asked the Prime Minister if she will instruct drivers of ministerial cars not to commit parking offences.

Under existing instructions, drivers of official cars are already required to do all they can to avoid breaching parking regulations.

asked the Prime Minister if any Government Department or agency has at any time employed Mr. Vic Norris or his firm, Contingency Services; and if she will make a statement.

Information of this kind is not held centrally.

asked the Prime Minister if it is the policy of the Government to employ private agencies for the purposes of any confidential investigations or covert inquiries; and if she will make a statement.

There is no policy on the use of private agencies for confidential investigations, nor are any central records kept of the use of such agencies.

asked the Prime Minister what representations she has received from the scientific community about the relative proportions of the research budget taken by defence and non-defence research, respectively; what information she has about how these relative proportions compare with the position in other Western countries; and if she will make a statement.

£ million
1983–84 prices	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84
Department of Employment	234·3	255·6	299·0	316·3	338·1
Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service	15·3	15·1	12·4	12·6	12·8
Manpower Services Commission	335·7	337·1	330·4	338·3	346·0
Health and Safety Commission	70·4	75·9	73·0	75·0	78·0
Total for the Department of Employment Group	655·7	683·7	714·8	742·2	774·9

This information is taken from the annual scrutinies of Departmental running costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the official definition of low pay; and how many male and female workers, respectively, are within this definition.

I have received no such representations.Information about the broad pattern of Government research and development expenditure and a comparison of the relative proportions spent on defence and civil research in six major OECD countries is to be found in the 1984 annual review of Government funded R and D.The Government's plans for defence and civil R and D expenditure have been set out in Cmnd. 9428, and these plans will be reviewed in the normal way during the course of this year's public expenditure survey.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonealth Affairs if any event is to be held by the wartime allies, the Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic to commemorate those Germans who suffered, and in many cases were executed, during Nazi rule for their resistance to the dictatorship and at the same time to commemorate all Germans who were the racial and political victims of Nazi rule.

I understand that Chancellor Kohl intends to speak at a commemoration of the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, organised by the Central Jewish Council, on 21 April. But I know of no plan by any of the wartime allies for any international commemoration of the tragic events referred to by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the total cost of administration of his Department, expressed in constant prices in each of the last five years.

The total cost of administration of the constituent parts of the Department expressed in 1983–84 prices in the last five years was as follows:

There is no official definition of low pay.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take in order to ensure that young people's representatives are able to participate as members of the area manpower boards which are responsible for the local oversight of the youth training scheme.

Matters relating to the compostion of area manpower boards will be considered as part of a review of boards which is currently being undertaken by the manpower Services Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what alternative programmes or traineeships to those which will be terminated resulting from the closure of the 29 skillcentres he intends to initiate within the framework of the youth training scheme.

We are currently considering the proposals endorsed by the Manpower Services Commission for the development of the skillcentre training agency. These proposals will not affect the Government's offer of a place on the youth training scheme to all those who are eligible.Young people following courses under the scheme in skillcentres due to close by 1 April 1986 will be offered alternative training places, where necessary, to complete their training.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take arising from the findings of the publication entitled "Working Children" by the low pay unit.

I am asking the Health and Safety Commission to assess the implications of the report in respect of its responsibilities. I am satisfied that in general the Health and Safety Executive and the Wages Inspectorate have adequate powers and enforce the law where breaches come to their attention.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many, by number and percentage, of those young people completing a youth opportunities programme or youth training scheme have transferred into immediate full-time employment at the end of the scheme, for each year since 1979.

[pursuant to his reply, 31 January 1985, c. 259]: Information is not available in the precise form requested. The table is based on sample surveys conducted under both the youth opportunites programme and the youth training scheme and relates, by and large, to young people who left schemes in or around June of each year. The figures show the percentage of young people responding who were in full-time employment at the time of the surveys.

	Percentage in full-time employment
Youth opportunites programme
1979	58
1980	40
1981	47
1982	44
1983	49
Youth training scheme
1984	56

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he takes to ensure that secondary schools adhere to the guidelines issued by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on the care of animals on school premises.

The Department has published advice on the care and maintenance of living animals in schools in its booklets "Safety in Practical Subjects" and "Safety in Science Laboratories" and has drawn attention in these booklets to other sources of advice to schools. It is for local education authorities and individual primary and secondary schools to ensure that suitable procedures for the care of animals are followed.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what resources he plans to make available for the purpose of improving education provision for West Indian school pupils to enable them to acquire higher standard GCE and CSE level results.

The achievement of school pupils of West Indian origin is among the subjects under review by the committee of inquiry into the education of children from ethnic minority groups.I understand that the committee has held its last meeting and intends to submit its report to my right hon. Friend after some final editorial work. The Government will want to consider whether action is needed in the light of the committee's findings.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provisions he will make for specialist nursery training methods for teachers of four-year-old children attending primary schools; and what steps he will take to monitor the progress of such pupils in comparison with older classmates.

The new criteria for the assessment of initial teacher training courses, issued by my right hon. Friend with his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales in April 1984, require that in future the approach to teaching methods in courses should differentiate according to the age group which the student intends to teach—whether primary or secondary—and that within primary special emphasis should be given to particular age ranges such as 3 to 8. In 1983 the Department invited institutions with training expertise in the 3 to 8 age group to develop specialist work on the nursery years within their courses. HMI is in the process of visiting those institutions and discussing their plans with them. Qualified teachers have the opportunity to augment their initial training by taking one of a number of one-term, in-service courses specialising in nursery teaching.In the course of visits to primary schools HMI looks specifically at provision for the under-fives and, through its reports, which are now published, and the courses which it runs for teachers it makes known to those responsible its views on best practice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of deaths which have occurred in Great Britain from 1 January 1969 to the latest available date in each year connected with present civil unrest in Northern Ireland; and how many of those deaths were caused by action taken by the police and each of the known terrorist or paramilitary groups.

The available information for England and Wales is shown in the following table. The table covers offences of homicide which have been attributed on the evidence available to acts of terrorism connected with Northern Ireland, but the coverage may not be complete. For information for Scotland, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on 28 January 1985 at column 17.

Victims of offences currently recorded as homicide attributed to acts of terrorism connected with Northern Ireland by year of recording.
England and Wales	Number of persons
1972	7
1973	1
1974	43
1975	11
1976	2
1977	—
1978	—
1979	1
1980	—
1981	3
1982	11
1983	6
1984	*5
*Provisional

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received regarding the proposed increase in the level of the television licence fee; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan) on 31 January at columns 397–98.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new steps the Government intend to take to tackle the problems arising from drug abuse.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Rombold) on 31 January at columns 243–44.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought regarding alleged offences of speeding by coaches since May 1984; what has been the average of fine since that date; and how this compares with the average level in the 12 months preceding the increase in maximum penalties in May 1984.

The available information relates to total proceedings for speed limit offences for all vehicles and average amounts of fines imposed at magistrates' courts for the offence categories shown in table 5 of "Offences Relating to Motor Vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables, 1983", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. No reliable information is available for specific types of vehicles. Information for 1984 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he has any proposals to end the use of Her Majesty's prison, Styal, for youth custody prisoners; and if he will make a statement;(2) what policy is followed for the accommodation of youth custody prisoners in Her Majesty's prison, Styal.

Separate living accommodation is provided at Her Majesty's prison and youth custody centre, Styal, for those sentenced to youth custody and to imprisonment: the facilities of the establishment are shared by both groups. Selected youth custody trainees are, however, located in the prison and selected adults in the youth custody centre. This gives maximum flexibility in the use of the accommodation and allows some mixing of female adult prisoners with female young offenders which can be beneficial to both groups. We have no plans to alter this general arrangement. As a response to recent incidents of misbehaviour, the youth custody trainees at Styal have, as an interim measure, been dispersed more widely throughout the establishment, so as to benefit more from the stabilising influence of the adult prisoners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners under the age of 17 years are held at Her Majesty's prison, Styal;(2) how many adult prisoners and youth custody prisoners, respectively, are detained at Her Majesty's prison, Styal.

On 25 January 1985 190 adults and 47 youth custody trainees, of whom six were aged under 17 years, were accommodated at Her Majesty's prison and youth custody centre, Styal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have died in police custody in each of the last five years, with a breakdown by cause of death; in how many cases each year inquests were held; and what was the result of the inquest in each case.

The number of persons who died in police custody during the years 1980 to 1983, together with the cause of death, number of inquests and inquest verdicts, is contained in the annual reports of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary — HC 409 (1980), 463 (1981), 15 (1982) and 528 (1983)—and, for those within the Metropolitan police district, in the annual reports of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Cmnd. 8254, 8569, 8928 and 9268).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood of 28 November about the case of Mrs. Jagjit Kaur Kahlon.

Mrs. Jagjit Kaur Kahlon and her husband were interviewed in New Delhi on 19 November 1984. A second interview is to be arranged as a matter of priority so that a full report covering all the issues we need to consider can be prepared. Once that report has been received and considered I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources he will make available for the provision of higher police manning levels on motorways to supervise adherence by motorists to recommended speed limits in conditions of extreme cold weather and very poor visibility conditions.

Deployment to particular policing tasks is a matter for chief constables. Police authorities are responsible for fixing the authorised establishment of forces, subject to my right hon. and learned Friend's approval. In considering an application to approve an increase in establishment he takes careful account of any motorway policing requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he expects to publish the report of his review of public order legislation; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will introduce legislation to permit him to ban processions without the prior need for an application from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis or the appropriate local authority; and if he will make a statement.

The procedure for banning marches under section 3 of the Public Order Act 1936 is one of the matters considered in the review of public order law, whose conclusions my right hon. and learned Friend hopes to announce as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average income in 1955 and in each succeeding fifth year expressed in constant prices; and if he will make a statement.

Average income—personal income per capital—at constant prices for the years requested was as follows:

	£
1955	1,782
1960	2,081
1965	2,437

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer who were the directors of Johnson Matthey Bankers at the time of the rescue operation mounted by the Bank of England; and if any of these persons are currently holding directorships or other positions of responsibility in any firm or organisation in receipt of public funds.

The directors of Johnson Matthey Bankers at the time of the rescue operation mounted by the Bank of England were:

• Mr. E. G. Pateman (Chairman).
• Mr. P. D. F. Varrall (Deputy Chairman).
• Mr. R. G. Wheeler (Managing Director).
• Mr. P. J. C. Firth (Deputy Managing Director)
• Mr. P. J. K. Smith.
• Mr. I. R. Fraser.
• Mr. J. J. Shaw.
• Mr. I. J. Thornburn.

The executive directors were Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Firth, Mr. Smith and Mr. Fraser. Mr. Shaw and Mr. Smith continue to be directors, but the other six were obliged to resign.I regret that the further information requested by the hon. Member is not readily or fully obtainable, and could in any case be provided only at disproportionate cost. The main reasons for this are that no central register is kept of firms and organisations in receipt of public funds, and former directors of recognised banks or licensed deposit-taking institutions are not obliged to inform the authorities of their directorships.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the increase in the European Economic Community own resources when the maximum value added tax rate is raised to 1·4 per cent.

After allowing for the United Kingdom's VAT abatement as a result of the Fontainebleau mechanism—as well as relief to Germany in respect of the financing of that abatement — the potential increase in the amount of revenue available to the Community as a result of raising the VAT ceiling from 1 per cent. to 1·4 per cent. will be some 15 to 20 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what percentage the off-course general betting duty would have to be increased in order to offset the abolition of the on-course general betting duty or a reduction of the on-course general betting duty by 2 per cent.

The Current off-course rate of general betting duty would have to go up by 0·5 and 0·25 percentage points respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in the US dollar to the pound sterling exchange rate since May 1979; and what was the change in the preceding five years.

The percentage changes in the US dollar's exchange rate against the pound sterling during the periods requested were as follows:

May 1974-May 1979	+17·3
May 1979-Jan 1985*	+82·3
(*average to 29 January).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the International Monetary Fund imposes any conditions relating to purchase of arms or level of military expenditure when making loans to, or rescheduling the debt of, developing countries; and what policy on these matters is put forward by the United Kingdom representative.

No, the IMF does not impose any such conditions in its loans to member countries. The fund itself does not reschedule countries' debts, though other creditors may choose to take account of IMF conditionality in deciding whether to reschedule. United Kingdom support for applications for IMF loans depends on their technical merits.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of gross domestic product at market prices was allocated to expenditure on social security in 1983–84; and what he expects the outturn to be for 1984–85.

The recently published public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9428) showed the latest estimated outturn expenditure on social security in the United Kingdom for 1983–84 as £36,301 million and an expected outturn for 1984–85 of £39,145 million. Social security benefit payments—which account for some 96 per cent. of all social security expenditure — are considered to be transfer payments and, therefore, do not form part of gross domestic product. However, if the figures are expressed as a percentage of GDP, they would amount to 11·9 per cent. and 12·0 per cent. respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire, Official Report, 15 January, columns 119–20, if he can anticipate the date by which the response by the Commission to the Government's reply to the reasoned opinion under article 169 of the treaty of Rome alleging that certain aspects of the value added tax zero rates enforced in the United Kingdom, including those applicable for non-domestic construction work, are contrary to the provisions of the sixth value added tax directive, is likely to be received.

It is entirely for the Commission to decide in the light of our reply whether further action on its part is justified. I have no indication when it is likely to reach a decision.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what percentage total European Economic Community expenditure has increased in each year since 1970.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 January 1985, c. 160]: Information prior to 1973 is not readily available.The remainder of the information requested is set out in the table. The budget figures to which the percentages relate were established in units of account (ua) before 1978; from 1978 until 1980 they were established in European units of account (eua). Since these two units were calculated on different bases they are not directly comparable, except in the case of the European development fund for which it was agreed that a conversion rate of 1ua = 1eua would be adopted. Community budgets from 1981 have been established in European currency units (ecu), with the agreement that 1ecu = 1eua for the years 1981 and 1982.

Percentage increase over previous year of 1 per cent
Year	Per cent.
1974	2
1975	20
1976	35
1977	13
1978	29
1979	17
1980	12
1981	14
1982	19
1983	-1
1984	19

Final figures for 1985 are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the £4 million repair work required to put right building defects in the Heath hospital, Cardiff; if he will indicate the amounts of cash he proposes to spend in the immediate years ahead; if the £4 million is to be taken from the budget of South Glamorgan area health authority or from the all-Wales capital programme; and if he will make a statement.

The total cost of the remedial work under-taken to date is £2,718,000 made up as follows:

	£
1980–81
Repair of Mosaics	1,050,000
1981–82
Defects in Pembroke House and Ward B4G	154,000
Brecknock House	156,000
1982–83
Tower Block and Paediatric Department	224,000
1983–84
Carmarthen House	190,000
1984–85

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether, as a result of the settlement reached on 10 February 1984 between the Welsh Health Technical Services Organisation and S. W. Milburn and Partners and W. S. Atkins and Partners pertaining to structural and material defects in the Heath hospital, Cardiff, any sums have been or will be, paid into the Consolidated Fund directly or indirectly; by whom; and where in the Estimates and Appropriation Accounts such sums are, or will be, recorded.

There was no direct payment into the Consolidated Fund. The payment received by the Welsh Health Technical Services Organisation was offset against payments due for remedial work at the University hospital of Wales.A summary of all Welsh health authorities' losses and compensation is included in the summarised accounts of health authorities presented annually and published as a White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total cost of remedial work done on the Heath hospital, Cardiff, during its construction; what is the estimated expenditure in 1985 costs to effect the work specified in the Ove Arup report as needing immediate remedial action; and what is the additional cost of remedial work specified in the report, including roofs, needing future remedial action.

Any remedial work done on the Heath hospital during construction was undertaken within the terms of the construction contract. The actual expenditure on completed remedial work and expected expenditure at 1985 prices on remedial work yet to be undertaken on the elements in the Ove Arup report which were accepted as requiring urgent attention are listed in my written answer of today to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones). Other work not considered to be immediate will form part of the South Glamorgan district health authority's normal maintenance and repair programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what amount of the Housing Corporation's gross expenditure in Wales in 1983–84 was accounted for by value added tax.

Precise information cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost, but the Housing Corporation estimates that VAT accounted for a very small proportion of the gross expenditure in 1983–84.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many chiropodists there are in the National Health Service in Wales, by each of the area health authority areas; if he is satisfied with this level of provision; and if he will make a statement.

The numbers of chiropodists are as follows:

	At 30 September 1984
Health Authority	Number	Whole-time equivalent
Clwyd	13	13·0
East Dyfed	11	10·6
Gwent	21	20·5
Gwynedd	14	12·8
Mid Glamorgan	32	31·0
Pembrokeshire	4	3·5
Powys	10	9·3
South Glamorgan	25	22·2
West Glamorgan	32	30·3

It is for individual health authorities to decide whether this level of provision is satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report for each Manpower Services Commission area the number of (a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds to enter the youth training scheme in Wales in 1985–86 on the basis of the 12 November 1984 rules; if he proposes to increase the youth training scheme allowance; and if he will make a statement.

No decision has yet been taken. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans to offer further aid to the new Government of Grenada.

I am today informing the Grenada Government that we are prepared to make available a new interest-free loan of £5 million, for expenditure over about five years, on capital projects to be agreed between our two Governments. This follows an initial commitment of £750,000 which I announced to the House on 28 November 1983, at column 378, and a subsequent £1 million loan which I announced on 7 February 1984 at columns 566–67.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many producers have now committed themselves to becoming outgoers; and whether any more are to be invited to join the scheme.

By 25 January 1985 1,237 producers in England and Wales had committed themselves to surrendering a total of 150·3 million litres of quota in a full year. Others still have to decide whether or not to go out of production, and as their decisions become known we will send out further invitations as and when we need to replace any who drop out.To date, invitations have been sent to those with up to 367,000 litres, and this week a further 80 producers, with up to 387,000 litres, are to be invited to join the scheme. Previously we have excluded a small number of producers because their milk production was only a relatively small part of their overall farming enterprise. However, now that we are increasingly inviting much larger producers, this restriction is no longer being applied.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received from metropolitan counties on his White Paper "Buses."

I have received representions from six metropolitan county councils, the passenger transport executives, a number of metropolitan district councils and from numerous individuals in the metropolitan areas. The content of the representations has been varied but in general has favoured continuation of the existing local monopolies, which are advantageous to bus operators rather than passengers, who will benefit from the Government's policy of fair competition.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what assistance has been made available in each of the countries of the European Community to combined transport operators under European Economic Community directive 82/603/EEC and European Economic Community regulations 1107/70 as amended by regulation 1658/82.

No such assistance has been provided in the United Kingdom. Details of assistance in other European Community countries are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why, in the light of the fact that Hum airport, Christchurch, lies wholly within the borough of Christchurch, he has made no contact with the borough council about his forthcoming visit, nor has he or his Department invited the council as such to be present during his visit.

The arrangements for my visit to Bournemouth (Hurn) airport were a matter for its joint owners, Dorset county council and Bournemouth borough council.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has completed his consultations with the Greater London council on its lorry ban proposals; and if he will make a statement.

I have considered carefully all aspects of the Greater London council's proposals and the points made by it is response to consultation.Having done so, I am satisfied that in deciding to proceed with its lorry ban proposals without a public inquiry the GLC was not satisfactorily discharging its duty under section 122 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and that my direction is necessary to secure compliance with that duty.Accordingly, I have issued a direction under that Act to the GLC, a copy of which is being placed in the Library of the House.The effect of that direction is to require the GLC to seek my consent to introduction of its proposals for a night-time and weekend lorry ban.If my consent is sought, it would be my intention to establish a public inquiry so that the GLC's scheme, the many issues it raises and the many objections it has attracted can be publicly and impartially weighed. I would then decide whether or not to give my consent in the light of that inquiry's findings.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has made any arrangements to allow the recording of injury accidents, which may involve electrically assisted pedal cycles, in the stats 19 system.

At present the arrangement is that these vehicles be included with ordinary pedal cycles. However, the Department is consulting local authorities and police forces with a view to using a "special projects" box on the stats 19 form to record vehicles such as the C5.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to monitor the operation of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations.

We are watching developments and the Transport and Road Research Laboratory will look at models of electrically assisted cycle produced on a substantial scale.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish his White Paper on airports policy; if the White Paper will set out his latest ideas on privatisation of the British Airports Authority and on local authority airports; if he will list the main subjects to be dealt with in the White Paper; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport intends to make a comprehensive statement on airports policy when he and his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announce their decisions on the Stansted/Heathrow terminal 5 planning inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what tests have been conducted recently by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory on the use of vehicle speed limiters for lorries and buses; and with what results.

The Transport and Road Research Laboratory has carried out limited tests on one speed-limiting device. This performed satisfactorily in controlling speeds and safely reverted the vehicle to normal accelerator control when electrical failure was deliberately induced.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents have arisen on the M6 motorway between junctions 1 and 12 during the last five years; and how many motorists' deaths have occurred as a result.

The information is as follows:

M6 Road accidents and fatalities between junctions 1 and 12: 1981 to 1983
	1981	1982	1983
All injury accidents	193	178	192
Deaths	6	5	8

Data for further years could be given only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what provisions are currently planned for the long-term dry storage of spent advanced gas-cooled reactor fuel; what bodies have been delegated responsibility for such provision; and what arrangements are proposed for financing such provision in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom as a whole.

No commitments have been made to date.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish estimates of the number of homes heated by combined heat and power in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Denmark; and if he will make a statement.

Estimates of the number of dwellings connected to combined heat and power/district heating plant are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is satisfied with the working of the fuel industries' code of practice on disconnections.

The operation of the code is being monitored by the Electricity and Gas Consumers' Councils. Their reports to date indicate that the code is working satisfactorily.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the trend in the number of (a) gas and (b) electricity disconnections over the last four quarters for which figures are available.

I have asked the chairmen of the British Gas Corporation and the Electricity Council to provide the figures direct to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what response he has made to the report on fuel disconnections by the Policy Studies Institute.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Stevens) on 29 March 1982 at column 25.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will introduce legislation to remove the power of disconnection from the gas and electricity supply industries and to confer responsibility for such decisions either upon the county courts or some other arbitration body.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the last inspection date for all nuclear power stations and the next expected date.

To ensure compliance with conditions attached to nuclear site licences and to provide an overall surveillance of activities affecting safety on a licensed site, inspectors from Her Majesty's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate pay regular and frequent visits—usually at least once a month—to each licensed nuclear power station site for two or three days at a time, or for longer periods if necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the normal inspection procedure for nuclear power stations; and how often installations are partially or completely shut down or not producing electricity during such inspections.

Inspectors of Her Majesty's Installations Inspectorate pay frequent visits — usually monthly — to licensed nuclear power station sites. Nuclear power reactors are required to be shut down every two years for maintenance and inspection under conditions attached to their nuclear site licences. Nuclear power reactors may also be shut down or run at reduced power from time to time for operational reasons.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the quantity of electricity imported from France, and any other European country, via the European grid for each month since April 1984 and for each year since 1972.

No electricity has been imported from France or any other European country since 1982. I understand from the CEGB that since 1972 the net flows of electricity via the 160MW link with France — now decommissioned—were as follows:

Year ending 31 March	Net Imports/Exports* (gigawatt hours)
1972	280
1973	273
1974	159
1975	11
1976	3
1977	-88
1978	nil
1979	-76
1980	-2
1981	3
1982	nil
* minus sign (-) indicates exports.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the United States maritime prepositioning ships allocated to the eastern Atlantic will come under Standing Naval Force Atlantic.

This is a matter for the United States authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any British port will act as a regular port of call to the United States maritime prepositioning ships allocated to the eastern Atlantic; and whether he will make a statement.

Security considerations prevent me from commenting on the operational movement plans for these ships.

	Private Hospitals Offering Acute/Surgical Care
Health Board	1980		1981		1982		1983		1984
	No	Bed Compliment	No	Bed Compliment	No	Bed Compliment	No	Bed Compliment	No	Bed Compliment
Argyll and Clyde	1	271	1	297	1	297	1	297	1	297
Dumfries and Galloway	1	23	1	23	1	23	1	23	1	23
Forth Valley	1	16	1	16	1	16	1	16	1	16
Grampian	1	22	1	22	1	22	1	36	1	36
Greater Glasgow	2	91	2	91	2	91	2	128	2	163
Lothian	2	67	2	67	2	67	2	67	2	78
Tayside	1	30	1	30	1	30	1	30	1	30
TOTAL	9	520	9	546	9	546	10	597	10	643

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of authorised National Health Service pay beds, the number of deaths and discharges of

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will discuss with Royal Air Force commanders means to ensure that supplies dropped from C130 Hercules aircraft of RAF Support Command in Eritrea and Tigŕe reach the local population and do not fall into the hands of the Ethiopian army.

We agreed that the RAF should air-drop supplies, initially in Shewa province, on the clear understanding that food would go only to those in need. The RAF was invited by the Ethiopians to observe distribution arrangements on the ground and two members of the detachment were present at the dropping zone when a trial was conducted on 26 January. The RAF remains fully prepared to assist with air-dropping, but the Ethiopian authorities have not so far agreed that airdropping can commence on a regular basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the use of towed arrays in the Royal Navy.

I shall answer shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of private hospitals which offered acute/surgical care, the number of beds and the occupancy rate for all facilities offering such care by region in each of the last five years.

Information on occupancy rates is not available centrally; but the remaining information is as follows:patients, and the average daily occupancy of National Health Service pay beds, giving numbers and percentages for each region for each of the last five years.

The information available centrally is given in the following table. Information on deaths and discharges is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of National Health Service amenity beds, deaths and discharges of patients and average daily occupancy, giving numbers and percentages, for each region for each of the last five years.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what encouragement his Department is providing for the development of tenant management co-operatives and par value co-operatives; and what initiatives his Department has taken over the recommendations made in the report of the Housing Co-operatives Review Committee, published in December 1983, following upon the conference attended by the Minister with responsibility for housing in Scotland for September 1982.

The development of tenant management and par value co-operatives is primarily the responsibility of the housing authorities concerned locally. The Scottish Development Department does, however, provide financial assistance to the tenant participation advisory service, which is responsible for developing interest in and knowledge of all forms of tenant participation, including management and par value co-operatives. The Scottish Development Department is also in close touch with Glasgow district council over its innovative proposals for the development of par value community ownership schemes.I have welcomed the report of the Housing Co-operatives Review Committee, most of whose recommendations call for action by housing authorities. The Scottish Development Department has been giving consideration to the recommendations which affect central Government and will shortly be meeting officers of the tenant participation advisory service to discuss them further.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what research he has commissioned or experimentation he will commission into the likely effects of deregulation of public transport as proposed in the Government's White Paper on buses—Cmnd. 9300—in urban and rural areas in Scotland;

The Scottish Development Department keeps in close touch both with relevant research on public transport and with local transport needs and circumstances in Scotland and will continue to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give a breakdown by number of previous children of those women resident in Scotland upon whom abortions were performed in each of the following years: 1969, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983;(2) if he will give a breakdown by marital status of the women of the total number of abortions performed in each of the following years on resident women in Scotland in 1969, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983;(3) if he will give a breakdown of the number of abortions performed in Scotland on resident women by the statutory grounds for which those abortions were performed in each of the following years: 1969, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983; and what was the total number of abortions performed on such women in each of those years.

