asked the Attorney-General if he will make the gathering of information on ethnic origins compulsory, and publish the percentage of entrants to the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Law Officers Department who failed to respond to the ethnic origins questionnaire.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 March by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, at column 98, when she affirmed that there are no plans at present to make the ethnic surveys compulsory and that the results of the survey will be published.Information on response rates in the existing new entrant surveys is not readily available.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what official duties he undertook, in what places, in the course of his last visit to the County Palatine.

My most recent visit to the County Palatine was on 10 March, when I attended the annual lunch of the Central and West Lancashire chamber of commerce at the Imperial hotel, Blackpool.

asked the Prime Minister on what date she received an invitation to open Ysbyty Gwynedd at Bangor; and on what date she replied to that invitation.

The programme for my visit to north Wales was finalised, in the usual way, shortly before the visit took place.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on co-ordination at ministerial level between the Department of Health and Social Security and the Department of Education and Science concerning possible changes to the policy of allowing AIDS-infected children to attend school without informing the parents of other children.

My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Education and Science and the Secretary of State for Social Services keep in close touch about policy issues concerned with AIDS and young people. Government policy remains as stated in the guidance issued last year by the Department of Education and Science and the Welsh Office: that children infected with the virus have a right to confidentiality about their condition if they and their parents so choose. If such information is disclosed it should be strictly confined to those within the school who need to know. There is no risk of the AIDS virus being transmitted through normal social contact in a school setting, provided that sensible hygiene precautions are observed.

asked the Prime Minister on what dates she met United States Assistant Secretary of State Eliot Abrams during 1986; and what was discussed.

I have nothing further to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Gentleman on 4 March at column 598.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish in the Official Report a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.

The usual forecast was deposited in the House earlier today. At present, four meetings of the Council of Ministers are planned for April.The Consumer Affairs Council on 7 April is expected to consider a proposed directive on dangerous imitations of consumer products and a progress report on the proposed safety of toys directive.The Internal Market Council will meet on 7 April to discuss a number of measures in the rolling action programme for the completion of the internal market.The Foreign Affairs Council will meet from 26 to 27 April. It will discuss the ex novo review of the future financing arrangements for the Community; consider a draft negotiating mandate for an EC/Hungary trade and economic agreement; the next EC/Algeria Cooperation Council to be held under the terms of the EC/Algeria cooperation agreement; and the guidelines for the provision of EC aid to Asian and Latin American countries. Following its brief discussion in March, the Council will have a fuller discussion of the current climate in EC/US relations.The Agriculture Council is expected to meet on 27/28 April, and provided there is no earlier agreement, is likely to continue its discussions on the 1987 price-fixing proposals, which will include reviews of the green currency system and the oils and fats régime.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to publish for consultation the report of the constitutional commission on the Turks and Caicos Islands chaired by Sir Roy Marshall before reaching a final decision.

We intend shortly to make public the report of the constitutional commission on the Turks and Caicos Islands.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer on 2 December 1986, Official Report, column 542, to the hon. Member for Stockton, North on the responsibilities of Her Majesty's Government for the people of Hong Kong, whether contingency plans exist in the event of a nuclear accident at the Daya bay nuclear power station necessitating evacuation for refuge in the United Kingdom for citizens of Hong Kong seeking refuge.

The Hong Kong Government are preparing plans to make all possible provision for ensuring the safety of Hong Kong people in the event of an accident at the nuclear power station now under construction at Daya bay. The Hong Kong Government intend to complete these plans well before the station is commissioned in 1992.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer on 2 December 1986, Official Report, column 542, to the hon. Member for Stockton, North on the responsibilities of Her Majesty's Government for the people of Hong Kong, if he will provide an estimate of how much money Britain has earned from Hong Kong over the last decade.

Commercial and financial transactions between Britain and Hong Kong are complex and their net value cannot readily be estimated. Although Hong Kong is, after Japan, the UK's second largest export market in the Far East, for many years, the visible trade balance has been in Hong Kong's favour. No reliable estimate of capital flows is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will now provide a contingency fund for assistance to businesses in Hong Kong in the event of an accident at Daya bay nuclear power plant; and whether his Department has made any estimate of the likely cost of a worst case nuclear accident at Daya bay under adverse meteorological conditions.

Any question of assistance to businesses in Hong Kong is a matter for the Hong Kong Government. The Hong Kong Government have requested their consultants, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, to prepare an accident assessment report on the Daya bay power station. Once this report has been received and examined, the Hong Kong Government will consider the possible implications for Hong Kong of any accident at the Daya bay plant.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether he has any plans to arrange for staff of his Department to be screened for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus;(2) whether any current or former staff of his Department have been found to have developed AIDS or antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus;

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

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he or any of his officials met United States Assistant Secretary of State Eliot Abrams in London during 1986; and on what dates.

We maintain a regular dialogue at all levels with members of the United States Administration on a wide range of international issues.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to investigate allegations in the Tower commission report that representatives of Short Bros. held discussions with United States Government officials regarding supplying Blowpipe missiles to the Contra forces.

There is no evidence to suggest that Short Brothers has acted in breach of United Kingdom law. Blowpipe has not been supplied to the Contras. The question of an investigation does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the number of domestic burglaries was in (a) 1979 and (b) 1986.

Police in England and Wales recorded 252,800 burglaries in dwellings in 1979 and 506,000 in 1986. These statistics are published annually in the Command Paper "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", and. for 1986, in the Home Office statistical bulletin 4/87. Results from crime surveys imply that much of this increase in recorded offences of burglaries in dwellings was due to a rise in the proportion of such offences being reported to the police. This rise in reporting is discussed in chapter 2 of the 1984 Command Paper (Cmnd. 9621: paras 2.6 to 2.13).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time served by those who have completed their sentence of life imprisonment for murder.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Holt) on 17 March at columns 451–54.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost per inmate of running the Harmondsworth detention centre by Securicor Services Ltd.; and what is the cost of running comparable services with prison officers.

The estimated daily cost of detaining a person in immigration service detention centres, including Harmondsworth, is £115. This figure includes transport, escort and running costs, and the cost of employing staff from Securicor Ltd. The cost per day of detaining a person held under the Immigration Act 1971 in a prison department establishment, though not entirely comparable, is estimated at £34.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many extra police officers have been released for street duty as a result of the reorganisation of the Metropolitan police.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that by April 1988 some 218 police officers will be released for operational duties as a result of the force reorganisation. It is not possible to say how many of these will be allocated to street duty.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the resignation of Chief Superintendent Kenneth John Etheridge and his subsequent appointment with Lonhro plc.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that Chief Superintendent Etheridge retired on 31 August 1977. The subsequent employment of any officer who has left the Metropolitan police is a matter for the individual concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the daily cost of keeping a prisoner on remand in a police cell in (a) London and (b) elsewhere.

The average cost per prisoner per night of prisoners held in police cells in the Metropolitan police district is currently about £120.The cost represents actual expenditure by the police in staff, accommodation and services, and is determined by various factors, in particular the number of prisoners and the number of locations at which they are held.The cost of prisoners held by other police forces varies considerably according to circumstancies. Comprehensive figures could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he has any plans to arrange for staff of his Department to be screened for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus;(2) whether any current or former staff of his Department have been found to have developed AIDS or antibodies to HIV;(3) what steps he has taken to ensure that staff of his Department are warned about those homosexual and other activities which are deemed to involve a high risk of AIDS infection.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, pursuant to the answer of 25 March to the hon. Member for Leicester, East, he will take steps to collect centrally the statistics of the occasions in the last five years on which a person on bail to which the police had objected committed offences of (a) murder and (b) rape.

Retrospective studies of this type would not be feasible but we are considering the possibility of initiating studies to obtain information of the kind requested in future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases in the past 20 years people who have already been convicted of (a) murder and (b) rape on one occasion have been convicted of a similar offence committed after the first conviction.

In the past 20 years (including provisional information for 1986 and 1987) seven persons already convicted of murder in England and Wales have been convicted of a further murder committed after the first conviction, including one person whose second murder was committed in Scotland, and one in Northern Ireland. Two of the later murders were committed in prison and five while the offender was out of prison on licence. In addition, one murder was committed by a person who was on bail for a separate murder for which he was also subsequently convicted. Corresponding information for rape is not available.

asked. the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, further to his answer of 15 January, Official Report, column 260, he will make available the evidence derived from curriculum modelling and school inspections upon which were based the indications of size thresholds for schools in the White Paper, "Better Schools."

Further information is provided in a circular expected to be issued shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether he has any plans to arrange for staff of his Department to be screened for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus;(2) whether any current or former staff of his Department have been found to have developed AIDS or antibodies to HIV;(3) what steps he has taken to ensure that staff of his Department are warned about those homosexual arid other activities which are deemed to involve a high risk of AIDS infection.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will give directions under section 99 of the Education Act 1944 to ensure that teachers in the London borough of Ealing receive their monthly remuneration at the end of March; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what financial incentives he has offered local education authorities to assist them in opening up school educational facilities to a wider range of students;(2) what financial assistance he has offered local education authorities attempting to extend the community use of schools.

It is for local education authorities to consider what resources, within the total available to them, can be allocated for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish figures indicating what funds are presently committed to initiatives helping schools to broaden their (a) curricula and (b) facilities to make them more generally accessible to their local communities.

These are matters for LEAs themselves to take a view upon in the light of the resources available to them. My right hon. Friend is not therefore in a position to publish figures showing the level of funds committed.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what correspondence he has had with Kirklees metropolitan borough council local education authority regarding falling school rolls and possible local school closures.

None, since my right hon. Friend announced his decisions last year on a number of proposals under sections 12 and 15 of the Education Act 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with Kirklees local education authority on falling school rolls and the possible closure of schools.

None since I met repesentatives of the LEA on 26 March 1986 to hear their representations about four proposals then before my right hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the sums requested to bring all school buildings in the metropolitan borough of Rotherham into satisfactory condition; and what assessment he has made of the cost of such maintenance in one year's time.

Such assessments are a matter for the Rotherham local education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total value in constant prices of all aid flows from Her Majesty's Government to developing countries since 1960.

Gross public expenditure on overseas aid at constant 1985 prices for 1961–1985 was as follows:

	£ million
1961	1,277
1962	1,198
1963	1,174
1964	1.339
1965	1,302
1966	1,350
1967	1,285
1968	1,248
1969	1,178
1970	1,142
1971	1,328
1972	1,246
1973	1,223
1974	1,302
1975	1,266
1976	1,333
1977	1,302
1978	1,438
1979	1,570
1980	1,347
1981	1,480
1982	1,259
1983	1,297
1984	1,393
1985	1,317

Statistics for 1960 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the total aid flows from the United Kingdom, in cash terms and as a percentage of the world total for both (a) the 29 poorest countries in Africa; and (b) all African nations for the latest year for which figures are available.

In 1985, Britain's gross public expenditure on aid through bilateral and multilateral channels to the 29 poorest countries in Africa totalled some £380 million, and to all the African countries amounted to some £570 million.Comparable figures for total aid flows are not available on a public expenditure basis. The OECD estimates total gross official development assistance in 1985 to have been $7·8 billion to the 29 poorest and about $13·6 billion to all African countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what priority his Department gives to tackling drug manufacture and abuse in developing countries as part of their overall strategy for development.

We recognise the importance of countries taking measures against drug manufacture and abuse as part of their development strategy, and we are ready to assist where appropriate, as for example in the Caribbean and Pakistan. I would refer the hon. Member to the recent report on drugs and development produced by the development assistance committee of the OECD, a copy of which I have placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance Her Majesty's Government provide for the Government of Nicaragua.

There is no regular programme of financial assistance to the Nicaraguan Government. However, in 1986 we provided £82,500 in financial assistance to Nicaragua, for displaced persons, through Christian Aid. In addition, we co-finance small development projects with British voluntary agencies and contribute to humanitarian relief work in central America, including Nicaragua. Nicaragua also benefits from European Community aid to the region, to which Britain makes a substantial contribution.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has made to the World Health Organisation's call for further funding for its AIDS programme following the visit to him on 24 March of Dr. Jonathan Mann, the director in charge of this programme.

I have told Dr. Mann that, subject to parliamentary approval, Britain intends to contribute £3 million in the financial year 1987–88 to the World Health Organisation's special programme on AIDS. This contribution represents about 12 per cent. of the estimated financial requirements of the special programme in 1987.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration has been given towards the creation of a special tropical forest fund to which the timber industry, development aid agencies and Governments in the north would contribute, to be used for large-scale regeneration projects in degraded tropical forests for creating forest areas of biological importance so as to conserve their genetic resources.

Governments and the international tropical timber industry subscribe to the international tropical timber agreement, which embraces both producing and consuming nations. It aims to promote policies for the sustainable utilisation and conservation of tropical forests. Concessional aid finance for this purpose is already available through resources co-ordinated under the Food and Agriculture Organisation's tropical forestry action plan.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of the number of people visiting museums in Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of the number of people visiting museums in south Wales.

