asked the Secretary of State for Foreign ad Commonwealth Affairs how much of the Songea-Makambako road, Tanzania after upgrading was completed, has subsequently had to be redone or repaired; and what has been the cost of this.

Minor repairs after landslips— which had been expected with the relatively low cost per kilometre of the project—have been paid for as part of the project, and of its subsequent maintenance, for which £190,000 has so far been allocated.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Tanzanian Government concerning the progress of the upgrading of the Songea-Makambako road.

There has been continuous contact throughout work on the project, including planning board meetings held roughly every quarter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the supplementary contract for the second phase of the Songea-Makambako road was negotiated.

The contract was awarded on 23 December 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will itemise the reasons for the increase in the cost of the Songea-Makambako road from the original estimated cost in 1978 to the amount spent to date.

We could not forecast the exact final cost at the outset for lack of full detailed designs. To achieve an early start a special target cost contract was concluded rather than a conventional admeasurement contract. Additional factors were the 1981 decision to extend the sealed surface of the road to its full length of 184 miles instead of the 97 miles first envisaged, higher than expected inflation and technical delays in the early part of the project. It is not possible to attribute the cash increase to each item individually as they are closely interrelated.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is now the estimated cost for the completion of the upgrading of the Songea-Makambako road, Tanzania.

£98·6 million, of which the British Government have agreed to provide £891·6 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests he has received from the United Kingdom branch of World University Service concerning return of political refugees to Chile; what response he has made; and for what reasons.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 October 1985, c. 155]: Following is the text of my letter to the hon.Member:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many young people have been taken on under the youth training scheme by his Department and bodies for which his Department is responsible.

I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how it is proposed to fund the Eureka programme relating to advanced European technology; and what will be the extent of Government support.

The financing of Eureka projects is likely to vary according to their nature and their participants; those projects involving United Kingdom companies may qualify for finance from existing schemes of support for which they are eligible. However, the Government consider that, since Eureka projects are aimed at developing internationally competitive high technology products, they should in the main be able to rely on financing from commercial sources. We have no plans to set up a specific fund for Eureka projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has as to the current production of platinum (i) in South Africa and(ii) in countries with centrally planned economies; and what percentage their combined production represents of total world production.

In 1984 South Africa produced 90,200 kg of platinum group metals contained; and of the countries with centrally planned economies the USSR and Yugoslavia produced 115,000 kg platinum group metals contained in total. These combined productions represent 94 per cent. of world production.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what official visits are currently planned by representatives of participants in the Alvey programme, or members of the Alvey directorate, to (a) the United States of America and (b) Japan with a view to the discussion of collaborative projects;(2) what official visits are currently planned by representatives of participants in the Alvey programme, or

members of the Alvey directorate, to

No such visits are planned by members of the Alvey directorate and I am not aware of any such visits planned by participants in the Alvey programme. Any exploitation of the results of work funded under the programme outside the European Community would, however, be subject to the agreement of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in the Official Report the projects funded by the Alvey programme to date, indicating in each case the company, university, or research body involved and any intended eventual use of the project.

I am arranging to have details of the projects comprising the Alvey programme placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will indicate what funds he has made available in each of the financial years 1984–85 and 1985–86 to work undertaken under the Alvey programme.

One hundred and ten million pounds has been allocated to the Alvey programme by the Department of Trade and Industry. Actual expenditure against the DTI Vote in 1984–85 was £6·5 million and is expected to be £18 million in 1985–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what approaches he has received from the United States Government, or from United States based companies, expressing an interest in the purchase of information technology arising out of civil aspects of the work of the Alvey programme; and what has been his response.

I have received no such approaches.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has as to how many official visits to participants in the Alvey programme are currently planned by visitors from the Japanese information technology industry, the United States information technology industry and the United States defence industry, and as to the names and status of the visitors concerned.

I am not aware of any such plans for future visits. As a response to an Alvey-led British visit to ICOT, the Japanese fifth generation computer project. a delegation representing the management committee of ICOT was in the United Kingdom between 21 and 25 October and visited the Alvey directorate and a number of Alvey participants. The delegation comprised:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, pursuant to the answer of 17 December 1984, Official Report column 21, indicating that the majority of the 50 or so firms now participating in the Alvey programme have interests in both civil and defence applications of information technology, he will indicate precisely how many firms fall into this category.

