asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the approximate number of candidates expected to take the new Certificates of Extended Education (CEE) in the summer; what publications outline the scope and purpose of this new examination and on what basis of consultation it was introduced.

The Schools Council's proposals for a Certificate of Extended Education (CEE) were put forward to the then Secretary of State for Education and Science in May 1976. The council had consulted its member bodies in formulating these proposals and had invited comments from a wider range of educational interests; a series of consultative meetings had also been held with further education interests, the CBI and TUC. A copy of a report on CEE from the council's Joint Examinations Sub-Committee is available in the Library.Experimental CEE pilot schemes have been operating in a number of schools in England and Wales since 1973. Information is not available on the number of pupils taking the pilot schemes this year; about 25,000 did so in 1977.A decision on whether to introduce this new examination will not be made until a review has been undertaken of these pilot schemes and other courses and examinations for those for whom the CEE is intended. The membership and terms of reference of a group to carry out this review were announced by my right hon. Friend in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Price) on 11th April.—[Vol. 947, c. 397.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Huddersfield, West on 8th November 1976, she will make a further statement on the policy of the Medical Research Council on support for research into migraine.

The Medical Research Council is fully aware of the problems experienced by migraine sufferers and considers that it can best contribute to knowledge in the field of research into migraine, for which there is no precise definition, by continued concentration on the physiology and pharmacology of the cerebral circulation. The council is also supporting studies of monamines, prostaglandins and vascular reactivity which, while not specific to migraine, may well yield valuable information in relation to the condition. In the absence of any new leads, the council sees little prospect of taking further scientific initiative itself but it will keep the situation under review. It welcomes and will give sympathetic consideration to applications for support for research relating to migraine. It is represented at meetings of the Migraine Trust's Medical Advisory Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether any local education authority in England provides Welsh-language medium education for children of Welsh-speaking families.

This information is not collected by my Department. Any decision to provide education in a particular school through a language other than English would be for the local education authority and school concerned

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in view of the fact that a new means test for free school transport will exacerbate the poverty trap, she will take into account the effects of this upon work incentives before she comes to any decision.

Yes. My right hon. Friend is well aware of the poverty trap aspects of means-tested benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the net cost to public funds of providing school meals in 1977–78; what is the planned net cost for 1978–79, 1979–80. 1980–81 and 1981–82; and how much of the total net cost in each of the years specified is accounted for by the cost of providing free meals (a) to qualifying pupils and (b) to teachers and school meals' staff.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he has given to giving district councils in the urban areas of the southern part of Wales the powers in the Inner Urban Areas Bill by declaring them inner city partnership or programmes areas.

My right hon. and learned Friend has this matter under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of the total housing allocation for England and Wales Wales received in 1978–79; and what is his estimate of the proportion of new houses to be built in England and Wales during the next 10 years that is needed in Wales.

Wales received 5·43 per cent. of the total housing allocation for England and Wales. I am unable to speculate about the total number of houses to be built in England and Wales in the next 10 years.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest est- imate of the number of unfit houses in Wales; and what proportion of the total number of Welsh houses this represents.

From the 1976 Welsh house condition survey it is estimated that there were 100,000 unfit dwellings in Wales. This represented 9·8 per cent. of the total housing stock at that time.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total of grants made to the Council of Museums in Wales in the years 1976–77 and 1977–78.

£30,000 in 1976–77 and £40,000 in 1977–78.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the actual allocation to Wales in 1978–79 under the housing investment programme and what would have been the allocation according to need showing £ million at provisional outturn prices.

The housing investment programme basis for allocations does not come into effect until 1st April 1979. The allocations for 1978–79 were based on bids, and amounted to £77·5 million for local authority investment and £22·8 million for improvement grants and local authority lending at provisional out-turn prices. The local authority investment allocation appears sufficient to enable all authorities to carry out in full the programmes contained in the bids.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out the Government's plans for the creation of new markets for United Kingdom-produced coal, indicating the various time-scales within which it is proposed to achieve the objectives concerned and the extent to which it is proposed to seek financial or other forms of support from the EEC; and if he will provide comparable information for each of the other eight member States of the EEC.

