asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects the construction of the Point of Ayr colliery coal liquefaction pilot scheme to begin and to be operating; and if he will make a statement.

The National Coal Board expects, in a few months' time, to place a civil engineering contract for the 2½ tonne per day coal liquefaction project at Point of Ayr. This contract will cover site preparation and erection of main buildings. A general construction contract for process plant is scheduled for the end of 1985, after completion of the current work on detailed engineering design. In the meantime, advanced orders are being planned for key plant items.Completion of construction is expected in 1987 and will be followed by a phased start-up of process equipment.The board's commitment to construction was triggered by the award of £4·8 million support from the European Economic Community and was not conditional on further direct support from the Government. However, the £2·5 million balance of the Department of Energy's contribution remains on offer and is subject only to NCB securing suitable participation from the private sector. The chairman and the board are continuing their discussions with interested parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer on nuclear safeguards, Official Report, 18 February, column 353, if he will set out ways in which his Department's safeguards office ensures that operators of United Kingdom nuclear facilities undertake nuclear material accountancy required by the United Kingdom and European Economic Community legislation to which he refers.

Officials of my Department's safeguards office participate in negotiations with the United Kingdom nuclear operators and the Directorate of Euratom Safeguards to draw up the "particular safeguards provisions" called for under Commission Regulations (Euratom) No. 3227/76. In these provisions are requirements to determine the flow and stocks of nuclear materials in nuclear facilities and for procedures to determine the physical inventories of nuclear materials for accounting purposes. To ensure that these provisions are implemented effectively the safeguards office maintains liaison on a routine basis between the United Kingdom nuclear operators and the Directorate of Euratom Safeguards to resolve any difficulties which may arise. In addition the Directorate of Euratom Safeguards regularly send inspection teams to civil nuclear facilities in the United Kingdom to examine accounting records and to verify the physical presence of nuclear material. In many cases the safeguards office has a representative at these inspections as allowed for under the Euratom treaty.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer about Euratom inspectors at Sellafield and Springfield on 18 February, Official Report, columns 355–356, if he will set out the texts of the two proposals made to the Commission.

No. These proposals are the subject of continuing confidential negotiations with Euratom.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make a statement on his recent meeting with the Israeli Minister of Energy; and what discussions took place regarding the supply of coal by the United Kingdom to Israel.

We had a useful exchange on energy trade opportunities. I was able to tell the Minister that the United Kingdom has large reserves of coal and that the National Coal Board remains a real competitor in export markets.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the change in the cost of marine gas oil to fishing vessels in the years 1983, 1984 and the latest date in 1985.

Information is not available for the use of gas oil in the fishing industry. The latest information for the price of gas oil to large industrial customers, the only figures for which information is readily available, showed the following changes:

	per cent
1982 (average) to 1983 (average)	+3·5
1983 (average) to 1984 (average)	+2·6
1984 (average) to fourth quarter 1984	+5·6

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the additional £40 million announced in the Budget for the expansion of the number of graduates in high technology applies to both universities and polytechnics.

In his pursuant reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Stern) on 3 April, my right hon. Friend announced those institutions which had been selected to participate in phase 1 of the Engineering and technology programme. All the institutions concerned are universities.The Government are at present considering which institutions should participate in phase 2 of the programme, and will consider in this context whether institutions not within the responsibility of the UGC should be included.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Billericay on Thursday 28 March, if he will give a breakdown for the year 1983–84 and for each local education authority of the amount of education expenditure supported by grant under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966.

Education expenditure in respect of which local authorities claimed support under section II of the Local Government Act 1966
1983–84
	Teachers	Heads, Deputies	Ancillaries	Welfare officers	Total expenditure
	£	£	£	£	£
NON-METROPOLITAN COUNTY COUNCILS
Avon	2,064,317	—	147,143	30,049	2,241,509
Bedfordshire	1,039,151	—	113,330	75,988	1,228,469
Berkshire	1,001,613	—	59,435	35,703	1,096,751
Buckinghamshire	634,245	2,992	97,536	20,967	755,740
Cambridgeshire	531,573	1,351	45,433	5,264	583,621
Cleveland	201,056	—	19,327	—	220,383
Derbyshire	706,393	20,466	48,435	15,185	790,479
Essex	5,651	—	—	—	5,651
Gloucestershire	119,063	—	9,648	—	128,711
Hampshire	115,464	—	—	—	115,464
Hertfordshire	534,488	—	59,577	8,743	602,808
Kent	284,135	—	13,053	—	297,188
Lancashire	2,546,522	—	125,420	22,380	2,694,322
Leicestershire	2,322,820	—	71,385	16,199	2,410,404
Northamptonshire	326,490	—	4,335	—	330,825
North Yorkshire	2,915	—	—	—	2,915
Nottinghamshire	1,075,838	14,435	80,411	63,561	1,234,245
Oxfordshire	233,683	37,575	32,118	—	303,376
Shropshire	21,035	—	—	—	21,035
Staffordshire	157,704	—	26,501	—	184,205
Suffolk	69,833	—	5,738	—	75,571
Warwickshire	703,077	—	57,002	—	760,079
West Sussex	nil	nil	nil	nil	nil
Wiltshire	23,666	—	—	—	23,666
Surrey	Claim not yet received
Total	14,720,732	76,819	1,015,827	294,039	16,107,417
METROPOLITAN AUTHORITIES
Greater Manchester
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council	561,250	—	3,148	2,937	567,335
Bury	73,959	—	—	—	73,959
Manchester, City of	2,029,429	—	158,221	35,518	2,223,168
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council	1,043,373	—	64,798	20,010	1,128,181
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council	876,669	—	25,724	5,812	908,205
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council	145,381	—	18,018	713	164,112
Trafford Borough	210,020	—	—	—	210,020
Merseyside
Liverpool City	17,330	—	—	—	17,330
South Yorkshire
Rotherham Borough	160,971	—	15,518	—	176,489
Sheffield, City of	709,326	—	63,941	—	773,267
Tyne and Wear
Newcastle	10,394	—	—	—	10,394
Sunderland Borough	38,972	—	—	—	38,972
West Midlands
Birmingham, City of	2,775,496	—	11,017,830	21,924	3,815,250
Coventry, City of	1,639,894	—	223,084	—	1,862;978
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council	534,539	—	50,668	16,943	602,150
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council	2,612,711	—	58,119	1,139	2,671,969
Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council	2,099,528	—	338,891	9,342	2,447,761
Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council	1,987,382	217	228,121	—	2,215,720
West Yorkshire
Bradford, City of	3,038,342	—	487,699	52,203	3,578,244
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council	Claim not yet received
Kirklees Metropolitan Council	1,312,913	—	55,564	37,576	1,406,053

Section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 is administered by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. Education expenditure in respect of which local education authorities claimed support under section 11 in 1983–84 broke down between authorities as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he has made of the increased costs to (a) universities, (b) polytechnics and (c) colleges and institutes of higher education in England and Wales imposed by the changes in national insurance contributions; and if he will take steps to match these with an increase in grants.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about the effect on the continuation of synoptic geomagnetic measurement in the United Kingdom of the reductions proposed in the Natural Environment Research Council's corporate plan in support for strategic research within its component bodies in favour of commissioned research and of the transfer of science budget funds from the institutes to universities; and if he will make a statement.

I have received 60 letters about NERC's corporate plan.The Natural Environment Research Council has recently, with the help of a special allocation from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils, invested additional funds in the geomagnetism unit of the British geological survey for the automation of three observatories at Lerwick (Shetland), Hartland (Devon) and Eskdalemuir (Dumfries and Galloway). This is part of a modernisation programme consistent with the council's corporate plan.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has had about the operation of the 35 year age limit for new blood posts in universities; and if he will make a statement.

The three year new blood programme, announced by my right hon. Friend in December 1982, is designed to give additional scope for institutions to recruit bright young researchers and lecturers who might otherwise not have had the opportunity of university employment. Both the Government and the University Grants Committee (UGC) have received a small number of representations about the 35 year age limit, particularly in relation to women. The UGC has reconsidered the limit but has concluded that generally it should be maintained, except in the case of clinically qualified appointments in 1985–86 (the final year of the programme), where the age limit has been extended to 38.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the number of appointments of tenured academic staffs, such as lecturers at universities in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available; and, of these, how many were new blood posts.

Figures are available only on a yearly basis. 230 of the 785 new academic appointments to universities in 1983–84 were made under the Government's "new blood" scheme. Figures for 1984–85 are not yet available. Information is not collected centrally about the terms of employment of particular academic staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science from what outside sources the review group chaired by Sir John Kendrew examining British participation in particle physics research at CERN is seeking evidence.

The review group chaired by Sir John Kendrew, which is concerned with all aspects of United Kingdom participation in particle physics, is an independent one commissioned jointly by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils and the Science and Engineering Research Council. For convenience, however, the group issued a general invitation for evidence through a departmental press notice dated 24 May 1984 and I understand that it has also specifically invited evidence from a number of organisations, including the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals and the Royal Society, and from scientists and others covering a range of interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the recent deterioration in the condition of Brixton Church of England-aided school, Devon, he will now approve the application by Devon county council for permission to provide 15 per cent. of the cost of rebuilding the school under its capital programme for 1987–88.

The Devon local education authority has alerted the Department to the view of the local diocesan authorities that the replacement of this school should be regarded as a high priority in the 1986–87 school building programme. As in previous years capital expenditure allocations for 1986–87, naming those voluntary aided school projects on which a start can be made in that year, will not be announced until about December 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, why he will not meet the chief education officer of the city of Manchester in connection with the capital allocation for 1985–86.

My right hon. Friend has not received a request for such a meeting. The town clerk and chief executive of the city of Manchester wrote to him on 15 February requesting a meeting with officials of the Department; this was held on 28 February.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, how many Acts of Parliament have been promoted and how many statutory instruments made by his Department, or predecessor Departments covering his areas of responsibility, in each of the last 20 years.

As far as legislation relating solely to Wales is concerned, my Department promoted one Act of Parliament in each of the following four years: 1967, 1975, 1976, 1983. It also promoted one Act relating solely to Wales, jointly with the Cabinet Office, in 1978. Most primary legislation relating to Wales is, of course, promoted jointly with other Departments.Her Majesty's Stationery Office publishes annually "Lists of Statutory Instruments". This is currently up to date to the end of 1983.Given the changes to the machinery of Government over the last 20 years, apportionment of statutory instruments to the areas of present ministerial responsibility could be carried out only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he is issuing to health authorities in Wales regarding the need to identify the shortest available hospital waiting lists following the comment of the Deputy Health Commissioner that authorities which fail to do so could be guilty of maladministration

Guidance was issued to health authorities commending the advice of a working party that information on waiting lists should be exchanged between hospitals and made available to general medical practitioners so that patients may be given the opportunity to be referred to hospitals with a shorter wait, though further from their homes. The most recent edition of the Welsh hospital waiting list bulletin covers a much larger number of hospitals than its predecessor and therefore provides more comprehensive information.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what new developments are planned and at what approximate cost, at the hospitals within the area of the administrative Vale of Glamorgan, namely, Llandough hospital, Sully hospital, Barry Neale-Kent hospital and Barry community hospital; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for South Glamorgan health authority but I am aware of the following developments:

	£
Llandough hospital
Obstetric block and associated works, a centrally funded scheme	7,718,000
Ward upgrading and new admission unit	200,000
Extension to outpatient department at the Pneumoconiosis Research Unit	200,000
Sully hospital
Provision of day facilities for psychiatric patients	200,000
Neale Kent hospital, Barry
Extension to provide day facilities	100,000

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many people in Wales are currently unemployed over the ages of 40, 45, 50 and 55 years, respectively;(2) what are the present numbers of people who have been unemployed for one year or more in Wales; and what was the comparable figure for April 1979;(3) what are the numbers of 16 to 24-year-olds in

This information is available in the House of Commons Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes a domestic and business rates revaluation in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Responsibility for rating rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. The White Paper on Rates in August 1983 announced our intention to set in train the work required for a non-domestic revaluation and to issue a consultation document on a domestic revaluation. Action on these fronts is proceeding.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total acreage of forestry land sold by the Forestry Commission in Wales over the last 12 months; and if he will estimate the value of these estates and represent the total acreage sold as a percentage of Welsh Forestry Commission land.

Assisted places scheme: payments to schools financial years 1981–82 to 1985–86
School	Actual				Estimated (at September 1984 prices
	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86
	£	£	£	£	£
Christ College, Brecon	7,986·23	21,443·90	36,063·63	48,289·45	62,676
Howells School, Denbigh	11,011·65	37,883·95	70,107·35	96,156·03	128,017
Howells School, Llandaff	17,774·38	57,094·30	106,799·85	144,940·27	203,359·18
Llandovery College	3,737·60	9,217·81	19,615·84	31,013·22	39,144
Monmouth School (for boys)	18,515·90	52,035·40	92,610·93	134,170·47	190,505·36
Monmouth School (for girls)	9,644·70	21,677·09	37,072·44	52,598·51	66,666
Penrhoa College, Colwyn Bay	5,168·80	21,973·10	38,989·50	62,843·75	86,776
Rydal School, Colwyn Bay	4,194·13	38,206·67	*53,896·86	56,864·75	65,527
Lowther College†	23,709·08	15,244·92	—	—	—
Total	101,742·47	274,777·14	455,156·40	626,876·45	842,670·51
* £58,366·86 was paid out by the Welsh Office but £4,470 of it went into the Consolidated Fund as the school was over reimbursed in previous years.
† Lowther College closed in July 1982.

Direct grant scheme: payments to schools financial years 1981–82 to 1985–86
School	Actual				Estimated (at September 1984 prices
	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86
	£	£	£	£	£
Monmouth School (for boys)	15,778·40	—	*50,897·99	—	—
Monmouth School (for girls)	21,030·00	5,398·25	—	—	—
Howells School, Llandaff	22,433·50	5,623·50	—	—	—
TS Indefatigable	7,950·77	9,382·46	9,909·00	10,684	11,395
Total	67,192·67	20,404·21	60,806·99	10,684	11,395

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the total amount of money given to and provided by his Department to private schools in Wales between 1982–83 and 1985–86.

The only expenditure has been under the assisted places and direct grant schemes. In the financial years 1982–83 to 1984–85 it has totalled £295,181, £515,963 and £637,560, respectively. The total estimated cost for the current financial year is £854,066.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all those private schools in Wales which will be in receipt of grants from public funds in 1985–86; if he will indicate in the case of each school the amount of grants proposed: (a) under the assisted places scheme and (b) under all other headings; and if he will provide equivalent information for each year since 1982.

The only payments made by the Welsh Office are reimbursement for remitted fees under the assisted places scheme and grants under the direct grant scheme; details are in the following tables. Some schools will have received payments from boarding school allowances paid to some members of the Armed, Diplomatic and Civil Services or from local authorities in respect of children assisted by them.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many miles of the M4 motorway in Wales are lit, in which county areas the lit sections are; and what further plans he has to light sections of the M4 motorway.

A total of some 18 miles of the M4 in Wales are lit. The lit sections are mainly in Gwent and west Glamorgan with an additional small section in south Glamorgan. I have no current plans to light further sections.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the cost of lighting the stretches of the M4 motorway so far unlit.

About £4·5 million at current prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what advance warning of an announcement on the Royal Air Force trainer was given to British Aerospace plc, its bankers, brokers and other professional advisers involved in the offer for sale of the Government's shareholding.

No advance warning was given. The company, along with the other three contestants, was officially informed at the time of my right hon. Friend's statement to the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why it would not be in the national interest to disclose details of research and development effort devoted to verification of a comprehensive test ban treaty; and what advantage could be gained by other countries if this information was published.

The United Kingdom has published information about verification techniques in relation to a comprehensive test ban in the context of this issue at the Geneva conference on disarmament. Full details of the United Kingdom research and development effort devoted to this subject, however, might provide information about certain aspects of United Kingdom capabilities in this area which we would not wish to reveal, as well as assisting evasion techniques of others.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the total number of civil servants who have been employed by his Department in each year since 1979.

I refer the hon. Member to table 5.1 in volume 2 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1984 (Cmnd. 9227-II).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Acts of Parliament have been promoted and how many statutory instruments made by his Department, or predecessor Departments covering his areas of responsibility, in each of the last 20 years.

HMSO publishes annually "Lists of Statutory Instruments" and "Tables and Indices to Public and General Acts and General Synod Measures". Both of these are currently up to date to the end of 1983. Such information as is readily available about the Acts of Parliament promoted by the Ministry of Defence in the last 20 years is as follows. There may however be other Acts relating to other defence topics which, having regard to the changes in the organisation of the Ministry, cannot be so readily identified.

Year
1965	1
1966	3
1967	1
1968	1
1969	2
1971	1
1973	1
1976	1
1980	1
1981	1
1982	1
1984	1

Given the changes to the machinery of government over the last 20 years apportionment of statutory instruments to the areas of present ministerial responsibility could only be done at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in the next two months, he will be conferring with representatives of the aerospace industry of the United Kingdom with a view to seeking to gain strategic defence initiative research contracts for the United Kingdom.

I refer to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Mr. Batiste) and the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) on 26 March at column 178. We are now considering our response to the formal invitation from the United States Secretary of Defence to indicate, within 60 days, areas of research in which the United Kingdom would be interested in participating. It remains our intention to keep closely in touch with United Kingdom industries, including aerospace industries, which have relevant expertise to offer.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about recent changes in the level of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics' nuclear forces; and if he will make a statement.

Information on Soviet nuclear forces at the beginning of 1984 was contained in annex A of the Statement of Defence Estimates 1984. This data will be revised in the Statement of Defence Estimates 1985. Over the past year the Soviet Union has continued to expand and modernise its nuclear forces. Two new Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are in an advanced stage of development. New strategic ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) have been launched, and a new submarine launched ballistic missile flight tested.Another strategic bomber is under development and a new variant of the BEAR bomber designed to carry cruise missiles is operational; additional BACKFIRE bombers have been deployed. Long range cruise missiles for launch from ground, sea and air platforms have been or are about to be deployed. A large number of new SS20 bases in both the Eastern and Western USSR are under construction. Improved versions of the shorter range SCALEBOARD, SCUD and FROG missiles have been developed and during 1984 for the first time SCALEBOARD missiles were deployed into Eastern Europe. Soviet nuclear capable artillery is being improved and additional weapons are being deployed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the log books of HMS Superb, HMS Warspite and HMS Courageous for the period March to July 1982 are (a) in the possession of his Department and (b) intact;(2) whether the signals to and from HMS Superb, HMS Warspite and HMS Courageous for the period March to July 1982 are

I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence with which company or companies he has had discussions over the possible secondment of Mr. Peter Levene to the Ministry of Defence.

I have nothing to add to the reply my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave the hon. Member on 29 March at column 365.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the major servicing of the Nimrod aircraft.

Subject to the satisfactory completion of contractual negotiations, the major servicing of two Nimrod aircraft will in the near future be allotted to British Aerospace at Woodford. It remains our intention that the major servicing of Nimrods should be opened to competition.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about orders for the Harrier GR5 aircraft.

I have recently authorised my Department to enter into commitments progressively in 1985–86 for some long lead materials and equipment for a possible

	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86
Public expenditure as a percentage of GDP*	39½	42	43½	43	42½	43½	41½
Taxation as a percentage of GDP	35	36½	39	39	39	39	39
* As shown in Chart 1.3 in Cmnd. 9428, updated by Table 5.1 in the 1985–86 Financial Statement and Budget Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what monitoring has been conducted in the vicinity of the disposal sites for British chemical weapons stocks in the 1950s; and what results there have been.

[pursuant to the reply, 12 March 1985, c. 561]: Disposal of chemical weapons and agents began shortly after World War II and involved both sea and land disposal. Disposal at sea was carried out well offshore and in very deep water. Disposal on land was principally by burning or chemical neutralisation. Periodic monitoring of the land disposal sites has been conducted according to the particular circumstances at each site. A review of a small number of sites, which may remain contaminated and which remain in Ministry of Defence ownership, is currently in hand in order to assess the present degree of hazard, if any, and the feasibility, where appropriate, of decontamination.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the distribution of the increased expenditure which would follow an increase in child benefit of £3 per week; and, in particular, how much of this would be spent on manufactures.

An increase in child benefit of £3 per week (taking effect in November 1985) would increase public expenditure by about £1½ billion in a full year. The economic effects would depend on how this was financed. Information on the distribution of any additional consumers' expenditure which might result is not readily available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state (a) total public expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product and (b) total taxation revenue as a percentage of gross domestic product, for each of the years 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984 and projectd for 1985, calculated on the basis used for the figures quoted in the speech of 10 May 1982 to the Institute for Fiscal Studies by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he uses the term negative external financing limits in the context of the nationlised industries; and what is its economic rationale.

An industry's external financing requirement is the difference between its capital requirements and its internal resources. It is similar in concept to sources and applications of funds statements in company accounts which are intended to show net cash flows to and from a company. Where an industry is generating a positive cash flow, ie internal resources exceed capital requirements, the external financing requirements will be negative. External Financing Limits (EFLs) are control limits and have been set by successive Government as a basis for monitoring industries' financing requirements and regulating flows of finance to and from an industry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from organisations seeking an extension of zero-rating for value added tax to cover all expenditure on building alterations certified by local authorities as necessary under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

My Treasury colleagues and I have received four such representations from one organisation, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total cost of tax relief for giving to charities.

In the year to 30 September 1984 the Inland Revenue repaid to charities tax of some £250 million, of which repayments in respect of deeds of covenant amounted to some £110 million. Following the introduction by the Government of legislation in 1980, reducing the qualifying period of such deeds from 7 years to 4 years, and the introduction of higher rate tax relief for charitable payments, tax repayments have increased by 93 per cent. Repayments in respct of deeds of covenant have increased by 15¾ per cent. over the last year.No exact information is available about the cost of exempting charities from tax on income which they receive without deduction of tax; nor about the cost of other exemptions or reliefs to which they are entitled. However it is unlikely that the cost of all direct tax concessions is less than £400 million a year.To give further help to charities, the Chancellor announced in his Budget that he proposed to increase, from £5,000 to £10,000, the limit to which relief at the higher rates of tax is allowed for covenants.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the effects of the miners' strike upon the external financing limits of the nationalised industries.

The National Coal Board, electricity supply industries, British Rail and the British Steel Corporation are expected to exceed their external financing limits for 1984–85 as a direct result of the coal strike. No change in external financing limits for these industries is proposed to accommodate this developmemt, but, in the exceptional circumstances, the Government accepts that overshoots directly attributable to the coal strike which cannot be offset through savings by the industries concerned should be a charge on public expenditure in 1984–85. Provisional EFL outturn figures for all industries will be published later this year in the cash limits 1984–85 provisional outturn White Paper. Estimated strike costs have been taken into account in the 1984–85 public expenditure planning total outturn shown in the Financial Statement and Budget Report.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it is his policy to reduce personal and corporate taxes in favour of indirect taxes.

It is our policy to reduce overall burden taxation, resources permitting. We are also concerned with the balance of taxation. In both the 1984 and 1985 Budgets my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed measures which shifted some of the burden of personal taxation from earnings to spending.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the proposed industrial action by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise staff.

I regret that union leaders are seeking to persuade staff in Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to take industrial action which they claim will disrupt the travelling public and I deplore these cynical and wholly unjustified manouuvres.However, the red/green system of passenger clearance is designed to ensure that undue delays do not occur. Senior staff will be in attendance at ports and airports over the holiday period to ensure that passengers do not experience abnormal delays.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the maximum rate of increase in expenditure other than that necessarily resulting from the treaty fixed by the European Economic Community under article 203 for each year since 1972.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 March 1985. c.522]: The maximum rate increases in non-obligatory expenditure for the years 1972–1974 are not readily available. Figures for the years 1975–1983 are set out in the table:

	Commitment Appropriations	Payment Appropriations
	per cent.	per cent.
1975	—	40·77
1976	—	44·29
1977	—	28·67
1978	23·35	56·04

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update, to take account of the 1985 Budget, the information on income tax reductions provided in his reply of 4 April 1984 to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher), Official Report, columns 542–44.

[pursuant to his reply, 28 March 1985]: The table shows the reductions in income tax liabilities at 1985–86 income levels of the proposed 1985–86 allowances, thresholds and rates compared with an indexed 1978–79 regime. For the comparison, the 1978–79 allowances and thresholds have been indexed in line with the increase in the RPI between December 1977 and December 1984. As child tax allowances were being phased out in 1978–79 they have been excluded from the comparison.It is not possible to provide useful estimates of the liabilities in 1985–86 for the 1978–79 regime without indexation since Inland Revenue records do not cover many of the people who would be brought into tax by such low levels of personal allowances. A partial analysis with incomplete coverage would be misleading.

Range of total income in 1985–86*	Number of units paying tax in 1985–86	Reductions in income tax compared with 1978–79 indexed regime
		Amount	Average per tax unit
£	(million)	£ million	£
Under 5,000	3·9	250	†55
5,000–10,000	8·4	1,270	150
10,000–15,000	4·6	1,300	280
15,000–20,000	1·8	770	435
20,000–30,000	1·0	820	845
30,000–50,000	0·3	690	2,380
Over 50,000	0·09	1,150	12,780
Total	20·1	6,250	300
* All information is in terms of tax units—that is, married couples are counted as one and their incomes combined.
† By reference to the estimated numbers who would be liable to pay tax under the indexed 1978–79 regime; this number is some 850,000 greater than the numbers paying tax in 1985–86 under the Budget proposals.

The levels of the main allowances and thresholds, compared with the proposed 1985–86 values, would be:

Personal allowances	Indexed 1978–79 regime	1985–86
	£	£
Single and wife's earned income allowance	1,875	2,205
Married man's allowance	2,925	3,455
Additional personal allowance	1,050	1,250

asked the Prime Minister whether, in the consideration she has given to changes in the rating system, she has taken fully into account recent reports on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the outcome of this consideration.

The local government finance studies currently in progress are taking into account all reports which appear to be relevant to their work. There is still further work to be done over the next few months and there will be opportunity for wider public discussion before final decisions are made.

asked the Prime Minister if she will place in the Library copies of the reports submitted to the European Council on 29 to 30 March by (a) the ad hoc committee for a people's Europe and (b) the ad hoc committee on institutional affairs.

Both documents were placed in the Library of the House on 2 April, in connection with my statement to the House on the European Council.

asked the Prime Minister if she will meet representatives of Scottish football fans to discuss the decision to play the Scotland v. England match in Glasgow.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 4 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 4 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 4 April.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 4 April.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Gentlemen and my hon Friends to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright).

asked the Prime Minister how many secondments have been made to the Civil Service without satisfying the legal requirements of the Civil Service Order in Council 1982 in 1984–85, and in each of the preceding five years; and if she will list the secondments.

As I explained to the House on 18 March in the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) at column 366–67 measures are being taken to ensure that secondments to the Civil Service from outside organisations are made in compliance with the Civil Service Order in Council. Details of the number of secondments to Government Departments in the period up to 1983 were published in a Report by the Management and Personnel Office, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House. In 1984 (the last full year for which figures are available) there were 116 such secondments as follows:

	Number
MAFF	2
Cabinet Office (including Management and Personnel Office)	9
MOD	14
DES	2
Employment	7
Energy	12
DOE/DTp/PSA	15
ODA	4
OFT	1
Scottish Office	2
DTI	40
HM Treasury	5
Welsh Office	2
Registry of Friendly Societies	1

Secondments were made by the following organisations:

asked the Prime Minister if she will list the measures now being taken in respect of secondments to the Civil Service to ensure compliance with the Civil Service Order in Council 1982; and if she will make a statement.

As I made clear in my reply of 18 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett), the Civil Service Commissioners are devising procedures to ensure that future secondments are made in compliance with the Civil Service Order in Council 1982 and any regulations made thereunder. Secondments that are currently in train are being referred to the Civil Service Commissioners on an individual basis and they will consider all such cases against the background of the provisions and discretionary powers contained in the Civil Service Order in Council 1982.

asked the Prime Minister who has been appointed to the Civil Service under section 1(2)(g) of the 1982 Order in Council in the current year and in the preceding six years.

The Commissioners approved the following appointments under article 1(2)(g) of the Civil Service Order in Council 1982 or the corresponding article—1(2)(f)—of the 1978 Order in Council:

Year*and Department	Appointment
1979
DTI	Regional Industrial Adviser
DES	Chairman, University Grants Committee
Cabinet Office	Research Officer
FCO	Head of Dependent Territories Section
Cabinet Office	Research Assistant
FCO	Specialist Supervisor
Transport	Four Highways Engineers from China
Treasury	Chief Economic Adviser
1980
MOD	Telecommunications Traffic Officer A
GCHQ	A Director of Communications
MOD	Principal Professional and Technical Officer
MOD	Resident Judge Cyprus
ODM	Senior Scienctific Officer at Centre for Overseas Pests Research
1981
MOD	Principal—Defence Sales
MOD	Director General of Intelligence
MOD	Head of Defence Sales
DHSS	Deputy Chief Scientist
1982
FCO	Senior Research Officer
DHSS	Director Of Rickets Campaign
DHSS	Research Officer
Departments of Industry and Trade	Civil Aviation Safety Adviser
Home Office	Communications Officer
MOD	Chief Scientific Adviser
MOD	Chief Executive—Royal Ordnance Factories
MOD	Marketing Director—Royal Ordnance Factories
1983
MOD	Chief Executive—Royal Dockyards
MOD	Six HEO/SEO Posts—Royal Ordnance Factories

asked the Prime Minister how many appointments to the Civil Service have been made without the issue of a certificate of qualification in each year since 1979; and under what provisions.

Article 1(2) of the Civil Service Order in Council 1982 (a copy of which is in the Library) lists seven categories of appointment in the Home Civil Service or Diplomatic Service which do not require the prior issue of a certificate of qualification by the Civil Service Commissioners. The categories are:

(a) Crown appointments;

(b) Appointments filled by the transfer of staff by or in pursuance of an Act of Parliament which exempts such staff from the requirement to be certificated;

(c) Appointments which terminate at the end of an Administration;

(d) Part-time appointments normally involving less than 15 hours a week;

(e) Appointments of one year or less;

(f) Appointments in the grades included in the Schedule to the Order in Council;

(g) Appointments not exceeding five years which the Civil Service Commissioners are satisfied it is desirable should be made without the issue of a certificate of qualification.

Details of special advisers appointed under 1(2)

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish the evidence presented to the Civil Service Commissioner demonstrating the desirability of the appointment of Mr. Peter Levene without the issue of a certificate of qualification.

It is a principle of long standing not to publish such detailed information about individuals being considered for particular appointments.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list the association football matches she has watched in her official capacity since May 1979.

I attended the final of the FA cup at Wembley in 1980 and 1981.

asked the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government have been informed by the United States Government of the content of President Reagan's discussions with President Alfonsin of Argentina between 1 and 20 March.

It is not our practice to discuss our confidential exchanges with other Governments.

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish figures showing expenditure by Government Departments on grants to voluntary bodies during the financial year 1983–84; and if she will make a statement.

asked the Prime Minister if she will publish figures showing expenditure by Government Departments on grants to voluntary bodies during the financial year 1983–84; and if she will make a statement.

The figures are shown in the table attached. The total amount provided in 1983–84 represents a cash increase of 20·5 per cent. (in real terms 14·5 per cent.) on the level of grant-giving in the previous year. In the period between 1979–80 and 1983–84 the level of Government grant-giving to voluntary bodies has risen by over 95 per cent. (or in real terms 35 per cent.)

	£'000
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	99,400
Defence	2,643,990
Education and Science	14,317,606
Employment	*27,720,000
Energy	91,000
Environment Direct Grants	1,219,888
Urban Programme	‡46,500,000
FCO (including ODA)	†11,519,597
Health and Social Security	23,122,709
Home Office	16,890,250
Lord Chancellor's Department	604,160
Northern Ireland Department	12,091,327
Scottish Office—
Direct Grants	║6,823,494
Urban Programme	║6,750,000
Trade and Industry	6,221,000
Transport	509,000
Welsh Office—
Direct Grants	3,821,203
Urban Programme	1,325,000
Total	182,269,624
* This figure does not include estimated payments made by the MSC for work under the following programmes:
Voluntary Projects Programme	4,300,000
YTS/YOP	81,000,000
Community Programme	200,000,000
	285,300,000
† ODA total (£10,771,960) to British voluntary organisations only.
‡ Includes contributions from Department of Education and Science, Department of Health and Social Security and Department of Transport.
║ Estimate only.

asked the Attorney-General what is the nature, composition, terms of reference and time scale of the review being undertaken of proposals for a family court; and whether its terms of reference extend to a consideration of the nature of the court or tribunal which sentences young offenders.

A was announced by the Lord Chancellor's Department in July 1984, the terms of reference of the committee set up by the Lord Chancellor and the Home Secretary are as follows:

"To examine the feasibility of the establishmnt of a unified court for the exclusive exercise of jurisdiction in family and domestic matters below the level of the Court of Appeal, to identify the main options for such a court and to assess the resources implications of each of these options."

The committee consists of officials of the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Home Office, DHSS and the Treasury. They plan to issue a consultation paper describing possible options later this year. It is hoped that a final report will be made in 1986. The committee will consider whether and to what extent the present jurisdiction of the juvenile court might be included within a unified family court.

asked the Attorney-General how many applications for legal aid have been made since the passing of the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 by those claiming compensation for brain damage caused by the whooping cough vaccine; and how many such applications have been granted.

