asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 17th November.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for Thursday 17th November.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for 17th November.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 17th November.

I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Stechford (Mr. MacKay).

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with progress on reducing the rate of inflation.

It would not be becoming to express satisfaction on this important matter, even though inflation appears to be on a steady downward path.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

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

No.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the Trades Union Council.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Mr. Arnold) on 8th November.

asked the Prime Minister when he last met the CBI.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 10th November.

asked the Prime Minister which matters in the Gracious Speech, on which he intends to legislate, he will consider as matters of confidence.

Any announcement will be made at an appropriate time.

asked the Prime Minister if he has any plans to visit Salisbury, Rhodesia.

No.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to pay an official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet the heads of nationalised industries.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what representations he has received for improved co-ordination of central Government activity at the level of the English regions.

None directly. But the Government have received representations from various bodies about the co-ordination of central Government activities in the regions in the replies to the consultative document "Devolution: the English Dimension".

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further steps he is taking to combat vandalism.

It was generally agreed at a conference my right hon. Friend held in April that measures to counter vandalism are best planned and organised at local level. My Department is continuing work on research, publicity and the co-ordination of information, and is in touch with other Government Departments for those purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is prepared to grant permanent settlement to Mrs. S. Khullar and her British born child presently residing in Preston.

Mrs. Khullar has appealed to the Immigration Appeal Tribunal against the dismissal by an adjudicator of her appeal against the proposal to deport here. In the event of her further appeal being dismissed by the tribunal, my right hon. Friend will look at the case once again before finally deciding whether or not to sign a deportation order.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward legislation to control the activities of bodies, not being registered charities, which nevertheless make collections, claiming that they are for charitable purposes.

Legislation already exists to control house to house and street collections for any charitable purpose. Lord Goodman's Committee on Charity Law and Voluntary Organisations recommended that there should also be controls on some appeals to the public by post or through the media, and the Government are currently considering the committee's recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many schoolchildren aged 14 to 16 years were (a) in local prisons, and (b) remand centres, at the latest available date.

On 30th September there were 21 people aged 14 to 16 years in local prisons and 279 in remand centres.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms were destroyed by the police in England and Wales during the past year after their owners had been convicted of unlawful possession while in pursuit of crime.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet completed his consultations on proposed changes in firearms controls.

Yes. The comments we have received from a wide range of national bodies will be carefully considered in deciding the content of any amending legislation. I cannot say when amending firearms legislation may be introduced; but it will not be in this Session.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the size of the probation and after-care service.

As my right hon. Friend indicated in the debate on the address on 7th November—[Vol. 938, c. 320]—additional resources are to be made available to probation and after-care committees during 1978–79. These are for the purpose of extending community service schemes to areas which have not at present got them and for strengthening existing schemes. The additional resources will enable committees to recruit extra staff, including both probation officers and ancillaries. With regard to future years, I would ask the hon. Member to await the forthcoming publication of the Government's expenditure plans for the period of 1981–82.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the average gross earnings of a police constable in the Metropolitan Police force and the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, respectively.

For the Metropolitan Police the most recent figure available, which is for the four weeks ending 11th October, is £.102·42 a week.The most recent figure available for the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary,

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take in order to ensure that police pay keeps pace with increases in the cost of living and is appropriate to the arduous and responsible nature of the duties.

Those are matters with which the committee of inquiry under Lord Edmund-Davies will be concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have left the Metropolitan Police to join a provincial force since 1st January 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the net increase or decrease in the number of policemen serving in the Metropolitan Police in each of the last five years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to increase the strength of the Metropolitan Police.

Over the last three years the force has increased by 1,500 officers. Up to 1975 the force lost more than it gained on transfers to and from the provinces: that is now reversed. The Commissioner and my right hon. Friend both want to see this year's loss in total strength—119—restored, and further growth achieved. We shall continue to do all we can to encourage recruitment.Following are the statistics:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the largest number of cases down for hearing at any juvenile court in London on any one day so far in 1977; at which court; and on what date.

The relevant information is available for courts in Inner London only. Wandsworth juvenile court, Balham, heard 71 cases on 26th July 1977. It is unlikely that any outer London court would have exceeded this number.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the current level of male recruitment into the police force.