It is primarily for the National Coal Board to find markets for the coal it produces and in this it has our full support and encouragement. In particular we have tabled a Bill which will enable the coal-burning power station Drax B to be constructed earlier than would otherwise be the case, we are considering proposals for a 2,000 MW cross-channel electricity link which would permit the export of coal-generated electricity, and we are supporting proposals for a Community scheme to promote additional intra-Community sales of power station coal and other Commission initiatives. In the much longer term new demands can be expected from the transport fuel, chemical feedstock and substitute natural gas markets, and we shall shortly be publishing a report from the tripartite working party on R & D recommending the development of technologies related to these markets. It is not for me to comment on action which the Community Governments may be taking.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what recent progress has been made in participation negotiations with companies involved in North Sea oil development.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9th March 1978; Vol. 945, c. 771], gave the following further information:I have signed today definitive participation agreements with the British National Oil Corporation and the Montrose Group, comprising Amoco, Amerada Hess and Texas Eastern.Memoranda of principles were signed with the companies on 29th April 1977 on the basis that the companies would be financially neither better nor worse off as a result of participation. The agreements implement the memoranda and give effect to Her Majesty's Government's policy of securing majority State participation in the companies' interests in commercial fields discovered under pre-fifth round licences.The agreement signed with Amoco UK Petroleum Limited and Amoco (UK) Exploration Company covers Amoco's interests in the Montrose Field and all commercial fields under other pre-fifth round licences.The agreements signed with Amerada Exploration Limited and Amerada Petroleum Corporation of the United Kingdom Limited and Texas Eastern (UK) Limited and North Sea, Inc. cover the interests of Amerada Hess and Texas Eastern in the Montrose Field.The agreements with the Montrose Group provide for BNOC to acquire at market price up to 29·2 per cent.—taking acount of the BGC interest of 30·77 per cent.—of each company's share of petroleum from the Montrose Field, subject to certain sale-back arrangements in the case of Amoco; they also provide BNOC with rights to information and an effective voice with specific voting rights. Provision has been made for BNOC to participate in Amoco's other interests in future commercial fields.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the number of tons of participation oil made available to the British National Oil Company from the Scottish sector of the North Sea as a result of participation agreements entered into as a consequence of the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-Lines Act 1975 and what has been the benefit to the British National Oil Company and the United Kingdom from oil so claimed and delivered.

The exercise of its options over crude oil from the United Kingdom Continental Shelf is in the first instance a matter for the Corporation's commercial judgment though naturally my Department is consulted as appropriate. I shall ask the Corporation's chairman to write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list in the Official Report those National Coal Board investment projects in Scotland which have received EEC loans under Article 54 of the ECSC Treaty; and what percentage of the total capital sum made available to the National Coal Board in the United Kingdom this represents.

The NCB received Article 54 loans from the ECSC of $46·12 million in February 1976 and $20 million in April 1978. These were related to groups of projects in various coalfields which included two projects in Scotland, Longannet—Bogside—and Seafield—Francescollieries, though the amount related to them cannot be separately identified and, in consequence, neither can its relationship to total United Kingdom investment. The Board has also received loans against its total purchases of underground mobile mining machinery and powered roof supports, some of which have been delivered to Scottish collieries.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out in tabular form the latest forward plans for installed nuclear electric capacity in the United Kingdom in 1985 and 2000, respectively; and if he will provide the comparable figures for each of the other eight member States of the EEC.

The latest estimate of net installed nuclear capacity in the United Kingdom in 1985 is 9·4 GW. Apart from the orders announced on 25th January we cannot at this stage be sure to what extent we shall wish to employ additional nuclear capacity in the period up to 2000. However, the Green Paper on energy policy (Cmnd 7101), on assumptions there specified, envisages a maximum installed nuclear capacity in the United Kingdom of some 40 GW in 2000. The actual figure could be below that.The most recent figures available for the other eight member States of the EEC for 1985 are contained in the joint report by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency entitled "Uranium Resources, Production and Demand"—December 1977—a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Comparable figures for 2000 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he will make regulations under the Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971 concerning the provision and examination of firefighting equipment on offshore installations on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf.

I laid the Offshore Installations (Fire-fighting Equipment) Regulations 1978, which come into operation on 1st April 1979, before the House today.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are regarded by his Department as the premium uses of electricity as a form of energy; and what installed capacity would be required to satisfy them in the United Kingdom at present levels of consumption.

