asked the Lord Privy Seal how much money to date the Government have provided to Oxfam for its relief work in Kampuchea.

The Government have offered nearly £500,000 to the disaster emergency committee for use in Kampuchea, Oxfam is one of the five members of this committee and it will receive part of this money.Oxfam has used the Government-financed RAF Hercules and the aircraft chartered by the Government last month to send relief supplies to Kampuchea.Oxfam has also been allocated a total of 745,000 units of account by the Euronean Communitiy (approximately £462,000). The British contribution to the sum will be about £93,000.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many tons of supplies have so far been carried into Kampuchea by the RAF Hercules; how many more journeys it will make; and whether the aircraft will remain available until the urgent needs of the Kampuchean people have been met.

I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens) on Thursday 15 November.The International Committee of the Red Cross has informed the Government that since the return of the RAF Hercules to the United Kingdom on 19 November it has sufficient aircraft available to it to meet its requirements for airlifting supplies into Phnom Penh for the next two months.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list his Department's responsibilities relating to children and the statutes from which these arise showing which branch or division within his Department and which Minister deals with each of these responsibilities; who is responsible for co-ordinating the various responsibilities relating to children within his Department; and who is responsible for co-ordinating his responsibilities for children with those of other Departments.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no statutory responsibilities relating specifically to children. However, the Overseas Development Administration is concerned with the welfare of children in developing countries under its responsibilities for the overseas aid programme, which assists economic and social development generally and specifically medical services—especially mother and child health programmes—food production and education. The Minister immediately responsible is my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Minister for Overseas Development. The United Kingdom provides financial support to a number of organisations relating to children, including the United Nations Children's Fund, the Save the Children Fund, the Institute of Child Health at the University of London, and the Department of Child Health at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. These non-statutory responsibilities are handled by three departments co-ordinated by the bilateral aid and rural development department, which is responsible for aid policy in relation to social development. The chief medical and health services adviser to the Overseas Development Administration is also head of the international health division of the Department of Health and Social Security, and is responsible for liaison on health matters between the two Departments. Similarly, the chief education adviser is in contact with professional colleagues in the Department of Education and Science, particularly in relation to sources of teaching and other educational skills for deployment in overseas countries under the aid programme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has completed his review of hill livestock allowances; and if he will make a statement.

On 5 July I informed the House that in October my right hon. Friends and I would carry out a review of the economic conditions in the hill livestock sector in consultation with the farmers unions. I undertook to announce our conclusions in November. We have now carried out this review. We have taken into account the difficulties experienced by many producers, especially hill sheep farmers, as a result of last winter's severe weather, including an above average loss of animals and greatly increased feed costs. We have also had regard to the relatively depressed state of store market prices this autumn. The overall situation points to a substantial fall in net farm incomes in the current year in this important sector of farming. We have concluded that there is a need for sizeable increases in the rates of hill livestock compensatory allowances to be paid next year.We have therefore decided that, subject to parliamentary approval, the rate for hill cows should be increased from £29 to £35, an extra £6; the higher rate for hill sheep, from £3·60 to £5·50, an extra £1·90; and the lower rate for hill sheep, from £2·85 to £4·25, an extra £1·40. The increase in the higher rate for sheep includes and consolidates the 50p increase announced in July.Draft regulations to implement these increases, which will be worth £20·6 million, have been laid before Parliament today.That part of the cost which falls in 1979–80 will be financed from the Contingency Reserve, and Supplementary Estimates will be presented in due course.These increases will be paid with the allowances due at the beginning of 1980.My right hon. Friends and I consider that the increases in the allowances represent a substantial expression of our belief that hill and upland farmers should enjoy a reasonable standard of living.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals his Department has to deal with the threat to wheat crops from bulb fly maggots, following the difficulties in the Yorkshire and Humberside area last year.

Routine monitoring has shown that this autumn wheat bulb fly egg counts were again high, especially in East Yorkshire. Local officers of my Department's agricultural development and advisory service were alerted and advice made available to farmers on seed treatments and other precautions to be taken at the drilling stage. There will be an egg hatch count early in the New Year and the position will continue to be monitored generally so that advice to farmers is up to date, in order to ensure that appropriate precautions may be taken.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about increases in the whitefish, mackerel and sprat levies and the effect of these increases on the processing industry; and what replies he has made.

We have received a number of representations about the levy increases sought by the White Fish Authority. Correspondents have been assured that we shall take their views into account fully before deciding whether to seek parliamentary confirmation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total cost in 1978–79 of land drainage grants, upland reclamation and improvement grants and any grant for farm improvements which involved hedgerow or woodland clearance.

The amounts of grant paid under the farm capital graint scheme and the farm and horticulture development scheme in England during the financial year 1978–79 were:

	£
For field drainage	12,694,566
For land reclamation and farm improvements in less favoured areas	1,485,047
For hedge removal where necessary to facilitate field drainage	33,131

Grant aid is not available for clearing woodlands or hedgerows. Where hedge removal is necessary for the proper functioning of field drainage or ditching work, or where thickets, which do not form part of existing field boundaries, obstruct cultivations, grant may be paid at the rate appropriate to that work. In addition, grant totalling £16,261,898 was paid to drainage authorities in respect of land drainage and flood protection work in England—excluding the Thames tidal defences.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that the current use of 2,4,5-T is harmless.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Melton (Mr. Latham) on 15 November.—[Vol. 973, c. 706].

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement concerning the use of the chemical 2,4,5-T as a weed killer, and, in particular, its possible use by the Forestry Commission in catchment areas of water used for human and animal consumption.

The advice of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides is that the herbicide 2,4,5-T can safety be used in the recommended way and for the recommended purposes; and the Government accept this advice. In all pesticide spraying operations it is the Forestry Commission's practice to observe the recommended precautions designed to ensure that no harm comes either to humans—whether as operators, consumers or members of the public—to domestic and farm animals, or—so far as possible—to wild life and the environment generally. Further, the Commission consults the responsible water authority before spraying 2,4,5-T in any surface water catchment area. There have been many scientific studies concerned with the examination of the 2,4,5-T content of streams originating from sprayed areas; for example, work in the United States of America led to the conclusion that, if normal care was taken during spraying, 2,4,5-T could be safely used on catchments serving public water supplies. I am sending the hon. Member an official publication in which these studies are reported.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total expenditure incurred by water authorities on land drainage activity in 1978–79.

The recently published annual reports of the water authorities in England and Wales show that their revenue expenditure on land drainage activities in 1978–79 was £47,268,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce legislation to prohibit the sale of sweets which have the same size and appearance as drugs.

No. I fully share the hon. Member's concern; but the only certain way of preventing children from taking any drugs or medicines they may find is to make sure that all medicines and drugs are kept well away from them. I trust that all parents realise the importance of this.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 22 November.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 22 November.

I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley).

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the leaders of the Confederation of British Industry.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the Confederation of British Industry.

On 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will visit Wiltshire.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has received about the adverse effects upon the elderly of her Government's policies.

I have received representations from statutory authorities, voluntary bodies, trade unions and individuals. I do not treat them lightly and it would be misleading to suggest that the restraints on public expenditure the Government have been forced to introduce could be achieved without any consequences at all for the elderly. But we have taken steps to protect those areas of spending which mean most to the elderly. We have just increased pensions to their highest ever real value, we have made the Christmas bonus a permanent feature of the social security system, and we have given a commitment to phase out the earnings rule for retirement pensioners. We have also made it clear that statutory authorities should aim as far as possible to protect services for the most vulnerable including the very old and frail.

asked the Prime Minister when she expects next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when next she expects to meet the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress.

No dates have been arranged.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has received about the need for an inquiry into the treatment of widows for tax and social security purposes; and what reply she has sent.

I have received various representations from associations representing widows about aspects of the treatment of widows for tax and social security purposes. As regards the need for an inquiry, I have received a resolution from the National Association of Widows which sought a commission of inquiry into the whole system of pensions, benefits and taxation as they affect widows of all ages.The reply to the National Association of Widows referred to a meeting in July between the association and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services at which there was a full exchange of views on the matters which were concerning them. It also expressed the hope that the explanations given at that meeting and in a subsequent note demonstrated the Government's awareness of the special needs of widows.

asked the Prime Minister whether she intends to visit East Anglia.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will seek to place on the agenda for the European Council meeting in Dublin the problem of the additional burdens on the common agricultural policy that will arise as a result of the accession of Greece and Portugal to the EEC.

No. The Government are well aware of the implications of Greek and Portuguese accession for the common agricultural policy, but do not believe that the European Council would be an appropriate forum in which to discuss them.

asked the Prime Minister whether it was on her instructions that the Cabinet Office gave prior information to the solicitors of Mr. Blunt of her intention of making a statement concerning his confession of being a spy; in how many cases in the past such action has been taken; why it was done in this case; and whether she will make a statement.

The answer to the first part of the question is "Yes". For the rest, I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 20 November to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) and to my speech in the House on 21 November. The circumstances in which the action was taken by the Cabinet Office have not previously arisen.

asked the Prime Minister what: is the policy with regard to the employment of homosexuals within the security services.

Especially rigorous standards are applied to the recruiting and employment policies in respect of areas of the public service whose work is wholly secret. Homosexuality would be a factor to be taken into account.

asked the Prime Minister if she will take steps to ensure that deals proposed by the security services with persons suspected of grave security offences or any similar matters are in future brought to her personal attention for her own decision.

I refer the hon. Member to my speech in the House on 21 November 1979.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Northampton.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to pursue alternatives to prison as recommended by the May committee.

We intend to make every effort to improve and develop the range of non-custodial alternatives to prison. In particular, we are arranging for new senior attendance centres to be opened for young adult offenders and we are consulting the probation service about how greater use could be made of the probation order as an alternative to custody.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce overcrowding in prisons.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by the hon. Member for Dearne Valley (Mr. Wainwright) on 9 November.—[Vol. 973, c. 335].

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the impending court action, he will reconsider his previous decision not to allow the Commission for Racial Equality to carry out an investigation into immigration procedures; and if he will make a statement.

I am advised that the Race Relations Act 1976 gives the Commission no power to conduct a formal investigation in the terms it has proposed. Steps have been taken to bring the issue before the courts in friendly proceedings so that the difference of view about the extent of the Commission's powers may be resolved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide full details of all prosecutions brought under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976 and the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act 1975.

Records available to me show that, up to the end of 1978, there was one prosecution under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976, in which the charge was dismissed, and one completed prosecution under the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act 1975, for which the offender was fined £10. However, because such prosecutions may be brought privately, the information I have may be incomplete.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had, and from whom, concerning the provisions of the Protection of Official Information Bill; and if he is satisfied that the provisions of the Protection of Official Information Bill, as presently drafted, will protect and maintain press freedoms.

Four, from the Press Council, the Institute of Journalists, the International Press Institute and the hon. Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Price) respectively. As to the second part of the question, I refer the hon. Member to the comments on the Bill made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 20 November.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received on his review of the Public Order Act; and when he expects to announce the results of the review.

I have received a number of representations since my statement on 27 June. In the light of these, I am considering the possibility of a wider process of consultation. I shall make a further statement in due course.

asked the Paymaster General whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient period of time, the total number and costs of the placing of advertisements by Her Government in The Times newspaper; and to what extent the recent settlement of industrial disputes is likely to increase the costs of these advertisements in the future.

I have been asked to reply.The costs of placing advertisements in

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will circulate in the Official Report a table showing the United Kingdom share of exports of manufactures to non-EEC countries each year from 1952 to 1978.

This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to make regulations under the truth-in-lending provisions of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 to require lenders to specify the true rate of interest to be paid by borrowers.

I expect to lay before Parliament shortly regulations governing consumer credit advertisements and quotations and to consult interested bodies early next year on proposals for regulations on the form and content of agreements.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations he has received from the British Textile Confederation; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend receives frequent representations from the British Textiles Confederation, the most recent of which have been a critique of the Consumers' Association report "The Price of Protection" and a copy of the Confederation's press notice calling for action against imports of United States man-made fibres.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will seek to impose a cut in the import of American polyester yarn.

At our initiative the EEC Council of Foreign Ministers agreed on 20 November that the Commission should seek formal consultations with the United States authorities under article XXIII of the GATT with a view to seeking an early solution to this problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if a full report was made to the meeting of the EEC Council on 20 November concerning American dual energy pricing policy and feedstock prices; what were the main recommendations for action; and if he will make a statement.

I participated in a full discussion of this subject with the Commission and my EEC colleagues on 20 November. The Council agreed that the Commission should seek immediate consultations with the United States under article XXIII of the GATT. This represents an important step forward, but I have emphasised that we expect these consultations to proceed as a matter of urgency.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) what action he is taking to limit the 1980 duty-free quotas on imports of paper and board, other than newsprint, to a level that will not affect the capacity and employment prospects of the United Kingdom paper and board industry; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will give an assurance that no increase in duty-free quotas for paper and board imports will take place in 1980; and if he will make a statement;(3) whether, during the negotiations of the 1980 duty-free quota imports of paper and board with the members of the European Free Trade Association representa- tives of the United Kingdom paper and board industry, management and unions will be included in his advisory team.

No decisions have yet been taken on the level of duty-free quotas which will apply next year under the terms of the relevant EEC/EFTA agreements. My hon. Friend the Minister for Trade has already held discussions with the British Paper and Board Industry Federation at which a trade union representative was present. The Government are bound also to take account of the interests of our former EFTA partners towards whom we have treaty obligations, and of the United Kingdom user industries which are also large employers of labour in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will call for a report as to why the mayday call transmitted from the distressed vessel "Xanadu" on 9 August was not picked up either by Brixham coastguard or Rame Head coastguard who were at that time monitoring channel 16 through their new aerial and radio equipment; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 16 November, c. 844]: I have received a report on this incident. The mayday from the "Xanadu" was transmitted only on channel 26 the working frequency of the Post Office coast radio station at Start Point. The coastguard does not keep watch on this channel.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will circulate in the Official Report a table showing the number of domestic sewing machines and their average value exported from the United Kingdom to other EEC countries in each of the years 1970 to 1978 and the current year to date, together with corresponding figures for imports from Germany, Italy, the Irish Republic and France.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 November 1979, c. 770]: The available information for sewing machines, including sewing machine heads, mainly domestic is as follows:

UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS

United Kingdom Exports to Rest of EEC

France

Federal Republic of Germany

Italy

Irish Republic

Numbers

Average value f.o.b.

Numbers

Average value c.i.f.

Numbers

Average value c.i.f.

Numbers

Average value c.i.f.

Numbers

Average value c.i.f.

£

£

£

£

£

1970

…

…

…

…

58,540

21·97

3,901

13·33

13,296

41·67

56,449

13·37

2,964

13·16

1971

…

…

…

…

38,923

26·31

39

25·64

16,729

45·31

28,970

15·88

2,702

13·32

1972

…

…

…

…

78,886

23·02

1,067

24·37

15,569

44·90

28,163

18·29

1,996

16·53

1973

…

…

…

…

72,735

26·42

24,703

29·87

22,517

60·80

26,326

24·54

149,236

2·32

1974

…

…

…

…

82,264

26·17

12,321

39·69

10,367

68·39

18,589

32·33

20,735

3·76

1975

…

…

…

…

103,193

33·11

6,453

47·73

13,166

90·54

8,771

46·17

106,150

1·41

1976

…

…

…

…

145,621

31·60

5,089

60·13

16,053

120·10

34,293

47·85

57,117

1·26

1977

…

…

…

…

148,224

35·36

15,085

19·42

19,623

110·58

42,908

56·70

50,818

2·14

1978

…

…

…

…

100,897

51·27

12,794

46·90

20,943

128·63

60,768

62·27

181

88·40

January-September 1979

…

…

…

…

45,584

64·96

6,799

36·18

10,866

138·23

44,129

44·60

234

64·10

Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics, ex SITC(R1) Sub·group 717.3 and ex SITC(R2) Item 724.31.

Notes:

(a) Figures for 1970–74 inclusive relate only to domestic equipment. Those for 1975 onwards include small numbers of industrial sewing machines and heads

(b) Export figures relate to the EEC as currently constituted.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will circulate in the Official Report a table showing the value and volume of mechanical engineering products traded between the United

£ million
					United Kingdom Imports (c.i.f.)		United Kingdom Exports (f.o.b.)
					EEC Six	Rest of World	EEC Six	Rest of World
1970	…	…	…	…	278	359	296	1,049
1971	…	…	…	…	290	358	338	1,258
1972	…	…	…	…	355	380	341	1,225
1973	…	…	…	…	555	539	417	1,388
1974	…	…	…	…	696	695	542	1,837
1975	…	…	…	…	822	810	672	2,612
1976	…	…	…	…	1,007	989	842	3,050
1977	…	…	…	…	1,235	1,076	1,054	3,497
1978	…	…	…	…	1,548	1,281	1,115	4,037
January-June 1979	…	…	…	…	899	730	620	1,981
Note: These figures are for United Kingdom overseas trade corresponding to Order VII of the Standard Industrial Classification (MLH.331–349). Similar details in terms of volume are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) whether he will circulate in the Official Report a table showing (a) the value and volume of motor cars imported from and exported to the EEC Six and from and to other countries in each year from 1970 and 1979 to date, and (b) the level of the tariff on car imports from the Six;(2) what was the value and volume of imports and exports of (

[pursuant to his reply, 15 November 1979, c. 770]: The available information is as follows:

[pursuant to the reply given by the Minister of State for Trade, 14 November 1979, c. 645]: details of United Kingdom trade in passenger motor cars and commercial vehicles with the EEC Six and the rest of the world are given in the tables below. The Customs duty on motor cars imported from the Six on 1 January 1970 was 15 per cent., on 1 January 1971, 13 per cent., and on 1 January 1972, 11 per cent. This duty remained in force until 31 March 1973. On 1 April 1973 the duty on such imports was reduced by 20 per cent. in accordance with article 32 of the Act of Accession. Further reductions of 20 per cent. of the basic duty took place on 1 January 1974, 1975 and 1976, and on 1 July 1977 imports of motor cars from the Six became duty-free.

asked the Attorney-General how many people have been granted immmunity from prosecution by his predecessors in each of the Governments of 1945 to 1951; 1951 to 1964; 1964 to 1970; 1970 to 1974 and 1974 to 1979; and in respect of what types of crime were these immunities granted, distinguishing between those which can be prosecuted by any person and those which cannot.

The information requested cannot be readily identified and many of the relevant files will now have been destroyed. The cost and employment of manpower required to extract the information from the remain- ing files would not be commensurate with its value.

asked the Attorney-General if he will ensure that neither under the provisions of the Southern Rhodesia Act 1979 or by any other means any indemnity or amnesty will be given to any persons or organisations that have breached sanctions orders between 1965 and 1979.

I am not yet in a position to reach a decision whether any of my powers relating to prosecutions should be exercised. Any provision which is made under the powers conferred by the Southern Rhodesia Act 1979 is not a matter within my responsibilities.

asked the Attorney-General what is the total establishment of the Director of Public Prosecutions office; how many vacancies there are; and what were the equivalent figures in November 1978 and November 1977.

The establishment of the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the number of vacancies which existed as at 20 November in each of the years 1977, 1978 and 1979 were:

Year	Establishment	Vacancies
1977	209	15
1978	215	12
1979	223	19

asked the Attorney-General (1) how many cases have been referred by the Director of Public Prosecutions to outside counsel or leading counsel in 1977–78, 1978–79 and 1979–80;(2) what was the mean average time taken by him in coming to a decision to consider recommendations to prosecute made to him in 1979–80 by the Director of Public Prosecutions; and what was the equivalent figures for 1978–79 and 1977–78;(3) what was the mean average time taken by the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider cases referred to him before recommending prosecution in those cases referred to him in 1979–80; what were the equivalent figures in 1978–79 and 1977–78; and what were the longest and shortest times in each year.

The cost and expenditure of manpower in extracting the information requested would be incommensurate with its value.

asked the Attorney-General how many recommendations to prosecute made by the Director of Public Prosecutions he has accepted, and how many he has turned down, since coming to office in May.

Since May 1979 the Director of Public Prosecutions has referred to me 48 cases which required my consent to proceedings. Of these, consent was given in 41 cases and refused in four; no decision has yet been reached in the remaining three. I have no record of the cases referred to me by the Director for other reasons.

asked the Attorney-General how many cases have been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions during 1979; on how many he has reported; and what were the equivalent figures in 1978 and 1977.

In the first nine months of 1979 11,883 cases were submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions; in the same period in 1978, 13,155 were submitted and in 1977, 12,568. During the full year of 1977 a total of 17,607 cases were submitted to the Director and of these he prosecuted, himself or through his agents, 2,550. In the full year of 1978 a total of 17,619 cases were submitted, of which 1,307 were prosecuted by the Director or his agents. No figures for prosecutions in 1979 are available.

asked the Attorney-General in how many other cases in the past 20 years deals have been made by the security services, as in the Blunt affair.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) on 20 November 1979. In my view I do not consider that it is in the public interest to give further details.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he intends to take to provide part-time courses in schools for the 16 to 18-year age group as proposed by the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers; and if he will make a statement.

I announced on 12 July that the Government were continuing the consultations on the paper "Providing Educational Opportunities for 16–18 Year Olds" published in April. One of the proposals put forward for discussion there was that the legislation governing the provision of education in schools might be changed to promote the development of part-time schooling for 16 to 19-year-olds. The Government will be considering whether to seek such legislative change in the light of responses to the consultative paper and in the context of their overall review of the relationship between school, further education and training.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends implementing the proposals of the Warnock committee of inquiry into special educational needs; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 30 October 1979.—[Vol. 972, c. 453].

				Undergraduate courses		Postgraduate courses
Academic year				Applications	Admissions target	Applications	Admissions target
1975–76	…	…	…	43,746	30,000	16,177	11,900
1976–77	…	…	…	33,690	20,000	16,109	11,300
1977–78	…	…	…	22,867	12,000	14,790	10,000
1978–79	…	…	…	15,891	9,950	15,061	9,650
1979–80	…	…	…	15,869	9,900	15,774	9,750

The number of places available for new entrants in 1980–81 will be approximately the same as for 1979–80. It is too early to estimate the number of applications since recruitment has only just begun, but it is likely that the number of non-graduate applicants will be lower than in recent years because of the introduction of higher entry requirements. It is not possible to forecast the effect on the take-up of places as this depends not only on the number of applications but on a variety of other factors including the selection procedures of institutions and the number of withdrawals because of failure to obtain the necessary entry qualifications or acceptance for some other course of higher education, or for other reasons.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications for teacher training courses he expects in the next academic year; how these compare with the numbers for each of the last five years; how many teacher training places there are now in colleges and departments of education and if he expects these to be fully utilised.

The table below gives for each of the last five years the number of applications made to institutions in England and Wales through the central register and clearing house and the graduate teacher training registry for entry to courses of initial training for teaching in schools, and compares these figures with the target numbers for admissions. It slightly understates the total number of applications, especially in recent years, as some applications are made direct and some institutions amalgamated or in association with universities now recruit through UCCA.proposals there are before him for reorganising the examination system with particular reference to A-level.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to publish the report of the Schools Council's working party on the future of post-16 plus examinations; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend, in his letter to the Secretary of the Schools Council which appeared in the Official Report for 3 July—[Vol. 969, c. 1087]—asked that the council's views on sixth-form examinations should be submitted by the end of this year. Publication of that response will be considered at the appropriate time.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is considering allowing local education authorities to raise the amount of meat substitutes used in school meals from the present 10 per cent.

If the meat substitutes are nutritionally satisfactory there would be no objection to local education authorities making greater use of them in school meals if they wished to do so. The current guidance on the use of fortified vegetable protein foods follows the recommendations of the food standards committee and of the committee on medical aspects of food policy. I understand that a further report on this subject by the latter committee will be published shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) why he has not yet made an offer to the Association of University Teachers and the university authorities panel in relation to the pay settlement for university staff due on 1 October; and when he expects to do so;(2) if he will seek to ensure that the offer to be made to the negotiating parties in the university teachers' pay negotiations will be no less favourable than the settlements made with other parts of the public service who have had staged increases to compensate them for their fall in salaries, having regard to his delay in making an offer.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why an offer has not yet been made to the negotiating parties over the university lecturers' salary claim in the light of the assurance given by his Department on 9 August; and when his Department is likely to take action on the matter.

The university teachers' salary claim has to be considered in the light of the Government's general plans for public expenditure and the cash limits for universities. A meeting of the negotiating committee has been arranged for 3 December. I cannot forecast the outcome of the negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice his Department issues to local authorities concerning the caning of children in schools; and whether he will issue instructions to local authorities forbidding the caning of epileptic children.

My Department does not issue advice about caning. Matters of discipline in schools are the responsibility of local education authorities and head-teachers, who are in the best position to judge the situation in each school and in each individual case.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he proposes to issue a consultative document on the curriculum; which bodies and individuals he proposes to consult on possible changes to the curriculum; which subjects should form a core curriculum; if he will list those local authorities which systematically collect information on what is taught in their schools; whether he will take steps to legislate if a national framework of studies to be taught in all state schools cannot be agreed between all the relevant parties; what steps he is taking to increase the supply of teaching staff in the areas of maths, science and modern languages; and which areas of the curriculum need improvement, and in what way.

My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to issue a document at about the turn of the year, and to consult the local authority associations, teachers' unions, Schools Council, churches, both sides of industry, and a range of specialist bodies. It will discuss the place of various subjects in the curriculum, including those mentioned in the Department's recent report on local authority arrangements for the school curriculum as needing improvement. The report was designed to build up a national picture, and it would not be appropriate to name authorities reporting particular activities. In the forthcoming consultations, the Government intend to seek the widest possible measure of agreement among the parties on a framework for the curriculum: it would be premature at this stage to speculate on the outcome. Teacher training institutions have already been asked to give shortage subjects priority within the reduced training system, and the present scheme for the retraining of teachers in certain shortage subjects will continue in 1980–81.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate how many medical institutions doing research and now receiving a university grant will be likely, by 1982–83, to have had that grant cut by a percentage greater than that likely to be applied to universities as a whole, following the implementation of the decision not to subsidise overseas students; what effect he considers these cuts will have on medical research; and if he will make a statement.

It is not possible, at this stage, to assess the extent to which particular faculties within a university will have their resources reduced as a result of the decision to remove progressively the current subsidy in respect of overseas students, or what effect this will have on the work of those faculties. This is partly because decisions have not yet been taken on the levels of recurrent grant to be made available to universities as a whole in 1980–81 and subsequent years, but also because the allocation of grant to individual universities and the distribution of that grant between particular faculties within a university are essentially matters for the University Grants Committee and the university authorities respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what savings he assumed in the case of each local education authority in England and Wales when he calculated that relaxation of present statutory obligations on local authorities to provide meals and milk for pupils would lead to a reduction in the annual rate of net public expenditure on these items of about £200 million.

Such detailed estimates have not been made since it will be for individual authorities to decide what savings to make when the present statutory arrangements are relaxed. Nationally it has been assumed that a combination of a reduction in the average cost of pro- ducing the school meal in the number of free schools meals, and in the subsidy on meals that are paid for would, together with some small reduction in the provision of free milk, enable authorities to reduce the annual rate of net expenditure by about £200 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what saving he assumed in the case of each education authority in England and Wales when he calculated that relaxation of existing powers of education authorities to charge for providing school transport would lead to a total reduction in the annual rate of net public expenditure for this purpose of at least £30 million.

Such detailed estimates have not been made since it will be for individual authorities to decide what use to make of the proposed power to charge for transport.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the number of admissions of foreign students to English and Welsh universities in 1979; and what was the corresponding figure in 1978.

Separate figures for England, Wales and Scotland for 1979–80 are not yet available. It is estimated, however, that in 1979–80 there were about 17,000 overseas undergraduates and postgraduate new entrants to British universities, as compared with 18,627 in 1978–79.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if there will be a reduction in the number of school crossing patrols as a result of cuts in public expenditure.

I have been asked to reply.County councils, or in London the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the Common Council of the City, are responsible for organising school crossing patrols, and information about these should be sought from them. I am sure that authorities contemplating changes will bear in mind that the service is a valuable protection for young children.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the reasons why Harland and Wolff Limited, Belfast, has not been considered suitable to tender for orders to build warships.

Harland and Wolff's facilities, technical services and personnel structure have been optimised since modernisation for the production of large merchant vessels. The yard is therefore no longer suitable for warship building which has become an increasingly complex and specialised task. However, Harland and Wolff's capacity for building commercial type vessels is well-recognised and the yard will continue to be invited to tender for the construction of Royal Fleet Auxiliaries and other Ministry of Defence vessels for which it has the capability.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, of the increase of £553 million in defence spending between 1978–79 and 1980–81, set out in Cmnd. 7746, how much relates to the implementation of pay increases.

None, because the figures published for both years are on a constant price base, 1979 survey prices. As explained in paragraph 4 of the explanatory and technical notes to Cmnd. 7746, for most expenditure on goods and services these are the prices ruling in the autumn of 1978. In the specific case of wage and salary rates, they are those in force on 1 December 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he last visited the British Army of the Rhine.

I visited the joint headquarters of British Forces Germany at Rheindahlen on 21 and 22 June; and I hope to visit 1 BR Corps early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied that the United Kingdom is fulfilling her ob- ligation to supply troops in Germany to combat the potential threat from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic.

We are meeting our Brussels Treaty commitment and I am satisfied that our forces stationed in Germany continue to make a full and telling contribution to defence and deterrence in the central region of Europe.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied that there are sufficient tank crews attached to the British Army on the Rhine.

Royal Armoured Corps regiments in BAOR are not yet fully manned and as a result some tanks remain in light preservation. There are, however, enough men available in these units to operate the tanks in an emergency.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the Chiefs of Staff.

I meet the Chiefs of Staff frequently.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has to increase a British military and naval presence (a) in the Mediterranean and (b) East of Suez.