asked the Minister for Trade whether he will make a statement following his meeting with the Merchant Navy and Airline Officers Association on 25 January.

Following the Falklands conflict, I invited the Merchant Navy and Airline Officers Association, as well as the other seafaring unions and the General Council of British Shipping, to let me have their considered views on the lessons to be drawn from the Falklands campaign about the future of the Merchant Navy. The MNAOA sent me its views in writing, and I am grateful for these. I then invited it to meet me, and this meeting took place on 25 January.I am now considering the union's proposals in the context of both of the defence lessons for the Merchant Navy to be learnt from the Falklands campaign, and of the worldwide recession in shipping which has greatly damaged all merchant fleets. Within the recession, the British merchant fleet is suffering additionally because of a loss of competitiveness compared with other merchant fleets.

asked the Minister for Trade whether the powers under which the Export Credit Guarantee Department operates the cost escalation scheme is to be renewed.

Although the Government's success in reducing inflation should cause demand for cost escalation to fall away to the point where the scheme could be allowed to lapse, I am satisfied that there remains at the moment sufficient demand from those exporters who are tendering for contracts with extremely long manufacturing periods that cost escalation insurance cover should continue to be available. I therefore intend to recommend to the House an extension to 26 March 1984 of the power granted under section 5 of the Export Guarantees and Overseas Investment Act 1978. The necessary draft order will be laid before the House in due course.

asked the Minister for Trade what representations he has received from manufacturers of domestic electrical appliances concerning imports of such goods; and what response he has given.

[pursuant to his reply, 31 January 1983, c. 1]: A number of representations were made in 1982, all of which related to imports which were currently or potentially subject to the Community's anti-dumping procedures. The investigations undertaken by the European Commission into imports of refrigerators and cylinder vacuum cleaners from eastern Europe were finalised in 1982 with acceptance from the suppliers of satisfactory price undertakings. The Department's anti-dumping unit and the United Kingdom industry have together been keeping the overall situation under review. The industry has also expressed concern about low-priced imports of Italian washing machines. The Department is currently considering with the industry whether any breach of the treaty of Rome may have occurred and, if so, what case should be made to the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the reasons why he will not replace the present part-time chairman of British Rail with Mr. Sydney Weighell, appointed on a full-time basis.

No. It would be neither right nor proper, nor indeed fair to those involved, to comment on the suitability or otherwise of particular individuals for particular posts.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the number of people who have been prevented from exercising their right to obtain free examination for medical exemption from seat belt wearing before the date on which the legal requirement to wear a seat belt comes into effect as a result of the non-availability of the Department of Transport publication "Seat Belts, The Law and You."

I know of no such instances, but would welcome information on any cases which have come to the right hon. Gentleman's attention.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when the Department of Transport publication "Seat Belts, The Law and You", containing the application form required to obtain free examination for medical exemption from seat belt wearing ceased to be available to the general public.

The publication "Seat Belts, The Law and You" has not ceased to be available to the general public and I am not aware of any problems of availability.This leaflet can be obtained from road safety officers, local DHSS offices, through press coupons from Freepost and from the Department of Transport.When present supplies are exhausted application forms for free examinations will continue to be available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether any payments have been made in the last month by Maryport harbour commissioners to his Department in settlement of any loan outstanding from the commissioners to his Department.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether any change will be made to the cash limit for his Department's central and miscellaneous services.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for central and miscellaneous services—class VI, vote 4—will be increased by £2 million from £33,590,000 to £35,590,000 because of an expected shortfall in receipts. The increase will be offset by a corresponding reduction from £80,630,000 to £78,630,000 in the cash limit for driver and vehicle licensing—class VI, vote 5—and will not therefore add to the planning total of public expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to extend the provisions of the right-to-buy legislation to embrace council garages as well as council houses.

The Housing Act 1980 already provides that a secure tenant who exercises the right to buy his dwellinghouse has the right to buy land that is let together with the dwellinghouse—unless it is agricultural land exceeding two acres. This means that a tenant is entitled to buy a garage that is let to him together with his home.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the additional costs of some £7 million which will be incurred by the London borough of Newham by switching its banking facilities away from Barclays bank will affect the level of its Exchequer grants and other payments made by his Department; and whether he will assist in financing these additional costs.

Any net increase in administrative costs counts towards a local authority's total expenditure for block grant purposes. Whether this attracts grant-aid or incurs grant penalties will depend on the authority's overall level of expenditure, and on whether or not it overspends the guidance figure issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Whatever the grant effect, any increase in costs increases the amount that an authority has to raise directly from its ratepayers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many dwellings were found by the English house condition survey to be lacking in hot and cold water at three points while having hot and cold water at two points.

This information is not available, because the survey classifies the provision of hot and cold water in dwellings by only two codings:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many recipients of rent rebates and allowances and rate rebates, below pension age, had more than 60 per cent. of their rent and/or rates met by rebates and allowances at the latest available date; what proportion of all rebate and allowance recipients below pension age this represents; and how may of them were one-parent families.

I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a detailed breakdown of the aggregated figures for 1982–83 contained in table 2.7 of volume 2 of Cmnd. 8494, namely, (a) total local authority gross capital expenditure, £2,471 million, (b) total new towns gross investment, £73 million, and (c) total sales and repayments, minus £1,098 million, in terms of the original 1982–83 Estimates and the provisional 1982–83 outlook.

Since housing authorities are now free to spend their capital allocations how they choose, any breakdown of provision would be purely notional. The latest outturn figures broken down on the lines requested will however be published today in the expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 8789.On

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the 1982–83 and 1983–84 housing investment programme bids submitted by each housing authority, compared with the actual allocations announced by his Department.

The information is available in the Library.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for Tuesday 1 February.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Leith) asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official duties for 1 February.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

asked the Prime Minister when she next expects to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to meet leaders of the Trades Union Congress.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what further steps she will be taking to ensure that the management information system for Ministers is adopted in all Departments.

This will depend on Departments' responses to the financial management initiative. I shall need to be satisfied that these conform with the principles established by the MINIS system, and include the ground covered by it.

asked the Prime Minister how many representations she has received in recent weeks in letters from the general public regarding unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, coupled with requests that the United Kingdom should leave tie North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and what has been the general tenor of her replies.

In the past month I have received only a handful of letters which have called on the United Kingdom both to disarm unilaterally and to withdraw from NATO. I have, however, received several hundred letters from members of the public on the whole range of arms control and disarmament issues. The replies naturally address the particular concerns of the writer, but they also emphasise the Government's basic policy in this field: namely, a commitment to maintain peace and security through support for NATO and its policy of deterrence, and a commitment to work unceasingly for reductions through balanced and verifiable arms control agreements.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Aberdeen

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister how many warheads are expected to be deployed by British Trident submarines; and what account she has taken of this in her support for Mr. Reagan's zero option of not deploying cruise and Pershing II missiles in Europe if Mr. Andropov will destroy his SS20 missiles in view of the fact that the British Trident submarine will carry missiles capable of intermediate range use.

Like previous Governments, we do not comment on the number of warheads carried by our strategic deterrent. In any case, it has no bearing on our support for the NATO position at the INF negotiations in Geneva, which deal with the land-based intermediate range missiles of the Soviet Union and the United States. Our national deterrent is independent, sea-based and strategic. It has no relevance to the INF negotiations and is excluded from them by definition.

asked the Prime Minister what is the estimated total cost of her recent visit to the Falkland Islands.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will publish the cost of her visit to the Falkland Islands in early January.

The cost of the Hercules, VC 10 and helicopters was some £200,000.

asked the Prime Minister if she will seek to obtain a transcript of an interview on Canadian television with Mr. Michael Whitney Straight; and if she will assess whether the content of the interview has any implications for national security.

I am seeking to obtain a transcript of Mr. Straight's interview. Reports of the interview already available to me suggest that it contains no new information which has implications for British national security. If it proves to be otherwise when the full transcript is available, I shall let the hon. Gentleman know.

asked the Prime Minister on what date she received a communication from Miss Doris Bentley seeking the recommending of a free pardon on behalf of her late brother, Derek Bentley, executed in 1953 as an assessory to murder as committed by Christopher Craig; and what was the nature of her reply.

I have as yet received no such communication.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children in secondary schools in Suffolk are recognised by the local education authorities as handicapped; and how many of these attend designated special schools and special classes.

In January 1982, the latest date for which information is available, there were 141 handicapped pupils in secondary schools maintained by Suffolk local education authority, of which 105 were registered in special classes or units and 36 in ordinary classes. In addition, there were 510 handicapped pupils aged 11 years and over in special schools maintained by Suffolk local education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science on what basis Churches are granted financial assistance towards the establishment of church schools; and whether, in addition to Roman Catholic, Church of England and Jewish schools, such assistance is equally available on the same terms to other religious denominations, particularly of the various ethnic groups.

If the promoters of a voluntary aided school secure the Secretary of State's approval under section 13 of the Education Act 1980 to the school's establishment and subsequent maintenance by local education authority, 85 per cent. grant on the site and building costs may then be paid by the Secretary of State under section 1 of the Education Act 1967. There are no limitations on the religious or other nature of voluntary bodies that may make such proposals, each of which is considered on its merits.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department is sponsoring any research work into the effects of changes in the enzyme triosephosphate isomerase upon the immune system of the elderly.

The Department supports basic scientific research through its grants-in-aid to the five research councils, which are, in turn, free to determine their own scientific priorities under the terms of their royal charters. I understand that the Medical Research Council is not at present sponsoring any specific research on the effects of changes in the enzyme triosephosphate isomerase upon the immune system of the elderly. The council is, however, always willing to consider soundly based research proposals for support through their research grants scheme in competition with other applications.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the names of those persons serving as members of the Scottish Arts Council and the dates when their appointments terminate.

The members of the Scottish Arts Council, who are appointed by the Arts Council of Great Britain with the approval of the Secretary of State for Scotland, are as follows, with the dates when their present appointments will terminate:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek to obtain and publish a comparable list of part-time course fees charged by universities in the United Kingdom for (a) home students and (b) foreign students.

No. Universities determine their own fees for part-time courses in the light of recommendations made by the University Grants Committee. The cost of compiling a list of all the fees concerned would be disproportionate.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many persons will be graduating from polytechnics and universities in the summer of 1983.

The Department does not publish projections of students likely to graduate. The numbers of those who have graduated from the polytechnics and the universities are collected and published annually. The latest available information for 1980–81 is published in "The First Destination of Polytechnic Qualifiers" and "University Statistics 1980—Volume 2: First Destination of University Graduates" copies of which are in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the gross unit cost for (a) sixth form education and (b) further education for a full-time student.

Precise figures are not available, but estimates based upon total costs at the institutions concerned suggest that gross institutional unit costs in 1980–81 were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is proposed to make any changes in the criminal injuries compensation scheme.

The Secretary of State for Scotland and I have decided that the changes in the civil law on damages for personal injury contained in parts I and II of the Administration of Justice Act 1982, which include compensation for bereavement in England and Wales, will be reflected in awards made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, except that so-called common law spouses and persons alleged to be married by habit and repute will continue to be ineligible for compensation under the scheme as dependants or relatives in fatal cases. These changes will apply to compensation awards in respect of injuries sustained on or after 1 January 1983. Paragraphs 15 and 16 of the scheme will be amended to read:

"15. Where the victim has died in consequence of the injury, no compensation other than funeral expenses will be payable for the benefit of his estate, but the Board will be able to entertain applications from any person who is a dependant of the victim within the meaning of section 1(3) of the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 (other than a person described in section 1(3)(b) of that Act) or who is a relative of the victim within the meaning of Schedule 1 of the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976 (other than a person described in paragraph 1 (aa) of that Schedule). For the avoidance of doubt in Scotland "spouse" shall be construed as being the partner of a regular marriage or a marriage established by decree of declarator in the Scottish courts. Compensation will be payable in accordance with the other provisions of this Scheme to any such dependant or relative. Funeral expenses to an amount considered reasonable by the Board will be paid in appropriate cases, even where the person bearing the cost of the funeral is otherwise ineligible to claim under this Scheme. Applications may be made under this paragraph where he victim has died from his injuries even if an award has been made to the victim in his lifetime. Such cases will be subject to the conditions set out in paragraph 13 for the re-opening of cases and compensation payable to the applicant will be reduced by the amount paid to the victim.

16. Where the victim has died otherwise than in consequence of the injury, the Board may make an award to such dependant or relative as is mentioned in paragraph 15 in respect of loss of wages, expenses and liabilities incurred before death as a result of the injury whether or not the application for compensation in respect of the injury has been made before the death."

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the degree of legislative supervision of electronic bugging.

My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the existing provisions relating to the use of devices for electronic bugging are adequate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the light of the first three months' experience of viewing audiences with both the fourth television channel in England and S4C in Wales, he will make it a statutory responsibility on all cable television operators in Wales to provide the S4C service to all their clients.

No.

[pursuant to his answer to a supplementary question by the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook (Mr. Hattersley), 18 November 1982, c. 412]: Chief officers of police in England and Wales were asked to provide the answer "Yes" or "No" to the questions:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he now expects cruise missiles to be deployed in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current timetable for the cruise missile programme.

In the absence of concrete results in the current negotiations on intermediate range nuclear forces in Geneva, cruise missiles will begin to be deployed in the United Kingdom at the end of 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) on 14 December, Official Report, c. 124, if he will set out in detail the precise procedures that guarantee dual control of cruise missiles in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has yet reached a decision concerning the form of dual control over cruise missiles after they are installed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the procedure for the installation and operation of cruise missiles; and whether their use will be subject to the agreement reached between Mr. Attlee and Mr. Truman in October 1951.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that no missiles can be launched from United Kingdom soil without the express consent of the Government.

I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of providing a dual key system for cruise missiles in Great Britain.

Ground-launched cruise missiles to be deployed in the United Kingdom from the end of this year in the absence of concrete results in the arms controled negotiations in Geneva will be owned and operated by the United States. They will not have a dual key system. Such an arrangement could entail the purchasing of the missiles and supporting equipment at a cost of many hundreds of millions of pounds as well as providing over 1,000 British service personnel to operate and maintain them. Since the Government are satisfied with the existing arrangements for joint decision, such expenditure would not be a sensible use of defence resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has yet learnt the precise date on which cruise missiles will begin to be sited in the United Kingdom; and how many missiles are to be installed.

In the absence of concrete results in the current arms control negotiations in Geneva, 160 cruise missiles will be deployed in the United Kingdom. Deployment of the first missiles will take place at the end of 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on his recent discusions with other Ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries regarding the deployment of cruise missiles in Europe.

At the meetings of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels in November and December last year attended by my right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State for Defence, Ministers reaffirmed the importance of proceeding with plans to modernise NATO's intermediate range nuclear forces through the deployment of Pershing II and cruise missiles in Europe in the absence of a concrete arms control agreement, while at the same time supporting the position of the United States Government at the INF arms control negotiations in Geneva, which seeks the elimination of all United States and Soviet land-based longer range INF missiles. Copies of the communiqué have been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what further representations he has received concerning the siting of cruise missiles in Great Britain.

Further to my answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery) of 14 December—[Vol. 34, c. 124]—the Ministry of Defence has received 141 representations concerning the siting of cruise missiles in Great Britain in the period 6 December 1982 to 24 January 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current nuclear and conventional force levels of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the Warsaw Pact; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the 1982 Statement on Defence Estimates, chapter 3 of which gives an account of the conventional and nuclear balance between NATO and the Warsaw pact.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces have been injured by mines in the Falkland Islands since the ending of hostilities.

Four.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the latest figures available for the cost of maintaining British armed forces in West Germany; and what steps he is taking to reduce this expenditure.

The cost Of maintaining British forces in West Germany rather than in the United Kingdom is estimated to be between £200 million and £250 million in 1982–83. All costs are kept under regular review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to introduce the management information system for Ministers into his Department; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he intends to introduce the management information system for Ministers into his Department.

I intend to introduce a management information system for Ministers into my Department very soon. The Ministry of Defence is a large and complex executive Department and I have not yet decided on the detailed application of the system. But it will complement and link with the management control, information and accounting systems which already exist in the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many ships and troops he expects to comprise the Falkands garrison over the next 12 months.

It would not be in the national interest to release these details.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if the development of the cruise missile base at Greenham Common is progressing according to schedule.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will examine the possibility of continuing to use the facilities at the Gibraltar dockyard for the repair and refitting of naval vessels; and if he will make a statement.

We have no requirement to retain Gibraltar dockyard after the present year. As I said in reply to my hon. Friend's written question on 20 January—[Vol. 35, c. 168]—we are involved in discussions on the possible future commercialisation of the dockyard. If it does come under commercial management, we would expect some naval work to continue to be done there.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's discussions on the possible future commercialisation of the Gibraltar dockyard.

I have nothing to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development on 20 January.—[Vol. 35, c. 220.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the type and estimated number of theatre nuclear missiles in Europe held by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries in western Europe, by the Soviet Union and by Eastern bloc nations.

The Soviet Union and Eastern bloc countries have nearly 1,200 intermediate range nuclear missiles in Europe of which over 500 are longer range, able to strike targets in western Europe from bases within the Soviet Union; some half of these carry three warheads. In addition, the Warsaw pact has 650 short range nuclear missiles facing NATO Europe.NATO has no longer-range intermediate nuclear missiles at all, having only 180 shorter-range intermediate missiles and about 100 short-range missiles.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement about the incursion of demonstrators into the Faslane base.

Seventeen anti-nuclear protesters climbed over the fence at the Clyde submarine base on the afternoon of 15 January and staged a demonstration on a perimeter observation post, but were unable to go further due to the presence of the Ministry of Defence police. As they were not ready to leave of their own accord, the Ministry of Defence police took appropriate action to remove them and to hand them over to the Strathclyde police who brought charges.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he intends to issue any further publications on Her Majesty's Government's defence strategy relating to nuclear deterrence.

Yes. We keep our range of information leaflets and publications under review, and I anticipate that the next Statement on the Defence Estimates will cover special aspects of our nuclear deterrence strategy.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present state of recruitment to the Guards Division.

Recruitment to the Guards Division is very satisfactory. Soldier recruitment is expected to achieve its 1982–83 target and, although there will be a shortfall in the number of officers recruited during 1982–83, it will be very small and is not expected to cause any difficulties.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many frigates and destroyers there will be in active service after 1985 on present Government plans.

Our longer term plans envisage a force level of about 50 destroyers and frigates. Decisions about the balance between front-line ships and those in the standby squadron will be taken later in the light of our requirements and of available resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will take measures to enhance British defence capability and deployment outside the United Kingdom and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation areas.

The specific measures which we are taking to enhance our "out of area" capability are described in paragraph 304 of "The Falklands Campaign: The Lessons" (Cmnd. 8758). In addition, the general enhancements listed in paragraphs 307 to 309 and 311 of that White Paper will improve the flexibility and readiness of the services for operations both in support of NATO and elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set up an independent inquiry into the possible adverse effects on the health of ex-service men who took part in nuclear tests in the Pacific in the 1950s.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will establish a public inquiry into the effects of the atomic explosions in the South Pacific and Maralinga in the 1950s.

I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Colvin).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied that the proposed airway between Edinburgh/Glasgow and Aberdeen via Perth will not be detrimental to the operational effectiveness of Royal Air Force Leuchars and to low-flying fast jet operations throughout Scotland.

Of the options available, the proposed route will least affect Royal Air Force operations.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any Ministers or employees of his Department have been involved in discussions, formal or informal, during the past 12 months with representatives of the Soviet Government with a view to securing a reduction in the level of nuclear missiles deployed in Europe.

No. These are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he last discussed with his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation counterparts the implications for NATO of a substantial British military presence in the South Atlantic.

My predecessor discussed the implications for NATO of a substantial British military presence in the South Atlantic with his NATO colleagues at the Defence Planning Committee ministerial meeting on ½ December 1982. It has been made clear that British forces in the South Atlantic will remain committed to NATO, though they will be less readily available than when in the European theatre. In the longer term, the alliance will benefit from our decision—announced in the White Paper presented by the former Secretary of State for Defence in December 1982 (Cmnd. 8758)—to devote substantially more resources to defence than had been previously planned.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has had discussions over a potential requirement for an agile combat aircraft to enter service with the Royal Air Force.

The experimental aircraft programme announced by my right hon. Friend the Member for St. Ives (Sir J. Nott) on 5 September 1982 is proceeding according to plan and discussions are continuing over the RAF's potential requirement for an agile combat aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has completed his review of policy concerning the overhauling of royal fleet auxiliaries in commercial shipyards; and if he will make a statement.

The current and long-established policy is that royal fleet auxiliaries which cannot be accommodated within the capacity of the Royal dockyards are repaired in British commercial shipyards on the basis of competitive tenders. This policy is kept continuously under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he proposes to transfer all modification work on Nimrod aircraft from Woodford to RAF Kinloss.

No. We expect an electronic support measures modification to be embodied in the last six aircraft being converted to the Nimrod MR Mk 2 standard at BAe, Woodford. However, we expect to contain the retrospective fit of this modification and the re-engineering of modifications done during Operation Corporate within the major servicing schedules to be carried out at RAF Kinloss.Consideration is also being given to strengthening the MR Mk 2 wing and to some mid-life improvements. It is too early to say whether, if approved these will require aircraft to be returned to BAe Woodford.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the defence of Hong Kong.

Her Majesty's Government are responsible for the defence of Hong Kong. The military presence we maintain there is set out in the answer I gave the hon. Member on 7 December 1982.—[Vol. 33, c. 492.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent Martin Baker ejector seats are being supplied for F-18 aircraft for the United States navy; to what extent Martin Baker is being prevented from further participation in this project as a result of United States legislation; and whether this is in accordance with the memorandum of understanding between the two Governments.

Martin Baker is contracted to supply 256 ejection seats to the United States navy for its F-18 aircraft, of which 156 have been delivered. The contract was won after competition with United States industry. Congress has now made it a condition of granting sums for the F-18 aircraft programme in fiscal year 1983, that the Secretary of the Navy submits a plan to incorporate a United States manufactured ejection seat system. The Government have expressed their serious concern at this development, which they believe is contrary to the provisions of the 1975 memorandum of understanding. I shall be discussing the matter further during a visit to the United States in February.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the arrangements for onshore licences following the making of the Petroleum (Production) Regulations 1982.

The arrangements for onshore licensing are set out in the notice published in the official gazettes, copies of which I have placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The changes will bring these arrangements more closely into line with those for offshore licensing. The rental payments have been increased and there will now be a flat rate royalty at 12½ per cent. The provision under which BNOC may have an option to purchase at market value up to 51 per cent. of the petroleum produced is to continue.I have also asked the British Gas Corporation in applying for onshore licences to confine its activities strictly to searching for gas. This applies to all applications involving the corporation, whether made on its own or as a member of a consortium. The corporation will be required to dispose of its interest in any incidental oil discoveries made while searching for gas under a landward licence.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what progress has been made in the tripartite talks between Her Majesty's Government, the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers with regard to modification in the payment of benefits to those suffering from industrial diseases of the lungs in that industry.

A report on the activities of the working party will be made available as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that computer lists for doctors are available at jobcentres so that the full extent of doctor unemployment and under-employment can be more accurately assessed and monitored.

Professional and Executive Recruitment maintains statistics of the number of unemployed doctors registered with it, but vacancies for doctors are very seldom notified to the public employment service, and registration with it is now voluntary for all unemployed people.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied that the interests of women and girls are sufficiently taken into account in decisions made by the Manpower Services Commission national board and local area boards; and if he will make a statement.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many training opportunities scheme courses have been discontinued during the past 12 months.

There is no record of courses discontinued, since these courses may have been transferred to a different training provider or replaced by new courses. However, in November 1982 563 different types of courses were available under TOPS, compared with 551 in November 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the cost of the enterprise allowance scheme experiment.

It is estimated that the total operating costs, including administration, of the enterprise allowance scheme in the five test areas will be about £5·5 million.