asked the Secretary of State for Trade what further references he intends to make to the National Consumer Council.

The National Consumer Council is currently examining the consumer interest in banking services at the request of my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mrs. Oppenheim). I am considering whether there are other matters which should be referred to the council when the current study is complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what are the figures for United Kingdom trade in motor vehicles and components with Spain during the last 12 months for which figures are available, and for the preceding year.

There is a continuing large deficit in the trade in motor vehicles and a small surplus in components. The figures are:

Trade in Motor Vehicles
(£ million)
	Exports f.o.b.	Imports c.i.f.
1979	5	113
1980	4	139
March 1980-February 1981	4	127

Trade in Vehicle Components
		(£ million)
	Exports f.o.b.	Imports c.i.f
1979	28	13
1980	33	26

The figures for March 1980 to February 1981 are not available for vehicle components.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will introduce legislation to increase the power of nationalised industry consumer councils to comment on energy price increases.

I shall be reviewing this and other aspects of the councils' work in the light of responses to our recent consultative document on NICC reform. Over 250 responses have been received so far.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what changes have occurred in the number of Export Credits Guarantee Department policy holders over the last available 12 month period.

The net change in the number of exporters holding ECGD policies covering all or a significant portion of their exports was from 12,000 at the end of December 1980 to 11,250 at December 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what representations he has received about his decision to reject the recommendation of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission that the credit card companies should be obliged to abandon their no discrimination policy.

We have received a variety of representations from a range of individuals and organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has had discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority about the operation of the London to Glasgow air route.

It would not be appropriate for any Minister of the Department to discuss the operation of the route with the authority when the Secretary of State is considering an appeal from an unsuccessful applicant for the route.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the current annual value of United Kingdom trade with Cuba.

In the six months of 1981 for which figures are so far available, our exports to Cuba were valued at £13 million fob and our imports from Cuba at £10 million cif.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many price references he has made under section 13 of the Competition Act 1980.

None. My right hon. Friend has always made it clear that these powers are held in reserve, for use only in exceptional circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he plans to announce the name of the new chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority.

My right hon. Friend announced last Thursday that Mr. John Dent, CBE, currently managing director of Dunlop Limited, had accepted his invitation to become chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what recent representations he has received about the Atlantic route allocation following the demise of Laker Airways.

Representations have been received from the chairman of British Caledonian Airways and from some hon. Members. A temporary exemption from licensing requirements was subsequently granted to that airline to enable it to operate a service on the Gatwick-Los Angeles route.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what changes have occurred in the last 12 months in the share of North Atlantic air passenger traffic carried on British airlines.

Although final figures are not yet available, the indications are that during 1981, as compared with 1980, the share of United Kingdom/United States scheduled passenger traffic carried by British airlines fell marginally from 50 per cent. to 49 per cent. The collapse of Laker Airways will undoubtedly affect the position in 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will visit Malaysia to discuss bilateral trade agreements.

I have no plans at present to visit Malaysia.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will make a statement on the Price Waterhouse report on British Airways finances.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier today to the hon. Member for Penistone (Mr. McKay).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has yet agreed to a negotiating position within the European Economic Commission on the target limits on the rate of growth of groups 2 and 3 products within multi-fibre arrangement III.

Yes. The Council of Ministers agreed on 25 February that growth rates for the less sensitive products outside group 1 should in general be lower than those negotiated under MFA 2. The Committee of Permanent Representatives in Brussels has now agreed upon more specific guidelines for the individual groups and categories involved. However, for the time being, the details must remain part of the Commission's confidential negotiating mandate.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he has yet agreed with his European colleagues the annual growth rates to be applied to quotas on products in groups II and III under the new multi-fibre arrangement.

I refer my hon. Friend to my hon. and learned Friend's letter of 22 March 1982 to the hon. Member for Batley and Morley (Mr. Woolmer), a copy of which has been deposited in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what procedures are followed when it is suspected that an illegal oil spillage from a vessel has caused the death of a considerable number of seabirds.

Reports of incidents involving marine pollution are received either directly or through a coastal radio station by Her Majesty's Coastguard, which forwards details to the appropriate sections of the Department of Trade, including the marine pollution control unit and local marine offices, as well as to other interested organisations, such as environmental groups, local authorities and the Department of Energy's petroleum engineering division. The information is set out in a standard form covering: source of the report, name of ship (if known) causing or involved in the incident, time, date and position, identity of the substance spilled (if known), quantity of the spill (actual or estimated) and wind and sea conditions.Ship masters, pilots of military and civil aircraft and other persons who may observe or be involved in the spillage or discharge of oil or other harmful substances in the water surrounding the United Kingdom are under instruction to report any such incidents. Where available, aircraft and vessels may specifically be requested to investigate an incident. When possible, supplementary evidence in the form of photographs or samples is obtained. Incidents or sightings which occur out at sea are reported immediately to the authorities of neighbouring coastal states which may be affected by pollution.Where possible, the Department of Trade arranges for a ship which has been identified as being involved in an incident to be inspected at its next port of call. During this inspection, any signs that a discharge could have occurred are noted; the oil record book is examined; statements are taken from the master and crew and samples of oil are collected for comparison with the oil from the incident. Other countries co-operate in this procedure.In the light of the strength of the evidence available, including photographic evidence, the Department then decides whether to prosecute under the terms of the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971 in the case of ships registered in the United Kingdom for offences committed anywhere at sea and, in the case of foreign ships, for offences committed within United Kingdom territorial waters. Where the incident concerns a foreign ship discharging in our surrounding but not in our territorial waters, a report accompanied by the available evidence is sent to its flag state for action.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will give the most recent annualised figures for trade with Japan.

The available figures for United Kingdom exports to and imports from Japan are published in tables B19 and C25 of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics, available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what estimate he has made of the level of imports of textile and clothing products in 1981 compared with 1980.

Information for 1981 as a whole is not at present available, and I prefer not to venture an estimate. Available information for 1981 is given with the comparable figure for 1980, in the following table:

United Kingdom imports of textile and clothing products, available months of 1981 compared with 1980
	£ million cif
January-April, September-December 1981	2,078
January-April, September-December 1980	1,888

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has had discussions with the national directors of The Times newspaper to discuss the editorship of the newspaper.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the agreed ceiling on cloth imports from Turkey into the United Kingdom in 1981; and what was the actual level of cloth imports.

There are no agreed ceilings on imports of textile products from Turkey. However, the Community does have a "notified level" of 172 tonnes for imports of cotton cloth into the United Kingdom. Imports in 1981 totalled 1,008 tonnes and when statistics became available showing that the "notified level" had been significantly exceeded, the Commission raised the matter with the Turkish authorities, with a view to limiting imports in 1982. Discussions are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the United Kingdom share of contracts granted under the European development fund in each of the last five years; what has been the ratio of bids to successful bids for British companies in the works contracts sector; and how this ratio compares with those for other member States.

Separate statistics of procurement from the United Kingdom for the fourth European development fund starting in 1975 are only available from 1977. Figures for the fifth fund starting in 1981 have not yet been prepared. Therefore the following table only gives the United Kingdom share of contracts for the calendar years 1978 to 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will introduce legislation to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Civil Liability for the introduction of strict liability in connection with the manufacture of products.

We believe that it would now be helpful to wait until the discussions in Brussels on the draft directive on liability for defective products have made more progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the total estimated capital value of new overseas commissions awarded to consulting engineers in the United Kingdom in 1981 and for each of the preceding five years at constant prices; and if he will break the figures down to show the separate categories such as railways, power stations, water supply sectors, and so on.

No figures on the capital value of consultancies are held by the Government. However, figures for the annual value of overseas engineering consultancy earnings are given in table 3·9 of the United Kingdom Balance of Payments 'Pink Book', though these are in current price terms only.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what information is available to his Department as to occasions when shirts purporting to have been made by firms operating in Northern Ireland but in fact imported have been offered for sale in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years or, if more convenient, financial years and the current year to date; whether he has evidence that such counterfeits are sold abroad; and if he will make a statement.

I will look into this matter, on which I have no information at present, if the hon. Member will send me further details.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the United Kingdom's share of world trade in manufactures in 1981, measured by volume and value, respectively; and how it compared with 1980.

Preliminary estimates suggest that the United Kingdom share in 1981 was 8·7 per cent. by the value and 7·3 per cent. at 1975 prices. These compare with 1980 figures of 9·7 per cent. and 7·9 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how much money has been granted to the Cardiff (Wales) airport for each year since 1978–79 by his Department.

None. Other than in one case where there was a residual legal obligation under an agreement signed in 1961, the Department does not provide grants for local authority airport developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if his office has received the submissions from the North of England regional consortium relating to the proposal for a third London airport at Stansted; and if he will place copies of these submissions in the Library.

The distribution to interested parties of documents submitted to the Stansted public inquiry is a matter for the inspector appointed by the Secretaries of State for Trade and Environment and his secretariat. I understand that by the end of last week over 1,800 inquiry documents had been placed before the inspector, of which 34 were from the North of England regional consortium.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on real expenditure plans for aid, following the statement of cash plans in "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1982–83 to 1984–85."

No. It is not the practice to plan expenditure in cash. The real value of our aid will depend on inflation and the Government are working to hold this down.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if Her Majesty's Government will make a donation to the special appeal from Oxfam and Church groups, sponsored by Lord Hunt, for extra help for the poor people of Latin America.

Television appeals are aimed at raising donations from the general public; requests for Government assistance are required direct, in some detail, and in writing. No such proposals have been received. In the present financial year, we are contributing £222,500 to aid refugees in Central America.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will re-examine the amount of aid Her Majesty's Government give to Nicaragua.

Country aid programmes, including that for Nicaragua, are continuously re-examined as part of the normal procedures of my Department's activities.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the tonnage of alcohol produced in the EEC (a) from petrochemical feedstock and (b) from all agricultural sources; and what subsidy is provided in each sector.

Alcohol production in the European Communities in 1980 (excluding directly distilled spirit drinks) is estimated by the commission to have been: 4,553,000 hectolitres (360,490 tonnes) of synthetic alcohol, almost exclusively from petrochemical feedstocks; and 8,314,000 hectolitres (658,273 tonnes) of alcohol of agricultural origin. It is not possible to give the figures for subsidy in the form requested.There is no Community regime for alcohol, but in certain member States special market arrangements operate. Under the Community wine regime there is a number of provisions under which differing amounts of aid are available for the distillation of surplus wine into alcohol.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what quantity of wine would be required to produce one ton of alcohol.

Table wines have an alcohol content of about 10 per cent. Thus about 10 tons (or 128·3 hectolitres) of wine would be required to produce one ton of pure alcohol.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the total of regional and other grants that have been made available for synthetic alcohol plants in the United Kingdom.

As there is only one United Kingdom synthetic alcohol manufacturer, I regret that any information which may be available is commercially confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether there is provision in the British Steel Corporation's corporate plan for the investment in the Hunterston direct reduction plant to be written down or off.

The investment in Hunterston was written off in the financial year 1979–80.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, further to his written reply dated 3 March, Official Report, c. 143, concerning the number of establishments employing more than 10 workers, whether he will publish information in the Official Report showing the date on which the census was taken, the reduction in the number of establishments since the 1976 census absolutely and as a percentage of the 1976 figure, the corresponding figures for the numbers employed and such information as he has on closures and loss of employment in total or by sector since the census to which he was referring.

United Kingdom Manufacturing Sector Establishments Employing 11 or more
Order; SIC (68)	1976		1979		Absolute change		Percentage change
	Establishments	Employment Thousands	Establishments	Employment Thousands	Establishments	Employment Thousands	Establishments	Employment
III	3,973	745·5	3,718	716·2	-255	-29·3	-6·4	-3·9
IV	153	34·7	137	33·1	-16	-1·6	-10·5	-4·6
V	1,679	396·7	1·605	394·9	-74	-1·8	-4·4	-0·5
VI	1,922	464·0	1,829	417·4	-93	-46·6	-4·8	-10·0
VII	7,690	876·7	7,280	842·2	-410	-34·5	-5·3	-3·9
VIII	1,109	147·1	1,120	143·1	11	-40	1·0	-2·7
IX	2,593	694·2	2,472	660·3	-121	-33·9	-4·7	-4·9
X	596	173·8	563	151·8	-33	-22·0	-5·5	-12·7
XI	1,572	761·6	1,548	747·1	-24	-14·5	-1·5	-0·9
XII	6,401	484·3	6,221	453·4	-180	-30·9	-2·8	-6·4
XIII	3,384	507·4	3,101	443·0	-283	-64·4	-8·4	-12·7
XIV	742	37·5	661	31·8	-1	-5·7	-10·9	-15·2
XV	4,318	385·9	3,870	351·4	-448	-34·5	-10·4	-8·9
XVI	1,784	246·5	1,653	236·8	-131	-9·7	-7·3	-3·9
XVII	4,276	236·0	3,975	212·3	-301	-23·7	-7·0	-10·0
XVIII	5,304	518·2	5,099	495·6	-205	-22·6	-3·9	-4·4
XIX	2,759	328·0	2,758	316·9	-1	-11·1	-0·04	-3·4
Total	50,255	7,037·8	47,610	6,647·3	-2,645	-390·5	-5·3	-5·5

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, further to his reply of 3 March, Official Report, column 143, concerning the number of establishments employing more than 10 workers, whether he will publish information in the Official Report showing the number of establishments employing 500 or more workers and the numbers employed therein, the comparable information for the 1976 census and the percentage change between the two dates and the number of such plants that have closed or that have announced that they will close, since the date of the last census.

United Kingdom Manufacturing Sector Establishments Employing 500 or more
Order; SIC (68)	1976		1979		Absolute change		Percentage change
	Establishments	Employment Thousands	Establishments	Employment Thousands	Establishments	Employment Thousands	Establishments	Employment
III	305	461·2	305	457·9	—	-3·3	—	-0·7
IV	17	20·6	17	19·7	—	-0·9	—	-4·4
V	171	270·3	171	278·2	—	7·9	—	2·9
VI	149	316·0	145	279·5	-4	-36·5	-2·7	-11·6
VII	355	447·1	347	427·4	-8	-19·7	-2·3	-4·4
VIII	65	76·5	55	68·2	-10	-8·3	-15·4	-10·8
IX	270	515·7	264	489·2	-6	-26·5	-2·2	-5·1
X	53	141·1	43	119·0	-10	-22·1	-18·9	-15·7
XI	160	652·8	152	644·8	-8	-8·0	-5·0	-1·2
XII	169	166·9	149	148·7	-20	-18·2	-11·8	-10·9
XIII	181	233·5	157	201·3	-24	-32·2	-13·2	-13·8
XIV	3	1·9	4	2·4	1	0·5	33·3	26·3
XV	118	124·1	120	119·5	2	-4·6	1·7	-3·7
XVI	98	128·7	94	125·4	-4	-3·3	-4·1	-2·6

Information provided in the written reply dated 3 March—[Vol. 19, c. 143]—related to the annual census of production for 1979. The following table shows for 1976 and 1979 the numbers of establishments employing 11 or more and corresponding employment estimates, together with the change between these years in absolute and percentage terms. No information is yet available for individual employment size bands showing movements since 1979, and no comprehensive statistics for openings and closures are collected.

The following table shows for 1976 and 1979 numbers of manufacturing establishments employing 500 or more and corresponding employment estimates, together with the change between these years in absolute and percentage terms. No information is yet available for individual employment size bands showing movements since 1979, and no comprehensive statistics for openings and closures are collected.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, further to his reply of 3 March, Official Report, column 143, concerning the number of establishments employing more than 10 workers, whether he will publish information in the Official Report showing the number of establishments employing 10 or fewer workers, the comparable figures for 1976 and the percentage change between the two dates and such information as is available to him, indicating the changes which have taken place since the last census.

Annual census of production results show that the number of manufacturing establishments employing fewer than 11 persons rose from approximately 57,000 to 60,000 between 1976 and 1979, an increase of about 3,000 establishments or 5 per cent. The corresponding employment estimates rose from approximately 270,000 to 280,000, an increase of about 10,000 workers, or 4 per cent.These estimates are subject to wide margins or error as establishments employing fewer than 20 persons are generally exempt from the statistical surveys conducted by the business statistics office. Reliable estimates for sectors are not available. No information is yet available for individual employment size bands showing movements since 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what has been the response of industry to the Government grants scheme to aid the replacement or conversion of existing oil-fired boilers to coal firing; and how much money for this purpose has been spent by industry and by Government, respectively.

A total of 83 applications have been received from companies under the scheme to encourage switching to coal firing involving total project costs of over £75 million. Fifty offers have so far been made for grant totalling over £5½ million, of which £76,834 has been paid out. No figures are available on the amount spent by industry. My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced major extensions to the scope and coverage of the scheme in his Budget.A wide range of oil and gas fired industrial equipment is now eligible for grant assistance, several service industries are able to apply as well as manufacturing industry and agriculture, and the minimum threshold has been reduced to £15,000 eligible costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the current level of expenditure in the United Kingdom on research and development into photo-voltaic energy.

At present the Department of Industry is committed to the expenditure of £620,000 to assist research and development into photo-voltaic energy devices in a number of United Kingdom companies. There is also research funded by the Department of Industry concerned with applications of photo-voltaic cells in Space amounting to some £60,000. Further investment in photovoltaic energy projects is being made by the universities, aided by the Science and Engineering Research Council, and by industry. No figures are available for the total expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any of the police support units set up to deal with civil defence in time of war are located in the area covered by H Division, Metropolitan Police.

In a war emergency, commanders of Metropolitan Police districts would form police support units in accordance with Home Office circular No. ES 3/1972, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received regarding the reintroduction of capital punishment; and if he will make a statement;(2) what representations he has received regarding the reintroduction of corporal punishment; and if he will make a statement.

Since 1 January 1982, about 700 letters on these subjects, mostly favouring the reintroduction of corporal or capital punishment (or both) have been received, including some 70 from right hon. and hon. Members forwarding their constituents' views. Of the total, about 150 were concerned solely with corporal punishment. It is not my right hon. Friend's intention to propose the reintroduction of either of these penalties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the bicentenary celebrations of the founding of his Department; and what public funds are expected to be spent on these activities.

The main events are the visit on 25 March to the Home Office by Her Majesty the Queen; a series of lectures sponsored jointly by the Home Office and the Royal Institute of Public Administration; the publication of a book about the Home Office between 1848 and 1914; the production of a commemorative brochure; and an internal exhibition. £10,000 was provided in the Home Office vote for special expenditure on the bicentenary, much of which will be recovered by sales of the brochure, and from a share in the royalties for the book. Other minor expenditure, not involving any special provision, will fall on the Department's hospitality subhead and on the votes of the Central Office of Information and the Property Services Agency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of violent crimes against the person under their appropriate headings, including murder, committed in the city of Manchester for each of the calendar years 1970 to 1981 inclusive and the number of convictions secured.

The information readily available is for Greater Manchester police force area for the period since the local authority reorganisation ie 1975–80 and has been published annually in Criminal Statistics, England and Wales (eg tables S.3.1, S.3.2(A) and S 3.4(A) of Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, supplementary tables 1980, vol. 3).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the male and female activity rates for the United Kingdom for the latest date for which figures are available.

The latest available estimates for the United Kingdom of male and female activity rates—ie, the percentage of the population aged 16 and over who are in the labour force—are for 1979. The figures are 79 per cent. and 47 per cent. respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the likely reduction in employment in the retail trade as a result of the introduction of the revised proposals NF (7) from the retail trade (non-food) wages council.

Estimates of any effects on employment of proposed changes in wages councils' minimum rates are not available. I am, however, concerned about the employment implications of wages councils' orders, and I have written to all members of the retail councils on this point.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many women workers were made redundant in the following industries in 1980 and to the nearest available date in 1981 (a) clothing and footwear, (b textiles, (c) paper, (d) printing and publishing, (e) chemicals and (f) food, drink and tobacco.

The information requested is not available as statistics of redundancies occurring do not separate male and female employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many women working part-time in the public sector as (a) cleaners, (b school helpers and (c) kitchen workers were made redundant in 1980 and to the nearest available date in 1981.

The information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State For Employment what was the average hourly rate for part-time women workers in 1980 and 1981, respectively.

Details of the average hourly earnings for part-time women workers aged 18 and over were published in table 20 of the reports on the new earnings survey for 1980 and 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year from 1945 to 1980 the number of disputes and working days lost for the following sectors of the economy, giving both absolute amounts and rates per 1,000 employees: (a) central Government, (b local government, (c) nationalised industries, (d) other public sector, (e) private sector and (f) for the United Kingdom as a whole.

The information requested, which is for 864 separate figures, could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Some details of the number of industrial stoppages recored and working days lost in total for the years 1960 to 1980, and incidence rates of days lost per 1,000 employees by industry for the years 1977 to 1980, are published in an annual article in the July 1981 issue of the Department of Employment Gazette. Data for earlier years on the total numbers of stoppages and working days lost in the United Kingdom are given in "British Labour Statistics: Historical Abstract 1886–1968". Both publications are available in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the pay of full-time adult males in (a) central Government, (b local government and (c) nationalised industries as a percentage of private sector pay for each year from 1945 to 1981.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton (Mr. Watson) on 14 December 1981—[Vol. 15, c. 61–21]—for information for each year from 1970 to 1981. Comparable information for earlier years is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how much money has been spent on the youth opportunities programme and similar special employment and training measures in (a) Wolverhampton and (b the West Midlands for each year since April 1979 and to the present date.

I regret that records of expenditure are not generally kept for areas below the Department's standard regions. However, expenditure for the youth opportunities programme, the special temporary employment programme and the community enterprise programme for the Manpower Services Commission Wolverhampton and West Midlands special programmes area offices was as follows:

	1979–80	1980–81	1981 to end February 1982
	£ million	£ million	£ million
Wolverhampton
YOP	4·7	10·5	23·1
STEP/CEP	2·2	1·8	2·5
West Midlands
YOP	13·2	25·1	45·4
STEP/CEP	4·7	3·3	5·2

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will publish in the Official Report in respect of each of those voluntary bodies in the training industry which are to succeed the statutory training boards to be abolished (a) the name of the voluntary body and its address, (b the names of the chairman and senior staff and a description of their titles or their function, (c) the number of representatives in each body and the breakdown between representatives of employers, employees and education, (d) the estimated annual income each voluntary body will operate on and (e) the estimate of the professional training staff employed in each voluntary body;(2) if he will list, in respect of each of the voluntary bodies in the training industry which are to succeed the statutory training boards to be abolished

Comprehensive information in the form requested is not being collected by my Department or by the Manpower Services Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the names and addresses of all voluntary bodies in the training industry which are known by the Manpower Services Commission to have been set up, preparatory to the abolition of statutory training boards; and if he will make a statement.

Some of the different arrangements being proposed to replace statutory boards are based on existing organisations; others will be using facilities made available by employer organisations; others again will be based on new organisations.

asked the Attorney-General if he will prosecute Dr. Peter Huntingford, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the West Kent hospital, for homicide in view of his statement that he had caused the death of a grossly handicapped baby in 1959 by giving it an injection.

I have asked the Director of Public Prosecutions to make inquiries into this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why war service is not recognised for pension purposes under the universities superannuation scheme.

The universities superannuation scheme recognises war service for pension purposes on terms broadly similar to those of other public service pension schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many citizens of the Republic of Ireland are currently following higher education courses in Great Britain; and what is the cost to public funds;(2) how many citizens of the Republic of Ireland attend colleges of education in England and Wales.

In the academic year 1980–81, 407 overseas students who were domiciled in the Republic of Ireland were enrolled on higher education courses in Great Britain. Of these, 101 were at institutions other than universities and polytechnics but the numbers at colleges of education are not available separately. The total cost to public funds is estimated to be in the region of £1 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of graduates went into industry in the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s; and what is the latest position.

The numbers of graduates who have successfully completed their courses, together with the percentages who took up permanent employment and entered industry respectively, by the end of the calendar year followsing the academic years shown as follow were:

Academic Year	Number of graduates	Percentage of which
		Took up employment per cent.	entered industry per cent.
1966–67	36,528	40	21
1976–77	92,009	39	14
1979–80	106,096	40	13

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of total public recurrent expenditure on higher and further education has been attributable to student maintenance awards in each year from 1977–78.

Of the total public recurrent expenditure on higher and further education in England and Wales, the following percentages were attributable to student maintenance and fees.

	per cent.
1977–78	25
1978–79	26
1979–80	26
1980–81	*25
* Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if public sector enrolments, as a proportion of the total numbers in higher education, have been falling over the last decade; to what extent this has been due to a reduction in initial teacher training; and what future projections he has.

In 1970–71, 49 per cent. of enrolments to full-time and sandwich higher education courses in Great Britain were to public sector institutions. By 1980–81, the last year for which final figures exist, this percentage had fallen to 43. These figures include enrolments to teacher training courses which had fallen by 73 per cent. over the period. It would appear that this fall was at least in part the cause of the reduction in public sector share because if these courses are excluded, the share of the remaining courses actually increased from 32 per cent. to 39 per cent. The projections of home student numbers in higher education which underlie Cmnd. 8494 assume a slight increase in the public sector share of higher education, from 43 per cent. in 1980–81 to 46 per cent. in 1984–85. A similar increase from 39 per cent. to 42 per cent. is expected in the public sector share excluding teacher training, as the numbers of teacher training students is expected to fall only slightly below its present level.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to introduce specific grants for the in-service training of teachers in certain priority areas; what areas will be involved; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add at present to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Bedfordshire, South (Mr. Madel) on 19 January last. [Vol. 16, c. 120].

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local government electors have objected to the proposals of Humberside local education authority to cease to maintain Kingsway middle school, Goole.

2,109.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now publish a document on the reform of school examinations at 16-plus.

The Department has invited the examination boards and other relevant interests to comment on the draft of a document setting out the Government's detailed policies on this subject, which will be published as soon as possible. Copies of the draft have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the effects on the United Kingdom horticulture industry of the entry of Spain and Portugal into the European Economic Community.

At this early stage of the negotiations before the terms for Spain and Portugal joining the European Community are settled, it is not possible to assess the effects on our horticulture industry. In the coming negotiations I shall do my best to safeguard the interests of growers, importers and consumers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received regarding the horticulture industry's view on the impact of EEC policies and regulations; and if he will make a statement.

I am in regular contact with representatives of all sectors of the United Kingdom horticulture industry and am always ready to consider any representations which they might wish to put to me about the effect of European Community policies and regulations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further assessment, similar to that given in his reply to the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Mr. Shepherd) on 8 July 1980, Official Report, column 139, of the extra cost to United Kingdom consumers of the common agricultural policy arrangements.

The figure which I gave in the reply cited by my hon. Friend does in no way represent an assessment of the extra cost to United Kingdom consumers of the common agricultural policy arrangements. Any such assessment could only be conjectural since it would involve hypothetical assumptions about alternative arrangements for agricultural support.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will oppose the proposed increase in the price of sugar by 2 per cent. more than the increase for cereals and rape seed on the grounds that this will contribute to the maintainance or increase of the 6½ million tonne surplus of community sugar production over consumption, and on the grounds that this transfer in the cost of the new co-responsibility levy of 2 per cent. on sugar will fall directly to the consumer.

3½ million tonnes of the 1981–82 surplus is of C sugar, which is not eligible for price support and is not directly affected by the Commission's price proposals. I agree, however, that there should be restraint in the prices applied to A and B quota sugar and have argued strongly to that effect in the Council.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will agree to the 4 per cent. revaluation of the green pound proposed by the Commission.

As I told the House on 18 February, I have rejected the Commission's present proposal for a revaluation of the green pound that would, taken together with its other proposals, result in British farmers obtaining price increases of less than 4 per cent. on average, with severe consequences for their income levels.

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.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 March 1982, c. 205]: The provisional totals for 1981 are as follows:

	Tonnes
Commodity
	Destroyed	Otherwise disposed of
Beef	NIL	26,689
Butter	NIL	19,722
Skimmed milk powder	NIL	505
Breadmaking wheat	NIL	48,897
Apples	12,636	3,802
Pears	136	44
Tomatoes	5	NIL
Fish	1,297	48,045
Total	14,074	147,704

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) what is the Government's policy towards recommendation 934 (1982) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on genetic engineering;(2) if the Government will support in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe the proposals that a European agreement be elaborated on what constitutes legitimate application to human beings of the techniques of genetic engineering and that the European convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms be enlarged in scope to include recognition of the right to a genetic inheritance which has not been artificially interfered with.

