asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers have received serious injuries as the result of an attack by a prison inmate during the past three years.

The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information on the number of prisoners dealt with for offences of gross personal violence to officers is published annually in " Prison Statistics, England and Wales "—tables 9.2–9.5 of the volume for 1977, Cmnd. 7286. The volume for 1978 will be published shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what special assistance is available to local authorities who resettle a number of Vietnamese refugee families.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield and Tamworth (Mr. Heddle) on 10 July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an Englishman who has become a Muslim and then contracts polygamous marriages overseas within the laws of an overseas country is permitted to bring all the wives so married into the United Kingdom.

Not unless he has established domicile in the overseas country concerned or in some other country permitting polygamous marriages and the wives so married are free to contract a polygamous marriage there under the law of their country of domicile.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission on gambling; and if he will make a statement.

The Royal Commission produced a valuable report covering the whole range of gambling activities. Most of the Commission's 303 recommendations are still under consideration in the light of the comments received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to renew the Pool Competitions Act 1971, until such time as new legislation on gambling is enacted; and if he will make a statement.

The Pool Competitions Act 1971 (Continuance) Order 1979 continues the Act in force until 26 July 1980, but I cannot yet say whether any further order will be made to extend the duration of the Act beyond that date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what matters he can give directions to the Equal Opportunities Commission in the fulfilment of its functions.

Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 I can require the Equal Opportunities Commission to undertake a formal investigation and determine the terms of reference of such an investigation. I can direct the Commission as to the form of its annual accounts. The numbers, remuneration and other conditions of service of the staff of the Commission, and the grant-in-aid paid for this and its other expenditure are subject to Government control. My approval is also required for certain procedural matters connected with formal investigations, including the appointment of an additional Commissioner, and for arrangements proposed by the Commission for the discharge of its functions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will state, with regard to those pieces of speed detection equipment used by police authorities which are not supplied and maintained by his Department, what steps are taken by his Department to ensure that such devices are accurate in operational use;(2) if he will state, with regard to those pieces of speed detection equipment which are not supplied and maintained by his Department, to what extent police authorities are responsible for ensuring that in operational use such devices are accurate;(3) whether he will take steps to ensure that all speed detection devices currently in operational use or to be brought into use by police authorities are evaluated and authorised by his Department; and, if he will give his reasons for his decision;(4) if he will list in the

It is for each chief officer of police to decide which devices should be used by his force and to satisfy himself about their accuracy and the circumstances in which they should be deployed. I have no plans to seek to change that situation. To police forces who wish to use it, the Home Office supplies, on rental terms, and maintains, a device called the portable electronic traffic analyser.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what aid he is giving to the new development of the banana industry in Belize; and whether he will consider further aid projects for the development of roads and infrastructure to develop this industry.

Her Majesty's Government provided £98,000 for the rehabilitation of existing plantations following hurricane " Greta " in September 1978.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what was the level of overseas aid to the Caribbean in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979; and what proportion of the reduction in overseas aid will be borne by the Caribbean.

The details of bilateral British aid—gross—to the Caribbean in financial years 1976 to 1978 were as follows:

a. Commonwealth Caribbean (including Dependencies):
1976	£22,184,000
1977	£16,247,000
1978	£41,025,000

The increase in 1978 is largely attributable to programme loans for Jamaica totalling £25·5 million signed during the year.

b. Non-Commonwealth Caribbean:
1976	£77,000
1977	£73,000
1978	£113,000

It is not possible to say at this stage to what extent the restrictions on aid expenditure this year may affect the Caribbean nor, therefore, to give comparable figures for 1979.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has completed his detailed review of the aid programme; and which areas and programmes will be affected by the reduction of £50 million in overall expenditure.

It is not the practice to publish plans of annual levels of disbursement for particular countries or programmes but it will be necessary to defer some expenditure, both bilateral and multilateral, to 1980–81, as a result of the £50 million reduction this year.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when the balance of the commitment of £10 million of aid to Uganda will be paid.

The £1 million grant to assist the immediate rehabilitation of basic services in Uganda was increased to £2 million on 30 May. We are also ready to consider urgent requests for technical co-operation related to rehabilitation. We have said that we intend to resume a broadly based aid programme to Uganda when circumstances permit, but there is no commitment to any particular figure. There are no other commitments.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if the programme of grants for Chilean refugees in British universities and other further education institutions will continue at its present level.

No decisions have been taken about the future of this programme, but the number of Chilean refugees who might qualify under the present scheme will continue to decline. There will be discussions with the World University Service, which administers it on the Government's behalf, later in the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has any plans to extend the rights of consumers under the Supply of Goods (Implied Terms) Act 1973.