Information about abortions performed in Scotland showing parity, marital state and statutory grounds for abortion is given in section 5 of "Scottish Health Statistics," published annually and available in the Library.The 1974 edition also includes data on marital state and statutory grounds for the years 1969 and 1970 but gives parity for 1974 only. Parity

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the total number of abortions performed on women resident in Scotland by the following gestational ages of the foetus: under nine weeks, nine weeks, 10 weeks, 11 weeks, 12 weeks, 13 weeks, 14 weeks, 15 to 19 weeks, 20 to 23 weeks and over 24 weeks in each of the following years: 1969, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983.

Data are not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The nearest available information to that requested is for periods of gestation under 10 weeks, 10 to 13 weeks, 14 to 17 weeks, 18 to 19 weeks, 20 to 24 weeks and 25 weeks and over; details for 1975 and the later years requested are given in table 5·3 of "Scottish Health Statistics" 1982 and 1983, copies of which are in the Library. The figures for 1969 are:

Period of gestation (weeks)	Number
Under 10	948
10 to 13	1,454
14 to 17	789
18 to 19	168
20 to 24	97
25 and over	7
Not stated	93

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state (a) the total number of live births, (b) the total number of illegitimate live births, (c) the ratio of live births to abortions and (d) the number of illegitimate births as a percentage of live births for women who are aged (i) over 20 years and (ii) under 20 years, and resident in Scotland in each of the following years: 1967, 1969, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1982 and 1983.

Tables A1.1 and S1.1 of the 1983 annual report of the Registrar General for Scotland and table S1.1 of the 1974 report give data (other than percentages) about the requests at (a),(b) and (d). The ratios for live births to abortions for all women are as follows:

	Ratio
1967	n/a
1969	25:1
1974	9:1
1978	9:1
1980	9:1
1982	8:1
1983	8:1
n/a=Not available.

asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts if it is intended to change any of the cash limits for which the Minister for the Arts is responsible.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary spring Supplementary Estimate my right hon. and noble Friend proposes to increase the 1984–85 cash limit on Class V, Vote 10—Arts, the Arts Council and other institutions, The National Heritage and the Government Art Collection — by £241,000 from £123,900,000 to £124,141,000. The net increase is required to meet the cost of residual payments by the South Bank Theatre Board to its contractors and consultants in connection with erecting and equipping the National theatre building. The expenditure will be charged to the Reserve.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many state-enrolled nurses employed in Northern Ireland were trained in the Republic of Ireland; whether reciprocal arrangements exist for state-enrolled nurses trained in Northern Ireland to be employed in the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

No state-enrolled nurses employed in Northern Ireland were trained in the Republic of Ireland. There are no reciprocal arrangements between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for the employment of state-enrolled nurses in the Irish Republic.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many live cattle, sheep and pigs have been exported to the Irish Republic in each of the last five years for which records are available.

The information is as follows:

Thousand
	Cattle	Sheep*	Pigs
1979	130·4	244	16·5
1980	60·1	449	272·6
1981	86·3	538	583·3
1982	48·3	509	594·6
1983	15·3	446	516·4
* Estimated numbers.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of private hospitals that offered acute surgical care, the numbers of beds and the occupancy rate for all facilities offering such care, by region in each of the last five years.

There are two private hospitals in Northern Ireland providing acute surgical care, the Ulster independent clinic in the Eastern Health and Social Services Board area and the St. John of God hospital in the Southern Health and Social Services Board area. The number of beds in each is 50 and 36, respectively, although these are not used exclusively for acute care. Information on bed occupancy rate is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of National Health Service amenity beds, deaths and discharges of patients, and average daily occupancy, giving numbers and percentages, for each region for each of the last five years.

Hospital beds are not specifically designated for amenity purposes. The remainder of the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of authorised National Health Service pay beds, the number of deaths and discharges of patients, and the average daily occupancy of National Health Service beds, giving numbers and percentages, for each region for each of the last five years.

Details of availability and uptake of accommodation by hospital private patients in each of the last five years are set out as follows.These beds, when not occupied by private patients, are used by Health Service patients. Information on discharges and deaths is not recorded separately for private patients.

Private In-Patient Provision
	Total number of patients who may be accommodated	Average daily paying patients occupying those beds	Average occupancy rate percentage
Eastern Health and Social Services Board
1979	90	20·06	22·3
1980	90	12·75	14·2
1981	90	12·15	13·5
1982	90	*	*
1983	90	15·65	17·4
Northern Health and Social Services Board
1979	22	2·36	10·7
1980	22	1·99	9·0
1981	22	2·36	10·7
1982	22	2·39	10·9
1983	22	3·29	14·9
Southern Health and Social Services Board
1979	14	1·59	11·3
1980	14	1·01	7·2
1981	14	1·09	7·8
1982	14	1·68	12·0
1983	14	1·62	11·6
Western Health and Social Services Board
1979	23	5·81	25·3
1980	23	5·38	23·4
1981	23	4·77	20·7
1982	23	4·66	20·3
1983	23	5·54	24·1
* Information not available due to industrial action in the Health and Social Services Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has now approved an exceptional heating allowance to persons in receipt of supplementary benefits to ameliorate the effects of the severe weather in Northern Ireland; what criteria are used to determine when such an allowance is paid; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 31 January 1985, c. 298]: A single payment of supplementary benefit can be made where a period of exceptionally severe weather has resulted in greater than normal fuel consumption and a claimant has not put aside enough money to meet the extra cost. A decision on whether or not the conditions prescribed in the relevant regulations are satisfied rests with the independent adjudication authorities. Following discussions with the Meteorological Office, the Chief Adjudication Officer for Northern Ireland has issued guidance on the temperature level at which the weather condition should be regarded as satisfied. This is based on criteria published in paragraphs 7426 to 7449 and appendix 19 of the Northern Ireland S manual, and takes account of temperature data supplied by the Meteorological Office. The relevant trigger point has not yet been reached in Northern Ireland, but, if it is, the Department of Health and Social Services will publicise the fact and provide information on how claims for single payments should be made.

asked the Attorney-General if he will prosecute under the Official Secrets Act the former chief of the defence staff, Lord Lewin, for describing in an interview on 29 June 1984 the use of the towed array system in detecting the General Belgrano.

If the hon. Gentleman would care to write to me identifying what is alleged to have been said and to whom on 29 June 1984, I will consider it.

asked the Attorney-General if he will provide details of proceedings that have been commenced under sections 1 and 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 since 9 February 1983 set out in the manner of appendix II to the Franks report.

[pursuant to his answer, 28 January 1985, c. 37–38]: One further prosecution was commenced in 1984 under section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911. A civilian employee of a police force disclosed information obtained from the police national computer to a company trading in burglar alarms.My answer also erroneously described the prosecution in 1984 of a Foreign Office clerk as arising from the disclosure of minutes written "by her Secretary of State to colleagues" although in fact the minutes were sent to her Secretary of State.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing, in respect of the drawings sold at auction on 3 July from the Chatsworth collection (i) the number of export licences applied for which were (a) referred to and (b) not referred to the Reviewing Committee for the Export of Works of Art, (ii) the number of export licences which have been issued in normal course (a) by 12 November and (b) at the latest available date and (iii) how many of the export licences applied for have now beeen issued (a) in respect of applications referred to the Reviewing Committee and (b) in respect of applications not so referred; and if he will also set out the position separately regarding individual applications in each category in respect of which licences have not been issued;

The figures given in the two replies were compiled on the same basis. Of the 61 export licence applications received for drawings known to have come from the Chatsworth collection, 21 were referred to the reviewing committee. On the advice of the committee, export licences were temporarily withheld in respect of 13 of the applications so referred, but were later issued in respect of 12 of these: only in the remaining case was an offer made to purchase the work on behalf of a British collection. Licences have also been issued in respect of all the applications not referred to the reviewing committee —40 in number—in respect of those applications which were referred to the committee but where the committee did not recommend that licences should be withheld—eight in number. It has been the practice of successive governments not to provide information about export licences applied for or issued for reasons of commercial confidentiality. I regret that I therefore cannot provide the further details requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he has given consideration to the restoration of a telegram service in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;(2) what is his assessment of the savings resulting from the ending of the telegram service since its termination;(3) what representations he has received calling for the restoration of the telegram service;(4) how many tele-messages have been sent in each year since the termination of the telegram; and how many telegrams were sent in the equivalent period before termination;(5) what profit or loss has been made by the tele-message service each year since its inception;(6) what proportion of tele-messages were delivered within 24 hours in each year since the termination of the telegram.

I have to say that the questions asked are primarily matters that are the responsibility of BT and the details of the services it offers are a matter for its commercial judgment within the terms of its licence and current legislation. However, I can say that I have received no recent representations about the ending of the inland telegram service nor proposals for the establishment of a new service. I regret that I am unable to provide some of the information requested as this can only be supplied by BT and I understand is commercially confidential.