Taylor asked the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received regarding bullying in the Army; and if he will make a statement.

No direct representations have been received in the Department. However, I should like to state quite emphatically that bullying is not tolerated in the Army. In recent months there have been a number of press reports carrying allegations of bullying. All such cases are thoroughly investigated, and in those few instances where allegations are substantiated, firm disciplinary action is taken against the offenders. In the case of the most recent allegations, concerning incidents at Junior Infantry Battalion Shorncliffe, an Special Investigation Branch investigation is under way, and I have called for reports when inquiries are completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence who invited the Royal Air Force to make a presentation at Boston, Lincolnshire, on Tuesday 17 February.

The presentation was arranged following correspondence between the Royal Air Force presentation team and the mayor of Boston. It is normal practice for the presentation to be offered to a variety of local authorities, education institutions and other organisations some time in advance. A presentation is only given where a favourable response is received.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what subjects and issues were covered in the Royal Air Force presentation at Boston, Lincolnshire, on Tuesday 17 February.

A standard presentation was given on the role and capability of the Royal Air Force against the background of United Kingdom defence policy and membership of NATO. As is usual, the presentation was followed by questions on a number of subjects.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence who undertook the Royal Air Force presentation at Boston, Lincolnshire, on Tuesday 17 February on behalf of the Royal Air Force.

The Royal Air Force presentation team.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance is issued to service personnel on the political content and handling of politically controversial subjects within presentations they make on behalf of the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

The Royal Air Force presentation team is comprehensively briefed on all subjects likely to arise in the course of a season, updated whenever necessary, to ensure that the content of the presentation and answers to subsequent questions are consistent with Government defence policy. I have no reason to doubt the integrity or ability of the team to deal with controversial subjects which may arise in the course of a presentation.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, in the last year for which figures are available, how many soldiers enlisted at the ages of (a) 16 years, (b) 17 years and (c) 18 years; and what proportion had discharged themselves before serving (i) three months, (ii) six months and (iii) 12 months.

In the financial year 1985–86, the numbers of soldiers enlisted at ages 16, 17 and 18 were as follows:

	Number
Age 16	7,106
Age 17	3,310
Age 18	2,475

Of these, the following percentages obtained discharge as of right during the first six months of their service:

	Per cent.
Age 16 at entry	21·1
Age 17 at entry	18·9
Age 18 at entry	15·0

Statistics are not readily available of the numbers in each age group obtaining discharge during the first three months or between seven and 12 months of service, and the information could only be obtained with disproportionate effort and cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints have been made about cruelty or brutality in the armed forces in each of the last four years.

The information requested is not held centrally and could only be collected with disproportionate cost and effort.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence in how many cases in each of the last four years disciplinary proceedings have been taken because of unfair, cruel or brutal treatment in the armed forces.

I shall reply shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to investigate allegations of cruelty and brutality in the armed forces; and whether the results of any inquiries will be published.

All allegations of cruelty or brutality in the armed forces are fully investigated. Appropriate disciplinary and redress of grievance procedures exist to deal with them.Investigation reports are not normally published but the results are made available on request.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is yet in a position to make a statement on the future of military schools of music.

My right hon. Friend the Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) announced in July 1984 that a defence school of music would be formed at Deal, combining there the present separate music schools of the Royal Marines, the Army and the Royal Air Force. Subsequently, however, a number of uncertainties arose, not least in relation to the cost of creating a DSM, and following the publication of the 11th report from the Committee of Public Accounts Session 1985–86, my noble Friend the then Minister for Defence Support announced on 12 February 1986 in another place that the Ministry of Defence was setting in hand, with the assistance of consultants, a thorough review of all the options for training service musicians, including rentention of the present arrangements. Arthur Young was awarded the contract for this study in March 1986.Arthur Young submitted its report in July 1986. In addition valuations of the relevant sites were obtained from independent firms of surveyours, who consulted officers of the planning authorities concerned. In the light of this information, consideration has since been given to how service musicians should be trained in future.The consultants' report shows that the estimated cost, on a discounted cash flow basis, of keeping the existing three separate schools of music—at Deal for the Royal Marines, at Kneller hall for the Army and at Uxbridge for the RAF—is £56·85 million, over a 15-year period and that, on the same basis, the estimated cost of a DSM at Deal is £51·25 million. A DSM at Deal thus offers a saving of a net present value of £5·6 million over 15 years compared with the status quo. None of the other options considered, such as a DSM at Eastney barracks in Portsmouth or at Redford barracks in Edinburgh or rebuilding a school at Deal for the Royal Marines, offers any worthwhile saving over the cost of the status quo.The above figures do not include provision for the optional additional facilities of a drill shed, bandstand and concert hall, although some of these facilities are at the existing schools of music. The total estimated cost of these facilities at a combined school is £500,000 to £1·5 million, depending on whether a concert hall is provided by converting an existing building or constructing a new one. The consultants considered that a DSM at Deal was the cheapest way of providing these facilities.The consultants also reviewed the social factors such as employment issues which Ministers took into account when they made the original decision in 1984. They reported that these were not of major significance but marginally favoured a DSM at Deal.In all our consideration of this complex issue we have had in mind the effect on service morale of abandoning proven and respected schools of music in favour of creating a joint establishment which might not in the end show itself to be responsive to particular single service needs. This factor is not a new one: of its nature it is intangible and unquantifiable but, however indefinable, we recognise it is of much significance and has to be considered against the opportunity of financial advantage in a single school of music offered by the prospect of savings both from the disposal of land no longer needed and in operating costs.The financial benefits, however, would arise in the longer term and to secure these savings a capital investment of nearly £10 million would be needed. If the scheme went ahead straight away, these costs would be likely to fall in 1990–91 and 1991–92, and while the DSM at Deal would offer the prospect of long-term savings, over the first five years it would involve additional expenditure of nearly £8 million at net present value over the status quo. Moreover, in any project of this kind there is bound to be some uncertainty about the final outcome in respect of both expenditure and savings.The background against which the short term impact of investment in the DSM at Deal has had to be considered is that, as was indicated in the 1987 public expenditure White Paper, the defence budget is declining in real terms. The overall budgetary position now is therefore significantly different from that which existed at the time of the original decision in 1984. There are now many more competing demands within the defence programme for the available resources. To accommodate the early capital expenditure which would be needed at Deal, high priority items already in the defence programme would have to be postponed or forgone.Whether in these circumstances to proceed with the DSM at Deal is a finely balanced judgment, but we have concluded that the savings that the scheme would eventually produce are not so large as to justify setting aside the effect on service morale and the measures that would have to be taken in order to find the necessary short term capital at a time of general budgetary constraint. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has decided therefore not to form a defence school of music at Deal and that the training of service musicians should accordingly continue to be carried out where it is undertaken now. This decision will enable us to proceed with the disposal of the sites at Eastney and Redford barracks, Edinburgh and to consider how best to make effective use of the MOD land and buildings at Deal for the continued use of the Royal Marines.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what basis the countermeasure zones in the public safety schemes for nuclear-powered submarines at Vickers shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness and Devonport dockyard were set at their current limits; if there are any plans to change them in the light of the higher fission product inventory at Devonport; and if he will make a statement.

