asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many domestic consumers would no longer receive quarterly gas bills in which the standing charge element is greater than the cost of the units consumed if British Gas implements a scheme similar to that recommended by the Electricity Council to area boards for the reduction of standing charges to small users; and, of this number, what proportion are pensioners.

The British Gas Corporation has announced that it will limit standing charges to not more than half of a domestic consumer's total bill. I am advised by BGC that about 1 million consumers will benefit, about half of whom are pensioners.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many domestic consumers will no longer receive quarterly electricity bills in which the standing charge element is greater than the cost of the units consumed as a result of the Electricity Council's recommendation to area boards on the reduction of standing charges to small users; and, of this number, what proportion are pensioners.

I am advised by the Electricity Council that about 2 million consumers—about half of whom would be pensioners—are expected to benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the response to the eighth round of licensing for acreage on the United Kingdom continental shelf.

Applications were received from over 100 companies. Cash tenders were submitted for about half of the 15 mature oil province blocks for which they were invited. The successful tenders are likely to raise about £30 million. Two-thirds of the blocks on offer in the mature gas basin of the southern North Sea were applied for, as were a number of blocks in the new, high-risk, areas of the Forth approaches, the East Shetland platform, the West Orkney basin and the mid North sea high.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy for how long he estimates that a financial subvention will be made to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in respect of the Calder Hall and Chapelcross reactors.

No such subvention is made. The reactors are owned and operated by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd, which pays a royalty to the UKAEA on the fuel used.

asked the Attorney-General how many successful applicants for civil legal aid, with dependent spouse or dependent children or both, were obliged to make a contribution to their legal aid from their disposable capital in each of the last three years for which the information is available.

This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Attorney-General what proportion of (a) all wage earners and (b) those on above average earnings are eligible for legal advice and assistance under the green form scheme.

Financial eligibility for legal advice and assistance cannot be determined by reference solely to earnings. To take as an example that group of wage earners with a non-working spouse and two children aged under 11, it is estimated that at least 60 per cent. of the total group and 20 per cent. of those in the group with above average earnings would be eligible on income grounds.

asked the Attorney-General whether the Lord Chancellor has any plans to dispense with assessments of the means of supplementary benefit recipients who apply for legal aid.

Assessments in such cases have been almost entirely dispensed with since 1979, and have been carried out only in the very rare case where it appears the applicant is about to come off supplementary benefit or has capital in excess of the lower legal aid limit. Further steps to improve the administration in such cases are under consideration.

asked the Attorney-General (1) what proportion of families consisting of an income-earning single parent with two children under 11 years of age were financially eligible for civil legal aid in each of the following years: 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82, respectively;(2) what proportion of wage earners are financially eligible for civil legal aid; and what proportion of these can obtain it free of contributions or with a contribution of less than £65;(3) what proportion of families consisting of one income earner with a dependent spouse and two children under 11 years of age were financially eligible for civil legal aid in each of the following years: 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82, respectively.

Financial eligibility for legal aid cannot be determined by reference solely to earnings. Of the group of wage earners with a non-working spouse and two children aged under 11, it is estimated that at least 75 per cent. of such families were eligible on income grounds for civil legal aid in 1979–80, at least 70 per cent. in each of the years 1980–81 and 1981–82, and at least 75 per cent. this year. It is estimated that of those eligible this year about 48 per cent. would be eligible for non-contributory legal aid and an additional 5 per cent. would be eligible subject to a contribution of less than £65. It is estimated that at least 90 per cent. of families consisting of an income earning single parent with two children under 11 years of age were eligible on income grounds for civil legal aid in each of the years 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82.

asked the Attorney-General (1) what was the number of applicants for civil legal aid in 1981–82; how many were refused legal aid solely because their disposable capital was above the eligibility level; and how many of these applicants had a dependent spouse or dependent children or both;(2) what proportion of applicants for civil legal aid in 1981 were financially ineligible on capital grounds.

The number of applications received for legal aid in 1981–82 was 266,596. Of these 7,214 were refused because the applicants were ineligible on financial grounds. Information on the number and proportion of those refused solely because applicant's disposable capital was above the eligibility limit could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Attorney-General whether studies into the work of the Court of Protection have been completed; and what reforms are to be introduced into the administration of the court.

A number of studies into various aspects of the work have been completed. Others are in progress. As a result of the studies so far completed, a number of changes have been made in administration. The work of the court has now been divided into three divisions; the Judicial division, which deals with all judicial matters; the Protection division, which deals with non-judicial matters relating to the administration of paptients' estates by external receivers; and the Management division, which, as from 1 January, has taken over most of the receivership work previously undertaken by the Official Solicitor. I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer which the Lord Chancellor gave to the Baroness Trumpington on 2 December 1982.—[Official Report, House of Lords, Vol. 436, c. 1393–94.]

asked the Minister for Trade if he will take immediate action to control the nuisance caused by microlight aircraft; if he will apply normal air safety requirements and noise controls to these aircraft and licensing controls for their pilots; and if he will make a statement.

Microlight aeroplanes, like all other aircraft, have to be flown in conformity with the rules of the air and air traffic control, and now have to be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority. The authority introduced formal pilot licensing requirements from 1 September last year, and is also drawing up in conjunction with the representative bodies airworthiness requirements in the form of a "permit to fly" for aeroplanes with an empty weight of between 70 and 150 kg. These requirements will be published very shortly. Microlight aeroplanes used for pleasure flying and instruction will then be subject to a similar degree of regulation as larger light aeroplanes, and as microlight aircraft used for other purposes already are.When the two studies of noise created by microlight aircraft which my Department has commissioned are complete, we will consider how it can be alleviated and if necessary controlled.

asked the Minister for Trade what recent steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to encourage trade between the United Kingdom and Turkey.

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

asked the Minister for Trade, pursuant to the answer by the hon. Member for Eye (Mr. Gummer) to the right hon. Member for Barnsley of 20 January stating that the Health and Safety Executive is seeking advice from the Health and Safety Commission's advisory committee on toxic substances with a view to ascertaining the link between chrysoidine dye and cancer, whether he will have consultations with Imperial Chemical Industries which manufactures the dye on the sale and use of this dye with a view to halting sales until this examination is completed.

I understand that both Imperial Chemical Industries and the only other known United Kingdom manufacturer of chrysoidine have stopped selling it to maggot suppliers to anglers for use as a dye because of the concern that it might be a cancer risk. I understand, however, that there may still be stocks of the dye available. I am therefore considering how best to let anglers know of the advice of the DHSS committee on carcinogenicity referred to in the reply of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services to the right hon. Member on 24 January—[Vol. 35, c. 299]—about not putting chrysoidine-treated maggots in the mouth.

asked the Minister for Trade (1) what were the agreed limits on wool and woollen product imports from China in the four year trade agreement on textiles and clothing products;(2) for each of the last four years, what where the actual levels of imports for each of the main heads of wool and woollen product imports from China;(3) what were the main heads of the trade agreement in textiles and clothing with China; and if he will give his assessment of the actual outturn or performance against those heads;(4) what import restraints have been imposed on textiles and clothing imports from China during the period of the four year trade agreement; what were the agreed limits on the imports of the products involved; and what were the actual levels of imports of those products in each of the four years of the agreement;(5) when the trade agreement in textiles and clothing with China expires; what is the present stage of negotiations on a new agreement; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 17 January 1983, c. 67]: The European Community's bilateral textiles agreement with China divides textiles and clothing products covered by the agreement into 114 categories along similar lines to those used in bilateral agreements with MFA suppliers. Full details are available in the text of the agreement, published in the Official Journal of the European Communities, No. L345, 31 December 1979, a copy of which is available in the Library. Raw wool is outside the scope of the agreement. The main categories under which the direct products of wool fall are categories 46 (carded or combed wool), 47 (woollen yarn not for retail sale) 48 (worsted yarn not for retail sale), 49 (yarn for retail sale) and 50 (woven fabrics of wool). During the lifetime of the agreement there have been no imports from China under any of these categories except for category 50 where imports were 16 tonnes in 1980, 17 tonnes in 1981 and 17·2 tonnes January-October 1982. It has not therefore, been necessary to seek quotas on any of these products.Some categories include woollen products along with those of other materials, for example categories 5

Table 1
		1980		1981		1982		1983
Category	Units	Imports	Quota	Imports	Quota	Imports (Jan-Oct)	Quota	Quota
1	tonnes	40	61	2	62	58	63	64
2	tonnes	4,474	3,837	8,059	3,874	6,664	3,911	3,948
3	tonnes	35	40	64	40	68	40	40
4	'000 pieces	364	511	470	557	573	603	652
5	'000 pieces	691	1,077	847	1,126	1,129	1,175	1,226
6	'000 pieces	244	209	114	231	289	254	273
7	'000 pieces	125	157	181	162	122	167	172
8	'000 pieces	863	773	680	801	751	830	859
9	tonnes	370	340	289	378	367	421	461
10 & 11	'000 pieces	680	639	676	658	651	677	698
12	'000 pieces	128	577	557	702	524	830	962
14B	'000 pieces	0	14	0	15	0	15	16
17	'000 pieces	0	36·7	20·4	37·8	14	39	40·1
18	tonnes	38	72	76	74	64	76	79
19 & 89	'000 pieces	126	4,552	2,839	5,156	2,533	5,730	6,347
20 & 39	tonnes	157	194	168	244	187	302	371
32	tonnes	187	310	142	354	366	391	430
37	tonnes	111	573	291	654	186	744	842
Table 2
16	'000 pieces	1	—	12	—	22	*30	*30
21	'000 pieces	133	250	118	265	99	281	298
25	'000 pieces	0	—	76	—	81	120	126
26	'000 pieces	7	—	93	—	166	320	333
27	'000 pieces	0	—	183	—	101	160	163
31	'000 pieces	186	285	264	302	168	320	339
68	tonnes	3	—	21	—	23	41	43
73	'000 pieces	108	—	262	190	104	201	213
75	'000 pieces	0	—	0	—	8	*9	*9
80	tonnes	14	—	63	—	54	105	111
82	tonnes	0	—	2	—	24	*24	*24
87	tonnes	4	—	13	—	30	55	59
* Provisional quotas pending agreement on definitive quotas.

asked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on trade links between the United Kingdom and North Korea.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 January 1983, c. 188]: The United Kingdom has no governmental

asked the Minister for Trade what was the volume and value of base metal ores and concentrates imported from Namibia in each of the years 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 January 1983, c. 264]: One hundred tonnes of manganese ores and concertrates were imported in 1981 at a value of £6,000 cif. Other imports of the ores and concentrates of base metals in the period in question all fell within item 287–99 of the Standard International Trade Classification (Revision 2), which covers antimony, cobalt, uranium and other base metals not separately identified, details of which are not available for publication.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the annual number of psychotropic drug prescriptions in Wales from 1970 to 1981.

The information is readily available in a consistent format only for the years 1976 to 1980 and is as follows:

Number of prescriptions by therapeutic class*
Thousands
	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980
Hypnotics	1,132	1,149	1,163	1,231	1,149
Sedatives and tranquillisers†‡	1,534	1,611	1,638	1,542	1,455
CNS stimulants	177	186	175	141	116
CNS stimulants and depressant combinations	9	5	7	2	2
Anti-depressants≑	418	425	446	427	388
Anti-depressants and sedative/tranquilliser combinations	114	104	91	109	82
* Estimates obtained from a sample of approximately 1 in 200 prescriptions dispensed.
† Many substances classified as sedatives are capable of acting as hypnotics in higher doses and vice-versa.
‡ Includes Benzodiazepines such as librium and valium, the barbiturates which are major sedatives, and chlorpromazine and haloperidol which are major antipsychotic drugs.
≑ Includes the tricyclics.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many neo-natal intensive care cots are available in west Glamorgan; how the provision of such facilities in west Glamorgan per 1,000 live births compares with that in Wales; and whether he will improve facilities in the Principality.

Intensive care for neonates in west Glamorgan is provided in the special care baby units at Morriston and Neath general hospitals. I understand that there are 31 special care cots in these units.As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Member of 22 December, the facilities available for intensive care at such units vary. The Welsh Office does not keep a full and up-to-date record of all neonatal intensive care facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report for each year since 1979–80, with estimates for 1982–83, the level of spending for (a) trunk road construction, (b) trunk road maintenance, (c) local road construction, (d) local road maintenance (i) as budgeted in the relevant expenditure White Paper and (ii) actual outturn, giving for each year the percentage under or overspend.

The information is estimated to be as follows:

Road construction, improvement and maintenance, Wales
£ million cash
	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83
Central Government
Motorways and Trunk Roads*
New Construction and Improvement
1. Planned expenditure†	64	82	94	100
2. Actual expenditure	63	81	88	¶100
3. Shortfall (-)/Excess (+) as percentage of 1.	-2	-1	-6	Nil
Road Maintenance‡
1. Planned Expenditures†	10	11	17	18
2. Actual Expenditure	12	11	20	¶18
3. Shortfall (-)/Excess (+) as a percentage of 1.	+20	Nil	+18	Nil
Local Authority
New construction and improvement*
1. Planned expenditure†	47	54	50	65
2. Actual expenditure	43	50	≑46	¶62
3. Shortfall (-)/Excess (+) as a percentage of 1.	-9	-7	-8	-5
Road Maintenance‡
1. Planned expenditure†	44	52	70	74
2. Actual expenditure	48	53	≑72	¶72
3. Shortfall (-)/Excess (+) as a percentage of 1.	+9	+2	+3	-3
* Including lighting installation.
† These figures are consistent with the relevant Public Expenditure White Paper in each case.
‡ Including lighting, maintenance, snow clearing and gritting.
≑ Provisional outturn.
¶ Estimated.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reciprocal arrangements have been made with Canada for the payment, and appropriate increase, of pensions and other social benefits; and whether he will make a statement.

The limited agreement with Canada, which has been in force since 1959, contains provisions to help people coming from Canada to the United Kingdom to qualify for United Kingdom retirement pension, unemployment benefit and child benefit. There are no special provisions for people going from the United Kingdom to Canada. United Kingdom pensions are therefore payable in Canada subject to the normal conditions applying outside the United Kingdom, that is, they are payable at the rate in force when the pensioner left the United Kingdom or qualified for the pension in Canada, if later.The Government are aware of the concern of some United Kingdom pensioners in Canada about the present position. However, in view of the current constraint on public expenditure we have not been able to make funds available to increase the rates of pension payable. To increase United Kingdom pensions in Canada to the rates which would be payable in this country would cost well over £28 million a year at current rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now take steps to pay to United Kingdom retirement pensioners living in Canada the full pension to which they would be entitled if they continued to live in the United Kingdom.

No. To increase the pensions of United Kingdom retirement and widow pensioners in Canada to the rates which would be payable in the United Kingdom would cost well over £28 million a year at current rates. In the present economic situation funds are not available for additional expenditure on this scale.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of ceasing to apply the married women's half test to those married women who attained the age of 60 years before 6 April 1979.

£50 million at November 1982 benefit rates.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received about the sex education activities of the Family Planning Association towards school age children; and if he will make a statement.

Since the Department's grant to the association was renewed in January 1981, representations have been received on four occasions. Three concerned literature then sold by the association, and one was of a general nature. All were considered carefully and drawn to the attention of the association, which responded positively. I am satisfied that the association's activities in relation to young people make a valuable contribution to the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and are conducted in a framework that is supportive of family life.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest available figures for the numbers of one-parent families headed by men in receipt of supplementary benefit, by marital status in each category, the number of children involved, the average weekly benefit and average housing costs.

The latest available information relates to December 1981 and is given in the following table:

	Marital Status
	Single	Separated	Total
Number on supplementary benefit	11,000	7,000	18,000
Number of children (all ages)	19,000	12,000	32,000
Average weekly benefit	£44·67	£43·84	£44·36
Average housing cost added in assessment	£14·07	£16·59	£15·01

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the potential reduction in the need for and incidence of therapeutic pregnancy terminations, he will consider giving his support and approval to the setting up within the United Kingdom of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service's centres for post-coital contraception.

It is not necessary for me to approve the provision of post-coital contraception which, properly and responsibly used, can be a useful measure. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service sought the advice of the Department on the matter some time ago, and I understand a service is now established in a number of its pregnancy advice bureaux.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of children in families in receipt of supplementary benefit.

1·7 million at August 1982—source: Quarterly Statistical Enquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will consider introducing legislation requiring notification of home accidents by hospitals and local doctors to local environmental health officers.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 26 November 1982, Official Report, c. 599–600 when he expects his Department's sponsored research work being carried out by the National Institute for Social Work will be completed; and if he will arrange for the results to be published.

Information about abuse of elderly people by their relatives forms only a very small part of this major study of the practical and social problems and emotional stresses of relatives, often spouses, who are caring for elderly people with dementia. The report of the study is expected to be presented to the Department in the spring and copies will then be available from the national institute. The researchers intend during 1984 to publish a book reporting on their study.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 17 November, Official Report, c. 199, if he will list the special steps he is taking to encourage good practice in services for elderly people with psychiatric disorders.

I set out the special steps being taken to encourage the setting up of comprehensive psychiatric services for elderly people with mental illness in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. McNair-Wilson) on 20 January 1983.—[Official Report, Vol. 35, c. 206.] Preliminary indications of local interest in making good use of the special £6 million allocation are encouraging.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the size of the back-dated increase in lodging charges for state enrolled nurses and nurses graded sister II, he will make arrangements to spread arrears over the period of time which the pay award covers; and if he will make a statement.

As my reply of 18 January to the hon. Member pointed out—[Vol. 35, c. 117–20]—lodging charges are a matter for the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council. That council has reached an agreement whereby the increases in lodging charges due from 1 April 1982 and 1 April 1983 are to be collected over the period 1 October 1982 to 31 March 1984. It is expected that the arrears of lodging charges will be collected by health authorities at the end of February, when arrears of pay due from 23 August 1982 will be paid.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his practice to keep statistics as to the number of widows who have been awarded pensions for injuries suffered as the result of damage from radiation resulting from nuclear weapons tests; and how many other cases are under consideration.

Statistics are to be kept of any claim for war pension in which a connection with the nuclear weapons tests is alleged. No cases are under consideration at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will investigate the activities of British companies to ascertain whether they are observing the draft code of practice for the marketing of infant formula adopted by the World Health Organisation in 1981 and supported by Her Majesty's Government.

The draft voluntary code of practice drawn up by the Food Manufacturers Federation in consultation with Government Departments contains proposals for the establishment of an independent committee to monitor companies' compliance with the code. This document is currently out for consultation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply of 27 October to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) Official Report, c. 449, how many supplementary beneficiaries who have not been affected by the partial start will have certificates issued by his Department in respect of housing benefit by 4 April 1983; how many current recipients will be floated off supplementary benefit and will fall to be assessed for standard housing benefit; how many of these will be eligible for housing benefit supplement; and how many of the above will be of pensionable age.

The information requested is being assembled. I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he expects to make a decision on the future of Tadworth Court hospital by the end of January 1983.

My officials have agreed with the Spastics Society that we need further details of the charities' proposal and I must receive and evaluate that information before a decision is made. As a result I am unlikely to be able to reach a decision before the end of January, but I am anxious to resolve doubt as soon as possible.In the meantime I have made a further £200,000 available to the board of governors of the hospitals for sick children to enable them to maintain services at existing levels for the remainder of the current financial year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish the proposed consultative document on deduction of tax from interest paid by United Kingdom companies on foreign loans.

With my approval, the consultative document entitled "Tax treatment of interest paid by companies to non-residents" is being issued by the Inland Revenue today. This consultative document is concerned with some aspects of the present rules of deduction of tax at source from interest paid by United Kingdom companies to non-residents, in particular the effect of the present rules on the ability of United Kingdom companies to issue Eurobonds.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates he expects to travel abroad in connection with his chairmanship of the interim committee of the International Monetary Fund and other International Monetary Fund duties; to what destinations; and for how long in each case.

As chairman I shall be in Washington for the next meeting of the interim committee on 10–11 February. I shall also be in Washington for the normal interim committee meeting before the IMF/IBRD annual Meetings which this year will take place on 27 to 30 September. No other meetings of the interim committee in 1983 are at present planned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will outline the staffing levels of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in each year from 1979 to 1982 and indicate the impact of the changes on customs cover.

Numbers of permanent staff in post in Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in each of the years 1979 to 1982 were as follows:

	Numbers
1 April 1979	28,771
1 April 1980	27,232
1 April 1981	26,827
1 April 1982	26,193
31 December
1982	25,585

The reduction in the departments' staff numbers over this period contributed to the Government's target of a smaller Civil Service. In the Customs area staff savings have been achieved mainly through improvements in the efficiency of controls, more efficient utilisation of available resources, and a more rigorous scrutiny of requests for additional or new Customs facilities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the quantity and value of tobacco and liquor products confiscated by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at Heathrow airport in 1980, 1981 and 1982.

The following quantities of tobacco and liquor products were seized by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at Heathrow airport in the periods shown.

	1980	1981	1982
Tobacco (kgs)	125	153	172
Cigarettes (number)	333,500	723,215	810,341
Cigars (number)	30,745	36,307	27,454
Liquor products (litres)	3,116	2,621	3,582

Estimates of value are noted at the time of seizure but are not collated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what happens to the tobacco and liquor products confiscated by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at Heathrow airport;(2) what steps are taken to resell the tobacco and liquor products confiscated by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at Heathrow airport.

Tobacco products and liquor confiscated at Heathrow airport are offered for sale if they are in a saleable condition and likely to realise at least a sum sufficient to cover the revenue chargeable and the expenses incurred in their sale. Apart from some cigars, confiscated tobacco products are usually not in a saleable condition. Proprietary brands of spirits and good quality wines are fairly readily saleable and, together with saleable cigars, are transferred at intervals from Heathrow airport to London for sale by tender. Tobacco products and liquor not considered to be saleable are destroyed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will outline the conditions under which customs cover is granted at Dundee airport.

Customs attendance is given on a concessional basis for the clearance of business flights, both outwards and on return, made by United Kingdom resident business people. Additionally, clearance may be granted on an ad hoc basis to particular flights on humanitarian grounds or which are otherwise in the national interest. Adequate prior notice is normally required.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions customs cover was sought for aircraft landings at Dundee airport in 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively; and in each case what was the number of requests granted and the number refused, respectively.

The required information is as follows:

1980	Requested on 24 occasions	Granted 22.	Refused 2.
1981	Requested on 26 occasions.	Granted 25.	Refused 1.
1982	Requested on 29 occasions.	Granted 25.	Refused 4.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if Her Majesty's Customs and Excise will increase surveillance at ports and airports to prevent illegal arms importation.

No. I am satisfied that Her Majesty's Customs and Excise already performs adequate checks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Kensington, 20 January, Official Report, c. 182–83, if he will now estimate the cost of each extra £100 in the possible new tax allowances using the same assumptions as before.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the hon. Member for Nuneaton seeking a deferment of some of the tax payments owed to the Inland Revenue by football clubs; and if he will publish his reply in the Official Report.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the salary scales of Customs and Excise officers and immigration service officers for each year from 1976 to the most recent conveniently available date.

Following reorganisation in 1971, the grade of officer of Customs and Excise has been phased out and the work has been increasingly undertaken by executive officers and higher executive officers. The

Immigration service*
Grade	Age points	1 April 1975	Age points	1 April 1978	Age points	1 April 1979	Age points	1 August 1979	Age points	1 January 1980	1 April 1980	Age points	7 May 1980	Age points	1 April 1981	Age points	1 April 1982
		£		£		£		£		£	£		£		£		£
Chief Inspector Immigration		11,000		12,273		13,378		13,991		17,000	19,500				20,895		22,201
		10,400		11,959		13,035		13,633		16,500	19,000				20,360		21,480
		9,800		11,302		12,319		12,884		15,750	18,250				19,558		20,634
		9,200		10,645		11,603		12,135		15,000	17,500				18,755		19,787
		8,650		10,043		10,947		11,449		14,250	16,500				17,685		18,525
Deputy Chief Inspector Immigration		9,350		10,809		11,782		12,322		15,000	17,500				18,755		19,927
		8,750		10,152		11,066		11,573		13,750	16,250				17,418		18,376
		8,250		9,605		10,469		10,950		12,750	15,000				16,080		16,964
		7,750		9,057		9,872		10,325		11,750	14,000				15,010		15,723
Assistant Chief Inspector Immigration		7,450		8,729		9,515		9,951		11,750			14,000		15,010		15,948
		7,150		8,400		9,156		9,576		11,250			13,400		14,368		15,158
		6,875		8,099		8,828		9,233		10,750			12,800		13,726		14,481
		6,625		7,825		8,529		8,921		10,350			12,325		13,218		13,945
		6,375		7552		8,232		8,609		9,950			11,850		12,710		13,409
		6,125		7,278		7,933		8,297		9,550			11,350		12,175		12,845
		5,900		7,032		7,665		8,016		9,200			10,900		11,693		12,336
		5,680		6,791		7,402		7,742		8,850			10,600		11,372		11,912
Inspector Immigration		5,900		7,032		7,665		8,016		9,200			10,900		11,693		12,424
		5,813		6,936		7,560		7,907		8,900			10,500		11,265		11,885
		5,604		6,707		7,311		7,646		8,550			10,000		10,730		11,320
		5,396		6,480		7,063		7,387		8,200			9,600		10,302		10,791
		5,201		6,266		6,830		7,143
		5,045		6,095		6,644		6,948
Chief Immigration Officer		4,787		5,813		6,336		6,627		7,600			8,900		9,553		10,150
		4,696		5,713		6,227		6,513		7,350			8,600		9,232		9,740
		4,459		5,454		5,945		6,218		6,850			8,020		8,611		9,085
		4,302		5,282		5,757		6,021		6,575			7,700		8,269		8,662
Immigration Officer†		Main		Main		Main		Main		Main
		3,768		4,692		5,166		5,401		6,156			7,285		7,825		8,314
		3,675		4,585		5,050		5,279		5,751			6,728		7,229		7,627
		3,424		4,296		4,735		4,950		5,454			6,253		6,721		7,091
		3,178		4,014		4,427		4,628		5,130			5,767		6,201		6,542
		2,952		3,754		4,144		4,332		4,860		20	5,292	20	5,692	20	5,962
		2,762		3,535		3,905		4,082		4,536		19	4,548	19	4,896	19	5,129
		2,602		3,351		3,705		3,872				18	4,039	18	4,352	18	*4,559
		2/437		3,162		3,499		3,657
		Entry		Entry		Entry		Entry		Entry
		3,364		4,227		5,166		5,401		6,099
		3,171		4,005		5,050		5,279		5,778
		2,979		3,785		4,872		5,093		5,537
		2,866		3,655		4,660		4,871		5,323
		2,769		3,543		4,418		4,618		5,136
	25	2,664	25	3,423		4,178		4,367		4,976
	24	2,555	24	3,297		4,036		4,219		4,842
	23	2,457	23	3,185		3,914		4,091		4,708
	22	2,352	22	3,064	25	3,783	25	3,954	25	4,548
	21	2,254	21	2,953	24	3,646	24	3,811	24	4,334
	20	2,142	20	2,831	23	3,524	23	3,683	23	4,173
	19	2,034	19	2,713	22	3,392	22	3,545	22	4,013
	18	1,925	18	2,593	21	3,271	21	3,419	21	3,852
					20	3,138	20	3,280	20	3,692
					19	3,009	19	3,145	19	3,558
					18	2,879	18	3,008	18	3,424

Executive Officers and Higher Executive Officer*
Grade	Age points	1 April 1975	Age points	1 April 1978	Age points	1 April 1979	Age points	1 October 1979	Age points	1 January 1980	1 April 1980	Age points	7 March 1980	Age points	1 April 1981	Age points	1 April 1982
		£		£		£		£		£	£		£		£		£
Higher Executive Officer		4,700		5,718		6,233		6,519		7,250			8,555		9,184		9,758
		4,520		5,520		6,017		6,293		6,850			8,020		8,611		9,085
		4,360		5,345		5,826		6,093		6,575			7,700		8,269		8,724
		4,200		5,170		5,635		5,894		6,350			7,430		7,980		8,419
		4,040		4,995		5,440		5,694		6,150			7,200		7,734		8,159
		3,900		4,842		5,279		5,520		5,950			6,950		7,467		7,822
Executive Officer		Main		Main		Main		Main		Main
		3,670		4,579		5,043		5,272		5,700			6,745		7,247		7,700
		3,420		4,292		4,730		4,945		5,325			6,230		6,696		7,064
		3,220		4,062		4,480		4,683		5,050			5,790		6,225		6,567
		3,045		3,861		4,261		4,454		4,750			5,340		5,744		6,060
		2,870		3,659		4,041		4,223		4,500		20	4,900	20	5,273	20	5,523
		2,695		3,458		3,821		3,994		4,200		19	4,250	19	4,578	19	4,795
		2445		3,286		3,634		3,798				18	3,775	18	4,069	18	‡4,262
		2,395		3,113		3,445		3,601
		Entry		Entry		Entry		Entry		Entry
		3,055		4,579		5,043		5,272		5,700
		2,955		4,315		4,756		4,971		5,400
		2,855		4,085		4,505		4,709		5,175
		2,755		3,872		4,273		4,466			4,975

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the future of the Rayner unit.

I announced last month that I had accepted with great regret Sir Derek Rayner's decision that, in view of his increasing commitments to his company, he must ask to be released from the leadership of the unit which bears his name. Sir Derek Rayner will continue to advise me and my right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Privy Seal on general efficiency questions as necessary and will complete certain tasks that he had undertaken personally on behalf of some Ministers. The unit will continue to operate under the direction of Mr. C. Priestley, who since May 1982 has also been in charge of the management and efficiency divisions of the Management and Personnel Office. The unit will provide staff support for Sir Derek Rayner as required and co-ordinate the programme of departmental scrutinies.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she or her staff made to the British Broadcasting Corporation to have the corporation make available to Independent Television News all the film of the Prime Minister's recent Falklands visit.

Because of the need for security over my travel arrangements, my chief press secretary arranged for a BBC TV team who were to have left Port Stanley in the week before my arrival to remain in the Falkland Islands. On my arrival, my Press Office in London got in touch with the BBC to explain the service rendered for television as a whole in ensuring that camera facilities were in the Falklands to cover the visit. It accordingly asked the BBC, in the interests of fair play, to make its film and sound available to ITN and IRN. The BBC eventually gave an undertaking to do so. Later an ITN reporter, also representing IRN, and a film crew arrived in the Falklands and also covered my visit.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will arrange for an exhibition relating to the community programme to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

I understand that arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 28 February.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the unadjusted figure's for unemployment in Scotland, in numerical and percentage terms, converted to the new claimant basis, for February 1974, May 1979, May 1980, May 1981 and May 1982.

The information is as follows:

*Unemployment Scotland Unadjusted including school leavers
	Number	Percentage of all employees
February 1974	91,200	4·2
May 1979	154,400	6·9
May 1980	181,300	8·1
May 1981	266,900	12·1
May 1982	303,140	13·9
* New basis (claimants). Figures prior to May 1982 are estimated.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information is available to him as to the effects on the health of pregnant women operating visual display units.

The Health and Safety Executive is aware of reports of adverse effects on the health of pregnant women working at visual display units. No reports have yet been published in the scientific literature, but the executive's employment medical advisory service is in touch with investigators at the Mount Sinai hospital, New York who are conducting a survey of VDU operators with particular reference to the assessment of the likelihood of reproductive effects.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough of 20 July, Official Report, c. 85–86, when he now expects the Health and Safety Executive to issue its guidance note on the operation of visual display units and other types of office technology; and what steps he intends taking to inform employers of the existence of the guidance mote.

In the light of requests from several interested parties for further time to comment on the draft guidance note, the Health and Safety Executive had to delay publication. However, the guidance note is now with the printers and will be published within the next few weeks. The executive will, following its usual practice, seek to inform all interested parties, including employers, of publication by way of a press release describing the note's nature, content and availability.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is yet in a position to decide on extending the March deadline for applications for the enterprise allowance and on extending the geographical area of the scheme.

We shall need to evaluate the pilot projects carefully before we take any decision about whether to extend the enterprise allowance scheme to other parts of the country. I hope to make an announcement shortly about the future of the scheme in the existing pilot areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why the computers that can now produce the mumber of unemployed persons by group and post code addresses are incapable of relating this information to the number of employed persons in the same grouping so as to produce a percentage unemployment figure.

The Department of Employment does not publish unemployment rates for areas which are not self-contained travel-to-work areas. The numbers of unemployed people living in smaller areas are available, and it is of course technically possible to produce percentage rates of unemployment for any such area, but such rates do not take account of jobs accessible outside the area nor of people commuting in from elsewhere to take local jobs. They cannot therefore measure the area's need for jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects to receive the report of Professor Stephen Littlechild on the regulation of British Telecommunications; and whether he intends to publish it.

