asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they propose to make changes in the prices charged by the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service for its commercial services.

My right honourable friend has instructed ADAS that the prices it charges for its commercial services should be adjusted from time to time taking account of changes in costs and the competitive position in the market place as well, of course, as the legal requirement that such charges must be reasonable. The first adjustments will be made from the beginning of the 1988–89 financial year.The most familiar ADAS charges are perhaps those for advice. For these the hourly charge will remain at £28 (plus VAT) for up to two hours of advice, which will help to protect smaller farmers. However, if a contract necessitates over two hours of advisers' time, charges for the excess period over two hours will, from 1st April 1988, be levied at a rate of £30 (plus VAT) per hour.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Who will be responsible for the Horniman Museum and Library Education Centre on the demise of ILEA.

The Government are giving urgent consideration to the most appropriate arrangements to secure the future of the Horniman Museum and Library. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why it was possible to state on 26th January 1981 the number of officials of the rank of Principal and above in the Department of Education and Science with experience of teaching in maintained schools and establishments of further education [H.L. deb., col 621], and why it is now too difficult to do so. [H.L. deb., 23rd February 1988, col. 1193].

It is clear from the 1981 reply that the precise information requested was not readily available then. It is not now either. To produce accurate information would involve a manual search by authorised senior officials through a large number of confidential personal files. I do not think it appropriate to give an impressionistic answer on this occasion.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many remand prisoners escaped from custody while detained in cells in magistrates' courts and police stations in 1986, 1987 and 1988.

I regret that this information is not available for the country as a whole. However, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has provided the following information which relates only to the Metropolitan Police District:—

asked the Leader of the House:What is the authority for the convention enunciated by the Lord Brabazon of Tara in answer to her Starred Question on 17th March, that ministerial replies "should not be longer than 100 words".

The Companion to Standing Orders provides that Question Time should normally be concluded in 20 minutes. In order to comply with the wishes of the House in this regard, the Government have taken the view that ministerial replies should be as succinct as possible. Some years ago, therefore, the Whip's Office instituted a convention that Ministers' replies to questions should not normally exceed 100 words. In addition, the Companion to Standing Orders provides that, where the Minister's answer contains material which is too lengthy or too complicated to be given orally in the House, this may be published in Hansard.Any Member of the House requiring further information at Question Time can, of course, ask supplementary questions. And any Question requiring a long or complicated answer can always be tabled for written, rather than oral, Answer.The convention that Question Time should normally be concluded in 20 minutes has recently been endorsed by the Group on the Working of the House, which also recommended that "to achieve this target both supplementary questions and ministerial replies must be more succinct" (HL Paper 9, p. 13). The recommendations of the group were subsequently endorsed by the Procedure Committee and agreed to by the House on 22nd February. In view of this, I feel sure that the House would wish the Government to continue to be vigilant as regards the length of the initial replies that Ministers give.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the population of Britain is growing, stationary or decreasing.

The population of Great Britain is estimated to be 55.2 million at 30th June 1986 and is currently growing at between 0–2 and 0.3 per cent. per annum.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the numbers of medical staff and administrative staff who were employed in each of the National Health Service regions in 1980 and 1986.

The figures are shown in the table. It can be seen from the England total that, over the period 1980 to 1986, medical and dental staff increased by 7·7 per cent., while the increase for administrative and clerical staff was 5·6 per cent.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the light of recent articles in the press, based on the results of a survey by the Association of British Editors, the Lord Chancellor will comment on the desirability of openness in the proceedings of magistrates' courts, including the possible scope for improved access to the records of such proceedings.

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary and I are concerned about the allegations which have been published recently in the press and the survey on which they are based. It is a well-established principle that, subject to certain exceptions, the administration of justice in this country should take place in open court, to which the public and the press have access, and that any attempt by anyone to circumvent this principle is to be condemned.My right honourable friend and I have arranged for officials of our two departments to meet representatives of the press, the Magistrates' Association and the Justices' Clerks' Society to discuss relations between magistrates' courts and the press relevant to the reporting of proceedings, including access to the records.I should add that, though I am in no position to comment on them, I understand that the details of the cases mentioned in the allegations are not accepted as accurate by the clerks of the courts concerned, and that a complaint has been made to the Press Council.