The 95th report of the Law Commission, published today, is concerned with implied terms in contracts for the supply of goods other than by sale or hire purchase. There is currently some uncertainty about the legal rights of a customer who enters into a contract for the supply of goods through hire, exchange, barter, or for a combination of work and materials.The Law Commission recommends that the customer's rights should be the same whether his contract is one of sale, hire purchase, hire, exchange, or for work and materials—and that these rights should be laid down clearly by statute.The report also recommends that an additional implied term on durability be included in all contracts for the sale or supply of goods. The statutory form which this might take is, however, being considered further in the context of the Law Commission's current reference on the implied terms of quality and fitness for purpose in contracts for the sale and supply of goods. A proposal for the inclusion of an additional implied term on servicing facilities and the provision of spare parts was rejected, these matters in the Law Commission's view being more suited to regulation through voluntary codes of practice than by a statutory provision.The overall recommendations would, if adopted, represent a significant extension to the statutory rights of customers. I am now considering what action I should take in the light of this report.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish in the Official Report index numbers for the following items using March 1974 as a base of 100 and giving index numbers up to April 1979: electricity, gas, domestic coal, finished steel, second-class postage, rail fares, bus fares and a local telephone call.

The information is as follows:

Price Index Numbers for Certain Goods and Services of the Nationalised Industries and for Bus Fares
Retail prices *	April 1979 (March 1974=100)
Electricity	268
Gas	170
Domestic Coal	252
Postage—Second Class letter	233
Telephone—Private Subscriber local call	300
Fares	254
of which, rail	272
road	248
Wholesale Prices†
Finished Steel	243
Sources: * General Index of Retail Prices (Department of Employment).
†Wholesale Price Index (Department of Industry).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he intends to continue the reductions in the Coastguard Service at Berwick, Seahouses and Amble planned by the previous Government.

I am satisfied that the planned changes in the local Coastguard Service are necessary in order to improve the overall efficiency of the service by concentrating the available full-time manpower into the new maritime rescue coordination centres and subcentres.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if, in the interests of ensuring alternative employment at Sunderland and elsewhere, he will discuss with British Shipbuilders its policy for making available to other users facilities which it no longer uses such as Green-wells yard at Sunderland.

British Shipbuilders is willing to consider any commercial proposition for such facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is his estimate of the reduction in expenditure which will be effected as a result of his cuts in public support for industrial and commercial development in South Yorkshire.

It is not practicable to make estimates affecting individual parts of the country because of the many uncertainties including the impact of the designation of Mexborough and Rotherham as development areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what support he is giving to the development of electrical powered motor vehicles.

As I indicated to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Rippon) in response to a similar question of 12 July 1979, the Department of Industry is supporting assessment trials being undertaken by the Greater London Council on electric vehicles manufactured by British companies and research and development and experimental programmes connected with batteries and electrical drive systems. Present commitments over a five-year period to December 1982 amount to £2·635 million for vehicles and transport system development and trials, £2·332 million for advanced battery research and development and £92,000 for work on other components such as motors and controllers.Work of this nature by companies to improve electric vehicles performance is continuous and the extent of departmental support regularly reviewed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many United Kingdom firms employing fewer than 200 people, were in receipt of (a) regional

PART 11
Section 7 Offers of regional selective assistance—excluding assistance to shipbuilding
Year	Amount	Numbe of firms	Total number of manufacturing enterprises in the private sector employing less than 200 staff
	£Million
1972–73	1·3	63	68,971
1973–74	7·7	394	74,116
1974–75	6·0	352	81,078
1975–76	7·9	693	83,422
1976–77	8·6	434	Statistics not available
1977–78	15·2	568	Statistics not available
1978–79	13·5	471	Statistics not available

Regional development grant under part I of the Act and selective financial assistance under part II section 8 are not related directly to employment and statistics on the amount of this aid given to firms employing fewer than 200 people are not readily available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the energy position, he will increase the percentage allowed to glasshouse producers under the capital grants scheme from 25 per cent. to 60 per cent., to allow conversions from oil to other forms of energy to take place.

There is no intention at the moment to change the grants but, together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy, we will constantly review the energy implications for agriculture and horticulture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what was (a) the average retail price per pound, and (b) the average wholesale price per pound of (i) EEC produced butter, and development grant and (b) selective assistance to individual industries, firms and undertakings, in 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, and 1978–79; and how many firms employing fewer than 200 people there were in the United Kingdom in each of those years.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 16 July 1979], gave the following answer:Assistance has been made available as follows under the Industry Act 1972:(ii) New Zealand butter in the weeks ending 15 June, 22 June, 29 June, 6 July and 13 July.

Information in the form requested by the hon. Member is not available. However, as my right hon. Friend told the House on 12 July, the leading supermarkets have informed us that retail prices of both Community and New Zealand butter are now, in most cases, at least 6p per pound lower than the level which prevailed before the higher rate of subsidy that my right hon. Friend negotiated took effect on 2 July. Wholesale prices would, of course, take account of the 6p per pound increase in the butter subsidy.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the names of voluntary organisations to which grants or loans are made by his Department together with the amounts for the latest period if such information is available.

The voluntary organisations to which the Department of Employment and the Manpower Services Commission made grants in 1978–79 and the amounts involved, where available, were as follows:

Special Employment Programmes

The following organisations were centrally funded by the MSC in 1978–79 for work related to their special programmes for the unemployed:

1978–79 Budget
	£
British Youth Council	122,513
National Association of Youth Clubs	22,130
National Council of Social Services	26,700
National Extension College	89,768
National Youth Bureau	41,827
Scottish Community Education Centre	15,300

Individual voluntary organisations may also be funded by MSC at local level for specific projects under these programmes, but information on the extent of this funding is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish

				United Kingdom		Great Britain
				February	April	February	April
				1974	1979	1974	1979
Total registered as unemployed Seasonally adjusted	…	…	…	628,812	1,340,595	599,193	1,279,808
(excluding school leavers)	…	…	…	577,700	1,327,400	549,800	1,268,000
School leavers	…	…	…	3,443	25,823	3,088	23,924

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he expects unemployment to increase in South Yorkshire as a result of cuts in public support for industrial and commercial development; and by how much he expects unemployment to rise in this county during the next year.

No. I have made no forecasts of the future level of unemployment in South Yorkshire.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received with a view to the local authorities taking over administration of the youth opportunities programme and the special temporary employment programme.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12 July 1979], gave the following answer:My right hon. Friend has received, and is studying, the views of some youth organisations about the administration of

in the

Following is the information:special programmes. While these organisations argue for some changes, they do not consider that they should be made for two or three years. The MSC intends to review the organisation of special programmes commencing in autumn 1979. Any consideration of change needs to take into account the substantial achievements of the existing organisation in the year since the programmes were launched.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to prevent the reductions in the Manpower Services Commission budget from affecting essential OUTSET surveys of the disabled.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 17 July 1979], gave the following answer:No. I regret that no exceptions can be made for particular organisations from the decision that new special temporary employment programme schemes must be confined to work done in the special development areas, development areas, and designated inner urban areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each member State of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (a) the total number unemployed in February 1974, (b) the total number

Thousands
Country					February 1974	April 1979	Percentage increase
Australia†	…	…	…	…	98·7	437·0	342·8
Austria	…	…	…	…	44·0	57·0*	29·5
Belgium	…	…	…	…	93·0	293·0	215·1
Canada	…	…	…	…	530·0	880·0	66·0
Finland	…	…	…	…	41·0	142·0	246·3
						(March)
France	…	…	…	…	440·0	1,339·0	204·3
Germany (West)	…	…	…	…	400·0	874·0	118·5
Greece	…	…	…	…	20·0	26·0*	30·0
Irish Republic	…	…	…	…	43·0	70·0*	62·8
						(January)
Italy†	…	…	…	…	1,047·0	1,618·0	4·0
Japan	…	…	…	…	721·0	1,224·0	69·8
Netherlands	…	…	…	…	123·0	206·0	67·5
New Zealand†	…	…	…	…	0·65	24·9	3,730·8
Norway	…	…	…	…	10·0	27·0	170·0
Spain	…	…	…	…	127·0	974·0*	666·9
Sweden	…	…	…	…	87·0	87·0	Nil
Turkey†	…	…	…	…	52·9	176·9	234·4
						(October 1978)
United Kingdom	…	…	…	…	576·0	1,327·0	130·3
United States	…	…	…	…	4,753·0	5,937·0	24·9
Yugoslavia†	…	…	…	…	449·0	757·0	68·6
						(January)
* Provisional.
† Not seasonally adjusted.

Important changes in the methods of compiling unemployment statistics in Denmark prevent direct comparisons being made between the two dates. Information is not available for member States not included above.Sources: DE Gazette (United Kingdom only), Statistical Telegram of the European Communities (Italy only), OECD Main Economic Indicators (all others).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in view of his Department's assurances, additional information will be given concerning the recent crashes of Provost aircraft, how many inquiries are now completed and how many inquiries are still under consideration; and if he is now in a position to make a statement about the general condition and safety of Provost aircraft.

Using national definitions, the seasonally adjusted numbers of persons unemployed at these dates and the percentage increase—there were no decreases—between the two dates are as follows:

As the House was informed on 10 July, there have been six jet Provost crashes in the period April 1977 to July 1979. Two of these are still under investigation; of the four which have now been investigated, one was attributable to an engine failure and three to non-technical causes. The House was also told that there was no evidence of any inherent defect in the aircraft or of any deterioration in its safety record.It may be helpful to set these accidents in the wider context of the RAF's flight safety record. In 1978 the accident rate for RAF aircraft was 0·51 per 10,000 flying hours. This is a threefold improvement over the rate of 20 years ago and a sevenfold improvement over the rate 30 years ago. This improvement has been achieved despite the fact that military aircraft during this period have been growing faster and more complicated; and that an increasing proportion of RAF flying is by tactical jet aircraft

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will recommend to the Geneva refugee conference that if Hanoi does not cease its efforts to create refugees, ambassadors should be withdrawn.

As my right hon. Friend said in his statement earlier today, there can be no doubt that it is the callous and inhuman policies of the Vietnamese Government which are the root cause of the problem and it is imperative that the Vietnamese Government change those policies.All possible means of influencing the Vietnamese Government will come under consideration in Geneva.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether a sum of interest amounting to $A1·5 million which was offered to the Banabans in December 1978 additional to the ex gratia capital sum of $A10 million will be paid to the Rabi council of leaders.

I shall have discussions with Banaban representatives on 24 July, which will no doubt cover the question of interest. No fixed sum of interest has been offered.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how much interest will be earned by the $A10 million offered ex gratia to the Banabans by the former Government on 27 May 1977, from 1 January 1979 to 31 March 1979, inclusive and from 1 April 1979 to 30 June 1979, inclusive.

The $A10 million is presently held by the British Phosphate Commissioners as part of their funds. Information on the exact amounts of interest attributable to the sum for the periods in question is not readily available to the Government.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has agreed with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand that the compound interest which the $A10 million, offered ex gratia to the Banabans by the former Government, will have earned between May 1977 and the date upon which the capital sum is transferred will be paid to the Banabans in full.

No.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the United Kingdom Government's share of the sum of $A10 million which was offered to the Banabans by the previous Administration in May 1977 in exchange for an undertaking by the Banabans not to appeal in their action against the United Kingdom Government amounts to $A3,150,000—that the Australia and New Zealand Governments between them will provide the balance of $A6,850,000.

The $A10 million would come from funds held by the British Phosphate Commission on behalf of the three partner Governments.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if it is still the intention to distribute the balance of any funds remaining after the British Phosphate Commission is wound up in the proportions 47½ per cent. to Australia, 31½ per cent. to the United Kingdom and 21 per cent. to New Zealand.

These are the proportions which at present represent the shares of the three Governments in such funds.

asked the Lord Privy Seal, having regard to the rates of interest charged by the International Monetary Fund oil facility, if he will initiate discussions with the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries with a view to obtaining a more meaningful method of reducing the harsh effects of the increased oil prices on Third world countries.

The final drawings of the International Monetary Fund oil facility were made in May 1976. With the benefit of the special 1975 oil facility subsidy, interest rates for the most seriously affected developing countries are very favourable. Western leaders made clear at the Tokyo summit that they recognised that the recent oil price rises would severely increase the problems facing developing countries without oil resources as well as the difficulties for developed countries in helping them. They recognised that, in this situation, there was a need for the flow of financial resources to the developing countries to increase, including private and public, bilateral and multilateral resources. They also expressed readiness to examine with oil exporting countries how to define supply and demand prospects on the world oil market.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans for the further relaxation of exchange controls.

In my Budget Statement I announced my intention to take further steps, as circumstances allowed, in the progressive dismantling of exchange control. I have decided to allow complete freedom of choice in the financing of outward direct investment, and to take three significant steps towards liberalising outward portfolio investment.With effect from tomorrow, 19 July, official exchange will be available without limit for all outward direct investments, and foreign currency borrowing taken at any time to finance such investments will be eligible for repayment with official exchange. As regards portfolio investment, also with effect from tomorrow official exchange will be available for investment by United Kingdom residents in most securities denominated and payable solely in the currencies of other EEC countries.Secondly, official exchange will also be available for investment in foreign currency securities issued by international organisations of which the United Kingdom is a member, including those issued by European Community institutions and the World Bank. One of the consequences will be that the sale proceeds of existing new holdings of such securities, however acquired, will no longer be eligible for sale in the investment currency market.Thirdly, foreign currency borrowing taken by United Kingdom residents to finance outward portfolio investment and which has been outstanding at least one year as of tomorrow will be repayable with official exchange. As in the case of last month's measure, I have discussed these changes with the Commission of the European Communities.Further details are available in the Vote Office.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in employment were not paying tax because they had earnings below the tax threshold before the Budget, or at the latest date for which the information is available; and how many of these had children.

No precise information is available. Results from the family expenditure survey for 1977 indicate that at that time about 200,000 taxpayers, including single persons and counting married couples as one, in full-time employment were below the tax threshold. Of these about one-third had children.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the number of single taxpayers and the number of taxpayers responsible for children—counting husbands and wives as single units—and the number of children for which these taxpayers are responsible.

