asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will initiate discussion with the furniture industry with a view to the urgent development of a new safe foam at a reasonable price; and if he will consider introducing legislation which would enable him to reduce the mark up on furniture from the present level of 100 per cent. to 33⅓ per cent. in order to facilitate the use of the new product.

I do not consider that the foam manufacturers need to be reminded of the importance of developing, at a reasonable price, foam filling for domestic furniture that would better resist the dangers of fire. The manufacturers have already committed substantial resources on research into safer foams. Their latest research, which is designed to deal with the problem of smoke and toxic gases from burning foam, is receiving Government financial support through the Materials and Chemicals Requirements Board. I shall keep progress under review.I see no case for introducing legislation to control the mark up on furniture.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he now expects to be in a position to set out his proposals for a reform of the law in relation to copyright after his consultations on Cmnd. 8302, "Reform of the Law relating to Copyright, Design and Performers' Protection".

Consultation following publication of the Green Paper, Cmnd. 8302, last July, has not yet been completed. Upon completion, the Government will proceed to formulate legislative proposals as quickly as possible. However, the proposals will need to take into account European Community action in this field, in connection with which a memorandum is to be published by the Commission later this year. In these circumstances, I must now set a deadline for receipt of comments on the Green Paper and ask that they all be with my Department by the end of August so that we can negotiate in the Community with a full knowledge of the needs of the United Kingdom interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has made any use of his powers under section 3(1)(d) of the Estate Agents Act 1979; and whether he has any plans to declare any practice on the part of those engaged in estate agency work to be undesirable.

My right hon. Friend has not to date used those powers. He proposes to use them only if experience shows a need to declare a practice undesirable,

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how he proposes to dispose of the documentation held by the now defunct Registry of Business Names; and if he will ensure that the documentation will not be sold to private individuals or firms.

[pursuant to his reply, 22 March 1982, c. 229]: The records are now being dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Public Records Act 1958, in respect of registrations for England and Wales, and under that Act and the Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937 in respect of Scottish registrations.In the case of England and Wales, certain records are being selected for transfer to the Public Record Office for permanent preservation and public access; as an alternative to destruction, and subject to the approval of the Lord Chancellor, others may be made available to the London, Birmingham and Cardiff chambers of commerce, as being the only bodies which have been able to accept the conditions attached by the Government to the disposal of such records. The only financial contribution to public funds to be expected will be from the waste paper value of those documents which are to be destroyed.Because of the smaller number of registrations, the Scottish Record Office proposes to preserve and maintain public access to all documentation relating to former registrations in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many public library posts have been lost since 1976;(2) what is the most recent figure for the amount of money spent per capita of the population on public library books; and what was the comparable figure in real terms in 1978;(3) what is the most recent figure for the average amount of money spent per person by the metropolitan districts on

As the number of library authorities providing figures varies from year to year it is difficult to draw accurate comparisons. The latest year for which actual figures are available is 1980–81 and some tables are provided, as follows, which have been extracted from "Public Library Statistics: Actuals", published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The number of authorities responding is included in brackets below each figure; the total number of English library authorities is 108—39 non-metropolitan counties, 36 metropolitan districts, 32 London boroughs and the City.

Public Library Staff: England
Table 1
	1975–76	1980–81
Total Staff in Post	23,082	23,173
	(108)	(104)
Total Establishment	26,569	24,194
	(108)	(104)

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from the Football Association with regard to the School Premises Regulations 1981; what replies he has sent; if there is any action he proposes to take about the concern expressed to him; and if he will make a statement.

The Football Association has expressed its concern that the 1981 regulations specify smaller areas for school playing fields and its fear that local education authorities might sell surplus land to the detriment of schools and the community. I have replied that the new regulations were formulated after a careful and detailed study of current curricular practice and that local authority associations share my view that the new requirements represent an overall improvement.The 1972 regulations specified minimum areas but imposed no requirement about the nature or quality of the playing fields. Under the 1981 regulations, land can count towards the minimum legal requirement only if it is suitable for the playing of team games and laid out for that purpose; and playing fields must be able to sustain use for a minimum of seven hours per week.Authorities can consider any surplus land for use by the school and the community; they can make the surplus available for the sole use of the community; or they can dispose of it. This is for their decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will place in the Library, and summarise in the Official Report, the text of the draft agreement referred to in his memorandum dated 3 March relating to the proposed European Foundation, arising from document No. R/774/78 of the European Economic Community on the subject.

Yes. The text of the intergovernmental agreement setting up the European Foundation will be deposited in the House as soon as it is available. It is expected that the agreement will be signed on 29 March 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science under which article of the Treaty of Rome regulation R/774/78 relating to a proposed European Foundation is made; what financial commitment could arise under any international treaty or agreement entered into in respect of such a foundation; and what Class and Vote of the Estimates would sustain any contribution from the United Kingdom.

The European Foundation will be set up by an intergovernmental agreement of the 10 contracting States which are also member States of the European Community.A separate agreement will be concluded between the foundation and the Community to cover Community participation and a modest financial contribution. The foundation will also seek funds from other sources. Under article 5 of the Own Resources Decision of 21 April 1970, the United Kingdom contributes to the EC budget as a whole and would not contribute separately to the European Foundation.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what aid is being given to the Government of Ethiopia.

The only United Kingdom aid currently being given to Ethiopia from the bilateral programme represents the completion of existing commitments; expenditure in 1981–82 is estimated at £4,000. In addition, we have for humanitarian reasons supplied 1,500 tonnes of cereals—worth approximately £180,000—from that part of our food aid programme allocated directly to developing countries. Ethiopia also indirectly receives aid from the United Kingdom through various multilateral channels—such as the European Community, the World Bank and the World Food Programme.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the non-supply of food to Vietnam since January 1981 has been on political grounds.

It was decided in 1979 in the light of the Government of Vietnam's policies on human rights and other issues that no further United Kingdom bilateral aid should be given to Vietnam. The circumstances have not changed, and consequently there has been no resumption of United Kingdom aid—food aid or other—to Vietnam.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether any restrictions are placed on the import of natural gas from abroad by United Kingdom producers apart from provision made in the Petroleum Production Regulations 1976.

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make an assessment of the cost of a home heating rebate scheme based on criteria identical to those used for the rate rebate scheme, assuming the gas and electricity consumed to be equal in value to the rates paid by the householder or consumer and that the rebates paid would be equal in value to the rate rebates now paid.

The cost of such a scheme would be the same as the cost of paying rate rebates. In 1980–81, in England, Wales and Scotland, about £270 million were paid in rate rebates. In 1981–82, it is estimated that about £350 million will have been paid. This expenditure reflects the fact that only about two-thirds of those eligible apply for rate rebates. Such expenditure on a home heating rebate scheme would, of course, be additional to the heating additions already paid to supplementary benefit recipients which are currently amounting to over £250 million per year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in respect of the Metropolitan Police area, how many of the 5,889 reported cases of street robbery in 1981 resulted in the detection of the offender; how many of those cases were prosecuted and what was the breakdown of the court disposal; and what further steps will be taken by the police to improve the detection rate and thus prevent these crimes.

We understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that in 1981, 731 offences of street robbery of personal property in the Metropolitan Police district were cleared up. Some of these offences may have been committed in previous years. As street robbery of personal property does not constitute a separate legal offence category figures of persons prosecuted for these offences are not available. The Commissioner has constantly under review the operational response of the Metropolitan Police to crime, including street robberies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken during the past 12 months to draw to the public's attention the danger of fat pan fires; and what steps he proposes to take to do so during the forthcoming 12 months.

Measures in the past year have included a television advertising campaign in the Tyne-Tees and Harlech areas, as part of a series of regional campaigns; the provision of "filler" films and radio tapes for use by television and radio stations; and the production and distribution of over a million booklets and leaflets and nearly a quarter of a million stickers. A similar programme is planned for the coming year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average waiting time taken to complete an application for naturalisation; and whether he proposes to speed up the process;(2) what is the average waiting time for applicants for registration for citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies at the most recent date; and whether he proposes to speed up the process.

The current average waiting times are 2 years 4 months for the registration at discretion of Commonwealth citizens settled here since 1 January 1973, 10 months for other registrations—mainly entitlements—and two years for applicants for naturalisation.We are taking steps designed to reduce somewhat these waiting times. These include measures taken as a result of the recommendations of the scrutiny in 1980, under the guidance of Sir Derek Rayner, into the handling of applications for citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies and, recently, the provision of some additional staff for the division concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the present prison population holds a citizenship other than that of the United Kingdom and Colonies; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-British subjects are currently serving terms of imprisonment in the United Kingdom; and what would be the savings to public funds if these persons were transferred to prison in their own countries.

Information is not recorded centrally on the nationality of persons serving sentences of imprisonment in prison department establishments in England and Wales. However, of the 28,300 prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment on 31 January 1982, about 3,100 were known to have been born outside the United Kingdom and for about 1,000 their country of birth was not known; some of these persons will be citizens of the. United Kingdom and Colonies. It is not possible to quantify the savings which would result if it were possible to transfer to their own countries all of those who were possible to transfer to their own countries all of those who were not citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies. However, the saving would be much less than the average cost of maintaining that number of prisoners in prison department establishments in England and Wales, and against any saving would have to be set the additional costs arising from repatriation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in regard to each of the 25 police killings in England and Wales since 1965, what the method of killing was; whether any were attributed to acts of terrorism; whether the alleged killer was arrested and what was the subsequent court disposal; and, where there was no arrest, whether the alleged offender is known and still sought.

We will reply as soon as possible.

asked the Attorney-General what was the cost to public funds of the trial of the five Humberside police officers recently acquitted at York Crown court of offences relating to the possession of controlled drugs and incitement.

I regret that this information is not yet available.

asked the Attorney-General why the Director of Public Prosecutions decided to prosecute in the case of the five Humberside police officers recently acquitted at York Crown court for offences relating to the possession of controlled drugs and incitement.

The Director of Public Prosecutions decided to prosecute having taken the opinion of leading and junior counsel. The case was committed for trial after a full hearing by a stipendary magistrate. The learned trial judge ruled in reply to a submission by the defendants at the close of the prosecution case that there was a case to go before the jury.

asked the Prime Minister if she will ensure that in any consideration of rating reform and review of taxation, full account is taken of the potential total of rates and income tax which is payable by any individual, and the proportion of personal disposable income which this may represent.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will introduce legislation to provide for the compulsory fitting of vehicle exhaust gas filters to eliminate lead from vehicle emission.

The Government considered the case for lead filters before deciding that it is preferable and more effective to reduce the lead content of petrol from 0·4 to 0·15 grammes per litre. This will reduce the lead emissions from vehicles by more than 60 per cent. If a further reduction were required, filters would be considered as an alternative to lead-free petrol.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to the reply of the Minister of State, Official Report, 1 March, c. 49, if he will detail for each of the medical categories of posts (a) how the independent sector can contribute, (b) his estimate of the present extent of this contribution in financial terms and (c) the level of contribution he would regard as satisfactory in present conditions.

I assume the hon. Member intended to refer to paramedical staff, who were referred to in the reply of 1 March.The contribution of the independent sector could comprise an appropriate combination of training facilities provided in the independent sector and support for students at NHS training establishments.Precise information about staff training costs borne by private hospitals is not available to the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking in the light of the report of Professor Payne and others to the Hereford and Worcester area health authority of their investigation into the case of Mr. David Woodhouse, to clarify the Manufacturer's instructions for the use of the type of anaesthetic ventilator utilised on that occasion; and what advice he is giving to consultant staff on its use.

We are bringing the circumstances of the tragic incident at the Hereford county hospital to the attention of consultants at other hospitals which have the same type of anaesthetic ventilator. The manufacturers are urgently rewriting the instructions in consultation with technical staff of the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish figures in the Official Report showing the numbers currently receiving supplementary benefit and the average weekly amounts of benefit on the same basis as in tables 3.27 and 3.28 of the 1980 edition of the Annual Abstract of Statistics.

The latest available comparable information is contained in the 1982 Annual Abstract of Statistics, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the numbers of persons currently receiving benefit under the social security Acts broken down on the same basis as in table 3.16 of the 1980 edition of the Annual Abstract of Statistics.

For most benefits the latest available end-of-year figures for the number of persons receiving social security benefits in the United Kingdom are shown in table 3.16 of the 1982 edition of the Annual Abstract of Statistics, a copy of which is in the Library. The United Kingdom figures for maternity benefit are 685,000 and for industrial disablement pensions 200,000. A United Kingdom estimate for the numbers receiving widows benefit is not available. I should point out that the figures for maternity benefit are the total number of awards of maternity grant, with or without maternity allowance, during the year ending 31 December 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing unemployed claimants analysed by benefit entitlement at the latest date on the basis of table 3.17 of the 1980 edition of the Annual Abstract of Statistics.

The comparable figures for November 1980, which are the latest available, are shown in table 3.17 of the 1982 edition of the Annual Abstract of Statistics.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money the Government have paid to the North-East Lancashire area since 1979, including a yearly breakdown in the form of (a) unemployment benefit and (b) social security benefit.

No central records of expenditure by area are kept. Expenditure by region, however, is given in the Government statistical service publication "Regional Trends"—copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. Volume 16 covers 1978–79 and volume 17 covers 1979–80.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, assuming that price rises between November 1981 and November 1982 are as forecast, what will be the loss or savings to the Exchequer in social security benefits payment from November 1979 to November 1983 as a result of inaccurate forecasting in that period and subsequent adjustment of benefits.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 March 1982, c. 130.]: A net saving of about £85 million to the Exchequer, and about £10 million cost to the national insurance fund, including the cost of making good in November 1979 the shortfall from the 1978 uprating.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will convert the planned expenditure for local authority current and capital expenditure, respectively, on the personal social services for 1982–83 given in paragraph 11.2 of table 2.1 of Cmnd. 8175 into cash on the basis used in Cmnd. 8494; and what percentage change is represented by the revised plans for 1982–83 presented in Cmnd. 8494.

The information requested is as follows:

	Net Current Expenditure	Capital Expenditure
Cmnd. 8175 (revalued)*	1,678	102
Cmnd. 8494*	1,857	102
Percentage change	+11	—
* £ million, cash.

As explained in Cmnd. 8494, the figures are necessarily tentative; it is for local authorities to make their own choice between services within the limits of their statutory obligations.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the organisations which have sent comments to him on the "Report of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on Industrial Diseases" (Cmnd. 8393); if he has any plans to introduce legislation to implement the report's recommendations; and if he will make a statement.

Since the council's report was published last October, comments on various aspects of it have been received from the British Insurance Association, the Co-operative Wholesale Society, Gloucestershire county council and the TUC. The Department is studying the report's recommendations very carefully and I will be making a statement in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action has been taken to implement the recommendation of the joint working group ort personal social services that the formula of charges for mentally ill and mentally handicapped residents in employment should be extended to all employed people in residential care under part III of the National Assistance Act 1948; and if he will make a statement.

Implementation depends on the making of amendment regulations, work on which is proceeding.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of the National Health Service budget for England was spent on preparing the service to meet the impact of war for the last financial year for which figures are available.

Regional health authorities were allocated £520,000 in 1981–82 for the employment of emergency planning officers. Actual expenditure figures for 1981–82 are not yet available, but on the latest estimate of £10,900 million for total NHS expenditure, the proportion allocated for these posts is about 0·0047 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation concerning the practice of Liverpool city council of accepting the need of disabled people for a telephone but placing them on an indefinite waiting list; what action he has taken; and if he will make a statement.

RADAR has suggested that the authority is in breach of a statutory duty. The Department is making inquiries into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy towards using the powers provided under section 36 of the National Assistance Act 1948 to require local authorities to perform the duties placed upon them under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

If any case is referred to my right hon. Friend in which there is evidence that an authority may be in breach of the duties imposed by section 2 of the 1970 Act in a particular instance I will look into the matter and take all appropriate action.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will meet the Procurator Fiscal for Perth to discuss the number of prosecutions for illegal parking of caravans.

My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate and I regularly meet procurators fiscal. I have no plans at present to meet the procurator fiscal for Perth although my noble and learned Friend and I have recently been in correspondence with him about the illegal parking of caravans.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether information held on computers by the Department of Health and Social Security will be made available to the Inland Revenue to help set up its new computerised system for pay-as-you-earn.

The Inland Revenue commonly uses national insurance numbers as reference numbers for individual taxpayers—for example, in the computerised PAYE system at East Kilbride. When the new nation-wide computerised system comes into operation, it too will use national insurance numbers.When the new system is set up, the Inland Revenue would, in the normal way, transfer the basic information relating to each taxpayer from the existing paper files to the new computer records manually. This would be a substantial and expensive task and, given the use of the same series of national insurance numbers by both Departments, it would be more efficient and save a great deal of cost if this basic information were transferred direct from the DHSS computer records. The information in question would be restricted to name and address, date of birth and title. Most of this information is already in the possession of the Inland Revenue, although commonly the date of birth has not hitherto been recorded in every case. No other exchange of computer information for setting up the basic record for the PAYE system is contemplated and no further exchanges for this purpose would be made without public announcement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the reasons for the merger of the Blyth and Morpeth Building Society with the Northern Rock Society.

I understand that the directors of the Blyth and Morpeth Building Society have not yet circulated to their members the statement commending to them the special resolution which will be required to give effect to the proposed merger. However, the press release issued by the directors announcing the proposal on 19 February stated:

"The decision to seek a merger has in part arisen from accounting irregularities noted in the annual audit of the Blyth and Morpeth Society's affairs".

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information is being sent to members of the Northern Rock Building Society about the merger with the Blyth and Morpeth Society; and whether the views of Northern Rock Members are being sought on the desirability of the merger.

I understand that the chairman of the Northern Rock Building Society will be mentioning the proposed merger at the annual general meeting of the society later this week. It will be for the board of the Northern Rock Building Society to decide whether to put the proposed transfer of engagements to its members, either at a special meeting or in writing, or whether to seek from the Chief Registrar dispensations under sections 19 and 20 of the Building Societies Act 1962 from the requirement that the transfer of engagements should be put to the members. It is not for me to anticipate either the board's decision or the outcome of any application to the Chief Registrar.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies is aware of and has approved the two recent circulars sent by the general manager of the Anglia Building Society; and whether he will place copies in the Library.

The Chief Registrar is aware of the two circulars from reports in the press. His approval of them was neither required nor sought.I understand that the general manager of the Anglia will be sending to the hon. Member a copy of the board's circular to members.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies is aware of the contents and has approved the circular dated March 1982 sent by a member of the Anglia Building Society to other members of that society; and if he will place copies of that circular in the Library.

The Chief Registrar saw a draft of the circular. This was a result of the conditions put on the direction giving the member access to the register of members, to which I referred in my earlier reply to the hon. Member on 8 March.—[Vol. 19, c. 304.] The draft was submitted to the society and it expressed its right to object to the Chief Registrar on the grounds that the draft contained, or was likely to be construed by some readers as containing, misrepresentations as to fact. The Chief Registrar ruled on the submissions made by the member and the society on these points.The Chief Registrar ruled only on the facts in dispute. He did not approve the circular in the sense that he did not comment on either the presentation or the arguments in which the facts were used.The member of the society concerned has supplied me with a copy of the final version of the circular, and I am arranging for it to be placed in the Library.

Percentage change, year on year
	Wages and salaries per unit of output in manufacturing	Import and export unit values: Finished manufactures exc. ships, North Sea installations and aircraft		Wholesale price index: output other than food, drink and tobacco
	Percent	Imports Percent	Exports Percent	Percent
1977 on 1976	+9	+14	+21	+18
1978 on 1977	+13	+8	+12	+9
1979 on 1978	+14	+2	+8	+14
1980 on 1979	+22	+4	+10	+18
1981 on 1980	+9	—	—	+9

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing output per head each year since 1970 on the basis of total output divided by the total labour force, including those available for, but without, work.

A series for output per head, obtained by dividing the output measure of gross domestic product by estimates of the working population at June of each year, is provided in the following table:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the information upon which he has calculated that unit labour costs have increased only 2½ per cent. over the past year; and if he will publish in the Official Report the corresponding figures for the increase in wholesale prices and in export prices together with the reasons for any differences.

The figure of 2½ per cent. corresponds to the increase over the year to the fourth quarter of 1981 in the revised series for "wages and salaries per unit of output in manufacturing", which has been developed by the CSO and Department of Employment. Details of the technical improvements to the series are to be published in the March edition of Employment Gazette. Over the same period, wholesale output prices increased by 11 per cent. while the unit value index for exports of manufactures increased by 9 per cent. Movements in these indices reflect changes in material costs and margins as well as wages and are affected by the different product mixes and market conditions at home and abroad.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the increase in unit cost in manufacturing industry in each of the past five calendar years together with the increase in (a) unit values of imports and exports of finished manufactures and (b) wholesale prices less food, drink and tobacco.

The following table provides the latest available estimates:

(1975=100)
	Whole economy: Output per head of working population
1970	95·5
1971	97·6
1972	100·3
1973	104·7
1974	102·8

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the change in the historical series in Economic Trends for the savings ratio and real disposable incomes; and whether the change in these series has any implication for the price and wage effect of changes in the exchange rate as shown in the Treasury model.

Revisions to the historical series of estimates of personal disposable income, consumers' expenditure and hence the saving ratio are usually made in the April and October editions of Economic Trends as more accurate information on the components of these series becomes available. Details of such changes may be ascertained by reference to these publications.In the Treasury model the main implications of these series is for the relationships for consumers' expenditure which play only a relatively minor and indirect role in the process by which wages and prices are affected by changes in the exchange rate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report the change in the exchange rate from January 1976 to the most recent convenient date between the £ sterling and a basket of relevant major currencies including the percentage depreciation or appreciation as appropriate in each case.

The sterling effective exchange rate, the rate of exchange between the £ sterling and a trade weighted basket of overseas currencies, is published monthly in Financial Statistics—for example, table 13.3 in the February 1982 issue. The construction of the effective exchange rate index is described in the March 1981 edition of the Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin. The rates between the £ sterling and the currencies in the basket are listed in Financial Statistics, February 1982, table 13.1 for recent dates in Financial Statistics No. 166, February 1976, table 104 for January 1976.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role is played by the Treasury in assessing alternatives to domestic rates.

The Treasury has an interest in all matters affecting public finance and plays an appropriate role in assessing alternatives to domestic rates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if rating reform plays any part in his review of the taxation system; and if he will make a statement.

As the Green Paper on alternatives to domestic rates explains, local taxation is an important component of the United Kingdom tax system. It is necessary, therefore, to bear both local and national taxes in mind when considering changes to either. The Green Paper explains the implications for national taxes of changes in local taxation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the loss in revenue to the Government of unemployment in the North-East Lancashire region.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish a new edition of the White Paper which lists the members of public boards of a commercial character.

A new edition of the White Paper listing members of public boards of a commercial character was published today as a Command Paper—Cmnd. 8526—and is available in the Vote Office.This is the last edition of the White Paper in its present form. The Government had decided to amalgamate it with the management and personnel office's publication "Non-Departmental Bodies: Facts and Figures". The first edition of the new publication will appear in about a year's time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the net total of new savings collected through the savings banks and national savings certificates in the latest period for which figures are available.

Figures for 1981–82 are available up to the end of February. Over this period the net total balances held in the National Savings Bank ordinary and investment accounts increased by £613 million. The increase in holdings of savings certificates in the same period was £3,182 million. Both totals include provision for interest and index-linking.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the rate of steel output grossed up to a seasonally adjusted annual rate in (a) May 1979 and (b) December 1981; and how much steel making capacity was operational in (a) May 1979 and (b) December 1981.

The available information is as follows:

United Kingdom Crude Steel: Production and capacity
	Million tonnes
	Production* (Annual rate)	Capacity†
May 1979	22·3	28·9
December 1981	15·2	25·5
* Annual rate based on seasonally adjusted data. Monthly figures move erratically, and comparison of such figures must be made with caution.
† Monthly information on capacity is not available. Figures are given on an annual basis; that for 1981 is an estimate made at the beginning of that year.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what the financial cost would be of granting full development area status to North-East Lancashire.

The main benefit of special development or development area status is the availability of regional development grants, which are paid on investment expenditure incurred. However, data on investment are not available for specific areas such as North-East Lancashire and it is therefore not possible to make a realistic estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what plans he has to extend the work of the manufacturing advisory service.

The manufacturing advisory service, which provides subsidised consultancy to small and medium-sized firms, has up to the present been restricted to firms in the engineering sector. From April 1 this restriction is being removed and the service will be available to the whole of manufacturing industry, and a further £3·7 million is to be made available over a three-year period. The eligibility limits remain at 60–1,000 employees.The extension to non-engineering sectors will result in an increase in the number of applications for the service. Management of MAS for the whole country is at present carried out by PERA, the production engineering research and consultancy organisation at Melton Mowbray, but from April 1 management in the North Western region only will be taken over by Salford University Industrial Centre Ltd to avoid overloading PERA's staff resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether, pursuant to the reply given by the Minister for Industry and Information Technology to the hon. Member for Cornwall, North on 22 March, Official Report, c. 674, he will give further details of the arrangements he has made for the second stage of the liberalisation of value added network services.

The Department of Industry is distributing a guide to the licensing arrangements which will apply after 1 April. The guide confirms that applications may be sent to the Department and announces the appointment of an independent panel of advisers to the Secretary of State. It also sets out the criteria for eligibility, which state that the proposed value added service should be:

(a) stored by the value added operator for the purpose of being subsequently retrieved or forwarded;

(b) processed by the value added operator in such a way that when delivered the messages have been clearly altered as to format, protocol or content.

I am arranging for a copy of the guide to be placed in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with regard to the sale of 132 vacant houses at RAF Dishforth, surplus to requirements, since letters on the subject to the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton, dated 20 September 1979 and 25 March 1981; and if he will make a statement.

The houses have now been withdrawn from sale as there may be a further RAF need for them.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the open market value of the 132 surplus to requirement houses at RAF Dishforth; how much has been spent to date on their care and maintenance, and by whom, since they fell vacant; how much has been paid and by whom to the local authority in rates, whilst vacant; and if he will make a statement.

It has not been possible to obtain the information requested in the time available. I shall therefore reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present position with regard to the disposal of RAF Lindholme.

Use of the RAF Lindholme estate by the Royal Air Force will cease at the end of this month. A possibility of using the site for other defence purposes remains, but if no such use is forthcoming the property will be passed to the Property Services Agency for disposal.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the agreement with Iraq for the servicing and repair of Chieftain tanks captured by Iraqi forces in the Persian Gulf war; and what conditions he has applied to their use.

No agreement has been concluded yet, but the Government have given approval for negotiations to proceed with the Iraqi authorities to assist in the repair of certain tanks captured during the war. It is for the Iraqi authorities to decide on the use of these tanks once repaired, but no ammunition is being supplied.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what rate of return on investment he seeks to achieve for energy conservation measures within buildings under his control.

For the defence estate, energy conservation measures requiring capital investment are normally carried out by the Property Services Agency on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, which allocates funds for the purpose. There is no minimum rate of return, but at present the majority of schemes have a pay-back period of up to five years.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans for broadening career opportunities for medical personnel serving with the Royal Navy.

From 1 April 1982, entry to Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service will be open to both men and women. From the same date, a number of paramedical posts will be upgraded to officer status to take account of the high academic standards and levels of skills now required. These posts will be open equally to both men and women, including those who have obtained suitable qualifications in civilian life and who wish to enter the Royal Navy on short service commissions.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence under what provisions of the British Nationality Act 1948 and of the British Nationality Act 1981 registration as citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies or British citizens, as the case may be, of recruits who hold citizenship of the Irish Republic and no other is or, as the case may be, will be affected.

I have been asked to reply.Citizens of the Irish Republic who apply for registration as citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies while serving in Her Majesty's Forces are normally registered under section 5A(2) of the British Nationality Act 1948—under which there is discretion to accept a shorter period of ordinary residence than the usual five years—or, if they are minors, under section 7 of the Act. Those who have been settled in the United Kingdom since before 1 January 1973 have an entitlement to registration under section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1948 as modified by paragraph 2 of the first schedule to the Immigration Act 1971.When the British Nationality Act 1981 comes into force, citizens of the Irish Republic serving in Her Majesty's forces who wish to obtain British citizenship will normally have to apply for naturalisation under section 6 of the Act. Those who are minors may be able to be registered under section 3 of the Act and those who have been settled here since before 1 January 1973 will be able to look to section 7 of the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set up an investigation into the cost and effectiveness of the mandatory fitting of exhaust gas filters to all petrol driven vehicles to reduce the lead emitted in exhaust emissions.

The Government assessed the cost and effectiveness of lead filters before deciding to reduce the lead content of petrol from 0·4 to 0·15 grams per litre. My Department is aware of recent developments in this field and is keeping them under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to route the M1-A1 link road in Northamptonshire through the battlefield of Naseby; and if he will make a statement.

I am looking at possible routes both north of Naseby, where the battlefield is, and to the south. My firm proposals, which I hope to publish later this year, will take full account of the claims of the battlefield and of all other relevant factors, including costs, the effect on the countryside and the interests of local residents. A public inquiry will almost certainly be needed before a final decision is taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what quantities of dangerous substances have been transported by rail each year since 1979; and how many accidents have occurred in this period.

I understand from the British Railways Board that dangerous substances totalling 8·7 million tonnes were transported in 1979, and 8·1 million tonnes in 1980. Figures for 1981 are not yet available. Separate information on accidents involving dangerous substances is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated cost of the Stansted airport inquiry.

The estimated cost to the Exchequer of the Stansted inquiry, including accommodation for the remaining session at Quendon and the forthcoming sessions to consider Uttlesford district council's application to develop a fifth terminal at Heathrow but excluding the salaries and associated costs of departmental staff concerned with the inquiry, is £988,000. This total primarily reflects the anticipated duration of the inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of the public inquiries into applications for nuclear waste disposal test drilling at Cheviots held at Newcastle in October and November 1980 and Widmerpool Gulf held at Loughborough in November 1981.

The information available is as follows. Information about costs incurred by other Departments or bodies cannot readily be provided. The information about the Department of the Environment's costs includes only the costs incurred in mounting each inquiry and excludes some establishment costs not separately charged.Application by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Newcastle: 28 October to 27 November 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the last review took place in respect of penalties for failure to comply with Housing Act notices; why there is no ability to seek a penalty for non-compliance with statutory notices served under the Housing Acts; and if he will make a statement.

Maximum penalties for offences relating to houses in multiple occupation were reviewed in 1980, and the Housing Act 1980 subsequently raised a number of penalties significantly. There is no penalty for non-compliance with notices served under part II of the Housing Act 1957, as amended, and part VIII of the Housing Act 1974, because authorities can use their powers under these provisions to carry out works in default and to recover their costs from defaulting owners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the most recent figures of outstanding debt for each of the London boroughs and the Greater London Council, indicating in each case the percentage accounted for by the housing revenue account.

The latest information available is given in "Return of Outstanding Debt at 31 March 1981", published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Total outstanding debt is given in column 19 and housing revenue account debt is given in column 8. A copy of this publication has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will give the total number of people who used local authority record offices for the last year for which figures are available and the equivalent figure five years previously;(2) how many local authority record offices have now introduced fees for access to their archives; and what information is available to him on the effects on the total number of people using these offices.

I am aware that three local authorities have introduced charges for access to archives at local record offices in the past year. It is possible that others have done so. My Department does not collect information about the numbers of people using local record offices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining his policy for the future use of Palace Chambers in Bridge Street.

Palace Chambers is one of the properties on the Bridge Street site acquired in the 1960s for a new parliamentary building. It is currently partly occupied by civil servants and partly let to commercial tenants. Pending a decision on redevelopment, it will continue to be used for these or similar purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the numbers of enterprise zones so far allocated to each planning area of the United Kingdom.

The list is unchanged from the one which I included in my answer to the hon. Member's question of 19 February 1981—[Vol. 999, c. 333.] Of the 11 enterprise zones listed there, all except that in the Isle of Dogs have now come into operation. The Isle of Dogs zone is likely to be designated by the end of April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the circular relating to the Disabled Persons Act 1981 will be completed and distributed to local authorities.

I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services that this circular will be published very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that, under the new arrangement of indicative costs, there is adequate research undertaken to ensure that allowances for the additional cost of wheelchair housing, together with it implications, will be set at realistic levels.

The indicative costs for housing association schemes for new build and renovation include special supplements for wheelchair accommodation. Both the indicative costs and the supplements will be continuously monitored and subject to periodic review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether, in the case of disabled people and their families, he will make it his policy to base fair rents for wheelchair housing on the number of persons for whom the dwelling is designed and not on the essential space standards;(2) in view of the statutory basis of the fair rent system, whether, in the case of wheelchair housing, he will take-steps to secure national co-ordination of rent levels and standards, with the exception only of essential geographical variations.

Fair rents for wheelchair housing are fixed according to the statutory criteria in section 70 of the Rent Act 1977 by rent officers and rent assessment committees. They are independent of central and local government, and the Secretary of State has no power to direct them as to the level of rents they fix.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has considered the possibility of a special form of rent rebate for wheelchair housing in line with the rate relief arrangements for disabled people; and if he has had any representations on this matter.

The rent rebate scheme provides additional assistance for handicapped people generally through an 11·5 per cent. enhancement of the needs allowance with which income is compared when entitlement is assessed. I am not aware of any recent representations on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when a Minister from his Department will visit Burnley to examine standards of housing there, following his agreement to arrange this.

As the hon. Member will recall, I spent the day in the borough with him on 11 November. During my visit I learned at first hand about some of the housing problems the council is facing and also saw several of its achievements.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a statement on the situation in El Salvador.

Her Majesty's Government continue to be concerned at the situation in El Salvador, especially the reports of increasing violence. We call on all concerned to enable the people of El Salvador to achieve a peaceful solution to the problems facing them.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether representations have been made to the authorities in El Salvador over the safety of British correspondents who are covering the current election in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's ambassador is aware of the level of concern in this country about threats to the safety of British subjects in El Salvador.Her Majesty's ambassador has discretion to raise the question of the security of British correspondents with the authorities in El Salvador. Staff from the British embassy in Tegucigalpa who are at present on duty in El Salvador have been in touch with British journalists there and have emphasised the need for caution.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much wine was in surplus at the latest date for which figures are available.

There is no agreed figure for the size of the wine surplus because the market situation fluctuates widely from year to year. But the European Commission's forward estimate forecasts that 12·5 million hectolitres of wine will be distilled with Community aid in 1981–82, and this gives some idea of the current problem.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his written reply of 5 March, Official Report, column 265, concerning domestic and overseas prices of grains, whether the export price of feed barley from the United States of America is normally the same as that of maize; what accounts for the discount on the Canadian price; whether the higher price for maize reflects its nutritional value; and to what extent United Kingdom farmers would make use of maize rather than other grains in the absence of any restrictions on imports.

The export price of feed barley from the United States is often higher than that of maize, despite the higher feed value of maize. There is no single reason why United States and Canadian barley prices differ. A wide range of factors, including the different ports for which the prices are quoted, quality differences, availability of supplies and market demand would influence export prices. The price of maize is higher than that of other feedgrains in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the Community mainly because maize, unlike the other feedgrains, is not in surplus and the price level is influenced by that of imported supplies. The extent to which United Kingdom farmers would use more maize if the import restrictions, which are an integral part of the European Community's support arrangements for grain, were lifted, would depend largely on what alternative arrangements were then introduced to support the production of competing grains in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the use of up-to-date weights in table 18.11 of the Monthly Digest of Statistics would change the figures; and whether he will give an indication of the principal changes that would thereby result.

The use of new weights in table 18.11 of the Monthly Digest of Statistics might have some effect on the figures, but it is not possible at present to calculate the precise effect. Work on an index with a base of 1980= 100 to replace the current 1975-based index is due to start later this year under the normal five-year cycle which applies to indices of this type. National indices are constructed in a way that enables them to be compared and combined with similar indices for other member countries of the European Community. Rebasing an index is a major task which takes many months to complete. A description of the construction of the 1975 index was given in Economic Trends, No. 312, dated October 1979.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the weights used in table 18.11 of the Monthly Digest on Statistics would be appropriate for the production of animal and animal products as shown in table 18.12; and whether he will indicate the principal changes, including in particular the weight for animal feeding stuffs.

It would not be appropriate to use the weights in table 18.11 of the Monthly Digest of Statistics for the production of animal and animal products as shown in table 18.12. The weights in table 18.11 relate to purchases for the "national farm" and different weights would be necessary for an index designed solely to measure purchases by producers of animal and animal products. A description of the current 1975-based index was given in Economic Trends, No. 312, dated October 1979.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his written reply dated 5 March, Official Report, c. 273–4, concerning the table on page xi of the Second Report of the Select Committee of the European Communities HL 29 Session 1981–82, on agricultural trade policy, whether he will provide an estimate in each case based on the change in unit values of agricultural exports, the change in the price of the principal products in each case, or any other convenient deflator.

There is no suitable deflator which accurately reflects the movements in the price of European Community food exports to and imports from the country groups shown in the table referred to.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the

TABLE 1
EC surplus foodstuffs disposed of through EC food aid programmes ('000 Tonnes)*
	1976–77†	1977	1977–78†	1978	1978–79†	1979	1979–80†	1980
Cereals	721	—	716	—	712	—	434	—
Skimmed Milk Powder	—	104	—	143	—	125	—	54
Butteroil	—	44	—	44	—	41	—	18
* These figures do not include food supplied under member States' national aid programmes.
† August-July years.

TABLE 2 EC intervention by public storage—end of year volumes ('000 Tonnes)
	1978	1979	1980	1981
Wheat	1,053	1,821	4,914	2,978
Barley	177	69	1,086	740
Rye	597	549	513	321
Durum	141	143	157	307
Beef	208	275	302	181
Skimmed Milk Powder	674	227	230	286
Butter	231	271	128	9
Olive Oil	99	63	67	132
Oilseeds	0	1	92	19

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has now received details of the exports of foodstuffs and wine to the Soviet Union in 1981; and if he will make a statement detailing what figures are available.

As explained in my reply of 25 January 1982, the availability of figures on exports from the European Economic Community to the USSR in 1981 has been affected by the Civil Service dispute and difficulties in other member States. In these circumstances, at present only figures for the European Community less the United Kingdom from January-September 1981 and for the United Kingdom from January-February and September-December 1981 can be provided. These are as follows:

EC exports to the USSR—January—September (excluding the United Kingdom)
	metric tonnes
Wheat	204,228
Barley	502,489
Wheat flour	542,323
Malt	131,024
Butter	—
Butter oil	87

volume of EEC surpluses of the foodstuffs covered by the common agricultural policy which had to be disposed of through subsidised or rebated export, food aid, or storage, in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures of surpluses in each of the previous three years.

I regret that information about European Community surplus foodstuffs disposed of through subsidised or rebated export is not readily available.Information concerning surpluses disposed of through food aid or storage in public intervention is contained in the following tables:

	metric tonnes
Skimmed milk powder	—
Beef and veal	93,823
Pigmeat	2,169
Poultrymeat	71,763
Sugar (refined)	514,699
Wine	88,758

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, pursuant to his replies of 2 March, Official Report, col. 66, and 19 February, Official Report, col. 235, to the hon. Member for Southend, East concerning export rebates for food exported to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, he has now received the comparable figures for 1981 from the Commission in respect of the other member States of the European Economic Community.

As I said in my reply of 2 March, I have asked the Commission for the information. I understand that figures in the form requested are proving difficult and expensive to obtain, but the Commission is pursuing its inquiries. I shall pass on to my hon. Friend as soon as possible whatever information I receive from the Commission.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the total amounts of various foodstuffs which were destroyed or otherwise disposed of under the arrangements made by the intervention board in the most recent annual period for which figures are available.

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those matters directly affecting British agricultural interests that have not yet been resolved with the other members of the EEC.

A number of issues which affect British agriculture are under discussion in the Community. I regularly report progress in my statements to the House about meetings of the Council of Agriculture Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State of Wales (1) how many people in Mid-Glamorgan have been unemployed for more than 12 months; and what is the percentage which this represents of the adult population as a whole;(2) how may people in Wales have been unemployed for longer than 12 months; and what is the percentage that this represents of the adult population as a whole.

10,853 and 56,007 on 14 January or 5·7 per cent. and 5·3 per cent. respectively of the total number of employees, both in employment and unemployed.The total adult population figures at the latest date available were respectively 393,000 and 2,060,800. These, based on mid-1980, include groups such as the retired, self employed and Her Majesty's Forces and a percentage comparison is not appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much from the special funds for the steel area of South Wales has been spent so far; and how much will be unspent at the end of the present financial year.

In February 1980 I announced that additional special funds amounting to £48 million at November 1979 prices would be made available for the steel areas of South Wales. In cash terms these special funds came to £59·3 million during the years 1980–81 and 1981–82. They have now been spent in full.