I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what major advances in the development of advanced information technology have been achieved to date by work carried out under the Alvey programme in each of the following areas (a) software engineering, (b) person/machine interface, (c) intelligent knowledge based systems, (d) very large scale integrated circuits and (e) communications; to what practical use these advances have so far been put; and if he will make a statement.

Alvey is a five-year programme with long-term objectives. Most of the work under the programme is defined and under way but it is early yet to predict quantified results. Some work, such as that in software engineering, may be expected to lead to exploitation within the next year or so; some, such as that in advanced computer architectures, is unlikely to lead to new products before the end of this decade. Progress on projects under way is, however, outlined in the details referred to in my earlier reply to the hon. Member which are being placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has for continued support for the development of advanced information technology in Britain beyond the cessation of the Alvey programme in 1988.

The community of those involved in relevant research and development is currently formulating its views on the need for further activity of this sort. Such views will need to be taken into account before any decisions are taken and they will need to be assessed in the light of current proposals for advanced technological collaboration at the European level.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has as to the percentage of research and development work being undertaken in Britain at present in advanced information technology represented by work funded under the Alvey programme.

Data are not available in this detail. Independent evaluations of the Alvey programme have been commissioned which should go some way to answering this question. These will be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his policy towards the recommendation of the Director General of Fair Trading in his report on the resale of electricity by landlords that there should be a new criminal offence of reselling electricity for domestic use at a price higher than the maximum price fixed by the appropriate electricity board.

The Government will shortly be making an announcement in response to the report by the Director General of Fair Trading.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the latest Government proposals to help stimulate technological innovation in British industry.

The best way the Government can help to stimulate technological innovation in British industry is by continuing to work towards providing a business climate favourable to enterprise and initiative.In addition, my Department offers a range of measures to assist industrial research and development and innovation. On 25 March my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State explained that following a review of policy the Department would be making more money available for collaborative research, advisory services and schemes for encouraging best practice, and that support for projects in individual firms would be concentrated on innovative projects which represent a significant advance. Within these arrangements we continue to emphasise certain key technologies and their application such as microelectronics, fibre optics and computer software.For 1985–86 the Department's provision for scientific and technological assistance and support for investment in innovation totals £420 million.An account of the Department's recent activities in support of technological innovation is given in the report entitled "Science and Technology Report 1984–85" published on 28 October, a copy of which I am placing in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to give financial assistance to the International Tin Council in its current efforts to establish a new international tin agreement.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply my right hon. and learned Friend made yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris).

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many steering location inquiries have been received in the north-west region of his Department; and of these how many have been referred to the Cumbria county council industrial development unit during the last month for which statistics are avialable.

In September 1985 the north west regional office received 24 steering location inquiries: one of these was referred to Cumbria county council's industrial development unit (IDU). Close liaison between the regional office and the IDU continues.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total number and value of offers of regional assistance made to companies in the West Cumbria travel-to-work areas, in Cumbria as a whole, in the north west region and in the northern region for the last month for which statistics are available.

In September 1985, 11 offers of assistance totalling £454,000 were made under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 towards projects in the north west region. There were no offers made to projects in Cumbria during this month. 17 offers totalling £4·97 million were made towards projects in the north cast region.Under the new regional development grant scheme 51 offers of assistance totalling £1·26 million were made to companies in the north west. Of these there were three offers totalling £26,455 made to projects in West Cumbria. 96 offers totalling £1·76 million were made towards projects in the north east.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the British Shipbuilders' national appeal procedure, as laid out in paragraph 12 of the shipbuilding redundancy payments scheme internal appeals procedure, has been implement.

Not yet. However, British Shipbuilders will be discussing the shipbuilding redundancy payments scheme internal appeals procedure with the unions later this week with a view to hearing outstanding national appeals as soon as possible. They expect them all to be heard in November.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many appeals under the British Shipbuilders' national appeal procedure relating to the shipbuilding redundancy payments scheme internal appeals procedure have been carried out in each year since 1980; and how many appeals are at present outstanding.

No appeals at national level have been heard under the shipbuilding redundancy payment scheme internal appeals procedure. There are 15 appeals outstanding at this level.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if consultations have taken place between his Department and Cunard Shipping Ltd. concerning the reengining of the QE2; and if he will make a statement.

Discussions about the re-engining of the Queen Elizabeth 2 have taken place between Trafalgar House plc, the parent company of Cunard, and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. On Friday 25 October Trafalgar House announced that the investment would go ahead but that, as no United Kingdom yard had been able to offer to carry out the work, the contract had been placed abroad. Nevertheless Trafalgar House announced that some £25 million or 30 per cent. of the total cost will be spent in the United Kingdom. GEC will supply the electric motors arid generating plant, while Harland and Wolff will supply certain engine components.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for each year since 1979–80 the

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in seeking alternatives to the CLOFT scheme rejected by the EEC, so that assistance can be given to the footwear and leather industries.

The proposed CLOFT scheme envisaged assistance to eligible small firms in the footwear, clothing, knitting and textile industries, but not to the leather industry. As regards footwear, we are considering a proposal from the industry, as my hon. and learned Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for corporate and consumer affairs informed the House on 23 October. We do not regard this as an alternative to CLOFT, which was a sectoral aid scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to try to obtain the abolition of Japanese quotas and other impediments to imports of leather and leather products.

The Japanese Government have made some proposals which are under examination within the GATT. The initial EC view is that they do not represent sufficient progress towards the degree of liberalisation required. The Commission will, within the GATT negotiations, press for more effective measures of real benefit to Community producers.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation providing for mandatory labelling requirements for leather products.

I have no plans at present to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the gross domestic product of each region in England for the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how each region compares with the figures for 1980 and 1975 in real and cash terms.

Current price (cash terms) gross domestic product data for the regions of England are published in the article "Regional Accounts 1983" ("Economic Trends" November 1984), a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. This article total subsidy paid to British Shipbuilders; and if he will calculate what these data are as (a) a percentage of sales value of work done and (b) per employee.

Following are the figures:covers 1983 (the latest available), 1980 and 1975. Constant price (real terms) gross domestic product data for the regions are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what arrangements have been made during the negotiations for the entry of Spain into the EEC to remove Spanish subsidies on finished leather;(2) what arrangements have been made during the negotiations for the entry of Spain into the EEC to remove the Spanish subsidy on exports of scoured wool.

From 1 January 1986, Spanish Government subsidies will have to comply with the state aids provisions of the Treaty of Rome. The export subsidy provided through the operation of the present tax system will automatically disappear when VAT is introduced in Spain on the same date.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements have been made during the negotiations for the entry of Spain into the EEC to ensure that there will be free availability of raw hides and skins within the Community.

Under article 42 of the Treaty of Accession, quantitative restrictions on trade between the Community and Spain are to be abolished on 1 January 1986, except where a derogation is specifically provided for. There is no such derogation in relation to raw hides and skins.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions there have been in the negotiations for the entry of Spain and Portugal into the EEC regarding the footwear and leather industries.

During the accession negotiations there were extensive discussions on the arrangements governing trade with Spain and Portugal in industrial products from 1 January 1986. A substantial part of these were concerned with the arrangements for footwear and leather products. The British footwear and leather industry was consulted throughout.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress towards the implementation in the United Kingdom of the European Commission directive on product liability.

My Department will be issuing a consultative document before the end of this year on implementation of the EC directive on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states concerning liability for defective products. Following this consultation, legislation will be introduced as soon as the parliamentary timetable permits.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 23 October, Official Report, column 160, if he has had any discussions with the pensions fund industry or local authority superannuation fund managers about the possibility of their providing capital to meet the demand for English Estates to build factories to the specific order of prospective tenants; and if he will make a statement.

No, Sir. But as my hon. Friend will appreciate. English Estates is required under statutory guidelines to secure the maximum possible level of private sector funding in all its development projects and seeks to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the change in productivity in the east midlands since (a) 1979 and (b) 1981.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 October 1985]: There are no data available for the change in productivity

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a list of the firms with which British Telecom shares were placed at the beginning of the offer period; and if he will specify how many shares each firm underwrote.

[pursuant to the reply, 25 October 1985, c. 292]: All allocations made at the time of the British Telecom offer for sale, including placing allocations made to firms acting as priority applicants, were recorded in the company's share register. This is available for public inspection.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the total amounts paid out in each of the last five years for which figures are available on (a) mandatory maintenance awards and (b) discretionary' maintenance awards in real terms using 1979–80 as a base, by local education authorities.

A full reply could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The following table shows the amounts paid out in respect or full-value mandatory and discretionary awards by each local authority in England and Wales in 1979–80 and 1983£84, and the value in percentage terms of the 1983–84 payments deflated by increases in retail prices, using 1979–80 as the base.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many young people have been taken on under the youth training scheme by his Department and by bodies for which his Department is responsible.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether Her Majesty's Government have reached a decision following Sir John Kendrew's report relating to the United Kingdom subscription to CERN and related facilities.

The Government are considering the advice of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils and the Science and Engineering Research Council on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will indicate what funds the Science and Engineering Research Council has made available in each of the financial years 1984–85 and 1985–86 to work undertaken under the Alvey programme.

The figures for funds actually spent by SERC on work undertaken under the Alvey programme in 1984–85 and provided in the budget for 1985–86 (at 1985–86 outturn prices) are as follows:—

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to which local authorities offer inducements to teachers to attend courses during holidays by paying expenses.

It is common practice for local authorities to provide some reimbursement to teachers of costs incurred as a result of attendance at in-service training courses, as resources allow. The Department does not collect information on the extent of this practice.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make proposals for reductions in teachers' remuneration where disruption is caused by industrial action.

It is for the employers to implement the contracts of employment which they have with their teachers. I understand that these contain provisions for the deduction of salary in certain circumstances including strike action. I also understand that a small number of authorities have made deductions in respect of disruptive action short of strikes, such as refusal to cover for absent teachers. I further understand that the National Union of Teachers contends that employers do not have the right to make such deductions, and court action is pending involving five local education authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what account he took of the non-recognition by certain local education authorities of the Professional Association of Teachers when revising the union side representatives of the Burnham committee; and if he will make a statement.

In reviewing the composition of the teachers' panel of the Burnham P&S committee, I have followed my predecessors as Secretary of State and used as my criteria the numbers in membership of the different unions and the distinctive nature of their membership. The committeee is responsible for reviewing the pay of school teachers throughout England and Wales and these criteria reflect that national function.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what study his Department has made of the consequences of the level of funding for equipment in research laboratories on the movement of scientists from the United Kingdom.

The responses to the ABRC's brain drain inquiry suggest that dissatisfaction with the level of funding for research equipment is one of a number of reasons for British scientists taking research appointments overseas. The responses show that the provision in last year's PES settlement of additional funds to the UGC for re-equipping some of the best university research groups has been a factor in persuading some senior researchers to stay in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give what statistics he has available about the quitting from the United Kingdom of people of the highest scientific calibre to research institutes and laboratories in North America, Europe and Australia in the spheres of electronics, biochemistry and biophysics.

National statistics are not available. However the ABRC's report to my right hon. Friend on their brain drain inquiry gives some figures for losses overseas from the university and research council groups covered by their survey. Copies of the ABRC's report will be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the Advisory Body on Research Councils' report to his Department on the brain drain of human resources particularly in the areas of high technology and areas of scientific excellence.

Yes. Copies of the report will be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the report by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools on educational provision and response in some Haringey schools has been withdrawn; and if he will make a statement.

The report has not been withdrawn, either in whole or in part.When the report was, published in July 1984, discussions took place between the inspectorate and Haringey local education authority about the interpretation of examination results in the authority in relation to national figures. On the basis of figures then provided by the authority in substitution for other figures it had provided earlier, some of the comparisons drawn in the report would have been slightly different, as the senior chief inspector acknowledged in a letter to the authority's chief education officer. However, these figures would still have shown examination results in Haringey falling below national averages, and gave no cause for the inspectorate to alter the judgment in the report that results achieved by fifth-formers in the borough—particularly in the schools inspected—were disappointing, even after allowing for socio-economic factors in pupils' background.The concern expressed by Her Majesty's inspectors about educational provision in Haringey secondary schools related to many other issues in addition to examination results. Concern was also expressed about the quality of education in primary schools, where examination results are not at issue.The authority accepted the report as a basis for action, and is seeking to develop ways of responding constructively to the inspectorate's findings. It has submitted a progress report to me, and will be submitting a further progress report at the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the Natural Environment Research Council intends to appoint a director of earth sciences.

I understand that it is the intention of the Natural Environment Research Council to appoint a director of earth sciences as soon as possible and that action is now in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what the organisational structures of the British Geological Survey will be in future in the context of its recently agreed terms of reference; and if he will make a statement.

The organisational changes of the British Geological Survey are still under discussion in the context of the published NERC corporate plan. I understand that a final structure will be agreed after further consultation, particularly involving the director of earth sciences when appointed.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he proposes to reconstitute NIREX as a public company; and whom he proposes for the composition of the board of directors and the chairman of the company.

I hope to make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many opencast coalmining operations (a) are currently working and listed, (b) have been authorised in the past decade with specific method of use and (c) are subject to a planning application; and if, in the latter case, he will give an indication of the average time taken to obtain approval.

Forty-four NCB opencast sites are currently coaling in England and Wales and 10 in Scotland. The respective figures for licensed opencast sites is 57 and 25.In the 10 years to September 1985, 112 authorisations have been granted in England and Wales and 25 in Scotland. Of the 112, 7 were specifically for coking coal and 11 for anthracite; of the 25, 2 were for low volatile coals.Since the requirement for planning permission was placed on the NCB on 1 March 1984, 5 NCB sites in England and Wales have received planning permission and authorisation under the Opencast Coal Act 1958. Four of these are now working. A further 23 have yet to be resolved because planning permission has been refused or authorisation not yet granted or the planning application has not yet been determined. It would not be meaningful, in the circumstances, to quote an "average time", but there can be as long as 15 months between application and determination.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many young people have been taken on under the youth training scheme by his Department and by bodies for which his Department is responsible.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give the Central Electricity Generating Board a general directive that it should submit all publicity material to him for his prior approval; and if he will make a statement.

No. The CEGB will remain free to issue any relevant publicity material consistent with its statutory powers and duties.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he proposes to take to seek to secure efficiency and competitive advantages from the privatisation of British Gas.

The proposals for the privatisation of British Gas will be of benefit to the consumer in the encouragement of efficiency by every means.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received concerning the distribution of his Department's save energy booklets by Marketforce in Newcastle under Lyme; and if he will make a statement.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has as to the trend in crude oil prices over the 12-month period to the latest date for which figures are available; and what projections are available to him about trends over the ensuring three-month period.

Figures published by the International Energy Agency show that the average price of a barrel of crude oil imported into the IEA area fell about $1·60 between the second quarter of 1984 and the second quarter of 1985.Short-term indicators show some strengthening of crude oil prices in the third quarter.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether, with a view to the discouragement of fraudulent claims for social security payments, he will consider the desirability of the Housing Executive requiring receipts for payments for work done as a condition of the payment of improvement and repair grants on private houses.

The prime requirement for the payment of a house renovation grant is the completion to a satisfactory standard of all the work specified by the Housing Executive. The sub mission of receipted builders' accounts is not a prior condition for payment of grant.I am reluctant to introduce a procedure which might hold back claims from the less well-off for grants to combat housing unfitness and disrepair; particularly as, it is doubtful if it would be an effective discouragement to fraudulent social security claims.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of recent tourist project to benefit from the European Regional Development Fund.

The information is as follows (Commitments made since 1980):

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were remanded in custody and subsequently acquitted or not proceeded with in the years 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively, in Northern Ireland in respect of (a) scheduled and (b) non-scheduled offences.

Information is not kept in the form requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average time spent on remand for those who were subsequently acquitted or not proceeded with during 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively, in Northern Ireland in respect of (a) scheduled and (b) non-scheduled offences.

Information is not kept in the form requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons who were remanded in custody and subsequently acquitted or not proceeded against with, spent (a) nil to three months on remand, (b) three to six months on remand, (c) six to nine months on remand, (d) nine to 12 months on remand and (e) over 12 months on remand in respect of those first remanded during 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively, in respect of (i) scheduled offences and (ii) non-scheduled offences.

Information is not kept in the form requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many store lambs were imported from the Republic of Ireland during the months of August, September and October.

The available information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the weekly cost of keeping a prisoner in custody in the years 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985, respectively, in a remand institution in Northern Ireland in respect of (a) scheduled and (b) non-scheduled offences.

Northern Ireland has no separate remand institutions; nor is information about costs maintained separately in respect of scheduled and other offences.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans to introduce financial compensation for those prisoners who were remanded in custody and subsequently acquitted or not proceeded with in Northern Ireland in respect of (a) scheduled and (b) non-scheduled offences.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many industrial national inquiries have been directed to (a) his Department and (b) the Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board during the last month for which statistics are available.

Since September 1982 the Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board has been responsible for processing all inquiries about possible investment in Northern Ireland. The IDB received 13 firm inquiries from companies outside Northern Ireland in September 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will express the totals of payments to Harland and Wolff for each year since 1979–80 in (a) a percentage of the sales value of work done and (b) per employee.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fat lambs were exported to the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland during the months of June, July, August, September and October, respectively.

Recorded exports were as follows: