asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when last he met representatives of the Scottish animal welfare and conservation bodies.

I have had no recent separate meetings with Scottish animal welfare and conservation bodies, but two of them were represented at a meeting I had on 9th October about the 1978 Orkney seal cull. My officials meet the Scottish bodies regularly to discuss specific topics.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had regarding concessionary fares for retirement pensioners and the disabled; and with what result.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport said on 29th November, we are at present considering the possibility of some form of national concessionary fares scheme. We have not yet formed a final view of what the next steps should be.—[Vol. 959, c. 425-7.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from private property owners complaining that district council planning authorities are granting planning permission to applicants who have no title to the ground, or whose only claim to the ground is a common access passage.

My right hon. Friend has had no such representations recently apart from that to which my hon. Friend drew attention last July.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications he has received for permission for the sale of council houses over the last 12 months; and how many of these have been refused.

In the 12 months ending 30th November 1978, seven formal schemes to sell council houses were submitted. Of these two were approved, two are currently under consideration, one was refused and two were deferred until they could be examined in the light of the authority's 1978 housing plans. An additional 19 authorities sought approval to sell individual or groups of council houses totalling 665. Of these permission was refused for the sale of 239 houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had to resolve anomalies in the pay structure of local authority staffs: and if he will make a statement.

My noble Friend the Minister of State met both sides of the National Joint Councils for Local Authorities Services—Scottish Councils—at the end of July. If any solution to the problem can be found it must be within the normal framework of pay negotiations and within the Government's pay guidelines.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to present a Scottish Education Bill during the current parliamentary Session.

My right hon. Friend will consider doing so, if parliamentary time allows.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the latest situation in the fishing industry.

Despite the difficulties facing the industry, landings in Scotland by British vessels in the first 10 months of this year rose by 7 per cent. compared with those in the same period of 1977: earnings are up by a similar amount. The future prospects of the industry of course depend to a great extent on the outcome of the present negotiations to revise the common fisheries policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the work of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 in Scotland since it came into effect.

My right hon. Friend is reviewing the operation of the Act, in consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities which is consulting other voluntary and statutory organisations working in this field. I will publish statistics relating to this Act from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of future economic activity in Scotland during the next six months.

Economic activity in the United Kingdom has been rising this year and as indicated in the forecasts published by the Treasury last month further expansion is expected during 1979. I expect the Scottish economy to move in line with the United Kingdom pattern.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the present unrest in the Scottish prison service and his intentions regarding the use of special segregation units.

The last institutions where industrial action has been taking place were Perth prison, where staff returned to normal working yesterday, and Barlinnie, where staff returned to normal working today.I have already made it clear that I regard the present unit in Inverness prison as an integral part of the prison system and that in appropriate circumstances I am prepared to authorise the transfer of prisoners there.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the ruling by Sheriff Smith on 16th November granting authority to Glasgow district council to evict two residents in Govan under section 36(1) of the Land Compensation (Scotland) Act 1973, he proposes to seek to amend this Act in order to make clear the rights of tenants.

I am aware of the concern which this case has given and I am keeping the position under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representation he has recently received from members of the Scottish Lime and Limestone Association concerning the sales of lime since the abolition of the lime subsidy.

My right hon. Friend has received representations from two members of the Scottish Lime and Limestone Association about the reduction in the sale of lime in the north-east of Scotland following the termination of the lime subsidy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress is being made in the talks concerning a subsidy for freight to and from Orkney and Shetland.

Good progress has been made in the talks between my Department and the Orkney and Shetland Islands councils.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the percentage decrease in Scottish unemployment when comparing November with October: and what is the percentage increase when comparing November 1978 to October 1974.

Between October and November 1978, total unemployment in Scotland decreased by 1 per cent.. The percentage increase between October 1974 and November 1978 was 107 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what further measures he intends to introduce to reduce unemployment.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment on 9th November. We shall be announcing, in due course, the measures we propose to take for the year which will commence on 1st April 1979.—[Vol. 957, c. 1196-97.]

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will arrange for a copy of the paper prepared by the South of Scotland Electricity Board on the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants to be deposited in the Library.