This information is not available in the form requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales 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 origin of new entrants to my Department have been carried out in agreement with the Council of Civil Service Unions, on the basis of voluntary self-classification. There are no plans at present to change to a compulsory system. However, the Civil Service and the Council of Civil Service Unions are keen to improve the data base, and are discussing practical ways in which this can be done.The response rate in the existing new entrant survey in my Department is 100 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of jobs which will be lost (a) directly and (b) indirectly, in the dairy industry in Wales, as a result of the recently announced cutbacks.

I have made no such estimates. The effects of the milk quota cutbacks will differ from farm to farm according lo the decisions taken by individual farmers. As far as the manufacturing sector is concerned, the extent of possible redundancies will depend on a variety of factors, including the industry's response to changes in the market.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales why the Welsh Office is rejecting applications for assistance from public bodies in Wales for translation and printing literature in the Welsh language, of a type for which help has been forthcoming in the past; and if he will make a statement on the level of resources available for the Welsh Office's translation unit.

The Welsh Office has not changed its policy of helping public bodies in Wales with translation into the Welsh, language. It has always considered each case on its merits while giving priority to the work of the Welsh Office and to publications for other Government Departments. The level of resources to do this is determined by current demands on the translation unit.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state the total number of representations he has received concerning a new Welsh Language Act since launching his consultation exercise last autumn; and how many of these representations came from (a) bodies whom he had invited to respond, (b) councils, bodies, groups and associations who had not been directly approached by him and (c) individuals.

To date, 1,300 representations have been received. Of those originally invited to comment, 115 have so far responded. A detailed analysis by source of all other representations will be undertaken after 31 March.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is satisfied, in the light of last year's report by the Health Advisory Service on psychiatric care in Gwynedd, that the Gwynedd health authority has adequate funds to undertake its responsibilities in this field.

I am satisfied that the total recurring revenue resources made available to Gwynedd DHA, which have risen in the period 1978–79 to 1987–88 by 39 per cent. in real terms, are generally adequate to enable it to provide appropriate services in all sectors. We are currently considering proposals from DHAs for additional central financial support for developments which could make a significant contribution to the enhancement of psychiatric services and expect to announce a decision shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether he has any plans to arrange for staff of his Department to be screened for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus;(2) whether any current or former staff of his Department have been found to have developed AIDS or antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus;(3) what steps he has taken to ensure that staff of his Department are warned about those homosexual and other activities which are deemed to involve a high risk of AIDS infection.

I shall reply as soon as possible.

asked the Paymaster General what effect in terms of job creation is expected from the £5 million more to be allocated in the field of tourism in (a) Essex and (b) Basildon.

The recently announced additional £5 million for Government support for tourism represented the total increase in Government funds to be made available to the English tourist board and the British Tourist Authority in 1987–88 compared with the current financial year. About half this increase has been allocated to the scheme of selective financial assistance to tourism projects operated by the ETB under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969. The balance will be used mainly to enhance the marketing activities of the ETB and the BTA.It is not possible to say what effect these increases in funding will have on job creation in Essex or in Basildon. However, tourism in the area should benefit indirectly from the effects of increased marketing activity. Of more direct potential benefit to job creation in the area is the section 4 scheme. The ETB is always ready to consider applications from tourism operators and developers for support for projects which meet the scheme's criteria.

asked the Paymaster General what investigations are under way to establish the risk of lung cancer in the manufacture of those chromate chemicals other than zinc, calcium and strontium chromates recently the subject of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report on occupational lung cancer.

The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council in its review considered the evidence for lung cancer risk in the manufacture of chromates was limited to the zinc, calcium and strontium compounds. The Health and Safety Executive is not carrying out or funding research on other chromates.

asked the Paymaster General what is his policy towards the level of hotel provision in London in the light of the report "Tourism in London: Resident Opinion Survey", by the London Tourist Board and Convention Bureau, a copy of which has been forwarded to him.

The Government recognise that hotel capacity in London needs to increase if the United Kingdom is to continue to benefit fully from the growth in world tourism predicted over the next few years. A large number of respondents to the resident opinion survey agreed that tourism made a positive contribution to amenities and employment in London and that there was a need to cater effectively for the requirements of visitors. The survey's findings are being taken into account by the London tourism forum which is currently co-ordinating a tourism strategy for London.

asked the Paymaster General how many people have been employed in the administrative regions of Scotland in each year since 1980 in (a) the Health and Safety Executive and (b) Her Majesty's factory inspectorate.

The number of people employed in Scotland in each year since 1980 in (a) the Health and Safety Executive (including Her Majesty's factory inspectorate) and (b) Her Majesty's factory inspectorate are:

	HSE	Factory inspectorate1
2 1980	232	148
1981	231	154
1982	210	135
1983	197	135
1984	188	130
1985	189	115
1986	175	110
1987	179	109
1 This does not include specialist factory inspectors in the Field Consultant Group, who were transferred to HSE's new Technology Division in 1985.
2 March.

Figures by administrative region could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked the Paymaster General what have been the additional areas of enforcement responsibility in Scotland taken by the factory inspectorate since 1979.

The main additional areas of enforcement responsibility taken by Her Majesty's factory inspectorate since 1979 are as follows:

asked the Paymaster General how many fatal and major injuries there have been at work in manufacturing industry in each year since 1981 by administrative region of Scotland.

The reported number of injuries at work are as follows:

Injuries in manufacturing industry in Scotland, reported to Her Majesty's factory inspectorate
	Fatal	Major
1981	21	463
1982	19	428
1983	20	374
1984	19	424
1 1985	20	419
1 Provisional.

I regret that figures for each region of Scotland are not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Figures for 1986 onwards are not yet available.

asked the Paymaster General how many people in Batley and Spen have benefited from the training for enterprise scheme since its inception; and if he will provide the same information for the wider opportunities training programme.

The information is not available in the form requested. However, the number of people assisted under the training for enterprise scheme and the wider opportunities training programme for the Manpower Services Commission's Bradford Calderdale and Kirklees vocational education and training group area are as follows:

Financial year	Training for Enterprise	Wider Opportunities
1984–85	62	541
1985–86	383	599
1986–871	793	941
1 Figures are for the period 1 April 1986 to 28 February 1987.

asked the Paymaster General how many people have benefited from the employment transfer scheme; if he has any information about the average distances involved in the transfer of such people; and if he will provide the same information for the free forward fare scheme.

During the year ended 31 March 1986, 3,300 unemployed people were helped by the employment transfer scheme and a further 11,350 received free forward fares to enable them to take up new jobs. I regret that we have no information on the average distances of the moves under either of the scheme. Both these schemes were discontinued in April 1986.

asked the Paymaster General what information is available to his Department's local office as to how many employees laid off by Shildon Bridge rail works have since found work.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Paymaster General what percentage of workplaces in each administrative region of Scotland have been visited in the past four years by health and safety inspectors.

Details of the percentage of workplaces visited in each administrative region of Scotland are not available. The number of visits made in Scotland by inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive are:

asked the Paymaster General when he expects the Health and Safety Executive to publish its findings on the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Michael Lush.

As a result of its investigation into the incident in which Mr. Michael Lush was killed, the Health and Safety Executive has decided to prosecute the BBC under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. A formal report of the investigation will not be published.

asked the Paymaster General whether he has any plans to arrange for staff of his Department to be screened for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus;(2) whether any current or former staff of his Department have been found to have developed AIDS or antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus;(3) what steps he has taken to ensure that staff of his Department are warned about those homosexual and other activities which are deemed to involve a high risk of AIDS infection.

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

asked the Paymaster General what are the month-by-month unemployment figures for the borough of Knowsley since January 1984.

The following information is in the Library. The table gives the number of unemployed claimants in the Knowsley local authority district between January 1984 and February 1987. These figures are affected by the change in the timing of the compilation of unemployment statistics in March 1986.

Unemployed claimants in Knowsley local authority district
	Number
1984
January	21,462
February	21,357
March	21,003
April	20,659
May	20,593
June	20,019

asked the Paymaster General if he will publish the names of the members of each of the area manpower boards of the Manpower Services Commission.

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

asked the Paymaster General how many YTS trainees are currently working in the Department of Employment and Manpower Services Commission; and what are their employment status, terms and conditions, including remunerations.

None at present, but the Department of Employment and the Manpower Services Commission propose to introduce a YTS scheme this Easter in four different parts of the country. Initially there will be places for 120 clerical trainees. About 20 will have employee statutes and the same terms and conditions and remunerations as Civil Servie clerical grades. About 100 will be non-employees who will receive the appropriate standard YTS allowances. The scheme will be an equal opportunity training programme, and all trainees will receive the same protection as employees under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

asked the Paymaster General (1) whether his Department has investigated the possibility of using spare capacity in existing school buildings for the purpose of adult education and training;(2) if he will request the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission to undertake a feasibility study of the joint use of school premises for the education of both children and adults; and if he will make a statement.

My Department, via the Manpower Services Commission, contracts with various bodies to run adult training courses at the most cost effective rates. It is up to the training providers concerned, which will include local education authorities, to satisfy the Manpower Services Commission that the general training arrangements including the provision of accommodation, are adequate. It is for each local education authority to decide how best to use the facilities available to it.

asked the Paymaster General what plans he has to encourage closer links between the small firms service, local enterprise agencies and other support organisations.

The Government encourage the small firms service, local enterprise agencies and other organisations to work together to form local networks which can provide a supportive environment in which small businesses can flourish. The small firms service has in fact long co-operated actively with LEAs and others in its role of assisting small companies.To demonstrate the positive advantages of even closer co-operation a new initiative is being undertaken in the Yorkshire and Humberside region from April this year. This will involve LEAs being offered extra counselling support for their clients from the small firms service. Prior to the start of the initiative, the small firms service's regional counselling team will be considerably reinforced and a firm of consultants will be engaged to provide independent monitoring of the initiative. The extra support provided to local enterprise agencies participating in the initiative will be in addition to any assistance they may receive under the Government's local enterprise agency grant scheme.

asked the Paymaster General if any recruits to the job training scheme are to be over 25 years of age; and what arrangements will be made to pay a training allowance to those recruits who are not entitled to unemployment benefit or supplementary benefit

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

asked the Paymaster General if he will detail the cost of conducting the availability for work test experiment on the over-50s age group of unemployed; and if he will make a statement on the outcome of the tests and plans for extending them nationwide.

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

asked the Paymaster General (1) how many staff are employed in (a) unemployment benefit offices, (b) jobcentres, (c) Manpower Services Commission and (d) the remainder of his Department; and how many separate buildings are occupied for each;(2) how many staff are employed in all aspects of paying unemployment benefit and dealing with tribunals and fraud; and how many separate premises they occupy.

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

asked the Paymaster General if he will provide for each year, since 1979 and for each region, Scotland and Wales the revised numbers of self-employed; and if he will state, for each figure, the variation from his previously published estimates.

The available estimates of the numbers of self-employed in each region, Scotland and Wales between 1979 and 1984 may be found on page 40 of "Historical Supplement No. 1" published with the February issue of Employment Gazette.These estimates have not been revised. Following the 1986 labour force survey the estimates for 1985 have been revised, and they are given in the following table, which shows the variation between the revised figures and those previously published, together with the latest estimates for 1986.

Self-Employed: Regional Analysis
	June each year		Thousand
	1985	Variations from previous estimate	1986
South East	903	0	904
East Anglia	114	+ 1	105
South West	251	- 1	256
West Midlands	185	0	187
East Midlands	157	0	167
Yorkshire and Humberside	222	-1	216
North West	267	0	267
North	104	-1	105
Wales	146	0	154
Scotland	200	+ 8	205

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing net domestic investment in fixed assets in manufacturing industry in 1986 to the latest available date together with the corresponding figures for each of the years 1970 to 1986 at actual and at 1986 prices.

Figures of net domestic fixed capital formation in manufacturing industry in 1986 are not yet available. The following table provides for the years 1970 to 1985 at both current and 1980 prices.

Net domestic fixed capital formation in manufacturing industry (excluding assets leased to manufacturers from the financial industries)
Year	Currentprices £ million	1980 prices £ million
1970	901	3,395
1971	727	2,496
1972	434	1,377
1973	597	1,675
1974	892	2,132
1975	687	1,304
1976	541	851
1977	734	1,001
1978	1,033	1,291
1979	1,243	1,399
1980	237	237
1981	-1,536	-1,447
1982	-1.822	-1,629
1983	-1,810	-1,562
1984	-675	-595
1985	-651	-524

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the outcome of the recent European Economic Community Ministers meeting on steel production; and what will be its impact on the level of production of the British steel industry in general, and more specifically the special steel industry of Sheffield.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Teignbridge (Mr. Nicholls) on 23 March at column 23. I would expect additional steel closures in continental Europe, if achieved, to benefit the United Kingdom steel industry as a whole, including firms in Sheffield.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the practice of Companies house, Cardiff when replying to letters written to them in the Welsh language, with regard to the use of the Welsh language.

The practice of the companies registration office is to respond in the Welsh language to any letters sent to it in that language.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what instructions have been given since 1983 to the management of Austin Rover to reveal the production costs of its models to the Ford Motor Company; to what extent the information revealed included the production costs of the Metro; what was the classification status of this information; what promises Ford gave on the use of this information; and what monitoring was carried out by his Department to ensure that Ford kept these promises.

In December 1985 Ford and the Rover Group board agreed to open exploratory talks about a possible merger of Ford and Austin Rover, and to exchange information about the two businesses on a reciprocal basis under a commercial confidentiality agreement. My Department was kept informed in broad terms of progress in these talks but the terms of the confidentiality agreement, its implementation, and the information exchanged under it, were a matter for the commercial parties. These exploratory talks were brought to an end in February 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether he has any plans to arrange for staff of his Department to be screened for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus;(2) whether any current or former staff of his Department have been found to have developed AIDS or antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus;(3) what steps he has taken to ensure that staff of his Department are warned about those homosexual and other activities which are deemed to involve a high risk of AIDS infection.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he is having towards the development of European-wide trade policies to prevent imports of raw materials which could be processed domestically in the countries of origin.

The Government consider it to be in the general interest of consumers and producers alike that trade in raw materials should be conducted on a free and open basis, which allows comparative advantage to determine the development of domestic processing industries. We do, however, have regular discussions with our European Community partners on measures to encourage viable domestic processing of raw materials in developing countries, for example through the Community's generalised scheme of preferences.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what steps he is taking to improve the marketing conditions under which manufactured and sustainably produced tropical wood products can compete in Europe; and if he has any plans to extend the STABEX scheme to products such as plywood and joinery, or other such measures;(2) what discussions he is having with partners in the European Economic Community towards the implementation of a code of conduct for importers of semi-processed and processed products including sawn wood, non-assembly joinery and panels, with a view to requiring importers to import only from those producing countries which can guarantee that their raw material comes from sustainable and ecologically managed forestry concessions and other such requirements to encourage the production of tropical timber products on a sustainable and renewable basis;(3) what discussions he is having with partners in the European Economic Community concerning changing existing trading policies in order to encourage the production of tropical timber products on a sustainable and renewable basis; and if he will make a statement;(4) if he will make a statement on his involvement in, and the resources contributed to, the International Tropical Timber Organisation.

The United Kingdom has ratified the international tropical timber agreement of which the International Tropical Timber Organisation is the executive arm. The Department was represented at the first meeting (following the appointment of an executive director of ITTO), of the International Tropical Timber Council and has made its due contributions to the organisation.Some of the ITTA's objectives are:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he intends to refer the draft rules of the Securities and Investments Board to the European Commission for clearance against anti-competition condemnation, pursuant to articles 85 and 86 of the treaty of Rome.

There is no requirement under the competition rules of the treaty to refer these proposed rules to the Commission for clearance. Nonetheless, copies of the rules have been sent to the Commission for information.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why Mr. James Towler was not reappointed to the chair of the North East Transport Users Consultative Committee; and if he will make a statement.

It is my Department's policy to maintain a steady turnover of appointments in the nationalized industry consumer councils in order to widen the opportunities for interested individuals to make a contribution. Appointments are for a single fixed term, although people are often offered further terms. Mr. Towler has served for longer than most. He has served on the committees for nearly 14 years and is about to complete this third term as chairman. My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has made clear to Mr. Towler the Government's gratitude for all he has done on behalf of rail users in the region.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will appoint Mr. James Towler as an independent member of the central Transport Users Consultative Committee.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people have been reappointed to the chairs of transport users consultative committees; and how many chairs of such committees are currently vacant.

The current chairmen of six of the Committees have served for more than one term. The remaining two are on their first appointment. None of the current chairmen has served for more than three terms. None of the chairs are vacant.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answers of 2 March and 24 March, on what currently available information the Government base the scale of Britain's contribution to ozone depletion and the consequent effect of a freeze or reduction in the production and use of chlorofluorocarbons or other agents responsible for the phenomenon.

Depletion of the ozone layer is a global problem and cannot be attributed to individual countries. It is not possible to quantify the effect of a single country taking precautionary measures to limit omissions of potential ozone depleting substances.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 24 March, on what basis he judged the information requested about the market share of chlorofluorocarbons to be commercially confidential.

