asked the Attorney-General when the Government propose to respond to the recommendations contained in the legal aid scrutiny.

The Government have today published a White Paper (Cm.118) which sets out their proposals for the future of the legal aid schemes in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the date and venue for the public inquiry into the Pugneys Wakefield, pleasure area proposals had been specifically identified; and if he will make a statement.

The inquiry is to take place in the council chamber in Wakefield town hall on Tuesday 12 May 1987. My right hon. Friend will announce his decision as soon as possible following receipt of the inspector's report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of swans that have died as a result of lead shot poisoning in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

It is estimated that 3,000–3,500 mute swans died each year from this cause in the period 1980–85. The estimate is derived by relating details of post-mortem examinations carried out at a number of centres to the known annual mortality rate of the population as a whole. It is too soon to assess the effects of the recent statutory ban on the sale of certain lead angling weights, but the Nature Conservancy Council will monitor the position.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department will inform Wellingborough borough council of the result of its application of 9 December 1986 for an additional allocation to the home insulation scheme for the 1986–87 financial year.

The Department has informed the council that its application for additional resources under the homes inslation scheme has been successful.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the precepts levied on the rating authorities by the shire counties in England, as notified to his Department, in terms of amounts in the pound for domestic ratepayers and for commercial ratepayers for 1987–88.

Following is the available information:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of all the notes on the impact of the Government's rate reform proposals provided to representatives of the provincial press on 23 March; and if he will list the representatives of the press who received them and the areas of England to which they relate.

On 23 March my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and I met representatives of the regional press, at their request, to discuss the Government's proposals for the reform of the rating system. Those concerned were given notes summarising the likely effect of the new system on the areas of interest to them. The journalists concerned, and the areas they cover, were as follows:

• Gordon Jackson (Newcastle, Moddlesbrough, Reading, north-east Lancashire);
• Maurice Toasland (Wolverhampton);
• Stan Sparks (Birmingham);
• Ian Craig (Manchester);
• Alan Goddard (Hull, Grimsby);
• Jack Foster (Bradford, York, Brighton).
• Chris Walker (Liverpool) was invited to attend but was unable to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has conducted to assess the differing environmental implications of internationally agreed policies to (a) freeze production of chlorofluorocarbons production by 25 per cent.

My Department is an active participant in the work of the co-ordinating committee for the ozone layer which is run by the United Nations environment programme. CCOL has been assessing various scenarious for potential ozone depletion by CFCs and other trace gases, and these are also under consideration by the Government's stratospheric ozone research group. A two-dimensional model for testing scenarios, which is being developed in Cambridge, will enable my Department to conduct its own independent assessments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will explain what effect ozone found at low level as a photochemical pollutant is having on the ozone layer.

Ozone generated near the ground (largely due to hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen) is not transported into the upper atmosphere, and has no effect on the ozone layer. Ozone is sometimes transferred to ground level from the stratosphere, however. A detailed discussion can be found in the recent report from the DOE photochemical oxidant review group, a copy of which I have placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many helicopter accidents have occurred onshore and offshore in each of the last 10 years; and if he will show in tabular form the date and place of each incident, the make of the helicopter concerned, the cause of the accident, and the numbers killed or injured respectively.

The Civil Aviation Authority, which is statutorily responsible for aviation safety, has told me that since January 1976 there have been 259 accidents to United Kingdom registered helicopters reported to it. The precise information requested by the hon. Member could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) accidents and (b) fatalities there have been on the A1 between Brampton and Stamford for each of the past five years.

The record of accidents is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the extent and time scale of his proposals for (a) building flyovers and (b) upgrading the A1 to motorway standard between Brampton and Stamford;(2) whether he has any proposals to reduce the number of

Following a study completed in 1986, we have been considering the justification for flyovers and other improvements on A1 in Cambridgeshire. The results will be announced shortly when the current road programme review is complete. A flyover at the Brampton A604 junction is already included in the proposals for the M1-A1 link.We are also examining small-scale proposals for reducing traffic movements across A1. These do not include complete closure of any side road junctions. There are no proposals for upgrading this section of A1 to motorway standard.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any proposals to install crash barriers on the A1 between Brampton and Stamford.

The A1 is being reviewed following the initiative announced in December for providing central safety fencing on the majority of dual carriageway trunk roads. As a first step, fences have been added to a contract for structural maintenance north of Carpenters lodge, near Stamford which started recently.A programme will be drawn up for additional fencing where justified, and as resources allow. The work will need to be spread over a period of years.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many intersections on the A1 between Brampton and Stamford have no roundabout or lights.

There are eight with grade separation and three at-grade roundabouts. The remainder comprise 31 simple at-grade junctions. Five out of the 42 have lighting. There are no traffic lights.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from Glasgow district council requesting amendments to the Channel Tunnel Bill to ensure that through train services across and around London provide links between the tunnel and Glasgow.

None. I understand however that the district council has submitted to the Select Committee of another place, which is at present considering the Channel Tunnel Bill, a petition which covers this point. The Government have already accepted at Report stage in this House the principle of an amendment to the Bill which would require British Rail to draw up plans for the dispersal of Channel tunnel rail services to destinations beyond London.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leicester, East of 23 March on accidents involving learner drivers, he will ensure that details of a driver's length of experience are recorded on the accident report form.

No. Obtaining this information would require examining driving licences for over 400,000 vehicles each year and place an unacceptable burden on the police.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leicester, East on 23 March on driving tests, he will make it his policy to procure information on the number of tests which those taking driving tests have previously failed; and if he will make a statement.

There are no plans at present to collect this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the most serious accident recorded during a driving test in the most recent year for which figures are available.

The records of accidents on tests cannot be interpreted in this way. They provide only brief details of the type of accident and whether the examiner was injured.Pursuant to my reply, of 23 March, I apologise for an error in the figure I gave for the number of accidents on test in the year October 1983-September 1984. The figure ought to have been 973. That is 0·05 per cent., or about 1 in 1,850 tests conducted. My mistake was in using the Metropolitan traffic area figure.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration is being given to increasing inspection powers of trading standards officers; whether this includes consideration of making spot checks on second-hand car dealers; and if he will make a statement.

The Department's vehicle examiners have the necessary qualifications and powers to inspect second-hand cars. We will shortly be running four pilot projects involving spot checks on second-hand car dealers undertaken jointly by vehicle examiners and trading standards officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought under the Video Recordings Act 1984; and with what results.

The information available to me, which may be incomplete, indicates that there were no prosecutions under the Act in 1985. No figures of prosecutions are yet available for 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for the Horne Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the reasons for the presence of a large number of police vehicles and police officers in the vicinity of the Territorial Army centre, Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, in the evening of 21 March; and if he will make a statement.

I understand from the Commissioner that as part of his contingency plans officers were held in reserve at this place on 21 March for use if there had been an outbreak of public disorder.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons previously convicted for homicide were convicted for a second homicide offence in the period from 1965 to 1986; and what were the figures within that total for each five-year period.

Information is published in table 4.9 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1985" (Cm. 10), and the corresponding tables in the volumes for earlier years, and is summarised in the following table.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if figures for the percentage increase in murders made known to the police (a) between 1945 and 1965 and (b) between 1965 and the most recent year are available separately from those listed under the heading "Offences initially recorded as homicide" in table 4.1 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1985."

In the absence of a court decision it is not possible to distinguish between offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide — they are known collectively as homicide. Since 1967, the numbers of homicides decided to be murder are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", in table 4.2 of the volume for 1985 (Cm. 10) and in the corresponding table in the volumes for earlier years. For persons convicted of murder, an indication of the changes in the numbers since 1945 may be obtained from the results of court proceedings which are published in table S2.1(a) of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables, 1985" and in the corresponding tables for earlier years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 17 February, Official Report, column 559, how much money has been allocated under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 since January 1976 in each local authority to post-school educational institutions; and if he will give a breakdown as to the various purposes to which these funds have been allocated.

Grant under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 is paid to local authorities on the cost of employment of staff to help meet the special needs of people of Commonwealth origin. Information about the cost of posts in post-school educational institutions for the years requested cannot be readily obtained from our records. The following table gives available information about such posts from the annual claim submitted by local authorities for the year 1986–87. The list does not include any posts which may have been approved subsequently or posts which have been approved but which the local authority has not yet filled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans for increasing the responsibilities of special constables: and if he will make a statement.

The deployment of special constables in individual forces is a matter for chief constables, to whom we have commended the 1981 report of the second working party of the Police Advisory Board, which made suggestions for the wider and more effective use of the special constabulary. Her Majesty's inspectors of constabulary look specifically at the use made of special constables when they inspect forces. There is much scope for the imaginative use of special constables, for example in crime prevention work.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the percentage increase in the numbers of crimes and offences involving the use of firearms in the 10-year period ended 1965; and what were the total of convictions in courts for firearms offences or crimes and offences involving the use of firearms in the years 1955, 1965, 1975, 1985, and 1986, respectively.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has carried out any investigations or received any reports about the use of genetic fingerprinting as part of the forensic evidence to be adduced in (a) cases of alleged sexual assault and (b) other criminal cases; and if he will make a statement.

The technique of genetic fingerprinting, pioneered by Dr. Alec Jeffreys of Leicester university, has been further developed by scientists at the Forensic Science Service Central Research Establishment, for application to criminal cases. It has great potential for identification of suspects in particular types of cases in which body fluids have been shed. Since December 1986 the technique has been used in a small number of criminal investigations of sexual assaults and murder. Statements in these cases have been issued to the police but have not yet been adduced as evidence in a Crown Court.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is given to television licence inspectors about how long should be given to someone without a television licence to obtain a licence.

Television licence inquiry officers have written instructions to report each case in which there are grounds to suspect that a person is using television without a licence, and never to imply or indicate that prosecution may not take place if he offers to pay immediately for a licence or to obtain one within a short time. Inquiry officers have no discretion to allow time for the purchase or renewal of a licence; and decisions as to prosecution are taken in the light of their reports and other relevant circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the evidence of his principal officer to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration in the course of his investigation into the circumstances in which Mr. Aurang Zeb was removed from the United Kingdom to Pakistan on 3 April 1986.

[pursuant to his reply, 2 March 1987, c. 472]: No: my right hon. Friend does not propose to depart from usual practice in this respect. To do so would be inconsistent with the privacy and confidentiality under which the Parliamentary Commissioner's investigations are conducted.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to receive the report of the National Advisory Body for Higher and Further Education on good management practice; what other advice he will be taking before producing his plans for the future of polytechnics and colleges providing advanced further education courses; and if he will make a statement.

I am unable to say when my right hon. Friend will receive the final report on good management practice, the timing of which is a matter for the committee of the National Advisory Body. A number of other reports have recently received publicity and bear on the constitution of polytechnics and colleges and related matters. The Government welcome the debate which has developed and have been listening to advice from all quarters.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the average full cost per pupil for all schools offering assisted places for each local education authority in England.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Durham, North (Mr. Radice) on 22 January, at column 640, and on 2 February at column 474.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will present in a table (a) the average net cost per pupil in 1983–84, cash, per secondary pupil at maintained secondary schools in each local authority in England and (b) the average expenditure in the same year per assisted place pupil to each local education authority in England.

The information requested is given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the implications of the decision of the Science and Engineering Research Council to defer all applications for new research grants until September for scientific research in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has had talks with the chairman of the Science and Engineering Research Council about the council's decision to defer new applications for research grants until September. The council has taken this step in order to absorb the cost to it in 1987–88 of the recently agreed pay settlement for university academic staff. It is for the research councils to decide how best to manage their priorities, but we are discussing with them the implications of this particular settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase the number of places available for the training of speech therapists; and if he will make a statement.

I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer of 18 February, Official Report, columns 660–1, to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Thomas), if he will indicate the proportion of the total amount allocated from his Department's science budget to universities in each year since 1979 which is represented by the amount allocated to the constituent colleges of the University of Wales.

[pursuant to his reply, 26 February 1987, c. 352]: The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer of 18 February, Official Report, columns 660–1, to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Thomas), if he will indicate the proportion of the total amount allocated from his Department's science budget to institutions other than universities in each year since 1979 which is represented by the amount allocated to such institutions in Wales.

[pursuant to his reply, 26 February 1987, c. 353]: The information requested is as follows:

asked the Prime Minister whether she intends to allocate any additional ministerial responsibility to the Minister of State, Privy Council Office and Minister for the Arts; and if she will make a statement.

I have no present plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will now refer to the Security Commission allegations of security services operations against Ministers of the Crown in the 1970s; and if she will make a statement.

No.

asked the Prime Minister what arrangements exist in the Prime Minister's office for analysis and assessment of the provision of public services in the Greater London area following the reorganisation of London government in 1986.

Abolition of the Greater London council resulted in a transfer of its services to the London boroughs and to a number of other successor authorities. Departments make their own arrangements for the analysis and assessment of public services in London, where they are responsible for so doing.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 March.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 March.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I shall attend a state banquet given by King Fand.

asked the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the implications for the Community of the decision of the Council of Finance Ministers on 9 March to agree to expenditure which the Court of Auditors had declared to be unlawful; and if she will make a statement.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when the Commission appointed under the Interception of Communications Act 1985 will present its annual report; and if she will make a statement.

A Copy of the 1986 annual report by Lord Justice Lloyd has been laid before this House today in accordance with section 8(7) of the Interception of Communications Act 1985. The confidential appendix to the report has been excluded from that copy in accordance with section 8(8) of the Act. 1 am grateful to the Commissioner for the thoroughness of his report and the reassurance it contains. Lord Justice Lloyd comments on the high value of the intelligence obtained from interception, and the care taken by all concerned to oberve not only the letter but also the spirit of the Act. The Commissioner's report suggests a small number of improvements to the procedures observed in dealing with these cases. These recommendations have been accepted and the improvements suggested are being implemented.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 11 March, Official Report, column 185, if he will list United Kingdom aid used in mixed credits and less concessional tied aid loans as a percentage of gross bilateral aid commitment, for each year since the aid and trade provision was introduced.

The first commitments under the aid and trade provision were made in 1978. The information requested is set out in the table

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the impact of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development agreement on aid and export credits on United Kingdom aid and trade provisions.

The impact of the new agreement will be that the minimum grant element for tied aid credits (including mixed credits) supported by the aid and trade provision is due to be increased to 30 per cent, from 1 July 1987 and to 35 per cent, from 1 July 1988. For the least developed countries, the minimum grant element will be 50 per cent, from 1 July 1987. I am glad to say that the grant element will be calculated in a way which more nearly reflects the cost to individual donor countries of providing such finance, which will make it more expensive for countries with low interest rate currencies.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will indicate the percentage breakdown of the £30 million provided for development projects in the Falkland Islands, including the proportion spent on (a) the buying of farmland for redistribution, (b) research, (c) evaluation of development projects and (d) administrative expenses, including visits by officials and experts.

The breakdown of the £31 million development aid grant is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what financial aid is given by the Welsh Development Agency to Irish shipping lines and why; and what financial aid is given to Sealink.

The Welsh Development Agency has not given financial assistance to an Irish shipping line or to Sealink, although the agency is involved in measures designed to assist the development of the port facilities at Holyhead for the benefit of all users, including shipping interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what applications for additional funds his Department has received from Gwynedd health authority to meet the unexpected additional cost burdens placed upon it in providing a new flagpost, flags, flowers, carpets and associated expenditure relating to the official opening of Ysbyty Gwynedd.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is now in a position to announce the membership of the Welsh Health Promotion Authority.

I announced on 26 February that Dr. Simon Smail had accepted an invitation to become chairman of the new authority. I can now announce that the following have accepted an invitation to become members.

• Miss Carol Charlesworth
• Mr. Alan Crabbe
• Mr. Gerald Davies
• Dr. John Evans
• Dr. Denis Francis
• Mr. Hywel Griffiths
• Professor Ray Hodgson
• Councellor Thomas Jones
• Dr. Beverley Littlepage
• Miss Elizabeth Muir
• Mr. Seth Roberts
• Miss Eileen Rossiter
• Miss Sandra Sandham
• Mr. James Thomas

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many right hon. and hon. Gentlemen officially occupy offices in Upper Committee Corridor North in the Palace of Westminster.

Forty-one right hon. and hon. Gentlemen occupy offices in Upper Committee Corridor, North.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many right hon. and hon. Ladies officially occupy offices in Upper Committee Corridor North in the palace of Westminster.

None.

asked the Lord Privy Seal (1) how many male research assistants or secretaries wholly operate from rooms in Upper Committee Corridor North which have been allocated for the use of right hon. and hon. Members;(2) how many female research assistants or secretaries wholly operate from rooms in Upper Committee Corridor North which have been allocated for the use of right hon. and hon. Members.

No information is available to indicate how many secretaries and research assistants wholly operate from hon. Members' offices. Two male and three female secretaries or research assistants operate from rooms allocated for this purpose on the Upper Committee Corridor North.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, following the announcement of the International Atomic Energy Authority concerning a joint research programme towards constructing the world's first nuclear fusion reactor with the active co-operation of the United States of America, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Japan and the 12 European Economic Community countries, what contribution Her Majesty's Government are providing for this project.

A group of experts has been set up to discuss further the possibility of collaboration. The United Kingdom will contribute to the discussions as a member of Euratom.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make the gathering of information on ethnic origins compulsory, and publish the percentage of entrants to his Department who failed to respond to the ethnic origins questionnaire.

Surveys of the ethnic origins of staff in post and new entrants to my Department are being carried out on the basis of voluntary self-classification. This is in accordance with arrangements agreed between the Management and Personnel Office and the Council of Civil Service Unions.Of the new entrants to my Department during the period 1 October 1985 to 1 February 1987, 14 per cent. failed to respond to the ethnic origins questionnaire.Results of the surveys carried out in my Department will be included in the reports to be published by the Management and Personnel Office. I have no plans to publish figures for my Department separately.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received seeking privatisation of the electricity supply industry; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a number of representations on this matter. The Government have no present plans to privatise the electricity supply industry.

asked the Paymaster General if he has any plans to designate the job training scheme as approved training for the purposes of section 20 of the Social Security Act 1975.

No.

asked the Paymaster General what percentage of the total work force in the north-west region are now employed in manufacturing industries; and what was the comparative 1979 figure.

Estimates of the labour force in manufacturing industries in regions are not available, as the self-employed statistics are not analysed in this way.In September 1986, the latest date for which figures are available, 21 per cent. of the total civilian working population, which is the sum of employees in employment, the self employed and the unemployed, in the north-west region were employees in employment in manufacturing industries. The comparable figure for September 1979 was 31 per cent.Some of the decrease in the number of employees in employment in manufacturing will be the result of the reclassification of jobs such as industrial cleaning, catering, computer services and road haulage, previously done by manufacturer's own employees and now done by subcontractors. This developing feature of our economy has the effect of exaggerating the extent of the move from manufacturing to service sector employment.

asked the Paymaster General what arrangements exist within his Department, within the central headquarters or in any regional or sub-regional organisation, for dealing with his responsibilities regarding public services or any other function in respect of the Greater London area; and how many full-time equivalent staff are involved in such work.

Greater London is one of 10 regions in the regional directorate structure of the Manpower Services Commission. There is a regional director for employment and enterprise and one for vocational education and training. Some 2,200 staff are employed in delivering services to Greater London. It is also one of nine regions for the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service with approximately 100 staff and its own regional director. In the unemployment benefit service, since 1984 Greater London has been served by two of its nine regions—southern region extending south of the Thames and eastern region extending north of the Thames. Some 4,400 of the staff of these two regional benefit managers are involved in providing services in Greater London.Some field staff of the Health and Safety Executive, principally in the Factory Inspectorate, are based in the area offices in north and south London. Other services provided by my Department (and by the Health and Safety Executive) for Greater London are managed centrally, although there are local or sub-regional offices in London for redundancy payments, the Wages Inspectorate, Employment Agency, licensing, had the Careers Service Inspectorate. Any further breakdown of staffing numbers would involve national attributions and would not he on the same basis as the figures quoted above.

asked the Paymaster General with which Departments and non-departmental bodies his Department and its related non-departmental public bodies has consulted during 1986–87 in respect of services provided within Greater London; approximately how often such consultations have taken place; and what issues were discussed.