asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will cease to authorise the sale of civilian aircraft to the Republic of South Africa in view of the evidence that such aircraft are used by the South African Defence Force.

Civil Aircraft with a maximum all-up weight of 680kg or more incorporating certain direction finding equipment require a licence for export to South Africa. Licences are granted only against evidence that the aircraft is for bona fide civil use.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What instructions will be given to the British delegates to the World Health Assembly in May 1981 and in particular whether they intend to support the initiative of WHO/Unicef in preparing a marketing code for baby milk products in developing countries, and what steps they would propose or support to make such a code fully effective.

The United Kingdom delegation will be briefed on a wide range of health topics scheduled for discussion at the World Health Assembly. On the code of marketing for breastmilk substitutes, the delegation will be briefed in accordance with the United Kingdom's record of support for the adoption of an effective code. The delegation will be instructed to support measures that allow a code to be implemented without delay by all member states of the World Health Organisation.

asked Her Majesty's GovernmenWhat is the latest annual notification of the number of people suffering from tuberculosis and what are the figures for the previous four years.

The number of new cases of tuberculosis notified in the years 1976 to 1980 in England and Wales is as follows:

NOTIFICATIONS OF TUBERCULOSIS IN ENGLAND AND WALES, 1976–80
Year	Respiratory	Meninges and CNS	Other forms	All forms of Tuberculosis
1976	7,716	89	2,297	10,102
1977	7,129	81	2,320	9,530
1978	7,083	103	2,502	9,688
1979	6,808	86	2,374	9,268
1980*	6,648	103	2,371	9,122
*1980 Notifications are provisional.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the income tax liability of women between the ages of 60 and 64 whose sole income consists of their pension if their assessment exceeds the recommended Inland Revenue tolerance of £30.

Single women and widows in this age group will not, in practice, have to pay tax if their only income is the basic state pension. If they are entitled to additions to the pension, which take their liability above the assessing tolerance, the liability would depend on the amount of the pension.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What has been the total cost over five year periods since 1945 of: (

The information requested is not held centrally and could only be drawn together to answer this question at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give the date and amount realised for each Government-owned or statutory equivalent company wholly or partially denationalised which raised more than £5 million since the war.

The information requested is not held centrally and could only be drawn together to answer this question at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the EEC have agreed to help the building of an international airport in Grenada, despite the opposition of the USA and what is their attitude towards the proposal.

Grenada has submitted a proposal to the European Community for assistance from the European Development Fund to help to finance the construction of an international airport in Grenada. The Commission's consideration of the proposal is still at an early stage.The United Kingdom has declined to make British bilateral aid funds available for the airport project on the grounds that the economic justification for the project is inadequate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the conclusions of the Geneva Conference on aid to refugees in Africa, convened jointly by the UN High Commission for Refugees and the Organisation of African Unity, attended by 99 nations, and how much the United Kingdom promised towards the £254 million pledged.

The conference was well attended—though the Soviet bloc was absent—at a high level. Its importance was underlined by the chairmanship of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who concluded in his summing-up that the conference had drawn the world's attention to the magnitude of the African refugee problem; had mobilised resources to cover immediate and short-term needs; but that the refugee problem could not be resolved unless the political and economic reasons which created it were effectively dealt with. I am placing a copy of the Secretary-General's concluding statement in the Library of the House.The total pledges should suffice to meet the most pressing needs of refugees in Africa in 1981 and 1982. The United Kingdom's share for disbursement in 1981 is £6·1 million and about £6 million as our share of the European Community pledge. We also indicated our willingness to discuss with recipients of our bilateral aid the financing of infrastructure projects related to refugees.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the estimated cost of the appraisal and resources surveys set up to enable a permanent community to reside on Banaban Island.

The estimated costs of the appraisal and resources surveys are £8,700 and £131,000 respectively.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will help in the development projects recommended by the Resources Survey "designed to improve facilities on Banaban Island", as indicated in their statement when the survey was established.

The provision of financial assistance for any development project on Banaba Island which satisfies normal aid criteria will be considered under our aid programme for the Republic of Kiribati.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What element is included in the rate support grant in respect of the Race Relations Act 1976, and particularly Section 71 of that Act.

No specific provision is made for the general duty imposed by Section 71 of the 1976 Act in calculating the rate support grant. Local authorities are expected to have regard to their responsibilities under the Act in carrying out the whole range of their activities.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, and if so under what conditions, planning permission was granted to the Al-Halal Meat Company to acquire the abattoir formerly used by the Rowley Wholesale Meat Company in Kidderminster for Islamic ritual slaughter for export.

The Al-Halal Meat Company did not require planning permission to use the existing abattoir on lease from the former Rowley Wholesale Meat Company. The company satisfied the local authority that the statutory requirements for the grant of a licence to use the premises for Islamic ritual slaughter would be met.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the study into the conflicting land use problems on the Somerset Levels carried out by Somerset County Council will be published.

Somerset County Council intend to publish their draft planning policies and proposals for the Somerset Levels and Moors early next year. Currently the public are being invited to comment on a report of survey prepared by the county council which sets out the problems of the area and the issues that will need to be considered and resolved.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What has been the total cost to local authorities over five-year periods since 1945 of: (

Local authorities made no significant contribution to these public transport operators before 1970. Such information as is readily available on payments since that date is as follows:

	£million 1980 1970/71–74/75 inclusive	survey prices 1975/76–79/80 inclusive
1. Local authority payments to BR (in England):
(a) capital	not available
(b) current	76	155
2. Local authority payments to NBC (in England and Wales):
(a) capital	Nil	Nil
(b) current	21	156
3. Local authority payments to LTE:
(a) capital	193	424
(b) current	53	496

Because of the approximations involved in revaluation to constant prices over successive years, the figures for the earlier years should be regarded as an indication of orders of magnitude only.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are in a position to make a statement on the Special Report on the Functions of the Council on Tribunals published in January 1980 (Cmnd. 7805).

The Government have given detailed consideration to the Special Report and the Lord Chancellor met the council in January of this year to discuss its recommendations. The report contains a useful analysis of the present work of the council and raises a number of important issues as to their future role. The Government have concluded that, while the council's present contribution is widely recognised as being of considerable value, the case has not been made out for any substantial widening of their powers or functions on the lines proposed in the report's principal recommendations, particularly as this would create additional demands on resources. However, the Government do accept that, as proposed in the report, it would be desirable for the council's entitlement to be consulted about procedural rules for tribunals and inquiries to be restated in clearer and more general terms. The Government also accept that it may often be helpful and appropriate for departments to consult the council about draft primary legislation affecting matters within their field. Although there is no need for a formal code governing consultation between the council and departments, the possibility of introducing informal guidelines should be examined. It is understood that the council are already engaged on preliminary work in connection with such guidelines. The recommendation in the Special Report concerning the council's jurisdiction in Northern Ireland is still under consideration.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many petitions for divorce were filed annually from 1969 to the latest year for which figures are available.

The figures for England and Wales are set out in the table below and include petitions for dissolution and annulment but not petitions for judicial separation.

Year	Petitions filed
1969	61,216
1970	71,661
1971	110,895
1972	110,722
1973	115,946
1974	130,942
1975	139,128
1976	144,814
1977	168,169
1978	163,567
1979	163,861
1980	171,992

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many children under the age of 16 years were named annually in petitions for divorce filed from 1969 to the latest year for which figures are available.

The figures for England and Wales are set out in the table below. These statistics are collected only when decrees are made absolute, and the numbers of decrees absolute for the years from 1969 are therefore also given.

Year	Decrees Absolute	Children Named
1969	51,310	Not available
1970	58,239	71,336
1971	74,437	82,304
1972	119,025	130,903
1973	106,003	126,928
1974	113,500	135,334
1975	120,522	145,096
1976	126,694	152,170
1977	129,053	148,792
1978	143,667	162,655
1979	138,706	155,425
1980	148,185	Not yet available

House adjourned at thirteen minutes before nine o'clock.