asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what is his prosecution policy under section 15 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Protection) (Scotland) Act 1951 as amended by paragraph 9 of schedule 4 to the Salmon Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

Should any such cases be reported to procurators fiscal for prosecution, they will be considered in the usual way. No special prosecution policy for these offences exists.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland why the petition for search warrants for the BBC Scotland premises was originally dated 30 January.

The petition craving a search warrant for the BBC Scotland premises was first presented on 30 January. The petition which was subsequently presented to Sheriff Lockhart on 31 January was prepared using a copy of the original petition with a revised crave and was accordingly amended by the assistant procurator fiscal to give the correct date.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise at the next meeting of the European Economic Community Council of Ministers the impact on Third world economies of the food export pricing policy of the European Economic Community.

In all relevant discussions in the EC and in wider international fora, the Government keep fully in mind the effects of agricultural support policies of developed countries, including the CAP, on developing countries. These effects are complex, and vary widely between individual countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the numbers of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong who were resettled and in what country for the last five years for which figures are available.

The table lists the places in which Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong have been resettled and the numbers for the years 1982–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives are planned by the Overseas Development Administration to mark the European Year of the Environment.

To underline the importance of the environmental factor in economic development, I have suggested that the subject should be on the agenda of the Development Council of the European Community in May. I have allocated £60,000 towards the cost of the sustainable development conference organised by the International Institute for Environment and Development and the World Bank in April and I plan to publish a booklet at the same time to describe in detail the way in which we take account of environmental factors in the British aid programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of gross domestic product the United Kingdom devotes to overseas aid; and what information he has about the equivalent figure for other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

In 1985, the latest year for which figures are available, Britain's net official development assistance represented 0·34 per cent. of gross national product. The equivalent figure for OECD aid donors as a whole was 0·35 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about total aid to the 29 poorest African countries and their total repayments of debt and interest in 1985; what were the comparable figures for United Kingdom aid and for repayments of debt and interest to public and private sources in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

The total gross aid flow to the poorest 29 countries of sub-Saharan Africa in 1985 is estimated by the OECD to have been $7·8 billion. The OECD also estimates that actual repayments of principal and interest on debt, including interest on short-term debt but excluding IMF repurchases, was $3 billion.British gross public expenditure on aid to these countries in 1985, through both bilateral and multilateral channels, is estimated to have been some £380 million. Figures on total debt service payments to Britain alone are not available. British aid debt repayments in 1985–86 amounted to only £2·3 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will be increasing support for UNICEF's immunisation programme.

I recently announced a grant of £5 million, mainly for UNICEF's immunisation programmes in China, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Our contribution to UNICEF's regular budget, which also contributes to immunisation programmes, will be increased by £500,000 to £7 million this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional help his Department is providing to developing countries particularly affected by AIDS.

We have recently given £250,000 to the World Health Organisation's global AIDS programme. New WHO proposals for expanding this programme will be available shortly and I expect to provide further support. We believe that support for programmes co-ordinated by the WHO is the most effective way of assisting developing countries to combat AIDS.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the technical assistance part of the United Kingdom's overseas aid programmes, including the number of people involved.

The purpose of technical co-operation is to provide training and expert advice in aid recipient countries. At the end of 1985 we had 1,899 wholly or partly financed experts working in such countries. We also provided substantial support towards the costs of 1,188 volunteers. The total number of students and trainees from developing countries on courses in Britain funded from the aid programme was 11,250 in 1985–86.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the size and content of the British aid programmes to Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

For Botswana we expect to spend about £13 million this year, £8 million of which is expenditure by the Commonwealth Development Corporation. The remainder is for technical co-operation.For Mozambique we expect to spend about £11 million, mainly on essential supplies for the industrial sector, technical co-operation and food aid. In addition, I have recently announced over £3 million of emergency relief and a new grant of £5 million for long-term development projects.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of existing bilateral aid projects on women in the recipient countries.

It is not easy to make such assessments but progress is being made. In the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD, donor agencies collectively are working out ways of focusing more specifically on this issue in the future.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on aid to Tanzania.

In recent years the focus of our programme to Tanzania has been on projects in agriculture, transport and health. We have also maintained a substantial programme of technical cooperation. Last June we offered Tanzania £25 million of programme aid to support economic reforms agreed with the IMF. Some £15 million has been committed so far, mainly for agriculture and transport.I hope to visit Tanzania soon to see something of our aid programme at first hand.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent southern African development co-ordination conference in Gaborone.

I attended the annual consultative meeting of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference in Gaborone on 5 and 6 February. During the conference I made a new pledge of £10 million. This brings to £35 million the total we have pledged for assistance through this organisation.

asked the Attorney-General whether there are any proposals to limit the time taken over decisions on the custody of children in divorce cases.

The Law Commission has just published a working paper (No. 100) on "Care, Supervision and Interim Orders in Custody Proceedings". This will be followed by responses from organisations and the public, after which the Commission will publish its final report. Ministers will wish to consider the proposals in the report before issuing their own recommendations.

asked the Attorney-General what representations he has received on his role as it relates to national security.

I am not aware of any such representations.

asked the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the progress of inquiries into disclosure of information about the Zircon satellite.

I am informed that the inquiries are progressing.

asked the Attorney-General if he will seek a meeting with his opposite number in the Soviet Union.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to seek such a meeting.

asked the Attorney-General how many applications are currently lodged with Her Majesty's land registry office in Gloucester for duplicate land certificates; and what is the average length of time taken for each such application to be processed.

At the present time 90 applications are being dealt with at the Gloucester district land registry for replacement of land or charge certificates which have been lost or destroyed. Such applications normally take 30 working days to complete.

asked the Attorney-General what was the total cost of the court proceedings in the Cynthia Payne court case.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 16 February 1987 at column 407.

asked the Attorney-General whether the investigations relating to the affairs of the Parrot Corporation are now complete; what steps are being taken to apply for the extradition of Mr. Frank Peters; and whether any proceedings are to be commenced in respect of any other past directors or officials of the Parrot Corporation and any past or present officials of the Welsh Development Agency.

I am advised by the Director of Public Prosecutions that police inquiries into the affairs of the Parrot Corporation have been completed and a decision has been made regarding the institution of criminal proceedings. It would, however, not be in the interests of justice were I to divulge publicly any further information regarding this matter at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department has spent on (a) computer hardware and (b) computer software for each year since 1984; and what is the projected expenditure for 1987.

Expenditure on computer equipment by my Department is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales to which firms his Department has awarded contracts for computer hardware for each year since 1984; and what was the value of each contract.

One major contract costing over 1 0,000 has been awarded since 1984; to IBM (UK) Ltd. in 1986. To disclose the price would be a breach of commercial confidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he proposes to take steps to ensure that secondary schools in Clwyd spend on their libraries the minimum necessary according to the 1985 Her Majesty's Inspectorate survey of secondary school libraries;(2) what is his policy on the amount which a secondary school in Clwyd should spend per pupil on its library; and if he will make a statement;(3) what percentage of school libraries in Clwyd are unsatisfactory according to Her Majesty's Inspectorate's definition contained in the 1985 survey of secondary school libraries.

In 1985 the Department of Education and Science published a survey by Her Majesty's Inspector (England) of secondary school libraries in six English local education authorities. The survey did not define a satisfactory standard of provision nor specify a minimum necessary level of expenditure for school libraries. My right hon. Friend's policy is that decisions on the appropriate level of spending on school libraries is a matter for local education authorities and schools to determine in the light of local needs and the resources available to them and of the importance of maintaining a satisfactory stock of books and materials.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest information available in the expenditure per pupil in Clwyd secondary schools on libraries.

Information on expenditure on school libraries is not collected centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations there were between the Welsh Office and outside bodies, prior to the issue of the draft circular on development involving agricultural land; and if he will make a statement.

None. The circular on development involving agricultural land has been issued in draft to enable outside bodies to give their views.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, following the adoption in Wales of annex B of draft circular development involving agricultural land, what proportion of agricultural land in Wales will be subject to consultation with him as to planning proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Consultation would be required for schemes involving the loss of 20 hectares or more of grades 1 or 2 agricultural land—or where the proposed loss is less than 20 hectares but it would be likely to lead to further losses amounting cumulatively to 20 hectares or more—and which, in the opinion of the local planning authority, would materially conflict with or prejudice the implementation of the development plan. In Wales, 2·4 per cent. of agricultural land is in grades 1 or 2.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of agricultural land in Wales is of grade 1 and grade 2 classification, respectively.

0·2 per cent. of agricultural land in Wales is classified as grade 1 and 2·3 per cent. as grade 2.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will introduce regulations to restrict buyers of milk quotas only to those who are already or who intend to become dependent on agriculture for a significant part of their livelihood and who themselves own, or rent, adequate land to use the quotas which they so purchase.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the amount of European regional development fund grant which was, and which is expected to be, decommitted in each financial year from 1975–76 to 1988–90 at current prices.

The information is not available in the form requested. Details of decommitments for the calendar years 1975 to 1985 were provided in my answer to the hon. Gentleman on 13 February at column 375. These cannot readily be converted to current prices because of the different budgetary basis on which the Commission operates. As I have previously indicated, decommitments are effected because projects do not ultimately proceed as originally envisaged by the sponsoring authority; estimates of decommitments over the years 1986 to 1980 cannot therefore be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) the total expenditure of Mid Wales Development and the Welsh Development Agency for each financial year since their inception and their projected expenditure for 1987–88, 1988–89 and (b) the annual total of each of the above expenditures met by direct Government grants during the period in question; and if he will give these figures at outturn and current prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his policy towards counter trade agreements between developing and developed nations.

The Government's policy is to support the further development of an open cash-based multilateral trading system and to view with concern the growth in methods of trade, including many forms of counter trade, which may hinder this. Counter trade is however, a requirement in certain markets and I hope British exporters will consider carefully the commercial opportunities that exist.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will appoint inspectors to inquire into the alleged activities of Cazenove and Hill Samuel in setting up with the aid of Barclays and Midland Banks a share buying mechanism in connection with the bid by Turner

The information is as follows:and Newall for AE, in respect of which the two banks were subsequently indemnified against any loss; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has been kept informed by the Bank of England about the inquiries which as part of its supervisory activities it is making into this matter. The information available from this and other sources does not constitute sufficient grounds to justify an investigation under the Companies Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give details of Government grants to Smith and Nephew during the last five years in (a) Birmingham and (b) Pendle.

Except where information has already been published in "British Business" as a condition of support, it is not customary to provide details of the Department's grants to individual companies, for reasons of commercial confidentiality. The information published in "British Business" covers regional development grants and grants under certain schemes under the Industrial Development Act 1982, and is published only when a payment of grant has been made. During this period no such information has been published in respect of Smith and Nephew's activities in these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the contracts, with the subject of the assignment, awarded to management consultancy or accountancy firms by his Department in 1985, with the name of the consultants concerned.

The following is the list for the 1985 calendar year:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many items are on the COCOM export list today compared with five years ago.

The figures taken from the "Security Export Control" booklets published by "British Business" are:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to which firms his Department has awarded contracts for computer hardware for each year since 1984; and what was the value of each contract.

The main suppliers of computer hardware to the Department of Trade and Industry are: ICL, WANG and DEC. In addition, the following companies have supplied hardware to the Department: IBM, McDonnell Douglas, Norsk Data, Datapoint, Apricot, Perkin Elmer. The details of the contracts placed are commercially confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department has spent on (a) computer hardware and (b) computer software for each year since 1984; and what is the projected expenditure for 1987.

Expenditure by the Department of Trade and Industry on (a) computer hardware, including hardware maintenance, and (b) software, excluding software development undertaken in-house by civil servants and consultants, in connection with administrative computer systems is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has yet reached any conclusions on the information supplied to him by Lonrho plc regarding the circumstances surrounding the takeover of the House of Fraser by the A1 Fayed brothers; and if he will make a statement.

No. My right hon. Friend is still considering that information.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent approaches have been made to the European Economic Community Commission in regard to the proposed European Commission's integrated operations in relation to regional policy; when it is likely that a decision will be taken on the areas to be recognised in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

The United Kingdom Government submitted on 22 January an application in respect of an integrated operation for Birmingham. There have been a number of recent contacts with the European Commission about other possible applications for integrated operations, for example in relation to certain areas identified in the Commission's communication of last July about action to help industry areas. I hope that the Government will reach a decision on further possible applications within a few weeks. The Commission has indicated that it would expect to arrive at a decision on a particular proposal about six months after the date of the application.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, in the light of the further rise in unemployment in Barnsley and district since the assisted area map was last revised, he will now grant the Barnsley district development area status; and if he will make a statement.

No. Stability in regional industrial policy is important to companies considering investment decisions. It is only just over two years since the assisted areas map was revised and it is too soon in my view to contemplate changes. I would also refer the right hon.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken in the implementation of the Financial Services Act 1986 to ensure that the level of investor protection in cases where the intermediary is a member of a recognised professional body is on the same level as in cases where the intermediary is authorised by a self-regulation organisation; whether he has discussed this matter with the Securities and Investments Board; and if he will make a statement.

The Financial Services Act provides that a self regulating organisation or professional body can only be recognised if it has rules governing the carrying on of investment business which afford investors protection at least equivalent to that afforded by the rules and regulations made by the Secretary of State or designated agency. Recognition cannot he granted to an applicant who does not satisfy this criterion. The standard of investor protection established under the Act is therefore the same for members of recognised self-regulating organisations and persons certified by recognised professional bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is prepared to reconsider the question of the bringing of prosecutions following a report made to his Department by the Insider Dealing Group of the Stock Exchange on certain dealings in the shares of Yorkshire Fine plc which took place in August and September 1982 immediately prior to that company going into receivership in September 1982.

The investigations carried out following the report did not yield sufficient evidence to support a prosecution, and the prospect of obtaining such evidence

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has as to what new investment has taken place, how many jobs have been created and in which places in the specific enlarged intermediate status area in Yorkshire which includes the Barnsley travel-to-work area, since the assisted area map was last changed.

The following table gives information about investment projects supported with Government regional selective assistance in the intermediate areas of Yorkshire and Humberside since the assisted areas map was last changed in November 1984.over four and a half years after the relevant transactions is too remote to justify instituting further investigations. However, I would be prepared to consider doing so if new information came to light which suggested that further inquiries might be fruitful.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 5 February, Official Report, column 799, what figure was given as a grant to the firm building the CR6 taxi; and how much of that money has now been repaid.

I am unable to provide the information requested since such matters are commercially confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future ownership of Leyland Trucks.

I have nothing to add to my right hon. Friend's statement on 19 February.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what will be the total membership of the management board of the joint venture bringing together Leyland Trucks, Freight Rover and DAF Trucks; and how many people will represent Leyland Trucks and Freight Rover.

It is planned that Rover Group will be represented by one member of the management board of the joint venture which will then have a total membership of eight, and two members of the Supervisory Board which will then have a total membership of nine.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the effects of the Government grants made to Gestetner Ltd. in recent years on the number of jobs and the development of new technology set out in the original agreement.

Gestetner Ltd. has in recent years received assistance under schemes run by my Department for certain projects to develop new technology to meet the requirements of a fast-changing market place. The details of such assistance and the evaluation of the results of individual projects are a matter of commercial confidentiality between the Department and the company.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will appoint inspectors under section 446 of the Companies Act 1985 to investigate dealings in the shares of the Manchester Ship Canal Company following the takeover bid by Highams;(2) if he will require information from the Manchester Ship Canal Company under section 444 of the Companies Act 1985 concerning its ownership;(3) if he will restrict dealings in the shares of the Manchester Ship Canal Company under section 445 of the Companies Act 1985 while inquiries into its ownership are carried out.

Information received from my hon. Friend is under consideration to see whether a Companies Act investigation would be appropriate. At this stage it is not certain that the relevant provisions of the Companies Act 1985 apply to the Manchester Ship Canal Company.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of United Kingdom exports to Sweden during the last 12 months for which figures are available.

For the 12 months ended December 1986 United Kingdom exports to Sweden amounted to £2,308 millions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funds have been made available for research and development since 1979; and if he will list the main beneficiaries.

In the seven-year period from 1 April 1979 to 30 March 1986 my Department spent nearly £2,000 million on support for research and development. In the current financial year it expects to spend £375 million. It is not our policy to provide details of the support given to individual companies, for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he now expects to receive the final report of the inquiry into suspected insider dealing in his Department.

The inquiry is continuing as expeditiously as possible but I am unable to say when it will be concluded.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is satisfied that the documents required by members of the First Standing Committee on European Community documents for the meeting on 12 February and received in the Vote Office at 4.30 pm on 11 February were sent to the Vote Office by his Department in good time.

Yes. They were sent to the House of Commons Library and to the Vote Office on Friday 6 February 1987. My Department has received confirmation that one set of the documents was received in the Library on Monday 9 February but for some reason the second set was opened en route to the Vote Office and was not received in the EEC Section until Wednesday 11 February.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence he has of the effect of bus deregulation on the purchase of second-hand buses by bus operators; and what assessment he has made of the implications of this for safety.

Several operators have disposed of considerable numbers of second-hand vehicles but there is no evidence of the extent to which these have been brought back into service by other operators. The number of new minibuses brought into service is far more significant. Safety standards will be maintained as all public service vehicles are subject to an annual test and spot checks.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the research into bus deregulation being conducted by his Department in conjunction with the Scottish and Welsh Offices to be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the research into bus deregulation being conducted by his Department in conjunction with the Scottish and Welsh offices.

A review of the opening stages of deregulation, by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory, was published in January of this year. Copies are available in the Library of the House. I expect first reports of the detailed area studies to be published in the summer. Other reports on various aspects of the research programme will be published from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many individuals have written to him following deregulation in Cleveland; and if he will make a statement.

I have received representations from five individuals. The overall position in the county is that the level of services has been broadly maintained and the council has achieved very substantial savings in subsidies.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with British Rail concerning proposed closures of freightliner depots.

My Department was kept informed by British Rail and its subsidiary, Freightliners Ltd., of the decisions they have taken which were designed to ensure the successful future of the freightliner business.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, when he next meets the chairman of British Rail, he will raise with him changes in the financial targets for Freightliner depots and their implications for the long term survival of Freightliner.

No. The targets BR sets for its subsidiaries are a matter of management for the board.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements he plans for the M23 near Crawley.

I have told West Sussex county council that I agree in principle to their constructing an interchange on the M23 south-east of Crawley for the proposed Maidenbower development.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the outcome of the recent flotation of British Airways.

The successful flotation of British Airways is another major achievement in the Government privatisation programme. I wish British Airways, its management, staff, shareholders and customers well in the private sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a further statement on the privatisation of British Airways.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mr. Chapman) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total cost of the flotation of British Airways.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Brandon-Bravo) on Wednesday 18 February 1987, at column 628.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to remove restrictions on air services between the United Kingdom and France.

I met M. Douffiagues on 4 February. I urged him in particular to take a more flexible attitude towards fares between London-Paris, and to bring to an end outdated regulatory requirements which bear increasingly little relationship to developments in the market place or the needs of travellers.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many people took a driving test in 1986; what was the percentage success rate; and how many were taking their second or subsequent test.

We do not keep records of individuals taking driving tests. The number of tests conducted in 1986 was 2·01 million. The pass rate was 48·6 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet representatives of British Rail and the SNCF to discuss forward plans for collaboration between the United Kingdom and French railway systems after completion of the Channel tunnel.

I expect to meet the French Minister of Transport on 25 February. The Government are not directly involved in the frequent discussions which take place between the railways themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what action has been taken to improve the efficiency of road maintenance by local authorities.

Regulations providing for local authorities to put more of their highway work out to competition as from 1 April 1987 were laid before the House on 19 February.The objectives are better value for money for ratepayers and increased opportunities for the private sector.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his policy towards the privatisation or passenger rail services.

The Government's policy towards the railway was clearly set out in the letter on objectives sent to Sir Robert Reid last October. There has been no change since then. We are keen to see increasing private sector involvement in supplying services to the railway and have asked British Rail to set up specific programmes to this end.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to increase competition in the British air services industry.

Competing services have been introduced on many domestic routes. In Europe we have negotiated more liberal arrangements with a number of other states and made substantial progress in discussions within the Community. On longer haul routes, we are negotiating for the introduction of a second British carrier to Tokyo.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the British Airline Pilots Association concerning airport security; and what has been his response.

BALPA is represented on the National Aviation Security Committee chaired by my Department and participates fully in its deliberations, which cover the whole spectrum of aviation security. I am not aware that they have made any other representations to my right hon. Friend in recent months.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received any proposals from private contractors concerning the construction and future operation of the proposed second Severn crossing.

No definite proposals from private contractors have been received. It is a bit early.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement following his visit to Basildon on 17 November 1986 regarding the green light taxi system safety devices demonstrated for him.

In a letter of 12 January I told the secretary of the East Anglian Federation of Taxicab Associations that a taxi could be equipped with signs illuminated by a steady light, with a suitable message that could be switched on by the driver in an emergency.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding the early start to the Crossbush section of the Arundel bypass on the A27.

I have received representations from my hon. Friend, the Lyminister parish council and some local residents that the Crossbush section of the Arundel bypass should be started in advance of the remainder and as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many bypasses are currently in the trunk road programme.

At present, there are 19 bypasses or relief roads under construction and 133 bypasses or relief roads in preparation.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the proposed electrification of the Bradford-Leeds railway.

I have received written representations from the city of Bradford metropolitan district council, from Bradford chamber of commerce and from one individual member of the chamber of commerce, and from hon. Members including the hon. Member for Bradford, West. I have also paid two visits to Bradford in the course of which I received a number of representations about the train services to London.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the projected extent of road and rail investment, respectively, in the north of Scotland over the next five years.

Future rail investment is a matter for the British Railways Board in the first instance. Roads in Scotland are a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he next proposes to meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss the level of service provided by Network South-East.

My right hon. Friend and I have regular meetings with the chairman of British Rail at which we discuss a wide range of issues including, from time to time, performance of services in Network South-East.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the final distribution of shares in British Airways between small shareholders, institutions and foreign buyers.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the value of British Airways shares sold to large institutions.

The final allocation was:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy towards the role of the sale of British Airways in expanding the numbers of small shareholders.

The objective of the British Airways marketing campaign was to deepen rather than widen share ownership.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the effect the full implementation on 26 January of the Transport Act 1985 has had on bus service levels.

Despite Opposition forecasts to the contrary, there was no major change in the overall level of bus services on 26 January. In fact, more new services started on that date than were withdrawn.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he proposes to take to ensure that the Barnstaple urban relief road is completed by the time that the north Devon link road from Tiverton to Barnstaple is completed; and if he will make a statement.

The Barnstaple urban relief road is a Devon county council responsibility. We have accepted it for transport supplementary grant. We understand that it is programmed to be completed by the time the north Devon link road and the Barnstaple bypass are opened to traffic.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will allow greater flexibility in the financial targets applied to Freightliner; and if he will make a statement.

We have set an objective that the non-supported businesses should between them earn a return of 2·7 per cent. as a current cost operating profit on net assets before interest by 1989–90, and that they should plan on the basis of a required rate of return of 5 per cent. on programmes of new investment. It is for British Rail to set targets for individual businesses within this framework.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met representatives of transport authorities to discuss the impact of the Transport Act 1985.

I have had various recent opportunities to meet representatives of local authorities with transport responsibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his latest information concerning improvements in bus services as a result of bus deregulation.

I am glad that new services, including those operated by minibuses, continue to be introduced, some to places which have not had bus services before.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is satisfied with the number of applications by taxi operators to provide local services under the provisions of the Transport Act 1985.

Some 80 local bus services have so far been registered by taxi proprietors. This is a promising start to the entry of the taxi trade into a market which was previously closed to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to announce a decision on the future of the Settle to Carlisle railway.

This is a large and complex case involving consideration of British Rail's financial case for closure, the TUCC's report on hardship and the wider social and economic aspects, so we must allow ourselves sufficient time to consider it properly. I cannot say when we shall be ready to announce a decision.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to seek to introduce common standards among local authorities on parking policies.

Common standards are already required for certain features of parking such as parking control equipment, traffic signs and order-making procedures. There are no plans to extend common standards to aspects of parking not already covered.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the effect of the Transport Act 1985 on the provisions of travelcard schemes.

A number of travelcard schemes are continuing, though the position varies from place to place.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the effect on coach operators of current European Economic Community legislation on drivers' hours, particularly in respect of part-time drivers; and if he will make a statement.

In the last three months the Department has received about 70 letters from coach operators about the current European Community regulations on drivers' hours; 26 referred to the question of part-time drivers. We are in close touch with the industry over the implementation of these regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether consideration has been given to the use of filter-in-turn priority arrangements for mini-roundabouts in urban areas; and if he will make a statement.

The filter-in-turn priority arrangement is not considered suitable because it is likely to cause considerable delays to traffic without an appreciable increase in safety.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider appointing two independent assessors with experience of the field of conservation and agriculture, to sit with an inspector in relation to public inquiries into highway routes.

Inspectors nominated by the Lord Chancellor and appointed by the Secretary of State to conduct public inquiries into road scheme proposals are experienced in the general nature of problems faced, including conservation and agriculture. In certain cases, where particular specialist knowledge is required, assessors have been appointed to assist inspectors, and this practice will continue.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will discuss with the chairman of British Rail comparative advantages of investing in a London to Glasgow route via (a) Edinburgh-Linlithgow-Glasgow and (b) Edinburgh Fauldhouse-Glasgow.

No. BR is at an early stage of assessing whether there is a case for electrifying any possible route from Edinburgh to Glasgow and it would be wrong for me to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will approve the proposal of British Rail to electrify the railway links between Southampton, Eastleigh and Portsmouth; and if he will make a statement.

I have not so far received a proposal from British Rail, which plans to electrify the line no earlier than 1997. I am discussing with the local authority its suggestion that this date be advanced.