asked the Minister for Trade if he will list the draft European Economic Community directives relating to company law and employee participation, including the provision of information to employees and indicate the latest position regarding these and the draft European statute on company law.

The Department's booklet, "Harmonisation of company and related law in Europe", lists the titles, history and expected progress of all the current drafts and proposals for Community instruments on company and related law, including the proposed European statute. The booklet is updated every six months and a copy is placed in the Library.The only proposal in the company law harmonisation programme which deals specifically with employee participation is that for a fifth directive. Last month the European Parliament adopted an opinion on this proposal and I understand that the Commission is now considering whether to amend it accordingly.Proposals relating to employee participation, including the relevant aspects of the proposed fifth directive, are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how much he intends to invest in combined heat and power units over the next five years.

The level of the Government's financial commitment to combined heat and power will largely depend on the results of a programme of research currently being conducted.I hope to receive the results shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the neighbourhood energy action scheme begun experimentally in June 1981 will be continued in 1982–83; and what funds his Department will be making available to it.

The neighbourhood energy action scheme has proved most successful so far and will certainly continue. We shall be making £201,500 available in 1982–83 to support the activities of neighbourhood energy action itself and to give preparatory and start-up grants to help the establishment of community insulation projects. This is an increase on the 1981–82 sum of £104,500.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to set a closing date for comments on the report of the Royal Commission on legal services in Scotland.

No. The only change in the situation described in my reply to the hon. Member's question on 29 April 1982–[Vol. 22, c.348–49]— that the Law Society of Scotland submitted its comments on the report to my right hon. Friend on 26 May.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member For Kilmarnock on 19 April, Official Report, c. 32–33, if he will provide a more recent analysis of unemployment by Standard Industrial Classification of the number of those unemployed in Kilmarnock.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 May, c. 415]: An analysis by Standard Industrial Classification of the numbers registered as unemployed in Kilmarnock on 13 May 1982 is set out in the following table.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scottish projects have been awarded aid under the European Community's 1981 interim scheme of structural aid for the fishing industry.

As in previous years, Scottish applications have had a high success rate under this scheme. The Commission has awarded grants to 31 projects in all, 14 for the construction of fishing vessels, 10 for the improvement of fishing vessels and seven for the development of aquaculture. The assistance awarded to these projects amounts to £1·7 million, or about 12 per cent. of the total Community budget for this scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were granted political asylum in the United Kingdom during 1979, 1980 and 1981, respectively; and what were their nationalities.

I am writing to the hon. Member giving him the information requested, which is available in the Library of the House.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 10 June.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend is attending the NATO summit in Bonn.

asked the Prime Minister when she next intends to visit Brussels.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend plans to visit Brussels on 28 and 29 June to attend the European Council.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the latest position with regard to events in the South Atlantic.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a further statement on the Falkland Islands.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence made a statement earlier today.

asked the Prime Minister when she expects the Heads of Government of the European Community to discuss the draft European Act.

I have been asked to reply.The Heads of Government may discuss the Genscher-Colombo proposals at the next meeting of the European Council on 28–29 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the level of economic activity.

I have been asked to reply.Activity is above the levels of last spring. The prospect is for further recovery. This is supported by most independent assessments, including the latest CBI economic situation report. The most encouraging pointer to sustainable recover is the continued progress against inflation.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on recent contacts with Argentina.

I have been asked to reply.The Government have had no direct diplomatic contacts with Argentina since relations were broken on 2 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what were the absenteeism rates in Welsh secondary and Welsh primary schools in 1979, 1980 and 1981–82; what action he is taking to reduce absenteeism; and if he will make a statement.

The available information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Government have yet reached a decision about the future of the bank holiday on the first Monday in May.

Consultations have shown that opinion on this issue is divided; and that a substantial body of opinion, particularly in industry and commerce, has doubts whether there would be practical advantage in moving this holiday to the end of the month. In view of this division and these doubts the Government have decided not to change the present arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the evidence of damage to Caistor High Street submitted to him by the hon. Member for Gainsborough, he will now instruct the contractors building the M180 to use Nettleton top quarry rather than the Grasby quarry.

I shall answer this question shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he hopes to reply to the request by the hon. Member for West Stirlingshire to attend the reconvened site meeting about the Cornton no. 1 railway level crossing.

I replied to the hon. Member on 7 June, and I believe he subsequently attended the reconvened meeting on 10 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from trade unions calling for a meeting to discuss the possible closure of the Belfast De Lorean plant.

I met officials and shop stewards of the unions involved in the De Lorean plant on 28 May and discussed with them the position of the company.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current situation of the De Lorean Car Company.

The joint receivers and managers suspended production and made almost all employees redundant on 31 May 1982. The receivers and managers are discussing with a United Kingdom consortium and with Mr. De Lorean proposals which might lead to an eventual resumption of production in Dunmurry. The former workers al the plant have organised a sit-in and picket at the company's premises and are preventing dispatch by the receivers and managers of spare parts and components.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the Falkland Islands.

The situation remains as described by my right hon. Friend in answering questions in the House yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the Government's policy with regard to the claiming of reparations against the Argentine Government for the damage caused by their unprovoked aggression; and whether such claims will include payments to the civilian population of the Falkland Islands for the vandalisation and desecration of their private and personal possessions by the Argentinian military forces.

The Government will be giving careful consideration to the question of claiming reparations from Argentina after the complete repossession of the Falkland Islands.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if his Department is sponsoring any development of Langmuir-Blodgett organic films on indium phosphide in molecular electronics and optics; and if he will make a statement.

The Department of Industry is aware of work on Langmuir-Blodgett films in several British universities and in industrial research laboratories; the MOD is also supporting work in its own laboratories. The Department of Industry has received no specific requests for support.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry who are the members of the Focus committee on information technology standards.

The membership of the Focus committee on information technology standards, of which I am the chairman, is as follows:

• Mr. John Whyte (Vice Chairman): Managing Director—Major Systems—British Telecommunications.
• Mr. David Fairbairn: Director, the National Computing Centre.
• Mr. Derek Spickernell, CB: Director General, the British Standards Institution.
• Mr. David Firnberg: Managing Director, EOSYS.
• Mr. John Leighfield: Managing Director, BL Systems Limited.
• Mr. Colin Haley: Product Line Planning Diector, International Computers Limited.
• Dr. David Leakey: Technical Director, GEC Telecommunications Limited.
• Mr. Tennant Barber: Manager, Development Planning and Telecommunications, British Steel Corporation.
• Mr. David Eggleton: General Manager, Computing and Information Processing Group BP International Limited.
• Mr. Alastair Macdonald: Head of Information Technology Division, Department of Industry.
• Mr. Gerald Watson: Head of Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency, Civil Service Department.
• Mr. Eric Williams, OBE: Head of Standards and Quality Policy Unit, Department of Trade.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what consultations his Department has had with the Nissan Car Company concerning the location of a Nissan car plant in the United Kingdom; what plans he has for further consultations with the company; if he proposes to visit Nissan in Japan; when he expects to be in a position to make a statement concerning the future of the proposed plant location; and what form such a statement will take.

We continue in touch with the company. On the substance of our discussions, I have nothing to add to my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Industry's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove and Redditch (Mr. Miller) on 22 March.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement about the outcome of the European Economic Community discussions on the Community arrangements for the steel industry held on Tuesday 8 June.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement about the outcome of the European Community Industry Ministers' Council on arrangements for the European Community steel industry, held on Tuesday 8 June.

The Council in Luxembourg on 8 June, which I attended, gave its consent to continue for 12 months the mandatory steel quota arrangements under article 58 of the Treaty of Paris. The Italian Government will state their position on these arrangements by 16 June after there has been further examination of the quota calculation for certain products.With minor amendments, quotas will be applied to products covered by the arrangements presently in force, with the addition of wire rod. I had no support from any Government or the Commission for my proposal that mandatory quotas should be applied to toll and high speed steels. The Commission will, however, issue tightly drawn guidelines, monitor their effectiveness, and report to the Council in October.It was a significant achievement by the Council to reach agreement on these arrangements. With other provisions—most notably the aids decision which the Commission confirmed would be rigorously and equitably enforced—the Council has provided a basis for the European steel industry to return to viability during this period of crisis and uncertainty.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of the Under-Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, 19 May,Official Report, c. 126, how many combinations of grade and area of work there were in the National Health Service in 1960, to correspond with the current figure of 5,000 combinations.

I refer my hon. Friend to my hon. Friend's reply to him on 19 May 1982—[Vol. 24, c. 126.] Information available prior to 1975 was not based on common grade and area of work definitions. The defonitions in use throughout the National Health Service varied widely and it is not therefore possible to calculate or estimate the figure requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the grades and classifications of nurses (a) in 1960 and (b) at the present time.

The information requested is very lengthy and can be given only for nursing grades classifies for pay purposes. I would therefore refer my hon. Friend to the following documents. copies of which are available in the Library:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to which bodies he has sent the revised section of his Department's guidance on family planning which advises that it would be most unusual to provide advice about contraception to children aged under 16 years without parental consent, since its issue in July 1981; and what response he has received to this guidance.

The Department's revised guidance on contraception and young people was distributed in January 1982 under cover of HN(81)5 as follows:

• Regional Health Authorities^*,
• Area Health Authorities^*.,
• Boards of Governors^*,
• The Chief Executive: Metropolitan County Councils^*,
• Non-Metropolitan County Councils^*,
• Metropolitan District Councils^*,
• London Boroughs^*m,
• Greater London Council^*,
• Councils of the Isles of Scilly^*,
• The Town Clerk: City of London^*,
• Directors of Social Services^*,
• Family Practitioner Committees,
• Community Health Councils,
• Family Planning Association,
• Brook Advisory Centres,
• The Responsible Society,
• London Youth Advisory Centre,
• British Medical Association,
• General Medical Council,
• Medical Defence Union,
• Medical Protection Society,
• Royal College of Nursing,
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists,
• Royal College of General Practitiones,
• Royal College of Psychiatrists,
• Standing Medical Advisory Committee,
• Standing Nursing Advisory Committee,
• Registered Pregnancy Advice Bureaux,
• British Pregnancy Advisory Service,
• Pregnancy Advisory Service,
• British Association of Social Workers,
• Council for Educational Training of Health Visitors
• National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations,
• Catholic Child Welfare Council,
• Central Midwives Board,
• National Association of Family Planning Doctors,
• National Association of Family Planning Nurses,
• Joint Committee on Contraception,
• Association of Directors of Social Services,
• Residential Care Association,
• Central Council for Education and Training of Social Workers,
• National Marriage Guidance Council,
• Church of England Board for Social Responsibility,
• Association of Metropolitan Authorities,
• County Councils Association,
• London Boroughs Association.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a special grant to the Brent Sickle Cell Society to buy a computer/word processor for its centre at Willesden general hospital, following the raising by the society of £2000 by voluntary subscriptions.

the Department has already made a grant of £8,000 for the financial year 1982–83 towards the central office expenses of the Sickle Cell Society. The Society made no reference in its application for this grant to the proposed purchase of a computer/word processor. I would not expect any increase to be made in the grant now agreed for the current year, but any further request for help of this kind would be considered on its merits.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services at what level the £300 limit for single payments would now stand if it had been index-linked at its November 1980 level.

If the capital limit on single payments had been increased in line with the actual and forecast movement in the retail price index from November 1980 to November 1982—assuming a 9 per cent. increase over the 12 months to November 1982—its November 1982 level would be about £365.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the supplementary benefit policy inspectorate's report on the effects of the capital rule.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Paddington (Mr. Wheeler) on 6 April.—[Vol. 21, c. 302.] As he said, we shall be keeping the operation of the rule under review and we continue to welcome any observations which may be made on the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate how many pensioners now able to claim single payments from supplementary benefit will no longer be able to do so after the passage of the Social Security and Housing Benefits Bill; and if he will make a statement.

It is estimated that about 55,000 supplementary pensioners will no longer be eligible for supplementary benefit, and thus for single payments, on the introduction of housing benefit. This will arise because these claimants will receive more in weekly benefit from housing benefit than they do now, and will as a result be taken above supplementary benefit levels of income. People with incomes above supplementary benefit levels are not eligible for single payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report figures giving details of the number of claimants and number of dependants in (a) Birkenhead and (b) England and Wales, claiming supplementary benefit in May 1979 and at the latest available date; and if he will publish the information in categories according to whether the claimant is (i) over retirement age, (ii) unemployed, (iii) sick, (iv) single-parent family and (v) other category.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, table 1 shows the numbers claiming in England and Wales, and from the two local offices. in Birkenhead, which may include people who live outside Birkenhead itself. Available information about the number of dependants is given in table 2.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to whom and to which organisations he has sent copies of the report of the committee on restrictions against disabled people; what arrangements he intends to make to receive and analyse comments on the report; and if he will make a statement.

I am sending the right hon. Member a list of the 52 organisations to which the Department has sent copies of the report and a press release. Other Government Departments will be sending copies to organisations which they think should be aware of the report's recommendations. These bodies, and others, are free to make their views known to the Government and such views will be taken into account in deciding on the need for action.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from regional and area health authorities concerning the dispute over Health Service staff wages; and if he will make a statement.

We have received a number of letters from district health authorities expressing their concern that a satisfactory resolution to the current dispute should be found soon. None have made any suggestions about the possible sources of finance for any improved offer. Responsibility for the conduct of pay negotiations in the National Health Service rests with the management sides of Whitley councils rather than with health authorities. The chairmen of regional health authorities meet Ministers regularly to discuss current issues and have been kept closely in touch during the current round of pay negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many women overseas students enrolled in the United Kingdom institutions of higher education in 1979, 1980 and 1981.

The number of women overseas students following courses of higher education in to universities and the public sector in the United Kingdom in the academic years 1979–80 and 1980–81 are estimated at 13,200 and 12,600, respectively. Similar information for women for 1981–82 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many women employed as ancillary workers were made redundant in (a) polytechnics and (b) universities during 1980, 1981 and the nearest available date in 1982;(2) how many women teachers in

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on his consultation letter on mobile homes from pensioner organisations; and if he will make a statement.

We received comments on the consultation letter on mobile homes from Age Concern. A range of other organisations and individuals also commented, but none of these specifically represented pensioners. We are now giving further consideration to the Government's legislative proposals in the light of the representations we have received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authorities that have advised him of their intention to privatise any of their local services; and if he will make a statement.

There is no formal requirement for local authorities to report such intentions to me, but I am aware informally of at least 40 authorities in England which are considering the possibilities of contracting out certain services to the private sector.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 28 May to the hon. Member for Islington, Central what is the name of the company to which salary and value added tax for the chief executive of the Property Services Agency is payable; and whether he is or has been a director of that company and for how long.

The company is Masa Management Services Ltd., of which Mr. Alfred has been a director since it was established on 8 December 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what work is being carried out by the Building Research Establishment's housing defects prevention unit.

Over the years the cost of remedying defective local authority housing has become very considerable. This was why I announced in March of last year that I would be setting up a defects prevention unit at the Building Research Establishment to work strenuously with the local authorities at trying to reduce the incidence of defects.The unit will be publishing general information to local authorities in a newsletter called "Defects News" and also specific technical guidance on avoiding particular defects in a series of Defect Action Sheets. The first edition of "Defects News" and the first Defect Action Sheets on "Slated or tiled pitched roofs: ventilation to outside air" and on "Reinforced-concrete framed flats: repair of disrupted brick cladding" are being published today.Copies are being sent to all local authorities and to New Towns in England and Wales with a housing responsibility, to the Housing Corporation, and to the National Federation of Housing Associations. I am also placing copies in the Library.

Page asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received the third report of the radioactive waste management advisory committee.

The radioactive waste management advisory committee's third annual report to the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Scotland and Wales has been published today. I have placed copies in the Library of the House.We are grateful to the chairman, Sir Denys Wilkinson, and to the members of the committee, for all the efforts they have devoted over the last year in making a significant and authoritative contribution to thinking on this important subject. We have taken full note of the views they have expressed about a number of aspects of waste management, and these are being taken into account in drafting the forthcoming White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) who won the limited single stage competition for landscape area for international garden festival, Liverpool 84; and to what extent the firm concerned will be employing local Merseyside people in the execution of its work;(2) who won the limited single stage competition for festival building for the international garden festival, Liverpool 84; and to what extent the firm concerned will be employing local Merseyside people in the execution of its work.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 June 1982]: The results of the design competitions for the landscape area and the festival building were announced by the Merseyside Development Corporation on 26 May. First prize in the landscape area competition was won by Derek Lovejoy and Partners and first prize in the festival building competition by Arup Associates. The firms are based in Manchester and London respectively. The major employment opportunities in those two projects will result from contracts for the execution of the works to be let by the development corporation. Contracts for previous corporation projects have provided for the use of local labour wherever possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will list the directors of the Anglia building society and the London and South of England building society, their ages and occupations and the method by which they became directors, through co-option or otherwise.

In the case of the Anglia building society, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 21 may 1982 to my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire).In the case of the London and South of England building society, the latest annual return gave the following information about the members of the hoard on 4 April 1981:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what checks are made by the Registry of Friendly Societies of building society minutes and other documents, to monitor whether directors declare their interest in organisations to which their societies make mortgage advances.

Minutes of building societies' board meetings are not statutorily required to be submitted to the registry, and so are not available for scrutiny by the registry. They may be examined by registry staff during the course of inspection visits to societies, if other circumstances suggest that in the particular case there is a need to do so.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the years 1970–71 to 1982–83 the public expenditure gross domestic product ratio on both the pre-1977 and the post-1977 definition of public expenditure, reconciling these by showing the difference in percentage points attributable to (a) different treatment of nationalised industries, (b) different treatment of debt interest and (c) other changes;(2) if he will publish in the

Much of the information requested is not readily available, but I shall write to the hon. Member giving him the material that can be readily compiled.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the equivalent of table 1.9 of Cmnd. 8494 in terms of 1982–83 cash prices, for each of the years given.

No. I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to him on 14 May and on 31 March to the right hon. Member for Stepney and Poplar (Mr. Shore).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the common agricultural policy farm prices arrangements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with which provisions of the European Economic Community agricultural price settlement he is satisfied.

I refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friend to the statement which I made on 19 May.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the price of each of the principal food products affected by the farm price rises agreed to in Brussels on 18 May.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) on 8 June.—[Vol. 25, c. 25–26.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to ensure that the role of livestock auctions is fully taken into account in any marketing initiative.

Livestock auction markets are an important link in the marketing chain. I am sure the new central marketing organisation, for which I announced plans on 8 June in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Devon, West (Mr. Mills), will take full account of the interests of this sector in any appropriate marketing initiative.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the difference in farm incomes in the United Kingdom between the 1981 and 1982 prices of the European Economic Community.

The "Annual Review of Agriculture 1982" White Paper, Cmnd. 8491, shows that farming income in 1981 was £1,209 million. No forecast for 1982 can be made before the 1983 annual review of agriculture has been completed early next year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the effect of the Council of Agriculture Ministers' majority agreement on agricultural prices for the ensuing year upon British milk producers.

We estimate that the Council's recent decision will be worth approximately £110 million to milk producers in the United Kingdom, in a full year.

Wall asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has now decided whether to provide temporary assistance to the fishing industry; and what is the nature of the assistance.

No. We are continuing to monitor the financial situation and needs of the fishing industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has had discussions with the Sea Fish Industry Authority regarding its future policy on its overseas consultancy activities; and if he will make a statement.

The authority keeps me informed on this as on other matters, but it is of course for the authority to set its own priorities.