asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state the latest estimate of the total number of persons unemployed in Gwynedd.

At mid May 1979 there were 6,576 persons registered as unemployed in Gwynedd.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number and distribution of psychiatric beds in Welsh hospitals, both in psychiatric hospitals and as part of district general and community hospitals, the new psychiatric hospitals due for completion in the next three years and the new psychiatric wards in other categories of hospital.

I shall write to the hon. Member setting out this information, which is very detailed.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give an estimate as to how many beds in psychiatric hospitals are taken up by geriatric patients, many of whom, if room was available, could be in general or community hospitals or accommodated in residential homes for the elderly.

On 31 December 1977 the total number of patients resident in psychiatric hospitals was 7,139 of whom 2,602 were aged 65 or over.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether local housing authorities will retain 100 per cent. of revenues acquired by the sale of new council houses;(2) whether individual local authorities which fail to sell any or only a small number of their dwellings in 1979–80 will be penalised by a cut in new capital allocation for 1979–80;(3) whether, if receipts on the sale or council houses fall below their estimated £2·2 million in 1979–80, local authority capital allocations will be reduced accordingly.

The method by which individual housing allocations will be adjusted to take account of the new arrangements is still under consideration. I can confirm, however, that if a housing authority sells council houses, whether or not they are new, it will be able to use its net receipts in addition to its revised allocations.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what assumptions have been made in arriving at the estimated £2·2 million receipts from the sale of council dwellings in 1979–80 in respect of (a) the number of dwellings sold, (b) the average price per dwelling sold and (c) the number of dwellings sold in each local housing authority.

The estimate represents an assumed £7 mililon proceeds of sales less an estimated £4·8 million from asociated lending to tenants. This is equivalent to about 1,000 sales at an average price of £7,000. No estimate is yet possible of individual local authority sales.In 1978–79 some 1,200 houses were sold for £8·2 million, the net proceeds amounting to £2·7 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many houses were started in Wales in the private and public sector, respectively, in each year since 1972.

Information for 1973 to 1977 is in table 2.29 of the "Digest of Welsh Statistics, No. 24, 1978". Information for 1978 is in table 1 of "Local Housing Statistics, No. 49, May 1979". These documents are available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what delay he anticipates in proceeding with the advance factory building programme of 1½ milion sq ft announced in March.

Until I have received the Welsh Development Agency's recommendations on the implementation of the £3 million reduction in its budget for 1979–80, I cannot say to what extent the advance factory programme may be affected.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many leasehold houses there are in Wales at the latest available date.

Reliable information is not available at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take action to recover for agricultural use the 3,000 acres of agricultural land claimed to have been lost due to flooding as a result of raising the height of the barrage on the River Derwent downstream of Sutton on Derwent; and if he will make a statement.

The Yorkshire water authority is responsible for operating the barrage in accordance with the statutory provisions. I understand that the authority has recently completed a study of the land drainage problems referred to by my hon. Friend and is consulting the various interests involved.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he proposes to meet representatives of the fishing industry to discuss the serious increase in fuel costs which has resulted in additional problems for that industry.

My right hon. Friend is in constant contact with the industry on this and other problems.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to prevent diminution in the national pig herd and to prevent Danish bacon being sold more favourably than home-produced bacon; and if he will make a statement.

As indicated in my statement to the House on 22 June, the devaluation of the green pound which I secured will substantially reduce monetary compensatory amounts on pigmeat and pigmeat products and will assist our producers and processors in competing with imports.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many bacon and curing factories there are in Great Britain; what were the corresponding figures for the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;(2) how many bacon curing factories there are in Great Britain, what were the corresponding figures for the last 10 years: and if he will make a statement.

There are currently 168 plants in Great Britain engaged in curing bacon. The numbers in each of the previous years were as follows:

1970	234
1971	269
1972	279
1973	267
1974	245
1975	235
1976	224
1977	211
1978	197

The reduction in recent years reflects a degree of rationalisation in the industry but the high level of monetary compensatory amounts which has given imports a competitive advantage has also been an important factor. I am pleased that over the past four months our MCA disadvantage has been reduced from 28·2 per cent to 6·5 per cent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will consult the chairman of the Forestry Commission about the rules governing the admittance of the public to the forests it owns or leases with a view to permitting the public access, subject to the needs of good forestry.

We do not consider such consultations to be necessary since the Forestry Commission already follows a policy of welcoming the public into its forests on foot wherever possible. Access to freehold areas is restricted only where there are newly planted trees, special conservation considerations or forestry operations likely to endanger the public.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his intentions are with regard to retaining the services of environmental officers as supervising and certifying officers for the processing of meat products for intra-Community trade; and if he will make a statement.

Our aim is to secure recognition in the Community that environmental health officers are qualified to carry out supervision and provide public health certification of meat products under this directive. Pending discussions and decisions in Brussels on this matter, other member States are continuing to require veterinary supervision and certification, and we are therefore making the necessary arrangements to enable our export trade in meat products to continue.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the rate of inflation that will occur when the effects of the proposed 5 per cent. devaluation of the green pound will be added to the 17·5 per cent. inflation rate by November as previously forecast by the Government.

The forecast of an increase in the retail price index of 17½ per cent. in the late autumn has already taken into account the devaluation of the green pound agreed last week. The doubled butter subsidy obtained in our negotiations will reduce the retail price index.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report the latest information available on the number of whales taken by British vessels in each of the last three years, the value of the whales killed, and the total world catch and value for the same periods, and the estimated total numbers of commercially exploited whales, specifying the species.

There is no record of any whales being taken by British vessels in the period specified.The total recorded catch of baleen and sperm whales in the last three years for which figures are available, was as follows:

1974–75	40,488
1975–76	30,937
1976–77	27,109

SOURCE: International Whaling Statistics Vol. LXXXI 1978.It is not possible to estimate accurately the value of these catches.The present estimated total world population of those species of baleen and sperm whales commercially exploited by members of the International Whaling Commission, is as follows:

	Southern Hemisphere (000's)	Northern Hemisphere (000's)
Fin	80	15–30
Sei	50–100	8·6–23
Bryde's	8	20
Minke	200	No estimate given
Sperm	375	180

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the tenants of Crown-owned farms and smallholdings will be given the statutory right to buy such properties at discounts of up to 50 per cent.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will now announce details of the new regional policies, with particular reference to the Scottish position.

I shall be making a statement following my current review of regional industrial policy throughout Great Britain.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what recent consultations he has had with representatives of the engineering and shipbuilding industries on Tyneside.

Discussions have taken place with management and trades unions.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when last he met the Confederation of British Industry.

My right hon. Friend last met representatives of the CBI on 15 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, when next he expects to meet the chairman of Rolls-Royce Ltd.

Whenever appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many companies have so far approached him for industrial assistance.

In the period from 4 May to 8 June 1979 the Department of Industry has received 137 applications for regional selective assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 and 75 applications under the schemes operated by the Department of Industry under section 8.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what changes he intends to make in industrial development certificate policy as it relates to the West Midland region; and if he will make a statement.

The policy is being reviewed. My right hon. Friend will make a statement when the review is completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are his plans to promote industrial development in the Northern region.

The Government are reviewing the measures to promote industrial investment and employment in the assisted areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when the committee of inquiry into the engineering profession, under the chairmanship of Sir Monty Finniston, will report.

I understand that Sir Monty Finniston is hoping to submit the report of his committee early in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has plans to pay an official visit to Merseyside.

My right hon. Friend paid an official visit to Merseyside on Friday 22 June. He found it most valuable to see the area for himself and to listen to views about the scope for and obstacles to industrial and commercial development.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, in the light of the computer dispute which has disrupted the presentation of quarterly telephone bills, if he will ensure that the higher rate of VAT does not attach to the earlier quarters in the current, year in the consolidated accounts which are to be sent out later in the year.

I have been asked to reply.Quarterly telephone bills normally charge for three months rental in advance and three months calls in arrear. The Budget resolution on value added tax provides that the new rate will not be applied to telephone bills which include a rental charge for a rental quarter beginning before 1 November 1979. This should ensure that charges for calls made and other telephone services provided before 18 June 1979 will not attract the 15 per cent. rate.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether, as a means of saving fuel and Government expenditure, and in the interests of the general public morale, he will arrange for all civil servants to use public transport in place of Government cars whenever this can be done.

They already do so.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of the persons or grades as mentioned in the Boyle committee report on top salaries and their total annual wage or salary scales per annum; what their gross and net pay would be after taxation on the basis of each person being married and claiming a marriage allowance; and what these figures will be after the proposed increases made in June and after implementing the Budget and proposals oincome tax changes.

The following table sets out the salaries payable to the holders of the offices whose pay is covered by the recommendations of the Review Body on Top Salaries. These salaries were payable from 1 April 1979 as a result of the Government's decision to implement the recommendations in the review body's report No. 11. Most of the nationalised industry board members are paid on salary ranges and in these cases the salaries shown are the mid-points of these ranges.The table also shows the corresponding salaries for these offices net of tax on the hypothesis that the office-holder is entitled to only the married man's tax allowance. The table does not, of course, purport to show the actual post-tax salaries of the office-holders concerned. The position under the tax rates and allowances set by the 1979 Finance Act is shown in (1), while column (2) shows the position that will apply following the implementation of the tax changes proposed in the Budget.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the total annual cost of the salary excesses of the 928 top civil servants receiving salaries in excess of the Ministers whom they serve; and as a means of reducing Government expenditure, if he will reduce all salaries in the Civil Service to the maximum level of the relevant ministerial salaries.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 18 June.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will give the total estimated contribution made by central Government towards fees at public schools in England and Wales for children of (a) Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff serving abroad and serving at home, (b) civil staff of other Departments serving abroad and serving at home, and (c) officers in the Armed Forces serving abroad and serving at home.

Boarding school allowance as in the table below was paid to the parents of children attending boarding schools in the financial year 1978–79. The figures are total amounts and cover all schools attended in the United Kingdom. Without incurring disproportionate cost it is not possible to give figures for England and Wales only.

	Parents Serving:
	abroad	at home
	£ million	£ million
Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff	1·794	1·511
Civil Staff in other Departments	0·647	0·046
Armed Forces:
Officers	4·181	20·696
Other ranks	1·860	5·914

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement about his negotiations over the pay settlement for the scientific Civil Service.

The union representing Civil Service scientists—the Institution of Professional Civil Servants—has claimed pay increases for all scientist grades based on those awarded, as a result of pay research, to the administration group. For all but two grades, my Department has already agreed to the substance of the IPCS proposal and is authorising payment of the first two stages of the 1979 Civil Service pay settlement—9 per cent. plus, where appropriate, £1 a week, from 1 April and 5 per cent. from 1 August—from the due dates. As soon as precise salary scales have been agreed, the payment of the balance from 1 January 1980 will be authorised.A genuine misunderstanding has, however, arisen over the remaining twogrades—the principal scientific officer and senior scientific officer—about the implications for this year's pay settlement of correspondence exchanged last year between my Department and the union. I have, as a gesture of good will, offered exactly what the IPCS has claimed—provided only that we get a clear agreement to avoid future repercussions and misunderstandings.There was, therefore, no justification whatsoever for the strike the IPCS called on Friday, 22 June. I hope very much that its representatives will now accept my offer.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he hopes to announce his decision on prospecting for uranium in Orkney.

I am still awaiting the report of the examination in public of the Orkney structure plan, at which the Orkney Islands council's policy against the extraction of uranium was examined.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will allocate more resources to the Housing Corporation to encourage more house building in areas like Leith.

No. The resources allocated are adequate for the amount of work which housing associations appear capable of undertaking.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will allocate more resources to the Scottish Special Housing Association to encourage more house building in areas like Leith.

Provision is already made within the association's redevelopment assistance programme for assistance to Edinburgh district council and I understand that it is proposed to use a substantial proportion of it in Leith.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he hopes to make a statement on the Munn and Dunning reports.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 May 1979 to the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross).—[Vol. 967. c. 262.]

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what reports he has received of a tanker sailing between the mainland of Shetland and Foula; and if he will make a statement.

Since the beginning of May, I have received a report of one tanker sailing between the mainland of Shetland and Foula. Under the agreement reached in May with the users of the oil terminal at Sullom Voe on the routeing of tankers around the mainland, tankers must avoid this passage. I shall keep the effectiveness of these arrangements under close review.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will state his policy on large oil tankers sailing up and down the west coast of Scotland.

Following discussions with the General Council of British Shipping, the Scottish Office and the Scottish local authorities concerned, my Department has undertaken to develop for approval by the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation a traffic separation scheme for the Minches. We shall also be considering whether it would be practicable to put forward a recommendation that large laden tankers should stay to the west of the Hebrides.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he or the Export Credits Guarantee Department has recently received any protests from exporters at the delays in receiving payments from Nigeria; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I am aware that administrative procedures in Nigeria are delaying transfer of payment to many exporters, some of whom have expressed concern to the Export Credits Guarantee Department. The delays, usually between two and four months but sometimes longer, arise partly from additional exchange control and other requirements which the Nigerian authorities have introduced this year to regulate imports. Compliance with such regulations is a necessary pre-condition for acceptance of liability by ECGD.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, in view of the fact that the recent allocation of aviation fuel is having an adverse effect on the balance of payments, if he will make a statement.

I have no reason to believe that British airlines have been obliged to reduce their services any more than other airlines operating to and from this country. Reductions of service, although regrettable, are necessary if we are to reduce our consumption of oil products this year by 5 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he is satisfied that prospects for the tourist industry for the remainder of the current year are not being harmed as a result of the introduction of a 15 per cent. rate of value added tax; what plans he has for monitoring any changes that might occur in the extent and pattern of future tourist demands in the light of these tax increases; and if he will make a statement.

I have no reason to believe that the prospects for domestic tourism will be harmed by the increase in the rate of value added tax, which should not be viewed in isolation from the increase in personal disposable in- comes resulting from the income tax cuts proposed by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.As for overseas visitors, the international passenger survey—upon which Government statistics of the numbers of foreign visitors and their expenditure are based—will enable us to monitor any changes; and so will the home tourism survey operated by the tourist boards. Changes in the volume and value of tourism may result from other reasons than an increase in VAT. The tourist boards also, as part of their normal activity, make their own estimates of future demand, taking into account the relevant factors.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will make a statement on the compettive effects of the practices of tie-in sales and full-line forcing.

The practices of tie-in sales, where sales of one product or service are tied to the sales of another, and full-line forcing, where dealers are forced to carry a full line of products in order to keep the supplier's business, were referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on 17 April 1979. The reference is a general reference under section 78(1) of the Fair Trading Act 1973 requiring the commission to submit a report on the general effect on the public interest of the said practices. The commission is not empowered to take action on individual complaints. There is no time limit for the investigation. The conduct of its inquiry is a matter for the commission, but I understand that it is proceeding with its investigation and would welcome any evidence of such practices.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of the British bases in Gibraltar, Cyprus and Hong Kong.

The estimated costs for 1979–80 of the British bases in Gibraltar, Cyprus and Hong Kong are £37 million, £48 million and £16 million respectively. The last figure assumes a contribution from the Hong Kong Government amounting to 75 per cent. of the total costs as provided for under the Hong Kong defence costs agreement. It excludes the cost of the force deployment to Hong Kong, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced in a written answer on 20 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the freeze on recruitment in the Civil Service includes the suspension of the job release scheme in Royal ordnance factories; whether the scheme's operation has been suspended from such factories for any other reason; and if he will make a statement.

The job release scheme has been suspended for the duration of the ban on recruitment to the Civil Service; the suspension applies to the Royal ordnance factories as to all other parts of the Ministry of Defence.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the criteria used by his Department in distinguishing schools described as modern in the compilation of official statistics.

Local Education authority					Primary schools*	Grammar	Secondary schools Comprehensive	Modern	All Secondary schools
Barking	…	…	…	…	22·7	—	15·6	—	15·6
Barnet	…	…	…	…	22·2	15·9	15·6	16·2	15·7
Bexley	…	…	…	…	25·8	16·4	17·3	17·3	17·1
Brent	…	…	…	…	20·4	—	14·7	—	14·7
Bromley	…	…	…	…	26·0	16·9	16·8	16·7	16·8
Croydon	…	…	…	…	23·7	15·7	16·9	17·8	16·9
Ealing†	…	…	…	…	21·4	—	16·0	—	16·0
Enfield	…	…	…	…	25·8	17·0	17·3	—	17·3
Haringey	…	…	…	…	22·5	—	16·3	—	16·3
Harrow†	…	…	…	…	23·3	14·2	14·8	—	14·8
Havering	…	…	…	…	25·2	14·9	17·5	15·5	17·3
Hillingdon	…	…	…	…	23·2	—	16·3	—	16·3
Hounslow	…	…	…	…	22·4	15·4	15·8	—	15·7
Kingston-upon-Thames			…	…	22·3	16·1	—	16·5	16·4
Merton‡	…	…	…	…	22·5	—	15·2	—	17·9
Newham	…	…	…	…	22·6	—	16·6	—	16·6
Redbridge	…	…	…	…	24·7	16·3	17·6	13·2	17·4
Richmond-upon-Thames§				…	23·4	—	18·2	18·3	18·2
Sutton	…	…	…	…	25·5	16·5	17·5	17·5	17·2
Waltham Forest		…	…	…	22·8	—	14·8	—	14·8
Inner London		…	…	…	19·2	13·9	15·1	—	15·1
Birmingham†		…	…	…	24·2	16·2	16·6	—	16·6
Coventry	…	…	…	…	24·2	—	16·2	—	16·2

Modern schools are secondary schools for pupils who, under a selective system, are considered to receive the education best suited to their needs in such schools rather than in grammar or technical schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the current pupil to teacher ratios, respectively, at Eton, Harrow and Winchester.

As these are independent schools their pupil-teacher ratios are not properly a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the current pupil to teacher ratios in each local education authority area in England and Wales in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools, giving separate figures for grammar schools, comprehensive schools and secondary modern schools.

In January 1978, the latest year for which figures are available, the average pupil-teacher ratios within maintained schools in each local education authority area in England were as follows. Statistics in respect of schools in Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.