asked the Prime Minister whether, in the light of this winter's experience of exceptionally cold weather, she will review Her Majesty's Government's arrangements for mitigating the problems of cold weather poverty.

The Government already give substantial help with heating costs through the supplementary benefit scale rates and weekly heating additions.The exceptionally cold weather payment scheme was amended from 26 January to provide help when the average temperature for an area falls to 0ْ Celsius or less over a fixed seven-day period. Future arrangements for extra help during periods of exceptionally cold weather will be considered in the light of this winter's experience.

asked the Prime Minister whether she is satisfied with the co-ordination of the various Departments studying alternative land use in rural areas.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister when she first became aware that Sir Robert Armstrong had offered inaccurate evidence in the Wright case in Australia concerning the Attorney-General's alleged role in deciding whether to proceed against Mr. Chapman Pincher's hook "Their Trade is Treachery", and if she will make a statement.

It remains inappropriate to comment on matters at issue in the Peter Wright case in Australia.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list in the Official Report those publications of Her Majesty's Stationery Office in respect of which the authorisation of persons or public bodies other than Government Ministers is required before copies may be sent to hon. and right hon. Members; and if she will make a statement.

A limited number of Her Majesty's Stationery Office publications are, on the instructions of the Home Office, issued only on production of a written authority signed by a senior officer in the police or a local authority. The publications concerned are as follows:

asked the Prime Minister, if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 February.

asked the Prime Minister, if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 February.

asked the Prime Minister, if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 February.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has about the extent and trend of subsidised imports of cigarettes; from which main countries they come; what information he has about the margin by which such imports undercut the price of domestically produced cigarettes; what representations he has received about the implications of these imports for the competitiveness and viability of the United Kingdom cigarette industry; and what action he proposes to take.

Concern has been expressed by the United Kingdom cigarette manufacturing industry about the competitive impact of imports of cheap brands of cigarettes. According to estimates provided by the industry imports of cheap brands have risen from 0.1 billion in 1983 to 9·6 billion in 1986 of which about 90 per cent. come from the Federal Republic of Germany (including West Berlin). The 1986 import figure represents about 10 per cent. of United Kingdom cigarette consumption. The industry has estimated that these imports can undercut the retail prices of United Kingdom manufactured brands by up to 20p per packet of 20 cigarettes, particularly as a result of marginal costing policies pursued by foreign manufacturers. If it can be shown that the price differential is due to unfair subsidies the Government will take the matter up with the European Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has about spending by the Post Office on fees to outside consultants in the current year, in 1984–85 and 1985–86.

The information I have relates to expenditure on consultancy in 1985–86 and is contained in paragraphs 6.76–6.77 of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report on the Post Office's procurement activities (Cmnd. 9912), to which I refer my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made as to which aircraft manufacturers in Germany, France, Italy or Spain

	A300		A310		A320		A330		A340
	Orders	Options	Orders	Options	Orders	Options	Orders	Options	Orders	Options
1980	222	91	68	64	—	—	—	—	—	—
1981	232	69	64	66	—	—	—	—	—	—
1982	240	19	66	72	—	—	—	—	—	—
1983	240	6	72	61	—	—	—	—	—	—
1984	251	—	83	—	51	45	—	—	—	—
1985	275	—	112	—	90	113	—	—	—	—
1986	282	—	129	—	236	151	—	—	—	—
1 February 1987	282	—	144	—	261	176	—	—	—	—

No such assessments have been made. British Aerospace's application for launch-aid for its participation in the Airbus A330/A340 programme was submitted, and is being considered, on the basis that it would be manufacturing the high-technology wings for these aircraft. Airbus Industrie and McDonnell Douglas suspended last September their discussions on possible collaboration on the MD I 1 and the A330/A340, and have not since resumed them.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the direct or indirect support given to the Boeing Aircraft Corporation by the United States Government through research contracts, whether military, space or civil, by ordinary or special tax relief, or by any other means; and if he will make a statement.

The American competitors of Airbus, of which Boeing is one, continue to derive benefit from a wide range of Government support, including public contracts and publicly funded programmes. According to consultancy estimates available to the Government last year, the combined aeronautics R and D expenditure by the United States Department of Defence, NASA and the Department of Transportation over the last 15 years exceeds $47.5 billion. In addition, tax concessions associated with the switch to foreign sales corporations are estimated to have benefited Boeing by $397 million. My Department keeps the position under close review.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the cumulative order and optional orders for each of the following Airbus aircraft: A300, A310, A320, A330 and A340 for the following years: (a) 1980, (b) 1981, (c) 1982, (d) 1983, (e) 1984, (f) 1985, and (g) 1986 and the situation as at 1 February; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is as follows: The sales record of the Airbus programmes, and in particular that achieved for the A320 before its first flight has been made, is one of which the European aerospace industry, including the many United Kingdom companies participating in these programmes, can justly be proud.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is now in a position to give an estimate of the profit his Department is likely to make from its investment in the A320 Airbus; and if he will make a statement.

Based on information supplied by British Aerospace, my Department expects to obtain its agreed rate of return on launch-aid provided to British Aerospace for the Airbus A320. However, the details remain commercially confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when and in what form he expects to announce his decision on the recommendations of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission relating to the acquisition of British Sugar by Tate and Lyle or Gruppo Feruzzi.

My right hon. Friend will make an announcement as soon as is practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the settlement of the Community's trade dispute with the United States of America.

I wish to explain the agreement by the Government to the adoption of a Council decision on the conclusion of negotiations with the United States before it was possible for the Select Committee on European Legislation to scrutinise it.On 30 January the Council of Ministers approved the terms of an agreement negotiated between the Commission and the United States to settle the protracted dispute between the two parties over the terms of Community enlargement. The main elements of the agreement provide for the Community, subject to the transitional arrangements applying to Portugal and Spain in their treaties of accession, to restore in respect of the enlarged Community the tariff rates previously bound in GATT in relation to the Community of Ten. Reduced levy quotas will be opened by the Community for the period 1 January 1987 to 31 December 1990 for imports into Spain of at least 2 million tonnes of corn and 300,000 tonnes of sorghum. Community tariffs on a series of other products will be reduced autonomously for the same period of four years. The arrangements will be reviewed in July 1990.In view of the urgency of concluding the agreement by 30 January I decided not to withhold agreement to decisions until the Select Committee had had the opportunity to consider it. I regret that it was not possible for the normal scrutiny procedures to be followed in this case.The Government warmly welcome this agreement, which is the means of averting an exchange of retaliatory and counter-retaliatory trade measures between the United States and the Community which would have had very serious consequences for EC-US trade, for the multilateral trading system and for progress in the new round of multilateral trade negotiations which is now beginning in GATT.

Thompson asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the conclusion of the working group formed to review the procedures relating to the use of firearms by the police; and if he will make a statement.

On 26 February 1986 I announced that, in response to the concerns which have been expressed about the use of firearms by the police, a working group was to be formed, under Home Office chairmanship, to examine all aspects of the policy and procedures relating to the issue to and use by the police of firearms in England and Wales. I undertook to advise the House of the working group's conclusions.The working party comprised representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Police Complaints Authority, the Police Federation and the Superintendents' Association as well as Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Home Office. They have carried out a thorough review and have made a number of recommendations. In response to my invitation to police authorities and other organisations and individuals to submit their views for the working group's consideration, 12 such submissions were received. I should like to thank those whose contributions did much to inform the working group's deliberations.I have today placed in the Library a complete list of the working group's recommendations and conclusions, together with its membership and terms of reference, a list of those who submitted evidence and the text of the revised Home Office guidelines for the police on the issue and use of firearms. I am asking all chief officers to accept and implement the working group's recommendations. I know that many have already done so or are in the process of doing so.The working group's report is thoughtful and detailed. Because of the thoroughness with which the review was conducted the report necessarily contains a wealth of operational and tactical detail. It would not be sensible for all such information, which could be of considerable value in the wrong hands, to be publicly aired. The same considerations apply to to "Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms" which is produced by the Association of Chief Police Officers and which is often referred to in the working group's report and in its conclusions and recommendations.The working group looked closely at such matters as the selection and training of police officers for firearms duties; the criteria for authorisation to issue firearms for particular operations; the relevant instructions and guidelines; the planning, briefing for and supervision of armed operations; and the choice of weapons and ammunition.The practical effect of carrying out the working group's recommendations will he to enhance the standards of professionalism and restraint exercised by the police in this difficult and dangerous area of police operations.It recommends, for example, that there should be an increased operational role for specialist firearms teams, the members of which should be on 24-hour called to attend operations requiring the issue of firearms. The officers in these teams should not be dedicated solely to firearms duties, but those duties should take priority over their other police work. Nor should they be the only armed police response available within forces. These teams should be in addition to an equitable distribution of authorised firearms officers throughout the force area. The aim is to have fewer authorised firearms officers and a greater concentration of training and the development of tactical and operational skills on them.As regards the selection of officers for firearms training, the working group recommends procedures which will probe carefully an officer's temperament, maturity and stability as well as his or her physical suitability for such training. Those who are selected, trained and authorised to carry firearms should be assessed both continuously and annually for their continued suitability for armed duties.The working group does not recommend any changes in the length of initial and refresher training courses. Both of these have recently been increased. But it advises that developments in judgment training systems should be monitored so that suitable systems can be introduced into the training programmes. This will lead to a greater emphasis in training on the need for trainees to decide, under conditions of stress, whether to shoot, as distinct from how to shoot.The working group also stresses the importance to armed operations for supervisory officers to be trained in the right tactics as well as in supervision itself, and for them to consult properly trained tactical advisers.The working group also recommends that senior officers who may be called upon to authorise the issue of firearms for particular operations, as well as those responsible for planning armed operations and for briefing the personnel to be involved, should be provided with aides-memoire and checklists to ensure that no important point is overlooked. These documents will require specifically that the option of proceeding without the issue of firearms should be considered before authorisation for their issue is given.In order to maintain the standards of firearms training throughout England and Wales and to ensure that best practice is spread the working group recommends a system of inspections of firearms training both at the national firearms training centres and within individual forces.Contrary to what is often reported, neither the drawing nor the actual use of firearms by police officers in England and Wales has increased in recent years. Neither the Government nor the police have any desire to shift away from the traditional emphasis on unarmed policing. But public concern on the matters covered by the report is understandable, and I share it. This has been a valuable exercise. The outcome will be better protection for the public and police officers alike on those rare occasions when police officers have to carry guns, and the even rarer occasions on which they are required to use them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for each year of the past five years, how many people were serving life sentences in Her Majesty's prisons.

The information requested is published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales" (table 1.4 of the latest issue for 1985, Cmnd. 9903). Information for 1986 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of staff and their rank employed at Wandsworth prison on 19 January.

Staff employed at Wandsworth prison on 19 January were as follows:

	Number
Governor I	1
Governor III	1
Governor IV	2
Assistant Governor	4
Chief Officer I
(Discipline)	1
(Hospital)	1
(Works)	1
Chief Officer II
(Discipline)	2
(Works)	1
(Caterer)	1
Principal Officer
(Discipline)	23
(Works)	5
(PE)	1
(Hospital)	2
(Instructor)	2
(Caterer)	1
Senior Officer
(Discipline)	30
(Works)	3
(PE)	1
Senior Officer
(Hospital)	5
(Instructor)	3
Prison Officer
(Discipline)	271
(Works)	8
(Dog Handler)	16
(PE)	3
(Hospital)	24
(Instructor)	8
(Caterer)	6
Medical Officers	4
Pharmacists	2
Chaplains	5
Education Officers	2
Civilian Instructors	16
Senior Executive Officer	1
Higher Executive Officer	2
Higher P&T Officer	1
Executive Officers	7
Administration Assistants	12
Typing Manager	1
Personal Secretary	1
Typists	8
Telephonists	2
Administration Officers	29
Civilian Drivers	3
Storemen	8
Cleaners	4
Industrial Craftsmen	24

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement as to the proposals for the open land opposite Wandsworth prison and adjoining Alma terrace, Wandsworth, as to the proposed use of this land.

As has been explained previously to the hon. Member in reply to his question of 28 October 1985, at column 344, this land is being used to provide temporary car parking facilities while building works within the establishment are in progress, and it is likely to continue to be needed for these purposes in the immediate future. We are aware that, in the longer term, the local authority wishes to see this land used to provide open space, and, when we no longer need the land for car parking, we shall discuss with the authority its future use.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present number of car parking spaces available for staff working at Wandsworth prison.

82 car parking spaces are at present available for staff at Wandsworth prison, including 19 spaces provided on a temporary basis on open land adjacent to the prison.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further proposals he has for dealing with drug abuse.

Recent developments were set out in my reply to my hon. Friend on 20 November, at column 302. Since then the Council of Europe Pompidou Group of Ministers, at its meeting in London last month, has agreed a wide-ranging new plan of action; the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 has come fully into effect, and we have announced a £2·1 million scheme for drug-related teacher training in 1987–88, provision of an extra £1 million in 1987–88 to enable drug misuse agencies to reach more drug misusers and provide more counselling on AIDS.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders, rapes, armed robberies, and burglaries there were in Basildon in 1986.

The information which is collected centrally is of notifiable offences recorded in the Essex police force area, figures for which are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables" (tables S.3.1 and S.3.1(A) of volume 3 of the issue for 1985).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Metropolitan police will implement the Commission for Racial Equality code of practice on employment.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the Metropolitan police are implementing the CRE code of practice on employment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to why public houses in Wapping were raided by the police on the evening of 24 January.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me there were no such raids.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis explaining why no consultation took place with relevant external organisations in respect of territorial operations instruction I/86, "Best Practice Guidelines for Recording and Monitoring Racial Incidents" between February and July 1986 and as to what management measures are being taken to enforce and monitor the implementation of the minimum requirements and to encourage and monitor initiatives taken in line with the best practice options set out in appendix A.

I am assured by the Commissioner that consultations with community organisations following the issue of the Metropolitan police best practice guidelines for recording and monitoring racial incidents did take place during the period concerned and have done so since. Given the need for the guidelines to be implemented in a way which takes proper account of local circumstances, implementation is a matter for local decision in consultation with the community.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victim examination suites have been opened in cities with a population of 50,000 or more persons since 1985.

The provision of facilities for the examination of victims is a matter for individual chief officers of police. No information is held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Home Office has updated the circular concerning policies regarding rape since 1985.

Yes, in Home Office circular 69/1986, issued on 15 October 1986, which provided guidance to the police on their treatment of victims of violence against women.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by police force area the number of male and female officers trained for the interviewing and examining of rape victims.

This is a matter for each chief officer of police. Information is not held centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 12 December 1986, Official Report, column 253, whether he will break down the expenditure on payments to consultants between management and computer consultants.

Records do not distinguish between management and computer consultants and this information is not therefore readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have served prison sentences of less that one week at Winson Green prison, Birmingham since 31 January 1986.

