asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is satisfied with the hairdressing facilities for patients in the Royal Scottish national hospital, Larbert.

I am satisfied with the action the health board has recently taken to improve hairdressing facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by name the police forces which have methods of computer storage and retrieval of criminal information that are compatible with methods of national record keeping and give for each such force the capital expenditure and the annual expenditure for the longest period possible.

In Scotland, only Tayside police keeps criminal and offence records—but not criminal intelligence—on computer. There is no direct link with any other police record system but the method of classification used is compatible with that in general use elsewhere.The facilities used by Tayside police are rented from Tayside regional council and annual rental costs since local government reorganisation are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the police forces which have systems for command and control schemes based on the use of computers which help in handling requests for assistance from the public, aid dispatch of personnel and equipment, record, monitor and store such information for management purposes, stating for each force the capital costs and the annual expenditure for the longest period possible and whether such schemes are operational or in the process of being installed.

The only police force in Scotland to have a full and operational command and control system is Strathclyde. The total cost of bringing the system into operation was £835,000—including a substantial element of research and development expenditure—and running costs were £44,000, £49,000 and £56,000—estimated—in 1976–77, 1977–78 and 1978–79, respectively.Broadly equivalent facilities are currently being provided for Tayside police at a capital cost of £78,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the income from rates, and rate support grant, respectively, of each region, respectively, in Scotland for the last financial year.

The information is given in the table below:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will express the current level of defence expenditure in terms of amount per head of population.

The 1978–79 defence budget of £6,972 million at 1978 survey prices represents £125 per head of population.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether he will give a list of formal undertakings given to him by manufacturers and others to hold their prices

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for extending the area of operation of the Development Board for Rural Wales;

I set out below details of formal undertakings so far given to my right hon. Friend following recommendations by the Price Commission in reports made under the provisions of the Price Commission Act 1977.and, if so, when, and over what additional rural districts.

It is too early to consider changes in the Board's area of operation. The Board should be allowed time to consolidate the success so far achieved in its present area.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will circulate in the Official Report the details of the methods by which 54,000 council houses are to be sold off in Northern Ireland, and indicate the total savings per year which it is estimated these sales of council houses will mean for public expenditure, local and national.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government continue to pay Rhodesian civil service pensions; and, if so, by what statutory authority they are paid.

The British Government have never paid the pensions of civil servants in the service of the Government of Southern Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Turkish Government regarding Greek-Cypriot citizens still missing after the Turkish invasion; and whether he will press, on humanitarian grounds, for information to be provided to their families through the Red Cross or United Nations authorities.

The Government continue to believe that a general political settlement, for which we are actively working, would be the best context in which to resolve humanitarian problems, including that of the fate of missing persons.The Turkish authorities have repeatedly stated that they have no knowledge of Greek-Cypriot citizens missing following the events of 1974. It is unfortunate that the parties concerned have so far failed to reach agreement on the modalities of an investigating committee to tackle this humanitarian issue.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether arms have been sold or authorised to be sold by Her Majesty's Government to E1 Salvador during the past 12 months.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in view of the attacks in recent weeks on villages in Somalia by Ethiopian aircraft, Her Majesty's Government will now reconsider their refusal to provide defensive military equipment to Somalia as already requested on two occasions by President Siad Barre.

The Government favour a peaceful negotiated settlement to the dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia. In present circumstances it is not Government policy to supply arms to either side. We hope that both parties will exercise restraint.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what educational facilities are provided for mentally handicapped persons in adult training centres in the Greater Manchester metropolitan districts.

Although much of the work of adult training centres could be regarded as educational in the broadest sense, I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to services provided by local education authorities. Their teachers take classes in the adult training centres in Salford and the possibility of local education authority involvement is under discussion in four other districts. In six districts some trainees attend adult or further education classes run by the local education authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps his Department has taken to inform general practitioners of the dangers of distalgesic, in the light of the fact that this drug is still being widely prescribed.

Distalgesic is available only on prescription from a doctor, who will have regard to the needs of the individual patient in prescribing it. Information on contra-indications, warnings and the management of overdosage is given in the data sheet provided for doctors by the manufacturers. The Committee on Safety of Medicines has recently been giving consideration to the dangers of overdosage with Distalgesic and will remind doctors of these in the next edition of its publication, "Current Problems", which will be issued to all doctors and dentists shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further steps he will take to warn general practitioners of the dangers of prescribing clofibrate in the light of the recent trial showing an increased incidence in liver intestinal and gall bladder disease.

As my right hon. Friend said in the reply to the right hon. Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Jenkin) on 15 January, an item on the benefits and risks of treatment with clofibrate will be included in the next edition of the Committee on Safety of Medicines' publication, "Current Problems", shortly to be issued to all doctors in the United Kingdom.—[Vol. 960, c. 624–5.] This will draw attention to the recent trials, which have already been widely publicised in the medical journals. Arrangements have been made for warnings in manufacturers' data sheets to be strengthened to emphasise the increased incidence of gall stones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many prosecutions there have been in each of the past five years for theft of claimants' order books.

Prosecutions in respect of Department of Health and Social Security benefit order book offences are undertaken by the Department, police or the Post Office. Combined records are kept by my Department for various offences including theft, forgery, deception, pledging and trafficking.The figures for the years 1973 to 1977 are the latest available and are as follows:among patients treated with this drug.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in accordance with the spirit of the recommendation of the Pearson Commission, he will now set up a compensation scheme for vaccine-damaged persons.

The Vaccine Damage Payments Bill, which is now before the House, makes provision for the scheme of payments in respect of persons damaged as a result of vaccination, as I announced on 9 May 1978.—[Vol. 949, c. 973–85.]

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will refer to the Director of Public Prosecutions, with a view to proceedings under section 5 of the Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act 1875, as amended in 1919, the activities of those pickets who have withdrawn their labour at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham, in as much as they have broken their contracts of service while knowing that the consequences could be dangerous to human life.

Prosecution under the Act would be a matter for the local law enforcement authorities and would not require reference to the Director of Public Prosecutions. I do not know of any prosecution ever having been brought under these provisions. I understand that the incidence of picketing at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham, has now lessened considerably.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out criteria used by the Inland Revenue in assessing whether a person is self-employed for taxation purposes; whether the criteria differ from those laid down under the Social Security Act 1975; whether he will publish any guidance notes; and whether he will make a statement.

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the written answer to the hon. Member for Blaby on 29 January concerning the relative price effect, and not the retail price effect, imported into the original question by a printer's error, if he will now state what the numerical value of the trend effect of the relative price effect on the rate of growth of total public expenditure is currently reckoned to be; and whether that trend effect is positive or negative.

As I said in my earlier reply, short-term effects predominate over any underlying trend. For this reason a trend value cannot be satisfactorily identified.I naturally understand that the hon. Member could not conceivably have made an error in referring to the "relative price effect"!

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he proposes to introduce his next Budget.

An announcement will be made in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs it is estimated would be generated by (a) a £1 billion reduction in income tax and (b) a £1 billion increase in public expenditure.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Perth and East Perthshire (Mr. Crawford) on 15 January 1979.—[Vol. 960, c. 669.]

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the separate assessment of husband and wife for capital gains tax, where each party has individually owned a property in which they have lived separately or together during the period of their marriage whilst each was engaged in separate employment in the same vicinity of the houses owned.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 31 January 1978; Vol. 961, c. 465–6], gave the following reply:I do not think that it would be right to give capital gains tax exemption for two residences even in the rather exceptional case mentioned by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list for 1977 and 1978 the number of civil servants in the administration group for each Department of State who were retired prematurely on grounds of (a) inefficiency, (b) limited efficiency, (c) redundancy and (d) discipline.

The information requested by the hon. Member is set out in the table below:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received representations from local authorities on problems arising from the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977; to what extent these representations relate to the shortage of suitable accommodation to carry out the requirements of the Act; and if he will make a statement.

Representations have been received from a number of local housing authorities on particular matters relating to the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977. A few have referred to the availability of accommodation. We have drawn authorities' attention to the steps open to them to secure the fullest possible use of accommodation in their areas. The code of guidance, associated with the Act and circular 76/77—Better Use of Vacant and Under-Occupied Housing—set out a number of measures. We have also had regard to levels of homelessness as one factor in making capital allocations for housing purposes. However, if any authority needs a larger allocation specifically to provide additional dwellings for the homeless, it should contact its regional office quickly.This Department has invited the local authority associations to comment in the light of their members' experience on the working of the Act and the code of guidance. We are currently awaiting their replies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any evidence of those on housing waiting lists being disadvantaged by the provisions of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977; and if he will make a statement.

