asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the weekly cost of keeping the prisoner Barry Goodwin in Her Majesty's Prison; and why, as Goodwin is an Australian citizen, he has not been deported to Australia where he faces further charges.

The cost of keeping particular persons in custody is not separately recorded. It is not the normal practice to deport a person serving a sentence of imprisonment until he becomes eligible for release from prison under the ordinary rules relating to remission of sentence or the grant of parole.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the present arrangements for appeal to the Home Office by prisoners.

I have no reason to believe that the arrangements for prisoners to make representations to the Home Office are not working properly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to introduce a system of free or half-rate television licences for all retired

The Government are currently considering the question of television licence fee concessions in the light of the Annan Committee's recommendation that no further concessions should be introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a further statement about recruitment for the Metropolitan Police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the latest figures available for recruitment into the police forces; if he will publish in the Official Report details of the number of officers in the various forces; how far these fall short of the establishments; and what further steps he is taking to stimulate police recruitment.

The number of recruits into police forces in England and Wales for the first four months of this year was 2,823. The figure for the Metropolitan Police was 410. Despite wastage the police service, outside London, has slightly increased in strength so far this year. I regret to say, however, that the Metropolitan Police continues to suffer a net loss.The following are the strength and establishment figures for individual forces.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has now received on the need for reform of the Official Secrets Act.

Since I became Home Secretary, about 120, of which less than half were from the general public and one-third from hon. Members.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to combat the rise in the crime rate.

We shall continue the broad-based strategy to which my right hon. Friend referred in his answer to a Question by my hon. Friend, the Member for Derby, South (Mr. Johnson) on 2nd March—[Vol. 945, c. 311]—by providing extra support for the police, strengthening the powers of the courts and treatment of offender facilities, and encouraging local involvement in crime prevention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had in the last 12 months on the need to initiate new legislation dealing with pornography and the re-introduction of capital punishment; and what replies he has made.

We have received a number of letters making representations on these subjects. Correspondents have been told that, leaving aside the special problem of child pornography, my right hon. Friend has no plans for legislation on pornography in advance of the report of the Williams Committee, or to put the issue of capital punishment before Parliament again at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to receive Lord Shackleton's report on the working of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the findings of the inquiry into the workings of the prevention of terrorism legislation: and if he will make a statement.

I have had no firm date from Lord Shackleton, but I understand that he is making good progress and that work on drafting the report has begun.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he considers that further legislation is necessary to protect the impressionable from the public display of pornographic material.

The existing law on offensive public displays falls within the terms of reference of the Committee on Obscenity and Film Censorship chaired by Professor Bernard Williams. The Government will consider, in the light of the committee's report, whether any further legislation would be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment is being made of the success or failure of local authority lotteries.

I understand that 309 local authorities have registered lottery schemes with the Gaming Board for Great Britain. Since the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 has been in operation for only one year, it is too early to make a worthwhile assessment, but I would draw the attention of the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to a Question by my hon. and learned Friend the member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) on 20th April.—[Vol. 948, c. 284.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the juvenile crime rate in the 12 months preceding the Children and Young Persons Act 1969; and what was the comparable rate in 1977 and 1976, respectively.

The Children and Young Persons Act 1969 came into force in England and Wales on 1st January 1971. The number of persons aged 10 and under 17 years found guilty of, or cautioned for, indictable offences per 100,000 of the population in 1970 was 2,590; the corresponding figure for 1976 was 3,129. Figures for 1977 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to initiate changes in the law so that parents are held responsible for the crimes of children who are themselves not deemed responsible because of their age.

If the hon. Lady is suggesting that parents should be criminally liable for the acts of their children, particularly those who by law are incapable of committing crime, I do not think that this would be just, humane or practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had about the need to change the Sex Discrimination Act in respect of the police.

My right hon. Friend has received representations from the Superintendents' Association of England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state at 1978 prices total expenditure on police services, and on police pay only, as an annual average for the years 1970 to 1973 inclusive, and for 1978–79, in England, Wales, and Devon and Cornwall, respectively.

For England, Wales and Devon and Cornwall the total annual local authority expenditure on police services for the financial years 1970–71 to 1973–74 was on average £808 million, £41 million and £19 million respectively; the estimated expenditure for 1978–79 is £1,034 million, £53 million and £25 million. The equivalent figures for expenditure on police pay are £483 million, £23 million and £10 million for 1970–73 and estimates of £535 million, £28 million, £12 million for 1978–79. These figures, to the nearest million pounds, are at 1977 prices—the latest available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received the report of the working party of his Department, the Welsh Office, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Independent Broadcasting Authority and Harlech Television, about the mechanism of setting up the fourth channel in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has not yet received the working party's report, but he understands that it has almost completed its task.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with coroners on the problems of making kidneys of deceased people available for transplant.Dr. Summerskill: None. Last October the Department sent coroners for information copies of a circular issued to health authorities by the Department of Health and Social Security giving guidance about the procedure to be followed when human tissue is removed for transplants and other purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of Her Majesty's prisons are now overcrowded according to their original design criteria.

On 30th April 1978 the population exceeded the certified normal accommodation in 62 of the Prison Department establishments in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the application of broadcasting licences to burglar alarms.

Radio burglar alarms are licensed under Section 1 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949. The possibility of making exemptions from the licensing requirement laid down in the Act is kept under review, but at present we are not satisfied that exemption would be justified in the case of these devices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the prison population at the latest available date; how many prisoners were confined three to a cell; and how many two to a cell.

On 30th April 1978 there were 41,929 persons in Prison Department establishments in England and Wales. The latest available information on the number of persons sharing cells is for 9th April, when 11,086 were sleeping two in a cell and 4,713 were sleeping three in a cell.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for legislating to restrict blood sports.

My right hon. Friend hopes to reintroduce a Bill to ban competitive hare coursing when a suitable opportunity occurs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects next to meet the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

I met him yesterday and next expect to see him on 20th June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to seek to prohibit the use of the Union Jack as a party political emblem.

No. The Union Jack is a national flag, and no political party or any other organisation has a monopoly on its use or display.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that full use is being made of detention centres.

Yes. There are few vacancies in the senior detention centres and there is pressure on the accommodation in the six junior detention centres.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the number of places available in detention centres in England and Wales.

The major increase in the number of places available in detention centres in the next few years will come from the building of a new 200-place senior detention centre at Northridge in Suffolk.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the present measures to detect the entry into the United Kingdom of persons suspected of terrorist activities.

I consider the measures taken to be generally effective but they are kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he will not publish in the Official Report the figures by reference to the electoral register which came into operation in February last, of the 20 constituencies in England with, respectively, the highest and lowest electorates, specifying the same, and the number and percentage by which each exceeds, or falls short of, as the case may be, the prescribed electoral quota of 67.533. having regard to the fact that similar information in respect of the register of February 1977 was published in the Official Report on 5th May 1977: and if he will now take steps to publish the information.

Because, as I informed the right hon. and learned Member in the previous answer to which he refers, arrangements have been made to publish the information he has asked for in the OPCS Monitor being published shortly by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. The OPCS Monitor has been expanded this year to include the numbers and percentages by which every constituency exceeds or falls short of the electoral quota, in recognition of the interest of Members in this information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the possibility of combining a reduction in the length of prison sentences with the application of a more strenuous regime during those reduced sentences.

I have already said that I welcome the moves towards shorter sentences recommended by the Advisory Council on the Penal System in its recent report. If pressure on the prison population were sufficiently eased, the way would be open to provide a fuller and more active regime for prisoners. I do not know how the hon. Member would wish to make the prison regime more strenuous.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that spouses of Service personnel who have filled in the requisite Service unit form will be entitled to vote at the next General Election; and what will be the position of those who have not registered as yet as Service voters.

Only those whose names appear on the published electoral register are entitled to vote. Those Service voters who have not yet registered will be unable to vote in parliamentary or local government elections before 16th February 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the authorised establishment of the North Yorkshire Police Force; and by how many the present force falls short of that number.

On 30th April 1978, 1,328 and 57.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many of the cases of refusal of entry clearance certificates investigated by the Runnymede Trust in its report "Appeal Dismissed", which have now been reexamined, entry clearance certificates have been granted.

24. In addition two women have been admitted as fiancées without entry clearances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now introduce a ban or restriction on the sale of crossbows.

I have no evidence that legislation for these purposes would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interviews take place between a Home Office inspector and a research worker before that person is granted a licence under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 to perform experiments on living animals; and how many such interviews took place in each year from 1970 to date.

Whether to interview an applicant and, if so, how often is a matter for the discretion of the inspector, who takes account of such factors as the qualifications and experience of the applicant and the experiments proposed. No record is kept of the number of such interviews.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many horses, asses and mules had experiments performed on them during 1976; what type of experiments were made; where the fullest possible information about these experiments can be found; and if he will give the name of the appropriate publication.

The figure requested is given for Great Britain in "Experiments on Living Animals"—House of Commons Paper 1—published on 8th November 1977 and for Northern Ireland in the report of the inspector entitled "Cruelty to Animals Act 1876: Experiments on Living Animals". Copies of both documents are available in the Library.Nearly all experiments on these animals are performed with a view to the advancement of physiological knowledge of these species or to the improvement of their health. Information about such experiments is to be found in journals such as

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many living animals were used in LD50 experi- ments in each year from 1970 to 1976 or 1977.

Information about acute toxicity tests, including LD50 tests, is being collected for 1977 and will be published later in the year. I regret that this information is not available for earlier years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what breeds of dogs were used for experimental purposes in British laboratories during 1976 and 1977 to the latest date; and if he will name the laboratories.

I regret that information about breeds of dogs used is not available. The number of experiments using dogs during 1976 under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 was published for Great Britain in "Experiments on Living Animals"—House of Commons Paper 1—on 8th November 1977 and for Northern Ireland in the Report of the inspector entitled "Cruelty to Animals 1876: Experiments on living animals", copies of which are in the Library. Figures for 1977 will be published later in the year. It is not the practice to name individual laboratories.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many living experiments were used to test herbicides during 1976 and 1977 to the latest date.

Figures for 1976 are not available. This information is being collected for 1977 and will be published later in the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many premises are registered under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876; and how many separate units or departments there are where experiments on living animals were performed under the 1876 Act.

The number of premises registered in Great Britain at the end of 1976 was published in "Experiments on Living Animals"—House of Commons Paper 1—on 8th November 1977. The figures for 1977 will be published later this year. Some registered premises, such as universities, may comprise a number of separate units or departments, but differences in organisation makes it impracticable to give a separate figure for these.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that the Prison Regulations in respect of correspondence between prisoners and their solicitors and hon. Members are not in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The regulations governing correspondence between prisoners and solicitors and hon. Members are at present under consideration in connection with a number of petitions to the European Commission of Human Rights complaining that these regulations are inconsistent with the European Convention on Human Rights. I shall make a statement when the cases now before the Commission have been brought to a conclusion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of the Government towards the revised version of the draft EEC directive on illegal immigration, COM (78) 86 final, particularly with regard to new Articles 5, 7 and 9, in the light of the fact that the Commission hopes to see the draft directive adopted in the very near future and that United Kingdom interests are vitally involved.

The draft is at present before the Scrutiny Committee of each House. Before taking any final decisions on this draft, the Government will wish to take into account any views that may be expressed in Parliament, and the outcome of the discussions that have yet to take place with our Community partners.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received about the taxing of gas; from what organisations these representations have come; how many he has received; and if he will make a statement.

The only organisation from which I have received representations about the taxing of gas is the National Gas Consumers' Council. There have, however, been more than 140 letters from individual members of the public—some direct, others forwarded by hon. Members—on this subject since January 1976. All strongly opposed a tax on gas in any form.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much research into wave power is taking place in or near Southampton.

The Cockerell raft, which is one of the four leading devices in the national programme, is being developed by Wave Power Limited, a Southampton-based company. Its work is being undertaken in the test tanks of the British Hovercraft Corporation on the Isle of Wight and also in open water in the Solent. The Central Electricity Generating Board is closely associated with the national programme and practical and theoretical work is being undertaken at the Board's engineering laboratories at Marchwood.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to reconstitute the Scottish Housing Advisory Committee: and what policy role he foresees for it.

I have recently reconstituted the Committee for a three-year term, with Mr. W. A. Gordon Muir as chairman. I shall look to the Committee for advice on the development of various aspects of housing policy, following the Green Paper, Cmnd. 6852. The Committee will carry out in the first place a study of allocations and transfers in the public sector: I hope that before long agreement can be reached, in consultation with the Committee, on other tasks that might be undertaken.The full list of members is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress he has made towards setting up the Scottish Home Ownership Forum proposed in the Green Paper "Scottish Housing", Command Paper No. 6852.

The extensive comments made on the Green Paper included strong support for a forum to bring together the public and private sector agencies concerned with home ownership in Scotland and to help positively the orderly growth of owner occupation. I therefore sought nominations for membership from the main interested organisations and have asked Mr. W. A. Gordon Muir, presently chairman of the Scottish Special Housing Association, to be chairman.The first meeting of the forum is planned for 15th June.The nominated members are:

asked the Attorney-General if his noble Friend will dismiss Mr. B. G. Evers from the office of Coroner for Dudley, South on the grounds of inability, under the terms of Section 8(1) of the Coroners Act 1887.

If my hon. Friend is aware of grounds for doubting the ability of Mr. Evers as a coroner, I invite him to refer them to my noble Friend.

asked the Attorney-General what representations he has received on the recently published Pearson Report on liability and the Prime Minister's subsequent statement; and what period of consultation is planned before the Government's decision to implement any of the report's proposals.

My noble and learned Friend and the other Ministers concerned are consulting the organisations most affected by the report, and their representations are being considered as they become available. The Government hope to be in a position before long to reach preliminary conclusions about the Royal Commission's report, but it is too soon yet to say what further consultations will be neded before decisions can be made about the implementation of any of its recommendations.

asked the Attorney-General whether the Lord Chancellor will now exercise his powers under the Employment Protection Act 1974 and transfer to industrial tribunals all remaining disputes concerning contracts of employment.

My noble and learned Friend's power under Section 109 of the Employment Protection Act 1975 is to make an order giving industrial tribunals jurisdiction to hear claims for breach of contract related to employment. He has the question of making such an order under consideration.

asked the Attorney-General, whether he will make a statement on his decision to apply for a court order to enable a fresh inquest on the death of the late Liddle Towers.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on 3rd May 1977 to my hon. Friend the Member for Chester-le-Street (Mr. Radice)—[Vol. 931, c. 115–16.] Following an application by the close relatives of the deceased for me to seek an order of the High Court quashing the inquest I reconsidered the matter and agreed to apply to the court accordingly. Having been granted leave, I expect my application to be heard shortly on a date not yet fixed.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will give for the longest and most convenient period of time the number of occa- sions when hon. Members' salaries were recommended for increases by outside committees; when the recommendations were implemented with and without amendments; and when he expects fully to implement the most recent award.

I refer my hon. Friend to the information given in my answer to him on 26th May 1977—[Vol. 932, c. 539.] A Bill to implement the recommendations of Report No. 8 of the Review Body on Top Salaries on Members' pensions is about to be introduced and the future position as regards Members' pay is one of the questions I will want to discuss when we debate this whole general issue later this Session.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the date of the announcement letter to county councils in Wales of his decision on building programme final allocations for personal social services for each financial year 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78 and 1978–79.

Letters to county councils in Wales announcing their allocations under the personal social services capital programmes for the last four years were sent on the following dates:

• 9th May 1975 for 1975–76
• 11th May 1976 for 1976–77
• 16th May 1977 for 1977–78
• 1st June 1978 for 1978–79

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the project cost over which a personal social services capital project must be submitted to the social work division of his Department before tender stage for a cost limit to be fixed.

A personal social services project for which loan consent is required must be submitted to the Welsh Office before tender stage for a cost limit to be agreed if its key sector cost is estimated to exceed £75,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the upper and lower limits on the costs of personal social services projects which have to be presented on tender to the social work division of his Department by local authorities for final approval.

A personal social services project for which loan consent is required has to be presented on tender to the Welsh Office for final approval if its key sector cost is greater than £5,000. There is no upper limit on the cost, but a project estimated to cost more than £75,000 must be submitted also, before tender stage for a cost limit to be agreed.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors employed in National Health Service hospitals in England have received grants for training in homoeopathic medicine from charitable trusts established to promote the practice of homoeopathy.

I have no responsibility for, or information about, such grants.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the total value of the surpluses in the National Insurance Fund generated during the four-year period ended in April 1978;(2) what increases in the level of average earnings during 1978–79 is assumed in the estimates of the income of the National Insurance Fund contained in the "Report by the Government Actuary on the draft of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 1978", Command Paper No. 7232;(3) what is the average level of unemployment assumed in the estimates of the income and expenditure of the National Insurance Fund for 1978–79, contained in the "Report of the Government Actuary on the draft of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 1978", Command Paper No. 7232:(4) what is his Department's estimate of the effect on the revenue of the National Insurance Fund of an increase of 1 per cent. in aggregate earnings during 1978–79.

The total value of the surpluses of the National Insurance Fund generated during the four-year period ended 31st March 1978 is estimated to be £2,582 million. The assumptions used in Command Paper No. 7232 are that: (i) average earnings, after seasonal adjustment, will progress regularly from February 1978 to a level 10 per cent. higher by March 1979—an annual increase of 9·2 per cent.; (ii) the number of unemployed, excluding school leavers, will average 1,380,000 in 1978–79 and that, in addition, the number of school leavers and adult students or persons whose employment has temporarily stopped will average 170,000.For each 1 per cent. increase in average earnings over that assumed for 197879 in Command Paper No. 7232 the income of the National Insurance Fund would increase by about £36 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what progress is being made by the National Radiological Protection Board with the survey of former radiation workers, arising from the recommendations of the Flowers report;(2) if he is satisfied with the progress of the National Radiological Protection Board with the pilot study of workers of British Nuclear Fuels Limited involved in radiation hazards; and if he will make a statement;(3) if steps are being taken to maintain a permanent central register of all workers involved with radioactive substances;(4) if steps are being taken to follow up the health records of ex-radiation workers to ensure that epidemiological information vital to the long-term assessment of radiation risks is not lost nor allowed to become irrecoverable.

The White Paper "Nuclear Power and the Environment", Cmnd. 6820, responding to the Sixth Report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution—the Flowers Report—announced—Annex A, paragraph 9—that the National Radiological Protection Board had set up a central register of radiation workers. I understand that negotiations have been completed by the Board for the inclusion on a voluntary basis of the dose records of all workers engaged in radiation work for the main nuclear employers and that steady progress is being made in adding these to the register.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evaluation is made by his Deparatment of the findings of studies carried out in the United States, or elsewhere, concerning the health of workers involved with radiation hazards.

No evaluation has been made by my Department. The subject is being carefully reviewed by the National Radiological Protection Board and, as indicated in my reply to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Irving) on 11th April—[Vol. 947, c. 379]—the protection against ionizing radiations committee of the Medical Research Council has been asked to assess the relevant publications and prepare a report for my right hon. Friend on the scientific aspects of the studies.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update his answer to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North on 28th July 1977, Official Report, Vol. 936, c. 589–90.

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member on 6th June.—[Vol. 951, c. 105.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if a decision has has yet been taken on the future of spinal injury services in the South of England; and if he will make a statement.

I am pleased to be able to announce that my Department has now authorised the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital to prepare a detailed planning submission for a 20-bed spinal unit at Stanmore.This is a further important step in improving the spinal injury service and correcting the uneven geographical distribution of provision. I have already authorised the provision of a new 50-bed unit at Odstock Hospital, Salisbury, which is expected to become operational in the early 'eighties. I believe that a further new unit at Stanmore, which can draw on the special expertise of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, will lead to a much more acceptable level of service in the south of England and ease the strain on the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville.When I have received the hospital's planning submission, I shall make a further statement on the development.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is now able to make a statement about the introduction of new rules governing rights of appeal to medical appeal tribunals by people whose claims for industrial disablement benefit for pneumoconiosis or byssinosis have been disallowed following adverse decisions by pneumoconiosis medical boards.

I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that new rules are to be introduced relaxing the present limits on rights of appeal to medical appeal tribunals in pneumoconiosis and byssinosis cases, so that there will be a right of appeal where there have been two disallowances and one year has elapsed since the first of them. The present requirements are four disallowances and a period of two years. Regulations to give effect to the changes will be introduced as soon as possible.The changes are in line with a recommendation by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council. They will provide a much greater number of people with a right of appeal and mark a substantial relaxation of the present limits. It is not yet possible to remove the restrictions completely, but the position will be kept under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with travel facilities available to the blind; and if he will make a statement.

I am glad to say that, following a policy review, the Railways Board is introducing a new scheme whereby a blind passenger will be able to travel with his or her guide dog in a first-class sleeper compartment and be charged only the second-class fare. This will be a considerable help to blind people who were previously separated from their guide dog in sleeper trains and had to rely on them being brought from the guard's van as required. I warmly congratulate British Rail on this initiative which can make a positive contribution towards helping blind people to lead fuller and more independent lives.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for Thursday 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his public engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for Thursday 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his public engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 8th June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 8th June.

I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Neubert).

asked the Prime-Minister when he plans next to meet the: TUC and CBI.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the TUC and CBI.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Molloy) on 23rd May.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when he next expects to meet members of the TUC General Council.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the TUC.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Dean) on 25th May.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the CBI.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. Stoddart) on 25th May.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the TUC.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave him on 25th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his public speech on 16th May at the annual dinner of the CBI on the economy.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his speech on the economy given to the CBI annual dinner on 16th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his speech to the annual dinner of the Confederation of British Industry on 16th May on stimulation of the economy.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his speech about the economy at the annual dinner of the CBI in London on 16th May.

I did so on 17th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his public speech in Manchester on 11th May 1978 concerning the Budget.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for East Grinstead (Mr. Johnson Smith).

asked the Prime Minister what legislation outlined in the Gracious Speech is still to be enacted.

The following Bills promised in the Gracious Speech are currently before Parliament: Scotland Bill; Wales Bill; Transport Bill; Home Purchase Assistance and Housing Corporation Guarantee Bill; Inner Urban Areas Bill; Community Service by Offenders (Scotland) Bill.A White Paper has been published setting out the Government's intentions for the restructuring of the electricity industry, and including draft clauses of a Bill for this purpose. The Government intend to publish soon a further White Paper containing proposals for the amendment of company law, which will also contain appropriate draft clauses. Because of pressure on the parliamentary timetable, it will not now be possible for legislation to be enacted this Session on either of these subjects. For the same reason, the Government do not now intend to bring forward this Session Bills on direct labour organisations in Scotland or on wider aspects of the reform of the Scottish criminal justice system.

asked the Prime Minister if he will define those matters subject to votes in the House which he regards as issues of confidence.

Any announcements about such matters will be made at the appropriate time.

asked the Prime Minister whether he intends to make a ministerial broadcast.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Conway (Mr. Roberts) on 10th November.

asked the Prime Minister what is the average number of Oral Questions per week he has been able to answer in the House since April 1976, compared to the average answered by his three immediate predecessors in their terms of office.

On average eight Oral Questions and 17 supplementary questions a week. This compares with sample figures of 10 and 17, 13 and 21 and 14 and 15, respectively, for my three immediate predecessors.

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

I have no immediate plans to visit Zambia, though I expect to do so when the next meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government is held in Lusaka next year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for an exhibition relating to safety in children's playgrounds to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

Arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for an exhibition by the "Fair Play for Children" group to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 12th to 16th June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to compel private developers to incorporate gas and electricity supplies in their buildings.

No; it would not always be practicable for developers to comply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to bring to an end the arrangement introduced by the Property Services Agency that contractors securing a tender may not employ self-employed persons on Government contracts.

There are no plans to change the existing arrangement for requiring firms to use directly employed labour, when available, on building trades work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Royal Commission on Energy and the Environment will have access to the records and research of the National Radiological Protection Board to determine the long-term hazards to workers involved with radioactive substances.

If the Commission on Energy and the Environment should ask for access to this information, I am sure this would be arranged.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what sum of money is to be allocated from urban aid funds to the Birmingham Boy Scouts Association during 1978–79; what proportion this represents of the total money being made available for the funding of youth organisations in the city of Birmingham; and what proportion of the aggregate membership of Birmingham youth organisations is affiliated to the Birmingham Boy Scouts Association;(2) if he will publish in the

I shall answer these Questions shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied that the present two-and-a-half-day-a-week basis for the salaries of the chairmen of the National Water Council and the regional water authorities adequately reflects the time they actually put in.

With effect from 1st January 1978 the salaries of the chairmen of the National Water Council and the larger regional water authorities will be calculated on a revised basis, varying from three-and-a-half to four days a week, reflecting more closely the hours they need to work, and have been working, to carry out their duties effectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether he will seek to introduce legislation to require a company, which makes a take-over bid for another company, to pay all the professional fees involved in a contested or actual reference to the Monopolies Commission, whether the bid is successful or unsuccessful.

I have no plans to do so. It is not essential for a company subject to a referred take-over bid to incur substantial expenditure on professional fees in order to ensure a fair and thorough consideration of its case by the Commission. Such legislation could unduly discourage firms whose intended acquisitions might be or were referred to the Commission from launching or continuing with their bids: it could be difficult to enforce on foreign bidders; and there would be considerable problems in assessing fairly what costs were eligible for reimbursement.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he wil ltake steps to ban the import or manufacture in the United Kingdom of lead-based cosmetics used for eye brightening, in view of the comments of the Manchester coroner at a recent inquest into the death of a child aged three years.

I shall shortly be making regulations to implement the EEC Directive (76/768/EEC) on cosmetic products which will prohibit the sale in this country of cosmetics of any kind containing lead or its compounds other than hair treatment products containing not more than 3 per cent. lead acetate.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether he will publish in the Official Report the letter sent by him on 24th May to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West explaining that the way to control and reduce prices and to stop excessive overcharging is to shop around.