According to the records held centrally, about 80 persons were initially received into Birmingham prison in the period 1 February to 30 November 1986 to serve sentences of less than one week.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation governors; and what subjects were discussed.

My right hon. Friend last met Mr. Hussey on 13 January to discuss the future arrangements for financing the BBC, a matter on which he made an announcement the following day.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to establish a code of conduct to cover the methodology and publication of political opinion polls and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if any Royal Navy vessel has been in collision with a Russian vessel in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement;(2) on how many occasions in the last 12 months Royal Navy submarines have been involved in collisions with other seagoing vessels.

No such collisions have occurred.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how extensive was the damage to the stern of a Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine, recently involved in a collision and repaired in Portsmouth;(2) which nuclear-powered submarines have undergone repairs in Portsmouth in the last 12 months, and on what dates.

No Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines have been repaired at Portsmouth in the last 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if any form of financial assistance is currently being given to the ports of (a) London or (b) Liverpool.

Government grant to the Port of London Authority for the severance of non-registered employees ceased on 31 December 1986. So did grant for the special severance scheme for registered dock workers in the port of London in November and December. The payment of grant for severances in the port of Liverpool (and of grants in respect of any further severances in London) awaits a decision by the European Commission on whether they are compatible with the treaty of Rome provisions on state a ids. The Commission sought a justification for these grants only in late December of last year, although it has been aware of their existence for a number of years. Under the treaty of Rome we are debarred from continuing to make these grants until the Commission has made its decision.This includes the current severance offer in Liverpool: I understand the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company has today told the unions that the terms of the severance offer stand but its implementation must await the outcome of the Commission's deliberation.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what penalties will be incurred by operators of coaches fitted with mandatory speed limiting devices when infringements take place caused by incorrect installation and or setting up; what discussions have taken place with the police about the allowable error in vehicle speed before prosecution; how he proposes to check such devices; and if he will make a statement.

We propose to amend the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations so as to make compulsory the fitting of speed limiters to coaches. The maximum penalty for a breach of these regulations is currently a fine of £1,000. The regulations will be based on a British Standard, which will include clauses on accuracy of calibration. We shall be consulting interested parties, including the police, on a draft regulation and on arrangements for the frequency of calibration and checking.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is the intention of his Department to provide resources to the Humberside county council to enable it to construct a grade separated junction at Bonby Lodge on the A 15(T) with the B1206.

We have written to Humberside county council asking for a report on its proposals for this junction. Decisions will be taken on receipt of the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will publish the most recent projection available to his Department of shipping using United Kingdom ports in the year 2000 in terms both of the number of ships and the values of cargoes at current prices in the following categories; (a) under 10,000 dwt, (b) 10,000–39,999 dwt, (c) 40-–79,999 dwt and (d) over 80,000 dwt;(2) if he will publish the most recent projection available to his Department for the trend between the current year and the year 2000 of shipping using United Kingdom ports in each of the following categories:

As far as 1 am aware no one has made any such projections.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what evidence his Department has about the impact of the experimental cycle lanes in the Fulham road in the boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, and Kensington and Chelsea, on accidents to cyclists;(2) what representations he has received concerning the exercise of powers by him under part II of schedule 5 to the Local Government Act 1985 in respect of the decision of Kensington and Chelsea council to terminate the experimental cycle lanes on the Fulham road; and if he will make a statement.

We have a copy of the accident data included in the report on the cycle lanes considered by the royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea's town planning committee on 29 September 1986. My right hon. Friend's approval to its decision not to make permanent the cycle lanes when the experimental order lapsed is not required under the provisions of part II of schedule 5 to the Local Government Act 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leicester, East of 19 January, Official Report, column 382, whether he has any further information from Westminster city council concerning the future of the three bus lanes around the Houses of Parliament.

Yes. It has notified my right hon. Friend, under the requirements of the Local Government Act 1985. schedule 5, paragraph 5, of its intention to make permanent the two bus lanes on Millbank.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress regarding the proposed second Severn crossing.

The scheme for the second Severn crossing has some complex and unusual engineering, environmental, financing, contractual and legislative features which the consultants' study report and the announcement on 24 July by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales have shown. It is necessary to examine these aspects very fully before proceeding with the detailed development of the scheme. This is currently in hand.As mentioned in the announcement, we wish to be in a position to provide the second Severn crossing by the mid-1990s if traffic growth warrants it by then and Parliament so decides. This is still the Government's aim.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the amount of grant his Department is making during the current year to (a) the British-United States of America Parliamentary Group; (b) the British-France Parliamentary Group; and (c) the British-Soviet Parliamentary Group.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not making a grant to any of these parliamentary groups during the current financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what countries have been approached with regard to permanent resettlement of Hong Kong's Vietnamese refugees; what was the number of refugees resettled in the periods 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87 to date; and what agreements have been reached by Her Majesty's Government on behalf of the Hong Kong Government with respect to its refugee problem.

Since 1979 we have approached a very wide range of countries to seek their assistance in resettling refugees from Hong Kong.

• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bermuda
• Canada
• China
• Denmark
• Finland
• France (incl. New Caledonia)
• German Federal Republic
• Greece
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Ivory Coast
• Japan
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• USA
• Vanuatu

We have not, however, entered into formal agreements with any Government or organisation with respect to the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong. Substantial numbers of refugees have been resettled in the United Kingdom and in Hong Kong itself.In 1983, 4,200 Vietnamese refugees were resettled from Hong Kong. The figures for 1984, 1985 and 1986 were 3,694, 3,953 and 3,816 respectively. We remain in close contact with resettlement countries and with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees as part of our continuing efforts to identify a durable solution to this sad problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will propose to make any changes in the Foreign and Commonwealth cash limits and running costs limit for 1986–87.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the cash limit for Class II, Vote 1, (Overseas Representation) will be increased by £6,310,000 from £393,260,000 to £399,570,000 and the running costs limit by £6.225,000 from £369,300,000 to £375,525,000; the cash limit for Class II, Vote 2 (Other External Relations) will be increased by £4,061,000 from £99,557,000 to £103,618,000 and the cash limit for Class II, Vote 4 (British Council) will be increased by £2,060,000 from £50,694,000 to £52,754,000. In all cases the increases take account of unavoidable increased costs. These include those associated with the introduction of a visa regime for certain Asian and African countries net of offsetting savings including reduced fuel and rent costs and increases in visa fees receipts.Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class II, Vote 3 (BBC External Broadcasting and Monitoring) the cash limit for this Vote will be reduced by £3,403,000 from £113,280,000 to £109,877,000. The cash limit increase of £1,643,000 announced by the Chief Secretary on 22 July 1986 under the end year flexibility scheme has been surrendered as well as a further reduction reflected by a declared underspend of £1,760,000.The net increases reflecting these changes will be charged to the reserve.

I have been asked to reply.I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the proposals and concessions agreed with the United States of America following its complaint under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade rules on the Spanish accession to the European Economic Community; and what will be the estimated reduction in European Economic Community revenue in consequence over the anticipated period of the settlement.

I have been asked to reply.I will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has about spending by the research councils on fees to outside consultants in the current year, in 1984–85 and 1985–86.

The information is as follows:

Financial year	£'000
1984–85	2,775·5
1985–86	3,132·4
1986–871	2,210·9
1 period up to 31 December 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many letters he has received about the proposed closure of Burnham grammar school; and how many of these have been returned to the sender.

Section 12 of the Education Act 1980 requires local education authorities to publish notices of their intention to cease to maintain a school and provides for objections to such proposals to be made to the education authority in the two months following publication. Of 65 letters so far received by my right hon. Friend about the proposed closure of Burnham grammar school, 17 were objections made within the statutory period of notice: these were returned to the senders with an explanatory letter recommending them to address their objections to the local education authority. Copies of the correspondence were retained.In considering the authority's proposals for Burnham school my right hon. Friend will take careful account of the points made by all objectors.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has had recent discussions with the Foreign Ministers of European countries about the sale of European Comission surplus wheat, beef, butter and wine to the Soviet Union; and if he will make a statement.

I have spoken to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Sales of surplus agricultural products to the USSR have not been discussed recently in the Council of Ministers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to extend the distribution of European Economic Community food surplus to those in receipt of housing benefit.

No. The Community legislation provides for distribution of food to the most needy, whereas I am advised by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services that housing benefit can be received at levels of income equal to or exceeding average earnings.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will report on the operation of the co-responsibility levy in the United Kingdom; what proportion of the levy has been deducted by merchants from growers; and how much has been collected by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce to date.

The levy is payable on all grain that is bought into intervention, exported to non-community countries or which undergoes processing, except that processed by a producer on his holding for use as animal feed on that holding.The EC regulations require that the levy be passed back to the cereals producer and shown in the documentation relating to each transaction through the marketing chain. How this is done is for the participants to individual transactions to agree. Information on the proportion deducted by merchants from growers is not available.Up to 31 December 1986 the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce had collected £6·95 million.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in which areas of food production the United Kingdom is self-sufficient; and what proportion these represent of total production.

Data on supply, usage and self-sufficiency (production as a percentage of total new supply) in the United Kingdom for individual food commodities may be found in tables 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18 and 19 of the "Annual Review of Agriculture 1987" (Cm. 67), which is available in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate the average length of time from an application for removal from intervention stores and the carrying out of this request from (a) July 1986, (b) December 1986 and (c) the mean average for the year 1986.

Purchasers of intervention commodities must take responsibility for the goods within the period specified in the regulations, but may choose to leave them in store at their own expense. Calculations of the average period before removal would entail checking the date of each discharge from store, numbering about 123,000 during the 1986 calendar year, and would involve disproportionate cost.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations Her Majesty's Government have received and from what sources regarding the United Kingdom's continued practice of dumping sludge at sea.

A wide variety of points of view have been expressed from time to time on this matter, both in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. I set out the position of Her Majesty's Government when the House debated a proposal from the European Commission on dumping at sea on 4 February 1986, at columns 245–59.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate the time taken to process the registration for pesticides under the Control of Pesticide regulations 1986; and what was the equivalent period before they were introduced.

An accurate comparison cannot be made because we are still dealing with applications received before the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. However, during the five years before the entry into force of these regulations processing time varied from three weeks to 10 months depending on the type of application. The current estimates for the processing time of applications received since October 1986 is between three and 11 months.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will consider appointing additional staff at his Department's Harpenden station to cope with the implementation of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986.

We have already increased by 10 the complement of staff at Harpenden laboratory to deal both with the implementation of the new pesticides controls and with an increasing work load. Nine of these additional officers are now in post. Unfortunately, the effect of these increases has been modified by the departure of two experienced senior scientists to the agrochemical industry. The need for further increases is currently under review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he has received evidence of chemicals being imported into the United Kingdom whose labelling contravenes existing copyright regulations;(2) what action he intends to take against agricultural chemical imports that have been repackaged and substituted for identical products approved by registration.

My Department has received and carefully considered reports that certain imported pesticide products may be being sold or supplied contrary to the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. No similar reports about breaches of copyright have been received.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce a statutory ban on the use of TBT anti-fouling compounds on salmon netting.

I am asking the Advisory Committee on Pesticides for advice as to what measures should be taken under part III of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 to regulate the use of these and other TBT antifouling compounds. The Government will decide on the action to be taken in the light of its advice.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent sales of food have been negotiated in relation to the provision of butter and beef to the Soviet Union; and what is the sale price in terms of pence per pound.

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

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the net additional cost to the national budget expenditure of member states of the European Economic Community in 1987 in consequence of the Council decisions of 16 December on milk and related issues.

It is estimated that the decisions on milk quotas and beef will reduce United Kingdom public expenditure in the financial year 1987–88, including the United Kingdom's net contribution to the Community budget, by about £60 million. The programme for disposing of butter stocks with delayed reimbursement of losses to member states is estimated to have a neutral effect on United Kingdom expenditure, as the delay in reimbursement will be balanced by a saving in contributions to the Community budget. The effects in other member states will depend on their shares of disposals and contributions to the budget.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the United Kingdom's most recent quality status report on the North sea before the ministerial conference in November 1987.

I have been asked to reply.The United Kingdom's contribution to the quality status report being prepared for the North sea conference will not be in final form until the summer of this year. I would then expect it to be made publicly available.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, what is the net loss of jobs in manufacturing in the Principality of Wales since June 1979.

Information on the net change in employment levels is best obtained from the quarterly estimates of the number of employees in employment compiled by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment and published regularly in Employment Gazette. These estimates indicate that between June 1979 and June 1986 (the latest available figures) there was a decrease of 112,000 in the number of employees in employment in the manufacturing sector in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the projects in Wales that have received financial assistance under article 15 of the European regional development fund.

No projects in Wales have received financial assistance under article 1.5 of the European regional development fund regulation.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library details of the research project into deregulation of bus services that is being carried out jointly by the Department of Transport and the Welsh Office in west Glamorgan and parts of Powys and Clwyd.

The west Glamorgan study is being undertaken by the Cranfield Institute of Technology. In the Powys and Clwyd study areas (the districts of Colwyn, Rhuddlan, Glyndwr and Montgomery) the study is being undertaken by Saint David's university college, Lampeter. Both research projects are due for completion in December 1987, though they are extendable.Copies of the job specification applicable to both research projects have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the source of funds for the setting up of sites under the Caravan Sites Act; and if he will make a statement.

Grants may be payable by the Secretary of State under section 70 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 for approved capital expenditure incurred by any local authority under section 24 of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 in respect of caravan sites provided for the accommodation of gipsies.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will indicate the current position regarding the planning appeal on land at Killan Fach farm, Dunvant.

The decision on this appeal is expected to be announced this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the total number of cyclists (a) killed in road accidents and (b) injured in road accidents in Wales in 1985.

The information requested is as follows:

Wales 1985
Class of road user	Severity of casualty
	Killed	Injured
Pedal cyclists	6	827
Mopeds	1	345
Motor scooters	—	121
Motor cycles1	36	1,674
1 Includes motorcycle combinations.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the number of child pedestrians who were (a) killed and (b) injured on their way to or from school in Wales in 1985.

During 1985 there were five child pedestrians aged 16 or under killed, and 288 injured on their way to or from school in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the number of children aged 16 years or under who were (a) killed and (b) injured while riding pedal cycles in Wales in 1985.

During 1985, one child aged 16 years or under was killed and 455 were injured while riding pedal cycles in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Islington. South and Finsbury on 21 January, Official Report, column 569, mentioning formal registers of accidents, incidents and untoward occurrences at licensed nuclear installations, what is the name of such registers; what are the instructions governing whether an entry is made in such a register; for what period such registers are retained in use; and what relevant copies or extracts are held either by his Department or by Her Majesty's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Islington. South and Finsbury on 21 January, Official Report, column 569, mentioning formal registers of accidents, incidents and untoward occurrences at licensed nuclear installations, what is his policy with regard to openness of information in relation to such registers of events; if he will review the requirements imposed on licensees in order to make copies of such registers available for public inspection; if he will hold discussions with licensees on making such registers available without a review of licence requirements; and if he will make a statement.