My Department's contingency plans are based on an assessment of the magnitude of releases to the atmosphere associated with various reactor accidents scenarios, and the probability of their occurring. Since it is inconceivable that a reactor accident on one submarine would result in a reactor accident aboard another, the source term release is not cumulative where more than one submarine is present.The counter-measure zone in the public safety scheme for all naval bases and for the Vickers shipbuilding yard at Barrow is based on the assessment that, within a circular zone of 550 metres radius centred on the submarine, counter-measures will be taken automatically as soon as a reactor accident occurs; that all people remaining within the zone have been given instructions on what they should do; and that, provided they follow these instructions, no people within the zone should exceed any of the upper emergency reference levels of dose specified by the National Radiological Protection Board, and the majority should not exceed any of the lower levels of dose specified by the National Radiological Protection Board. There are no plans to change this assessment.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the specific measures that his Department has taken to alleviate the adverse economic and social effects for the Plymouth travel-to-work area resulting from the projected job reductions at Her Majesty's dockyard, Devonport; and if he will make a statement.

As my hon. Friend knows, the naval refit and repair programme is a declining one, and we have estimated that, as a result, the job losses at Devonport dockyard alone over the next seven years would amount to some 5,000, of which some 4,000 would be lost by April 1990. The planned introduction of commercial management to Devonport dockyard from 6 April, under a contract signed with Devonport Management Limited (DML) on 24 February, is expected to result in a significantly lower level of job losses, of some 2,300 by 1990, and DML will seek to minimise compulsory redundancies. The biggest single measure that my Department can make, therefore, to alleviating the job losses which would otherwise result from the decline in naval shipwork is the introduction of commercial management as planned.So far as the current year is concerned, the work load at Devonport is such that selective recruitment is necessary. DML is committed to increasing the Dockyard's efficiency so that in the longer term it can compete, with increasing success, for unallocated Royal Navy work and commercial work, thereby minimising job losses in the Dockyard. DML is also committed to craft and apprentice training and estimates that in 1987 some 125 to 150 apprentices will be required. Wherever practicable, co-operation with local educational and training institutions will be encouraged.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the full cost of the study recently carried out at 14 Maintenance Unit, RAF Carlisle.

For reasons of commercial confidentiality we do not disclose the costs of specific studies undertaken for the Department by outside management consultants.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why he used an outside firm of accountants rather than his Department's own staff for the recent study at 14 Maintenance Unit, RAF Carlisle.

The study referred to, covered the whole of the RAF supply management organisation and not just 14 maintenance unit, RAF Carlisle. Decisions on whether to use internal MOD resources or external consultants on studies of this kind are taken on their merits, taking into account factors such as staff resources and availability, relevant expertise, time scale and cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, when considering the study of Peak, Marwick of the efficiency and effectiveness of Ministry of Defence facilities at Carlisle and Harrogate, he will take into account the level of unemployment in Carlisle.

The examination of this study, which is likely to take some time, will take all relevant factors into account.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the sale of HMS Fife.

HMS Fife is planned to complete her RN operational service at the end of June 1987. Following sales negotiations with prospective customers the ship is expected to be disposed of by sale to another Government, for handover by August 1987.Alternatively, should this method of disposal not succeed, the vessel will be destored and de-equipped for disposal commercially, probably to a shipbreaker for scrapping.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the current level of orders with the Royal Ordnance factory at Patricroft.

The Ministry of Defence places its orders with Royal Ordnance plc and with other defence contractors some of whom sub contract work to Royal Ordnance. The loading of individual factories within Royal Ordnance to implement such contracts and sub contracts is a matter for Royal Ordnance plc.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about his policy toward the timing of orders to Royal Ordnance factories in the light of the protection tendering procedure.

The primary objective of our procurement policy is to satisfy the essential requirements of the services in a way that secures the best value for money for the taxpayer. As a matter of good procurement practice, we do however seek to maintain, as far as is practicable, an even ordering pattern to allow efficient production planning by our suppliers.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about redundancy programmes planned or considered at the Royal Ordnance factory, Patricroft.

Employment levels at individual sites of Royal Ordnance plc are a matter for the company.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence which companies remain as bidders for the Royal Ordnance Factories plc.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr. Atkins) on 16 March 1987 at column 376.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will list all research contracts his Department has with universities in the United Kingdom and with Marconi in relation to the strategic defence initiative.

The information is as follows:a.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts his Department has with Loughborough university for research; and into what subjects.

The Ministry of Defence has 15 research agreements with Loughborough university covering a range of defence-related topics. It is up to the university itself to decide whether to make further information available.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the studies recommended by Mr. Calcutt in his report on the investigations carried out by the service police in the 9 Signal Regiment case have been completed; and if he will make a statement.

In my statement in the House on 22 May 1986 at columns 558–59 I said that Mr. Calcutt had recommended seven matters for furter consideration, all of which the Government accepted, and that the House would be informed of the outcome of this further work. These studies have now been completed and our conclusions are as follows.Mr. Calcutt's first matter for consideration concerned the potentital conflict between learning the nature, extent and full circumstances of any breach of security and bringing the offender to justice. Whilst acknowledging that the rules applicable to criminal investigations can, in certain circumstances, inhibit the counter intelligence aspect of espionage inquiries, we have concluded that this is an inevitable consequence of according all suspects the basic rights which the law requires.Mr. Calcutt also recommended that consideration should be given to the need to give, at an early stage in an investigation, clear guidance on the relative priority to be given to the counter intelligence aspect and the criminal aspect of a security case. We accept the need for this and there are instructions to service units to ensure that any such cases or suspected cases are reported immediately to the Ministry of Defence. These instructions have been reviewed and, where appropriate, are being amended.Mr. Calcutt recommended that we should consider whether, in certain circumstances, the 48-hour maximum period allowed under current service procedures for suspects to be detained without charge should be capable of being extended. We have concluded that in present circumstances such an extension would not be justified.Mr. Calcutt's fourth recommendation was to consider whether RAF Queen's Regulation 1034, which deals with forms of custody, should be either annulled or amended. We have concluded that this regulation, which Mr. Calcutt found to be of doubtful utility and obscure in its meaning, should be deleted and replaced by appropriate amendments to other regulations in QR(RAF) so as to remove any ambiguity about the special circumstances which it was originally intended to cover.Mr. Calcutt recommended that consideration be given to how far the rigid application of the need to know principle may have the effect of depriving a suspect of the protection which the law provides for him. We have considered this and have concluded that, whenever practicable in future security cases, persons under investigation should not be placed under the command of officers who do not hold the appropriate security clearance and that suitably cleared legal advisers and investigators should be available. Instructions to service units are being amended as necessary.Mr. Calcutt's sixth recommendation was to consider whether the routine documentation in security investigations might itself give rise to security considerations. We have reviewed our existing rules and have concluded that no amendments are needed; existing procedures provide for such documentation to be given a security classification where necessary.Mr. Calcutt's last recommendation was to consider whether investigations such as those leading up to the Cyprus case trial should be conducted from the United Kingdom rather than overseas. We have concluded that, for practical reasons, such investigations should be carried out in situ, but that they should be directed and coordinated from the Ministry of Defence. A contact point in the Ministry will be nominated for this purpose in any future case.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will initiate an inquiry into the possible security implications of the disappearance of Avtar Singh-Gida, a researcher into strategic defence initiative-related subjects at Loughborough university; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Avtar Singh-Gida's disappearance is a matter for the police. He was engaged on an unclassified research agreement for the MOD at Loughborough university on matters unrelated to the strategic defence initiative studies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the species of animals used in the United Kingdom for testing the safety of pesticides.

The latest available information, which relates to 1985, is published in table 2 of "Statistics of experiments on living animals, Great Britain 1985" (Cmnd. 9839), a copy of which is in the library. Corresponding figures for Northern Ireland are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his policy on European Economic Community proposals on a right of residence for European Economic Community nationals in the territory of another member state; if this right would involve a right to vote; and if he will make a statement;(2) what proposals are under discussion in the European Economic Community on a right of residence for European Economic Community nationals in the territory of another member state.

A draft directive on a right of residence was first put forward by the Commission in 1979. The current text, which is under discussion in the Council of Ministers, is designed to provide a right of residence throughout the European Community to those nationals of member states who do not already have such a right under the free movement provisions of the treaty of Rome. The Government favour the principle of a right of residence providing that it is conditional upon a person having the resources to support himself, without recourse to public funds, in the host state.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new initiatives the Home Office crime prevention unit is providing in the field of crime prevention.

The crime prevention unit will continue to stimulate and encourage a very wide range of activity aimed at involving the whole community in crime prevention. These at present include: strengthening the crime prevention element in central government policies, through the ministerial group on crime prevention; encouraging the private sector to engage more fully in crime prevention work; devising a new publicity campaign as part of an increased publicity budget of £4·8 million; working with the local authority associations and the police to establish a travelling conference to promote local crime prevention activity; completing research projects on a range of topics including aspects of autocrime, commercial robbery and crime in the inner city; and considering the problems of young people and crime by, among other things, the setting up of three new working groups to report to standing conference on crime prevention in November 1987.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received representations from Edinburgh district trades council about the Wapping dispute; and if he will make a statement.

None of which I am aware.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to provide Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' inspectors with the authority to enter a house where he or she has reason to believe that a dog or other animal is being ill-treated.

The Government applaud the fine work done by the RSPCA in the field of animal welfare. However, any increase in powers of entry is a considerable infringement of personal liberty and we do not believe it would be right to give the society's inspectors a power of entry in cases of possible cruelty to animals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply on Monday 16 March to the question from the hon. Member for Fulham, Official Report, column 356, if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis about what. steps he proposes to take to ensure that the 573 residential properties owned by the Metropolitan police which are currently empty in the Metropolitan police district are brought back into use.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis keeps the level of vacant property under constant review. He informs me that, of the 573 residential quarters currently vacant, 117 are in the process of being sold; 64 have been allocated to tenants who will occupy them shortly; and 90 are in the process of being allocated to tenants. The balance is being assessed for sale or for essential remedial works before allocation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the fees charged for registration and naturalisation of aliens; what is the proportion by which that fee has been abated; and if he will publish the work sheets which form the basis of the calculation of costs to the police.

The current fees are in the schedule to the British Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1986. Fees are set to recover the full cost of processing applications, except for those which are not successful where applicants pay on average less than 10 per cent. of the full cost. Police costs are derived from information provided by police forces about the actual cost of dealing with the inquiries which are referred to them. We do not propose to publish all the detailed workings, but the cost of police work, together with the work of the immigration service, has been published in the nationality fees memorandum and trading account for 1985–86, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policies are being implemented by Her Majesty's Government to promote the rights of women.

Our policies for promoting equality of opportunity between men and women will be set out in full in a document to be published shortly as the Government's response to the "Forward Looking Strategies" drawn up at the United Nations conference in Nairobi. Some information on current and past initiatives in the Home Office which have benefited women was given in my reply to a question from the hon. Member for Barking (Miss Richardson), on 18 December 1986 at columns 652–53; similar information for other Departments was given by other Ministers in reply to similar questions from the same hon. Member on 15 December at columns 399–400; 16 December, at columns 494–96, 433–34, 445–58, 457–58, 494–96; 17 December, at columns 546–47; 18 December, at column 677, and 19 December, at columns 813–14.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton may expect a reply to his letter of 22 December 1986 to the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Waddington) on behalf of a constituent from Hose, near Melton Mowbray, relating to two Iranian refugees in Pakistan; and why a letter which was marked as urgent has not received an earlier reply.

I am writing today to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from the appropriate chief constables as to progress with their inquiries into the deaths near Bristol of Mr. Vimal Dajibhai and Mr. Ashad Sharif and the disappearance in Derbyshire of Mr. Avtar Singh-Gida and into any link between the three incidents; and if he will make a statement.

The Avon and Somerset police have completed their inquiries into the deaths of Mr. Dajibhai and Mr. Sharif. The coroner recorded an open verdict in the case of Mr. Dajibhai and a verdict of suicide in the case of Mr. Sharif. I understand from the chief constable of Derbyshire that the police investigation into Mr. SinghGida's disappearance is continuing. Other than that Mr. Dajibhai and Mr. Sharif were employed in different parts of the Marconi company and that Mr. Dajibhai and Mr. Singh-Gida probably knew each other when at Loughborough university together in 1979, there is at present no evidence of to link the three cases.

asked the hon. Member for Wokingham, as representing the Church Commissioners, what information he has as to the price for which St. Mary's, Stamford Brook, Hammersmith, was sold.

I have been asked to reply. This redundant church was leased by the London diocesan fund to a property company in 1985 for conversion to residential use. The consideration is confidential to the parties to the transaction. The commissioners were not a party to the lease, nor was their consent required.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration has been given to installing emergency roadside phones on A class roads.

I have completed a preliminary review. My conclusion is that grounds for providing emergency telephones on trunk roads are not strong enough to justify their general provision, although the case is stronger for particular locations. We intend to provide such telephones in a limited range of circumstances as and when funds allow. We shall identify suitable sites for installations. A trial of a cellular radio system is also to be undertaken this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he intends to install emergency telephones on the A180.

Because of intense local concern for emergency telephones on the A 180 trunk road between Barnetby and Grimsby, I have decided to install emergency telephones on this section immediately.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the enforcement of traffic requirements for the maintenance of driving hours and overloading of lorries in the north-west region and elsewhere during the past six months; and if he will publish in the Official Report the total numbers of inspections undertaken and the results.

During the six months to September 1986, vehicle examiners carried out 6,555 maintenance inspections in the north-west, resulting in 787 prohibitions. National figures are not yet available for this period, but during the year ending 31 March 1986, 101,075 maintenance inspections were carried out, of which 13,797 resulted in prohibitions.Traffic examiners carried out 4,158 weight checks on lorries in the north-western traffic area during the six months to September 1986 and found 652 to be overloaded; 70,000 tachograph charts were checked and 10,109 breaches of the regulations found. Over the whole country during this period 33,822 lorries were weighed and 6,426 found to be overloaded; 290,000 tachograph charts were checked.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make the minutes of the meetings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's planning board for European inland transport available in the Library.

No. The minutes of the board are classified confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make the minutes of the meetings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's civil aviation planning committee available in the Library.

No. The minutes of the committee are classified NATO confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 6 March, Official Report, column 731, regarding the dimensions of the BT undersea cable running between Douglas and Colwyn Bay, what information he has as to the texture and appearance of the external surface of the cable.

I understand that the cable is covered in standard spirally wound jute and then covered in tar; it is dark in colour and its texture remains slightly sticky due to being constantly surrounded by water.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the numbers of people in the most recent period for which figures are available taking driving tests who have failed such tests on (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) more than four previous occasions; and how many tests on average an individual takes.

This information is not available.Results of a sample survey of driving tests conducted in 1985 showed that 47 per cent. of tests were taken by candidates who had previously failed.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to procure information on the number of accidents involving drivers who have passed their test within the last 12 months.

The information requested is not recorded on the accident report form.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents are recorded as having occurred during driving tests; and if he will make a statement.

During the last year for which figures are available, 381 accidents during driving tests were recorded. During the same period (October 1983 to September 1984) 1,797,177 tests were conducted. The percentage on which accidents occurred was roughly 0·02 per cent., about 1 in 4,700 tests. Recorded accidents range from minor incidents such as bumper touches to more serious accidents involving personal injury.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he issued a licence for the spoil ground in the Salcombe estuary and for what period.

A consent under section 34(1)(b) of the Coast Protection Act 1949 was first issued to the local district council to deposit material in the deep channel at Salcombe in 1969. This consent, which is concerned with safety of navigation, has been renewed at regular intervals, the last occasion being in February 1987 for a further period of three years.My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has also separately licensed these deposits under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985, the last renewal being on 6 March 1987 for one year.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to issue up-to-date guidance on ways in which traffic and parking in residential areas can be better controlled; and if he will make a statement.

We shall be sending all county, borough and district councils in England the first in a new series of traffic leaflets. This will also be sent to a wide range of professional and representative bodies. It will illustrate self-enforcing measures that can help deter through traffic from using residential streets, so as to give greater emphasis to the needs of residents. Further traffic leaflets are planned on this topic. Their main purpose will be to make available, on as wide a basis as possible, information on traffic and parking techniques. The first leaflet includes road humps. footway widening, rumble strips, environmental road closures, width restrictions, wide area crossings and a range of entry treatments. Copies of the leaflet have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made at the conference on security and co-operation in Europe in Vienna; when it is likely to be concluded what input the British delegation is making; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answers that my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton) gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Dudley, West (Dr. Blackburn) and for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Grist) on 18 March at columns 916 and 550. Participants have agreed to aim to complete negotiations by 31 July this year. Our delegation will continue to make a forceful and constructive contribution.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give a breakdown by nationality of the 74 fishing vessels boarded by fisheries protection personnel in the Falkland Islands conservation zone since 1 February.

A breakdown by nationality of the 74 vessels boarded by Falkland Islands Government fisheries protection personnel in the Falkland Islands interim conservation and management zone between 1 February and 12 March 1987 is as follows:

	Number
Spain	45
Poland	23
Japan	3
Italy	2
Greece	1

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 18 March regarding British passports forged by agents of the Israeli Government, if he will state (a) on how many occasions this has occurred, (b) what action was taken when this was discovered, (c) what has happened to the forged passports and (d) what assurances he has that no acts of terrorism have been committed by holders of these passports.

We know of previous occasions in 1973 and 1979 when Israelis were found to be using forged British passports. The Israeli Government did not then provide satisfactory assurances that such abuse would not recur. On this occasion, the assurances which we have received do not relate to the previous use of the forged passports, which have been retained by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

asked the Paymaster General if he will estimate the number of jobs lost in the Darlaston area of Walsall since 1979; what is his estimate of the current level of unemployment there; and how this figure compares with 1979.

Information about job losses is not available. My Department's small area statistics monitor only net changes in employment between census of employment dates, and the most recent figures are for September 1981. No census was taken in 1979 and the September 1984 census estimates for local areas are not yet available.Following is the available information about unemployment which is also in the Library. On 12 February 1987, the number of unemployed claimants in the electoral wards of Bentley and Darlaston North and Darlaston South was 2,569. Statistics of unemployment for electoral wards are derived from the ward based system and are available only from June 1983.

asked the Paymaster General what information he has as to the total level of unemployment in the European Economic Community at the most recent date for which figures are available, and as to the comparable figures 10 years previously.

In January 1987, there were 17·052 million people registered as unemployed in the European Community. This compares with an estimate of 6·642 million for the same countries in January 1977.

asked the Paymaster General if he has received recent representations from the British Machine Guarding Authority about safety standards; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. A letter will be sent to the British Machine Guarding Authority to make the Government's position clear. I will place a copy in the Library.

asked the Paymaster General if he will state the specific measures that his Department has taken to alleviate the adverse economic and general effects for the Plymouth travel-to-work area resulting from the projected job reductions at Her Majesty's dockyard, Devonport; and if he will make a statement.

The local jobcentre manager is in contact with management at the dockyard and anyone facing redundancy will be eligible for the full range of help and assistance available to them through our Action for Jobs programme. This includes job placing services, information about jobs available locally and in other districts; advice on a wide range of employment matters and Manpower Services Commission schemes; and advice on and assistance with training and retraining. Until the new management, Brown and Root, has taken control on 6 April 1987, any estimates of likely redundancies or their timing must be purely speculative.

asked the Paymaster General (1) if he will advise the Manpower Services Commission to consider granting the Bridge Agency at Dartington a new contract covering the South Hams area;(2) if, in the light of representations he has now received, he will arrange for the Manpower Services Commission to grant a new contract to the Bridge Agency in Dartington;(3) if he will make a statement on the employment implications of the decision of the Manpower Services Commission not to renew the contract of the Bridge Agency at Dartington; and if he will make a statement.

The community programme agency operated in south Deven by Bridge CAP Ltd, which covers the South Hams and Dartington areas, is based at Totnes. The decision has been made by the Manpower Services Commission not to renew the present contract and after 3 April 1987, the management of the agency will be undertaken by Community Rural Aid Ltd, a well established national community programme agent with experience of operating community programme projects in rural areas.It is anticipated that Community Rural Aid will be able to offer the existing employees the remainder of their period of employment under the programme. The management team based at Totnes will continue to function but under fresh direction from Community Rural Aid, who influence will be mainly directed to the agency's system of operational and financial control.

asked the Paymaster General how many people from ethnic minorities have been recruited on to the Nottingham panel of the Industrial Tribunals Board over the last nine years for which figures are available.

One.

asked the Paymaster General if he has any plans to provide a meal allowance for trainees on the YTS.

The weekly training allowance payable to YTS trainees is intended to cover normal living expenses. including meals.

asked the Paymaster General what is the current real value, based on (a) retail prices index and (b) average earnings, of the YTS allowance compared with its value in 1978.

The youth opportunities programme allowance in 1978 was £19·50, equivalent to about £39 when adjusted to take account of increases since 1978 in the retail price index, and about £47 if the adjustment is based on increases in average earnings. The YTS allowance for first-year trainees will increase from its present £27·30 to £28·50 on 6 April 1987; second year trainees will continue to receive a training allowance of £35 per week. Allowance levels must reflect the fact that trainees are still learning, and YTS provides substantially upgraded training compared with the youth opportunities programme.

asked the Paymaster General what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in respect of discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

The Government have made it clear that we deplore prejudice of any kind in employment and indeed regard it as poor business practice.

asked the Paymaster General if, for the most recently available date, and in the table form used in the Official Report, column 157 on 29 October, he will show for each Manpower Services Commission region the number of people interviewed under the restart programme; and how many have been placed into a destination.

asked the Paymaster General if he will list for the most recently available date, and in the table form used in the Official Report, column 157 on 29 October (a) how many people have been called for interview under the restart programme and (b) how many have been counselled and how many have been placed into a destination for (i) each Manpower Services Commission region, (ii) the Greater London area, (iii) the area manpower board areas covering the former Merseyside county council, the former West Midlands county council and (iv) Lancashire.

Figures given in the form used by my hon. Friend in his reply on 29 October 1986 could not be used as an answer to this question. They were only a measure of the extent to which we know of direct placements made as the immediate result of an interview. This is not a measure of the total number of people who find work or training directly or indirectly as a result of the restart programme.Seventy-four per cent. of participants agree to pursue the offer made to them at their interview, and we do not know the results of all of them. The immediate placings do not include the many people who subsequently find jobs, or other openings, such as training, as a result of counselling, restart courses or the outcome of other elements of the restart menu. I do not therefore believe that figures in the form asked for by the hon. Member could accurately measure the "destination" of those interviewed.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to chair a meeting of the Wales Advisory Board for local authority higher education.

The committee of the Wales Advisory Board for Local Authority Higher Education, of which I am chairman, next meets on 3 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimates he makes of the percentage of local labour employed in the construction of the Gresford to Pulford bypass.

Subject to temporary fluctuations as the work progresses, I estimate that about 70 per cent. of the hourly paid work force directly engaged by the main contractor will be recruited locally.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest available information regarding the numbers of doctors and nurses employed in hospitals in Wales; and how these compare with the numbers so employed in 1979.

At 30 September 1986, the number of medical staff employed in the hospital service in Wales, measured in whole-time equivalents, was 2,062, compared with 1,786 in September 1979—an increase of 15·4 per cent. The latest figures for nursing staff employed in the hospital service in Wales relate to September 1985; after adjustment for the reduction in working hours in 1980, the whole-time equivalent figure for 1985 is 20,812, compared with 18,035 in September 1979, again an increase of 15·4 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the sites of special scientific interest in Wales that have been, or are due to be, damaged or destroyed through developments which have been given planning permission since 1977, the type of development, the county and district in which they are situated, and the date when permission was given.

My hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment, Countryside and Local Government will be writing to the hon. Member with the information for England, Scotland and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out region by region, district health authority inpatient waiting lists, the total population living in each district, the percentage which the former represents of the latter and their national ranking by that percentage.

The latest available information relates to 30 September 1986, and is given in the following table:

	Cases on Hospital in-patient waiting lists	Estimated population mid-1985 (thousands)	Number of cases waiting per 1,000 population
Powys	59	111·4	0·5
Gwynedd	1,982	233·6	8·5
East Dyfed	2,354	226·6	10·4
Clwyd	4,689	397·9	11·8
West Glamorgan	5,011	364·1	13·8
Mid Glamorgan	8,961	533·9	16·8
Gwent	8,321	440·2	18·9
South Glamorgan	7,620	394·8	19·3
Pembrokeshire	2,430	109·3	22·2

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out region by region, the hospital urgent in-patient waiting list in each district, together with the number of urgent cases waiting more than a month, the percentage the latter represents of the former and their national ranking by that percentage.

The latest available information relates to 30 September 1986, and is given in the following table:

Urgent cases on Hospital In-patient Waiting Lists
	Total number	Number waiting for more than one month	Number waiting for more than one month as a percentage of total
East Dyfed	7	—	—
Powys	—	—	—
West Glamorgan	661	139	21·0
Gwynedd	61	25	41·0
Mid Glamorgan	332	206	62·0
Gwent	949	603	63·5
Clwyd	187	142	75·9
Pembrokeshire	324	250	77·2
South Glamorgan	1,087	852	78·4

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out region by region, the hospital non-urgent inpatient waiting list in each health district together with the number of non-urgent cases waiting more than a year, the percentage the latter represents of the former and their national ranking by that percentage.

The latest available information by district health authority relates to 30 September 1986, and is given in the following table:

Non-urgent cases on hospital in-patient waiting lists
	Total number	Number waiting for more than one year	Number waiting for more than one year as a percentage of total
Powys	59	1	1·7
Gwynedd	1,921	67	3·5
East Dyfed	2,347	270	11·5
West Glamorgan	4,350	506	11·6
Clwyd	4,502	623	13·8
Gwent	7,372	1,882	25·5
South Glamorgan	6,533	1,788	27·4
Mid Glamorgan	8,629	3,058	35·4
Pembrokeshire	2,106	1,361	64·6

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has received from farming unions in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

I have received representations from both the farming unions in Wales on a wide range of agricultural issues.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ask the Housing Corporation to investigate the reasons for the Cambrian Housing Association in Swansea failing after 12 months of negotiations to complete sales of houses to its tenants and failing to reply to correspondence from would-be purchasers and their solicitors.

I have asked the Housing Corporation office for Wales to investigate this matter and will write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Clydesdale (Dame J. Hart) on 11 March, Official Report, column 186, what proportion of the total aid programme in each year since 1979 has been represented by conversion of loans into grants under the policy of retrospective terms adjustment.

The cost of measures set out in the Official Report on 11 March 1987, at column 186, in respect of the policy of retrospective terms adjustment, as a proportion of gross public expenditure on aid, has been as follows:

	Per cent.
1979	3·4
1980	5·8
1981	5·9
1982	5·0
1983	7·0
1984	6·3
1985	5·9

These figures include exceptional debt relief measures in respect of Bangladesh and Uganda which fall outside retrospective terms adjustment agreements with these countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied that no discrimination on the grounds of race, colour or creed is involved in the selection of South African students to attend British institutions of higher education at public expense.

The training in question is specifically for the benefit of non-white South Africans disadvantaged by the apartheid system. A limited number of opportunities for study are provided to specially selected white South Africans through other channels.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will set out the criteria employed by the Educational Opportunities Council of the United States of America in choosing South African students to attend British institutions of higher education at public expense.

The Education Opportunities Council is a non-governmental organisation in South Africa and is not funded by the United States Government. Students are selected on an individual basis and in the light of their educational qualifications.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the financial basis of the arrangement made between his Department and the Education Opportunities Council of the United States of America.

We pay a fee to the Educational Opportunities Council for its administrative services in selecting candidates for the new programme of undergraduate training announced by my noble Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Baroness Young, in another place on 21 October 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will state the reasons why his Department was unable to make its own arrangements for the selection of South African students to attend British institutions of higher education at public expense.

My Department is involved in the selection process through the agency of the British Council representative in Johannesburg; the large number of applications for scholarships has necessitated the involvement also of the Educational Opportunities Council, a non-governmental organisation in South Africa.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the students currently selected to attend British institutions of higher education from South Africa at public expense have been sponsored or in any way recommended by the African National Congress.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the report on the study and assessment of industry capabilities to meet the requirements of civil defence is available for public inspection; and if he will make a statement.

Progress has been made with the study, but I am not able to say when it will be complete. The study will remain confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make the minutes of the meetings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's Industrial Planning Committee available in the Library.

No. It would be inappropriate to do so because the minutes of meetings contain security classified information.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has as to the quantity, source, and port of entry of the imports of chrome ore to Great Britain in each year since 1980.

Port of entry data for all years and data on source from 1984 are not available. Imports to the United Kingdom of chrome ore, classified to STIC sub-group 287·91, for 1984 and 1985 were 129·8 and 137·7 thousands of metric tonnes respectively. Latest information for 1986 shows imports for January-November of 119·6 thousands of metric tonnes. Information for the years 1980–83 is as follows:

United Kingdom imports of chromium ore and concentrates 1980–83
thousands m/tonnes
Country	1980	1981	1982	1983
South Africa	70·6	54·8	53·7	91·9
Mozambique	9·7	6·9	0·0	0·0
Philippines	92	4·0	1·5	2·6
Cyprus	2·0	3·8	5·4	1·1
Finland	0·7	5·6	0·6	0·0
Greece	0·0	1·0	2·5	2·1
Other	0·4	0·4	0·8	2·7
Total	92·6	76·5	64·5	100·4

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he hopes to announce a decision regarding the two applications made by the Cornwall county council in January 1986 for financial assistance under article 15 of the European regional development fund main regulation; and if he will make a statement.

I cannot give a firm date, but I hope that this problem will be resolved soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the specific measures that his Department has taken to alleviate the adverse economic and social effects for the Plymouth travel-to-work area resulting from the projected job reductions at Her Majesty's dockyard, Devonport; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received in relation to the purchase by Lonrho plc of 10 whisky brands from Guinness plc.

Representations have been received and the inspectors appointed to investigate the affair and membership of Guinness plc are aware of them. It would not be in the public interest for me to give further details.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received in relation to a possible breach of section 231 of the Companies Act 1985 by Lonrho plc in relation to its Liechtenstein subsidiaries Blorg and Contango.

Representations have been received and are under consideration. It would not be in the public interest for me to give further details.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the authorities on the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man about developing an agreed policy to limit insider dealing.

There have been some informal discussions at official level. I would hope, in due course, to arrive at arrangements along the lines envisaged by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the outcome of the Council of Industry Ministers meeting on 19 March.

Ministers discussed proposals from the European steel producers association Eurofer for reducing excess European steel capacity. The Council agreed that substantial excess capacity still exists, and the Commission will now have discussions with Eurofer and the producers designed to achieve further closures, and aimed primarily at lossmaking firms. I made it clear that the United Kingdom has already made a major contribution to the restructuring of the European steel industry, and that the United Kingdom steel industry was now in profit. As no BSC volume was contained in the Eurofer proposals, nothing under discussion at the Council will affect the three-year BSC strategy agreed in August 1985, or will prejudice decisions on BSC strategy after 1988.Ministers also discussed the steel production quota system. The Commission will make new proposals concerning 1988 in time for discussion at the next meeting of the Industry Council.The Council also agreed a two-year extension to the SPRINT programme whose main aim is to help improve the competitivness, particularly of small and medium-sized firms, by setting up means to assist the exchange of technology and innovation practice.

asked the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the report of the Court of Auditors regarding the legality of the decision of the Agriculture Council on the financing of the disposal of butter surpluses; and if she will make a statement.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will propose at the next meeting of the European Council that representatives of the Court of Auditors should be present at all future meetings of the Council; and if she will make a statement.

No. The president of the court already addresses the ECOFIN Council each year, and court representatives attend meetings of appropriate Council committees.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list the expenditure in 1987 on a weekly basis of all Government information services itemised by Department and function; and what were the comparable figures for each of the two previous years.

The information is not recorded centrally. I refer the right hon. Member to my answer on 19 November 1986 at column 190 to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) for the costs of the press office at 10 Downing street.

asked the Prime Minister how many women she has appointed to public bodies since 1979; and what percentage this represents of total appointments.

I have appointed or re-appointed 45 women to public bodies since 1979. This represents 14·0 per cent. of such appointments since that date for which I have been responsible.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has available as to the number of occupied dwellings not connected to the public electricity supply according to local authority areas or other geographical areas.

I regret that no such information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether ambulance staff have participated in the exercise at the local emergency plan at Chapelcross, Sellafield, Wylfa, Trawsfyndd, Oldbury, Berkeley, Hinkley Point, Winfrith, Dungeness, Bradwell and Sizewell; and, in each case where units were involved, if he will list which ones participated;(2) if he will list for each of the following power stations what studies have been made of the problems of evacuating all low mobility groups in the event of a worst case atomic accident at Chapelcross, Sellafield, Wylfa, Trawsfyndd, Oldbury, Berkely, Hinkley Point, Winfrith, Dungeness, Bradwell, Sizewell and Hartlepool; and if he will also list for each study the geographical area covered;(3) what specialist equipment, including personal dosimeters, radiac survey meters and decontamination meters are available for ambulance staff at Chapelcross, Sellafield, Wylfa, Trawsfyndd, Oldbury, Berkely, Hinkley Point, Winfrith, Dungeness, Bradford and Sizewell, respectively; and in each case what training staff have received;

[pursuant to his reply, 12 February 1987, c. 318–19]: The Central Electricity Generating Board has now amended advice which it earlier gave me. CEGB medical centres, although often colloquially known as ambulance centres, in fact rely on National Health Service ambulances. My reply of 12 February is otherwise unaffected.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when public safety siting criteria for nuclear installations were last changed or updated; what information on such safety criteria has been published by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 February 1987,c. 317–18]: The last decision to change public safety siting criteria was that announced by the then Minister of Power on 6 February 1968, at column 235 of the Official Report. Information on siting criteria has been published by the Health and Safety Executive in its booklet "The Work of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate", a copy of which is in the Library of the House, and in the documents referred to therein.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what statistical demographic criteria, for each type of nuclear reactor, are used in Her Majesty's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate's assessment of the safety of sites for nuclear power stations; if he will publish a list showing for each existing nuclear power station (a) the relevant limiting criteria compared with (b) the actual population figures in each case; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 February 1987,c. 317–18]: The main criteria used by Her Majesty's nuclear installations inspectorate cover the population at particular distances from a site, viz:

Distance	Guideline population
km	MAGNOX	AGR
0 to 2	1,400	9,000
2 to 3	4,600	35,000
3 to 5	16,000	113,000
5 to 8	45,000	325,000

There are related criteria which guide the NII about the maximum population to permit any 30-deg sector of the area round a site. Populations for existing sites, taken from the 1981 census are:

	Distance (km)
	0 to 2	2 to 3	3 to 5	5 to 8
Berkeley	320	2,000	7,900	8,300
Bradwell	460	190	7,200	3,900
Calder Hall	140	2,100	2,300	8,100
Chapelcross	250	410	11,000	3,100
Dungeness	60	140	590	6,000
Hinkley Point	120	300	1,200	2,800
Flunterston	50	100	6,400	1,400
Oldbury	250	260	1,800	30,000
Sizewell	140	3,200	3,600	4,200
Trawsfynydd	320	290	1,500	5,400
Wylfa	460	730	1,100	1,600

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if the Government have yet been able to attract private investment for the Point of Ayr coal-to-oil liquefaction project.

[pursuant to the reply, 26 February, c. 364]: I am pleased to announce that the Department of Energy will now be making available support of about £2·5 million for British Coal's liquefaction project at Point of Ayr, Clwyd, North Wales. This will cover the period of construction, commissioning and operation, and follows the signing by British Coal of an agreement with Ruhrkohle Oil and Gas, a subsidiary of the largest German coal-producing group, Ruhrkohle, bringing it into the project on a non-exclusive basis. Departmental support for this stage of the project had been conditional on British Coal's securing acceptable private sector participation.This important project is at an advanced stage of construction and should be commissioned early next year. The construction phase to date has been funded by British Coal with support from the European Commission. I trust that the new agreement marks the beginning of increasing industrial interest in this process.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the sites of special scientific interest in Scotland that have been, or are due to be, damaged or destroyed through developments which have been given planning permission since 1977, the type of development, the regions and districts in which they are situated, and the dates when permission was given.

As the hon. Member is seeking similar information for England and Wales, the Nature Conservancy Council is compiling this in respect of Great Britain as a whole, My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will be writing to the hon. Member with this information as soon as it is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out region by region, health board in-patient waiting lists, the total population living in each district, the percentage which the former represents of the latter and their national ranking by that percentage.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will set out region by region, the hospital urgent in-patient waiting list in each district, together with the number of urgent cases waiting more than a month, the percentage the latter represents of the former and their national ranking by that percentage;(2) if he will set out region by region, the hospital non-urgent in-patient waiting list in each health district together with the number of non-urgent cases waiting more than a year, the percentage the latter represents of the former and their national ranking by that percentage.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the hospital in-patient waiting lists for each health board at the end of September 1986.

[pursuant to his reply, 19 March 1987, c. 580]: The information requested, which relates to 30 September 1986 and is provisional, follows:

	Number
Argyll and Clyde	6,528
Aryshire and Arran	4,862
Borders	301
Dumfries and Galloway	3,205
Fife	5,468
Forth Valley	2,558
Grampian	9,969
Greater Glasgow	17,866
Highland	3,040
Lanarkshire	6,249
Lothian	14,341
Orkney	50
Shetland	142
Tayside	6,215
Western Isles	68
Scotland	80,862