Recruitment, of men as well as women, remains good; but I could not be satisfied while there are substantial numbers of vacancies in some of the large, urban forces.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for improving recruitment to the police force.

Recruitment to police forces is the responsibility of chief officers of police. My Department assists their local publicity efforts by advertising in the national Press, provision of recruiting literature, films and project materials for use in schools and exhibition equipment. New advertising material and literature coming into use now is designed to give further encouragement to young people with higher educational qualifications—including graduates—to join, and we are encouraging other special arrangements to stimulate those at universities and polytechnics to consider a police career.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a further statement about the circumstances in which Zohair Yousif Akache was permitted to leave the country on or about 10th April 1977.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that detailed police inquiries have established that Akache, against whom warrants of arrest have been issued for the murder of three Yemen Arab Republic subjects in London on 10th April 1977, left the country that afternoon. He left through Heathrow Airport, using a Kuwaiti passport in the name of Ahmed Badir A1-Majid. Soon after the murders had been committed the police and the immigration service at Heathrow were alerted, but the descriptions of the suspect provided to the police were insufficiently detailed to enable Akache to be identified and apprehended. It was not until the following day that urgent and painstaking police inquiries provided evidence linking Akache with these crimes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce the start of the construction of the fourth channel television service in Wales as a national Welsh channel.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the Government's latest plans for introducing the fourth channel television service in the Welsh language in Wales.

Discussions in a working party comprising Government officials and representatives of the broadcasting authorities on detailed plans for the development of a Welsh language service capable of implementation as money becomes available are well advanced. The plans will cover the construction of transmitters as well as other aspects such as the provision of additional staff and studios. We will make a further statement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that the effect of removing the police minimum height regulations is brought before the Edmund-Davies inquiry into police pay and conditions.

The need to ensure adequate police strength as a factor affecting the remuneration of the police is one of the matters which the inquiry will consider, and it will naturally be provided with evidence on other factors besides pay which may affect police strength, including the effect of the current height restrictions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to implement the proposals made in the Younger Report giving courts powers to make a custody and care order.

We have undertaken to bring forward for consultation proposals for a new "generic" sentence for young adult offenders along the broad lines of the custody and control order proposed by the Advisory Council on the Penal System in its Report on Young Adult Offenders, but designed so as not to make greatly increased demands on scarce resources. Work is progressing on these proposals, which raise a number of complex issues. I hope it will not be too long before they are made public.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans for reform of the Radio Regulatory Department.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis on the operation of sex film clubs in the Metropolitan Police area and in Soho in particular.

My right hon. Friend has already asked the Williams Committee on Obscenity and Film Censorship to examine the law in this field. Its enforcement in the meantime is in London a matter within the operational responsibility of the Comissioner or, in relation to cinema licensing, of the Greater London Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the powers of juvenile courts to deal with offenders under the age of 10 years.

It is conclusively presumed in law that no child under the age of 10 years can be guilty of any offence. Young children whose behaviour suggests that they are in need of care and control may be brought before the juvenile court in care proceedings. I am satisfied that the juvenile courts have adequate powers available to deal with these children.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what administrative arrangements exist within his Department for dealing with urban deprivation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Deparment what administrative arrangements exist within his Department for dealing with urban problems.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to Questions by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Mr. Steen) and others.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to extend the community service arrangements to allow orders to be made where fines are unpaid and for other relevant offences; and if he will introduce a pilot scheme to allow such extensions to be evaluated.

Section 49 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972 cannot, unlike the basic community service arrangements themselves, be brought into effect selectively in only one or a limited number of areas. The prior need has to be to extend community service to all parts of England and Wales and to strengthen existing schemes: additional resources for this purpose will be made available in 1978–1979. There would also need to be sufficient resources to cope with the extra work arising out of the implementation of these provisions. I am aware, however, of the interest that has been shown in the extension of community service to fine defaulters, and we propose shortly to consult those concerned on the practical considerations involved. My right hon. Friend has no plans at present for extending community service to categories of offenders for which no statutory provision has yet been made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the admission to the United Kingdom of those dependants, over the age of 21 years, of United Kingdom passport holders.

Sympathetic consideration is given to the admission of children over the age of 21 who are unmarried and have remained dependent upon United Kingdom passport holders covered by the special voucher scheme. The possession of an entry clearance issued prior to arrival in the United Kingdom remains obligatory.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress the Government are making in their plans to reform the Official Secrets Act.

As I indicated on 7th November during the debate on the Address—[Vol. 938, c. 442]—the Government's proposals for the reform of Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 will be published in a White Paper to allow for the widest possible discussion of the complex issues involved. Legislation is unlikely this Session.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received the letter dated 9th November from the hon. Member for Newham North-West giving prima facie evidence of irregularities and maladministration with Government Departments; and whether he will make a statement.

I have received my hon. Friend's letter, but I do not accept that it discloses prima facie evidence of the kind he describes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers left the Cheshire Constabulary prior to their completion of their full term of service during the first nine months of 1977; and what were the equivalent figures for 1974, 1975 and 1976.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take to prevent the exploitation of children in pornographic films and photographs.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply earlier today to a Question by the hon. Member for Shoreham (Mr. Luce).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now authorise a citizens' band radio.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to protect children from the activities of the paedophile movement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he remains satisfied with the laws relating to paedophiles.

I have no reason to believe that the present law is inadequate to deal with those who commit offences against children.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances have been brought to his attention where the identity of a defendant accused of a rape offence has been improperly disclosed contrary to the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act; and what action he is taking for the future prevention of such improprieties.

If my hon. Friend has any such examples I will investigate them and consider what preventative action can be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many education officers, deputy education officers, full-time teachers and part-time teachers were working in prisons on the most recent convenient date.

On 11th November 1977 there were 78 education officers, 21 deputy education officers, 98 full-time teachers, 1,667 part-time teachers in prisons and remand centres.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners is estimated to be currently taking advantage of educational classes in prison.

In prisons and remand centres the estimated proportion of prisoners is between 40 per cent. and 45 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what public funds are made available to the Albany Trust; and for what purposes.

The Voluntary Services Unit of the Home Office makes a grant towards the costs of the headquarters administration of the Trust in recognition of its work in providing help and advice to individuals and agencies concerned with support services for people with psycho-sexual and socio-sexual problems. The grant to the Trust for 1977–78 is £13,500.In addition, I understand that the Department of Education and Science is funding an experimental project in which a youth officer is working to improve the counselling of young people with sexual problems.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has for an expansion of the Civil Contingencies Unit;(2) how many civil servants have been employed by the Civil Contingencies Unit in each year since 1970.

None. The activity to which the hon. Member refers is discharged by a committee drawn from the Departments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will restore the London weighting allowance for prison governors withdrawn in October 1970.

It is our aim to settle the current claim for London weighting for prison governors as soon as Government pay policy permits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy concerning the application by London Hospitals' Broadcasting for a commercial radio licence.

I am at present considering a formal application which I received on 2nd November from London Hospitals' Broadcasting for permission to include advertising in its transmissions to patients.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen have been injured to date in incidents outside Grunwick.

Since 13th June last, 347 police officers have been injured in incidents arising out of the picketing of the Grunwick factory.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis, and under what authority, he invites the leaders of United Kingdom political parties to attend the wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day.

The arrangements for the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph, including the issue of invitations, are made by the Home Secretary on behalf of Her Majesty's Government. It has been the practice to issue invitations to leaders of parliamentary parties which operate on a United Kingdom basis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number and proportion of firemen reaching qualified status who have left the service within five years of completing their training during the last five years.

A fireman has to have four years' operational service and to have completed prescribed training modules to become qualified. Information about the number of qualified firemen who have left the service is not available. During the last five years, however, the number of whole-time men in the rank of firemen in England and Wales who left the service having served for more than five years and up to 10 years is:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost to public funds of training a fireman to qualified status.

Following the completion of their 12 weeks' basic training course, the primary aim of which is to enable recruits to take their place alongside operational firemen in brigades, all firemen participate in continual and progressive training programmes. These lead at the end of four years, after specific training modules have been completed, to qualified fireman status. It is not possible to identify the cost of training an individual fireman to qualified fireman status.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a productivity scheme based on enhanced efficiency and changed job content for employees in the fire services is permissible under the terms of the Government pay policy.

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement which I made to the House during the course of the debate on the motion for the Adjournment on Tuesday 15th November about the negotiations which are taking place between the two sides of the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Fire Brigades. Any productivity scheme which was introduced in the fire service would have to satisfy the criteria applying to all such schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will refuse entry into the United Kingdom of those former SS officers seeking to promote the sale in the United Kingdom of a book glorifying the SS.

I decided that it was undesirable and against public policy for ex-members of the Waffen SS to come to this country for the purpose of promoting the publication and sale of a book about this unit and that they should be refused entry. One such person was refused entry at Heathrow on 16th November. The conditions of a second, who had been admitted before anything was known of this publicity campaign, have been revised so as to require him to leave forthwith.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how frequently complaints under Section 49 of the Police Act 1964 against policemen have been investigated by a senior officer who is from the same division or branch of the force as the officer against whom the complaint was made.

Except in the Metropolitan Police force, an investigating officer who is appointed under the Police (Discipline) Regulations to investigate a complaint under Section 49 of the Police Act 1976 must come from a different division or branch of the force from the officer complained of. In the Metropolitan Police the investigating officer may come from the same division but not from the same sub-division, and the effect of the provision is in fact the same, in that the investigating officer is not in the same chain of command as the officer complained of.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he is satisfied that the Prime Minister's various statements made during Prime Minister's question time concerning the need for workers in British Leyland to respond to the investment of taxpayers' money with increased production have been heeded by those concerned.

I believe that the great majority of British Leyland workforce want the company to succeed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the value of money orders bought in the United Kingdom and cashed in the Republic of Ireland from 1960 to the latest available date.

This is a matter for the Post Office, and the hon. Member should write to it.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry why no meetings of the EEC Council of Ministers are held to discuss industrial or regional policy; and whether he will seek to initiate any such meetings.

The Council of Ministers (Foreign Affairs) is competent to deal with all questions as required, including industrial and regional policy matters. The Council is expected to consider steel on 21st November and regional policy on 19th-20th December.So far there have not been a sufficient number of industrial or regional policy matters requiring Council decisions to justify calling a special Council meeting attended by Industry or Regional Ministers, but the official Regional Policy Committee meets regularly.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether the establishment of the National Enterprise Board's regional boards for the North-East and the North-West will result in any increase in the total sums of public money available to the National Enterprise Board under its existing budget for investment in the United Kingdom.

No, but we will of course continue to keep the NEB's needs under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether any additional funds will be made available to the new Northern Regional Board of the National Enterprise Board, when it has been established.

The National Enterprise Board does not propose to set limits to the amount of its funds available for the new regional boards.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he is satisfied with the rate of return on the capital employed by the National Enterprise Board before taxation of 4·1 per cent.

As the Board's interim accounts make clear, the results for the half-year reflect the depressed level of profitability of British Leyland, caused mainly by industrial relations difficulties, and the continuing effects on Rolls-Royce of the world aircraft industry recession.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give a breakdown of the loss of £300,000 incurred by the National Enterprise Board on its investment in associated companies, other than ICL, referred to on page 4 of the National Enterprise Board Interim Statement 1st January 1977–30th June 1977.

No; this is a matter for the NEB.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how much money the Government made available to British Shipbuilders from the Shipbuilding Intervention Fund to help them to obtain an order for 24 ships from Poland.

It is not my practice to disclose the amount of assistance provided from the Shipbuilding Intervention Fund for particular contracts.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he is able to announce any further appointments to the Board of British Shipbuilders.

Mr. Maurice Elderfield has accepted an invitation to become a full time member of the Board of British Shipbuilders. Mr. Elderfield will serve as Finance Member and his appointment will take effect from 1st December 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps he has taken to review current grants to intermediate areas, as against development areas; and whether he will now raise £30,000 due to the Yorkshire and Humberside Development Association.

No revision of regional grants for intermediate areas is envisaged. Substantial increases were made at the beginning of this financial years to grants to development associations; the Yorkshire and Humberside Development Association received a 100 per cent. increase.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many textile mills have had to close in the Huddersfield area during the past two years; and what is being done to attract new industries.

