asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is her policy that the names of the local museums which have qualified on security grounds to benefit from loans of objects from national collections under the system announced by her on 12th July 1977 ought not to be specified in Parliament, on the ground that publicity would constitute a security risk.

I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment she has made of the effect of the recent resolution of Bolton education committee on the implementation of the comprehensive education policy in the area.

Bolton education authority's proposals for the reorganisation of county secondary schools were approved on 11th July. The authority is now and will remain under a duty to implement its reorganisation scheme, as approved, in September 1979. My right hon. Friend has noted the recent resolution, but the detailed timetable leading to implementation, including the appointment of staff, is a matter for local decision.It may of course be a matter of concern to local electors if those decisions seem to endanger the efficient and satisfactory implementation of the law and might adversely affect the education of their children, but it is not yet a matter in which my right hon. Friend can intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list in the Official Report the present level of pupil-teacher ratios in (a) primary schools, and (b) secondary schools for each local education authority, with the comparable figures for 1973.

Pupil-teacher ratios within schools for each local education authority in England and Wales for January 1977—the latest available information—were published in a press notice by my Department on 29th December 1977, a copy of which is in the Library.Figures for January 1973 for these local education authorities given below have been calculated from the component parts of education authorities as they existed prior to the April 1974 local government reorganisation. Comparisons between these figures may be complicated by the development of a middle school system of changed arrangements for education of those above compulsory school leaving age.

Local Education Authority Primary* Secondary†
Barking	25·3	16·5
Barnet	25·6	16·3
Bexley	26·2	17·1
Brent	26·1	16·4
Bromley	27·6	17·0
Croydon	24·1	16·2
Ealing	25·2	17·0
Enfield	27·0	17·3
Haringey	25·6	16·7
Harrow	25·5	17·7
Havering	26·5	17·7
Hillingdon	24·6	16·9
Hounslow	24·3	16·6
Kingston-pon-hames	25·0	16·1
Merton	25·3	18·7
Newham	25·8	17·6
Redbridge	26·2	17·1
Richmond-pon-hames	25·2	15·3
Sutton	26·8	16·6
Waltham Forest	26·2	16·2
Inner London	22·1	15·4
Birmingham	26·0	16·5
Coventry	25·6	18·1
Dudley	27·8	16·9
Sandwell	27·7	17·0
Solihull	26·6	16·9
Walsall	26·3	16·4
Wolverhampton	24·6	16·0
Knowsley	24·8	16·9
Liverpool	25·2	17·9
St. Helens	26·6	16·9
Sefton	26·2	17·9
Wirral	26·4	17·4
Bolton	28·5	16·4
Bury	27·1	16·9
Manchester	25·6	15·7
Oldham	28·0	17·7
Rochdale	26·5	16·3
Salford	27·7	17·1
Stockport	28·4	17·1
Tameside	27·2	17·5
Trafford	26·6	16·9
Wigan	26·1	16·6
Barnsley	25·6	17·5

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will institute a study of the complement, method of work and terms of reference of Her Majesty's inspectors; and if she will make a statement.

A study of the organisation and management of Her Majesty's Inspectorate is being undertaken as part of the management review of my Department. Between 1974 and 1975 Her Majesty's Inspectorate reviewed the organisation of its own work in primary and secondary education with the result that changes were introduced from January 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why she will not have printed in the Official Report the answer to the hon. Member for Huddersfield, West on Wednesday 26th July; and if she will take immediate steps to do so.

Ministers in my Department do from time to time receive deputations which have not been specifically sponsored by their Member of Parliament on local matters. Recently a deputation from my hon. Friend's constituency was so received by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State. She understood that my hon. Friend was fuly cognisant of the circumstances of the meeting and consented to its taking place and no indication to the contrary was received until the morning of the meeting. By that time the delegation was on its way to the Department and to cancel the meeting would have caused inconvenience and disappointment. I apologise to my hon. Friend if any misunderstanding arose or for any concern that he has been caused. A report of the meeting has of course been sent to him. That is the substance of the letter sent to him on 28th July 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what have been the exact amounts that have been spent in Crewe and Nantwich areas on the preparation for comprehensive schools in the years 1977 and 1978.

I regret that this information is not available on the basis requested. Nevertheless, our records show that the total value of capital school building projects started at secondary schools in Crewe and Nantwich in the financial years 1976–77 and 1977–78 and expected to start in 1978–79 are as follows:

	£
1976–77	369,000
1977–78	403,000
1978–79	451,000

These figures exclude minor works and all expenditure other than school building work.All the projects started in the financial year 1976–77 were projects which provided specifically for comprehensive reorganisation under the special programme to assist reorganisation. Those in 1977–78 and 1978–79 relate to the extensions of Crewe Victoria County High School.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the latest figures for the number of places provided by each local education authority in England for ESN(M) children; and what proportion of the total school places in each authority's area this represents.

Complete information is not available for children assessed as ESN(M) and placed in ordinary classes in primary and secondary schools, but those in separate types of provision are given in the following table.

ENGLAND—JANUARY 1977
Local Education Authority	Number of ESN(M) Children (full-time)	Percentage of total school population (full-time)
(1)	(2)	(3)
GREATER LONDON
Barking	235	0·8
Barnet	228	0·4
Bexley	213	0·5
Brent	304	0·7
Bromley	407	0·7
Croydon	407	0·6
Ealing	329	0·6
Enfield	262	0·6
Haringey	271	0·7
Harrow	162	0·4
Havering	394	0·8
Hillingdon	306	0·7
Hounslow	245	0·7
Kingston-upon-Thames	150	0·7
Merton	210	0·7
Newham	305	0·7
Redbridge	200	0·5
Richmond-upon-Thames	174	0·7
Sutton	184	0·6
Waltham Forest	393	1·0
Inner London	3,992	1·0

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will tabulate in the Official Report the salaries in £ sterling proposed to be paid to the staff of the European School to be established in connection with the Joint European Torus project at Culham, Oxfordshire, showing those parts which may be subject to United Kingdom tax, together with the Burnham Scale salaries for comparable posts in England and Wales.

The salaries paid to teachers in European schools are laid down in the teaching staff regulations of the European schools. The salaries, including the Community weighting for the United Kingdom of 36·5 per cent., are as follows:

	Minimum	Maximum
	£	£
Head teacher	11,489	18,447
Secondary teacher	8,960	15,916
Primary teacher	6,491	12,015
Nursery teacher	5,964	10,586

The teachers are recruited by the respective Governments who continue to pay the appropriate national salary at the time of transfer. The European schools make up the difference.The British teachers will pay United Kingdom tax on the whole of their in- come. Non-British teachers will not be subject to United Kingdom tax but will pay tax in their own countries on their national salaries.The European school at Culham is not opening until September; it will provide for pupils between the ages of 4 and 18 and will be organised in different language sections. All these factors mean that no valid comparison can be drawn with teaching posts in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science on how many occasions since 1st January 1977 information has been prepared by her Department, at public expense, along the lines of the Written Answer from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Official Report, 14th July, c. 802; what has been the total cost to public funds; and if she will make this publicly financed information available to any hon. Members wishing to receive it, provided that they arrange to collect it.

My Department has provided background notes on eight occasions in the current Session. The cost of preparation was minimal. Circulation on these occasions was restricted but I see no reason why such information should not be considered for a wider circulation in the future.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what bodies and organisations she intends to consult before deciding whether to introduce legislation to implement sections of the Oakes Report.

In response to administrative memorandum 3/78 we have received nearly 70 submissions commenting on the report. I cannot yet say how many or which of these will require further consultations; as my right hon. Friend indicated in her reply to the hon. Member's Question on 17th July 1978—[Vol. 954, c. 10]—no decisions have been taken on the need for meetings.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what guidance she has given to education authorities to expand technical and industrial education in schools in order to promote the Government's industrial strategy.

The Green Paper "Education in Schools" (Cmnd. 6869) issued in July 1977 drew attention to the importance of the educational contribution to the industrial strategy, and one of its central themes was the relevance of school education as a preparation for working life. My Department's circular 14/77 asked local education authorities to report on their curricular arrangements in this respect, amongst others, and a summary of replies will be published as a basis for further consultations within and beyond the education service. The Department has also recently issued a letter to chief education officers inviting authorities to review their arrangements for school-industry liaison as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if she will list those primary schools in Corn-

Date	Description of object	Museum	Amount of special purchase grant	Percentage of grant in relation to total cost of object	Recourse to contingency reserve
			£		£
April 1975	Savernake Tenure Horn.	British Museum	60,000	28·6	60,000
July 1977	Two paintings: "The Reapers" and "The Haymakers" by George Stubbs.	Tate Gallery	190,000	24·6	None
September 1977	Bellini painting of the Madonna and Child.	To the Victoria and Albert Museum Fund for assistance with local purchases—for the Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery.	72,000	18·0	None
November 1977	A blue Dresden lacquer cabinet.	Victoria and Albert Museum.*	20,000	28·0	None
January 1978	One of the Mostyn Flagons.	To the Victoria and Albert Museum Fund for assistance with local purchases—for the Temple Newsam House, Leeds.	17,300	50·0	None
July 1978	A Canaletto painting (one of a pair): "Warwick Castle: A View of the East Front from the Courtyard".	To the Victoria and Albert Museum Fund for assistance with local purchases—for Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery.	11,000	4·0	None
* In the event, the great was taken up by the Museum.

I regret that this information is not collected by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will list the special extraordinary grants made directly by her Department to public museums in England to assist with their acquisition of works of art and museum objects during the period from 1st April 1975 to 1st August 1978 inclusive, specifying in each case (a) the date, object and museum concerned, and (b) the amount of the relevant special grant and its percentage of the total cost of the object, and also indicating where applicable whenever and to what extent recourse was had to the Treasury Contingency Reserve.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is her estimate of the number of teachers employed in State schools who have a working knowledge of Gujerati, Punjabi, or Hindi; and what they represent as a percentage of the whole.

My right hon. Friend has not the information from which to make such an estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list in the Official Report those local education authorities which run courses in English for people whose native language is Gujerati, Punjabi or Hindi.

My Department does not collect this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the report "Cause for Concern: West Indian Pupils in Redbridge", produced by Redbridge Community Relations Council and the Black People's Progressive Association, has been drawn to her attention; and, in the light of her recent White Paper on the "West Indian Community", what plans she has for action on the needs of West Indian children.

I have seen the report and welcome it as contributing to the local consideration of an issue which is of importance nationally. The White Paper "The West Indian Community" outlined the Government's approach to the educational needs of pupils of ethnic minority groups and indicated that an independent committee of inquiry will be set up. The committee will be asked to submit an interim report on what action could be taken to remedy any weaknesses in the educational system affecting the achievement of pupils of West Indian origin.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research is being carried out by her Department into anorexia nervosa.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Eccles (Mr. Carter-Jones) on 20th June.—[Vol. 954, c. 138.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if there has been any research in the United Kingdom or abroad on the possibility of a connection between asbestosis and other cancers;(2) if there has been any research in the United Kingdom or abroad on the possible connection between asbestosis exposure and other cancers.

Research into the effects of asbestos has been supported by the Medical Research Council for more than 20 years. This has involved numerous national and international surveys of health hazards of asbestos, including a large project in association with the Ministry of Defence—Navy—covering some naval dockyards. The incidence of cancer of all sites of the body is being investigated in prospective studies of several groups of workers exposed to asbestos dust. Qualitative and quantitative measures of asbestos exposure in relation to the occurrence of cancer in such sites as the lung, stomach and bowel are included in the mortality and morbidity study which was begun in 1971 by the Employment Medical Advisory Service.The medical working group of the Advisory Committee on Asbestos, in the course of preparing advice for the full committee on the health effects of asbestos exposure, has made a review of world medical literature on this subject. In its second report, on the measurement and monitoring of asbestos in air, the advisory committee made a number of recommendations for research. A copy of this report is available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will take steps to issue guidance on the co-ordination of half-term holidays on the lines suggested by the Half-Term Movement.

The Education Act 1944 provides for school holidays to be under the control of local education authorities, except where the rules of management or articles of government provide otherwise, and the holidays are subject to the Schools Regulations 1959. The Act embodies the decision that local education authorities, and where it is their responsibility, the managers and governors of schools, are best placed to respond to the wishes of parents and others over the arrangements they make.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total number of adult enrolments for local adult education classes for the last year for which figures are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total number of adult enrolments for local adult education classes for the last year for which figures are available.

