asked the Lord President of the Council what proportion of an average salary for an assistant secretary in the Civil Service is represented by a Member of Parliament's salary; and how that percentage compares with 1974.

The basic parliamentary salary at the end of November 1974 was 56 per cent. of the average of the minimum and maximum points of the assistant secretary scale. The corresponding figure at the end of November 1978 is 62 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will inquire into the circumstances in which the occupation, that of a family doctor, of an acquitted defendant in a recent rape offence trial at St. Albans Crown court came to be disclosed, mindful of the fact that by virtue of this disclosure there was danger that his identity would also be disclosed.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances the home of the acquitted defendant in the case of Regina v. Carvalho came to be disclosed at Winchester Crown court notwithstanding the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1976 with regard to the anonymity of defendants in rape offence cases; and if he will make a statement.

The defendant in this case was charged with and subsequently acquitted of a number of offences of indecent assault. As this is not a rape offence, as defined in the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1976, the relevant provisions regarding anonymity of defendants in rape offence cases did not apply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will state in tabular form the name of each non-metropolitan district or metropolitan district for which he has received the final proposals for future electoral arrangements from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England between 1st November 1976 and 1st November 1978; and for each of the above, the date on which the proposals were submitted to him and the date, where appropriate, on which he signed each order under section 51(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 giving effect to the proposals;(2) on what date he received the final report from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on its proposals for future electoral arrangements for the district of Barnsley; and on whate date he proposes to make the necessary order under section 51(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 giving effect to the changes involved;(3) on what dates he received the final reports from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on its proposals for future electoral arrangements for the districts of Manchester, Tameside, Oldham, Bury and Sefton, respectively; and on what date he proposes to make the necessary orders under section 51(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 giving effect to the changes involved;(4) on what dates he received the final reports from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on its proposals for future electoral arrangements for the districts of Durham, Sedge-field, and Wear Valley, respectively; and on what date he proposes to make the necessary order under section 51(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 giving effect to the changes involved;(5) on what dates he received the final reports from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on its proposals for future electoral arrangements for the districts of Derby and

NON-METROPOLITAN DISTRICTS
District						Report submitted	Order made
North Hertfordshire	…	…	…	…	…	12th November 1976	10th August 1977
Wear Valley	…	…	…	…	…	12th November 1976
South Norfolk	…	…	…	…	…	26th November 1976	11th February 1977
West Derbyshire	…	…	…	…	…	30th November 1976	7th March 1977
Nuneaton	…	…	…	…	…	8th December 1976	21st April 1977
Melton	…	…	…	…	…	7th January 1977	21st April 1977
Oadby and Wigston	…	…	…	…	…	14th January 1977	20th April 1977
Crawley	…	…	…	…	…	1st February 1977	5th August 1977
Scarborough	…	…	…	…	…	2nd February 1977	2nd June 1977
Stratford-on-Avon	…	…	…	…	…	7th February 1977	6th August 1977
West Devon	…	…	…	…	…	11th February 1977	13th May 1977
Chichester	…	…	…	…	…	16th February 1977	13th May 1977
Purbeck	…	…	…	…	…	3rd March 1977	21st June 1977
Broadland	…	…	…	…	…	4th March 1977	6th August 1977
East Staffordshire	…	…	…	…	…	8th March 1977	21st June 1977
Bromsgrove	…	…	…	…	…	18 March 1977	24th July 1977
Bracknell	…	…	…	…	…	31st March 1977	24th July 1977
Tiverton	…	…	…	…	…	4th April 1977	24th July 1977
Gosport	…	…	…	…	…	21st April 1977	25th October 1978
South Hams	…	…	…	…	…	22nd April 1977	24th July 1977
Norwich	…	…	…	…	…	25th April 1977	24th July 1977
Newcastle-under-Lyme	…	…	…	…	…	4th May 1977
Rutland	…	…	…	…	…	6th May 1977	14th November 1977
High Peak	…	…	…	…	…	9th May 1977	16th November 1977
South Kesteven	…	…	…	…	…	20th May 1977	15th January 1978
Oxford	…	…	…	…	…	24th May 1977	15th November 1977
South Staffordshire	…	…	…	…	…	1st June 1977	5th December 1977
North East Derbyshire	…	…	…	…	…	20th June 1977
North Kesteven	…	…	…	…	…	29th June 1977	6th November 1977
Gravesham	…	…	…	…	…	5th July 1977	16th November 1977
Richmondshire	…	…	…	…	…	8th July 1977	14th October 1977
Durham	…	…	…	…	…	15th July 1977
Erewash	…	…	…	…	…	18th July 1977	30th August 1978
Selby	…	…	…	…	…	29th July 1977	15th January 1978
Derby	…	…	…	…	…	1st August 1977	10th November 1978
Vale of White Horse	…	…	…	…	…	4th August 1977	24th January 1978
Chester	…	…	…	…	…	4th August 1977	24th January 1978
Mid Suffolk	…	…	…	…	…	8th August 1977	15th January 1978
Wyre Forest	…	…	…	…	…	12th August 1977	12th October 1978
Basildon	…	…	…	…	…	16th August 1977	24th January 1978
Penwith	…	…	…	…	…	17th August 1977	18th October 1978
Wychavon	…	…	…	…	…	31st August 1977	15th January 1978
Cherwell	…	…	…	…	…	31st August 1977	9th October 1978
Teignbridge	…	…	…	…	…	20th September 1977	15th January 1978
Adur	…	…	…	…	…	20th September 1977	28th September 1978
Hastings	…	…	…	…	…	7th October 1977	14th March 1978
Chesterfield	…	…	…	…	…	21st October 1977	26th October 1978
Cotswold	…	…	…	…	…	1st November 1977	28th September 1978
St. Albans	…	…	…	…	…	4th November 1977

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will propose legislation to require the organisers of festivals and public demonstrations to accept responsibility for making good or insuring against damage and loss incurred by third parties during the course of such functions.

The responsibility for making good damage should rest with those causing it. Legislation of the kind proposed could encourage those opposed to a demonstration to cause damage with the object of imposing financial burdens on the organisers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the current system of selecting potential jurors; and what involvement his Department has had recently with regard to the carrying out of jury checks.

I am satisfied with the arrangements for the checking of potential jurors set out in the recent statement issued by my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. My Department has no operational involvement in the checking procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the inquiry into the disturbances at Gartree Prison; and if he will be publishing it.

Reports on the riot by the governor of Gartree and the regional director have been received and are being studied. I do not intend to publish them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is now the average time which elapses between an appeal being lodged against the refusal of an entry certificate to an alleged dependant of a resident of the United Kingdom and a hearing taking place before the immigration tribunal; and whether he is proposing to take any steps to reduce that time.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Smith) on 14th November.—[Vol. 958, cc. 136–7.] The Government accept in principle the desirability of reducing delays and the complement of entry clearance officers at Dacca has recently been increased to enable the arrears of explanatory appeal statements there to be more expeditiously dealt with. The staffing of other posts is kept under review. Extra part-time adjudicators are being appointed in Scotland, Leeds and Manchester to ensure the most effective possible use of the hearing facilities there.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to ensure that the names of local radio stations resemble as near as possible the area of their transmissions.

It is not usually necessary for me to intervene in the naming of broadcasting stations, but if the hon. Gentleman has any particular problem in mind I shall be pleased to consider it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of crimes of violence in the Royal borough of Kingston upon Thames in 1978 to the latest available date.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that from January to June 1978 the police in the Royal borough of Kingston upon Thames recorded 76 offences of "assault etc.". These offences cover nearly all indictable offences of violence against the person and certain sexual offences involving violence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider his decision not to see a delegation concerning bad reception of Radio Birmingham.

I am always willing to meet a delegation if that would serve a useful purpose, but I do not think it would do so in this case. The medium wave reception of Radio Birmingham is being considered by the Home Office local radio working party, which was set up following the recent White Paper on broadcasting (Cmnd. 7294). The intention is that a comprehensive frequency plan should be prepared in order to make the most effective use of the frequencies available for local radio, in the context of the planning of the expansion of the BBC and IBA local radio services generally. Detailed assignments of frequencies to new stations, and any necessary revisions to existing assignments, are dependent upon the progress made with this plan. The working party will be considering the prospects for improving BBC Radio Birmingham MF reception and will reach its conclusions as soon as practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he can estimate the percentage of total orders placed by British shipowners for merchant vessels in each of the last 10 years which have been placed with British shipyards.

The information in respect of orders for registration in the United Kingdom is as follows:

	thousand gross registered tons (GRT))
	(a)	(b)	(c)
	Total Orders	United Kingdom yards	(b) as a percentage of (a)
1968	4,206	1,452	3·45
1969	5,473	1,721	31·4
1970	8,113	1,473	18·2
1971	2,862	833	29·1
1972	2,632	599	22·8
1973	6,167	3,737	60·6
1974	1,433	332	23·2
1975	338	44	13·0
1976	499	181	36·3
1977	434	351	80·9
1978*	153	74	48·1
* January to September

Of total orders placed in United Kingdom shipyards over the 10 year period the following proportions were for United Kingdom registration:

			per cent.
1968	…	…	56·6
1969	…	…	81·2
1970	…	…	84·0
1971	…	…	81·1
1972	…	…	73·2
1973	…	…	85·8
1974	…	…	38·5
1975	…	…	60·3
1976	…	…	45·0
1977	…	…	72·4

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he exports to present a Bill providing for company employee directors.

I intend to do so after further consultation on the proposals in the White Paper, Cmnd. 7231.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what is the extent of the United Kingdom's deficit on balance of trade in manufactured goods with EEC countries so far in the current year; what is his estimate of this figure for the whole year; and how this compares with each of the last three years.

Following is the information to date on the current basis of the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom:

	…	Crude Deficit imports valued cif minus exports valued fob) £ million)
1975	…	543
1976	…	463
1977	…	626
January-October 1978	…	1,337
Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics, SITC (Rev 2) Sections 5–8 inclusive.

The crude deficit for 12 months at the rates applying in the period January-October 1978 would be £1,605 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade when he expects to publish the annual report of the Companies Administration Division for the year ended 31st December 1977; and, when it is published, if he will place a copy in the Library.

The annual report on companies in 1977 was laid before the House today and a copy has been placed in the Library. Unfortunately, due to a dispute in Her Majesty's Stationery Office, the report is not available for sale to the public at present.

asked the Secretary of state for Trade what action he has taken in connection with the current negotiations over duty-free quotas for imported paper products to ensure adherence to the undertaking given by the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) to the Fourth Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments on Wednesday 15th February.

I said to the Committee that the representations I had heard would weigh heavily with me when considering the 1979 duty-free quotas, but I also stated that I could not undertake that there would be no increases next year. Although the United Kingdom paper-making industry is still facing considerable difficulties, there has been a slight improvement in output and capacity utilisation in the past year. In the current consultations, the Government have sought as in previous years to maintain a fair balance between the interests of the British user industries and the aspirations of the EFTA countries under the free trade agreements. Any increases granted will be restricted to quotas where United Kingdom users have a strong interest and where, in the Government's view, there would be no more than insignificant effects on United Kingdom manufacturers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make arrangements to ensure that wages councils properly consider the effects of any awards made in 1978–79 on prices, employment and the competitiveness of the businesses concerned.

Wages councils are independent bodies and I have no power to direct them as to how they carry on their negotiations. All councils have, however, been supplied with copies of the White Paper "Winning the Battle Against Inflation", Cmnd. 7293.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department will investigate the effects on prices, employment and competitiveness of awards by wages councils which are significantly in excess of the Government's pay guide-lines.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what annual rate of inflation is represented by the month- to-month increases in the retail price index in each of the last six months and what annual rates are represented by the three monthly increases over the period.

The information is given in the following table:

PERCENTAGE INCREASES IN THE RETAIL PRICES INDEX EXPRESSED AS ANNUAL RATES
	Change over 1 month	Change over 3 months
1978—
May	7·6	11·1
June	10·4	11·7
July	4·8	8·0
August	8·9	7·8
September	5·3	6·2
October	4·8	6·2

Changes over short periods of this kind are liable to be volatile and susceptible to seasonal influences and may not be reliable indicators of the underlying trends.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what occupational groups have received smaller increases in salary than Members of Parliament since 31st December 1973; and what percentage of the labour force they represent.

I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, if he will publish in suitable form an explanation of the law on picketing for the guidance of those involved and the police.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 21st November 1978], gave the following reply:I have no plans at present to publish a guide to the law on picketing.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many teachers who successfully completed their training during the last three years have been unable to secure employment as teachers up to the present time.

I have been asked to reply. Information is not available in the form requested. What I am able to say is that of the 5,094 teachers registered in England and Wales in September 1978 as seeking their first teaching appointment, only 435, or just over 8 per cent., had been so registered one year earlier.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development when it is expected that funds will be made available to extend the airfield runway on the Falkland Islands.

It remains the case that the Government will at the appropriate moment commission the preliminary studies on an airport enlargement. However, the existing airport has been in operation for only a year and is adequate for such traffic as can be foreseen at present.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what is the amount of Government aid to States abroad and the percentage tied to the purchase of British goods and services.

In 1977 official development assistance under our bilateral aid programme totalled some £309 million, of which 80·3 per cent. was fully or partly tied to the purchase of British goods and services. £205 million of aid was provided through multilateral channels, where such tying is not possible.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what is the amount of Government aid to India and the percentage tied to the purchase of British goods and services, excluding ships.

In the calendar year 1977 —the latest 12-month period for which figures are available—£79·845 million was spent, 84·2 per cent. of which was spent on British goods and services. There was no expenditure on ships in 1977.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development what assistance is being given by the United Kingdom to developing countries to enable them to gather news and information from the world at large without total dependence on agencies controlled and financed within the Western world on the one hand or the Communist bloc on the other.

Assistance is provided both under the aid programme and by the BBC and other non-governmental institutions and foundations, in the form of professional training for those working in the media, and support for broadcasting services.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he is satisfied with the progress on the policy on prices set out in paragraph 27 of the White Paper, Command Paper No. 7293.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate she has made of the numbers and nationalities of migrant children in the United Kingdom who will be entitled to be taught in the language of their mother tongue after 1981; and what will be the approximate cost to the education authorities.

Information about the nationalities or ethnic origins of pupils has not been included in the annual collection of educational statistics since 1972, and no reliable estimate can be made of future numbers of migrant pupils in this country. Such pupils do not have an automatic entitlement to be taught in their mother tongue, though an EEC directive on the education of children of migrant workers upholds the promotion of the teaching of mother tongue and culture. I do not envisage any significant increase in local authority expenditure arising from that directive.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many young teachers have to date secured employment which has been made available through the early retirement scheme.

My Department has so far authorised 890 applications for accrued superannuation benefits as a result of premature retirement. Some 60 per cent. of these were on grounds of redundancy which left no vacancy to be filled. The remaining 40 per cent. were in the structural interests of the education service and it is presumed that the intention was to introduce younger teachers, but detailed information as to how the resultant vacancies have been filled is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the average age of teachers in employment in 1963, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1975 and 1977.

The average age of full-time qualified teachers employed in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England and Wales at 31st March in the years stated was as follows:

1963	39·8
1966	39·6
1969	38·6
1972	37·7
1975	37·2
1977	(provisional)37·6

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will make it her policy to increase the proportion of arts expenditure devoted to the Northern region.

The distribution of its grant in aid is for the Arts Council to decide.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what was the outcome of the Council of Ministers (Agriculture) meeting in Brussels on 20th and 21st November.

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary and I attended a meeting of the Council of Ministers (Agriculture) in Brussels on 20th and 21st November.I raised in the Council the intended sale of 20,000 tonnes of fresh butter to the USSR with the benefit of export restrictions which would cost the Community £20 million. The Commission agreed with me that this sale further demonstrated the need to tackle the problem of the EEC milk surplus and to look into the arrangements for the pre-fixation of export restitutions which are an important factor in such large special sales.I reminded the Commission of its promises to consider changes in the co-efficients through which monetary compensatory amounts are applied to imports of bacon and other products processed from pigmeat. The Commission told the Council that a reduction in these co-efficients, which will be of benefit to United Kingdom producers and processors, would be proposed very shortly.The Council discussed further a package of proposals for changes in the EEC arrangements for wine but no points of substance were decided.The major outstanding points on olive oil were agreed in principle and the question seems likely to be finally settled when the Council meets in December.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken by the United Kingdom to approach the EEC to bring about a ban on all vessels taking salmon by nets in the vicinity of estuaries.

We do not consider that such a ban would be justified at the present time.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest world prices of sugar, cheese, butter, beef, bacon, pork, chicken, eggs, wheat, barley and maize, the present EEC levies on United Kingdom imports, and the full levy payable if monetary compensatory amounts were abolished.

The information requested is given in the table. The world or third country offer prices are those implied by the EEC Commission's calculation of common import levies on 6th November 1978. As explained previously, these prices are often for small, unrepresentative lots offered at EEC frontiers and do not represent prices at which sub-

IMPLIED THIRD COUNTRY OFFER PRICES, CURRENT NET UNITED KINGDOM LEVIES AND UNITED KINGDOM LEVIES ASSUMING DEVALUATION OF THE GREENPOUND TO PARTY—MONDAY 6TH NOVEMBER 1978
Commodity		Unit		Third Counry offer price	Current net United Kingdm levy	United Kingdom levy assuming devaluation of Green pound to parity
				£	£	£
Raw sugar	…	Tonne	…	106	123	183
Cheddar cheese	…	Tonne	…	393	1,081	1,460
Butter	…	Tonne	…	502	1,170	1,649
Beef (live animals)	…	100 kilogrammes	…	52	32	52
Pigmeat	…	100 kilogrammes	…	57	13	32
Poultry meat	…	Tonne	…	705	140	194
Eggs	…	100 kilogrammes	…	34	35	42
Common wheat	…	Tonne	…	70	40	67
Barley	…	Tonne	…	52	48	72
Maize	…	Tonne	…	58	42	66

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much skimmed milk powder, butter, beef and cereals, respectively, were held in intervention stores throughout the European Economic Community at the latest date for which figures are available; and how much of these products were held in intervention stores in the United Kingdom.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Mr. Gould) on 20th November.—[Vol. 958, c. 452.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes taking to maximise the assistance given to farmers of marginal land within the limits of the European less favoured areas directive.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Cardigan (Mr. Howells) on 16th November.—[Vol. 958, c. 296–97.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he proposes to take

Hon. Members will have seen reports of an initiative to get the Cyprus talks re-started. Press reports have so far talked of a United States initiative. In fact the British Government have been closely involved. We have worked with the United States and other interested Governments since July. The suggestions which have recently been made to the parties to the Cyprus dispute have the full support of the British Government and contain a substantial British input. Canada is also involved. I have conveyed directly and through the appropriate British representatives, to the various parties to the dispute my belief that the suggestions provide a sound basis for resuming the inter-communal talks under the aegis of Dr. Waldheim, putting real substance into them and driving forward to a definitive solution to the Cyprus question. I urge all concerned not to miss this opportunity to restore peace and prosperity to Cyprus and stability to the Eastern Mediterranean.Our partners of the Nine have been informed of the part which Britain has been playing together with the United States, and I am confident we shall have their support. The United Kingdom will continue to take every opportunity to help the parties to the dispute to find the way forward which they have for so long failed to find by themselves. But we remain convinced that the solution has to be negotiated by the parties themselves and cannot in any way be imposed from outside.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the state of diplomatic relations between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the USSR.

The Government seek a stable and constructive relationship with the USSR, within which we can promote British interests both in the field of international security and arms control and in trade. We also seek to develop better contacts and exchanges of information between the peoples of the two countries as provided for in the Helsinki Final Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the current state of negotiations between the contact group of the five Western démarche powers and South Africa over independence for South-West Africa (Namibia).

Following the visit which I and the other Foreign Ministers of the Five made to Windhoek and Pretoria in October the United Nations Secretary-General and the South African Foreign Minister will be holding discussions in New York on the 27th of November. I hope that this will result in further progress towards the independence of Nambia following the holding of United Nations supervised elections, next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present situation with regard to Her Majesty's Government's efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement in Namibia; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Melton (Mr. Latham).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he will now propose in the Security Council to enforce the United Nations plan for free elections and independence for Namibia.

The Secretary-General is expected to meet the South African Foreign Minister in New York on 27th November. I hope their discussions will result in further progress towards independence in Namibia following the holding of United Nations supervised elections next year. Until we know the outcome of those discussions, further Security Council action would not be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will seek to obtain guarantees of freedom of movement and access to Soviet citizens for visitors to Moscow for the 1978 olympics, in accordance with the Helsinki agreement.

The Government will continue to seek the full implementation by the Soviet Union and other signatory States of the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, including those which relate to freer movement and contact between peoples and to the promotion of tourism, at the time of the Olympic Games and at all other times.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has supplied to the Secretary-General of the United Nations about stand-by capacities and logistics of the United Kingdom for an improved peace-keeping potential for a United Nations emergency force.

My right hon. Friend announced the revised United Kingdom commitment to United Nations peacekeeping in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 27th September. A copy of the aide memoire formally notifying the Secretary-General of this has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit the United Nations Assembly.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the monitoring of the United Nations mandatory arms embargo on South Africa.

The monitoring of the arms embargo is a matter for the United Nations committee established by Security Council resolution 421, adopted on 9th December 1977. My right hon. Friend is satisfied with these arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further consideration he has given to the issue of the death penalty in British colonies, dependent territories and associated States.

The question of whether dependent territories should be allowed to retain capital punishment raises complex issues. It remains the Government's intention to seek Parliament's views in due course. The associated States are fully responsible for their own internal affairs and the question of intervention by the British Government does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to visit the Shah of Iran.

I have no immediate plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to meet the Shah of Iran.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further action is proposed to bring about majority rule in Rhodesia.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now consider sending a senior British diplomat to take up permanent residence in Salisbury, Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the strength and status of the mission of the United Kingdom Government in Salisbury, Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any proposals concerning British Government representation in Rhodesia; and if he will make a statement.

I will send representatives to talk to the parties in Salisbury and elsewhere whenever this seems appropriate, but I have no immediate plans for anyone to take up permanent residence.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to meet the Foreign Ministers of the Central Treaty Organisation countries in the near future.

My right hon. Friend is due to meet his colleagues in CENTO at the next annual meeting of the ministerial Committtee which will be held in Washington on 18th and 19th April 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of peace negotiations in the Middle East, following the Camp David agreement, in so far as the interest of Her Majesty's Government is concerned.

The Government remain committed to a comprehensive peace settlement based upon Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. Such a settlement will have to take account of the rights of all the peoples of the area. Within this context we very much hope that the negotiations currently in progress between Egypt and Israel will lead to a peace treaty between them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement of the Government's policy in reference to the negotiations arising from the Camp David meetings.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Nelson).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the situation in the Middle East.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Nelson).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to seek to visit the Middle East.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on arms sales to China.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will advise Her Majesty to cancel her proposed visit to Iran.

No. The Queen's visit in the spring to southern Iran—for two days —is part of a general tour of the area. The programme is under continuous review, and final decisions will be taken in the light of all the circumstances at the time.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs it he will make a statement on relations between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Iran.

I have nothing to add to my statement to the House on 6th November.—[Vol. 957. c. 504.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the arrangements for protecting British interests in Iran and particularly the safety of British nationals in Iran.

Yes. Our embassy in Tehran is watching the situation carefully. All British nationals in Iran have been advised to register with our consulate and to remain in contact.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guarantees he has been given by the Zambian Government that missiles supplied to that country by Her Majesty's Government will not be used against civilian airliners in Zambian or Rhodesian airspace.

As my right hon. Friend made clear in his statement to the House on 2nd November, the Zambian Government have assured us that the equipment we are supplying will be used for no other purpose than the defence of Zambia, and the air defence equipment will safeguard the integrity of the capital. Lusaka.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response has been made by the British Government to the latest proposals made by the Warsaw Pact countries at the Vienna talks on mutual and balanced force reductions.

We wish to see progress in the negotiations and, with our Allies, we have therefore welcomed the Eastern proposals of June as a definite move towards the Western position. However, disagreement remains on the size of the disparity between the forces of East and West in Central Europe. It is to resolve this problem that current efforts in Vienna are being directed. Any Western moves on substance are of course a matter for decision within the Alliance.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit Pakistan.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now give the most likely date for the granting of independence to St. Lucia.

The British Government are considering whether to recommend to Parliament the termination by Order in Council of St. Lucia's status of association with the United Kingdom. If they decide to do so, they will consider with the St. Lucia Government, in the light of the time required for the necessary legislative procedures, what date should be proposed for independence.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of St. Lucia about independence for the island.

Following an initial approach by the St. Lucia Government in 1975 and a series of discussions with both parties since then, a constitutional conference attended by Government and opposition delegations from St. Lucia was held in July 1978. The Government are now considering their response to the resolution passed by the St. Lucia House of Assembly on 24th October requesting the termination by Order in Council of St. Lucia's status of association with the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the progress towards the independence of St. Lucia, West Indies; what representations he has received from within the island criticising the present situation; and if he will make a statement.

The British Government are considering their response to the resolution passed without a division by the St. Lucia House of Assembly on 24th October requesting the termination of St. Lucia's status of association with the United Kingdom. A letter has been received from the leader of the St. Lucia Opposition: it will be taken into account in the Government's consideration of this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on British relations with Nicaragua.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier this afternoon to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South-West (Mrs. Wise).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many protests he has received in respect of imprisonment and maltreatment on the grounds of Christian belief of Mr. Peter Peters, now in a Russian prison; and if, in the context of human rights, he has made any protest to the Soviet Government.

My right hon. Friend has received a number of copies of a bulletin on the persecution of Christians in the USSR which mentioned Mr. Peters' case. He has not made representations to the Soviet Government specifically about this case but has made clear the Government's concern about the treatment of religious believers in the Soviet Union.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to meet the Foreign Minister of Iran.

I met Mr. Afshar in New York recently during the United Nations General Assembly. I have no plans for a further meeting during the rest of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to give full diplomatic recognition to the apostolic delegate from the Holy See.

The United Kingdom has accorded full diplomatic recognition to the Holy See for many years. While the Holy See is represented in London by an apostolic delegate who is not a diplomatic agent, the United Kingdom is of course represented at the Holy See by a legation headed by a minister. This matter is kept under regular review.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends next to meet the Turkish Foreign Secretary.