There are only two United Kingdom producers of chlorofluorocarbons. If the United Kingdom share of the European market was revealed either company would then be able to calculate the other's market share.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 24 March, if he will now make it his policy to ensure that British manufacturers pursue the development of alternatives to fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 26 March 1987, at column 243. It is for industry to decide the extent to which it pursues the development of alternatives.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year from 1957 gross and net domestic fixed capital formation by manufacturing industry at current and at 1980 prices.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in which years since 1957 gross fixed investment in plant and machinery in manufacturing industry in real terms has exceeded the 1979 level; and if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing on the basis of 1979 = 100 the amount of real investment in plant and machinery in each year since 1957 by manufacturing industry.

Changes in prices and exchange rates (since fourth quarter 1976)
	United Kingdom per cent.	Federal Republic of Germany per cent.	United States of America per cent.	Japan per cent.
Export unit value indices1 (dollar terms)	+94	+54	+79	+70
Nominal exchange rates2 (currencies per dollar)	+15½	-16½	3	-45½
Consumer prices2	+136	+39	+90	+40
1 To 1986 (third quarter).
2 To 1986 (fourth quarter).
3 Not applicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out in the Official Report the evidence which has been submitted to the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art to sustain the claim that the Hereford Bye Street Gate sculptures have been exported and re-imported to the United Kingdom in the last 50 years.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 March 1987, c. 298]: No such evidence was submitted to the reviewing committee. A report of the committee's consideration in March 1986 is to be found on page 26 of the thirty second report of the reviewing committee (CM44) presented to Parliament by the Minister for the Arts in December 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to identify the intending purchasers of objects which are the subject of consideration by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 March 1987, c. 298]: No.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the increase in the real rate of exchange against the principal currencies since the date on which the nominal rate for sterling fell to its lowest point against the deutschmark, together with his estimate of the increase in United Kingdom, German, American and Japanese export prices in dollar terms since the fourth quarter of 1976, having regard to changes in the nominal exchange rate and rates of inflation since the quarter for which the figures were last published in the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics".

[pursuant to his reply, 27 March 1987, c. 297]: Information for calculating real exchange rates in terms of relative export prices is not yet available beyond the third quarter of 1986; the daily closing of sterling/ deutschmark exchange rate continued to decline to the end of January 1987.Changes in export prices, exchange rates and rates of inflation since the fourth quarter of 1976 are in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he was first advised of the sale of the Hereford Bye Street Gate sculptures; what has been the reason for the length of time which has elapsed since (a) for the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art to make a recommendation and (b) for him to reach a decision; and when he now expects to make his decision.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 March 1987, c. 298]: My Department was advised of the association of the statues with Bye Street Gate of the city of Hereford in February 1986, some time after their sale to their present owner, when it was recommended that the views of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art should be sought. The reviewing committee considered the matter on 18 March 1986 and its recommendation to my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts, was announced in a press notice issued by the Office of Arts and Libraries on 21 March 1986. We have sought to ensure that those concerned have had proper opportunity to put forward their views for consideration before a decision is made. The Secretary of State will be making his decision as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether the Hereford Bye Street Gate sculptures are still located in the United Kingdom;(2) if any export licence has been granted in respect of the Hereford Bye Street Gate sculptures; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 March 1987, c. 298]: The objects are subject to export control. No licence for their export from the United Kingdom has been granted.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he has discussed with the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board plans for the construction of additional pressurised water nuclear reactors.

The board has indicated that it wishes to submit further applications for PWR stations in due course, but I have as yet received no such applications.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has had concerning public expenditure on the promotion of nuclear power projects.

My right hon. Friend and I have received many representations about the importance of informing the public of the facts about the safety of nuclear power and its economic and strategic benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is satisfied that the procedure for registration of interests in closed collieries allows adequate opportunity for applications by miners to take over the pits in which they have worked; and if he will make a statement.

This is a management matter for British Coal. I am asking the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of British Coal; and what was discussed.

My right hon. Friend and I have regular meetings with the chairman of the British Coal Corporation to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet Sir Robert Haslam, chairman of British Coal, to discuss future energy needs in the light of the Layfield report.

I have regular meetings with the chairman of British Coal to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will report on any new developments with combined heat and power with particular reference to the Leicester Energy Ltd. consortium.

Members of the Leicester CHP consortium have now agreed to support the formation of a heat utility company to take the Leicester project through to the next stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to respond in more detail to the Energy Committee's report on the coal industry; and if he will make a statement.