About 8·8 million, 10·2 million and 13·5 million, counting working wives separately from their husbands.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers—counting husbands and wives as one unit—have children.

About 7 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total of outstand-

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT AT CONSTANT FACTOR COST
(Average estimate)
					(a)	(b)	Percentage
					Cumulative increase	Annual average rate of increase
1973–78	…	…	…	…	4·7	0·9
1974–78	…	…	…	…	6·7	1·6

Source: National accounts statisticsThe annual average rates of growth have been calculated by expressing, at a compound rate of growth, the changes in the average of the three measures of GDP between the years 1973 and 1978, and 1974 and 1978 repectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if any further objects have been accepted in lieu of estate duty or capital transfer tax.

Yes, A sixteenth-century painting entitled " The Battle of Pavia " has been accepted in lieu of capital transfer tax. An announcement ing Government debt in (a) February 1974 and (b) March 1979.

Statistics of central Government debt, as defined in the national accounts, are compiled only for 31 March each year. The latest available are for 31 March 1978, which were published with figures for earlier years back to 1968 and with figures for other components of public sector debt in Financial Statistics for February 1979, supplementary table C. Figures for 1979 will be included in the next issue of this table in Financial Statistics for February 1980.The national debt, also calculated only for 31 March each year, was provisionally £86,974 million on 31 March 1979 as compared with £40,448 million on 31 March 1974. However, the national debt, which is defined as the total nominal liabilities of the national loans fund, includes official holdings of central Government debt and excludes some of the debt of central Government as defined in the national accounts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report (a) the cumulative increase and (b) the average annual rate of increase in the gross domestic product adjusted for price changes from (i) 1973 to 1978 and (ii) 1974 to 1978.

Following is the information:about its allocation will be made in due course by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister with special responsibility for the arts, after taking advice from the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries.The total cost borne by the National Land Fund after allowing for relief from capital transfer tax and capital gains tax is £16,500.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consequences may be expected to flow from the breach of the terms of issue of Government stocks and bonds where interest payments have not been made on the due dates.

The stocks and bonds affected are those registered on the National Savings stock register. Investors whose dividend payments were subject to delay will be paid recompense in accordance with the terms set out in the answer to the written question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Arnold) on 13 July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in the interests of fuel economy he will introduce tax incentives to encourage firms to provide smaller cars for executives.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will detail the cuts in public expenditure in Wales in the current financial year under the headings in table 4.3 of Cmnd. 7439.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Member to the previous reply I gave him on Monday 9 July, inviting attention to my replies to the right hon. and learned Member for Aberavon (Mr. Morris) on Monday 18 June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the financial support previously given by the Bank of England to prevent the collapse of the secondary banking system, what safeguards now exist to prevent a recurrence of the conditions which led to that operation.

The primary banking sector has long been supervised by the Bank of England on a non-statutory basis and following the events of late 1973 and 1974 the Bank has informally extended the range of its supervision to a number of other deposit-taking institutions. The provisions of the Banking Act, which received Royal Assent on 4 April 1979 and commanded the broad support of all parties, will give this supervision a statutory basis and will extend it, with only a few exceptions, to all institutions which take deposits. The Act provides that it is an offence for institutions to take deposits unless they have a licence to do so from the Bank of England or have been recognised as a bank by the Bank of England. A commencement date for the authorisation provisions of the Act will be announced shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report the total number of prize winners of premium bonds in each of the last 12 months.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 17 July 1979], gave the following answer:The following table lists the number of premium savings bond prizes allotted for the most recent 12 months available. The number of prize winners could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

PREMIUM SAVINGS BONDS
Number of Prizes Allotted
1978
June	117,531
July	116,724
August	118,805
September	117,739
October	119,958
November	120,583
December	119,728
1979
January	122,101
February	123,740
March	122,260
April	125,755
May	127,283

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints have been received regarding the change in allocation of prizes in premium bonds occasioned by industrial action of computer staff; and if he will make a statement.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 17 July 1979], gave the following answer:So far, 468 letters and telephone calls have been received objecting to the new temporary prize structure to apply to the September to December 1979 prize draws. There are 25·6 million premium savings bond holders. An announcement about the prize structure to apply from 1 January 1980 will be made in September.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now publish details of the compensation to be paid to people who have incurred loss as a result of industrial action in the department of national savings.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 16 July 1979], gave the following answer:I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Arnold) on Friday, 13 July.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the perinatal and infant mortality rates for Northern Ireland in 1977 by social class, parity and age of mother.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the changes in regional industrial policy announced for Great Britain, what proposals, if any, relating to Northern Ireland he has to make; and if he will make a statement.

The Government will continue to give the highest priority to the encouragement of sound projects providing employment in Northern Ireland. To this end the financial assistance available towards industrial investment, whether in entirely new projects or expansion by existing industry, will remain the most competitive in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the average sum awarded under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13 July 1979], gave the following answer:£1,496 including costs and expenses.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the highest sum awarded under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968.

pursuant to his reply, [Official Report, 13 July 1979], gave the following answer:£115,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the average sum awarded in respect of the death of a member of the security forces under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968.

pursuant to his reply, [Official Report, 13 July 1979], gave the following answer:The average sum awarded since 1975 in respect of the death of a member of the Security Forces under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 is £8,688. This is exclusive of discretionary payments made under article 8 of the Criminal Injuries (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the highest sum awarded in respect of a member of the security forces under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968.

pursuant to his reply. [Official Report, 13 July 1979], gave the following answer:The highest sum awarded since 1975 in respect of the death of a member of the security forces under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 was £43,228.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the highest sum awarded in respect of the death of a member of the security forces leaving no dependants under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13 July 1979], gave the following answer:The highest sum awarded since 1975 in respect of the death of a member of the security forces leaving no dependants under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 was £245.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the average sum awarded in respect of the death of a member of the security forces leaving no dependants under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13 July 1979], gave the following answer:The average sum awarded since 1975 in respect of the death of a member of the Security Forces leaving no dependants under the Criminal Injuries to Persons (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968, was £177.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give details of the total number of people employed on research in universities in England and Wales, giving (a) those employed whole-time, (b) those employed part-time, (c) the average length of contract in each case, (d) the numbers made redundant in each of the last five years because their contracts were not renewed, and (f) the number made redundant in this period who did not qualify for redundancy payments.

This information is not available. In 1977–78, of the full-time academic staff employed in universities in England and Wales, 25,000 were wholly or partly financed by universities and very few of these were employed wholly on research; about 6,000 were not university financed and some 5,000 of them were engaged full-time on research.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many jobs in the universities will be lost as a result of the recent cut in the University Grants Committee's allocation and in the grants to the various research councils.

I do not expect any staff to be dismissed as a result of the cuts but it is possible that there will be fewer appointments than would otherwise have been the case.Universities decide how to deploy the funds paid to them by the University Grants Committee: with regard to grants from the research councils, it is not known precisely how a higher level of funds would have been used.It is therefore impossible to suggest how many new appointments will not be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what study he has made of the proposal by Staffordshire county council to abolish the provision of school meals; if he will reject any such proposal by Staffordshire of any other local education authority; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has received no such proposal from the Staffordshire authority. A suggestion has however been made by the Association of County Councils that in order to secure reductions in expenditure on the education service as a whole, local education authorities should be given more discretion to decide what to provide as a school meal. This is one of a number of proposals under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is planning to reduce the nutritional standards of school meals.

The present statutory basis for the school meals service is under consideration in the light of the review of future public expenditure. Whether central guidance on nutritional standards will continue to be appropriate is one of the issues to be settled.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representation he has received from Gwynedd county council and from other interested parties concerning parking problems on the A47 trunk road at Penygroes in Gwynedd;

Area Health Authority			Whole-time employees	Part-time employees	Total whole-time equivalent	Rate per 1,000 population aged over 65 of whole-time equivalents
Clwyd	…	…	12	1	12·8	0·21
Dyfed	…	…	9	—	9·0	0.17
Gwent	…	…	16	—	16·0	0·27
Gwynedd	…	…	2	—	2·0	0·05
Mid Glamorgan	…	…	25	2	25·8	0·35
Powys	…	…	5	1	5·2	0·29
South Glamorgan	…	…	16	—	16·0	0·29
West Glamorgan	…	…	15	4	17·6	0·31
WALES	…	…	100	8	104·4	0·25

It is estimated that additional services are provided by about 90 other chiropodists on a sessional, fee for treatment or agency basis. No information is available centrally about their status or the hours they work.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the cuts in public expenditure for the current financial year under the following headings: water supply, conservation and sewerage, local environmental services, community ownership of development land, new towns industrial and comer- and what proposals does he have for overcoming these difficulties.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the A487 trunk road.My right hon. Friend has received no representations about parking and has no plans at present to change the existing waiting restrictions.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many trained chiropodists are employed by each local authority; how many trained and untrained chiropodists, respectively, are employed on an agency basis within the area of each authority; and what numbers of full-time chiropodists each of these figures represent per 1,000 population over 65 years of age.

Information about the employment of chiropodists is available in the form requested only in respect of salaried employees of health authorities in Wales, which are required to employ trained chiropodists. The position at 30 June 1979 was as follows:cial development, the urban programme, historic buildings and ancient monuments, and central and miscellaneous environmental services.