It is not practicable to define premium uses for electricity. Apart from those uses for which there is no available substitute, it will depend upon the particular needs and circumstances of individual consumers.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has considered the benefits of labelling appliances with their energy consumption.

I am considering a report made to the Department by the Consumers' Association and have made arrangements for it to be published today and for a copy of the report to be placed in the Library of the House. I shall welcome comments on it by organisations and individuals.My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection has also asked the chairmen of the consumer councils of the nationalised fuel industries to consider this subject and make their recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make available the working documents amplifying the Anglo-American proposals for a Rhodesian settlement which he circulated to the parties to the dispute in February of the current year.

I have today made arrangements for the working documents, which were circulated to the Patriotic Front, the United African National Council, the African National Council (Sithole) and the Rhodesian Front at the beginning of February this year, to be placed in the Library of the House In keeping with the policy of greater disclosure of departmental documents have also taken steps to make them publicly available.The documents are:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider the making of an exgratia payment of compensation to the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole for the period of years that he spent in unlawful detention at the hands of the illegal Rhodesian regime, but conditional upon Mr. Sithole's resigning from the newly constituted illegal governing council in Rhodesia.

It is not the Government's policy to accept responsibility for the actions of the illegal regime.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many persons are now known by Her Majesty's Government to have been released from detention by the illegal regime in Rhodesia during the last six months; what periods of detention are known to have been served by these persons and what representations have been made to the illegal regime regarding compensation for their illegal detention.

According to the statement issued in Salisbury on 2nd May, over 700 detainees have been released, dividual cases. Nor have we discussed tion about the terms of detention in individual case. Nor have we discussed compensation with the regime.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he now proposes taking to prevent individual's obtaining a passport by submitting the birth certificate of someone long since dead and then assuming that person's identity.

No further practical safeguards seem possible. There is no central record of deaths. For a standard 10-year passport safeguard is provided by verification of identity by a professional person's countersignature. Such a requirement for British visitor's passports would destroy the principle that they should be obtainable with minimum formality on a while-you-wait basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of persons, employed as accredited diplomats, and locally engaged, respectively, at the following embassies in London: the United States of America, the USSR, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, France, West Germany, and the German Democratic Republic.

The totals of home-based staff—both diplomatic and non-diplomatic—notified to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as at 2nd May 1978 are as follows:

the latest information supplied separately for revenue purposes that the following locally-engaged staff are employed:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ask the Indonesian Government to undertake that eight Hawk ground attack/trainer aircraft sold to the Government will not be used against the people of West Papua, New Guinea.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any provision has been made in relation to the contract of sale of eight Hawk ground attack/trainer aircraft to Indonesia to prevent their being used in actions against West Papua, New Guinea; and if he will make a statement.

My hon. Friends' Questions relate to the Indonesian province of West Irian. On the general question of arms sales, I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens) on 24th April.—[Vol. 948, c. 521–2]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he withdrew the British Ambassador to Chile; and when he proposes to appoint a replacement.

The last British ambassador to Chile was withdrawn on 30th December 1975 as a protest over the treatment of Dr. Sheila Cassidy, and was later assigned to other duties. My right hon. Friend continues to keep the position under review, but he has no intention of appointing a replacement at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in the dis- pute between audio-typists and the Government of Hong Kong whether an independent arbitrator has yet been appointed; if so, whom; and if he will make a statement.

Nearly three-quarters of the staff involved have accepted the Government's terms. No arbitrator has been appointed. My right hon. Friend's officials remain in correspondence with the Hong Kong Government over the issues in dispute.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much and what proportion in percentage terms of the total official aid budget was taken up in administrative costs (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the recipient countries so far as the Diplomatic Service and the British Council, respectively, were concerned in the latest full year for which figures are available.

The Diplomatic Service spent £136,000 in 1976–77 on aid administration in the United Kingdom, equivalent to 0·03 per cent. of the official aid programme. The cost in recipient countries was £1,257,000 equivalent to 0·24 per cent. of the aid programme. Administration charges for programmes wholly funded by the Ministry of Overseas Development and executed by the British Council in 1976–77 totalled £4,215,000 or 0·79 per cent. of official aid. These costs exclude the Ministry of Overseas Development's general grant in support of the Council's core budget covering its aid and cultural activities. It is not possible to divide administrative costs between those arising in the United Kingdom and in recipient countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for the security situation in Latin America to the proposed supply of British-designed frigates to Argentina.