Since 1979, the Law Society has received 265 applications for legal aid to bring proceedings related to vaccine damage. It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to identify how many of those relate specifically to whooping cough vaccine, though the majority do. Of the 265, legal aid certificates (some of which may have been limited in scope) have been issued in 193 cases; 33 applications are still pending; 16 have been abandoned by the applicant; 16 have been refused on legal grounds; 4 have been refused on grounds of financial ineligibility; and in 3 cases an offer of legal aid was made but not taken up by the applicant.

asked the Attorney-General if Her Majesty's Government have any plans to introduce a Bill consolidating the statute law on agricultural holdings; and if he will make a statement.

Work is proceeding on a consolidation of the law relating to agricultural holdings in England and Wales. Consultation will be carried out and it is hoped to introduce a Bill next session.

asked the Attorney-General how many civil actions have been brought relating to dangerous dogs under the Animals Act 1971 or other relevant legislation in each of the last five years; and in how many cases the plaintiff has been successful.

The information sought is not available.

asked the Attorney-General how many Acts of Parliament have been promoted and how many statutory instruments made by the Lord Chancellor's Department in each of the last 20 years.

Her Majesty's Stationery Office publishes annually "Lists of Statutory Instruments" and "Tables and Indices to Public and General Acts and General Synod Measures". Both of these are currently up to date to the end of 1983. Nearly all of these, if not all, contain enactments prepared by the Lord Chancellor's Department of the day.Given the changes to the machinery of government over the last 20 years, apportionment of the Acts or statutory instruments to the areas of present ministerial responsibility could be done only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Attorney-General, in respect of each year since 1975, how many reports the Director of Public Prosecutions has received from liquidators in accordance with the duty imposed by section 334(2) of the Companies Act 1948, now section 632(3) of the Companies Act 1985.

The number of reports received by the Director of Public Prosecutions from liquidators and specified to be pursuant to the duty imposed by section 334(2) of the Companies Act 1948 for each year since 1975 is as follows:

Year	Number
1975	12
1976	44
1977	28
1978	45
1979	26
1980	28
1981	43
1982	16
1983	32
1984	30

The director also receives each year a number of reports drawing attention to matters giving cause for general concern without referring specifically to matters reportable under section 334(2). The number of such cases is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate expense.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will list for each region of Scotland his most recent information on the number of arrests, cases where proceedings have been instituted, and convictions arising from the miners' strike; and if he will list the offences for which persons have been: (a) charged and (b) convicted.

The most readily available information is set out in the following tables.The first table details for each local authority region in Scotland the most recent information on, the number of persons arrested in relation to incidents arising from the miners' strike; the number of persons proceeded against by procurators fiscal in respect of offences arising out of the miners' strike and the number of persons convicted in respect of such offences. There are a number of such cases which have still to come to trial.The second table details the most recent information on the nature and number of charges brought by procurators fiscal which have resulted in conviction. A large number of those persons brought to trial were convicted of two or more charges.

Table No. 1
Local Authority Region	Number of Persons Arrested	Number of Persons Proceeded against by Procurators Fiscal	Number of Persons Convicted
Dumfries and Galloway	3	2	2
Central region	44	39	17
Fife region	225	216	148
Grampian	0	0	0
Lothian region	474	436	272
Borders region	0	0	0
Strathclyde region	745	309	151
Highland region	0	0	0
Tayside region	13	13	13

Table No. 2
Nature of the Charge	Number of Charges
Breach of the peace	569
Police (Scotland) Act 1967 section 41	220
Bail Etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 section 3	51
Vandalism and malicious mischief	27
Assault	6
Possession of an offensive weapon	5
Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act 1875	4
Careless driving	1
Reckless conduct	1

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland how many police complaints have been recorded in the course of the miners' industrial dispute.

The information requested is not readily available and I will publish the information in the Official Report later.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will list for the duration of the miners' dispute: (a) the number of people arrested and charged with an offence, (b) the number of people convicted and (c) the number of people acquitted, stating in each case the nature of the offence.

Pursuant to my reply on 11 March 1985 at column 17, the information for the period to 22 March 1985 is as follows:1,483 persons were arrested and charged by the police in connection with incidents arising out of the miners' strike. This figure cannot be broken down to reflect the nature of the alleged offence involved in each case. Of those persons prosecuted in respect of offences arising out of the miners' strike whose cases have been disposed of, 603 persons were convicted and 140 persons were acquitted. Information on the nature and number of the charges brought by procurators fiscal is set out in the following table. A large number of the persons brought to trial in respect of such offences faced two or more charges.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what proportion of convictions in Scotland as a result of offences during the miners' dispute are for (a) breach of the peace offences, (b) obstruction or other offences under the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 and (c) offences under the Bail (Scotland) Act 1980.

Pursuant to my reply on 18 March 1985 at column 363–364, the information, based upon statistics for the period to 22 March 1985, is as follows:

(a) approximately 64 per cent.

(b) approximately 25 per cent.

(c) approximately 6 per cent.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what representations he has had on the implementation of the Law Commission and Scottish Law Commission report, "Family Law — Custody of Children, Jurisdiction and Enforcement within the United Kingdom" (Cmnd. 9419).