asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the introduction of the new rate of secretarial allowance in accordance with the resolution passed in the House on 4 March.

I have instructed the Fees Office to meet claims for secretarial and research assistance allowance in accordance with the rates set out in the resolution tabled by the Government which will apply from 14 February this year. Questions arising from the amendment providing for payments in respect of secretaries' pensions, and questions of accountability, are being urgently considered and I shall be making a further statement in the near future.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received proposing the reform of the House of Lords.

I have received no such representations recently. On the general question of House of Lords reform, I refer the hon. Member to the reply of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Scunthorpe (Mr. Brown) on 17 March.—[Vol. 981, c. 28.]

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff are employed by the statistical section of his Department at present; and how many were employed at the same time five years ago.

The number of permanent and casual staff employed in the statistics division of the Department of Employment was 329 on 1 January 1980 and 290 on 1 January 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action his Department has taken with regard to the proposed study of local unemployment rates in Manchester, further to the Under-Secretary of State's meeting with representatives of the Manchester city council on 21 February; and if he will make a statement.

My officials are considering the proposals that were put to me at this meeting, and I shall be writing to the Manchester city council shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the presence of radon gas at South Crofty tin mine, Cornwall, on the investigations that have been carried out and on any interim findings and recommendations.

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will arrange for the special temporary employment programme providing aid for women's refuges to be continued after the end of 1980.

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if the Health and Safety Executive has received copies of the reports of Dr. Black and Dr. Ward provided for Coalite and Chemical Products in their inquiries into the effects of 2,4,5-T.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 March 1980, c. 383]: The Health & Safety Executive has now received copies of the reports referred to. These reports, which are not concerned with the effects of 2,4,5-T but are related to the medical condition of workers exposed to large quantities of dioxin following the explosion at Coalite's plant at Bolsover in 1968, are being assessed by the Executive.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what schemes were available in 1978 and 1979 to employ young people to help the elderly and disabled to insulate their homes; which schemes are currently available; how many young people were employed under these schemes in 1978 and 1979; and how many he estimates will be employed in the current year.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 March 1980]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission—MSC—that schemes were available in 1978 and 1979 to insulate the homes of the elderly and the disabled under the MSC's youth opportunities programme, the special temporary employment programme and the community industry scheme. All of these programmes are currently available, although schemes under the special temporary employment programme can now be sponsored only in the special development areas, development areas and designated inner urban areas. In addition, during 1978, schemes to insulate the homes of the elderly and the disabled, were also mounted under the job creation programme.Information is not available on how many young people were engaged on these types of schemes in 1978 and 1979 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I understand, however, that MSC is proposing for its own management purposes to carry out an inquiry into the number of such schemes which are currently operating and the number of people who are participating in them.

Wages Council	Estimated number of workers covered	Date of last wages order	Percentage increase over previous wages order	Date Council was established
Aerated Waters (England and Wales)	13,500	20. 2.80	15·4	1920
Aerated Waters (Scotland)	1,400	11. 9.79	15·4	1920
Boot and Shoe Repairing	7,900	20. 2.80	17·2	1919
Button Manufacturing	3,300	23.10.79	21·0	1920
Coffin Furniture	500	22. 1.80	16·0	1919
Corset	10,500	4. 2.80	12·5+5·0*	1920
Cotton Waste	400	18. 5.79	17·6	1920
Dressmaking (England and Wales)	96,800	14. 2.80	12·5+5·0*	1920
Dressmaking (Scotland)	1,300	7. 3.80	12·5+5·0*	1920
Flax and Hemp	2,300	31. 8.79	11·5	1920
Fur	5,100	1.12.76	10·0	1919
General Waste	20,200	1. 8.79	16·1	1920

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies are currently notified in the Keighley travel-to-work area.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 March 1980]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of redundancies currently notified, in the Keighley travel-to-work area, involves 43 employees employed in one firm.The number of proposed redundancies currently notified to the Department under the redundancy handling provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975, in the Keighley travel-to-work area, involve 333 employees employed in seven firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all the wages councils and, against each one, set out (a) the number of workers covered, (b) the date of the last wages order, (c) the percentage increase over the previous wages order and (d) the date of the institution of the council.

The information is shown in the table below. Wages orders determine minimum rates only and do not express any increases in percentage terms. The percentage increases given in the table have been calculated from the orders. They do not necessarily apply to workers paid above the minima.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the level of United Kingdom exports to the United States of America.

The level of United Kingdom exports to the United States of America was £4,047 million in 1979, which represented 9·5 per cent. of total United Kingdom exports. This was an increase in money terms of over 16 per cent. compared with 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what percentage of the British market is occupied by goods imported from Japan at the present time; and what the percentage was five years ago, 10 years ago, 15 years ago, and 20 years ago.

For the products of manufacturing industry, imports from Japan accounted for 1·1 per cent of the United Kingdom market in the 12 months to September 1979, 0·9 per cent. in 1975, 0·3 per cent. in 1970 and 0·2 per cent. in 1963. Figures for earlier years and 1965 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if, for chemical products made from petroleum and imported into the United Kingdom in substantial quantities, he will give (a) the quantity and average price per tonne of imports from the United States of America and the European Economic Community, (b) the quantity and average price of United Kingdom exports to the United States of America and the European Economic Community, (c) the amount of duty and value added tax on duty payable on imports from the United States of America and (d) the ratio of imports from the United States of America to imports from the European Economic Community.

To provide this information would entail undue cost, in view of the large number of chemicals produced from petroleum. Some details of imports and exports may be derived from the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom under SITC Section 5—chemicals and related products. Information on the duty payable on imports is given in Her Majesty's Customs and Excise tariff. Copies of these publications are in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade, further to his reply dated 11 March concerning imports of yarns of continuous polyester fibre, whether he will circulate in the Official Report a statement showing the proportion of polyester filament yarn—excluding high tenacity yarn—imported from the European Economic Community and the United States of America, respectively; whether he considers that imports from the European Economic Community are causing material injury to the domestic industry; what difference, if any, there is in the two situations; what steps he has taken to secure that imports from the United States are not replaced by imports from European Economic Community sources; and whether he is now in a position to object to the imposition of discriminatory restrictions on imports from the United Kingdom in cases where the United Kingdom supplier is not the dominant supplier and British goods are not the lowest priced.

The statistical information requested is as follows:

Percentage imports of polyester yarn filament (excluding high tenacity yarn) 651.44–651.46.
European Community
1976	68
1977	68
1978	61
1979	57
United States
1976	8
1977	6
1978	11
1979	25

There were no special factors affecting the price of imports from the Community, nor has there been a sudden surge of imports from them as in the case of imports from the United States. It is in any event, not possible to restrict imports from member States by quantitative limitations or to apply anti-dumping or countervailing duties within the Community. I am not aware of any discriminatory restrictions on United Kingdom exports.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what study he has made of the counterfeiting of British goods by Taiwanese and other foreign manufacturers and of the potential damage to British industry and British consumers; what further steps he is taking to reduce this counterfeiting; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 March 1980, c. 397]: I have nothing to add to the replies I have already given on this subject to the hon. Members for Coventry, South-West (Mr. Butcher) and Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 6 March.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on student awards.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have now completed a review of student awards. This has necessarily had to be conducted against the background of the difficult economic situation. Nevertheless, in addition to revaluing the parental contribution scale to take account of increases in earnings, we have been able to adjust it to relieve an extra 10,000 parents of the need to make a contribution. The starting point for contributions will be raised from a residual income of £4,700 to £5,800. There will also be some relief for parents with residual incomes slightly above this figure.The rates for 1980–81 will on average be 14·7 per cent. higher than the rate for 1979–80. This is the outcome of the assessment of the expected rise in living costs and takes into account increases in student costs since the last triennial review; but it also allows for an abatement by about five per centage points as a contribution to the Government's policy of restraining public expenditure.For undergraduates, the main rates of grant for the academic year 1980–81 will be increased as follows: from £1,485 to £1,695 for students living away from home in London; from £1,245 to £1,430 for students living away from home other than in London; and from £985 to £1,125 for students living at home. Supplementary grants will also be increased. The minimum maintenance grant will be increased from £335 to £385.Full details, including revised parental contribution scales and information about some minor improvements in the conditions of payment, will be announced shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what has been the ratio of teaching to non-teaching staff employed by the local authorities; and what has been the ratio of teaching to non-teaching costs, in each year since 1965 to the latest year for which figures are available.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 February 1980, c. 100–1], gave the following revised table:

RATIOS OF GROSS TEACHING TO OTHER COSTS
Financial year	Ratio of teacher salary costs to non-teaching staff salary costs	Ratio of teacher salary costs to overall non-teaching costs
1965–66	1:0·28	1:1·07
1966–67	1:0·29	1:1·10
1967–68	1:0·31	1:1·16
1968–69	1:0·32	1:1·20
1969–70	1:0·31	1:1·18
1970–71	1:0·33	1:1·18
1971–72	1:0·34	1:1·16
1972–73	1:0·34	1:1·12
1973–74	11:0·37	1:1·15
1974–75	1:0·33	1:0·93
1975–76	1:0·34	1:0·95
1976–77	1:0·35	1:0·98
1977–78	1:0·35	1:1·03
1978–79	1:0·36	1:1·08

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is now able to announce university grants for the academic year 1980–81.

The estimates for Class X (Education and Science, Libraries and Arts) Votes published on 26 March, which are subject to parliamentary approval in due course, include provisions for recurrent grants and for equipment and furniture grant to the universities. The provision for recurrent grant in the academic year 1980–81 is £987 million. This is a cash limit. This figure provides grant for home students at approximately the same level, in real terms, as in the academic year 1979–80.It is expected that full-time new home undergraduate entries in 1980–81 will be in the region of 75,000, that is, about the same level as in 1979–80: that this will lead to a total home undergratuate population of about 235,000; and that within these figures progress towards the target of 4,080 undergraduate entrants in medicine will be maintained. Home postgraduate numbers are assumed to remain at their present total of about 30,000. Home students are expected to be divided equally between arts and science.No provision is made for overseas students beginning new courses in 1980–81, for whom universities will be expected to charge full cost fees.The grant, which covers the period from August 1980 to July 1981, provides for pay and price rises of about 14 per cent. compared with the previous year. In determining the base line grant for these assumed increases in pay and prices, an allowance has been made for the actual rate of pay and price increases—including VAT—that occurred in universities in the academic year 1979–80. Additionally, realistic allowance has been made in both the baseline and the cash limit for 1980–81 for pay awards negotiated following recommendations by the Standing Commission on pay comparability.The grant of £987 million includes an earmarked sum of up to £5 million to be made available to universities, on the recommendation of the University Grants Committee, to help to ensure that uncertainty about prospective income from overseas students does not adversely affect selected postgraduate work of particular importance to this country, while universities are adjusting to the policy of full cost fees for overseas students. The grant also includes £1·5 million to enable the UGC to take over responsibility for Shore-ditch college when that college becomes part of Brunel University and £5 million in respect of expenditure which the UGC is to take over from the Computer Board in 1980–81.In addition to, and separate from, the grant of £987 million for the academic year 1980–81 I am making £1·6 million available in that year to help outstanding research students from overseas to attend British universities. The scheme, details of which were announced by me in the House on 27 November 1979—[Vol. 974, c. 565 and 566]—will be administered by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals.The Government have already provided an additional £43 million to the recurrent grant for the academic year 1979–80 and I can now announce that a further £62·4 million is being provided for that year in view of various changes in the assumptions underlying grant as originally announced.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her public engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 March.

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

asked the Prime Minister if she will discuss with President Carter the need for Anglo-American dual control of all United States nuclear weapons based in Great Britain.

No. I am satisfied with the current arrangements, which I set out in the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens) on 20 December.

asked the Prime Minister whether at the European Economic Community Heads of Government meeting on 31 March and 1 April she will raise the whole question of relations between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the member countries of the European Economic Community.

I shall certainly raise this question at the next Community Heads of Government meeting. In particular, the proposal for a neutral and non-aligned Afghanistan is likely to be discussed.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Longhaven.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to visit Stowmarket.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to announce changes in the membership of the Cabinet.

The hon. Member may assume that I do not intend to make any changes in ministerial appointments or responsibilities unless and until I make a statement to the contrary.

asked the Prime Minister if the Government intend to renew the right of individual petition from Great Britain to the European Commission on Human Rights which falls for renewal in January.

We shall reach a decision on this matter in good time before January 1981.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on her latest contacts with the British Olympic Committee.

I wrote to the chairman of the British Olympic Association, Sir Denis Follows, on 19 March following the debate in the House. The Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for the Environment met Sir Denis on 21 March and re-emphasised the Government's position and attitude.

asked the Prime Minister whether Mr. John Lippitt, deputy secretary at the Department of Industry, was in the course of the past five years privy to commercially confidential information provided to the Government by any competitor of the General Electric Company Ltd.

Yes. For this reason the major competitor of the General Electric Company in the heavy electrical sector was consulted before approval was given to Mr. Lippitt's taking up an appointment with that company.

asked the Prime Minister whether any Government action, comparable to that taken in respect of British athletes who intended to take part in the Olympic Games, will be taken in respect of players in the British Lions team who propose to tour South Africa.

The Government are taking the same line over the proposed tour of South Africa as we are over the Moscow Olympics. On both we have sought to advise and persuade the respective governing bodies against accepting their invitations.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the commercial and industrial uses of platinum, the quantity used annually in the United Kingdom and the sources of supply; what is the annual world production of platinum; what is the percentage mined in South Africa and the Warsaw Pact countries, respectively; and to what extent (a) exhaust emission converters for motor vehicles and (b) defence requirements have increased the use of the metal.

The main uses of the platinum group of metals in the United Kingdom are:

• Chemical catalytic processes,
• Electrical contacts,
• Petroleum refining catalytic processes,
• Scientific and laboratory equipment including electrodes,
• Glass-fibre production and glass processing,
• Thermocouples,
• Dental applications,
• Pen nib alloys,
• Jewellery and decorative applications.

The precise quantity of platinum group metals used annually in the United Kingdom is unknown, but in 1978 consumption was estimated at about 11 tonnes including recycled scrap. The United Kingdom's main source of supply are South Africa, Canada and the United States of America.World mine production of the platinum group of metals was estimated to be 200 tonnes in 1978, of which the Republic of South Africa and the USSR were estimated to have accounted for 46 and 47 per cent. respectively. The introduction of exhaust emission converters for motor vehicles has had a substantial impact on demand for platinum group metals in the United States and Japan only. Their use is not required in the United Kingdom.Questions about platinum demand arising from defence requirements are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he estimates that Airbus Industrie will decide on either a wide-bodied or 150-seater airliner; if the 150-seater project will be assembled in the United Kingdom; if so, where; if the Broughton, Clwyd, factory is being considered for the project; how many new jobs are likely to be created as a result of the project; and if he will make a statement.

Consideration of new airbus projects and manufacturing arrangements for them are primarily matters for the Airbus Industrie partners and it is not possible to indicate when decisions on these complex matters might be reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what are the amounts of interest and capital repayable on Government loans to the Meriden Co-operative now outstanding and overdue; since when; and what steps he is taking to recover them.

Interest totalling £1·468 million on the Government loan of £4·2 million had accumulated by 31 December 1979 and is overdue for payment. The company is in discussions with possible partners and it has not been appropriate so far to institute legal proceedings for recovery.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what action he plans to take in the light of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development study's findings regarding the impact of nationalised industry purchasing policies on commercial competitiveness.

I have been asked to reply.The Government are considering the ACARD report and will be responding in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the per capita saving to the taxpayer of each £10 million reduction in public expenditure.

There is no unique relationship between reductions in public expenditure and the effect on taxpayers. Any estimate made would involve numerous assumptions about the types of expenditure involved, overall macroeconomic policy and the response of the economy in general. Moreover, it would be subject to wide margins of error and therefore potentially misleading. It is, however, obviously true that within some aggregate revenue or public sector borrowing constraint lower public expenditure permits taxes to be lower than they would otherwise be.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any further objects have been accepted in satisfaction of estate duty or capital transfer tax.

Yes. A collection of the late Henry W. Williamson's manuscripts and other literary papers has been accepted in lieu of capital transfer tax.The cost borne by the national land fund, after allowing for relief from capital gains tax and capital transfer tax was £13,800.An announcement about the allocation of these papers will be made in due course by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister with special responsibility for the arts, after taking advice from the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what ways and means he is examining whereby the United Kingdom could reduce its import bill from non-European Economic Community countries including Japan and the United States of America as a way of reducing its levy payments to the European Economic Community budget.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 March 1980, c, 450]: I am not clear what ways and means my hon. Friend has in mind. The barrier faced by imports from non-EEC countries is, as be will be aware, determined by the EEC's common external tariff. The share of non-EEC countries in United Kingdom imports has steadily declined since the United Kingdom joined the Community.

asked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bottomley), as representing the House of Commons Commission, what proposals the Commission has for making public funds available so that Select Committees can make arrangements to travel if they consider it necessary to their scrutiny of Government policy.

These matters are still under discussion.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will call to the attention of the French Government the illegal landing of up to 30,000 tons of herring, caught in British waters, in Boulogne in the autumn of 1979.

I understand that the French authorities have instituted legal proceedings against 16 French vessels for alleged illegal landings of herring in Boulogne. Regular patrols undertaken by United Kingdom fishery protection vessels found no evidence of French vessels fishing for herring in the autumn of 1979 in those areas within British fishery limits where such fishing is banned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to ensure continued landing facilities for wet and boxed fish in the port of Hull.

The availability of such facilities is a matter for the British Transport Docks Board and the commercial interests concerned. I understand that discussions are being held between the interested parties.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the estimated acreage and tonnage of vegetables grown and harvested in the 1978 and 1979 seasons and the percentage of each vegetable crop frozen and canned in each of those seasons.

Information is not available in the form requested. The following table shows tonnages marketed during each of the last two calendar years and the approximate proportions which went for processing in 1978—data for 1979 are not yet available. This depends on estimating the original fresh weights from the processed weights. These figures can therefore only be taken as a broad guide to relative magnitudes and year-to-year changes in these percentages cannot be measured with any accuracy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take action to support the publicity drive being undertaken jointly by the Covent Garden Market Authority and the Covent Garden Market Tenants' Association.

Publicity at wholesale horticultural markets is a matter for the market authorities or the trade interests concerned. Since an increase in the business of one market could have repercussions on that of others, it would not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend to take action to support the publicity drive which is being undertaken jointly by the Covent Garden Market Authority and the Covent Garden Tenants' Association.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many bull calves, horses, pigs, sheep, day-old chicks and geese were exported live to Italy in the first six months of 1979; and what steps were taken to ensure that they were properly cared for in transit and humanely slaughtered in Italy.

Exports in the period January to June 1979 from the United Kingdom to Italy of animals of the categories mentioned were as follows:

Bull calves	55,010
Horses	153
Pigs	1,954
Sheep	47
Day-old chicks	78,807
Geese	nil

The welfare of these animals was protected by our domestic legislation and by the provisions of EEC directive 77/489 which protects animals during international transport within the European Community and when being imported into or exported from Community countries. The legislation controlling the export of horses from Great Britain is designed to prevent the export of horses for slaughter.Within the European Community, farm animals must be slaughtered humanely in accordance with the requirements of EEC directive 74/577, and any birds slaughtered in premises approved under directive 71/118 are subject to the provision which requires stunning before slaughter.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when a reply will be sent to the letter dated 15 January from the hon. Member for Goole to the hon. Lady, the Under-Secretary of State, about one of the hon. Member's constituents who had complained about rough treatment during a medical examination by a doctor appointed by his Department.

I wrote to the hon. Member on 24 March.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what considerations he has given to reducing the qualifying period for the payment of constant attendance allowance, from six months to two or three months.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to reduce the six-month qualifying period. The purpose of the allowance is to provide some financial assistance to those severely disabled people who have settled long-term attendance needs. Six months is generally accepted as the period needed to establish those needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what the loss in salary would be for a radiographer, superintendent I, on the maximum of the scale, if the existing hours of work were maintained under the Clegg salary recommendations;(2) what the loss in salary would be for a speech therapist who retains the existing hours of work and is a teacher on the maximum of the scale if the Clegg salary recommendations were adopted;(3) what the loss in salary would be for an occupational therapist teacher on the maximum of the scale if the existing hours of work were maintained under the Clegg salary recommendations.

On the assumption that there was a proportionate reduction in the recommended salary levels which apply for a standard 37½ hour week, the loss in salary compared with the salary currently in force, would be as follows:

Radiographer superintendent I	£455
Speech therapist teacher	£872
Occupational therapist teacher	£291

These losses are, however, entirely hypothetical since the management side of the professional and technical A Whitley Council proposed to the staff side that staff should have the option of retaining their present hours with no reduction in pay below present levels.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will reconsider the Supplementary Benefit Commission guidelines in order to encourage payment to claimants to cover charges made by local authorities for home helps, home nursing aids and such things as incontinence pads and similar necessities required by disabled people.

The Supplementary Benefits Commission issues its own guidance on the payment of benefit. As regards claimants who are charged by local authorities for a home help service, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 24 March. —[Vol. 981 c. 431–2.] Similar considerations apply where local authorities provide and charge for home nursing aids and incontinence pads, although such aids for the disabled are sometimes provided under the National Health Service free of charge.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is intended to estimate the size of minorities of non-European ethnic origin; if so, how; and how accurate these estimates will be.

In the absence of an ethnic question in the 1981 census, the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys will estimate the size of the ethnic minorities by reference to a variety of sources, in particular sample survey, in conjunction with other information from the 1981 census. The estimates will provide broad orders of magnitude at national and regional level.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to reply to the priority written questions by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, for answer on Friday 20 March, concerning social security benefits and home helps.

I replied to the right hon. Gentleman's question on 24 March. —Vol. 981, c. 431–2.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will list in the Official Report the ratio of field workers to administrators in social services (a) in Cambridgeshire, (b) nationally in the years 1968 to 1971, 1974 to 1977 and on the most recent date;(2) whether he will publish in the

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

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many prosecutions, and in which years, have been brought against officials in the Civil Service, who subsequently entered the employment of oil companies.

I take it that the hon. Member is asking about prosecutions connected with circumstances in which an official has left the Civil Service and subsequently joined an oil company. So far as my Department is aware, no such prosecutions have been brought.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the nature of the five-day show of Great Britain's advanced defensive techniques in nuclear, chemical and germ warfare in Washington next month.

About 20 United Kingdom firms will be visiting Washington for two days on 14 and 15 April to present to members of the United States Department of Defence a range of equipments developed in the United Kingdom which offer protection against nuclear, chemical and biological attack. The exhibition has been arranged in response to United States Government interest in United Kingdom protective equipment which already has a high reputation. Any sales of such equipment to the United States Government would have our support.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the herbicide 2,4,5-T has been used by British troops in Northern Ireland;(2) when was the last time that British soldiers were involved in spraying the herbicide 2,4,5-T; and whether any longterm study has been made of the side effects that these soldiers may have suffered as a result of spraying this subtance;(3) whether stocks of 2,4,5-T are still kept by the Armed Forces to be used as a defoliant;(4) why his Department does not consider it necessary to carry out an inquiry into the health of those British soldiers who were involved in spraying 2,4,5-T during the Malayan insurgency.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 February 1980.—[Vol. 977, c. 763–4]. From the records available, British forces have not used the herbicide 2,4,5-T except for the small-scale use during the Malayan campaign. No stocks of 2,4,5-T are held by the Armed Forces for military purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has received any approaches from British Shipbuilders for repair, refit or maintenance work on any of Her Majesty's ships or Royal Fleet Auxiliaries to be allocated to the Falmouth ship repair yard; and if he will list, in date order, the last three such jobs to be completed at Falmouth and the dates and shipyards of allocation of ail such work since the resources at Falmouth were last utilised.

No approaches have been made by British Shipbuilders about the Falmouth yard. The last three major jobs completed at Falmouth were:

Dry-docking, repainting and repair of floating crane: 15 October 1979.

Repair of RMAS "Typhoon": 19 October 1979.

Dry-docking, repainting and repair of two barges: 23 February 1980.

Several smaller jobs were also undertaken during this period. The yard is currently undertaking the conversion and refit of RMAS "Dolwen" and it has just been awarded a further contract for essential repairs to the survey ship HMS "Hecate".

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from local education authorities on the use of schools as polling stations.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will examine the means by which the annual cost of keeping a person in prison could be reduced, in real terms, while safeguarding the welfare of the prisoner.

We are looking closely at what the May committee has to say about strengthening financial management, but we do not think there is much scope for making economies. This is because some 80 per cent. of the net current costs goes on staff related expenditure which directly reflects the increasing size of the prison population. Of the remainder almost a half is spent on food and general supplies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy towards the public display of indecent material.

We fully recognise, as did the Committee on Obscenity and Film Censorship, the public desire not to be offended by the display and availability of such material. We shall consider the matter further in the light of the consultations which we are about to undertake on the committee's report and of the proceedings on the Bill introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now announce the date on which he can make a statement on telephone tapping.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he is giving in his review of the law on telephone tapping to the appointment of a committee of inquiry into the practice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now able to announce the date upon which he will make a statement on telephone tapping.

I shall make a statement next week.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is not still the practice of his Department when disposing of property which is surplus to requirements to offer it in the first instance to other Departments of State and to local authorities.

No. I refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Streatham (Mr. Shelton) on 13 June 1979.—[Vol. 968, c. 255.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are applied in the granting of visas to prospective visitors to the United Kingdom from Warsaw Pact countries; how many have been granted, and how many refused in the last 12 months.

All visitors, whatever their nationality, must satisfy the requirements of the immigration rules, in particular paragraph 17. I regret that figures for the number of visas issued and refused in Warsaw Pact countries are not available, but I refer the hon. Member to the "Control of Immigration Statistics" published each year, which contain some information about the number of visitors admitted from these countries and the total number of passengers refused admission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will next meet the chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when next he expects to meet the chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when next he intends to meet the chairman of the board of governors of the British Broadcasting Corporation.