asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement on the funding of British Leyland.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement which my right hon. Friend made in the House on 20 December.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what consideration has been given to reclassifying Panteg as a special development area.

Following the review of regional industrial policy last summer it was decided that Panteg should remain a development area.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement on his meeting with financial institutions regarding their role in the financing of small firms.

On 14 January my right hon. Friend and I met a group of leading representatives of the financial institutions, including insurance companies, pension funds, clearing banks and merchant banks. My right hon. Friend said it was widely agreed that an "equity gap" existed for the smallest firms, in tranches from about £100,000 down to a

ANNUALISED SIX-MONTHLY RATE OF INCREASE
Output prices of products of manufacturing industry
					1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
January	…	…	…	…	19½	24¾	17	25¼	7¼	8¼
February	…	…	…	…	25½	24¾	16¾	24½	7¾	9
March	…	…	…	…	30¼	26	16¾	23½	8	9¾
April	…	…	…	…	32¼	24½	17¾	25¼	7¾	11¾
May	…	…	…	…	33	27	18½	23¼	8¾	14
June	…	…	…	…	33	24¾	15½	24	9	16½
July	…	…	…	…	29½	20	15½	18½	7½	19¼
August	…	…	…	…	23½	19½	16¾	16¾	7¾	19
September	…	…	…	…	19½	16½	18¼	15½	7¾	19¼
October	…	…	…	…	18¾	16	18½	11¾	7¾	18¾
November	…	…	…	…	19¼	13	20	8½	7	17¼*
December	…	…	…	…	20¼	16¼	20¼	7	7½	14¾*
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects to announce the results of his review of the statutory letter monopoly of the Post Office.

My right hon. Friend is considering the reports which he asked for by the end of 1979, and he will be making an announcement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each month since 1974 the annualised six-monthly rate of increase in output prices of products of manufacturing industry.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each month since 1974 the year-on-year rate of increase in the price index of (a) materials and fuel purchased by manufacturing industry, (b) materials and fuel purchased by manufacturing industry

			Year-on-Year Rate of Increase in Price Index of
			Materials and fuel purchased by manufacturing industry	Materials and fuel purchased by manufacturing industry other than food, drink and tobacco	Output of manufactured products	Output of products of manufacturing industry other than food, drink and tobacco
			(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)
1974—
January		…	70¾	85½	12¾	13½
February		…	67	81	16½	18¼
March		…	63	72¾	19¾	22¼
April	…	…	63	77	23¾	24¾
May	…	…	58¼	75	23¾	24¾
June	…	…	51¼	69½	24¼	25½
July	…	…	44	60¾	24½	26½
August		…	38¼	56¾	24½	27
September		…	37	53¾	24¾	27¼
October		…	35¾	50½	25¼	28
November		…	35½	47¼	26	28
December		…	27¾	40½	26½	28½
1975—
January		…	8¾	12¼	27¼	29¼
February		…	5¾	9¾	24¼	25¾
March		…	8¾	12	22¾	23½
April	…	…	9	9¾	21½	22¾
May	…	…	12½	12¾	23	22¼
June	…	…	14½	14	22½	21¼
July	…	…	16	15¼	22½	21¼
August		…	19¾	17¼	22	20½
September		…	20¾	17¼	21¼	19½
October		…	21½	20¼	20	18¾
November		…	22	20	20	18¼
December		…	22¼	20½	20½	19¼
1976—
January		…	22¼	19	18½	17
February		…	26¼	22	18	16¾
March		…	27	26	16¾	15½
April	…	…	30½	31¼	16¾	15½
May	…	…	29¾	30¼	15¾	16¼
June	…	…	31	31½	16	16
July	…	…	28¼	28½	16¼	16¼
August		…	24¼	26¼	16¾	17
September		…	27¼	28½	17½	17½
October		…	27¼	27	18¼	17½
November		…	25½	26¾	19¼	19½
December		…	24¾	23½	18	17¾
1977—
January		…	26¼	26¼	20¼	19
February		…	26¼	25¾	20½	19
March		…	24	21	20¾	19½
April	…	…	21¾	16¼	21¾	19¾
May	…	…	19½	14	22	20
June	…	…	17	11¼	22	20
July	…	…	16¾	12½	21¾	19
August		…	14¼	11	20½	18
September		…	10	8	19½	17¼
October		…	4	2¼	18¼	17
November		…	1½	¼	16	14¾
December		…	1½	¾	15¼	14

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is his estimate of steel production capacity which will exist in 1982 in each member State of the Community; and how this compares with the capacity existing 5, 10 and 15 years earlier.

I have made no separate estimates, but the European Coal and Steel Community carries out an annual survey of present and expected production potential by regions, which is published in its annual reports on "Investment in the Community Coal Mining and Iron and Steel Industries", copies of which are in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether the United Kingdom Government are a party to the International Natural Rubber Agreement; and, if so, when the instrument of notification will be deposited.

The Government, in conjunction with our EEC partners,

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what financial contribution will be made by the United Kingdom to the cost of buffer stocking under the International Natural Rubber Agreement.

The International Natural Rubber Agreement provides for the buffer stock account to be financed equally by producer and consumer member Governments, with individual contributions determined by trade shares. On this basis, membership by the United Kingdom would involve a share of approximately 2·65 per cent. of the costs to the account of any buffer stock purchases.As a member, the United Kingdom would be expected to make an initial contribution of approximately £430,000 into the account within 18 months of the agreement entering into force. The precise cost to the United Kingdom of the account over the lifetime of the agreement would depend on the price and amount of any buffer stock purchases and sales made in order to stabilise rubber prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures he proposes to take to spread appreciation of the arts among the young.

The Arts Council, for which my right hon. Friend is responsible, is charged with the duty of promoting the arts and making them accessible to the public at large, including young people. Many companies supported by the Arts Council are encouraged to include in their activities programmes which are directed particularly to young people; for example, Theatre-In-Education, Dance-In-Education, Writers-In-Schools and Music-In-Schools.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assistance is given to the arts in Wales and, in particular, to theatres; and what plans he has for further assistance.

Central Government grants to assist the arts in Wales in 1979–80 are expected to total approximately £4·4 million, of which £1·3 million is for the support of drama. It is for the Arts Council and similar bodies to decide how much of their 1980–81 grants they will allocate to activities in Wales. Grants are also received from local authorities, private sources, and so on.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any plans to mount a campaign to encourage individuals and companies to supplement public support for the arts; if he will list those measures he has taken, and intends to take, to encourage private sponsorship of the arts; and if he will make a statement.

There are welcome signs that the business world is taking an increasing interest in sponsoring the arts, and I am taking every opportunity to encourage this. Various financial incentives already exist, including the general tax changes made in my right hon. and learned Friend's budget. I am considering what further measures would be helpful.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about the fulfilment of the Turner Bequest.

The conditions of the Turner Bequest are a matter for the trustees of the museums and galleries concerned. The trustees of the Tate Gallery are considering a munificent offer by a charitable foundation to assist with the building of a Turner museum. I am greatly appreciative of this constructive and generous initiative. I have been closely in touch with the trustees and other interested parties throughout, and will continue to be so in the future.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make funds available to bodies critical of nuclear power or its expansion so that they can present their cases at public inquiries through expert evidence in the same way as the Atomic Energy Authority or other public pro-nuclear bodies.

We have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether, as part of the cutbacks in expenditure, she will take steps to reduce the public relations budgets of the Department of Energy and other public bodies sponsoring the expansion of nuclear power.

The Department of Energy's information division, which is responsible for explaining the Government's energy policies, including matters relating to nuclear power, will be affected by that Department's contribution to public expenditure savings. However, I regard it as important that nuclear development in the United Kingdom should take place against the background of full public debate of the issues involved. The Department of Energy's policy is to aid that debate by publishing as much nuclear information as reasonably possible.The public information budgets of public bodies are a matter for those bodies.

asked the Prime Minister (1) what licensing controls there are at present to prevent the export by United Kingdom companies of equipment specifically intended for use by security or secret police forces in countries where there is flagrant and persistent violation of human rights;(2) what supervision is exercised by the Government over the export by United Kingdom companies of equipment for the use of security and police forces in countries where there is flagrant and persistent violation of human rights;(3) if she will make it her policy that no equipment that is similar to that supplied by British firms to the regime of President Amin in Uganda will in future be exported from the United Kingdom by British companies to Governments guilty of flagrant and persistent abuse of human rights.

Military and para-military police equipment requires an export licence and control is exercised at the ports. Human rights considerations are one of the factors taken into account in considering applications for such licences.Civil goods in general are not subject to licensing and such goods could therefore be legally exported to Uganda or any other country. The list of goods under control is reviewed from time to time. The significance of particular equipment in human rights terms is one of the factors taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all those penal institutions at which the prison officers are currently engaged in industrial action, indicating in each case the form of and stated reasons for the sanctions.

Industrial action by prison officers in discipline grades, mainly of a minor nature, is taking place in the following establishments:

• Ashford,
• Bedford,
• Blundeston,
• Brixton,
• Gartree,
• Latchmere House,
• Leeds,
• Leicester,
• Liverpool,
• Manchester,
• Norwich,
• Onley,
• Pentonville,
• Pucklechurch,
• Ranby,
• Risley,
• Stafford,
• Stoke Heath,
• Sudbury,
• Thorp Arch,
• Wakefield,
• Wandsworth,
• Wellingborough,
• Wormwood Scrubs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a decision as to whether Vietnamese refugees allowed to settle in the United Kingdom will be permitted subsequently to bring in dependants.

Such cases are decided on their merits. The only special factor as regards Vietnamese refugees is that their dependants are likely themselves to be refugees who can be considered within the quota for admission to the United Kingdom which has been announced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representation has been made to him by officials of the Prison Officers Association following the publication of the May committee report; and if he will make a statement.

I have agreed to a request to meet a delegation from the Prison Officers' Association to discuss the issues arising from the May committee report, and a meeting will be arranged as soon as practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make an announcement regarding the Government's intentions for the improvement of the civil defence programme.

It will still be some time before my study of possible changes can be completed. I shall make an announcement as soon as poossible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many babies were admitted to Holloway or born to women serving sentences there in 1978; and how many were refused admission;(2) how many babies of women on remand in Holloway were admitted during 1978; and how many were refused admission;(3) how many babies were born to women on remand in Holloway during 1978; and how many of them were allowed to remain;(4) how many babies in Holloway were separated from their mothers during 1978 on reaching the age limit beyond which they are not allowed to remain;(5) how many babies were admitted to prison in England and Wales in 1978; and how many were refused admission.(6) how many babies were discharged from prisons in England and Wales in

Tribunal recommendation					Broadmoor	Rampton	Moss Side	Park Lane	Local Hospitals
Discharge*:
1976	…	…	…	…	2	13	3	0	11
1977	…	…	…	…	3	7	0	0	9
1978	…	…	…	…	1	11	3	0	18
Transfer to another hospital:
1976	…	…	…	…	8	65	10	1	2
1977	…	…	…	…	7	57	9	2	0
1978	…	…	…	…	13	46	19	0	0
Removal of restriction order:
1976	…	…	…	…	0	0	1	0	8
1977	…	…	…	…	0	0	0	0	9
1978	…	…	…	…	0	0	0	0	4
No discharge, transfer or removal of restriction order:
1976	…	…	…	…	65	70	44	4	23
1977	…	…	…	…	68	88	46	4	24
1978	…	…	…	…	57	67	33	8	26
* Although precise figures are not readily available, nearly all the "discharge" recommendations or discharge subject to conditions.

In 1978 11 babies were admitted to prisons in England and Wales so as to stay with their mothers, six to women serving sentences in Holloway and one to a woman on remand there. In addition, 83 babies were born to women in custody, 10 to women serving sentences in Holloway and five to women on remand there; all of the latter five were allowed to remain with their mothers. One baby left a prison other than Holloway on reaching the age at which it was no longer possible to provide suitable accommodation in that prison, and one from Holloway was taken into care. No records are kept of the number of cases in which it was not possible to accede to requests that babies should stay with their mothers in prison.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recommendations by mental health review tribunals during 1976, 1977 and 1978 in respect of patients detained in each of the special hospitals and in local hospitals were for (a) absolute discharge, (b) conditional discharge, (c) transfer to another hospital, (d) lifting of a restriction order and (e) no discharge or transfer or lifting of a restriction order.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total cost of vandalism committed by males and females, respectively, under the age of 16 years; and what evidence he has as to the proportion of such offences committed by those in maintained and in voluntary aided schools, respectively.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report, by country of origin, for each month in 1979 the number of those who have been granted political asylum in Great Britain.

I regret that figures are not readily available on a monthly basis. The following table gives, by nationality, the numbers granted asylum during 1979:

Afghanistan	7
Argentina	96
Bulgaria	3
Burma	5
Chile	58
Colombia	2
Czechoslovakia	7
Ethiopia	115
Ghana	11
Hungary	18
Iran	435
Iraq	14
Pakistan	3
Poland	10
Romania	2
Rwanda	1
South Africa	14
Singapore	3
Syria	2
Uganda	20
Uruguay	2
USSR	1
Vietnam, Kampuchea and Cambodia*	5,187
Yugoslavia	1
Zaire	1
TOTAL	6,018
* Mostly Vietnamese "boat people".

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the explanatory statement of the entry clearance officer relating to the case of the wife of Mr. Queban Hussain has not yet been received in London, although it was expected in October 1979 that this would be forwarded within three weeks.

I regret that owing to inadvertence this matter was not given the priority it should have been given. The explanatory statement is now being prepared urgently.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers have resigned from the prison service in the last three years.

1,322.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give advice to the Jockey Club to advertise nationally the new post of chairman of the recently appointed Horse-racing Advisory Council;(2) what qualifications are required for the post of chairman of the Horseracing Advisory Council; and if he will make a statement.

Appointments to the Horseracing Advisory Council are a matter for the racing industry in which it would not be appropriate for me to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the television licence system in order to establish a smaller annual fee for all televisions in use other than one licence covering any number of television sets in a particular dwelling or building; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans to change the present television licensing arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the director of prison medical services has requested any changes to be made in the proposed short, sharp shock regime; if he has approved of the experiment; and what was the nature and substance of the advice he has given on the subject.

The director of prison medical services is taking a full part in the planning of the project and, in particular, for arranging that persons who are physically or mentally unfit for the regime will be excluded from it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the first time the sex drug Androcur was used on prisoners; and if this was before it received its product licence.

Androcur has been used in Europe since 1967. It was made available to doctors practising in the United Kingdom in 1970 following the granting of a clinical trial certificate and was subsequently used by a number of consultant psychiatrists working in the National Health Service and by one consultant psychiatrist working in both the National Health Service and a prison. The drug was granted a product licence in January 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have participated in the testing of the drug LSD.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will disclose the list of drugs, without product licence, tested on prisoners in Great Britain.

Cyproterone acetate (Androcur) which was granted a product licence in January 1974, was used by one consultant psychiatrist working in prisons between 1970 and 1974. Benperidol (Anguil), which was granted a product licence in July 1973, was used by doctors working in prisons between 1971 and 1973, after the Committee on Safety of Drugs had authorised the manufacturers to dispense it on the prescription of any registered medical practitioner.Both drugs had been used overseas and in the National Health Service before they were used in prisons.I am not aware of any other drugs having been prescribed by doctors working in prisons in England and Wales before they had been granted product licences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the drug Benperidol was first used on prisoners; whether it was used before it received a product licence; and whether it is still administered by prison medical officers.

Benperidol was first prescribed by a doctor working in prison in 1971 after the Committee on Safety of Drugs had authorised the manufacturers to dispense it on the prescription of any registered medical practitioner. The product licence was issued in July 1973. The drug is administered by doctors working in prisons when, in their clinical judgment, it is appropriate and the patients concerned consent to the treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now seek to increase the deposit payable by parliamentary candidates.

I refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply I gave to his question on 13 December.—(Vol. 975, c. 725.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time or part-time medical inspectors are currently employed under the provisions of the Immigration Act 1971; and how many of these inspectors have psychiatric qualifications.

I have been asked to reply.There are currently 392 appointments in the United Kingdom as medical inspector—full-time or part-time—under the Immigration Act 1971. Details of psychiatric qualifications are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the provisional perinatal and infant mortality rates for the first nine months of 1979.

Provisional figures for the first nine months of 1979 are given below:

	Rate per 1,000 births
Perinatal deaths	16
Infant mortality	15

The information will be published in the annual report of the Registrar General for Northern Ireland for 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy who represented him and his Department at the presentation on the transport of irradiated fuel held at the Central Electricity Generating Board offices on Friday 11 January; and whether he will make a statement in connection with it.

Three officials from my Department attended the presentations as observers at the invitation of the Central Electricity Generating Board. I understand that the presentation to local authorities and others was attended by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his statement in the Official Report, 26 July 1979, c. 892, when he proposes to end the British National Oil Corporation's special access to Government finance through the national oil account.

As I indicated in my statement to the House on 26 July, the legislation required to implement the changes for BNOC outlined in that statement will be introduced later in this Session.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what experiments are being carried out in Great Britain to produce gas from unworkable coal seams by firing the coal; what estimates are available of the potential of such a process in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.

The processing of coal in situ is being considered by the National Coal Board. I will ask the chairman to write the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) when he expects the British Gas Corporation will be in a position to construct a commercial process employing the slagging gasifiers; and at what price it will prove competitive with natural gas;(2) what he estimates will be the lead time necessary for the establishment of a composite gasifier using the yield of an adjoining colliery;(3) what research and development will be conducted at Killingholme, South Humberside, by the British Gas Corporation after 1982; and what is the extent of the financial commitment;(4) if he will make a statement on the research and development work already conducted at Westfield, Fife, by the British Gas Corporation; and what are the funds spent to date;(5) what progress has been made to date on the production of synthetic natural gas using the catalytic process in conjunction with light petroleum distillates as feedstock;(6) what progress has been made to date on the production of synthetic natural gas using the pressurised fluidised bed process in conjunction with low gravity petroleum feedstock and crude oil.

These are matters for the British Gas Corporation, and I will ask the Chairman to write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the expected annual production of North Sea oil for the years 1980 to 1990 inclusive under current policies; and what is the expected annual import of oil for the years 1980 to 1990 and the expected annual export of North Sea oil for the years 1980 to 1990.

Annual forecasts of North Sea oil production are subject to such margins of error that year by year figures for 10 years ahead have never been published. Estimates for import and exports would be subject to an even larger margin of error. Forecast ranges of possible United Kingdom oil production levels to 1983 are in the 1979 Brown Book: these are under review.

r asked the Attorney-General if he will list those offences under the Taxes Acts for which his or the Director of Public Prosecutions' consent is required for prosecution.

Neither the Director of Public Prosecutions nor myself is required to consent to proceedings in respect of any offences contained in "the Taxes Acts" as defined in the Taxes Management Act 1970.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will publish in the Official Report the text of the letter which he sent to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West concerning matters affecting the jurors in R. v. Bennett, Mills and Others.

I have already informed the hon. Member, in answer to an earlier question, that I do not think it would be appropriate to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the operation of his Department's offices, in the light of the fact that only one in 300 claims for unemployment benefit is rejected on the basis that suitable work opportunities are available.

I am generally satisfied with the operation of my Department's offices and consider that the rules for disqualifying claimants who do not avail themselves of suitable employment are adequate. However, I am conscious that such arrangements need review from time to time. Accordingly, as I said in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mr. Lyell) on 4 December, I have ordered officials of this Department to work with officials of the Manpower Services Commission employment services division to consider as a matter of priority those aspects of liaison which concern the application of the rules about the unemployed accepting jobs which are suitable and available.—[Vol. 975, c. 118.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider up rating the allowance for 18-year-olds entering the youth opportunities programme so as to introduce a differential rate at that age and uplift the numbers entering projects.

I am informed by the MSC that it will wish to consider the possibility of introducing a higher allowance for 18-year-olds on YOP than for 16 and 17-year-olds on the programme in conjunction with its consideration of the next general up rating of the YOP allowance.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many referrals for home insulation under schemes funded by the Manpower Services Commission were sponsored by (a) non-statutory bodies and (b) statutory bodies, including local authorities;(2) how many schemes to insulate domestic dwellings funded by the Manpower Services Commission are distributed exclusively to the elderly and the disabled;(3) how many schemes to insulate domestic dwellings have been or are being funded by the Manpower Services Commission through (

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that schemes designed to carry out home insulation and draft-proofing work have been funded under the special temporary employment programme, the youth opportunities programme, community industry and the job creation programme. Such schemes are authorised to undertake work only on publicly owned dwellings or privately owned dwellings occupied by elderly, disabled or otherise disadvantaged people.Records of individual schemes are held locally, and I regret that the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ross asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many unfair dismissal claims reached the stage of a tribunal hearing in Dundee in the past two years; and with what result.

I regret that because the numbers of unfair dismissal claims not analysed for areas below regional level information is not available for separate types of claim heard in individual towns and districts.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many protective awards were made in the past year under section 101 of the Employment Protection Act 1975 as a result of employees not receiving statutory notice of redundancy; what was the average amount of compensation paid; and how many awards took place in Dundee.

During the period December 1978 to November 1979, inclusive protective awards under section 101 of the Employment Protection Act 1975 were made in 34 cases of which my Department has knowledge. Information about the average amount of compensation paid is not available, because tribunals are not required to make awards in terms of specific sums of money. Nor is information available about awards in separate types of claims heard in individual towns and districts. My right hon. Friend has no knowledge of any award made in Dundee during this period.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table comparing average weekly wages in Dundee and Scotland for (a) men aged 21 years and over and (b) women aged 18 years and over; and if he will give a breakdown as follows: (i) manual, (ii) non-manual and (iii) all occupations.

Separate figures for Dundee are not readily available; but for Tayside (including Dundee) the latest figures, relating to April 1979, are as follows:

	Average gross weekly earnings (£) of full-time employees whose pay was not affected by absence
	Tayside	Scotland
Men aged 21 and over
Manual	93·6	82·5
Non-manual	113·0	105·0
All occupations	101·2	91·0
Women aged 18 and over
Manual	54·3	54·2
Non-manual	63·0	61·5
All occupations	60·4	58·9
Source:
New Earnings Survey, April 1979

The difference in average earnings between areas will reflect differences in the composition of the labour force, including those arising from the structures of industry, and does not necessarily imply a difference for comparable jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the present wages of all male and female local authority workers in Dundee and Scotland; and what percentage of the weekly wages of full-time male and female workers in Scotland they represent.

Separate details for local authority workers in Dundee are not readily available. For Scotland the available figures are as follows:

	Average weekly earnings of full-time employees whose earnings were not affected by absence
	Local authority employees in Scotland	Column (1) as percentage of Local average earnings of all employees in Scotland
	(1)	(2)
	£	Percentage
Males	88·2	91·4
Females	58·4	99·2
Source: New Earnings Survey, April 1979.

The difference between the average earnings of local authority employees and that of all employees will reflect differences in composition, including the number of skilled and unskilled, manual and non-manual, and so on, employees. It does not necessarily imply a difference for comparable jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek to continue the early retirement provisions that exist under the job release scheme which runs until 31 March.

A decision about the future of the job release scheme will be made as part of the annual review of the special employment and training measures, which has not yet been completed. My right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement about the scheme shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department's job release scheme is to be extended beyond the present expiry date of 31 March; and if he will make a statement generally on the future of other employment and training measures.

The annual review of the special employment and training measures has not yet been completed. My right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement about the future of the job release scheme and other measures shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with employers and representatives of the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress about the effectiveness of the Hotel and Catering Industry Training Board; and if he will make a statement.

I have had no recent discussions about the Hotel and Catering Industry Training Board with the representatives specified.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he is satisfied with the practice of the Health and Safety Executive in issuing full warrants to all Health and Safety Executive inspectors regardless of qualifications and experience;(2) if the Health and Safety Executive plans to control travelling by Health and Safety Executive inspectors because of financial restrictions; and if such limitations will result in reduced inspections of mines, factories, quarries, agricultural activities and nuclear installations;(3) if he will list the provisions in factory legislation which make specific reference to the district inspector of factories by either authorising him to grant exemptions or requiring employers to serve notice on him; and if he is satisfied that every inspector appointed is competent to handle every reference;(4) how many inspectors appointed by the Health and Safety Executive under section 19 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 do not hold full warrants;

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if under present arrangements all notification of accidents at factory nuclear installations can be given to agricultural inspectors.

I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many (a) deaths and (b) injuries necessitating more than three days off work occurred in quarries in each year from 1960 to 1979.

The following is the information requested:

ACCIDENTS IN QUARRIES (INCLUDING OPEN CAST COAL SITES)
	Deaths	Injuries resulting in over 3 days absence
1960	38	2,601
1961	39	2,529
1962	24	2,311
1963	36	2,344
1964	41	2,527
1965	31	2,578
1966	28	2,755
1967	23	2,917
1968	38	2,925
1969	23	2,910
1970	27	2,535
1971	18	2,350
1972	15	2,251
1973	14	2,251
1974	16	1,987
1975	15	1,874
1976	16	1,656
1977	12	1,879
1978	15	1,846
1979	12*	..†
* Provisional.
† Not available.

asked the Sectary of State for Employment whether he intends to continue the short-time working scheme; and what representations he has received about this scheme.

A decision about the future of the temporary short-time working compensation scheme will be made as part of the annual review of the special employment and training measures, which has not yet been completed. My right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement about the scheme shortly. Eight representations have been received asking for the scheme to be extended and one suggesting that it should not be renewed at the end of March 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what reasons were given to his Department by Woodrow Universal Ltd., Ballington, Macclesfield, for the loss of 49 jobs in the notification of redundancy made to it.

I am unable to reply to my hon. Friend as information of this nature given to my Department under the compulsory notification of redundancy provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975 is given in confidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what redundancies have been declared in the textile industry in the North-West region in the last three months for which figures are available; and what action is he taking to stabilise employment in this industry in view of its importance to the region.

In the three months ending 31 December 1979 my Department was notified of 8,447 potential redundancies in the textile industry in the North-West region. 3,041 of these jobs, however, are the subject of applications for temporary short-time working compensation and it is possible that some of the other redundancies may not take place.The Government are naturally concerned about the problems of the textile industry. Our economic policies are designed to provide the climate in which textile firms can compete, and we are doing all we can to see that the industry does not suffer from unfair competition by ensuring, for instance, that the multi-fibre arrangement is implemented as effectively as possible. At the same time, however, it is up to the industry itself to become more competitive by improving its productivity, the standard of its design and the quality of its output in order to take advantage of the market opportunities available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the present employment rehabilitation centres; and which are the subject of proposals for closure or contraction.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 January 1980]: The present employment rehabilitation centres (ERCS) are listed below. I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that current proposals include (a) the closure of one of the three ERCs in North-East England and (b) experimentation with new approaches to employment rehabilitation at Garston Manor and North Staffs ERCs which will involve a small reduction in occupancy at these two centres.

Bellshill	Perivale
Billingham	Plymouth
Dundee	Portsmouth
Edinburgh	Waddon
Felling	Birmingham
Glasgow	Bristol
Hull	Cardiff
Killingworth	Coventry
Leeds	Liverpool
Leicester	Manchester
Long Eaton	North Staffs
Sheffield	Port Talbot
Egham	Preston
Garston Manor

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest monthly unemployment figures and vacancy figures for the travel-to-work areas most nearly corresponding to (a) the City of Manchester and (b) Greater Manchester, together with the corresponding monthly figures for each year since and including 1970.

[pursuant to his reply, 21st December 1979, c. 479]: The following table gives the information for the Manchester travel-to-work area and for the Greater Manchester metropolitan

		Manchester travel-to-work area Unfilled vacancies			Greater Manchester metropolitan county Unfilled vacancies
		Registered unemployed	At employment offices	At careers offices	Registered unemployed	At employment offices	At careers offices
December 1970	…	15,991	5,879	1,413	26,526	8,566	2,122
December 1971	…	26,874	2,841	1,005	46,686	4,003	1,279
December 1972	…	26,417	3,430	1,175	43,390	5,533	1,561
December 1973	…	15,238	7,103	3,364	23,808	12,775	4,940
December 1974*	…	—	5,607	1,334	—	9,540	2,375
December 1975	…	34,477	2,305	839	57,924	3,822	1,089
December 1976*	…	—	—	—	—	—	—
December 1977	…	43,700	3,281	327	72,343	5,383	491
December 1978	…	38,837	5,113	665	64,629	7,943	868
December 1979	…	37,823	4,418	498	65,107	7,043	624
* Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment group, unemployment figures for December 1974 and unemployment and vacancy figures for December1976 are not available.
Note: The vacancy figures relate only to those notified to employment offices and careers offices: vacancies notified to employment offices are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of possible duplication the figures for employment and careers offices should not be added together.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if it is his intention that he will ensure that any closed shop arrangements entered into subsequent to the presentation of the Employment Bill should be subject to the provisions relating to ballot of members contained in the Bill.

The provision in the Bill relating to ballots on closed shops will apply to union membership agreements which take effect after the relevant section of the Employment Act 1980 comes into operation. It will not apply retrospectively to closed shop arrangements entered into before the Bill is enacted.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions have been brought in each of the years since the Employment Protection Act 1975 came into effect against employers who failed to inform his Department of proposed redundancies; how many and what percentage of such prosecutions were successful; in how many and in what percentage of such successful prosecutions the defendants were fined and what was the maximum and average of such fines; and in how many and in what percentage of such

I will reply to the hon. and learned Member as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is yet in a position to achieve his proposals to abolish local domestic rates in all areas of the United Kingdom.

The Government's policy on domestic rates was set out in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Environmental Services on 27 July—[Vol. 971, c. 649]—to my hon. Friend the Member for Luton, East (Mr. Bright).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he proposes to take to extend the accountability of Government expenditure to the House.

The adequacy of present arrangements for the accountability of Government expenditure to the House is in the first place a matter for the House itself and its Select Committees. As one result of various suggestions put forward by Select Committees in the previous Parliament the Government are currently reviewing the role and functions of the Comptroller and Auditor General and a Green Paper on the matter is expected to be published before long. The Comptroller and Auditor General's reports on the first volume of the audited Appropriation Accounts for 1978–79 are expected to be published later this month, and his remaining reports shortly the rafter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the Government's policy of restricting and cutting public expenditure applies to the Civil List expenditure; to what extent on 1 January the Civil List expenditure had been or will be reduced; and whether he will make a statement.

The Government's search for economies in public spending applies to expenditure on the Civil List.Estimates for expenditure for the year commencing 1 January 1980 will be published in due course, such estimates will be consistent with the recommendation in paragraph 21 of the report of the Select Committee on the Civil List 1971–72.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the balance of payment surplus or deficit in each year since 1945.

Estimates of the United Kingdom's balance on current account for the years 1946 to 1975 are available on page 125 of Economic Trends, Annual Supplement 1980 Edition, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. The official comparable figures are not available for 1945. The latest estimates for 1976–79 are as follows:

	£ million
1976	—1,152
1977	—202
1978	+714
1979	—2,418

The estimate for 1979 includes a projection of invisibles transactions for the fourth quarter and so is particularly subject to revision as further information becomes available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what increase would be required to the rate of income tax to make up for the abolition of capital gains tax.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Inland Revenue staff are engaged on the administration of capital gains tax.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has been raised by capital gains tax in each year since 1970, and if he will show the figures on a 1970 base and also as a percentage of Inland Revenue receipts.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a regional breakdown showing where the staff of the Inland Revenue engaged in the administration of capital gains tax are based.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the cost of collecting capital gains tax compared with other taxes collected by the Inland Revenue.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in relation to approved profit sharing schemes under the Finance Act 1978, what would be the estimated cost of the tax reliefs in the financial year 1979–80 if the retention period was reduced to three years, and income tax was charged at 50 per cent. of the original value of the shares between three and four years, at 25 per cent. between four and five years, with no tax payable after five years.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in relation to the approved profit sharing schemes under the Finance Act 1978, what would be the estimated cost of the tax reliefs in the financial year 1979–80 if the retention period was reduced to one year, and income tax was charged at 50 per cent. of the original value of the shares between one and two years, at 25 per cent. between two and three years, with no tax payable after three years.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in relation to the approved profit sharing schemes under the Finance Act 1978, what would be the estimated cost of the tax reliefs in the financial year 1979–80 if the maximum value of shares appropriated to each employee was raised to £1,000 in any one tax year.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost of the tax reliefs in the financial year 1979–80 arising from the operation of the approved profit sharing schemes under the Finance Act 1978.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the cost to the Revenue to date of the profit sharing schemes so far approved under the Finance Act 1978.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many ships from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have visited the port of Leith in the last 12 months.

Sixteen Soviet vessels visited Leith during 1979.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in pursuing the Government's economic policy, what statistical relation he is assuming between the level of interest rates and the volume of private sector borrowing.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 January 1930]: Different types of borrowing respond by different amounts and over different time periods to changes in interest rates. The response also depends on conditions ruling in particular credit markets at the time of the change. Furthermore, a distinction has to be drawn between the direct effects of interest rate changes which occur as a result of the change in the price of credit and indirect effects which occur as a result of induced changes in other determinants of credit demand such as the level of prices and economic activity. Econometric evidence suggests that the full impact of interest rate changes on borrowing comes through only after a considerable period. Some recent Treasury research into bank lending is described in part one of A Financial Sector for the Treasury Model (Government economic service working paper No. 17), and some more up-to-date estimates are included in Her Majesty's Treasury Macroeconomic Model Technical Manual 1979: both publications are in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what have been the levels of direct and overseas investments, respectively, for each year since 1945; what percentage these represent, respectively, of domestic manufacturing investment and of gross national product for each of these years; and if he will publish comparable figures for the United States of America, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Japan and Sweden.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 January 1970]: For the purposes of international comparison, the only broadly-comparable information available relates to United Kingdom direct investment abroad—excluding oil—and to the United States direct investment abroad—including oil. It covers 1958 and subsequent years and is shown in money values and as a percentage of gross national product—which includes profits earned abroad—in the following table. United Kingdom direct investment abroad measures the amounts invested in share and loan capital, retained profits and trade credit by United Kingdom companies in their related concerns abroad.

					Direct investment overseas by UK companies (excluding oil)*		Direct investment overseas by USA companies (including oil)
					Value	Ratio to gross national product at current prices	Value	Ratio to gross national product at current prices
					£ million	Per cent.	$ million	Per cent.
1958	…	…	…	…	144	0·7	N.A.	N.A.
1959	…	…	…	…	196	0·9	N.A.	N.A.
1960	…	…	…	…	250	1·1	N.A.	N.A.
1961	…	…	…	…	226	0·9	N.A.	N.A.
1962	…	…	…	…	209	0·8	N.A.	N.A.
1963	…	…	…	…	236	0·9	3,483	0·6
1964	…	…	…	…	263	0·9	3,870	0·6
1965	…	…	…	…	308	1·0	5,400	0·8
1966	…	…	…	…	276	0·8	5,416	0·7
1967	…	…	…	…	281	0·8	4,807	0·6
1968	…	…	…	…	410	1·1	5,295	0·6
1969	…	…	…	…	549	1·4	5,960	0·6
1970	…	…	…	…	546	1·2	7,589	0·8
1971	…	…	…	…	676	1·4	7,617	0·7
1972	…	…	…	…	737	1·3	7,746	0·7
1973	…	…	…	…	1,621	2·5	11,353	0·9
1974	…	…	…	…	1,575	2·1	9,052	0·6
1975	…	…	…	…	1,094	1·2	14,244	0·9
1976	…	…	…	…	2,108	1·9	11,949	0·7
1977	…	…	…	…	1,790	1·4	12,898	0·7
1978	…	…	…	…	2,178	1·5	16,669	0·8
*Source: Department of Trade's overseas transactions inquiry results of which published in. Business Monitor, M4, Overseas Transactions.
† Derived from various issues of US Department of Commerce" Survey of Current Business".