As far as I know, no paper on decommissioning costs has been published. I shall draw my hon. Friend's interest to the attention of the chairman of the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for the future of Brodie Castle, Morayshire.

I have recently purchased Brodie Castle, its essential contents and associated parklands through the machinery of the National Land Fund. These will be handed over to the National Trust for Scotland to be kept in perpetuity for the nation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about secondary school staffing.

My Department will shortly be publishing a statistical bulletin on pupil and teacher numbers which will show that at the September 1978 school census the overall pupil/teacher ratio in education authority secondary schools was 14·5:1.This is the lowest ratio ever recorded and compares with 14·7: 1 at September 1976 and September 1977. It represents the employment of some 1,500 teachers more than would be required to meet the staffing standards on which policy has been based in recent years—that is, those recommended in the "Red Book ", excluding the probationer allowance.The unemployment statistics for September show that there were 522 persons registered as unemployed who were seeking teaching posts in secondary schools. There is, therefore, an overall supply of secondary teachers sufficient to maintain staffing standards at a better general level than we have ever before experienced.Some authorities, notably Strathclyde, are finding difficulty in recruiting enough specialist teachers of certain subjects, particularly business studies, mathematics, music, physics and technical education. I discussed this matter with the education committee of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on 8th December. The subjects most affected are those to which the colleges of education at my request have given the highest priority in selecting candidates for admission to teacher training over the last few years; and I understand that the colleges have in fact admitted all suitable applicants with the requisite qualifications. Unfortunately, the numbers coming forward for teacher training in these specialisms have not been sufficient to meet the needs of the schools.It may be that the publicity given to the employment difficulties encountered by newly qualified teachers, particularly primary teachers, in recent years has given the mistaken impression that employment opportunities throughout the whole of the secondary sector are restricted. I therefore propose to mount an advertising campaign aimed at publicising the continuing need for teacher recruitment in certain subjects, particularly in Strathclyde. I have asked my Department to explore with Stratclyde officials and with the colleges of education in the region any other measures which might be taken to increase the supply of qualified teachers in the subjects concerned.Over the last few years the allocation of intake quotas to each of the colleges of education has been determined on the basis of the information available to me about the school population in each area and about the colleges from which newly qualified teachers have been recruited by each authority in recent years. It is important, however, that the geographical distribution of intake should so far as possible match the expected future pattern of recruitment. I have therefore asked authorities to provide early estimates of their future staffing needs, so that I can take these into account in considering the arrangements for intake to teacher training courses in session 1979–80.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the policy concerning the issue of work permits for overseas nationals, and any changes he intends to make.

While I do not propose to change the basic conditions of the work permit scheme I want to take this opportunity to say something about them.The present scheme has, since its inception in 1973, been intended to ensure that jobs are available to workers from overseas only if the work demands a professional qualificaion or a skill obtained by substantial training and employment experience, or is specialised work calling for particular knowledge and abilities usually acquired by employment experience; and only if the employment of an overseas worker is necessary.For work which does not meet the occupational ability standards, employers are expected to recruit, and where necessary train, indigenous workers or workers from overseas who have become settled here. For work which does satisfy the occupational requirements, there must also be a genuine need which an overseas worker can meet; and it has to be shown that the overseas worker for whom an application is made has the appropriate professional qualifications, skill or specialised knowledge and ability demanded.The unemployment situation which led to the adoption of these conditions has unhappily worsened and the standards I have described must be very firmly applied in respect of both the job and the overseas worker.In its observations in July this year on the First Report of the Select Committee on Race Relations and Immigration 1977–78, which recommended that permits should be given only in exceptional circumstances, the Government said that in each case a permit was issued only after careful consideration of all the relevant circumstances. One of the most important of these is the availability of suitable workers here for the job in question. It has always been a basic condition for the issue of a permit that there is no such worker available and that the employer has made adequate efforts to find one. I am determined that no employment opportunities should be lost for workers here and that this condition, too, should very clearly be met.I should add that the other conditions of the scheme which have to be satisfied are that the application is made by the employer himself, for a named worker for a specific job ; that the worker is aged between 18 and 54 years, except for resident domestic workers who must be not less than 20 years of age ; and that the wages and conditions of employment offered are not less favourable than those prevailing in the area for similar work.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of numbers of employees engaged in 1977 in the chemical industry, as defined in orders IV and V of the standard industrial classification, in Scotland, England and Wales; and if he will express the figures in percentage terms.

