asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the number and proportion of members of the Parole Board who belong to ethnic minority groups.

Of 67 Parole Board members, five (7.5 per cent) belong to ethnic minority groups. There are 814 independent members and 550 board of visitor members of local review committees of whom 47 (5.7 per cent.) and 30 (5.4 per cent.) respectively belong to ethnic minority groups. Existing arrangements for appointing members to these bodies are designed to ensure that the ethnic minorities are well represented on them, but, in the case of the local review committees, the geographical location of some establishments inhibits recruitment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many guard dogs are currently employed in security arrangements at HM Prisons compared with 12 months ago, and whether there are any plans to increase their future use.Whether, if the use of guard dogs continues to be an integral part of the security provisions at HM Prisons, there is any intention to reduce the number of dogs employed, and whether implementation of the Fresh Start proposals at any prison establishment will lead to a reduction in the number of dogs used, or in the security arrangements contingent on the use of dogs.

Dog patrols will continue to play an integral role in security arrangements at selected establishments as hitherto. The complement of patrol dogs was 326 on 30th September 1986 and 345 on 30th September 1987. There are no plans at present to change their numbers significantly. Fresh Start arrangements have now been implemented at more than half the establishments. In none of these has the complement of patrol dogs been reduced. In some there has been a small increase.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether when considering possible changes in the control of firearms they will take into account the proposals in the Green Paper of May 1973 (Cmnd. 5279) presented by the then Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Scotland, designed to improve the provisions of the 1968 Act.

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary intensified his examination of firearms controls following the tragic events at Hungerford and his main conclusions concerning the measures which need to be taken were announced in his speech at the Police Superintendents' Association Conference on 22nd September, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. A number of related issues are still under consideration and a further announcement will be made shortly. The proposals outlined in the 1973 Green Paper which have a bearing on the aims of the current review have been fully considered.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the next stage of consultation will commence on the regulations and code of practice to be introduced under the Consumer Protection Act 1987.

We are at present engaged in informal discussions with the major interested parties, including the Concordat, on which most of the major interested parties are represented. Wider public consultation will commence later this year, as soon as the informal discussions are completed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the consideration of the situation arising from the proposed amalgamation of British Airways and British Caledonian Airways will include the steps necessary to secure the continuance of competition in respect of air services between the United Kingdom and Western Europe.

The proposed acquisition of British Caledonian by British Airways is currently being investigated by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. I have the power to prevent the merger or impose conditions on it only if the Commission conclude that it would operate against the public interest. In considering a merger proposal the Monopolies and Mergers Commission must take into account all matters which appear to them in the circumstances to be relevant. Section 84(1) of the Fair Trading Act also requires them to take into account a number of specific factors, including the desirability of maintaining and promoting both competition in the United Kingdom, and competitve activity in markets outside the United Kingdom by producers of goods and suppliers of goods and services in the United Kingdom.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they can confirm, as was suggested in the

The Government support the IAEA's OSART missions. A formal invitation has been extended to the agency for an OSART to visit the UK. Details are under discussion.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many complaints they have received about the industrial pricing of gas.

The Office of Fair Trading is responsible for monitoring competition in this market, and I understand that they have received a number of representations. The Secretary of State for Energy has received four letters on this subject during this Parliament.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have received the second report from the Priorities Board for Research and Development.

The Priorities Board for Research and Development in Agriculture and Food has submitted its second report to the Agriculture Ministers and to the chairman of the Agricultural and Food Research Council. We greatly appreciate the work which Sir Kenneth Durham and the members of the board have put into their report.The report gives advice to the sponsors about future resource allocations and priorities for the publicly-funded agricultural and food R&D effort as a whole. It also discusses a number of matters related to the R&D programme. The board considers that the allocations suggested in its first report remain generally appropriate, but it recommends an increase in the percentage allocation of resources to the nonfood crops sector. This reflects the board's view of the importance of diversification in agriculture and, in particular, of farm forestry as an alternative enterprise. The increased allocation is intended to allow for a larger programme in this area.The sponsors are agreed that, subject to a full consideration of the resource implications, the recommendations should guide the allocation of resources to the future research and development programme. Discussions will be held between the sponsors to plan the implementation of the recommendations. The sponsors have also agreed that the report should be published. This is now being arranged and advance copies are being placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assistance has been given to charities to meet the expenses entailed in the distribution of surplus EC food; and whether any of the charities concerned has suffered financial loss as a result of this exercise.

Community-funded payments were made for the cost of repackaging butter released from intervention stores and for transport of butter and beef from stores to charities' own distribution points. For milk and milk products, which were purchased from commercial sources, charities were able to reclaim the full price of the product delivered to these points. As the Government made clear at the outset of the scheme to representatives of the charities, neither Community nor national funds are available for the costs of final distribution to recipients. I understand that all charities concerned incurred costs of this sort.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What conditions and circumstances are required for the restoration of direct diplomatic relations with Argentina.

Argentina's failure to declare a formal cessation of hostilities remains an obstacle to the restoration of full diplomatic relations. We believe that the normalisation of commercial, cultural and other links should proceed in tandem with any progressive upgrading of consular and other official relations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have taken steps to ensure that a serious dispute regarding the diplomatic status of a foreign national is less likely to occur in London than in Paris.

The diplomatic status of an individual depends upon whether he or she has been validly appointed as a member of the staff of a diplomatic mission. We announced in the 1985 White Paper on Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges that we had revised and strengthened our requirements and procedures on the notification of such staff. Missions are well aware of these. Disputes are rare and would, if need be, have to be resolved in the courts.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they plan to introduce and enforce a ban on street and pavement car parking on main roads in London.

Parking is already banned on pavements in London unless specifically exempted. Other parking restrictions on main roads must take account of local circumstances.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have plans to introduce and enforce a ban on van delivery during daytime hours on main roads in London.

We have no plans for such measures on trunk roads. It is for London boroughs to decide on traffic management measures on their own roads.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the current investigations into the killing of Mr. Antony Hughes at Loughgall on 8th May 1987 will be completed and whether they will establish an independent inquiry under a legally qualified Chairman into all the deaths at Loughgall on 8th May 1987.

The investigation into the circumstances of the incident at Loughgall on 8th May 1987 is a matter for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. He will report the result of the police inquiries to the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland. It is then for the director to decide whether any further action is necessary.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why road deaths in Northern Ireland of child pedestrians under 10 years of age were twice as high in 1984 (per 100,000 population) as in the Republic of Ireland, and substantially higher than in any other Western European country; what plans they have for improving this situation; and in particular what new play-areas and equipped playgrounds will be provided in the next three years, and where.

The statistics available at the departments of the environment for Northern Ireland indicate that the child pedestrian death rate in the under 10 age group per 100,000 total population during 1984 was 0.896 compared to 0.876 for the Republic of Ireland. The reason why this NI child pedestrian death rate was higher during 1984 than in some Western European countries, including the Republic of Ireland, is not known.A considerable effort to improve the situation has been made since 1973. The Department remains committed to a co-ordinated programme of traffic education in schools and colleges, road safety advertising and publicity campaigns, vehicle and driver testing, road and building maintenance, traffic management and accident remedial schemes. The overall child pedestrian death rate per 100,000 total population has been reduced from 2.99 in 1973 to 0.96 in 1985.There are currently plants to provide play areas and playgrounds at the following primary schools: