asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they hold files or other information that cast doubts upon the war-time behaviour of Dr. Kurt Waldheim; and if so, why no objections were raised when Dr. Waldheim was a candidate for the post of Secretary General of the United Nations.

Public records relating to the years prior to 1956 are with very few exceptions, available at the Public Record Office. Certain categories of document have been withheld from public inspection with the approval of the Lord Chancellor. It is not the practice to disclose any part of the contents of such records.Since 1986 we have received information about allegations concerning the wartime behaviour of Dr. Kurt Waldheim. We view any such allegations seriously and have conducted a thorough examination of official records to see whether they could be substantiated. The examination revealed no evidence of criminal activity on the part of Dr. Waldheim. We remain ready to look carefully at any new evidence.At the time of Dr. Waldheim's candidature for the post of Secretary General of the United Nations, there was no speculation about his wartime behaviour.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are discussing with other governments the possibility of using GLORIA (geological long range inclined ASDIC) to survey the continental shelf in the Arctic region, and if so, which.

There have been no government-to-government discussions of the use of GLORIA in the Arctic.In accordance with their agreement with the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences which developed GLORIA, Marconi Underwater Systems Ltd. has built its own system and is now actively marketing GLORIA services. Marconi receives the advice and support of government services available to British industry and exports in the usual way.The Natural Environment Research Council is now just over halfway through its project using GLORIA with the United States Geological Survey to map the United States exclusive economic zone, with remaining work to be done in Alaska and the Hawaiian chain.GLORIA is also being deployed during some of the marine scientific research cruises undertaken by the NERC-owned vessel, the RRS

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to publish Green or White Papers on the proposed privatisation of the electricity generation and supply industry, and. if so, when.

No.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the recent decision of Somerset County Council to refuse planning permission for further nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point.

The CEGB submitted an application to the Secretary of State for Energy for his consent to construct a pressurised water reactor at Hinkley Point 'C' on 28th August 1987.The relevant local planning authorities have submitted objections to this application and the Secretary of State will therefore be calling a public inquiry into the application. The Secretary of State will announce, in due course, details of the inquiry. and will issue, in advance of it, a statement of' the matters which seem to him relevant to his consideration of the application.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Department of Trade and Industry inquiry into Milbury Investments plc has now been completed, and, if so, whether and when they propose to publish the report.

The Inspectors' report on Milbury plc has been received and will be published as soon as the Secretary of State is satisfied that publication will not prejudice other possible action.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many prisoners were (

On 11th October 12,578 prisoners in England and Wales were held two to a cell and 5,082 were held three to a cell in cells designed for single occupancy.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many new prisons are currently under construction and what is the average cost, per potential occupant, of building these prisons.

At present there are six new prisons under construction. The average cost per potential occupant of constructing these prisons is £69,200.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the estimated cost of building each of the 26 new prisons which have been or are to be opened between 1983 and 1995.

The available information estimated on construction costs of new prisons is as follows:—

Name of new prison	Estimated cost(£)
Wayland	20,000,000
Stocken	15,400,000
Thorn Cross	11,800,000
Full Sutton	33,100,000
Littlehey	26,900,000
Mount	24,300,000
Swaleside	27,400,000
Garth	37,000,000
Brinsford	26,100,000
Whitemoor	30,100,000
Bullingdon	38,600,000
Woolwich	85,400,000
Swaleside II	49,800,000
Lindholme II	44,800,000
Milton Keynes	48,800,000
Lancaster Farms	27,800,000

Estimated costs for the balance of 10 prisons cannot be given because decisions have yet to be taken on the size and design, and in some cases also the site.The cost at Wayland, Stoken and Thorn Cross is the actual price paid. The remainder are at third quarter 1987 prices.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the Home Office research study of sentencing in the Crown Court will be (

The first draft of the report is nearly complete and I hope the final report will be ready for publicaton next year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the current Home Office research study of remands in custody includes an examination of the way different courts interpret the criteria contained in the Bail Act 1976.

Our research was designed to investigate apparent differences in the rate of custodial remands in different areas. Some of the information gathered should throw light on the way the provisions of the Bail Act 1976 interpreted.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What additional forms of welfare are available to recipients of old age pensions in the United Kingdom; and how this pension compares with additional benefits for old age pensioners in other member states of the EC.

Depending on their circumstances, people over pension age may be entitled to a range of other social security benefits in addition to retirement pensions. The most widely received are housing benefit, supplementary pension, attendance allowance and mobility allowance. Benefits in kind are also available through local authority personal social services for those with particular needs—e.g., home helps, meals on wheels, day centres. In addition, many pensioners benefit from concessionary travel on trains and buses.Detailed information on the full range of additional benefits and services for elderly people in other member states of the European Community is not readily available, since in many cases assistance varies according to regional or local discretion. In terms of total support for the elderly, including state and occupational pensions and other benefits and forms of assistance, the United Kingdom spent a higher share of gross domestic product than any other European Community member state except Denmark and France at the latest date (1983) for which full information is available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How old age pensions in the United Kingdom compare with those in other EC countries, and whether they will publish a table showing the value of old age pensions in each member state in the EC.

It is not possible to make a valid comparison between the value of retirement pensions in the United Kingdom and those in other European Community member states because of substantial differences in the structure of pension schemes and in the nature and extent of other support available to elderly people in different states. Most state pension schemes in other European Community member states are related to individuals' own earnings and there are thus considerable variations in the levels of pensions actually received within countries. Information on the calculation of retirement pensions in EC member states is set out in the publication Tables of Social Benefit Systems in the European Communities, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether consideration is being given to establishing postgraduate dental centres in all regions equivalent to the Eastman Institute of Dental Surgery in London.

We have no plans to establish additional postgraduate dental centres. Each regional health authority in England and Wales has a postgraduate dean who is responsible for organising and arranging postgraduate courses for dental practitioners in his area. Similar arrangements exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that there is a case for establishing a "conventional armaments" planning system for NATO.

Yes. Such a system would provide a better planning framework within which to analyse longer term armament goals and to address them in a coherent conventional armaments plan. The issues both of principle and of detail are to be considered by the North Atlantic Council.