The following table gives the numbers of employees in employment at December 1977 in the orders specified expressed as percentages of those in all industries and services.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many disabled persons are employed by Remploy in Hartlepool.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that Remploy's Hartlepool factory employed 122 severely disabled people as at 10 November 1978, including four severely disabled people on the administrative staff.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, with reference to the joint study being carried out by the Unit for Manpower Studies and the Manpower Services Commission on the potential manpower effects of microelectronic technology over the next five to 10 years, how many people are working on this study and when it began; if they are studying the potential unemployment effects; if a progress report is available; and when the interim and final reports will be available.

The Manpower Study Group on Microelectronics was set up at the beginning of July of this year to co-ordinate the interests of the Department of Employment group in microelectronic technology. Work on this subject had, of course, been going on within the DE group prior to that. The study group itself currently consists of three people, but other parts of the DE group including the Manpower Services Commission and the work research unit are also actively involved. The study group is principally concerned with the potential impact of microelectronic technology upon employment. It will not be producing an interim report, having contributed the results of its own studies to the CPRS report that was made available following the meeting of the NEDC on 6th December. It hopes to produce a further report in the summer of next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received to make 1st May a public holiday rather than holding the May Day public holiday on the first Monday in May.

I have received representations for the bank holiday to be taken on 1st May which I am considering, but at present I have no plans to make changes.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees of British Rail Engineering Ltd. have died of asbestosis over the last 10 years; how many employees have died of asbestos-related cancer; and how many employees are believed to have asbestosis.

I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that he regrets that this information is not readily available but that he intends to write to my hon. Friend shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects the full report of the Asbestos Advisory Committee to be published.

I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission who also chairs the Advisory Committee that the committee is preparing its final report which it hopes to submit to the Health and Safety Commission and Ministers early in 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what recommendations he has received from an inter-departmental commitee established to review all the available evidence relating to the question of compensation for workers suffering from pneumoconiosis, including asbestosis.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 6th November—[Vol. 957, c. 28–29.] The Government are still awaiting the working group's report.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he will announce whether he intends to apply pay policy sanctions against(a)the Labour Party, (b)the Trades Union Congress, and(c)the Transport and General Workers Union in response to staff salary increases which exceed the Government's 5 per cent. limit.

As regards the TUC, I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Chingford (Mr. Tebbit) on 28th November. On the other cases I am awaiting further information.—[Vol. 959, cc. 201–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for Empolyment if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Dover and Deal (Mr. Rees), Official Report, 8th December, column 792, he will publish figures for the number of workers covered in each of the wage council awards over the last two years which were listed in that answer.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) on 12th December 1978. Not all workers covered by wages councils receive the statutory minimum and are directly affected by movements in it: many receive higher pay and better conditions by virtue of voluntary agreements.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for the expansion of community industry.

The scale of community industry is being considered by the Man- power Services Commission and the Government along with special employment measures, and an announcement will be made in due course. However, as an interim measure the Government and the Manpower Services Commission have agreed to raise the ceiling on CI places from 5,500 to 6,500. The management board for CI will be invited to recommend the allocation of the places to particular areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken up to date to secure the release of Major Wigglesworth, a United Kingdom citizen, who was kidnapped some four months ago and is believed to be held by his captors somewhere in Mozambique.

We have made repeated inquiries to the Mozambican authorities and to ZANU about Major Wigglesworth; and we have asked the International Committee of the Red Cross for its assistance on his behalf. We shall continue our efforts to ascertain his whereabouts.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he proposes to take to compensate adequately the Banaban islanders following their forcible evacuation from Banaba to Fiji, taking into account that their home is now uninhabitable after the exploiting of phosphate deposits.

The Banabans, who in 1947 freely voted to make Rabi Island in Fiji their home, have since 1973 received phosphate royalties of over Australian dollars 14 million. To secure their economic future, the British, Australian and New Zealand Governments last year made them an ex-gratia offer of Australian dollars 10 million. The British Phosphate Commissioners also made an offer of Australian dollars 1·25 million. We have invited the Banaban leaders to discuss with us further possibilities of assistance for the Banaban community, particularly in developing Banaba and Rabi Islands.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, and how, the COCOM list of countries to which arms should not be exported for strategic reasons, has been amended since 1950; and if he will initiate a review of the list, and its strategic implications, in the light of world events in the intervening 28 years.

COCOM co-ordinates and unifies such controls on the export of strategic goods to certain countries as may be necessary to safeguard the interests and resources of its member States, in accordance with an informal understanding between them. The understanding itself precludes the disclosure by member States of its precise geographical coverage.Goods subject to the United Kingdom's own domestic export controls, and the countries to which these controls apply, are set out in the Export of Goods Control Order which is periodically reviewed and republished to bring it in line with technological, political and strategic developments. The last review was completed earlier this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of trade between the United Kingdom and the newly industrialisd countries over the five years to the latest convenient date ; and if he will make a statement.

As I told the hon. Member on 24th November, a study on trade in manufactures between the United Kingdom and the newly industrialising countries will soon be made available to the House. I hope that this study will provide the hon. Member with the information he seeks.—[Vol. 958, c. 775.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give a table, showing from the date that the United Kingdom joined the EEC to the latest available date, the difference in value between British exports to the EEC and imports from the EEC.

I have been asked to reply.In accordance with established practice to refer Members to published information where this is readily accessible, I would advise my right hon. Friend that information on the United Kingdom's visible trade with the EEC—annually from 1970 and quarterly from 1976—is given in table 4 of the article "United Kingdom trade in the third quarter of 1978" which appeared in

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in the considerations of the options open for the port of Sunderland.

Following the deputation led by my right hon. Friend earlier in the year and my own visit to the port, I consulted the National Ports Council. In the light of the Council's advice, I wrote to Sunderland borough council in August suggesting it should undertake a detailed assessment of a full range of possible costed options. I understand that the borough council is currently considering the way forward.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish in the Official Reporta table showing the expenditure in England and Wales, and in Scotland for the most recent convenient year on(a)investment in rail rolling stock, (b)investment in the permanent way and(c)Government subsidy to the railway network.

In 1977, investment in track and route structures by British Rail's Scottish region amounted to £18 ·3 million, out of a total of £99 ·4 million for British Rail's whole network. It is not possible to provide figures for Scotland for rolling stock investment or for Government grant, since for these no distinction is made between the Scottish region and the rest of British Rail.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the rate support grant for the curent and the next financial year is calculated as relating to transport expenditure.

Rate support grant is not hypothecated to individual ser vices. It is based on an estimate of the total of local authorities' relevant expenditure. Local transport services in England and Wales account for 10 ·2 per cent, and 10 ·1 per cent. of total relevant expenditure in the rate support grant settlements for 1978–79 and 1979–80 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will name those councils which do not operate concessionary fare schemes, and indicate the average rate income from a 1p rate of those councils compared with the average rate income of a 1p rate of those councils which operate concessionary fare schemes, and those councils which operate half-fare schemes or more;(2) how many councils operate a concessionary fare scheme like the Greater London Council's ; and what the average rate income of a 1p rate is in these councils.

Those district councils which do not operate schemes are listed in the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for West Stirlingshire (Mr. Canavan) on 5th December.—[Vol. 959, c. 647.]Outside London, four metropolitan authorities and four district councils operate schemes providing free bus travel off-peak for people of pensionable age, and make no more than a nominal charge for the concessionary pass. Estimates of penny rate products are included in "Financial General and Rating Statistics" published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Variation in penny rate products should not affect decisions about concessionary fares since the resources element of the rate support grant meets any deficiency in rateable resources below a national standard rateable value per head of population.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department made of the additional police man-hours likely to be involved in completing the more detailed statistical accident returns now required, prior to reaching the decision to issue the relevant multi-page forms.

A steering group, consisting of police representatives, local authority associations, and Government officials, considered both the content and design of the new road accident report form over a period of two years. The group was concerned to collect the minimum amount of essential information for both local and national use, at the same time minimising processing costs and the burden on police officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he plans to include in his future programme for the electrification of British Railways parts of the West Midlands;(2) if he is now able to outline his future programme for the electrification of British Railways.

As I told my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 24th May, a study of the case for a programme of main line electrification is being carried out by a joint steering group of my Department and the British Rail Board. The review is still in progress and decisions must await its completion.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals his Department intends introducing to reduce the level of noise limits for motor cycles and for exercising a more effective control ; and if he will make a statement.

Under the terms of a recently agreed EEC directive, we propose to prescribe more stringent limits for new motor cycles. Allowing for differences in test procedures, these will be about 3dB(A) lower for most categories of cycle than our current limits. Enforcement of limits, both for cycles as new and cycles in use, is primarily a matter for the police, but the exhaust systems of cycles will continue to be checked as part of the MOT test.

asked the Lord Advocate when he plans to visit the courts in Glasgow.

A date has not yet been arranged for my next visit to the courts in Glasgow.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if any recommendations on Civil Service pay emanating from the next report of the Pay Research Unit will be subject to Government guidelines on incomes.

The Civil Service Pay Research Unit's reports are purely factual and do not include recommendations on Civil Service pay. They will provide the basis for negotiations leading to a settlement from 1st April 1979, subject as in the past to national pay policy. For further detail about the unit's work I would refer to the answer I gave on 5th December to the Question from the hon. Member for Cambridge (Mr. Rhodes James).—[Vol. 959, c. 563–64.]

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if the strategic criteria relating to the sale of Harrier aircraft to the People's Republic of China remain as indicated on behalf of Her Majesty's Government by the then Minister of State for Defence in the Adjournment debate on the subject initiated by the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington on 19th December 1975; and if he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's Government's policy on the sale of Harrier aircraft to China is the same as that for other items of military equipment. We are prepared to respond to Chinese interest in British defence equipment taking into account the usual political, strategic and economic criteria and our international obligations. The United Kingdom maintains its commitment to COCOM. COCOM keeps under review the strategic criteria which govern its operations and is concerned to ensure that the criteria continue to reflect current political and economic realities.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the remarks,Official Report, 19th December 1975, column 2028, of the then Minister of State for Defence in the Adjournment debate initiated by the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington on 19th December 1975 on the sale of Harrier aircraft to China, whether he can confirm that he has now received an indication of sufficient interest on behalf of the Chinese Government to justify Her Majesty's Government taking it seriously.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many naval fixed wing pilots are currently serving as pilots with(a)the RAF, (b)the United States forces and (c)other foreign services ; and what types of aircraft they normally fly.

Five RN fixed-wing pilots are currently serving with the RAF and 13 in mixed-manned RAF/RN Squadrons. Seven are serving with the US forces and none with other foreign services. Those serving with the RAF and US forces normally fly Harrier, Buccaneer and Phantom and those in the mixed-manned squadrons normally fly HS125s, Canberras and Bulldogs.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is now able to make a further statement in connection with the extension of the RAF's low-flying training area ; and what action has been, or will be taken to publicise this and advise the public of their rights of legal objections and payments of compensation.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucestershire, West (Mr. Watkinson) on 12th December 1978.—[Vol. 960, c. 149-50.]The Ministry of Defence will examine complaints about low-flying aircraft if the date, time and place of the particular flight are quoted ; it will help greatly if information can also be provided on the number and type of aircraft involved, any markings seen, the direction of flight and the estimated height.If members of the public wish to claim compensation for loss, injury or damage thought to have been caused by military low flying aircraft they should write to the Ministry of Defence Claims Commission, Queen Anne's Chambers, 41 Tothill Street, London, SW1A 9LB. Names of witnesses should be provided and the facts of the incident should be given together with details of the alleged loss, injury or damage. If livestock is involved, veterinary evidence is required and claimants should also consult the National Farmers' Union to obtain details of the procedure which has been agreed with the Claims Commission.—[Vol. 960, c. 149–50.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, during the period since the implementation of the latest pay agreement, by what percentage pay and other emoluments of the National Coal Board staff has increased ; and by what percentage the coal produced by the National Coal Board staff has increased. over the amounts for the equivalent period 12 months earlier.

I am asking the chairman of the National Coal Board to write to the hon. Member on the question of pay and other emoluments. Production of deep-mined coal by the National Coal Board was some 0 ·6 per cent, greater in the period since 1st April 1978, by which date most of the area productivity agreements had been fully implemented, than it was for the corresponding period in 1977, despite the fact that there were 7.000 fewer men in the industry ; and, as noted in the reply to the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke) on 23rd November, there has been a significant further improvement recently.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what support his Department is giving to research into biotechnology; and what steps are being taken to ensure that British companies utilise this research for its major industrial potential in the future.

The Department supports work on the derivation of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels from biological material from waste and crop sources. The commitment is £0 é6 million and is part of the Government's £6 million 4 year R & D programme on solar energy announced in February 1977. At this stage, work consists mainly of detailed assessment studies supported by some experimental work, to determine whether significant quantities of fuel might be economically produced using United Kingdom sources of feed material. It is too early to give detailed consideration to application of the technology.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will indicate the nature and extent of the investigations currently being undertaken by his Department into the potential for the development of oil and petrochemical industries in Scotland.

This is a matter for the Secretary of State for Scotland, whose Department liaises closely with mine and with the Department of Industry on these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is able to give information about the results of the exploratory well drilled by the British Gas Corporation on block 107/21 in Cardigan bay.

The results of drilling by licensees are supplied to me under the terms of the licence and are commercially confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is now in a position to publish the results of his review of the code of practice on payment of domestic electricity and gas bills; and if he will make a statement.

Following the review carried out under my chairmanship, a revision of the code into plain, easier-to-read language has been prepared by the gas and electricity industries, with the full co-operation of their trade unions, the electricity and national gas consumers' councils and the other Government Departments concerned. This revision was assisted by a helpful initiative of the Electricity Consumers' Council in having a simplified version of the code drafted. In addition, a widening of the safeguards for families with young children—by raising the qualifying age from five to 11—has been incorporated. This was among a wide range of suggested changes, received from interested organisations and individuals, which have been examined. Some of these need further consideration and they will be among the issues for the longer-term independent study referred to below.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners currently are serving a sentence for manslaughter.

On 30th June 1978, 632 persons in prison department establishments in England and Wales were serving sentences for "Other homicide or attempted homicide ", which comprises manslaughter, infanticide, child destruction, causing death by dangerous driving and attempted homicide. It is estimated that around two-thirds of them were serving sentences for manslaughter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women were imprisoned for soliciting in the last year for which figures are available.

In 1977, 169 women were received into prison department establishments in England and Wales sentenced to immediate imprisonment or borstal training for offences of soliciting or loitering for prostitution.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average daily population of non-criminal prisoners held under the Immigration Act 1971 so far in 1978.

The average daily population of those held under the Immigration Act 1971 between 1st January and 30th September 1978 was 220.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested under section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1924 in each of the last five years; how many of such people were convicted; how many of such people, in each category, were arrested in the major conurbations; and how these figures compare with the population as a whole.

Information in the form requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number of persons found guilty in England and Wales of certain offences under section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824 is published annually in the "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales "—offence classifications 139, 183, 185, 186 and part of 188 in table 1(a)of the volume for 1977, Cmnd. 7289.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have been or are receiving hormone treatment or other treatments intended to have a similar effect.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 23rd November.—[Vol. 958, cc. 684–85.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what comparisons his Department has made between the cost per week of keeping a man in prison and the cost of keeping him in a secure mental hospital.

Any comparison has to take account of the fact that prisons and secure mental hospitals have different functions. It is estimated that, in the current financial year, the average cost of keeping a man in prison will be about £108 a week and the average cost of keeping a patient in a special hospital £171 a week. Both figures include central administrative charges.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are confined to their cells for periods in excess of 18 hours per day ; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to his Question on 29th November.—[Vol. 959, c. 208.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to equip police forces with better noise level testing facilities to enable them to exercise stricter control in respect of motor cycles suspected of exceeding the statutory noise level limits ; and if he will make a statement.

Police authorities are responsible for the provision of equipment for police purposes in their area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest cost of administering the television licence system and the latest estimate of the loss of revenue through licence evasion; and what advice he has received regarding future costs of administration and evasion.

