asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the Home Secretary in his statement on 13th April referring to the riots in Brixton, in which he paid tribute to the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade, omitted any mention of the British Transport Police.

My right honourable friend is certainly aware of the commendable contribution made by the British Transport Police, and many other services, during the Brixton disturbances. The Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade were paid special tribute by my right honourable friend because of the extent of their involvement in dealing with the disturbances and the fact that men from both these services were injured while performing their duties.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will announce the results of their review of statistical services.

The Government have today published a White Paper on the results of the review of Government statistical services. At the same time the full range of background reports is being made publicly available by the Ministers concerned.The Government aim to make savings of £25 million a year in statistical costs by 1984 and to reduce the number of posts involved by about 2,500. Businesses will be relieved of the burden of three-quarters of a million statistical returns. These savings will be achieved mainly as a reuslt of careful and detailed reviews carried out in each department over the last year by Ministers and their staff, with the help of Sir Derek Rayner. The Government's statistical effort will remain a substantial one, employing 6,500 staff and costing £75 million a year. The essential statistical services will continue and their management will be stronger. The reviews are consistent with the Government's policies for achieving a smaller Civil Service concentrating on the efficient performance of essential tasks.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Al Halal Meat Company, which has acquired a slaughterhouse in Kidderminster, is registered under the Companies Acts and, if so, who are the directors, and whether they are of British or Commonwealth nationality.

A company named Al Halal Meats Limited was incorporated under the Companies Acts 1948 to 1976 as a limited company on 9th February 1979, registered number 1414041, and I assume that this is the company which the noble Lord has in mind. The registered office address is 208 Keighley Road, Bradford, BD9 4JZ. The Directors are:

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they anticipate the Civil Aviation Authority will publish the statement of its licensing policy required by Section 13 of the Civil Aviation Act 1980.

I am informed that publication took place today, in the authority's official record. For the convenience of your Lordships' House, I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade will be making an order appointing 22nd May as the date on which the relevant new provisions of the Act regarding licensing will come into force.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to make any changes in the restrictions on night flights at Heathrow and Gatwick as a result of the research into the relationship between aircraft noise and sleep disturbance.

The report of the research carried out by the Civil Aviation Authority's Directorate of Operational Research and Analysis, published last year, shed some useful light on how much people's sleep was affected by aircraft noise. However, its findings were not sufficiently conclusive to justify any major change in the present restrictions on night flying at Heathrow and Gatwick. I have therefore decided that the progressive rundown in noisy movements—which the research showed caused most of the disturbance—should continue, as planned, each year reaching zero by 1987.No departures of such aircraft may be scheduled at Heathrow after 23.30, but in summer a very small sub-quota is already available for noisier aircraft which are unavoidably delayed. It will be maintained at the present level of 90 during 1982 and 1983, then at 60 for the three remaining years, and may be used only by noise-certificated aircraft scheduled to depart before 22.30 hours.Quotas for the quieter aircraft announced in 1978 increase in size each year by the same number of movements as the noisier quotas decrease, the total number of movements remaining constant. Although the research suggested that a modest increase in these quotas would not increase the degree of disturbance, for the larger jet aircraft the evidence was not very conclusive. I do not at present believe that this warrants any acceleration in the rate of increase for quieter aircraft. But I will wish to undertake a further review of the restrictons on quieter flights when most of the noisier movements have been phased out.The evidence showed, however, that very little disturbance was caused by single- and twin-engined propeller-driven aircraft, or the smaller noise-certificated jets with a maximum take-off weight not exceeding 25,000 lbs (the small executive jet). So I have decided to exempt these types of aircraft from restriction and to make a compensating reduction in the quotas for other quiet aircraft from 1st November 1981. The effect of this is to reduce the annual quotas for such aircraft by 100 at Heathrow and by 2,300 at Gatwick.The majority of people interviewed during the research favoured no change in the present length of night restriction periods, and I am leaving them unaltered. A difficult balance has to be struck between the objective of reducing the disturbance caused by night flights, and imposing unreasonable restrictions on those who depend for their livelihood on the air transport industry, as well as the passengers it carries.These arrangements will produce a steady improvement in the noise climate round Heathrow and Gatwick. Noise levels will be regularly monitored, and I shall reconsider the exemptions if the expected improvement is not sustained. Noise limits on aircraft taking off will be strictly enforced, and the number of movements which infringe them will be deducted from the quota for the following season.Even when the noisier aircraft can no longer operate, some people living close to the airports will still be subjected to comparatively high levels of aircraft noise. To help them I am improving the noise insulation grant scheme for the two airports. When these schemes were introduced on 1st April 1980 the grants were intended to cover the full costs of insulating all eligible rooms. The schemes were designed to be as flexible as possible, but limits were set on the cost of the insulation work involved. Price increases over the past year have made these limits inadequate. After consultation with the British Airports Authority, who finance and operate the scheme, I have decided that the cost limits should be adjusted to ensure that the schemes continue to fulfil the purpose for which they were intended. Orders which will bring these higher levels of grant into effect from 1st June will be laid before the House on 1st May.House adjourned at twenty-nine minutes past nine o'clock.