Since 1st January 1976, the Department of Employment has been notified of five closure in the textile industry in the Huddersfield area, where however, unemployment is fortunately below the national average.Huddersfield is in the Yorkshire and Humberside Intermediate Area and firms investing in the area can qualify for regional development grants for new buildings and works and adaptations, and regional selection assistance under Section 7 of the Industry Act 1972.Since the inception of the Industry Act 1972, offers of regional selective assistance amounting to 1·1 million have been made for 27 projects, costing £12·8 million, in the Huddersfield employment exchange area which it is estimated will create 1,100 new jobs and safeguard a further 290. In addition, during the last two years 10 industrial development certificates have been approved for construction projects totalling some 0·4 million sq. ft. which, it is estimated, will result in some 200–180 male—jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on the position of the Scottish steel industry.

My right hon. Friend is in close consultation with the British Steel Corporation and the trade unions.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the present grant being made to the Yorkshire and Humberside Development Association, for the next three years, per annum.

The Yorkshire and Humberside Development Association currently receives a grant in aid of £30,000. This grant will be continued for the financial years 1978–79 and 1979–80.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is his estimate of the costs to private industry caused by the recent strike action of power workers.

No estimate has been made of the cost to private industry of the recent strike action by power workers, but very few instances of electricity supply difficulties causing loss of production were reported to my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many public telephone kiosks there are in the United Kingdom at the latest date for wich information is available; and how many there were in 1957 and 1967, respectively.

This is a matter for the Post Office and my hon. Friend should write to it.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when was his last meeting with the directors of Chrysler United Kingdom Limited concerning the 5th January 1976 agreement between Chrysler United Kingdom Limited and the Government.

My right hon. Friend's last meetings were on 14th October and 2nd November.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement as to whether the payments made by him under clause 2, sub-clause 6 of the 5th January 1976 agreement between Chrysler United Kingdom Ltd., and his Department, exceeded the amount which could have been paid under sub-clause (3) of clause 2, or paid by service of a notice under sub-clause (5) of clause 2 and whether Chrysler United Kingdom Ltd. has repaid an amount equal to such excess, specifying the amount of the repayment, and whether it was accompanied by a report signed by the accountants as to the amount of the adjusted losses or adjusted profits by reference to which the repayment is to be made.

The payments made to Chrysler under the agreement clause 2, sub-clause (6) did not exceed the amount that could have been paid under sub-clause (1) (A) of clause 2 by service of a notice under sub-clause (3) of clause 2. Clause 2 sub-clause (5) did not apply.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether, in accordance with the agreement with Chrysler United Kingdom Ltd., of 5th January 1976, clause 9, sub-clause 7, he has at any time during the contract period permitted Chrysler United Kingdom Ltd. to make any substantial alteration to the general nature of the assisted business as carried on during 1975 and what specific alterations have taken place.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for industry whether the financial arrangements announced on 1st July 1974 by his predecessor for the purchase of the Court Line shipbuilding, shiprepairing and marine engineering companies have been completed.

Yes. The balance of the purchase price of £16 million, amounting to £3,188,000, was paid on the order of the High Court into the National Westminster Bank on 27th April 1976, and as part of a general settlement of all claims against those companies the Secretary of State for Industry has recently paid interest amounting to £594,000 on that balance. Only token provision was included in the 1977–8 estimates for this interest charge and I shall be seeking the approval of the House for a Supplementary Estimate in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the nature of the legal complexity to which he referred on 7th November, Official Report, column 284, relating to the status of the arbitrarily imposed 16-months trial period for Concorde at Washington and New York by the United States Government, which is clearly in contravention of the original treaty rights relating to the landing rights of Concorde at these two cities.

The legal complexity referred to related not only to the decision to admit Concorde for an initial trial period but to the whole question of Concorde's treatment in the United States and its consistency with United States treaty obligations. The start of the service to New York and continuation of the service to Washington will produce a situation in which the United Kingdom Government will be enjoying its treaty rights in regard to Concorde.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the latest state of the United Kingdom's trade balances with each member of COMECON.