In any sale of warships there are several years between the award of a contract and the delivery of a first ship, and many years until completion. It is therefore impossible to make a statement now on the implications for the security situation in Latin America at the time of completion of such a contract.

asked the Prime Minister if he will seek to pay a visit to Ocean Island in the Pacific.

I have no plans to visit Ocean Island.

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Leigh-on-Sea.

I have at present no plans to visit Leigh-on-Sea.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the CBI and TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the TUC and CBI.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 25th April.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the TUC.

I refer my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Thomas) on 25th April.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the CBI.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale (Mr. Noble) on 7th February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his public engagements for Thursday 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for Thursday 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for Thursday 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for Thursday 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will state his public engagements for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official appointments for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his public engagements for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 4th May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 4th May.

I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Members to the reply which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Mr. Loyden).

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a transcript of his remarks on Yorkshire Television on 16th April 1978 on the subject of the national economy.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a transcript of his remarks on Yorkshire Television on 16th April 1978, on the subject of the national economy.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a transcript of his remarks on the economy made on Yorkshire Television on 16th April 1978.

I did so on 3rd May.

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Welwyn Garden City.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what he expects to place on the agenda for the next meeting of EEC Heads of Government.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Rost) on 17th April.

asked the Prime Minister if he has any plans to visit Selly Oak in the near future.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to pay an official visit to the United States of America.

I shall be visiting the United States for the North Atlantic Council Meeting on 30th and 31st May and the United Nations Special Session on Disarmament on 2nd June.

asked the Prime Minister if he will seek to address the United Nations General Assembly.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East (Mr. Lamond) on 16th March.

asked the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit Rhodesia.

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

asked the Prime Minister if, in view of recent events, he will take steps to abolish the Central Policy Review Staff.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston, North (Mr. Atkins) on 14th March.

asked the Prime Minister when he expects to be able to make an official visit to Merseyside.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now repeat his invitation to the right hon. Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) to discuss immigration with him.

My proposal of 14th February, that there should be talks between the leaders of the three parties to see whether a national approach to immigration and race relations can be evolved, still stands.

asked the Prime Minister which Ministers are responsible for matters concerning radiation hazards in places of employment, in medical institutions, in the environment generally and in aircraft and on board ships.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 2nd May 1978; Vol. 949, c. 40], gave the following information:In relation to radiation hazards in the environment generally, detailed ministerial responsibilities are as follows: in England the Secretary of State for the Environment is responsible for registering users of radioactive substances and for controlling the disposal of radioactive waste; he exercises this function jointly with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for licensed nuclear sites and United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority premises. In Scotland and Wales similar responsibilities are exercised by the respective Secretaries of State. The Secretaries of State for the Environment, Scotland and Wales are jointly responsible for radioactive waste management policy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of the immigrants detained in prison for illegal entry, together with a list showing the period for which they have been detained, and their nationalities.

Apart from those awaiting trial or serving sentences of imprisonment, there were on 19th April 102 people detained in prison as illegal entrants under the authority of an immigration officer. Fifty-four had been detained for one month or less; 22, for two months or less; 14, for three months or less; six, for four months or less; and six for more than four months, the longest period being almost 11 months.Following are the details:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Deparatment how many illegal immigrants were deported during the last 12 months.

In 1977, 496 persons were removed as illegal immigrants, and 125 persons who had entered lawfuly were deported for overstaying or failing to observe their conditions. A further 560 were deported after being convicted of various criminal offences—including overstaying—and recommended for deportation by a court.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about illegal immigration.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement that I made on 6th April.—[Vol. 947, cc. 647–8.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had concerning the age of criminal responsibility.

There has been no substantial volume of representations since the age of criminal responsibility was raised in 1963 from eight years to 10 years. Certain hon. Members have made representations. Some have suggested lowering the age and some raising the age.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children between the ages of 10 and 16 years were convicted or cautioned for indictable offences in the Metropolitan Police area in 1977; and how this figure compares in percentage terms with 1976.

The latest available information is for 1976, when there were 20,166 persons aged 10 and under 17 found guilty of or cautioned for indictable offences in the Metropolitan Police area; this represented an increase of 4 per cent. over the corresponding figure for 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Office if he is satisfied with the strength of the Home Office licensing systems for experiments on live animals.

There has recently been a small increase in the complement of inspectors and some strengthening of the supporting staff. My right hon. Friend will continue to keep staffing levels under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received and from whom on the reform of the Official Secrets Act.

Apart from the advice offered to me by parliamentary colleagues and in the Press, I have received representations during this year from some local trade union and Labour Party bodies, and a few individuals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to publish his White Paper on the reform of the Official Secrets Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to issue his White Paper on the reform of the Official Secrets Act.

I intend to publish a White Paper before the recess.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy towards the proposal of the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire on the legalising of prostitution; and if he will make a statement.

The chief constable has made no proposal to us, but prostitution is not itself illegal. The criminal law deals with the activities of prostitutes and those who organise them. We have no proposals for amending that part of the law pending the outcome of the general review of the law on sexual offences which is being undertaken by the Criminal Law Revision Committee and the Policy Advisory Committee on Sexual Offences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has had further discussions with the Chief Constable of West Mercia about additional manpower requirements in the area.

I am glad to say that agreement has been reached with the West Mercia Police Authority on a restructuring of the force. We have further agreed that the establishment should be increased by 163, to include the supervisory posts needed to introduce the new structure by 1st January next and to improve supervision generally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recommendations he makes to police constabularies on the length of service required by police officers before they are entitled to purchase their own property; and why.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects next to meet the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

I meet the Commissioner regularly. I met him last week and have no immediate plans for a further meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next intends to meet the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to a Question by the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Neubert).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of sentence being served by prisoners convicted of indictable offences; and what were the corresponding figures 10 and 20 years ago, respectively.

The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the average effective sentence of those sentenced to imprisonment who were received into prison in 1976 was 18 months. The corresponding figures for 1966 and 1956 were 12 months and 11 months respectively. These figures exclude those received into prison in default of payment of a fine.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he remains satisfied with the regulations governing the rights of prisoners to petition the Home Office, in the light of the evidence sent to him by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Garston.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which other EEC countries citizens are required to carry identity cards.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to a Question by the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) on 14th April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the powers of the Commission for Racial Equality in the light of the Circular No. 1/78 issued by the National Union of Journalists and the National Graphical Association to their members in January 1978.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he now has any proposals to change the law relating to suicide.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State gave to a Question by him on 6th April.—[Vol. 947, c. 161.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received a request from Greater Manchester police for the establishment of police officers to be increased; and what answer he has given.

No such request has been received from the police authority.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further discussions he has had with the chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority concerning the manner and timing of consultations with the public prior to decisions being made in respect of new contracts for independent television companies after 1981.

My noble Friend the Minister of State and my right hon. Friend have met the chairman and members of the Independent Broadcasting Authority on several occasions since the publication of the Annan Committee's Report on the future of broadcasting. The Committee's recommendations concerning public consultations in connection with the award of programme contracts, and the Authority's comments on these recommendations, have been among the matters discussed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has made an estimate of the annual cost of censoring prisoners' mail in terms of prison officers' salaries and in man-hours.

No. The officers concerned are not engaged on censorship alone; they also take part in other duties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters he has received since 8th April on immigration policy.

In the two weeks ending 22nd April the Department received about 90 letters from hon. Members and members of the public on the subject of immigration policy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will name those constituencies in England and Wales which now have more than 90,000 electors, and draw the attention of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission to the need for a special review of their boundaries at the earliest possible date;(2) in view of the fact that the Huntingdonshire constituency now has 93,000 electors spread over 370 square miles, whether he will ask the Boundary Commissioners to hold a special review.

Such constituencies on the 1977 register may be identified from table 3 of "Electoral Statistics 1977" published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. Figures for the 1978 register will be published in May or June in a monitor by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.The Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England commenced a general review of constituencies in 1976. Both the English Commission and the Commission for Wales are required to report on their general reviews between 1979 and 1984.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the pre-release hostel system was introduced in Her Majesty's prisons; what were the selection criteria for hostellers at that time; and in what way the selection criteria have now been revised following recommendations of Lord Mountbatten's report.

The hostel scheme started in 1953 at Bristol. There were no fixed selection criteria at that time, but the selection was based on the combined work record, conduct and prospects of those eligible.The Mountbatten Report made no recommendations for revising selection criteria.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bodies control the fire service recruitment for the purpose of meeting the 42-hour week requirements, pay and conditions of service, and standards of fire cover and techniques.

Recruitment to the fire service is a matter for individual fire authorities, who are required under Section 1 of the Fire Services Act 1947 to make provision for fire-fighting purposes and, in particular, to maintain a brigade of sufficient strength to meet efficiently all normal requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what aid his Department offers to victims of crime.

My right hon. Friend shares with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland responsibility for the general working of the criminal injuries compensation scheme under which compensation may be paid from Government funds where an applicant has sustained personal injury directly attributable to a crime of violence. In 1976–77, £9,677,389 was paid in compensation under the scheme. The Board is responsible for its own decisions in individual cases. No other form of direct aid to the victims of crime is provided by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish the quarterly figures for the last two years of those who have applied to become patrials and those who have been registered as such and separately the corresponding figures of those who are of Bangladesh, Indian or Pakistan origin.

A person is patrial if he meets the requirements of Section 2 of the Immigration Act 1971. The questions of application and registration do not arise. My right hon. Friend may, however, have in mind persons who are citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies by registration or naturalisation in the United Kingdom and so patrial by virtue of Section 2(1)(a) of the Act, and I shall write to him with the available information as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made since his announcement of 8th Decemeber 1977 of discussions on research into alternative systems instead of the use of animals in toxicity testing and hazard evaluation.

My right hon. Friend said that he was satisfied with the co-ordination that existed among the relevant Departments and that efforts would be directed to moving towards alternatives as quickly as possible. To this end I have agreed to make available my Department's channels of communication with licensees under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 for a Government exhortation to consider alternative methods in appropriate cases. The Departments concerned are considering what else may be done.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many living animals were used to test cosmetics and toiletries during 1976 and 1977.

Figures for 1976 are not available. This information is being collected for 1977 and will be published later in the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funds the Government have made available in the current financial year to support voluntary community and social work in Oldham and Kirklees.

Central Government made available an estimated £46·5 million in 1977–78 for the support of a wide variety of voluntary organisations in the field of community and social work. Much of this money was for organisations whose work is on a national scale and it is not possible to identify the funds which are available to a particular locality.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will bring forward legislation to make comprehensive provision for zoos and safari parks.

We have no proposals for Government legislation; I understand that discussions are taking place among the organisations representing these establishments with a view to the preparation of a Bill for introduction by a private Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce measures to facilitate the validation of signatures of persons appearing as proposers, seconders or assentors on nomination papers relating to parliamentary and municipal elections.

No. I do not consider that the present arrangements, under which the returning officer at a parliamentary or local government election must satisfy himself as to the validity of a nomination paper, need to be supplemented in the way proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the nationality of the person whom he advised not to be entitled to seek election in Harrow at the forthcoming local government elections; and whether that person's name appears on the electoral register.

The person concerned claims the status of a British protected person. As such, he would not be entitled to stand for election or to vote, although I understand that his name does appear on the electoral register for the London borough of Harrow.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the exact nature, tonnage and different categories of imports

Details of timber and relevant articles of wood imported from Portugal are given in the tables below. Fencing timber is not separately distinguished in the Overseas Trade Statistics, and palletboards are identifiable only to a limited extent. Imports of timber from Portugal are only among a number of factors influencing domestic prices and no precise estimate of their effect can be given.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on his policy on the production of accounting standards; and, in particular, which of the following systems he prefers (a) the present system of production and enforcement on the part of the accountancy bodies; (b) a mixed system of production on the part of the accountancy bodies combined with enforcement through amended companies' legislation, and (c) a system of production and enforcement by means of companies' legislation.

The present policy will continue and will be reviewed as necessary in the light of the Accounting Standards Committee's current review of its own constitution and functions.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the percentage increase in volume and value terms in textile and clothing imports between 1969 and 1976; and if he will make a statement.

Following is the available information for imports of textiles and textile clothing: