asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the travel-to-work areas in England and Wales in which, at the latest convenient date, percentage unemployment was higher than for Northern Ireland.

Following are the employment office areas, either singly or grouped to form travel-to-work areas, which at 13 March 1980 had unemployment rates higher than the figure of 11·5 per cent. for Northern Ireland:

Camelford, Cardigan, Consett^*, Ebbw Vale^*, Falmouth, Hartlepool, Helston, Holyhead^*, Hunstanton, Ilfracombe, Kingsbridge, Lampeter^*, Liverpool^*, Mablethorpe, Newquay, Ormskirk^*, Rhyl, St. Ives, Skegness, Tenby, Tywyn, Wadebridge, Wearside^*, Whitby. Some of these areas are resorts, for which the rates may be higher in March than during the holiday season.

^*Travel-to-work area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the committees, councils, commissions, and other official bodies to which he has appointed members other than civil servants that have been established by him since May 1979, and state in each case the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

Since May 1979, nine wages councils for the retail trades have been amalgamated into two new councils. I appointed the following members to the new wages councils and show their full time employment against their name:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list those skillcentres it is proposed to close over the next three years; how many retraining places will be lost as a result; how many jobs will be lost; how much it is estimated these closures will save; and how this figure was arrived at;(2) what alternative training places will be provided in those places where skillcentres are to close; if he is satisfied that there are sufficient places available to meet demand and needs; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for the future development of the Industrial Health and Safety Centre in Horseferry Road.

I shall reply to the right hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of Stale for Employment (1) how many complaints of unfair dismissal under the Race Relations Act were heard by industrial tribunals in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979; how many were successful in each year; how many were supported by the Commissioner for Racial Equality in each year; and what percentage of these cases was successful;(2) what percentage of members of industrial tribunals hearing cases of unfair dismissal under the Race Relations Act come from ethnic minority groups; and if he is satisfied that such groups are sufficiently represented;

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will review the working of the retail price index, with a view to seeking ways to minimise the wide variation in the effect of raising the same amount of revenue through taxes on different categories of item, many of which are price inelastic.

[pursuant to his reply, 14 April 1980, c. 424]: Reasons for the variations mentioned were discussed in the reply given to my hon. Friend by my hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State, Treasury on 3 March. The figures that have been quoted for the effects on the RPI relate only to the direct effects of taxes on goods and services purchased by consumers. Purchases of goods such as petrol and derv are also made by businesses and tax changes on these will work through to the consumer to a varying degree and with varying time lags. If these indirect effects were also taken into account the variation in the effect on the RPI would be materially reduced. I am satisfied that the retail price index reliably reflects changes in prices paid by households and that it may be read in conjunction with the tax and price index if the effects of direct taxes are also to be taken into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps the Health and Safety Commission has taken to ensure that local authorities have appointed only persons having suitable qualifications to be inspectors under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; and if he is satisfied that only suitably qualified persons have been appointed.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 April 1980, c. 322]: It is the responsibility of those local authorities that are enforcing authorities under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to determine the suitability of persons whom they appoint as inspectors to enforce the Act and associated provisions. The Health and Safety Commission has issued guidance to local authorities on the need to ensure that inspectors are properly qualified for these duties.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has had from disablement organisations about the future of disablement advisory committees; whether they favour integration with manpower committees; when he expects to make a final decision on the future of the disablement advisory committees.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 April 1980, c. 421]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that in 1978 a working party of the National Advisory Council on Employment of Disabled People (NACEDP) sought the views of a wide range of organisations, including those representing disabled people on the future role and structure of Disablement Advisory Committees (DACs) and in 1979 invited their comments on proposals set out in a consultation paper. There was general agreement that local people on both sides of industry could play a useful role in promoting the employment of disabled people. There was a range of views on the most appropriate means of achieving this, including the possibility of integration with district manpower committees.NACEDP completed its report on the future of DACs in January 1980. The report will be considered in due course by the Manpower Services Commission, which will then make recommendations to the Secretary of State. We will want to consider the report and the commission's advice carefully before reaching a decision.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the Treasury minute of 31 December 1897 on the second report of the Public Accounts Committee 1897 concerning the death duties of Alexander III, Emperor of Russia, has been superseded; and, if so, if he will list all appropriate references;(2) whether the Treasury minute of 31 December 1897 on the second report of the Public Accounts Committee 1897 concerning the death duties of Alexander III, Emperor of Russia, is currently the source of the power of all revenue bodies to waive tax.