The capital programme of the Welsh water authority is to be reduced by £2 million and the provision for community land transactions in Wales is being reduced by £1·5 million, all at 1979 survey prices. The other areas listed are not affected by cuts in the current financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish any specific cuts in public expenditure he has in mind for Welsh local authorities; and if he will publish it under the headings in table 4·4 of Cmnd. 7439.

No decisions have been made beyond those resulting from the Budget Statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the perinatal and infant mortality rates for Wales in 1977 by social class, parity and age of mother.

This information was published in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys' Monitor DH1 79/2 on 26 June 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he plans to change the budget of the Wales Tourist Board, and the Development Board for Rural Wales.

The budgets of these bodies are expected to remain unchanged for the current financial year. Decisions on future years' budgets have yet to be made.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he is satisfied with the levels of recruitment into the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement on future recruitment policy.

As to the first part of the question, the answer is " Yes ". For the second part of the question, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) on 20 June.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on the pay claim negotiations with the Institution of Professional Civil Servants.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on the pay claim negotiations with the Institution of Professional Civil Servants.

I am glad to say that agreement has been reached with the Institution of Professional Civil Servants on the pay of Government scientists. Scientists' pay will be linked to the administration group for 1979 and a form of words has been agreed to prevent this settlement causing any future repercussions or misunderstandings.Increases will now be paid in accordance with the staging arrangements agreed for other civil servants.Unfortunately, my Department has not yet been able to reach agreement with the Institution of Professional Civil Servants on the pay of professional and technical grades. An offer has been made to them based on pay research evidence, and calculated in exactly the same way as offers made to and accepted by other Civil Service unions on behalf of other civil servants. I have repeatedly said to the IPCS that if it cannot accept my Department's offer it should refer its claim to the independent Civil Service arbitration tribunal, whose findings the Government will accept.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service when he plans to meet the leaders of the Institution of Professional Civil Servants.

My right hon. and noble Friend, the Lord President of the Council, and I met IPCS representatives yesterday. We are to meet again on Friday, 20 July.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on industrial relations in the Civil Service.

It will inevitably take some time for Civil Service industrial relations to recover fully from the disputes over this year's non-industrial pay settlement.On the outstanding dispute over professional and technology grades' pay, we have offered increases varying from 15½ per cent. to 22½ per cent., and I remain convinced that the right course for the IPCS is either to accept the offers or go to arbitration.Discussions on the basis of a comparability study have started for the pay settlements for industrials.I shall continue to meet regularly with leaders of unions representing civil servants and to consult them as necessary.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he has arranged any further meetings with the Institution of Professional Civil Servants in respect of the current dispute over the printing of parliamentary papers; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and noble Friend, the Lord President of the Council, and I met representatives of the Institution of Professional Civil Servants yesterday, 17 July.The IPCS informed us that it had instructed its members to cease any disruptive action affecting the Houses of Parliament. I understand that work at St. Stephen's Parliamentary Press has now been resumed.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many home-based civil servants spend more than 30 days a year outside the United Kingdom.

Detailed figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but in the last financial year it is estimated that between 10,000 and 11,000 members of the Home Civil and Diplomatic Service served outside the United Kingdom for more than 30 days. Of these, approximately 2,000 were serving on short-term assignments which when aggregated totalled more than 30 days in each case.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will review the method of appointment of senior civil servants.

No.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what proposals he has for transferring Government Departments to the Northern region.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Thornaby (Mr. Wriggles-worth) today.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a further statement on the dispute affecting the scientific Civil Service.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield and Tamworth (Mr. Heddle).

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he intends to recognise academic awards issued by the institution known as the Independent University at Buckingham as suitable entry qualifications for the Civil Service.

The Civil Service Commissioners, rather than Ministers, are responsible for recognising particular academic qualifications for admission to competitions for the Civil Service. In exercising this particular function the Commissioners act independently of Ministers. I suggest therefore that the hon. Member gets in touch with the Commissioners direct.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether the Warwickshire area health authority is contracting out abortions to clinics in the private sector; and what is the estimated cost per patient to the National Health Service;(2) what is his policy in respect of local area health authorities contracting out abortions to clinics in the private sector;(3) whether, since at least 50 per cent. of women receiving legal abortions under the Abortion Act 1967 still have to find the resources and the money to go into the private sector, he will take steps to improve the availability of National Health Service abortions.

I have been informed that the Warwickshire area health authority has accepted the principle of using an outside agency in its abortion service, but that it has set up a working party to formulate detailed proposals. I understand that the charge per patient would be likely to be in the range of £65£80. For an authority to enter into contractual arrangements with the private sector would not be inconsistent with the Government's general policy of encouraging health authorities to make use of arrangements with private hospitals and clinics for the provision of services for the National Health Service patients.A decision on the level of services generally for abortion, and on how such services should be developed is in any particular case one for the health authority concerned to make in the light of local circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy towards the implementation of the freeing for adoption provisions in sections 14 to 16 of the Children Act 1975.

No date has yet been set for bringing these provisions into force. The Department is currently re-examining the costs of all the unimplemented provisions of the Children Act 1975, in co-operation with the local authorities, with a view to subsequent consideration of the prospects for further implementation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on how many occasions since the passing of the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976 his Department has applied for a contribution order against a person not paying adequate maintenance for his dependants.

Section 17 of the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976 provides that for the purposes of that Act a man shall be liable to maintain his wife and his children, and a woman her husband and her children. The Supplementary Benefits Commission can apply for an order against a liable person, under section 18 in respect of a husband/wife or legitimate child in respect of whom bene- fit is paid, and under section 19 for an affiliation order in respect of an illegitimate child. The Act came into operation on 15 November 1976. Statistics about legal proceedings against liable relatives are obtained on an annual basis. In 1977, 235 proceedings were taken under section 18–222 orders being obtained—and 266 under section 19–239 orders made. In 1978, there were 285 proceedings under section 18–264 orders being obtained—and 406 under section 19382 orders made.In addition, criminal proceedings may be taken under section 25 of the Act against a person who persistently refuses or neglects to maintain his dependants for whom he is liable under section 17. A total 378 such proceedings were taken against liable relatives in 1977, and 409 in 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken, or intends to take, to improve the chiropody service in the Ince county area.

The planning and provision of chiropody services in the Ince constituency are matters for the Lancashire, Wigan and St. Helens and Knowsley area health authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total sum expended by his Department on propaganda related to the dangers of smoking and excessive drinking, respectively, in the most recent annual period for which figures are available.

The Department looks to the Health Education Council to conduct health education at national level. From the funds which the Department provided in 1978–79, the council spent £325,000 and £190,000 respectively on publicity campaigns specifically designed to keep the dangers of smoking and the misuse of alcohol before the public. In addition, the council spent £928,000 on its " Better Health Campaign "; this includes references to smoking and drinking, though they cannot be directly costed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many protests were received as a result of the television programme about Rampton hospital; and if he will make a statement about Government action that has been taken—or is proposed.

About 1,000 letters were received following this programme. I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 23 May.—[Vol. 967, c. 123–5.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to clear the serious delay in the issue of family allowance payments books.

Although there are delays in the issue of some child benefit order books because of an overtime ban

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1973 (a) the number of administrative staff in the National Health Service and (b) the number of medical staff in the National Health Service.

The information requested is in the attached table. The figures are collected as at 30 September each year. The 1978 figures for administrative and clerical staff are not yet available.at the child benefit centre, priority is being given to those claims in which a mother is without an order book. Any cases of hardship caused by the absence of an order book should be taken up with the local social security office.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what his Department is doing to ensure that elderly patients receive help and support during the weeks following discharge from hospital.

This is a matter for health and social services authorities who are fully aware that the return home of a patient is a crucial episode in continuing care and that the full benefits of hospital treatment may well be lost if arrangements for after-care are inadequate. This applies particularly to elderly people—especially those living alone—and there are a growing number of continuing care projects and schemes for enhanced home help services which are witness to the value of co-operation between authorities locally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of patients over the age of 65 years are readmitted to hospital within four weeks of their original discharge from hospital care.

For most categories of patient this information is not available and for others it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many State retirement pensioners are still waiting for their pension books due to delays within his Department; and what is the position compared to a month ago.

The Department's central office at Newcastle upon Tyne issues over half a million pension renewal order books each week for widows and retirement pensioners. These books are now being sent to post offices for collection by the pensioners some three weeks before the date on which the first order in the book is due to be cashed. This should allow adequate time for them to reach the post offices before pensioners need to cash them. Unfortunately, delay in the postal service in some areas is resulting in some pension books not reaching the post offices in time. Relatively few pensioners are believed to be affected but I regret that it is not possible to say how many. However, any pensioner experiencing difficulty in obtaining his order book should contact his local social security office. The Department is keeping in close touch with the post office in order to resolve the problem.One month ago, Newcastle central office was issuing order books about two and a half weeks before the date on which the first order was due to be cashed but delay in the post was having a more widespread effect.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to clear the serious delay in the issue of pension payments books from Newcastle, such as a con- stituent of the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North who has been waiting since March, and who is not unique.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North (Mr. Stallard) today. If the hon. Member will let me have details of the constituent to whom he refers, I shall have inquiries made about the difficulties in this case and then write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the perinatal and infant mortality rates for England in 1977 by social class, parity and age of mother.