Figures of the United Kingdom's crude trade balance—that is, the difference between exports valued fob and imports valued cif—with each of the member states of COMECON can be derived from information in Table 1B of the monthly publications "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", copies of which are in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what financial assistance has been given to British exhibitors at overseas horticultural exhibitions and shows in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

The British Overseas Trade Board has supported participation by United Kingdom firms at seven overseas horticultural exhibitions during the last five years at annual costs as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what evidence he has for the dumping of sheeting and manufactured bed sheets from the United States of America; and what action he proposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will examine the allegation of dumping of cloth and finished textile goods by the United States of America with a view to preventing such practices and protecting the British textile industry.

I am aware only of one unsubstantiated claim. If the industry produces suitable evidence of dumping and material injury, my Department will be prepared to advise on the submission of a formal complaint to the European Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he will publish the Government's White Paper on Airport Strategy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hemel Hampstead (Mr. Corbett) on 15th November [Official Report, Vol. 939, c. 151.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisoners were given parole in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; what was the average percentage reduction in the sentence originally pronounced as a result; and if he will give a breakdown of the numbers of prisoners paroled in relation to the offences committed by these prisoners.

213 inmates were released on parole from Scottish penal establishments in 1976. I shall write to the hon. Member about the further information for which he asks.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the weekly cost of keeping a person in a detoxification centre.

It is not possible to make such an estimate: the cost would depend on the nature of facilities and the type and number of staff provided in the detoxification centre.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what current plans are his for building detoxification centres in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is exploring the possibility, within the limits of resources available, of making some alternative provision of this kind of habitual drunken offenders in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what latest estimate he has made of the weekly cost of keeping a person in prison.

The estimated total cost of Scottish prisons in the financial year 1976–77, the latest figure available, distributed over the daily average population, gives a figure of approximately £80 per week per prisoner. The marginal cost of keeping a single prisoner in the system cannot be exactly estimated but is of course very much less.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what approximate estimate he has made of the percentage of persons in prison in Scotland at the latest available date who are in prison as a result, in substantial part, of, respectively, chronic alcoholism, subnormal intelligence, and mental illness.

Substandard intelligence and mental illness may have been a contributory factor in the crimes of some persons sentenced to imprisonment but few, if any, persons detained in Scottish penal institutions suffer from severe conditions of that kind. Intoxication is a precipitating factor in many crimes, and a number of those imprisoned in such cases may be problem drinkers. Habitual drunken offenders as normally defined, ie those convicted of drunkenness offences or breach of the peace of a similar nature who appear to be suffering from chronic alcoholism, are estimated to constitute about 2 to 3 per cent. of the total population of Scottish penal institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the percentage of the prison population in Scotland broken down by offences committed.

This information is not immediately available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new schools have been built in Scotland in the last two years; and if he will list them.

In the two years to 30th September 1977 214 new schools were completed as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the emergency fire facilities which are available in Scotland; and in particular in the major cities with a record of substantial fire hazard.

In the present emergency fire authorities remain responsible for fire fighting and the Government have made available to them assistance by way of emergency fire appliances and servicemen. At present, about 115 appliances, manned by about 1,400 Service men, are deployed for fire-fighting purposes in Scotland. In general, they are distributed to authorities in proportion to their nor- mal whole-time fire-fighting strength which is based mainly on the risk from fire in the area concerned, but adjustments have been made to meet particular difficulties. I am keeping the whole matter under constant review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Government intend to introduce legislation to seek to reform the law relating to registration of title in Scotland.

It remains the Government's intention to introduce suitable legislation, but I cannot at present give any firm commitment as to its timing.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how long funds allocated by EEC sources to assist British bee keepers have been available; how much is available; how much has been utilised; by whom the residue is held; what discussions on these funds have been held with relevant bodies; and when he expects further decisions to be taken.

We are holding £36,670 received from the European Commission on 23rd December 1976 in respect of aid for representative associations of beekeepers in 1976. Unfortunately, before making its allocation the Commission did not consult my Department, and obtained its information from another source. As a result, the sum allocated failed to take account of the membership of associations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and the terms of the allocation do not provide for payments to be made to these associations. My Department has been pressing for an additional 27,270 ua—about £11,000—to cover the latter.