The cost of administering the television licensing system in the year 1977–78, including the issue of licences, the sale of television licence savings stamps and enforcement work was about £23 million. The latest estimate of evasion is of the order of 1 million licences. An estimate of the annual loss of revenue at the new licence fees is under examination and I will write to my hon. Friend.The cost effectiveness of the present arrangements for collecting television licence fees is closely monitored by a working party on which the Home Office, the Post Office and the BBC are represented. The possibility of improving the methods employed is kept under constant review. A copy of the working party's annual report for the year to 31st March 1978 has been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has received for placing the television licence system on a computer; what is the estimated total cost of such computerisation; and what would be the manpower implications of such a proposal.

The conversion of television licence records to computer working was completed in April 1976.The national television licence records office, part of the Post Office which acts as agent for the Home Office in television licensing matters, makes use of a Post Office computer for its licensing work. Computerisation of the system has resulted in a substantial reduction in manpower and an improvement in efficiency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has received for renewing the fleet of detector vans employed to identify those evading television licences; what would be the total cost of such a proposal ; what is the total cost of detection for the latest year for which figures are available ; which company supplies detector vans ; and who would supply any replacement vehicles.

Work is at present in progress to replace the present fleet of detector vans by the end of 1981 at an estimated total cost of £600,000. The project is at the design stage and tenders have not as yet been sought for supply of the replacement fleet. The existing vans were supplied by Vosper Thornycroft Ltd. The cost in 1977–78 of operating the detector vans was approximately £1 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has reviewed the BBC's formal obligations under its licence and agreement in the light of the introduction of regular parliamentary broadcasts.

Yes. After consultation with the BBC, I have varied the notice under clause 13(4) of the BBC's licence and agreement so that the requirement that the BBC should refrain from sending broadcast matter expressing its own opinions on current affairs and matters of public policy does not apply to its broadcasts of parliamentary or local authority proceedings. The variation of the notice corresponds with the amendment made by section 2 of the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1978 to section 4(2) of the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1973.Copies of the notice of variation have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about television advertising directed at children; and whether he will introduce legislation to protect children from exploitation by promotion and advertising campaigns.

I have received no recent representations on this subject. In October the IBA, which has a statutory responsibility for controlling television advertising, announced the results of its review of the relevant part of its code on advertising standards and practice and, after consultation with my Department, reinforced and clarified its rules as they apply to advertisements directed at children. I see no reason on present information for further action on my part.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the consultations about the report of the working party on the electoral register, to which he referred in his reply on 15th February, have been concluded; and whether he will make a statement.

The report of the working party on the electoral register, published in February, has been the subject of consultations with the local authority associations, electoral registration officers and others concerned. There has been general support for the working party's suggestions relating to improvements in the quality and completeness of the electoral canvass and in relation to the greater use of computers in the compilation and printing of the register. There is also general support for the Working Party's recommendation relating to the power of the electoral registration officer to correct the published register. The working party's recommendation for changes in the qualifying date and publication date for the register has, however, not been supported. Those consulted consider that implementation of this recommendation would lead to severe practical problems, particularly in Scotland.Together with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, I have now considered the working party's report, in the light of the response to these consultations. We accept the working party's recommendations on the electoral canvass and the use of computers. Implementation will largely be a matter for individual electoral registration officers and local authorities. We also accept the recommendation to empower the electoral registration officer to correct the published register, and we shall introduce the necessary legislation when parliamentary time permits. In view of the practical difficulties highlighted by the consultations, we do not propose to introduce legislation to change the qualifying date and publication date for the electoral register; but we think that further consideration could be given to this and to the other matters covered by the working party's report, including the question whether there should again be two registers a year, when there has been an opportunity to measure the effects of the other changes proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is intended to organise a campaign at the next General Election to encourage eligible electors to apply for postal votes; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. There is to be a campaign, based on national newspaper advertisements and television announcements, to encourage eligible electors who have not already done so to apply for postal votes before the last date for the receipt of applications.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrests were made in the Metropolitan Police area between 1976 and the latest convenient date for offences under section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824, by police division and ethnic classification.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 28th November 1978; Vol. 959, c. 129]gave the following information:I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the