asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what undertakings regarding spin-off benefits for United Kingdom suppliers Nissan Motors UK made to Her Majesty's Government in return for financial assistance; to what extent those undertakings, with particular reference to control gear, have been fulfilled; and if he will make a statement.

A statement on Nissan was made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 1 February 1984. Whilst not bound to achieve specific local content levels in its purchases of machinery and equipment, the company is seeking to provide the maximum practicable opportunity for local suppliers to compete in this area. My Department is in close touch with Nissan on all purchasing matters, but sourcing decisions on individual items must remain a matter for the company's commercial judgment.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the Government's response to the European Court judgment 207/83 on the United Kingdom's origin marking regulations.

The Government are consulting bodies representative of those likely to be affected on how best to implement the court's ruling.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects a decision to be taken on the location of the European Community trade mark office.

I understand that the Commission hopes to make a proposal to the Council of Ministers on the site of the office in the spring of 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether City firms involved in the sale of British Telecom shares, as underwriters and in other capacities, had any privileged access to the shares; and whether the same limitations as applied to the general public, in terms of the maximum number of shares allotted to each purchaser, also applied to such firms and their employees.

[pursuant to his reply, 4 June 1985, c. 136]: Fifty-five per cent. of the United Kingdom offer of British Telecom shares was placed at the beginning of the offer period with over 2,000 institutional investors, who also undertook to purchase any of the shares to be offered to the public which remained unsold at the end of the offer period. These arrangements were set out in the prospectus and noted in my hon. Friend's statement of 16 November 1984. The remainder of the United Kingdom offer was allocated to members of the public, BT employees and other firms and institutions, on the basis announced by my hon. Friend on 3 December 1984. Employees of City firms involved in the offer were subject to the same application and allocation process as members of the public.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications of the new regulations on board and lodging accommodation payments for the operation of the Vagrancy Acts.

The Vagrancy Acts will continue to operate as previously. The general effect of the new regulations will be closely monitored by the Department of Health and Social Security.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what transport is provided for the new Police Complaints Commissioner.

Arrangements have been made for the present chairman of the Police Complaints Authority to retain the access on the Government car service which he enjoyed in his former post as Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Health Service Commissioner. The service is provided subject to the authority's repayment of the costs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Standing Committee on crime prevention has considered the case for encouraging better lighting in inner city areas; and if he will make a statement.

At the request of the Home Office standing conference on crime prevention, the British Standards Institution is preparing a guide for architects and planners on the security of buildings. The first chapter, which is to be published and widely disseminated later this year, will include advice on lighting as a preventive measure. The Institution of Public Lighting Engineers has agreed to inform the Home Office crime prevention unit of any projected major new lighting schemes in inner city areas so that the possibility of evaluating their effect on street crime can be considered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of convicted (a) males and (b) females were given prison sentences of between three and six months in magistrates courts in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.

Information on the length of custodial sentences is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales": for 1981 and 1982, for immediate imprisonment, in table 7.18 of the volume for 1982 (Cmnd. 9048) and for 1983 in supplementary tables Vol. 1, tables S1.3 (partly suspended sentences) and S1.4 (unsuspended sentences) and table 7B of Cmnd. 9349 (youth custody). Corresponding information for 1984 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sri Lankans were admitted to permanent residence in the United Kingdom in each year since 1955; and if he will make a statement.

The total numbers of Sri Lankan citizens accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in each of the years 1973 to 1984 were published in the annual Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics" (tables 14(a) and 18 of the issues for 1978 and 1984, Cmnd. 7565 and 9544 respectively). Comprehensive information is not available on Sri Lankan acceptances for settlement for the years 1963 to 1973; before 1 July 1962 Commonwealth citizens were not subject to immigration control.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any long-term plans to provide a regional psychiatric facility for disturbed women prisoners at Holloway prison.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to improve care and treatment facilities for disturbed women at Holloway prison.

My right hon. and learned Friend is awaiting the report of the project committee set up to advise on the organisation and future role of Holloway prison, including its psychiatric facilities. The project committee has been asked to report at the beginning of July and he will make a statement as soon as practicable thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the terms of reference of his Department's present inquiry into Holloway prison; and whether the inquiry will take oral evidence from employees, inmates and voluntary organisations concerned with prisoners' welfare.

The terms of reference of the Holloway project committee are:To prepare a plan for the development of Holloway Prison as the main local prison for women in the south of England, within the framework of the statement of functions of Prison Department establishments recently approved by the Prisons Board and having regard to the staff and the resources likely to be available and their optimum deployment; and, in particular:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the number of cases in which the courts have exercised their powers under the Mental Health Act 1983 to remand, where appropriate, accused persons to hospital for reports and treatment and as to the number of cases where places have not been found for such prisoners by regional health authorities.

The number of persons remanded under the Mental Health Act 1983 has been collected centrally from the courts only from the beginning of 1985 and information will not become available until 1986. A court may exercise these powers only where arrangements have been made for the person's admission to hospital and information is not collected centrally about the number of cases in which a hospital place was not available. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services expects to have later this year information about the number of admissions to hospital under these powers during the final quarter of 1984 and in the autumn of 1986 to have information on such admissions during 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the effect on the certified normal accommodation of Crescent hall, Stafford prison, of the introduction of integral sanitation; what is the rationale behind the new certified normal accommodation; how the space available in a cell now certified fit for double occupation in Crescent hall compares with that in a double cell in a new prison;. and if he will make a statement on the implications of the change in certified normal accommodation in this case for estimates as to the cell loss anticipated from the introduction of integral sanitation into all local prisons and remand centres.

The scheme to introduce integral sanitation in the crescent wing at Stafford was approved as a pilot project. One half of the wing was completed in September 1984, and the new facilities are being evaluated in use. It is expected that work on the second half of the wing will be completed later this year. The pilot scheme was approved on the basis that there would be no loss of certified normal accommodation. The proposal was to use some of the refurbished cells, which differ in size, for single occupancy and some as two-man cells, and the current cell certificates reflect this position. The size of the two-man cells is approximately l0·15m2including 2·25m 2provided by the separate toilet annex. The size of two-man cells being planned for new establishments is not less than 9·2m2, inclusive of the sanitary annex. No implications for any change in certified normal accommodation in local prisons and remand centres can be drawn until the Stafford scheme is complete and fully evaluated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Merseyside on how many schoolchildren were detaned in Kirkby police station on 18 and 19 April; how long each one was detained; why they were not allowed to telephone their parents, relatives or solicitors; why no food or drinks were provided; and why some were detained from 1lam to after 8 pm.

Yes. I shall make inquiries of the chief constable of Merseyside and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of people aged between 14 and 21 years have experienced a custodial sentence.

An estimate is available only for those born in 1953 and 1958 from the sample study of their convictions, results of which were published in "Home Office Statistical Bulleting Issue 7/85". About 2 per cent. of such persons had received a custodial sentence by the age of 21.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the budget in each penal establishment for (a) dental treatment and (b) medical services.

The Department meets the patient's share of the National Health Service charge for dental treatment received by prisoners. The financial allocations to each establishment for this purpose, and for medical services generally, are set out in the table. "Medical Services" includes the provision of drugs, dressings and small items of medical equipment, and contributions to charges for dental and optical treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the industrial action currently being taken by staff in penal establishments, the establishments concerned and the number of staff involved; and what were the stated reasons for the dispute and the effects of the dispute.

In addition to a number of disputes at particular establishments over local matters such as manning levels and efficiency improvements, there are four national disputes relating to procedural issues on the use of force reports, procedures for internal investigations, non-co-operation in the use of radio-pagers and non-co-operation in the supply of statistical information regarding movements to courts. Discussions are taking place or are to take place on the resolution of all these issues. None of the disputes at present has had any more than a marginal effect on prisoners and others.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the criteria by which appointments were made to the steering group appointed to review the arrangements by which information is handled on the criminal background of those seeking positions where they will have substantial opportunities for access to children;(2) if he will list the names of all the members on the steering group appointed to review the arrangements by which information is handled on the criminal background of those seeking positions where they will have substantial opportunities for access to children;(3) if he will make it his policy that the steering group appointed to review the arrangements by which information is handled on the criminal background of those seeking positions where they will have substantial opportunities for access to children will seek evidence or proposals from the Association of Directors of Social Services, before reporting;(4) if he will make it his policy that the review of the arrangements by which information is handled on the criminal background of those seeking positions where they will have substantial opportunity for access to children will seek evidence and proposals from all bodies with a direct interest in the outcome of the review before it reports.

The review was set up in the wake of the Colin Evans case to devise as a matter of urgency a system for disclosing criminal backgrounds in relevant cases for the protection of children. The steering group supervising the work, which was kept small to facilitate a speedy review, includes a director of social services and representatives of other major central and local government interests, and the police. Other bodies are being consulted in the course of the review and there will be an opportunity for comments on recommendations resulting from the review.The Membership of the steering group is:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the police establishment for the two police divisions covering Newham and the number available for duty in the area for each month since March 1984; how many in the establishment were sent out on weekly tours of duty in mining areas; and how many such weekly tours there have been since March 1984.

There are no fixed establishments for police divisions in the Metropolitan police district. An establishment is set for each police district and it is for the district commander to deploy available manpower to his divisions according to operational needs and priorities.The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that the establishment and strength of "K" district (which includes the borough of Newham) for each month since March 1984 are as set out in the table. Officers from "K" district were sent to the mining areas for periods of duty ranging from one to eight days on 62 occasions between March 1984 and March 1985. The average number of officers sent on each occasion was 39.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being proposed to determine the precise situation regarding the assault on one of the defendants of the Newham seven trial at the Central Criminal Court; and what measures are taken to protect prisoners from such assaults.

The incident is being investigated by the City of London police and it would not be appropriate for me to comment at this stage.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why Her Majesty's Customs and Excise is no longer offering compounding in cases arising under the Export of Goods Control Orders 1974 to 1981 et al; and if he will make a statement.

Customs and Excise has not changed its policy and does offer to compound proceedings in appropriate cases. That policy was set out in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Bruinvels) on 26 April 1984 at column 542.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons were employed by the European Economic Community Commission on the most recent date for which figures are available; what was the total cost of administering the Commission on the same date; and what were the comparable figures, respectively, five and 10 years previously.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement outlining the procedures for controlling and supervising the spending of public funds by the Common Market Commission.

The community budgetary authority, the Council and Parliament, are responsible, under the treaty, for the authorisation of funds through the annual budgetary procedure. The Court of Auditors is responsible for the audit of the Community's accounts, including those of the Commission, and reports annually on them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he proposes to provide for bad debt relief in the value added tax system, as recommended in the "Burdens on Business" report.

The Chancellor announced in his Budget statement an extension of the existing arrangements for VAT. Legislative provision is included in clause 31 of the current Finance Bill. The extended relief is to be available on the coming into force, early next year, of the provisions of the Insolvency Bill, where the administrator or administrative receiver certifies that the debtor's assets are insufficient to cover the payment of any dividend to unsecured creditors. Relief is also to be available where the debtor agrees a voluntary scheme or enters into a formal deed of arrangement with his creditors.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he proposes to take to reduce the black economy in the construction industry and other industries; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to my remarks in the Adjournment debate on 25 January, at columns 1305-1312. Both Revenue Departments continue to keep the methods used to counter tax evasion in the black economy in the construction and other industries under careful review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the construction industry regarding the black economy in building work and the effect of competition within the industry of the value added tax exemption limit for small businesses; and what action he proposes to take.

A total of 146 representations have been identified in the past year. They all in some way alluded to the black economy in the construction industry and a few sought to have the level of the VAT registration threshold reduced. The present VAT threshold of £19,500 excludes from registration many small traders in the construction industry, and there is no firm evidence to suggest that there is a significant number of businesses which are properly registrable but have failed to notify their liability.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated number of traders in the construction industry who are failing to comply with their legal obligation to be registered for value added tax with Her Majesty's Customs and Excise; and whether there is any evidence that the number of such traders is increasing.

There are no estimated figures available for the number of traders who fail to notify their liability to be registered for VAT. In a sample exercise, based on information supplied by the industry, Customs and Excise was unable to establish that out of 132 cases a single trader had failed to comply with his legal obligation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what penalties are imposed by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise upon a trader whose taxable turnover for value added tax purposes is in excess of the prevailing exemption limit for small businesses and who breaks the law by failing to notify Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

The maximum penalty, on summary conviction, for failing to notify a liability for VAT registration is £1,000 or, if greater, three times the amount of the tax evaded by the failure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to reintroduce the scheme for deferred value added tax and duty for goods imported by registered traders; and if he will make a statement.

Arrangements are available under which importers, once approved, may defer payment of duty and value added tax chargeable at importation until the 15th of the following month. However, the hon. Member may have in mind the former postponed accounting system for VAT alone. As indicated in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Mr. Hunter) on 14 February, at column 290, we would revert to this system if other member states agreed to the Commission's proposals, in the draft 14th directive on VAT, to adopt it throughout the Community.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if any discussions are taking place within the European Economic Community as to the introduction of a standard system for the removal of value added tax on goods coming into a European Economic Community country on a sale-or-return basis; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. Discussions are taking place on a draft 17th VAT directive, which proposes that temporary imports on approval of certain categories of goods, including made-up articles of fur, precious stones, carpets and articles of jewellery, should be relieved of VAT.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to the types and volume of goods coming into the United Kingdom on a sale-or-return basis, on which value added tax has to be paid.

Importers are not required to identify sale-or-return goods separately, and I regret therefore that no information of the kind requested is collected.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the increase in revenue to the Exchequer of small businesses in the construction industry being required to register for value added tax when their taxable turnover exceeds £9,750 per annum.

In the absence of reliable information on businesses in the construction industry that are currently not required to register for value added tax, I regret that it is not possible to provide a meaningful estimate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the loss of revenue to the Exchequer from the construction industry of the value added tax exemption limit for small businesses being raised to (a) £50,000 and (b) £100,000.

Such large changes make any prediction of the likely revenue effects very difficult and subject to considerable uncertainty. I regret therefore that a reliable estimate of the revenue loss cannot be given.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to set up in the United Kingdom a free port for the jewellery trade; and if he will make a statement.

Experimental free zones have already been designated at Belfast international airport, Birmingham international airport, Cardiff, Liverpool, Prestwick international airport and Southampton. Members of the jewellery trade may apply to become free zone traders.

asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts what arrangements the Minister for the Arts is making to seek to save the art treasures in Castle Howard; and whether he will make a statement.

No formal approach has yet been made to the Government concerning works of art at Castle Howard.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards reinstatement in the British Civil Service of former British civil servants who have taken up posts in the European Economic Community Commission and who have subsequently been made redundant by that organisation; and if he will make a statement.

The Community terms of service common to all its institutions do not recognise any form of secondment from national civil services for permanent staff; officers must therefore resign from the United Kingdom Civil Service on taking up an appointment with the Communities. It is important to promote full United Kingdom representation in the European Communities; individuals are encouraged to apply for advertised vacancies as part of their career development and Departments have discretion to offer a guarantee of reinstatement.Officers given the guarantee of reinstatement have an absolute right of return to their substantive grade for the first five years after departure from the United Kingdom Civil Service. Thereafter, until the 55th birthday the right of return is retained but is not absolute. The parent Department, and the Cabinet Office (MPO) on behalf of the service in general, undertake to use their best endeavours to find an officer a post in his substantive grade. Where a post cannot be found, the officer is retired prematurely on grounds of redundancy.An officer who has been absent for more than five years and is aged 55 or over has no right of return, but may be reinstated in accordance with normal procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 3 May, Official Report, column 259, concerning chemical weapons, on what evidence the Minister of State based his statement that United States moves towards modernisation would underline to the Russians the benefits of reaching early agreement on a total ban; and if he will make a statement.

The statement was based on a reasonable assessment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to the measures taken by Warsaw pact countries to modernise their chemical weapons; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 18 of annex A to the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the starting price per acre he offered for land for dry training at Stainmore; and what is he currently offering.

The Property Services Agency, as our agents has made no offer for the Land at Stainmore, pending the outcome of the notification to the local authority to use the land for training.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many copies of the letter from IBM of 22 December 1983 regarding the movement of advanced IBM machines within the United Kingdom his Department has received; and how many complaints relating to the letter, or similar letters he has received.

The letter from IBM was not addressed to the Ministry of Defence. No complaints relating to the letter, or similar letters, have been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he makes of the balance of consideration between competitive tendering and social policy when placing warship contracts.

Our policy is to place warship contracts, wherever practicable, by competitive tendering. The primary considerations in evaluating tenders are costs and performance, but account can also be taken of other relevant factors.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards privatised British warship yards competing for types of work currently carried out in British naval dockyards.

The Royal dockyards currently carry out the bulk of the Royal Navy's warship refitting requirements. In their defence open government documents, entitled "The future of the Royal Dockyards", published on 17 April, the Government, in setting out the options for the future management of the dockyards, expressed their intention to open up more warship refit work to competition in future. It would be up to the privatised British warship yards to decide whether they were interested in bidding for such work. For their part, the Government would seek to enourage as wide a competition as possible from suitable firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what action he is taking to resolve the problem of apprentices within the Devonport apprentice training centre not being given on-the-job training in Her Majesty's dockyard, Devonport;(2) if he will announce the numbers of apprentices to be taken on at Her Majesty's dockyard, Devonport.

These matters are currently the subject of discussion between management and trades unions at Devonport dockyard.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to utilise the Devonport apprentice training centre for the training of young people in addition to those apprentices in training for work at Her Majesty's dockyard, Devonport.

There are no plans to utilise the apprentice training centre at Devonport dockyard for the training of any young people other than Ministry of Defence apprentices in the immediate future because of the continuing refusal by the trades unions there to support the introduction of a youth training scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has over the use in schools in England of metallic marker pens with gold and silver lettering that contain xylene/xylol; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has no information as to the extent of the use of such pens in schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what effect the reductions in University Grants Committee grants to some universities in 1981 has had on the output of graduates in science and engineering.

The table gives the actual output of first degree science and engineering home graduates (university and CNAA) in Great Britain for 1931-32 and 1982–83, and the Government's output projections for 1983–84 to 1989–90.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the implications of the Green Paper on social security for the school meals service.

The Government's proposals on entitle-ment to remission of the charge for a school meal are set out in volume 1 paragraph 8.12 and volume 2 paragraph 4.51 of the Green Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average cost to pupils of school meals in primary and secondary schools; which are the cheapest local authorities and the dearest in each sector; and how much they charge.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) on 17 May at column 244.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many and what percentage of teachers working with integrated classes hold a specialist qualification; how many and what percentage have received in-service training since the implementation of the Education Act 1981; and whether he will make a statement.

Some of the information requested by the hon. Member is not collected centrally. The remainder is contained in my answer of 3 April 1985 to the hon. Member at columns 617–18.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers teaching in special schools had a specialist qualification at the latest date for which figures are available; and what proportion of the special school teaching force this represents.

In England, in January 1984, there were 5,339 full-time and part-time teachers in maintained and non-maintained special schools holding one or more specialist qualifications; this represents around a third of the special school qualified teaching force.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will list in the Official Report the percentage by which school rolls have fallen in (a) mainstream schools, (b) all special schools and

The number of pupils of compulsory school age in maintained primary and secondary schools in England has fallen by 10 per cent. both between 1972 and 1984 and between 1981 and 1984. In maintained and non-maintained special schools, the number of pupils of compulsory school age has fallen by 5 per cent. between 1972 and 1984 and by 9 per cent. between 1981 and 1984. Equivalent information for special schools for ESN(M) and ESN(S) pupils is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will list in the Official Report the number and proportion of children with special needs who

No information is collected centrally on the number of children with special needs who are awaiting the completion of their statements or on the average duration of the waiting period. There were 166,000 children in maintained primary and secondary schools and maintained and non-maintained special schools in England in 1984 with statements of special education needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to (a) the number and proportion of children identified as having special educational needs currently being educated in (i) special and (ii) maintained schools and (b) the variation in these figures between local education authorities.

The number and proportion of children with statements of special educational needs being educated in maintained primary, middle and secondary schools and maintained and non-maintained special schools in each LEA in England in January 1984, the latest date for which information is available, are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the staffing implications for the University Grants Committee of its selective policy in the allocation of university grants.

I have received no specific representations on this point. The University Grants Committee in discussing with the Department its staffing requirements in relation to its future programme of work. As I announced to the House on 21 May, at column 861, the Government have accepted a recommendation of the Jarratt report to review the role, structure and staffing of the UGC.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much importance he attaches to church foundations in the provision of initial teacher training.

My right hon. Friend recognises the important contribution which denominational colleges have made to the provision of initial teacher training. As he has previously made clear, however, he cannot commit himself to the maintenance of a particular level of training places for such colleges, any more than he can for other teacher training institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take action to ensure that initial teacher education continues to be provided in Plymouth, in view of the recommendations made by the secretariat of the national advisory board for public sector higher education.

Proposals for the distribution of intakes to initial teacher training between public sector institutions in England are being considered by the national advisory body for public sector higher education. I cannot anticipate what advice the NAB will submit but I can assure my hon. Friend that in reaching decisions my right hon. Friend will give careful consideration to the representations that have been made to him concerning the future location of initial teacher training.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the intake at all dental hospitals and schools within England and Wales during each of the last five years to date, giving figures for each year for each institution to date.

The total intake to pre-clinical dental courses in England and Wales during each of the last five years was as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the estimated cost of redeveloping dental hospitals and schools in England and Wales, giving the figures in each case.

I am not aware of any current redevelopment plans for dental schools in England and Wales. Dental hospitals are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has yet received the advice of the advisory board for the research councils on the public expenditure survey for 1985; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I received the board's advice in April and am publishing it today. Copies are available in the Library. This advice will be considered carefully in discussions on the 1985 public expenditure survey, and I shall inform the board of my conclusions in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the revised 1985–86 cash limits in his Department's vote to cover the increased provision of additional places in engineering and technology in higher education.

As I announced on 19 March at columns 482–84, the Government are to mount a £43 million programme over the next three years for the provision of additional places for students in higher education to study engineering and technology.

asked the Prime Minister what proportion of the work of Government communications headquarters is subcontracted to private companies or ex-employees.

It is not our practice to give details of the operations of intelligence and security agencies.

asked the Prime Minister what is the number of council houses purchased under the right-to-buy legislation since the enactment of the Housing Act 1980.

By the end of 1984, 527,485 homes had been bought under the right-to-buy legislation by tenants of local authorities and new towns in Great Britain. This figure excludes other homes which have been bought under voluntary sale schemes. If those are included, the number rises to about 820,000.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 13 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 13 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 13 June.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 13 June.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I shall be attending a banquet given by President de la Madrid of Mexico.

asked the Prime Minister what fees, honoraria or expenses are paid to each or any member of the doctors and dentists, nurses, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicine and armed forces pay review bodies.

No payments are made to any of the members of these review bodies other than reimbursement for travel and subsistence expenditure which they may claim under normal public service regulations.

asked the Prime Minister whether the appointment of Mr. Idris Pearce to the National Health Service management board is within the rules of the Civil Service Commissioners.

Yes. Mr. Pearce's appointment as a part-time adviser to the management board comes under article 1(2)(d) of the Civil Service Order in Council 1982.

asked the Prime Minister if the strict budgetary controls agreed at the Fontainebleau Council were designed to apply to the Common Market Commission; and if she will make a statement.

The conclusions on budget discipline adopted by the Council on 4 December are binding on the Council. The Commission last year specifically endorsed those parts of the budget discipline text that apply to it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will arrange for a drinking water tap to be provided in the toilet in the corridor leading to office GO1 in Norman Shaw South building.

Yes, a tap will be installed in the corridor outside the toilet during the coming summer recess.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will arrange for the temperature of the water from the hot taps in toilets in Norman Shaw South to be substantially reduced.

The thermostat which controls the temperature of the hot water is set at 60 C. This ensures that the temperature of the water at the furthest tap does not fall below 55C, which is the highest temperature at which legionella bacteria can breed. I am not prepared to authorise a temperature reduction which could create a health hazard.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the implications of the new regulations on board and lodging accommodation payments for the rights of supplementary benefit claimants living temporarily in such accommodation to register on the waiting lists for local authority housing; and whether he has considered issuing a circular on the subject to housing authorities.

It is too early to say what effect, if any, the new regulations on board and lodgings will have on persons registering on the waiting lists for local authority housing. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, is considering whether further steps are needed to encourage local authorities to concentrate their provision of houses on those in greatest need and in this context the effects of the regulations will be carefully monitored.