The arrangements for reporting and publishing incidents at civil nuclear installations are currently under review. An announcement will be made shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimate of the anual net cost to the Exchequer of an unemployed person.

The latest estimate of the cost of unemployment and supplementary benefit paid to the

£ million
	gross contributions less receipts other than refunds	refunds-abatements1	unpaid refund abatement outstanding2
1980	804	799	—
1981	1,090	1,011	8
1982	1,624	807	—
1983	1,454	589	—
1984	1,184	605	61
1985	2,035	31,262	439
1986	n/a	41,125	5—
1This column shows refunds and abatements against the year to which they relate, not the year in which they are paid. Figures for 1984 onwards are abatements.
2Refunds and abatements should be paid a year in arrears. Figures in this column are the amounts outstanding at the end of the year in which they should have been paid.
3This figure may need to be revised in due course.
4This is the 1,633 mecu abatement in the 1987 draft budget. It will need to be revised upwards in due course.
5At 31 December 1986 there was no unpaid refund or abatement outstanding, but any correction to the abatement in respect of 1985 would still enter the accounts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the United Kingdom's value added tax share of the allocated European Economic Community Budget in 1986 and in 1987 and the corresponding receipt.

The United Kingdom's VAT share of the 1986 allocated budget—that is what our VAT contributions would have been it all our contributions were in the form of VAT and we did not pay traditional own resources, but before allowing for VAT adjustments, the United Kingdom VAT abatement and contributions by other member states to our abatement—can be estimated, on the basis of Commission figures, at 6,199 mecu. The Commission has estimated our receipts from the allocated budget in 1986 at 3,724 mecu. The Community has not yet adopted a budget for 1987; estimates of our 1987 VAT share of the budget and our allocated receipts from it are not therefore available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing for each year since 1980 the amount by which United Kingdom gross contribution to the European Economic Community budget exceeds receipts, excluding refunds and rebates, together with (i) the average amount of rebate or refund applicable to that year and (ii) the average amount of refund owed but not paid in respect of previous years.

The figures requested are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations he has received from small businesses about relief from value added tax on bad debts; and if he will make a statement;(2) when he intends to implement the proposals in the customs and excise consultation document on value added tax on small businesses, particularly the cash accounting option for suppliers with a turnover of up to £100,000.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there will be any changes to the cash limit on the Treasury's 1986–87 vote for economic and financial administration.

The cash limit for the Economic and Financial Administration (Her Majesty's Treasury) Vote (Class XIX, Vote 12) will be reduced by £745,000 from£45,985,000 to £45,240,000. This reduction comprises:

—£245,000 as a result of the transfer of responsibility for the Review Board for Government Contracts to the Secretary of State for Defence with effect from 1 July 1986.

—£500,000 as an offsetting saving against an increase on the non-cash limited United Kingdom Coinage Vote (Class XIX, Vote 13) for which a Spring Supplementary Estimate will be sought to provide for extra payments to the Royal Mint as a result of higher than expected demand for 1 and 2p coins. A further £1,000,000 will be found to offset the Coinage Vote from the non-voted provision for parliamentary election expenses.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what proportion of the members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary are Catholics; and if he will make a statement on recruitment policies;(2) how many senior positions in the Royal Ulster Constabulary are held by Catholics.

The religious denominations of members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary are not recorded. It is, however, believed that approximately one tenth of the force (including its full-time reserve) are Roman Catholic. The Royal Ulster Constabulary will continue to try to attract suitably qualified recruits from all parts of the community.Promotions within the RUC are made on merit alone.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the measures introduced by his Department since 1979 that have been enacted by Order in Council; and which have not been debated in the House of Commons.

In the period 1 January 1979 to 31 December 1986, 25 such Orders in Council were made under the Northern Ireland Act 1974 without debate. All were subject to negative resolution under the provisions of a related Great Britain Act to which the Northern Ireland Order in Council corresponds. The purpose of including such provisions in Great Britain Bills is to enable Parliament to debate the provisions of the Bill in the knowledge that corresponding provisions will be applied in Northern Ireland by Order in Council.A further five Orders in Council were made subject to negative resolution under other legislation, without debate.A list of these Orders in Council is as follows:

asked the Minister for the Arts, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Northampton, North of 29 January, if he is satisfied that the decision of the board of the Royal Court Theatre to cancel "Perdition" was taken on artistic grounds.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 29 January. This is not a matter for me but for the board of the Royal Court Theatre, which is responsible for decisions about what is to be included in its programme.

asked the Attorney-General if he has any plans to give general public access to the Land Registry and to make information held on it public; and if he will make a statement.

The Government will make a decision on the proposals contained in the Law Commission's report No. 148 on opening the Land Register when they have completed their consideration of the representations received.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to change the conditions for unemployment benefit entitlement with reference to the position of seasonal workers; and if he will make a statement.

The Social Security Advisory Committee is at present reviewing the operation of the additional conditions applying to the receipt of unemployment benefit by seasonal workers, at the request of my right hon. Friend, and the position will be considered in the light of its eventual report and any recommendations that it may make.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what date his Department received the letter dated 18 April 1986 sent by the special interest group on mental handicap of the British Association of Social Workers, concerning the need to get mentally handicapped children out of long-stay hospitals; on what date his Department replied; and if he will make a statement.

The letter of 18 April to which the hon. Member refers was received in the Department on 25 April, and was in reply to a letter of 17 February 1986 from my noble Friend to regional health authority chairmen and others concerned with mentally handicapped children. I am sorry that a reply was not sent to the special interest group.As I indicated in my reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 4 November 1986 at columns

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the future of the children's ward at Wrightington hospital.

The children's ward at Wrightington hospital will continue to treat in-patients and out-patients, as required, while proposed new facilities for children with juvenile arthritis are developed at the Royal Preston hospital. Hon. Members for Lancashire constituencies, including my hon. Friends the Members for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) and for South Ribble (Mr. Atkins) have been sent copies of my letter of 27 January 1987 to Sir John Page, chairman of the north western regional health authority, on this matter. I am also placing a copy in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claimants were living in ordinary board and lodging in Ipswich on the last convenient date when information was available; and how many of these are having to pay more for their accommodation than the upper ceiling laid down by the current regulations.

Information on the number of people in receipt of supplementary benefit and living in ordinary board and lodging accommodation is not available for specific areas of the country. Information, drawn from special returns by local offices, on the number of claimants whose charge fell outside the ordinary board and lodging limit in the board and lodging area which includes Ipswich during the period April to July 1985 is available in a Department of Health and Social Security document "Supplementary Benefit Board and Lodging Allowances, Results of a Special Statistical Exercise (29 April—29 July 1985)", a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claimants living in ordinary board and lodging in Ipswich are 25 years of age or younger.

I regret that the information requested is not collected by individual local offices and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate when the decision of the adjudicating officer at the Department of Social Security mobility allowance unit will announce his decision in the case of Mr. Donald Cotterill of 3 Brownsfield road, Lichfield (Mobility Allowance No. 0316111).

Mr. Cotterill was notified on 28 January that an award of mobility allowance has been made by the adjudication officer.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services further to his reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 19 November 1986, Official Report, columns 221–222, whether he will break down the expenditure on consultants' fees between the National Health Service and social services.

The expenditure by the Department in 1984–85 and 1985–86, and the estimated expenditure for 1986–87, on fees and expenses for outside consultants is as follows:

£ million
Year	Health matters	Social security matters
1984–85	·911	6·689
1985–86	1·7	11·946
1986–87	4·525	12·437

The figures are approximate. In some cases expenditure on health/social security has been apportioned where consultants have been employed on both. The figures for health matters include social services consultancy. The figures for expenditure by individual health authorities have not been given as they are not kept centrally by the department.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements are made in the Eccles constituency, the city of Salford, the Greater Manchester and the north-west region for cervical cancer smear tests for women up to the age of 30 years, 30 to 40 years, 40 to 50 years, 50 to 60 years and over 60 years of age; if he will provide the figures for these tests and these age groups for 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985 and any later figures; what new proposals on these tests have been made by the North West health authority; and if he will make a statement.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will consider extending payments to general practitioners for cervical smears to include all women of the 25 to 35 years age group; and if he will make a statement.

Item of service payments for cervical cancer screening are reserved for women in the priority group to give general practitioners an incentive to screen women over 35 who are still most at risk from cervical cancer and who may be more reluctant to come forward

I shall let my hon. friend have a reply as soon as possible.

The available information is given in the table. The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys does not produce statistics on handicap. Because of boundary changes, information for the Eccles constituency for 1985 can be produced only at disproportionate cost. Figures for 1986 are not yet available.for a smear test than younger women. Women over 35 still contribute 94 per cent. of the deaths from cervical cancer. Payment for the screening of women under 35 is provided for in the generality of fees and allowances paid to general medical practitioners.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will allocate funding for the Health Education Council to extend programmes designed to increase public awareness of the case for regular cervical and breast screening attendances.

The Health Education Council produces a number of useful leaflets aimed at increasing public awareness of the importance of prevention and early detection of cancer. The Department and the HEC are discussing possible further action, but no additional funding is available in this financial year. The new Health Education Authority will be asked to consider this matter when deciding its priorities for 1987–88.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representation his Department will be sending to the European region expert meeting on the implementation of the world programme of action concerning disabled persons at the mid-point of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons which will take place in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia from 10 to 13 March; and if he will make a statement.

Information about the meeting has just been received and we are now considering Departmental representation.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in theOfficial Report a list of the percentages of severe weather payment claims dealt with by each benefit office by 24 January.

Information is not available in the form requested. Statistics on the number of exceptionally cold weather payments made and those refused are being maintained and will be published in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department will be providing the Health Education Council with funds to supply audio-tapes of the "Pregnancy Book" in Asian languages to enable Asian women to benefit from this publication.

The Department and the Health Education Council have been discussing the possibility of producing audio-tapes for this purpose, but no additional funding is available in this financial year. The new Health Education Authority will consider this project when deciding its priorities for 1987–88.