of the United Kingdom's agriculture industry.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the progress made in negotiations to reform the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.

I report to the House regularly on the progress of negotiations on the common agricultural policy, and did so most recently in my statement after the Council meeting last week.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to meet the chairman of the Food and Drink Industries Council.

My right hon. Friend, the Minister meets the chairman of the Food and Drink Industries Council when necessary. He has no plans for such a meeting at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to dispose of land owned by his Department.

It is the general policy of my right hon. Friend the Minister that land in his ownership should not be disposed of unless there are strong and compelling reasons for doing so.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will report progress on his negotiations on the fixing of food prices with the EEC.

I regularly report to the House on developments in Brussels and shall keep the House fully informed as and when any further developments occur.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects next to meet his Italian counter part.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when next he will attend a meeting of the EEC Council of Ministers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects next to meet his EEC colleagues.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when next he proposes to meet the Agricultural Ministers of the EEC.

I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Members to the reply given earlier today to the hon. Member for Harborough (Mr. Farr) and others.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to announce his conclusions on the departmental review of the export of live animals for slaughter or further fattening published on 23 March 1978.

In finalising their views, the Government must take into account the outcome of the Commission's proposals, now before the EEC Council of Ministers, for implementing directive 77/489 in detail and the response awaited from the Commission to my proposal that the directive should not permit farm animals intended for slaughter to travel for more than 12 hours on their final journey to the slaughterhouse.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present level of the national pig breeding herd.

There were 864,000 sows and gilts in pig in the United Kingdom breeding herd at December 1978 according to the latest census for which provisional results are available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current state of negotiations concerning the re-calculation of pigmeat monetary compensatory amounts.

The EEC Commission's proposed revisions to the co-efficients used to calculate the monetary compensatory amounts for bacon and other pigmeat are still under consideration. The Commission intends to submit to the Council a report on the competitive distortions which may exist for certain products, such as pigmeat, due to the manner in which MCAs are calculated. This report will provide a further opportunity to press for improvement in the basis of calculation of pigmeat MCAs.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to meet the chairman of the Home Grown Cereals Authority.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so before the authority's pre-harvest luncheon in July, though he would be glad to arrange such a meeting if there was any pressing business to discuss.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has recently received from consumers' organisations concerning the relationship between the common agricultural policy and food prices.

Representatives of consumers have sent their views on the Commission's CAP price proposals and green currencies to my right hon. Friend the Minister. These include support for his view that common support prices should be frozen.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he is making at the Council of Ministers about the effects of the proposed EEC Council regulation No. 816/70, on additional provisions for the wine market, on trade between the United Kingdom and Cyprus.

None. The proposals would place no restriction on trade between the United Kingdom and Cyprus.Imports of Cypriot grape must vary considerably from year to year due to changes in market conditions. The effect of the proposals, over and above these normal fluctuations cannot be estimated.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the net farm income of horticultural growers in the glasshouse sector for the past three years for which figures are available.

The farm management survey does not provide figures for particular horticultural sectors, but estimates based on aggregate statistics indicate that prices and the value of output of many glasshouse crops have risen appreciably during the past three years and that despite rising costs net incomes of most growers will have risen.

asked the Prime Minister when he proposes next to take the chair at a meeting of the National Economic Development Organisation.

I took the chair at a meeting of the National Economic Development Council on 7 February. I intend to do so again from time to time, but I have no specific date in mind at present.

asked the Prime Minister how many daily newspapers are officially ordered for delivery to 10 Downing Street.

Nineteen.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

I refer my hon. Friends and hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Harrow, East (Mr. Dykes).

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress and Confederation of British Industry.

asked the Prime Minister when he intends to meet representatives of the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry together.

asked the Prime Minister what recent talks he has had with leaders of industry and labour.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress and Confederation of British Industry.

I meet representatives of the TUC and CBI from time to time at the National Economic Development Council and on other occasions. Further meetings will be arranged as necessary.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for Thursday 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his public engagements for 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for Thursday 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will state his public engagements for 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 15 March.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 15 March.

I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Leominster (Mr. Temple-Morris).

asked the Prime Minister if he has received any report from the committee to review the functioning of financial institutions; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I have received an interim report on the financing of small firms which is being published today and copies will be available to members in the Vote Office. The Government attach great importance to a flourishing and resilient small firms sector; they will give the report the fullest consideration and respond in due course. I would like to express my gratitude to my right hon. Friend the Member for Huyton (Sir H. Wilson), and to the members of the committee for the work which they have done to date.

asked the Prime Minister if he will seek to pay an official visit to Rome.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what plans he has for visiting Scotland.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if he will seek to visit Poland.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if he has any plans to visit Rainow.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will give for the latest and most convenient date the total amount of Exchequer funds spent on all matters connected with devolution for Wales and Scotland.

This information is not available and I regret that to provide it would involve disproportionate cost.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether, in the light of the result of the referenda on devolution for Scotland and Wales, he will move to appoint a Select Committee to ascertain what action should now be taken on the general question of devolution for Scotland, Wales, Northrn Ireland and the regions of England.

I have nothing to add at the moment to what was said by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 8 March 1979.—[Official Report, Vol. 963, c. 1481–4.]

asked the Lord President of the Council what was the total amount of parliamentary time given to the Scotland and Wales Bill 1977, the Scotland Act 1978, and the Wales Act 1978, respectively, including timetable motions on all three measures.

The information is as follows:

asked the Lord President of the Council what is his estimate of the total cost to public funds, expressed as a single figure, of the preparation and servicing by civil servants and the discussion by both Houses of Parliament, including the printing costs, and the cost of referendums held in Scotland and Wales on 1 March, of the Scotland and Wales Bill 1977, the Scotland Act 1978, and the Wales Act 1978, respectively.

This information is not available and I regret that to provide it would involve disproportionate cost.

asked the Lord President of the Council what cost to public funds was involved in the preparation by civil servants of the Scotland and Wales Bill 1977, the Scotland Act 1978, and the Wales Act 1978, respectively.

I have been asked to reply.This work was co-ordinated by the Constitution Unit of the Cabinet Office. The salary cost of the unit, at Estimate prices, was £197,000 in 1977–78, and £188,000 in 1978–79. Staff in a number of other Departments contributed to the work as part of their regular duties. Details are not held centrally, and could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether, pending the full implementation of the Boyle committee report on hon. Members' salaries, he will pay to them the same as that for public servants, namely, 9 per cent. plus £1, pending the review of their salaries by the comparability board.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 12 March 1979—[Vol. 964, c. 5.]

asked the Lord President of the Council what is the average cost to public funds of that part of each parliamentary day devoted to legislation.

This information is not available and I regret that to provide it would involve disproportionate cost.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will arrange for one Committee room to be equipped with simultaneous translation equipment.

Given sufficient notice, facilities for simultaneous translation can be provided in some Committee rooms.

asked the Lord President of the Council what is his estimate of the daily cost of all services for the operation of the House of Commons.

The daily cost of services varies greatly depending on whether the House is in session. However, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Sproat) on 26 April 1978.—[Vol. 948, c. 552–54.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, when she gave an increased grant for the current year to area museum councils, she specified that these funds were intended to provide for new arrangements for circulating exhibitions to replace the Victoria and Albert Museum scheme.

The Government's grant to the area museum councils is allocated between the councils on the recommendation of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries. The letter sent to the Commission a year ago to tell it of the substantially increased total grant for the current year explained that, among other things, the increase was intended to allow the councils to expand their programmes of travelling exhibitions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals she has received from area museum services for exhibition services to replace the Victoria and Albert scheme; and what response she has given.

The area museums councils were represented at a national conference on travelling exhibitions convened in 1977 at the suggestion of my noble Friend the Minister for the arts. Their proposal was that, given additional resources, they could make an improved contribution to the number of travelling exhibitions available. The grant to the councils for 1978–79 was almost 28 per cent. higher than the previous year, and will be 12 per cent. higher again next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of children receive free school meals in the West Midlands; and how this compares with the proportion in 1974.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, having regard to the fact that the English 82·9 per cent. share of the special fund of £2 million at 1977 public expenditure survey prices proposed for assisting museums with the preservation of the national heritage in 1979–80, in accordance with paragraph 20 on page 80 in volume II of Cmnd. 7049 of January 1978, amounted to slightly over £3 million as revalued by 86 per cent. to take account of current prices, and bearing in mind that not more than slightly over £1 million, being 20·5 per cent. of the 50·5 per cent. rise in the grants of the national museums in England, is attributable to this source, whether it is proposed that the residue, amounting to approximately £2 million, should be employed as a general reserve fund for the intended purposes or administered in a similar way to the analogous fund in Scotland; and whether she will make a statement giving full details of her proposals for the use of these moneys, together with the relevant figures.

All the English share of the additional £2 million has been allocated among the purchase grants of the national museums and galleries, the central funds administered by the Victoria and Albert and Science Museums for assistance with purchases by local museums, and the British Library purchase grant. I am writing to my hon. Friend about the figures underlying this question.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his Department's policy on support for osteopathic students; and what advice her Department can make available to local authorities.

Financial support for students of osteopathy lies within local education authorities' discretionary powers. My Department does not offer advice to local authorities on the exercise of this discretion.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection on what date he received the report from the Monopolies Commission on the proposed takeover bid by Lonrho Ltd. of Scottish Universal Investments Ltd.; when the report will be published; and when he expects to make a statement about it.

I received the report on 6 February; it is being published today. The Commission's unanimous conclusion regarding the proposed acquisition of Scottish and Universal Investments Limited (SUITS) by Lonrho Limited (Lonrho) was that, although there would be some risk of detriment to the public interest, the degree of risk would not be sufficiently great for it to find that, on the evidence, the acquisition might be expected to operate against the public interest. In reaching that conclusion it took into account the fact that the acquisition of SUITS would increase Lonrho's direct shareholding in House of Fraser Limited (House of Fraser) and the influence which Lonrho was able to exert on House of Fraser.The Commission also concluded unanimously that the merger situation in respect of Lonrho and House of Fraser which would be created if the arrangements in contemplation for the merger of Lonrho and SUITS were carried into effect might be expected not to operate against the public interest. That conclusion was confined to the arrangements then in contemplation, which in its judgment would result in Lonrho acquiring ability materially to influence the policy of House of Fraser, not control of that policy. The Commission expressed no view of what the effect on the public interest would be if Lonrho sought eventually to acquire control of House of Fraser or to promote other mergers involving House of Fraser and Lonrho which would eventually diminish the existing autonomy of House of Fraser.Unless the Commission concludes by a two-thirds majority that a merger is against the public interest, there is no power under the Fair Trading Act to prevent a proposed merger. The Commission in this case was unanimous in not finding against the proposed acquisition of SUITS by Lonrho or the resulting merger situation between Lonrho and House of Fraser.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will ask the Price Commission to investigate the charges for day nursery care in the light of the proposal by the city of Birmingham social services committee to increase the maximum weekly charge for children's day nursery care from £7 to £14.

I have drawn my hon. Friend's question to the attention of the Price Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how many members of the National Gas Consumers Council are responsible for energy consumption matters in their employing organisation.

This information is not available from my Department's records.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will list the members of the National Gas Consumers Council, stating which members are currently employed full-time in industry or commerce and for which organisations they work.

The membership of the National Gas Consumers Council is listed below. Details of those currently employed full-time in industry or commerce are given where appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will now take immediate steps to set up a Select Committee on Welsh affairs;(2) what proposals he now has for the more effective scrutiny of secondary legislation affecting Wales;(3) in view of the result of the referendum on the Wales Act, if he will now set up a body charged with reviewing the operation of the Local Government Act 1972 in Wales, and to bring forward early recommendations for securing a cheaper, more local and more efficient structure of local government.

The situation in Wales following the outcome of the referendum will be considered by the Government, where appropriate in consultation with other interests concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) in view of the result of the referendum on the Wales Act 1978, what he intends to do about the future of the Welsh Council;(2) what proposals he now has for organisation of the Countryside Commission in Wales in the light of the recent referendum result.

The situation in Wales following the outcome of the referendum will be considered by the Government, where appropriate in consultation with other interests concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate in the case of each quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation for which he is responsible (a) its total expenditure in the current year and (b) its total expenditure on administration, accommodation and general services, defined to include items such as salaries, telephones and postage, rent, rates, heating, travelling, transport, office equipment and so on.

There is no official definition of the term"quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation ". The following information relates to Welsh organisations to which I appoint members and which incur substantial expenditure:—

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now take steps to make the multifunctional county administrative units of the Welsh water authority answerable to the county councils of Wales.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, in view of the result of the referendum on the Wales Act, if he will now introduce legislation to make the area health authorities in Wales answerable to the county councils.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table indicating the likely out-turn of expenditure compared to budget allocation for each of the functions within his responsibility for the current financial year.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to encourage organisations to promote the study of international affairs by the young people of Wales.

My right hon. and learned Friend has authorised a grant of £2,000 to assist the Council for Education in World Citizenship—Cymru—in its work for this year and next. The council is a constituent organisation of the Welsh centre for international affairs based at the Temple of Peace, Cardiff, and for 20 years it has promoted the study of international affairs by the young people of Wales, through lectures and conferences, and in providing schools in Wales with resource materials on world issues. The centre has a membership of 188 educational institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the rate of import penetration of the United Kingdom market by (a) high-speed steel, (b) tool steels and (c) stainless steel from European competitors in January and February 1979; and how these figures compare with January and February 1978.

Import penetration in January from Western Europe, EEC and EFTA, was 41 per cent for high speed steel and 44 per cent. for stainless steel. Comparative figures for January 1978 are 49 per cent. and 38 per cent. Figures for February 1979 are not yet available.Estimates of import penetration for tool steel are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what help he is giving the china clay industry to extract alumina from residue clay workings; and what is his estimate of the percentage of Great Britain's alumina needs this process will supply within the next five years.

No help is currently being given by my Department to the china clay industry to extract alumina from residue clay workings. There are no official estimates of future production from this source.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, in the light of the continuing high level of unemployment in the Teesside travel-to-work area and impending redundancies, if he will now review the status of Teesside as a development area with a view to making it a special development area.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he intends to provide special assistance to textile companies experiencing cash flow difficulties caused by delays resulting from the present industrial action being taken by certain civil servants.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the firms in the North-West which have received assistance under section 8 of the Industry Act, by constituency, and the amount each firm received.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 159], gave the following information:Lists of companies receiving assistance under the Industry Act 1972 are published quarterly in"Trade and Industry"following the first payment to the company. Listed below are the published details of the companies, and the amount of assistance offered in each case, in the North-West region. It is not possible to provide this information by constituency area; nor do we publish details of the amount of payments received by, as distinct from the amount of assistance offered to, individual firms.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect he estimates a fall in minimum lending rate from 14 per cent. to 5 per cent. would have on the retail price index.

A change in the minimum lending rate would, by itself, have no immediate effect on the retail price index. We would expect, however, that a lower minimum lending rate would lead to a fall in mortgage interest rates, though not necessarily by an equal number of percentage points. A change in the general level of interest rates may also have other, indirect, effects on retail prices through changes in the level of activity, the exchange rate and profit margins. These effects can be quantified only by simulating the change on a macro-economic model.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what way he relates the introduction of selective import controls with a rise in the retail price index.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action his Department is taking to mitigate the effects of the present industrial action by civil servants on textile companies' cash flows caused by delays in dealing with value added tax returns, and delays in repaying value added tax on exports.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report an updated table of general Government expenditure on particular services as a percentage of total general Government expenditure similar to that in the Official Report, 18 July 1978, column 169.

The following is the information requested:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the proposed new double taxation convention between the United Kingdom and the United States of America in the light of the third protocol to be signed on 15 March.

The third protocol to the new double taxation convention has been signed today. Copies of the text of the protocol are available in the Library. The essential purpose of the protocol is to redress the balance of the new convention which was altered by the United States Senate reservation on article 9(4). It is considered that the revised arrangements produce a fair and balanced agreement between the two countries and so is welcomed by Her Majesty's Government.It is, nevertheless, a matter of concern to Her Majesty's Government that the convention as amended by the protocol does not now deal with the very real problem to which article 9(4) was originally directed. That article would have prohibited the application of the unitary basis of taxation by both the Government of the United States and by individual States to United Kingdom businesses operating in their territories through affiliates. Following the Senate reservation, article 9(4) now applies only to the United States Federal Government and not to States. The United Kingdom, recognising the difficult constitutional problem in the United States which the application of article 9(4) to individual State taxes posed and the compensatory offer which the United States has made, has acquiesced in the Senate reservation but has done so only with the greatest reluctance.The unitary basis is incompatible with the accepted principles recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development of which both our countries are members. Unless the same basic rules for computing taxable profits are generally followed by the main trading countries, we cannot achieve the essential objective of providing a consistent and coherent international tax framework for trade and investment. The unitary tax basis, whether applied nationally or by sub-divisions of a partner country, gives rise to a form of double taxation which often cannot be relieved, or is relieved only by States which follow the generally accepted rule bearing an unfair burden of relief. The basis also greatly increases the compliance costs for non-resident companies which are subjected to it.Her Majesty's Government have no doubt that both in principle and in practice the normal arm's length basis of charge for non-resident enterprises is fairer and more certain than the unitary basis and provides a much more satisfactory background for international trade. This is important, not only between our two countries, but as a possible precedent for third countries. Our disappointment with the Senate reservation will be shared by other countries involved in international business with the United States.Her Majesty's Government therefore very much hope that a solution to the serious problem of the unitary tax basis can soon be found in the United States now that it is demonstrated that the matter cannot be dealt with under double taxation convention arrangements.The third protocol will be considered first by the United States Senate and, assuming that the Senate approves it, it will come before the House for consideration in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the individual cost in the financial year 1978–79 and the estimated cost in the financial year 1979–80, to the Exchequer, of each of the following measures incorporated in the 1978 Finance Act (a) increases in the business relief and the threshold for capital transfer tax, (b) increases in the profits threshold for the small company rate of corporation tax and (c) the change in registration level for value added tax.

, pursuant to the reply [Official Report, 13 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 150–1], gave the following information:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what additional domestic food price increases commodity by commodity would follow a 1 per cent., 3 per cent. and 5 per cent. green pound devaluation; and what increase or decrease in United Kingdom exchequer contribution to Common Market funds would follow.

The estimated retail price increases, commodity by commodity, are given in the table for a 5 per cent. and a 3 per cent. devaluation of the green pound. The increases for a 1 per cent. devaluation are proportional, but generally negligible. These increases would obtain when all the effects of the devaluations had worked through to the retail stage.A 5 per cent. devaluation of the green pound, in the absence of any changes in production, consumption or trade, would reduce the United Kingdom's net contribution to the EEC budget by about £4 million under own resources financing and assuming continuation of the exporter pays treatment of MCAs on imports. The savings to the United Kingdom would be broadly proportional for smaller green pound devaluations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest numbers of badgers gassed in south-west England arising out of efforts to contain bovine tuberculosis.