The Boards of Inland Revenue and of Customs and Excise, which have duties of care and management of their respective taxes laid upon them by statute, subject to the general direction of the Treasury, exercise powers to waive tax. Particulars of the number of cases and amounts in which assessed tax has been remitted are reported annually by categories to the Comptroller and Auditor General. He is empowered to select cases for scrutiny and is responsible for ensuring that matters of particular interest are brought to attention in his annual report on the Appropriation Accounts of the Department. These procedures are consonant with the recommendations made in the second report of the Public Accounts Committee 1897.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps would need to be taken in order to make available information about tax relief on covenants to educational charities.

Detailed examination of accounts and schedules in some 300,000 files would be necessary—possibly leading to delay in processing new repayment claims on these cases—and the results would not be wholly reliable because of the need to apportion on an arbitrary basis payments to charities with both educational and non-educational purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the tax treatment where a company pays subsidies on employees' meals; and to what extent such payments are allowed for tax purposes against profits by the company.

Subsidised meals are not taxable under the general income tax law. They are, however, taxable under the special rules for directors and higher-paid employees, unless the meals are provided on the business premises and are on a reasonable scale and luncheon facilities are also provided for employees generally. The value of meal vouchers provided by employers in excess of 15p a day is also taxable. Such expenditure would normally be allowable, under the general expenses rule, as a deduction in computing the profits of the company for tax purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue he estimates has been lost as a result of the loopholes in the development land tax legislation which allowed a developer to set up off-the-peg companies and benefit from the £50,000 exemption for each.

The amount of tax lost cannot be estimated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make retrospective his proposal to close the loophole in the development land tax legislation which allows a developer to set up off-the-peg companies and benefit from the £50,000 exemption for each.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total amount of deposits with United Kingdom banks held by residents of Zimbabwe which were blocked after the unilateral declaration of independence; and what arrangements are being made to allow these depositors to withdraw such moneys now that Zimbabwe has a legal Government.

It has been estimated that the value of Rhodesian assets blocked in the United Kingdom was probably in excess of £100 million. All restrictions on the transfer of sums deposited in United Kingdom banks by residents of Zimbabwe were lifted on 13 December 1979.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the committees, councils, commissions, and other official bodies that have been established by him since May 1979 to which he has appointed members other than civil servants; and in each case what are the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the sums paid to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue from the national land fund during the year ended 31 March, comprising the total for that financial year and a detailed breakdown in respect of the individual transactions concerned.

[pursuant to his reply, 2 April 1980, c. 248]: During 1979–80 the sum of £2,585,210 was paid to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue from the national land fund made up as follows:

	£
Paintings by Rubens and Bellini and a drawing by Martini	190,230
A Collection of Goya etchings	185,000
Representative items of Chinese armorial porcelain	1,670
Painting "A Frozen River Scene" by Aert Van der Neer	71,070
Painting "The Battle of Pavia" by an unknown Italian painter	16,500
Garter regalia of the 1st Earl of Northampton	151,400
Land in the Lake District	448,000
The manuscripts of Benjamin Britten	190,000
A group of five portraits from Arundel Castle	140,286
15 Paintings by Sir Winston Churchill and a flag	57,475
Painting "Death of Procris" by Elsheimer	52,375
Two paintings by Alfred Sisley	71,162
A painting "St. Tropez" by Renoir	53,065
Michelangelo drawings for "The Last Judgement"	98,970
The late Henry W. Williamson's collection of manuscripts	13,800
A collection of silver, silver-gilt and gold heirlooms	133,430
Seven illuminated manuscripts of the eleventh to fifteenth centuries	248,680
A drawing " Study of a Young Man " by Luca Signorelli	52,250
A collection of Hebrew manuscripts	331,597
The property "Labour in Vain" Farm, Puncknowle, Dorset	78,250

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of reducing income tax rates to the following: 25 per cent. on taxable incomes between £1 and £10,000, 35 per cent. on taxable incomes between £10,001 and £12,000, 40 per cent. on taxable incomes between £12,001 and £15,000, 45 per cent. on taxable incomes between £15,001 and £20,000 and 50 per cent. on taxable incomes above £20,000.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 April 1980, c. 333–34]: About £4.0 billion in a full year at 1980—81 income levels if the investment income surcharge were retained, or £4.3 billion if it were abolished.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if it is his intention, when he brings the maternity allowance within the tax system, to treat it as earned income in respect of a married woman's earned income allowance; and if he will make a statement;(2) if it is his intention, when he brings the sickness benefit within the tax system, to treat it as earned income in respect of a married woman's earned income allowance, and if he will make a statement;(3) if it is his intention, when he brings unemployment benefit within the tax system, to treat it as earned income in respect of a married woman's earned income allowance; and if he will make a statement;(4) if it is his intention, when he brings invalidity benefit within the tax system, to treat it as earned income in respect of a married woman's earned income allowance; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 30 April 1980, c. 550]: Yes; these benefits will be brought into income tax as earned income of the beneficiary, and thus qualify where appropriate for the married woman's earned income allowance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received regarding the operation of the Vagrancy Act 1824; and if he will make a statement.

We have received a number of representations from hon. Members and others suggesting that the suspected person offence in section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824 should be repealed or amended. We shall be considering this area of the law in the light of the forthcoming report of the Race Relations and Immigration Sub-Committee of the Home Affairs Committee on the suspected person offence and that of the Law Commission on the law of attempt.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the Representation of the People Act 1949 so as to give votes to those patients in mental hospitals who are currently disenfranchised as a result of having no alternative electoral address.

We have no present plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the functioning of the Police Complaints Board.

I shall consider, in the light of the board's first triennial review report, which I have recently received, what changes in the present arrangements, if any, are required.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when next he intends to meet the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

I expect to meet him soon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now in a position to make a statement announcing his decisions on the May committee report.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement which I made yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the imprisonment of Patrick O'Hagan on his release from a Northern Ireland prison for home leave to visit his family in Keighley with the full approval of the prison governor.

I have nothing to add to what I have already said in reply to questions by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to deal with the grievances of ethnic minority groups that their interests are being neglected by the Government.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to a question from the hon. Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Dubs).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to abolish the Commission for Racial Equality.

No. The Government remain committed to the advancement of equal opportunities and we believe there is a continuing role for the commission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the use of tape recorders during the interrogation of people suspected of, or charged with, crime.

This subject is under consideration by the Royal Commission on criminal procedure, which proposes to publish later this year a report of the research which it has commissioned on tape recording.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is yet able to announce the likely publication date of his White Paper on nationality law.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Melton (Mr. Latham) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to complete his review of Great Britain's civil defence arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

I expect to be able to make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the total cost to public funds of the inquiry and the coroner's inquest into the cause of the death of Jimmy Kelly.

I understand from the chief constable of Merseyside and the coroner that it will be some time before the total cost to public funds of the police investigations and of the inquest is known.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in his review of the possibility of introducing citizens band radio, he will take account of the fact that the majority of available equipment is suitable only for transmission in the 27 MHz band.

We have already concluded that it would be inappropriate to introduce the facility in the 27 MHz band. We are, however, continuing to examine the issues surrounding the introduction of the facility on a higher frequency and hope to be able to make an announcement very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to make a statement about reforming the prison system.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement which I made yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has completed the consultation process arising from the publication of the Williams report on obscenity.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to his question on 24 April.—[Vol. 984, c. 234–35.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects next to meet the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality.

In the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has had with local authorities regarding the letting of premises to organisations advocating racist policies.

None. Subject to their statutory responsibilities in respect of election meetings, this is a matter for local authorities themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the report of the chief constable of Avon and Somerset on the recent disturbances in Bristol, and if he will make an early statement.

No. Such reports are made to me in confidence. I have placed a memorandum based on the chief constable's report in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take action to implement the recommendations of the report by the town clerk and chief executive of the London borough of Brent, relevant to the fatal fire which occurred at a Kilburn hostel for single homeless people on 18 March, a copy of which has been sent to him by the right hon. Member for Brent, East, with particular regard to the need for greatly increased clarification of the law enabling local authorities and fire ser vices to improve fire precautions and better management and regulation of hostel accommodation for such people.

I am studying the report and will be discussing it with my right hon. Friends.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is able to give an assurance, from the traffic studies available to his Department, that the cancellation of the Whitebirk link road to the M6-M61 and the alternative strategy of upgrading the existing A6119-A677 north of Blackburn, will result in adequate provision for future traffic growth, and is not likely to cause a bottleneck in traffic flow.

Yes. The proposed new link between Whitebirk and M6-M61 has been cancelled because a motorway would not have attracted enough traffic to justify its construction. The A6119-A677 route, suitably improved, should cope with predicted traffic flows.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will list the committees, councils, commissions, and other official bodies to which he has appointed members other than civil servants that have been established by him since May 1979, and state in each case the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

Since May 1979 I have set up the inquiry on lorries, people and the environment.Sir Arthur Armitage, vice-chancellor and professor of common law at the University of Manchester, is conducting the inquiry and he is assisted by four assessors: Sir Henry Chilver, vice-chancellor of the Cranfield institute of technology, Professor P. J. Lawther, professor of environmental and preventive medicine at St. Bartholomew's hospital and the London Hospital medical schools, Miss A. Lees, county planning officer of Merseyside county council and Professor R. Rees, professor of economics at University College, Cardiff.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what projects have been carried out overseas by the New Towns Consortium since 4 July 1979; and what is the financial outturn to date.

Since 4 July 1979, the only new project carried out by the New Towns Consortium has been a further secondment to the World Bank for an advisory mission in Thailand. Costs and overheads have been recovered. In addition, the Department has been involved in setting up the secondment of new towns staff to assist, on repayment terms, with a housing project in Trinidad; and in arranging, at the request of the Government of Sri Lanka, an exploratory visit to that country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the committees, councils, commissions, and other official bodies to which he has appointed members other than civil servants that have been established by him since May 1979, and state in each case the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

I have established one public body since May 1979—the London Housing Staff Commission.The chairman of the commission is Mr. Philip Vine and there are two members: Mr. Wilfred Bowdell and Mr. John Dryden. All three are retired.I have also announced the appointment of the shadow chairman and deputy chairman of two urban development corporations. Mr. Nigel Broackes, chairman of Trafalgar House Limited, is the shadow chairman and Mr. Bob Mellish, Member of Parliament for Bermondsey the shadow deputy chairman of the London Docklands urban development corporation. Mr. Leslie Young, chairman of J. Bibby & Sons Ltd., is the shadow chairman and Sir Kenneth Thompson, chairman of the Merseyside county council, the shadow deputy chairman of the Merseyside urban development corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he plans to take to ensure that the release of surplus local authority land for private development is not prevented by the use of compulsory purchase powers by other local authorities.

Such orders would be contrary to Government policy, and I would reject them without an inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much has been paid in grants since the Coal Industry Act 1977 for the elimination of uneconomic capacity, the number of colliers affected and the miners transferred up to the most recent date for which figures are available; and how much uneconomic capacity remains to be closed.

The grants paid under section 6 of the Coal Industry Act 1977 have been £32 million to date. I am asking the chairman of the National Coal Board to write to my hon. Friend about the other points raised.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what use he has made of section 7 of the Coal Industry Act 1971 in the past year; and whether he intends to give any directions to the National Coal Board as set out in the section for divestment of particular operations or the sale of assets.

None, and I have no present plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has called for a report of National Coal Board activities or any part of them pursuant to section 6 of the Coal Industry Act 1971.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the committees, councils, commissions, and other official bodies to which he has appointed members other than civil servants that have been established by him since May 1979, and state in each case the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

No such body has been established since May 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has received a copy of the English translation of the report by the Netherlands Government on their investigation of the Khan affair.

Yes. A copy of English translation of the report, together with a copy of the translation of the letter sent by the Netherlands Government to the Netherlands Parliament, has been laid in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make a statement on the seventh round of offshore licensing.

I have today lodged in the House Library copies of a note describing the method of licensing I have decided on for the seventh round of offshore petroleum production licensing, and including a list and map showing the blocks for which I shall in due course be inviting applications for licences. The principal features of the arrangements will be as follows:

a. My aim is to license approximately 90 blocks, of which at least 20 blocks will be in the area set aside for company nominations;

b. I have listed 80 identified blocks for which I will be inviting applications: a maxi mum of 70 of these identified blocks will be licensed. In addition, companies will be able to apply for any block or blocks, of their own selection, in a defined area of the northern North Sea, as indicated in the detailed note of the arrangements for the round. Licensees will be required to make an initial payment of £5 million on grant of licence for each block licensed to them in this defined area.

c. Licences will be awarded by the normal discretionary method of allocation. In considering applications I shall take into account the applicant's technical competence and financial capability, and his previous per-formance and plans for the future on a range of other factors.

The amending regulations to govern the round and to modify certain model clauses will be made and laid before the House as soon as possible. The Gazette notices inviting applications and setting the closing date for receipt of applications will be published when the regulations come into operation. The notices will also set out the arrangements to give BNOC an option to take at market value up to 51 per cent. of the petroleum produced under the new licences.The arrangements I have decided on have been determined following consultation with interested organisations. During the course of consultations, the view has been put to me that the licensing of some areas, particularly in the English Channel and parts of the Moray Firth, is of major interest to the fishing industry and to organisations concerned with environmental matters, and that particular care and consideration are needed in the conduct of exploration and development in these areas. I agree with this view. Oil and gas activities must be carried out in a manner which causes as little inconvenience as possible to other marine users, and which safeguards the environment. When operating in blocks close to the shore, licensees must take special care to avoid pollution. Licensees working in areas of especial interest to the fishing industry should liaise with the relevant fishing organisations about oil and gas operations, and carry out these operations so as to cause as little interference as practicable to fishing interests. On more general environmental matters, I will expect that—as part of the process for preparing a development plan for a discovery near to shore—the licensee will normally carry out a study into the implications of the proposed development on the marine environment, on other users of the sea, and on local coastal areas, consulting the relevant local authority as appropriate. Any proposed installations onshore will be covered by the normal planning procedures.The Government are confident that the blocks to be offered for licensing, and the arrangements for the round, will provide worthwhile and attractive opportunities for the industry to extend its exploration for oil and gas reserves on the United Kingdom shelf.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements on 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will state her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 1 May.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 1 May.

I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours).

asked the Prime Minister if she will reconsider the date of the early May holiday for future years.

I understand my hon. Friend's reservations about the May bank holiday, but we have concluded that we should continue with the present arrangements since there are difficulties in each of the alternatives which has been suggested.

asked the Prime Minister if she will introduce legislation to designate the early May bank holiday as " Great Britain Day ".

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will take steps to introduce a ceiling on imports allied to a greater State investment in industry in order to revive Great Britain's manufacturing base.

A policy of import ceilings would be damaging to the economy, would be contrary to our international obligations and would invite retaliation against our exports. Increased State investment in industry would add to the burden of public expenditure and would need to be financed by higher taxation or higher borrowing—both of which would damage industry.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will set up a special investigation into the methods of reducing unemployment.

There are already a number of national and international bodies which are studying this problem. No useful purpose would be served by launching a new investigation.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the meeting of the European Council.

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement which I made to the House on 29 April.

asked the Prime Minister when next she intends to meet the Confederation of British Industry.

I meet representatives of the CBI at NEDC and on other occasions. Further meetings will be arranged as necessary.

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

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when next she expects to visit the Grampian region.

I have no immediate plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an early visit to Suffolk.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when he will make a statement in response to the report of the Select Committee on Overseas Development on British aid policy towards India, made in the last Parliament.

The Government hope to issue a reply to the Committee's report in the near future.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will take steps to prevent top civil servants such as the Head of the Civil Service from issuing political statements regarding the position of civil servants and their jobs and to ensure that such political comments are made only by Ministers of the Crown.

The Head of the Civil Service has issued no such statement. The hon. Member is presumably referring to press reports of the perfectly proper reply he sent to a letter to him from the secretary general of the Council of Civil Service Unions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will set out in the Official Report the criteria he now requires to be satisfied before he makes a reference to the Monopolies Commission.

My right hon. Friend has powers—apart from the independent powers of the Director General—to refer a variety of matters to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, including monopoly references, merger references and general references under the Fair Trading Act 1973 and questions under section 11 of the Competition Act 1980. There are no set criteria for the use of these powers, but in general he makes a reference only when a matter raises public interest issues requiring examination. The public interest may be affected in a variety of ways, but in considering references my right hon. Friend has in mind the considerations which the commission is required to take into account by section 84 of the Fair Trading Act, especially the desirability of promoting competition, of promoting the interests of consumers and of promoting industrial efficiency and innovation through competition. In deciding whether to make a merger reference he receives advice from the Director General of Fair Trading, and he has stated that his practice will be to follow that advice unless there are overriding considerations to the contrary.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish a table showing the proportion of United Kingdom home sales of automatic washing machines which is attributed to the main countries of manufacture of such products.

The information is as follows:

		percentage of home sales in 1979 (by number)
United Kingdom	…	54·8
Italy	…	41·1
Federal Republic of Germany	…	1·7
Spain	…	1·1
France	…	1·0
Other countries	…	0·3

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the progress of Her Majesty's Government's discussions with Canada on airline services between the two countries.

At the talks held in London during April the Canadian delegation was not willing to agree to access for United Kingdom airlines to the routes to Western Canada which have been a Canadian monopoly for 14 years unless the United Kingdom agreed to a further unbalancing of the arrangements by granting Canadian airlines unreciprocated rights to carry traffic between London and destinations of their choice between London and Hong Kong including the London to Hong Kong cabotage route itself. The Government believe that an exchange of rights for airlines of both countries to serve Western Canada would be fair and that the present Canadian monopoly is against the interests of the travelling public in both countries as well as being unfair to United Kingdom airlines.After unsuccessful talks over two years we therefore saw no alternative but to give notice that we could not continue the 1966 understanding which allows Air Canada to operate non-stop services to Western Canada after 1 April 1981. We have given a long period of notice and hope that in the meantime the Canadian Government will agree to further discussions which we have sought with a view to coming to fair and equitable arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the committees, councils, commissions, and other official bodies to which he has appointed members other than civil servants that have been established by him since May 1979, and state in each case the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade under what statutory provisions he is authorised to investigate the identity of the beneficial ownership of shares held by nominal shareholders.

Sections 172 and 173 of the Companies Act 1948.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what statutory provisions control the requirements of companies to publish full details of their share transactions in another company for which they are making a takeover bid; and what is the sanction when such regulations are broken.

Section 13 of the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 makes it a criminal offence to make a false or misleading statement in an offer document. An offer document distributed by a licensed dealer must disclose any holding by or on behalf of the offeror in the offeree company under the Licensed Dealer (Conduct of Business) Rules 1960 made under section 7 of the Act. The statutory rules do not apply to exempted dealers or to members of the Stock Exchange, but the Stock Exchange has its own rules to similar effect.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has any plans to extend the land mortgage agreement exemptions in the consumer credit advertisements and quotations regulations.

I propose to amend the regulations to extend the exemptions to transactions comparable to those carried out by the building societies, which have already been exempted, when carried out by bodies listed in the exempt agreements order. This is to avoid possible confusion to consumers that might

Date	Aircraft	Operator	Site	Fatalities
				Passengers	Crew
3 July 1970	Comet IV	Dan Air	Barcelona	105	7
2 October 1971	Vanguard	BEAC	Ghent	55	8
18 June 1972	Trident	BEAC	Staines	112	6
10 April 1973	Vanguard	Invicta	Hochwald	100	4
10 September 1976	Trident	British Airways	Zagreb	54	9
14 May 1977	Boeing 707	Dan Air	Lusaka	cargo flight	5+1*
2 September 1977	CL44	Transmeridian Cargo	Hong Kong	cargo flight	4
31 July 1979	HS 748	Dan Air	Sumburgh	15	2
16 February 1980	Britannia	Redcoat Air Cargo	Boston	cargo flight	5+2*
25 April 1980	Boeing 727	Dan Air	Tenerife	138	8
* supernumerary company staff

asked the Attorney-General if he will list the committees, councils, commissions, and other official bodies to which he and his noble Friend have appointed members other than civil servants that have been established by him since May 1979, and state in each case the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

A review body has been appointed by the Lord Chancellor to examine the work of the Chancery Division of the High Court. The members are the right hon. Lord Justice Oliver and Mr. J. M. Woolf, C.B. who does not hold a full-time post. Apart from this, the answer is " None ".

asked the Paymaster-General if he will list the com-

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish a list of all fatal air crashes since 1 January 1970 to date involving air transport aircraft on the United Kingdom register, indicating the operator, the site of the accident and the number of fatalities.

The information is as follows:mittees,councils, commissions, and other official bodies that have been established by him since May 1979 to which he has appointed members other than civil servants and in each case what are the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

I have not established any official bodies since May 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many short-stay beds for mentally handicapped persons there are in each county of Wales at the latest available date.

Beds in mental handicap hospitals are not designated according to length of stay.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the committees, councils, commissions, and other official bodies to which he has appointed members other than civil servants that have been established by him since May 1979, and state in each case the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

There is none for which I have the prime responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will arrange for the recent economic forecast that the unemployment in Wales will rise to 170,000 next year to be investigated by his Department, and if he will take the necessary steps to avoid such an economic crisis occurring.

The report's forecasts are speculative and I do not regard them as a basis for action.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the committees, councils, commissions, and other official bodies to which he has appointed members other than civil servants that have been established by him since May 1979, and state in each case the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State on 24 January.—[Vol. 977, c. 359–60.]

asked the Lord Privy Seal what consular facilities are being made available by Her Majesty's missions in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and South Africa to any British competitors taking part in the Moscow Olympics and the Lions' tour, respectively.

The same rules apply in either case. As was made clear by my hon. Friend the Minister of State in reply to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Hooley), on 27 March—[Vol. 981, c. 677.]—our missions in the Soviet Union and South Africa will afford normal consular assistance to any British people who may be involved in the Olympic Games or the British Lions' tour of South Africa. But such consular assistance does not include helping with the arrangements for the sporting events concerned.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list in the Official Report the Governments who have indicated their disapproval of athletes from their countries attending the Olympic Games.

According to the latest information available to us the following 37 Governments in addition to Her Majesty's Government have publicly indicated their disapproval of athletes from their countries attending the Olympic Games in Moscow: Albania, Australia, Bahrain, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Fiji, Haiti, Federal Republic of Germany, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, United States of America and Zaire.Other Governments are believed to hold similar views but have not so far stated them publicly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the committees, councils, commissions, and other official bodies to which he has appointed members other than civil servants that have been established by him since May 1979, and state in each case the names and full-time employments of those appointed.

The information is as follows: