asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is his intention to increase value added tax; and, if so, on what goods and by how much.

I cannot anticipate my right hon. and learned Friend's Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects a financial sector of the Treasury economic model to be available for public use.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total sum raised in national taxation in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and by what percentage this would have to be increased if the Treasury accepted responsibility to provide funds required to abolish domestic rates and all rate payments, respectively.

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

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will give the names, terms of appointment and salaries of all special advisers to Ministers.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has approved the following:

Mr. Henry James, Press Secretary, 10 Downing Street

Mr. John Hoskyns, Special Adviser, 10 Downing Street

Mr. Adam Ridley, Special Adviser, HM Treasury

Mr. Peter Cropper, Special Adviser, HM Treasury

Mr. Robert Shepherd, Special Adviser, Department of Employment

Mr. Michael Portillo, Special Adviser, Department of Energy.

The terms of employment are, as appropriate, those applicable to civil servants, and in all cases service terminates at or before the end of the current Administration. It is not the practice to publish details of individual salaries.My right hon. Friend has also appointed Mr. David Wolfson to be her chief of staff and Mr. Richard Ryder to be her political secretary, but neither will be paid from public funds.Other appointments will be announced as they are made.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will make a statement on the future of the local price survey scheme.

This scheme, for which provision of £240,000 was made in the 1979–80 estimates, has not proved to be effective or good value for money. Only 30 per cent. of the public in the areas concerned know of the existence of local price surveys, and awareness is particularly low in the disadvantaged groups to which the surveys were intended to provide most help. Research shows that those who know of the surveys use them infrequently, and that the majority of those aware of the surveys will not miss them.In these circumstances, the continued existence of the scheme is no longer justified, and I am therefore ending Government support for local price surveys with effect from 1 July, the earliest date on which I can do so. This should result in a saving in the current financial year of approximately £200,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will be present at the fifth United Nations conference on trade and development; and if he will make a statement.

The Government will be working, together with other developed countries in the European Community and more widely in OECD, for a constructive debate at the conference on the central issues of trade and development. I will be going to Manila to lead the United Kingdom delegation in the final week of the conference.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what steps he proposes to take to assist the provision of compensation to British victims of the Amin regime in Uganda for the loss of assets they have suffered, details of which have been filed with his Department; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is aware that many British citizens suffered loss of assets in Uganda under the Amin regime. The Government will, at an appropriate early moment, raise with the new Ugandan Government the question of outstanding claims by United Kingdom companies and nationals.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of British Shipbuilders' corporate plan.

My right hon. Friend is now actively considering British Shipbuilders' corporate plan, but it is too early to reach a view on publication.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends that the question of restoring capital punishment should be a fit subject for a, national referendum; and, if so, whether he will ensure that such a referendum is held as soon as possible.

I have no proposals for such a referendum. There will be an early opportunity for the House to declare its view on the subject of capital punishment, on a free vote.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the committee of inquiry on the prison service, chaired by Mr. Justice May, to report; and if he will make a statement.

The inquiry still hopes to report in the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will phase out the television licence fee for retirement pensioners.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to introduce free fares on public transport up to the age of five years and reduce fares up to the age of 16 years.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take steps to provide in areas where free travel does not exist, a nationwide, off-peak, half-fares scheme for pensioners, the blind, and the disabled.

I have no present intention of introducing a nationwide scheme. But I shall be examining whether the variety of schemes operated by local authorities at their own discretion is creating avoidable difficulties. I shall be having consultations on this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to act on the report of the inquiry into Association of Portland Cement Manufacturer's application to develop Darenth park, Dartford.

The inspector's report is still under consideration. A decision on the appeals will be given as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average payment made by householders in rates in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and what were the comparable totals in each of the previous 10 years.

The average annual payment per domestic hereditament (net of rate rebates) in England and Wales in 1979–80 and earlier years is estimated to be:

	£
1979–80	142·2(a)
1978–79	119·1
1977–78	107·9
1976–77	92·8
1975–76	84·9
1974–75	62·7(b)
1973–74	63·8(c)
1972–73	58·6
1971–72	52·2
1970–71	45·3
1969–70	43·1

(

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the percentage of local government expenditure covered by rate support and other grants from central Government in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and what were the comparable percentages in each of the previous 10 years.

The percentage of relevant expenditure to be met by Government grants (a) in the rate support grant settle ments for 1979–80 and earlier years has been:

	Per cent.
1979–80	61
1978–79	61
1977–78	61
1976–77	65½
1975–76	66½
1974–75	60½
	(b)
1973–74	60
1972–73	58
1971–72	57½
1970–71	57
1969–70	56

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asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the cost incurred by local authorities in assessing and collecting local rates.

The estimated cost of rate collection in 1979–80 based on returns made by local authorities is £99·5 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for increasing National Health Service charges.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland said during the debate on the Address on Wednesday 16 May.—[Vol. 967, c. 360.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to introduce a new disablement allowance to include the blind.

We aim to provide a coherent system of cash benefits to help disabled people. The speed with which this can be achieved must be determined by the strength of the economy, however, and we shall wish to study the problems carefully to find the best way in which to make progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now announce an increase in the burial grant.

The Government's first priority must be to get the country's economy right. In the meantime, the question of the level of the death grant must take its place among the many other matters which we shall be considering when the time is appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the latest conveniently available figures for the shortage of matching tissues in relation to kidneys for transplant in Great Britain or England and Wales.

The latest figures available from the United Kingdom transplant organ matching service at Bristol are that, at 31 March 1979, 1,147 people were on the waiting list for a kidney transplant in England and Wales. In the year ending 31 March 1979, 724 transplants were carried out in England and Wales. The figures for the same time last year yere 1,062 and 689.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to publish the public attitude survey commissioned in March 1978, assessing the general public's attitude to kidney transplantation; and if he will make a statement.

The main report of the survey carried out by Marplan in November 1978 was presented to the previous Government in March 1979, and we have now received the final section dealing with variations in different parts of the United Kingdom. We are arranging for publication and shall be studying the report carefully in deciding how best to bring about an improvement in the supply of kidneys available for transplantation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to approve the interim scheme for improving tidal defences in King's Lynn to reduce the risk of flooding in the areas of Ethel Terrace and Gladstone Road.

When an application for grant aid is received from the Anglian water authority, it will be dealt with as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider giving the teachers comparable treatment to that accorded to the police and Armed Forces in respect of wage increases.

Negotiations on the pay of Scottish teachers are a matter for the Scottish teachers salaries committee, which takes account of all relevant factors. A further meeting of the committee has been arranged for 25 May.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his plans for compelling local authorities to sell council houses.

This Government have consistently expressed the conviction that the sale of local authority houses to the many tenants who wish to buy them should play an important part in our policy of encouraging the growth of home ownership, which is exceptionally low in Scotland. As soon as possible, my right hon. Friend will introduce legislation to give tenants of publicly owned houses the right to buy the houses in which they live.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the latest conveniently available figures for the shortages of matching tissue in relation to kidneys for transplant in Scotland.

During 1978, 81 kidney transplant operations were carried out in Scotland, and at the end of the year 92 patients were awaiting operation. The comparable figures for 1977 were 67 and 101 respectively.