Representations have been received from a few housing authorities that the number of lettings available to meet the needs of those at the top of the waiting list has been reduced because of lettings to homeless people. I believe that it was Parliament's intention in passing this Act, with substantial all-party support, to ensure that accommodation was indeed available to those in priority need who were without shelter. There are a number of ways in which authorities can fulfil their obligations under the Act. It does not necessarily require the allocation of a council house, though that will often be the appropriate solution. Where a local authority dwelling is allocated, the effect on the waiting list will not necessarily be clear. Many authorities have a well honoured practice of affording priority to those who are homeless and, I believe, most of those accepted by authorities are either already on their waiting list or eligible to be so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest date by which he expects to receive the report of the Countryside Commission on the public path network.

I expect to receive the Countryside Commission report on the scope for the modification of the public path network by May 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government have reached a conclusion on the proposal to develop a merchandise mart at the Surrey docks in Southwark; and if he will make a statement.

As the House knows, I have been considering further measures to assist the revival of the London dock-lands; and in particular the proposal of the Trammell Crow Company of Dallas, Texas, to develop a £53 million trade mart at the Surrey docks in Southwark. The company has applied under section 8 of the Industry Act 1972 for financial assistance from the Government.The Company has given us full information about the project and its commercial plans. We have taken the advice of the Industrial Development Advisory Board, and officials of my own Department and the Department of Industry have visited the Trammell Crow trade marts in Dallas and Brussels. Because the project is so novel and important we have made other very thorough inquiries including an assessment of the Brussels trade mart which is guaranteed by the Belgian Government.After very careful consideration, I have this week informed Mr. Trammell Crow that the Government are not prepared to give a guarantee to the project in the form in which it has been presented to us. Apart from questions about the financial terms, all our advice is emphatic that the commercial prospects of a merchandise mart in this country are not the same as in the United States, where such marts have been successfully established.The Government are firmly committed to helping forward the redevelopment of the dockland area with all speed. Our consideration of the trade mart proposal shows that we are prepared to use the powers available to us to facilitate commercial and industrial development there. In particular, section 8 of the Industry Act 1972 can be used by the Government to provide loans, grants or guarantees for major commercial and industrial investment, if these meet the usual criteria for such financial assistance. Within the framework of the Act there is in particular the selective investment scheme which is available for large and medium manufacturing projects which would not otherwise start.Within a total available sum of £50 million, the Government are now prepared to consider guarantees for substantial projects in docklands. In suitable cases we are also prepared to make grants or loans, and up to £20 million is available for this purpose over the next four years. The assistance will be available only for projects which would anyway have been located in the South-East. The House will recognise that this commitment in no way detracts from our regional policies. The cost will be borne within my Department's expenditure limits and the funds available for expenditure on regional assistance to industry will be unaffected.I shall discuss as soon as possible with the docklands joint committee and the dockland local authorities the type of projects to be considered, the planning constraints and the locations within the dockland boroughs which would be most appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will consider providing funds for a number of scholarships at the Council of Europe craftsman training centre in Venice such as other Council of Europe Governments have provided.

I have been asked to reply.I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that although it has now resumed financial involvement with the international apprentice competition it does not consider it appropriate to support the provision of high cost scholarships in specific trades at the Council of Europe craftsman training centre in Venice. I understand that the construction industry training board shares this view although it has agreed to help with the selection of apprentices for such training.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he plans to introduce legislation requiring lorry owners to fit adequate mud flaps to prevent spraying; and if he will make a statement.

The law already requires lorries to be fitted with wings or other devices to catch, so far as practicable mud or water thrown up by the wheels. However, our researches have not so far established effective means for containing the spray thrown up by fast-moving heavy vehicles. A recent project sponsored by the Department suggests that neither mud-flaps nor improved mud-guarding are the answer. A report of the project will be published shortly and I will send the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will institute an official campaign on the use of car side or parking lights only on moving vehicles during the hours of darkness or adverse daylight conditions.

The law already requires headlamps to be used in poor daylight conditions and at night except where the road is illuminated by street lamps not more than 200 yards apart. These requirements are also set out in the Highway Code which advises the use of headlamps on all roads at night except where the street lighting is good and invariably on motorways and other high speed roads. Steps have already been taken to publicise but I will consider whether anything more is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of (a) all road accidents and (b) fatal road accidents are attributable in whole or in part to inadequate vehicle lighting.

I regret that this information is not available on a national basis.Localised investigations are however conducted by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory into the causes of road accidents and I would refer the hon. Member to their leaflet LF 392 Issue 2, published in April 1975, which contains some information on the Contribution of Vehicle Lighting Defects to Road Accidents.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce the present waiting period for driving tests in the United Kingdom generally, and in the Slough area in particular.

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Consett (Mr. Watkins) on 14 November 1978.—[Vol. 958, c. 144.] Two additional examiners are being sought for the driving test centre in Slough.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the rate of progress of the M25; and when the entire outer orbital route will be in use.

The M25 has top priority in the road programme. I am satisfied that no effort is being spared to complete it quickly. I would like to see still faster progress, but the statutory procedures for the protection of those affected must be allowed to take their course. Subject to these being completed satisfactorily I expect that most of the route will be in use by 1983.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many railway sidings, excluding British Rail's own terminals and marshalling yards, were opened in each year since 1974 to date (a) in total and (b) with the assistance of section 8 grants; and what was the expenditure in each year on section 8 grants in current prices.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many applications for section 8 grants for the installation of private sidings were received in 1978; how many were refused; and for what reasons.

28 applications were received in 1978 in England, Scotland and Wales. There were no refusals, but in one case—Nypro Limited of Flix-borough—a reduced grant was offered because the environmental benefits were not considered to be commensurate with the amount of grant sought, and a better solution to the general problem of lorries in the Flixborough area is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have been killed on the A66 during 1977–78 on the stretch between Keswick and Workington; and how many have been injured.

8 people have been killed and 54 injured in the two years 1977 and 1978 on the stretch of A66 between the junction with the A595 at Chapelbrow (near Workington) and the eastern end of the Keswick bypass.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the present design standards for new roads; and what plans he has for modifying them.

Yes. Design standards for new roads are concerned with road safety and the operational efficiency of road transport and are kept constantly under review in order to take account of experience, economic considerations, social factors and a substantial programme of acident research. Present standards have evolved from many years of experience and research by this and other countries but modifications are made as fresh evidence becomes available. Updating has continued since the last major definitive document was issued in 1968 and further modifications will be issued from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what effect the new system of recording vehicle registrations has on the forecasts of vehicle population and traffic; and whether he proposes to issue an amendment to the interim memorandum on traffic forecasts.

The new system does not affect the forecasts of traffic made in accordance with the interim memorandum. Traffic is estimated from the traffic census; if estimates of car ownership change, it is only estimates of miles per car which will change.I will take account of the implications of the new estimates of the vehicle stock when the forecasts are next revised.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many claims of unfair dismissal have been dealt with by industrial tribunals during the latest 12 months for which figures are available and with what results; and what were the comparable figures for the two previous 12 months periods.

The following is the information requested:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if the publication of his survey of unemployment in West Cornwall is likely to be delayed or aborted as a consequence of uncertainty over the future of Falmouth docks.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many claims have been settled by the Central Arbitration Committee nder schedule 11 to the Employment Protection Act; how many were contested by the employed and how many were unopposed; how many workers were involved; which were the six trade unions sponsoring the most claims; and what was the average amount of the awards made during the past 12 months for which figures are available.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for the number of applications of approvals for the Manpower Services Commission special temporary employment programme and the youth employment programme schemes within the Walsall area from (a) Walsall council, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) firms.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that to date 357 schemes providing up to 940 places have been approved under the special temporary employment programme and the youth opportunities programme in the Walsall area. Of these schemes 12 have been sponsored by the local authority in Walsall giving only 16 places. Voluntary organisations have sponsored 17 schemes giving 165 places and private firms have sponsored 302 schemes giving 472 places.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many persons in the area covered by the Macclesfield constituency have now been laid off as a result of the lorry drivers' dispute;(2) how many persons in the textile industry have now been laid off as a result of the lorry drivers' dispute and how many of these workers are in the North-West region.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 30 January 1979; Vol. 961, c. 403–4], gave the following information:Estimates of lay-offs have been made only on broad bases and separate figures for all lay-offs are not generally available for local areas or for industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish in the Official Report an updated version of his reply to the hon. Member for Kingswood (Mr. Walker) on Concorde costs, providing all figures at current survey prices.

Information on the basis given in the reply by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State, of 8 May 1978—[Vol. 949, c. 346–8.]—to my

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a list of meetings of the Health and Safety Commission and the attendances by members; and if he will place copies of the minutes of the various meetings in the Library.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 1 February 1979, Vol. 961, c. 517], gave the following information:A list of the meetings of the Health and Safety Commission since it was established in October 1974, together with a record of the attendance by members, is reproduced below.The Commission's minutes are produced as a record for the information of members and I do not, therefore, think them suitable for publication. However, the Commission's bimonthly newsletter provides a regular account of its decisions and I shall arrange for copies to be put in the Library.hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood is not yet available for the year ending 31 December 1978, but my right hon. Friend will let the House have that information as soon as possible. It is not yet clear to what extent my right hon. Friend will be able to let the House have the information also in terms of current survey prices but this will be looked at closely.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many applications have now been received for grants under the product and process development scheme; how many grants have been made; and how much public money has so far been committed and spent on the scheme.

By 31 December 1978, 494 formal applications for assistance had been received under the product and process development scheme. Of these, 153 had been approved involving a Department contribution of approximately £15 million towards total project costs of £49 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will indicate the dollar price of naphtha at six-monthly intervals over the past three years and the £ sterling prices of low density polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC and polystyrene at the year end since 1973.

I am afraid that this information is not available from Government statistics but I understand that it is published in European Chemical News.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what assistance has been given in the last two years to managers and workers in subsidiaries of companies to purchase their own companies.

Selective financial assistance is normally available for investment in manufacturing businesses, however purchased: no assistance has been given in the past two years specifically for the purpose set out in my right hon. Friend's question. Under the Industrial Common Ownership Act 1976 my right hon. Friend has made available £250,000 over five years to help relevant bodies with the provision of loans to workers—controlled enterprises. Industrial Common Ownership Finance Ltd. is administering this scheme. So far, seven such loans totalling £46,000 have been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will indicate the terms of reference he has given for the study of fireclay by the Institute of Geological Sciences.

The Institute of Geological Sciences has been asked to report on the geological distribution of fireclay resources in the United Kingdom, and their availability exploration, and utilisation, having regard to likely future demand.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many meetings with representatives of organisations representing small businesses have been held by his junior currently responsible for small firms.

Since taking over this responsibility, I have been familarising myself with small firms' affairs, including meetings with colleagues and making visits. The views of representative organisations are an essential contribution to this and I am holding a series of meetings to this end.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish a list of the responsibilities and duties of each of the Ministers who serve under him in his Department.

I refer the hon. Member to the list of ministerial responsibilities which is available from the Whips' Offices. The current responsibilities within my Department are those set out in the list at 1 October 1978, with the exception that all the responsibilities shown for the parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State are now carried out by myself.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has any contingency plans for an industrial stimulus for Falmouth in the event of male unemployment reaching 2,000, or 28 per cent., as a consequence of any decision regarding the future of Falmouth docks.

Falmouth is a development area and, as a result, a wide range of incentives is already available there to promote industrial development. My right hon. Friend has been carefully considering an application to designate the whole of Cornwall as a special development area. Obviously, he would take into account any important developments affecting Cornwall's economy.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what help he is giving to hologram research; and what help he is giving to the television, film, computer, engineering, toy and advertising sign industries to exploit holograms commercially.

My Department has been funding work on holograms and their applications, including exploitation in computer and engineering applications, for a number of years. Proposals from industry for support in this area would, of course, be eligible for consideration under the various industry assistance schemes.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many of the local authorities which still maintain

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science

My Department does not hold this information centrally, but I am not aware of any authority other than Walsall which has adopted this practice. I have no doubt that suitably selected sixth formers could mark multiple choice papers quite competently, but I should regret their involvement in a matter which might become the subject of controversy between teachers in the area and the authority, especially if this interfered with their normal work.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in the Official Report a table which shows (a) the weekly cost of school meals in each year since 1964, (b) expresses this cost at September 1977 prices and (c) expresses this cost as a percentage of the actual cost of providing school meals.

The information in respect of maintained schools in England and Wales is as follows:if she will make provision for financial assistance to be provided to the Beechwood college to enable the education and training of employee representatives in industry, as recommended in the White Paper on industrial democracy.

The provision of education and training for employee representatives envisaged in the White Paper on industrial democracy is still the subject of consultation and discussion, and it would not yet be appropriate to commit funds to particular developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of three and four-year-old children

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the numbers of children at present being educated in the independent sector divided as to nursery, junior and secondary education showing also the percentages of the total number of school children in each of these categories.

The numbers in the age groups 2–4, 5–11 and 12 and over for England and Wales as at January 1978 were:

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will now arrange to compute pupil numbers for parliamentary constituency areas; and if she will specify the reason why she has previously refused to do so.

The numbers of full-time and part-time pupils aged three and four years in nursery schools or nursery classes in primary schools in January as a percentage of the estimated population of these age groups as at the previous 30 June are given below. Information about Wales is now the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

No. In England there are over 30,000 schools for which it would be necessary to identify the parliamentary constituencies in which they are located. There are practical difficulties in undertaking an exercise of this magnitude, and I do not consider that the substantial use of manpower and computer resources required would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children below the age of five years are either in part-time or full-time education at nursery schools or infant schools in the Macclesfield and Congleton districts of the Cheshire education authority.

I regret that pupil numbers for areas smaller than local education authorities are not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the present strength of Her Majesty's school inspectorate and what was the strength in 1974; how much of the workload of the inspectorate is concerned with independent schools in comparison with State schools; and what was the comparable proportion in 1974.

The number of Her Majesty's inspectors at 1 January 1974 and 1979 was 443 and 403, of whom about three-quarters were mainly concerned with schools. Her Majesty's inspectors continue to make routine and formal inspection visits to independent schools, although there has been a small reduction in these arising from the ending of the arrangements for recognition as efficient. Their short courses and publications are also available to teachers in the independent as well as the maintained sectors. As in 1974, some 175 inspectors have assignments which include the inspection of independent as well as maintained schools. In addition, 15 inspectors, compared with 18 in 1974, are assigned to a team responsible for specific inspections in connection with registered status.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she hopes to receive the results of the survey on regional discrepancies in discretionary awards.

The report of the Department's discretionary awards survey, which was intended to identify national trends in provision rather than to examine regional variations, was published in February last year. I am sending a copy to my hon. Friend. I would also refer him to the reply to a question from the hon. Member for Sudbury and Woodbridge (Mr. Stainton) given today.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, following her Department's survey in 1978 of local authorities' discretionary awards policies for students, she is now in a position to make a statement on the consequent review set in hand by the Council of Local Education Authorities with which she has co-operated.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list separately, for each of the past two years, the number of entrants in England for GCO O level in each modern language and the number and percentage who passed at grade C or better.

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. However, the number of entrants to the English GCE boards' summer examinations in modern languages at O level and the numbers and percentages who passed at grade C or better in 1976 and 1977 are given below. The figures include entrants from schools, further education establishments, privately entered candidates, and overseas candidates.

The Council of Local Education Authorities' review was conducted by a working party set up for the purpose. I understand that the working party's report was presented to the council on 15 January and will be formally submitted to my right hon. Friend very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the National Association of Licensed Victuallers about the enforcement of regulations concerning the conditions of sale of intoxicating liquor in supermarkets, particularly concerning the employment of under-age assistants, sales to under-age customers and the need for separate sales sections; and if he will now take action to strengthen the relevant legislation and its enforcement.

Section 169(1) of the Licensing Act 1964 prohibits the sale of intoxicating liquor to a person under the age of 18 on any premises for which a justices' licence is in force. The enforcement of this provision is a matter for the police and the courts.I am aware of the view of the National Union of Licensed Victuallers that in off-licensed supermarkets the sale of intoxicating liquor should be allowed only from a separate department within the store and that the person making the sale should be aged 18 or over. I shall bear these suggestions in mind, but I have no plans for legislation on liquor licensing at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were detained at prison department establishments under the Immigration Act 1971 as at 30 September 1978 (a) up to one month, (b) over one month and up to two months, (c) over two months and up to three months, (d) over three months and up to six months, (e) over six months and up to nine months, (f) over nine months and up to 12 months and (g) over 12 months.

The information available centrally is given in the following table.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the annual expenditure in each of

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table, similar to that in the Official Report, 14 November 1978, column 138, showing estimates of acceptances for settlement for the whole of 1978.

The broad groups of acceptances for settlement for which estimates have been made for 1978 are given in the table below, together with the published figures for 1977.the past three years on computers for which his Department is responsible; what was the expenditure on equipping, programming and laying out of each computer centre in England and Wales in the same period; and what portion of such expenditure was spent on computers for police purposes and non-police purposes.

Information is not available in the form asked for, but expenditure on computers with which the Department is concerned is set out below. The figures relate to financial years except where indicated:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will update his written answer to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West on 7 July 1977, relating to computers; and if, differentiating between police computers and non-police computers, he will list the computer centres in England and Wales for which he is responsible and the number of employees in each centre; what is the capacity in terms of each computer so listed; what kind of information is being programmed; and what use is made of the information so programmed.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the purpose of the Police Scientific Development Branch; when it was set up; what are its terms of reference; what are the projects that it is currently engaged upon; what is the capital cost for each project; and what was the annual expenditure on each project for the past 10 years.

The branch was formed in 1963 as a result of recommendations made by the 1962 Royal Commission on the Police, which in its report—Cmnd. 1728—proposed a central Government unit, charged with the planning of police methods, the development of new equipment, and the study of new techniques, so as to enable the police service to deal promptly and efficiently with changes in the pattern of crime and in the behaviour of criminals. The branch's work is described more fully in chapter VI of the 1977 report of Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary—Cmnd. 545. Appendix IX of that report lists the main projects currently undertaken by the branch. Similar information for previous years is given in earlier reports by Her Majesty's chief inspector. Capital expenditure on buildings, plant and machinery is common to all projects and is not apportioned separately. For the purposes of the last part of the question, the considerable number of projects has been grouped under subject headings. Expenditure under each heading was as follows:Expenditure on the development of computerised systems in local forces includes contributions by those police authorities which were concerned with joint experiments with the branch.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by name the police forces which have methods of computer storage and retrieval of criminal information that are compatible with methods of national record keeping; what is the capital expenditure for each force; and what is the annual expenditure for the longest period possible.

So far as I am aware, apart from the experimental scheme being conducted jointly by the Thames Valley police and the Home Office, computer-aided criminal information systems are fully operational in only two other police areas in England and Wales—in Cheshire and Suffolk. None of these systems is connected to other police computers or to the national criminal record office. Therefore the question of computer systems compatibility does not arise. I am writing to the two police authorities concerned and will pass on to my hon. Friend the information which I receive about costs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police computer systems in England and Wales incorporate collator records; and which are programmed to make methods to facilitate the handling of a large volume of information which is gathered in any major crime investigation stating the capital costs for each system and for the longest period possible, the annual operating costs.

So far as I am aware, the Thames Valley Police system is the only computer scheme incorporating collator records. The scheme is a joint Home Office—police experiment to assess, among other things, the value of storing and processing such information. The cost of the system is estimated to be £728,000. Operating costs, excluding overheads such as accommodation, were £172,000 in 1978, the latest year for which firm figures are available. No police computer is dedicated, or has the main part of its capacity devoted, to handling information gathered during major crime investigations. The scope for using computers to assist in such investigations is the subject of research project being carried out by the Home Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which police forces have systems for command and control schemes based on the use of computers, which help in handling requests for assistance from the public, aid dispatch of personnel and equipment, record, monitor and store such information for management purposes, stating for each such force the capital costs and the annual expenditure for the longest period possible; and which schemes are operational or in process of installation;(2) for each police computer assisted command and control system, what programmes exist for computer tabulated reports, the extent to which they are used and monitored and the development of such integrated systems; and whether they are compatible with other systems throughout the country and compatible with methods of national record keeping.

Schemes are operational, partly or fully, in the following police forces in England and Wales:

• Suffolk.
• Dorset.
• Staffordshire.
• West Midlands.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which cities in England and Wales there are Interpol computer terminals; what was the cost of installation of each; what have been the annual operating costs for the longest period possible; and if he will identify by nature the kinds of Interpol terminals that there are in London and any other location in England and Wales stating the installation cost and for the longest period of time possible the annual operating costs for each.

There are no Interpol terminals in England and Wales, nor, so far as I am aware, does Interpol have a computer system to which terminals could be linked.