Recommendation 934 (1982) is still under consideration. A number of Government Departments is involved in different aspects of the subject.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether Her Majesty's Government have supplied arms of any kind to Guatemala during the past three years.

Her Majesty's Government have not supplied arms of any kind to Guatemala during the past three years.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to agree to an increase in the 1 per cent. value added tax ceiling on contributions to the own resources of the European Economic Community.

No.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what progress has been made on replacing the present passport with a common format EEC passport; how many pages it is planned to have machine read for computer storage and retrieval; what safeguards will be provided to prevent abuse; whether passport information will be fed to any other Government Departments and for what purpose; and if he will make a statement.

We intend to introduce the common format passport at the same time as we adopt the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommendations for a simplified standardised international format with machine readable capability. A considerable amount of work remains to be done to assess the costs and the technical problems, and until this has been completed the Government cannot set a date for its introduction.The new passport will include one laminated page with a machine readable margin. In line with ICAO recommendations, the only personal details given will be the holder's name, nationality, and date and place of birth. No other area of the passport will be machine readable.When passport information is stored in a computer it will be given the same protection and privacy as the existing passport records. It will continue as at present to be available on request to other Departments of the Government, such as the Home Office and the Inland Revenue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the proportion of those at work who paid no income tax in 1953, 1963, 1973 and at the latest convenient date;

Year	Number of incomes ('000)	Number who paid no income tax ('000)	Percentage	Number who paid higher rate tax*	Percentage
1963–64	20,200	4,600	23	274	1·4
1973–74	19,300	2,320	12	297	1·5
1981–82	19,900	2,100	11	900	4·5
* Surtax in 1963–64.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his answer of 8 March, Official Report, c. 299–300. concerning the trading profits for farmers for tax purposes (a) what is the value of the principal reliefs given to agricultural companies, (b whether and to what extent the gross profit of individuals is struck after payment of rent, imputed rent on owner-occupied land, interest charges and payments to wives and (c) how many wives are counted separately from their husbands; and what is the gross profit made by wives in each range of gross profit.

The value of the principal reliefs given to agricultural companies, was as follows:

	Accounting periods ending in the financial year to:
	31 March 1978 £ million	31 March 1979 £ million
Capital Allowances	120	150
Stock Relief	50	55

These values represent the amount allowed in respect of the period. The amount actually set off against profits in the same period is not available but would be less.In arriving at the gross profit of individuals, deductions for payments of rent, wives' wages and interest have, where appropriate, been made. There are, however, no figures available of the extent to which this has been done. No deductions have been made for imputed rent of owner-occupied land, which is no longer taxable.Within the total of 297,000 individual cases, there were 49,000 wives counted separately from their husbands. The number of wives and their gross profits by range of gross profit are as follows:

The available information from the Inland Revenue's survey of personal incomes, which covers all people for whom income tax records are held, is shown in the following table. It relates to those under 65 years of age who do not receive a pension. Married couples are counted as one. Information in this form for 1953–54 is not available. Figures for 1981–82 are provisional and are based on projections from the 1979–80 survey of personal incomes.

Income Tax Year 1978–79
Range of gross profit (lower limit) £	Wives '000	Gross profit £ million
NIL	3	—
1	9	4
1,000	5	6
1,500	4	7
2,000	4	9
2,500	3	8
3,000	3	11
3,500	2	9
4,000	2	8
4,500	1	7
5,000	3	15
6,000	2	11
7,000	2	15
8,000	1	12
10,000	1	15
12,000	1	14
15,000	1	12
20,000 and over	1	26
	—	—
All ranges	49	189

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update to 1982–83 the information on tax-free income provided in his reply of 14 December 1931 to the hon. Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire), Official Report, c. 59.

The table following shows (i) the amount of "tax-free income" (ii) "tax-free income" as a percentage of average earnings plus child benefit and (iii) "tax-free income" expressed at 1979–80 prices."Tax-free income" is defined as the amount of earnings, plus family support, which may be received before liability to tax arises. Currently, it equals tax allowances plus child benefit. In the table, tax allowance have been assumed to consist only of the appropriate personal allowance; and, for married couples, only the husband has been assumed to be working.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the tax loss attributable to making mobility allowance non-taxable.

I refer the hon. Member to table 2 of the Financal Statement and Budget Report 1982–83.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has recently received from the National League of the Blind and Disabled about personal tax allowances for those registered as blind; and what reply he has given.

I have recently seen a circular letter sent by the league to all MPs, but that was concerned with the introduction of a cash allowance for the blind (which is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services who is, I understand, answering a question from the hon. Member today) and not with income tax allowances. I have received no recent representations from the league about the tax allowances; these were doubled in the 1981 Budget, and the restrictions on entitlement were removed at the same time.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the amounts in tonnes of imported coal over each of the past four years; and how these figures compare with coal exports.

The amounts of coal imported into and exported from the United Kingdom in the period 1978–1980 are shown in the following table:

	Imports (tonnes)	Exports
1978	2,351,922	2,265,599
1979	4,375,482	2,339,375
1980	7,333,706	4,042,211
1981 (estimated)	4,500,000	9,000,000

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much money has already been paid to the merchant bank of N. M. Rothschild for advice on the forthcoming sale of the British National Oil Corporation's oil and gas assets.

This is a matter for the British National Oil Corporation, which N. M. Rothschild and Sons is advising. I understand that the corporation has so far paid no fees to Rothschilds for advice on the forthcoming sale of shares in Britoil.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide an estimate of the amount of money to be paid to merchant banks for advice regarding the forthcoming sale of the British National Oil Corporation's oil and gas assets.

The British National Oil Corporation's costs are a matter for the corporation. It is too soon to estimate my Department's expenses.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, in view of the passage of the Energy Conservation Act 1981, progress has been made towards the issuing of orders for the mandatory approval of safety standards for domestic gas appliances.

Yes. An order is being drafted prescribing the general framework for the grant or refusal of type approval and a second order is in course of preparation setting safety standards for gas cookers. The Department is already consulting interested bodies informally on these proposals, and this will be followed by statutory consultation in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will obtain an estimate of the feasibility and time scale of making lead-free petrol as well as petrol containing lead available to motorists.

Details of the costs (in 1978 prices) and time scales involved, for both the motor and oil industries, in providing both leaded and lead-free petrol are contained in annex 17 of the Department of Transport's publication "Lead in Petrol", a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the approximate total quantity of waste heat dispersed annually from the power stations in England and Wales expressed in terms of coal equivalent, oil equivalent or cubic feet of gas.

In 1980–81, CEGB power stations, including nuclear stations, supplied 211·5 TWh of electrical energy from a total fuel consumption equivalent to 97·6 million tonnes of coal. The energy dispersed is equivalent to about 67 million tonnes of coal. About 10 per cent. of total fuel is dispersed as chimney emissions. Somewhat less than 60 per cent. is dispersed in cooling water as low grade heat at a few degrees above ambient temperature.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the gas and electricity industries have yet reported to him the results of their consideration of the review by the Policy Studies Institute of the industries' code of practice on the payment of bills; and if he will make a statement.

I have now received the industries' joint response. I am pleased to report that they have undertaken to introduce forthwith the following changes to the code of practice:

Arrangements for repayment of debt—the industries will now take the initiative and offer a repayment arrangement before disconnection. Determined efforts will be made to contact consumers and increase take up of repayment arrangements.

Large accumulated debts—arrangements for repayment over a reasonable period will be offered.

Prepayment meters—prepayment meters will be installed on request, where safe and practical. All requests will now be recorded; there will be no arbitrary refusals. The industries will investigate technical alternatives to traditional slot meters.

"Fuel direct" scheme—the industries have removed all limits on the size of debt accepted for this scheme (except for one Board which is about to do so).

Welfare authorities—improvements to the "fuel direct" scheme have been agreed with DHSS. Subject to Parliamentary approval these should be introduced very shortly. Arrangements have been made for improved liaison with the welfare authorities.

Disconnection of tenants for landlords' debts—disconnection will be delayed for 14 days and notice given to tenants and local authorities in England and Wales. The industries will pursue the landlord for payment including, where possible, disconnection of his own supply.

A new code of practice leaflet incorporating these changes will be published shortly. In framing them the industries consulted the gas and electricity consumer councils and the welfare authorities. The consumer councils have agreed to monitor implementation of the changes.The deputy chairman of the Electricity Council has also written to me about additional steps being taken by his industry to assist with problems applying particularly to electricity consumers. Area electricity boards will contact all consumers who have been disconnected for more than a month to explore the possibilities for reconnection. The industry has this month mounted a publicity campaign for its easy payment arrangements and all area boards have been asked to re-examine the format of their bills and literature to ensure they are readily understandable.I have arranged for copies of the industries' joint response and the letter from the deputy chairman of the Electricity Council to be placed in the Library of the House.I welcome these positive proposals. They should improve contact between the industries and those consumers the code of practice is designed to help. I shall maintain my close interest in the operation of the code, and I am pleased to note that the gas and electricity consumer councils are to monitor implementation of the changes.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how much is to be spent updating the aircraft hangars at Leuchars air base; how many aircraft are currently based at Leuchars; and how many are proposed to be based there.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the construction of hardened aircraft shelters at Royal Air Force Leuchars, the cost of which is estimated to be in the order of £13 million. It is, however, expected that some 80 per cent. of this programme will be funded by NATO.There are two squadrons of Phantoms at Leuchars and one flight of Wessex helicopters. The Phantoms are to be replaced in the late 1980s by Tornado F2s. It is not the practice to disclose details of aircraft numbers at particular stations.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the establishments owned by his Department in each county in Wales.

The following list excludes minor locations such as married quarter estates, Territorial. Army and other volunteer units and careers information offices: