asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that all information relating to the reasons for removing blue and white year, (d) the costs of acquisition in that year, (e) the receipts from disposals, and (f) the total surplus or deficit on the trading operations for each year, including administrative costs, but disregarding any receipts from betterment levy or expenses incurred in connection with the levy.

The information is not available in the form requested by the hon. Member and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The figgures that are available for the period since the Land Commission was abolished are as follows: is the size of each site; and what steps are being taken to dispose of them.

About 236 acres of former' Land Commission land are owned by the Department of the Environment, and details of each site are as follows:asbestos from the House is referred to the inquiry being chaired by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission into all aspects of asbestos.

All the relevant information is held by the Health and Safety Executive and is therefore available to the Committee in preparing its report to the Health and Safety Commission and Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why no air samples were taken in the Commons Chamber before remedial work started to remove asbestos from the House, as stated in the letter, dated 15th September, from Mr. John Locke, director-general of the Health and Safety Executive, sent to all hon. Members.

The potential problem was recognised at the beginning of the recess when the ventilation system was shut down for routine maintenance. To have restarted the plant to take air samples with the system operating would have delayed remedial work and possibly created contamination. It was accordingly decided to keep the plant shut down until the asbestos was removed.