Information at present available is that on 1st November 1977 there were 1,409,000 students aged 18 and over in England and Wales enrolled at LEA adult education centres, evening-institutes, other further education centres, youth clubs and community centres.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many people over retirement age used local authority adult education facilities in the last year for which figures are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many people over retirement age use local authority adult education facilities in the last year for which figures are available.

This information is not available, as adult education returns do not include information on the age structure of the student body.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she is taking to ensure that children aged 7 to 11 years will obtain the free school milk which is being offered to local education authorities; and whether she will issue further guidance to those authorities, including Coventry, which have decided not to accept this milk, to urge reconsideration of their decision.

A circular letter was sent in May to every local education authority explaining that free milk could be provided to junior children in 1978–79 at no cost to the authority and that thereafter estimated expenditure, net of the EEC subsidy, would form part of relevant expenditure for rate support grant purposes. It is now a matter for individual authorities to decide whether to take advantage of these arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will meet members of the Dorset County Education Committee together with hon. Members to discuss proposals for the reorganisation of secondary education in Dorset.

My right hon. Friend required the Dorset LEA under section 2 of the 1976 Act to submit further proposals by 31st July. The authority has failed to do so and is therefore now in breach of the duty laid upon it. I have told the authority that my right hon. Friend expects to receive proposals without further delay and that no useful purpose would be served in a meeting. I am, however, ready to meet hon. Members to discuss these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will make it a condition of grant of public funds to bodies in the artistic field that the salaries of all recipients shall be disclosed.

The salaries of the staff and—where they are paid—the members of boards and councils of bodies which receive a grant from my Department are in general published. Where they are not published the information would not be likely to be withheld from a bona fide inquirer.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science at what average age men and women, respectively, employed in her Department have retired in each of the last five years.

I regret that this information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the primary schools that have been closed since March 1977 in each of the parliamentary constituencies of Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincolnshire; and how many of these have been reopened.

This information is not readily available and the local education authorities concerned will have to be consulted. I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will give the date when he received a letter from Mrs. Margaret L. Catherall, formerly of West Ham, now at Church Crookham, Hampshire, asking for his personal views on Service pay; what was the nature of this communication; how many similar letters he received on this subject: and what was the nature of his replies.

Mrs. Margaret L. Catherall wrote on 18th July asking why no Labour MP met members of the Forces' Wives Association when they visited the House on 6th June to lobby their MPs about the pay of the Armed Services.The reply to Mrs. Catherall and to the 300 or so other wives who wrote in identical terms will be in similar terms to my reply in the House on 27th June when I explained why I did not meet the wives and that if they had given me a little advance notice of their desire to meet me that I should have been pleased to do so. —[

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions since 1st January 1977 information has been prepared by his Department, at public expense, along the lines of the Written Answer from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Official Report, 14th July, column 802; what has been the total cost to public funds; and if he will make this publicly financed information available to any hon. Members wishing to receive it, provided that they arrange to collect it.

None, though I make it a practice to give to hon. Members on all sides of the House as much information as possible about the Government's defence policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the frequency of X-ray surveys on the following categories of workers using asbestos and related materials in Her Majesty's dockyards (a) registered workers, (b) neighbourhood workers and (c) management visitors;(2) if he will publish the numbers of retired, former or serving employees of Her Majesty's dockyards who arc affected or have died from (

I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps he is taking to ensure the free movement of HMS "Renown" and HMS "Repulse" in obeyance of instructions issued and in accordance with their programme;(2) whether the movements of HMS "Renown" and HMS "Repulse" are restricted through union action.

There is no immediate requirement to move HMS "Renown" or HMS "Repulse" but I shall, of course, continue to keep the situation under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for every year since 1945 (a) the total defence budget and (b) spending on defence per capita of the population, both expressed in constant 1970 prices.

The information is as follows:

Year	Defence Budget Estimates (£m. at 1970–71 Estimates prices)*	Defenc Estimates per head of population (£.at 1970–7 Estimates prices)
1946–47	4,745	100
1947–48	2,395	50
1948–49	1,715	35
1949–50	1,785	35
1950–51	1,835	40
1951–52	2,400	50
1952–53	2,795	55
1953–54	2,990	60
1954–55	3,055	60
1955–56	2,840	55
1956–57	2,725	55
1957–58	2,500	50
1958–59	2,510	50
1959–60	2,500	50
1960–61	2,585	50
1961–62	2,565	50
1962–63	2,615	50
1963–64	2,675	50
1964–65	2,818	52
1965–66	2,883	53
1966–67	2,785	51
1967–68	2,727	50
1968–69	2,672	49
1969–70	2,541	46
1970–71†	2,387	43
1971–72	2,336	42
1972–73	2,390	43
1973–74	2,525	45
1974–75	2,369	42
1975–76	2,390	43
1976–77	2,400	43
1977–78	2,321	41
* Because of changes in the content of the defence programme, the revalued figures in the earlier years are only an approximate indication of what the programme planned in those years would have cost at 1970–71 prices.
† Revised Estimates figure taking into account the introduction of the Military Salary.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the capital expenditure on defence, per capita of the population, in each NATO country at the latest available date.

Expenditure per head of population on major equipment for each of the NATO countries during the calendar year 1977 is estimated to be:

	US Dollars*
Belgium	25
Canada	15
Denmark	35
Federal Republic of Germany	40
Italy	10
Luxembourg	(less than 5)
Netherlands	45
Norway	45
Portugal	(less than 5)
United Kingdom	45
United States of America	100
*(current prices and exchange rates)

(Figures for France, Greece and Turkey are not available)

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has yet produced more reliable and up to date figures for the direct employment effects of defence expenditure than the 1976 figures produced in the Minister of State's reply to the right hon. Member for Farnham's questions of 15th May; if these have been produced, if he will publish them in the Official Report under the Standard Industrial Classifications; and if, more recent figures are not yet available, whether his Department will take steps to prepare some at the earliest possible opportunity.

I hope to produce figures for 1977 in the autumn, but unfortunately the necessary data will not be available before then.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether Great Britain retains a capability to intervene militarily in the Persian Gulf area in order to protect British interests and to aid the United Kingdom's allies of Bahrain, Qatar, Muscat and Oman and the United Arab Emirates; and what military exchanges, manoeuvres or discussions have been conducted over the past five years in order to enhance any such capability if any still exists.

The Government's policy is to concentrate our defence effort on the North Atlantic Alliance; we also maintain our commitment to the Central Treaty Organisation, in whose exercises we participate; and we enjoy good defence relations with the countries listed, whose armed forces we assist by seconding personnel and providing training and military equipment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for every year since 1945 the total defence establishment manpower, including civilian support staff.

The figures for each year since 1964 are as follows:

(Thousands)
	U.K. personnel	Locally entered personnel	U.K. civilian	Locally employed civilians
1964	423	31	286	114
1965	424	32	278	100
1966	419	32	275	99
1967	417	33	275	94
1968	405	25	274	82
1969	383	22	263	75
1970	373	20	258	69
1971	368	15	253	64
1972	371	9	275	49
1973	367	10	273	47
1974	349	9	267	48
1975	338	9	267	50
1976	337	9	266	45
1977	331	9	259	42
1978	321	8	250	40

I regret that I am unable to provide comprehensive figures for earlier years.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many applicants accepted by the RAF for training in the fast jet stream of pilots have failed successfully to complete their training in each year since 1973–74 to date.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 24th July 1978; Vol. 954, c. 611], gave the following information:The numbers of students wasting from the fast jet stream were as follows:

1973–74	34
1974–75	31
1975–76	38
1976–77	52
1977–78	63

The trend is largely explained by the increasing numbers of students undergoing fast jet training over the period.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many motor cycles are owned by the British Army; how many new machines are to be purchased; how many of these are to be purchased abroad and at what cost; and why British machines are not purchased instead.

In the time available it has not proved possible to obtain all the relevant information. A letter will be sent to the hon. Member at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence at what average age men and women, respectively, employed in his Department have retired in each of the last five years.

I regret that the information could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

asked the Lord Advocate on how many occasions since 1st January 1977 information has been prepared by his Department, at public expense, along the lines of the answer from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Official Report, 14th July 1978, column 802; what has been the total cost to public funds; and if he will make this publicly financed information available to any hon. Members wishing to receive it, provided that they arrange to collect it.

My Departments have not prepared any information for distribution to Members of Parliament of any party. Accordingly there has been no cost to public funds in this respect.

asked the Lord Advocate at what average age men and women, respectively, employed in his Department lave retired in each of the last five years.

The relevant figures are not immediately available. I shall write to my hon. and learned Friend when the figures have been obtained.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been allocated by the Historic Buildings Council in grants to buildings in Scotland for each year since 1971–72.

The grants allocated to historic buildings on the recommendation of the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland were:

	£
1971–72	84,259
1972–73	162,244
1973–74	219,403
1974–75	260,284
1975–76	431,798
1976–77	390,701
1977–78	507,240

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he gives to fisheries officers as to the attitude they should adopt when they find examples of undersized fish carried by fishermen in bait which has been purchased in bulk.

The Immature Sea Fish Order 1968 prohibits the landing, sale, exposure or offer for sale or possession for the purpose of sale of immature sea fish, subject to a permitted catch taken in certain industrial fisheries provided that this is disposed of in the same manner as the remainder of the catch and is not intended for human consumption. Fishery officers are under instruction to report any infringement of the order for consideration of proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish details of the number of newly qualified teachers who have left each of the teacher training colleges in Scotland in 1976 and 1977, respectively; and how many have entered full-time employment in teaching in each case.

On the number of newly qualified teachers leaving each college of education in 1976 and 1977, I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 10th May to the hon. Member for Dunbartonshire, East (Mrs. Bain)—[Vol. 949, c. 528–30.] On the number entering teaching employment, the available information for 1976 is set out in the following table; comparable information for September 1977 is not available:

TEACHERS IN FIRST APPOINTMENT IN EDUCATION AUTHORITY SCHOOLS AT SEPTEMBER 1976 WHO HAD BEEN APPOINTED THERETO DURING THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS
College attended and Number of Teachers
Aberdeen	500
Callendar Park	114
Craigie	107
Craiglockhart	97
Dundee	247
Dunfermline	94
Hamilton	265
Jordanhill	1320
Moray House	837
Notre Dame	406

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will consider the possibility of using vacant space and available staff in teacher training colleges, in co-operation with nearby medical facilities, to provide courses in primary health care and teaching techniques for teachers of primary health care workers from developing countries.

My right hon. Friend is always ready to consider proposals put forward by colleges of education for diversification of their activities and for use of surplus resources. At present he is not aware of any demand for a development of the sort which the hon. Member has in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the present number of applications for places at Craigie College of Education, Ayr, on teacher training courses starting in 1978; and how many applicants he proposes to allow the college to accept.

I understand that Craigie College of Education has received about 185 applications. The overall quota laid down by my right hon. Friend for intake to courses starting at the college in session 1978–79 is 60.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give an undertaking that all suitably qualified applicants for places at Craigie College of Education in 1978, who are resident within the south-west Scotland area will be allowed to go there rather than to other colleges far away from their homes.

No. My right hon. Friend has confirmed the quotas which were proposed for Craigie College of Education in his reply of 18th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Pollok (Mr. White)—[Vol. 950, c. 238–240]. The selection of students within those quotas is a matter for the college.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will initiate an investigation into the administration of the Crown Estates in Scotland.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what economies in the use of public funds have been achieved by his Department within the past three years; and what sums have been saved as a result.

Economy in the use of public money is a continuing aim of all my departments. In particular, measures taken in 1976 resulted in savings in salary costs and administrative costs in 1977–78 of £2·5 million and £0·9 million respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many cases applications were made for detention to be extended by a further aye days; and in how many cases it was refused.

Between 29th November 1974 and 31st July 1978 applications for the extension of detention, under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts, 1974 and 1976, by a further five days were made in four cases and none of these applications was refused.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will publish in the Official Report the number of arrests and detentions by each regional police force of persons within its area under the terms of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act.

The number of persons arrested and detained in each region in Scotland between 29th November 1974 and 31st July 1978 under the authority of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts, 1974 and 1976 were:

Strathclyde	87
Tayside	2
Lothian and Borders	8
Dumfries and Galloway	555
Grampian	3
Other Regions	Nil

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions since 1st January 1977 information has been prepared by his Department, at public expense, along the lines of the answer from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Official Report, 14th July 1978, column 802; what has been the total cost to public funds; and if he will make this publicly financed information available to any hon. Members wishing to receive it, provided that they arrange to collect it.

Information is frequently provided by my office to right hon. and hon. Members of all parties at their request or on ministerial initiative. No central record is kept.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list the special extraordinary grants made directly by his Department to public museums in Scotland to assist with their acquisition of works of art and museum objects during the period from 1st April to 1st August 1978 inclusive, specifying in each case (a) the date, object and museum concerned, and (b) the amount of the relevant special grant and its percentage of the total cost of the object, and also indicating where applicable whenever and to what extent recourse was had to the Treasury contingency reserve.

No such grants were made by my right hon. Friend during the period in question.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all educational institutions and bodies in Scotland which have made representations to him (a) in support of an inquiry into post-school or tertiary education and (b) in support of the setting up of a tertiary education council in Scotland.

My right hon. Friend circulated in January a consultative paper about the setting up of a council for tertiary education. Of the 59 bodies which commented on the paper and which are listed below, all accepted that a council could fulfil a useful function and 12 supported an inquiry into tertiary education.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement about the establishment of a council for tertiary education in Scotland.

I have carefully studied the responses to the consultative paper which I issued earlier this year. The proposal to establish a council for tertiary education has been welcomed on all sides There are some differences of view about the breadth of the remit to be given to the council; in some quarters a preference has been stated for terms of reference focussing particularly on higher education; but the majority of the organisations whom I have consulted would clearly favour a broader remit. It is generally accepted that higher education cannot sensibly be considered in isolation and I have come to the conclusion that the council should have the greatest possible latitude to consider the questions which arise in the field of post-school education as a whole. The council's formal terms of reference will be:

"To advise the Secretary of State on such questions relating to tertiary education in Scotland as he may remit to the Council, and on such other matters as the Council may consider relevant to the development of non-university tertiary education and its relationship with university education in Scotland."

I shall make a further announcement in due course about the appointment of the chairman and other members of the council; but I propose to appoint a body of about 20 members who will serve in a personal capacity. I shall of course have regard to the balance of interests involved. Since I hope that the universities will take an active part in the work of the council I shall consult my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science, where appropriate, about appointments.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on the sale of holdings on his agricultural estate.

I have decided that greater encouragement should be given to sitting tenants to take advantage of their statutory right to purchase their holdings and I have therefore instructed my officials to remind these tenants of the possibility of their purchasing their homes and land on reasonable terms.I will also be prepared to sell vacant holdings where there is no immediate likelihood of their use for amalgamation or structural improvement or where it would not be appropriate or suitable to re-let them as separate viable units.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which districts he proposes to designate under the Inner Urban Areas Act.

I propose to designate the following districts:

• Clydebank
• City of Dundee
• Dumbarton
• Glasgow
• Hamilton
• Inverclyde
• Monklands
• Motherwell
• Renfrew

The district councils and appropriate regional councils will as a result be able to exercise the powers contained in sections 2–6 of the Act.The necessary order will be laid before the House in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has determined financial duties for the Scottish Development Agency; and if he will make a statement.

The Scottish Development Agency has been informed of my determination of its financial duties in the following terms:

1. I am directed by the Secretary of State for Scotland to say that, in accordance with Section 12 of the Scottish Development Agency Act 1975 and paragraph 21 of the Scottish Development Agency Industrial Investment Guidelines, he has determined, after consultation with the Agency and with the approval of the Treasury, financial duties in relation to the Agency's functions as an investor of public funds and in the promotion of industrial efficiency. Those financial duties take the form of a requirement on the Agency to publish rates of return on capital employed and the setting of a target rate of return.

2. In calculating rates of return on capital employed, any capital invested by the Agency from grant-in-aid or made under the terms of Section 5 of the Scottish Development Agency Act 1975, and any return attributable to any such capital, is to be disregarded. The Secretary of State may, with the approval of the Treasury, determine from time to time that any other investment or class of investment should also be so disregarded.

3. The Agency is to publish, in its annual accounts, a rate of return based on its consolidated profit and loss account for its investment function which is to be the ratio expressed as a percentage, of the consolidated profit (including investment income and share of profits or losses of associated companies) before interest, taxation, minority interests and extraordinary items, to the capital employed: and the capital employed is to be the time-adjusted aggregate of public dividend capital, reserves, loans from Her Majesty's Government, other loans, deferred taxation, minority interests, overdrafts and short-term borrowings less bank balances and deposits. The calculations are to he made on historical cost accounting principles.

4. The Agency is also to publish, in its annual report to the Secretary of State, a weighted average rate of return for all companies in which the Agency holds investments. The purpose of this rate of return is primarily to serve as a measure of the Agency's effectiveness, in promoting industial efficiency in the companies in which it invests. The weighted average rate of return is defined as the ratio of attributable net income for a particular financial year to Agency capital employed in that year. Attributable net income is that proportion of the net income of each invested company equal to the proportion of that company's total capital employed which has been supplied by the Agency; and net income is defined as the total profits and losses of all companies in which the Agency has invested which are not excluded by the operation of paragraph 2, for that part of the relevant financial year during which the Agency holds investments in them. The total profits and losses should include all and only those that are properly, and in accordance with best accounting practice, reflected in the profit and loss account and are to he taken before interest, tax, minority interests and extraordinary items. Agency capital employed is defined as the total investment made by the Agency in the relevant companies including a share of reserves; and total capital employed by a company is to include all share or loan capital invested by the Agency or other investors, reserves, deferred tax, minority interests, overdrafts, short-term borrowings, bank balances and deposits, all adjusted for the part of the year during which they are held and calculated as appropriate on historic cost accounting principles.

5. The Agency is to use its best endeavours to achieve by 1981–82 a minimum weighted average rate of return (as defined in paragraph 4) or 15–20 per cent., and to make steady progress towards that figure in the years up to 1981–82, this target taking into account the rate of return expected to be secured on capital employed in manufacturing industry and the Agency's wider purposes which require it to take a longer-term view of investments than could a purely commercial enterprise. The target rate, and the date by which it is intended it should be achieved, may be varied subsequently by the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury and after consultation with the Agency.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement on the Stevens Report on planning control over the mineral working.

I am placing copies of my response in the Library today and it will be circulated to local authorities in Scotland and other interested parties. I wish to record my thanks to Sir Roger Stevens and his committee for their work and to acknowledge the contribution of all those who commented on the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many terrorist bomb explosions there have been in Northern Ireland since the February general election in 1974 until the latest convenient date.

Between 1st March 1974 and 31st July 1978 there were 2,278 explosions in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have died as a result of the terrorist campaign in Northern Ireland since the General Election of February 1974 to the latest convenient date; how many have been injured in the same period; and, of the dead and injured, how many are soldiers, members of the Ulster Defence Regiment, members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve, civilians and terrorists.

The information is as follows:

	1st March 1974 to 31st July 1978
	Deaths	Injuries
Civilians	703	6,959
RUC	44	1,023
RUC'R'	25
Regular Armed Forces	75	1,009
UDR	45	78
Total	892	9,069

Figures for terrorists are not recorded separately and are thus included in the totals for civilians.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons excluded from Great Britain under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Northern Ireland) Act have been sent to Northern Ireland; and how many have been subsequently detained or charged with offences in Northern Ireland.

As at 1st August 1978 100 persons excluded from Great Britain have been removed to Northern Ireland under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976, 13 of whom were detained on arrival. Of these, 12 were subsequently released after questioning and one was charged with offences committed in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons have been detained in Northern Ireland under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act; how many have subsequently been charged with offences; and with what offences they have been charged.

As at 1st August 1978 496 persons have been held in Northern Ireland under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976. 262 of these persons were subsequently charged with the following offences:

Murder	96
Attempted murder	35
Conspiracy to murder	7
Explosives Offences	60
Conspiracy to cause explosions	6
Firearms offences	55