We received Professor Littlechild's report on 17 January. We intend to make copies available shortly to members of the Standing Committee considering the Telecommunications Bill and in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will give further encouragement for schemes similar to "Enterprise Ashford", details of which have been sent to him, which provide cost effective means of creating new jobs.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a detailed statement on any changes from its original plans which have been notified by Inmos to his Department and any effects these will have on job prospects in the area where it operates.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, under the European producers' agreement on synthetic fibres, what reduction in capacity, and over what time scale, has been agreed by companies in Italy and in other countries parties to the agreement; what products will be cut back as a result; if he will estimate the effect on employment in the European Community and the United Kingdom; whether inter-company trade will be regulated; whether Italian producers have been guaranteed a share of market growth; and how the agreement will be monitored.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 January 1983, c. 379]: The agreement signed by the 10 major European Community producers of synthetic fibres stipulates a reduction in capacity by mid-1986 of approximately 480,000 tonnes from the level existing in 1979–80.The products covered by the agreement are nylon staple fibre, textile and carpet yarns; polyester staple fibre and textile yarn; and acrylic staple fibre.The agreement itself should not directly affect employment in the United Kingdom as closures already effected by the United Kingdom signatories since 1979–80 fulfil their obligations under it. However, this does not preclude the possibility of future closures as a result of commercial pressures that are external to the agreement. I am unable to estimate the effects on employment in the other European Community countries.The agreement relates solely to capacity reductions. It does not regulate inter-company trade and no producers have been guaranteed a share of market growth. The industry will monitor capacity through an independent agency.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether, in view of the fact that main contractors of telecommunication equipment which are suppliers of large PABXs, over 100 lines, will be permitted to be the maintainers from 1 July 1983, he can state when the relevant rules will be published; and whether customers will have freedom of choice with regard to maintenance from the liberalisation date, no matter when the equipment was installed and connected to the public services telephone network.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 January 1983, c. 249–50]: No decision has yet been taken regarding which maintainers may be approved to maintain stored programme controlled digital PABXs. My hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Information Technology announced on 31 March 1981 that spc digital PABXs could be maintained by approved private maintainers from the date of general liberalisation of PABXs provided that the PABX was installed after that date. That remains the position; I will shortly be making a statement to set a definite date for the beginning of the private maintenance of spc digital PABXs and to specify more precisely the meaning of "installed after that date".The British Standards Institution is preparing a scheme for the registration of maintainers of spc digital PABXs. This scheme will be based on the relevant requirements of British standard 5750, and full details will be published as soon as the scheme is finalised. Representatives of manufacturing industry are taking a full part in this work. The institution is working to a timetable that should permit existing PABX suppliers to have obtained registration under the scheme by the time that private maintenance is first permitted. Should this target timetable not be achieved, interim arrangements will be made to ensure that the existing suppliers of spc digital PABXs can be approved as maintenance contractors with effect from the date of liberalisation of maintenance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was (a) the cost of running the nationality division of the Home Office, (b) the cost of additional inquiries into applications for discretionary registration and naturalisation and (c) the income received from fees for citizenship applications, for each of the following years: 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82.

The information is as follows:

	Cost of staff and accommodation of the Nationality Division	Other costs of inquiries into applications for discretionary registration and naturalisation.	Income from fees
	£	£	£
1975–76	1,203,000	386,000	215,000
1976–77	1,109,000	353,000	242,000
1977–78	1,012,000	330,000	382,000
1978–79	1,197,000	234,000	539,000
1979–80	1,464,000	437,000	646,000
1980–81	2,183,000	1,170,000	1,009,000
1981–82	2,462,000	1,001,000	*1,933,000*
* revised from earlier figure of £1,981,000 given to the hon. Member on 5 May 1982.—[Vol. 23, c. 63.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 14 to 16-year-old (a) boys and (b) girls were held in local prison remand centres at the latest available date, by location; and whether they were untried or convicted but unsentenced and awaiting allocation.

The information which can be made available without disproportionate cost is given in the following table:

Untried and convicted unsentenced juveniles and juvenile borstal trainees in prisons and remand centres on 31 October 1982*: by establishment, sex and category of prisoner.
Number†
Establishment	Untried	Convicted unsentenced	Borstal trainees
MALES
Remand centres
Ashford	4	1	—
Brockhill	10	15	—
Cardiff	2	2	1
Exeter	—	1	1
Glen Parva	4	8	—
Latchmere House	13	30	2
Low Newton	9	16	2
Norwich	2	3	2
Pucklechurch	2	3	—
Risley	15	17	—
Thorpe Arch	14	18	—
Winchester	2	3	—
Local prisons
Bedford	—	1	1
Birmingham	—	—	4
Leeds	—	—	2
Lincoln	—	—	1
Manchester	8	20	—
Oxford	—	—	1
Shrewsbury	1	—	2
TOTAL MALES	86	138	19
FEMALES
Remand centres
Low Newton	—	1	—
Risley	—	1	—
TOTAL FEMALES	—	2	—
* The figures are those recorded centrally and are approximate; detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.
† These trainees may not be awaiting allocation to a borstal.