asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the light of the fact that sikhs were excused using crash helmets when driving motorcycles, due to their religious beliefs, whether he will introduce the necessary legislation to prevent them from being charged with offences when wearing Karaa, Kashara, Kangha, Kirban and Kheis, according to their religious beliefs.

No. It is no offence to wear or carry such articles, though it could be an offence under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 to use or intend to use as offensive weapons these or other articles which people commonly carry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has of the number of persons who have been charged with wearing a Karaa, which must be worn according to the Sikh religion; and with what results.

The information requested is not collected.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy towards the restriction by law of fox hunting.

This is not a matter on which the Government have any present plans for legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce his conclusions on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on gambling in respect of local lotteries.

I cannot yet say, but my aim is to make known the Government's views on lotteries in advance of any announcement about our conclusions on the Royal Commission's other recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the next application for an increase in fares by the licensed taxi trade will have to be made 12 months from the date of the previous application being made, or 12 months from agreement being reached on the new scale of charges.

Applications for fare increases may be made at any time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what length of time local borough councillors elected in May 1979 will be expected to serve before they are required to stand for re-election.

The year of retirement of district councillors elected at the ordinary elections in May 1979 depends on the provisions made in the electoral arrangements order for the district concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those parts of the parliamentary constituency of Maldon which have been in another parliamentary constituency since 1918, indicating the areas, dates and constituencies.

Maldon constituency has undergone a number of changes since 1918, most of them reflecting alterations to local government areas made in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Acts then prevailing. From the records readily available, it appears that in 1918 Maldon constituency consisted of the borough of Maldon, the urban districts of Braintree, Burnham-on-Crouch and Witham, and the rural district of Braintree and Maldon. By 1945, Braintree urban district had been enlarged by the addition of parts of Braintree rural district and a small area of Gosfield parish formerly in Saffron Walden constituency. The urban district was re-named Braintree and Bocking. In 1945, Maldon lost to the South-Eastern division of Essex small areas of two parishes—Althome and Creeksea—which had earlier been transferred to Rochford rural district.In 1948, the constituency lost two parishes—Bardfield Saling and Great Bardfield—to Saffron Walden. In 1956, after the incorporation of the detached part of Messing-cum-Inworth parish into Braintree rural district, this part, formerly in Colchester constituency, was included in Maldon.In the redistribution of 1970, Maldon was subjected to major change. The two urban districts of Braintree and Bocking, and Witham, and Braintree rural district were transferred to Braintree constituency, and Rochford rural district was added to Maldon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for New Forest (Mr. McNair-Wilson), Official Report 16 November 1978, column 291 (a) what he understands by the term "separately" in the phrase "holding both sets of elections separately on the same day", (b) if there are any legislative obstacles to holding a general election and European elections on the same day using the same polling booths and polling stations for both elections, (c) if legislative obstacles do exist, what measures would be necessary to remove them, and (d) if there are any non-legislative obstacles which would prevent the simultaneous holding of both elections.

The regulations governing parliamentary elections and the draft regulations governing the European Assembly elections permit the holding of both elections on the same day, provided that the procedures for each election are fully observed and separate polling facilities are provided for each. Primary legislation would be required to permit the same staff to supervise both elections and the same equipment, including ballot boxes, to be used for both.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen resigned from the service in forces in England and Wales without pension or gratuity during 1978; and whether he will detail the numbers with less than (a) two years service, (b) five years service, (c) 10 years service, (d) 15 years service and (e) 25 years service, respectively.

During 1978, 5,685 police officers resigned without pension or gratuity from forces in England and Wales. The other information is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applied to join the police under the graduate entry scheme during 1978; how many were offered places; and how many joined.

319 people applied in the academic year 1977–78; 21 were offered places and, of these, 20 are now serving. 548 applications have so far been received for places in 1978–79.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the number of armed robberies committed in England and Wales for each year since 1970.

Numbers of robberies recorded each year by the police in England and Wales in which firearms were reported to have been used or carried were published in tables 3.1 and 3.8 of "Criminal Statistics England and Wales 1977" (Cmnd. 7289). Numbers of robberies involving other arms are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the report on open government in other countries.

I have been asked to reply.I cannot add to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ormskirk (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) on 5 February.—[Vol. 962, c. 8.]

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the assessment of the number of persons entitled to vote in the devolution referendum.

ELECTORAL REGISTER, FEBRUARY 1979, WALES ADVANCE FIGURES
County				Total electorate, including service voters, merchant seamen, peers, "Y" voters	"Y" voters (aged under 18) who will attain voting age on 2 March 1979 or later	Number of electors of voting age on 1 March
Clwyd	…	…	…	288,608	3,969	284,639
Dyfed	…	…	…	250,571	3,140	247,431
Gwent	…	…	…	324,044	4,657	19,387
Gwynedd	…	…	…	173,118	2,067	171,051
Mid-Glamorgan	…	…	…	399,332	5,068	394,264
Powys	…	…	…	81,823	1,006	80,817
South Glamorgan	…	…	…	286,908	4,001	282,907
West Glamorgan	…	…	…	279,393	3,540	275,853
Wales	…	…	…	2,083,797	27,448	2,056,349

In relation to entitlement to vote on 1 March, further deductions fall to be made for those whose names appear on the registers but who are dead, for those who are registered for more than one address and for those who are legally debarred from voting. On the basis of the information which I have obtained and which has been brought to my attention, the provisional estimate of the further deduction which needs to be made in order to determine the number entitled to vote for the purposes of section 80(2) of the Wales Act is:

Deaths	14,900
Convicted prisoners in prison	800
Students and nurses who are registered at more than one address	2,600

I would emphasise that I have no power to take account of probability of voting or physical capacity to register a vote, but only of entitlement to vote. The number of voters on the new registers but under the age of 18 on March 1 has been counted by the electoral registration officers.Deaths have been estimated by the Registrar General on the basis of extensive records. The deduction for convicted prisoners has been similarly assessed on the basis of records held by the Home Department. Deductions for students and nurses have been based on a

From advance returns provided by the electoral registration officers, I estimate the total electorate by county area on the new registers which came into operation on 16 February and the number of electors of voting age on 1 March 1979 to be as follows:carefully constructed sample survey. It may be that there are other duplications in the registers, but no authoritative estimate of these is available.I therefore estimate the total number entitled to vote on 1 March as 2,038,049.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what recent representations he has received relating to the need for changes in the law relating to the closed shop.

I have received a number of representations, mainly from individuals, not representative bodies, about closed shops. These have expressed different points of view or raised matters of individual concern. Several have revealed a misunderstanding of the current legal position and there is no one change in the law suggested by the different correspondents.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what recent discussions he has had with the Trades Union Congress about the operation of the closed shop; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reported to the House last week on the successful outcome of discussions between the TUC and the Government. The paper entitled "The Economy, the Government and Trade Union Responsibilities" contains details both of the joint statement and the guidance the TUC has given affiliates on industrial relations questions. One of the annexed guides deals with trade union organisation and the closed shop.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the operation of the youth opportunities programme; and if he will make a statement.

I have received representations about the operation of the youth opportunities programme from a wide range of bodies and am glad to say that the support the programme has enjoyed, including that from sponsors, the careers service and local authorities, has been most heartening. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State and myself have discussed with the Manpower Services Commission the few problems that have arisen in meeting the programme's targets and I am confident these targets will be met.The Manpower Services Commission has reviewed the operation of the programme and made recommendations on its size and nature for 1979–80. I am glad to say that the Government have agreed to an expansion of the programme as I indicated in my answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery).The Government have also agreed to changes in the rules of the youth opportunities programme. Priority will continue to be given to school leavers and to those young people who have been unemployed for long periods. For unemployed school leavers we are renewing the undertaking given last year so that no young person aged under 19 who leaves school in the course of the school year 1978–79 should remain unemployed by Easter 1980 without the offer of a suitable place in the programme. The rule that unemployed summer school leavers should not be admitted to the programme before 1 September will be replaced with guidance to those operating the programme. The rule that young people should be unemployed for six weeks before admittance to the programme will be retained but with specific modifications and exemptions for certain groups.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of unemployment at the most recent count; and what was the comparable figure in the same month in 1974.

At 8 February, the provisional number of people registered as unemployed in Great Britain was 1,387,761 compared with 599,193 in February 1974.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the general trend of unemployment.

The underlying trend of unemployment in this country in 1978 was downward. Its future course will depend very much on our success in dealing with inflation and in making industry more competitive.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom expressed as a percent age.

At 8 February, the provisional unemployment rate in the United Kingdom was 6·1 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on what new measures he proposes to reduce unemployment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what further measures he has for reducing unemployment; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for unemployment; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friends to my right hon. Friend's reply earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hills-borough (Mr. Flannery).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures available for the number of unemployed men in the age groups 30 to 35, 35 to 40, 40 to 45, 45 to 50, 50 to 55, 55 to 60, and 60 to 65 years; and what proportions these figures are of the potential male working force in these age groups.

The January 1979 figures for unemployed men and estimated unemployment rates by age are:

GREAT BRITAIN
Age group			Numbers unemployed	Unemployment rate Per cent.
30–34	…	…	100,854	6·5
35–44	…	…	142,152	5·4
45–49	…	…	63,470	4·8
50–54	…	…	65,728	4·7
55–59	…	…	75,837	6·2
60–64	…	…	131,634	12·6

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the operation of the Equal Pay Act and the Equal Opportunities Commission in relation to employment.

The Equal Pay Act 1970 has led to a substantial advance but there is room for further progress. Both the Government and the Equal Opportunities Commission keep the working of the legislation under continuous review. The Equal Opportunities Commission is likely to put forward some proposals for amendment to the Equal Pay Act during 1979. These will be considered by the Government together with proposals submitted by various other organisations.The operation of the Equal Opportunities Commission in relation to employment is for the Commission itself to decide in the light of its own strategy and priorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects next to meet the chairman of the Man power Services Commission.

My right hon. Friend regularly meets the chairman and will do so again shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the working of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service during the current disputes.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the progress of the special temporary employment programme and the job opportunity scheme.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that between 1 April 1978 when the programme began, and 31 December 1978 there had been 8,800 starts on the special temporary employment programme. Approvals are now being given at the rate of some 4,000 places per month and the MSC hope to reach the programme's target of 25,000 continuously filled places by June 1979.I am also informed that at the end of December some 100,000 young people had joined and 55,000 young people had places on the youth opportunities programme. This is good progress towards the target of having 80,000 filled places by the end of March 1979.The MSC hopes that in most parts of the country it will fulfil the objective that no young person who left school in Easter or summer of 1978 and who remains unemployed at Easter 1979 shall be without the offer of a suitable opportunity in the programme. However a considerable task remains in certain areas of high youth unemployment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on employment prospects and plans for improving employment opportunities in South Yorkshire, especially in those areas where there are large pockets of high unemployment.

At 6·3 per cent. the level of unemployment in South Yorkshire is far too high, and there are areas, such as Mexborough, where unemployment is considerably more severe than the average for the county would imply. My Department's special employment measures have so far helped nearly 23,500 people in South Yorkshire, making a positive contribution towards alleviating unemployment in the short term. As my right hon. Friend announced earlier today, the youth opportunities programme and special temporary employment programme are to be further expanded and the job release scheme is to continue; the Government also intend to introduce a scheme for the support of short time working to replace the temporary employment subsidy, and are considering a new subsidy for firms which are re-structuring to preserve jobs which would otherwise disappear.The designation of the county as an assisted area will continue to help attract permanent jobs—selective financial assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act has so far safeguarded over 5,100 existing jobs in the area, and created 14,600 new ones. Moreover, I hope that the modernisation and extension of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Scheme between Doncaster and Rotherham, which the Government have recently approved, will enhance employment prospects, both by providing jobs directly in its construction and operation and by attracting new industries which might use it.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken to ensure that the closest partnership exists between local authorities, employer and voluntary bodies sponsoring schemes under the youth opportunities and special training employment programmes; and if he will make a statement.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information:I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it seeks the fullest co-operation of local authorities, employers and voluntary bodies at national, area and local level. The special programmes board, which includes representatives of all their groups, plays a key part in determining how the programmes should operate and what the targets should be.The 28 area boards bring together representatives of local authorities, employers, voluntary organisations and trade unions in their area under an independent chairman. They play a vital part in determining the size, shape and quality of the programme in their areas and are currently considering plans for 1979–80. In addition, many local education authorities have formed groups below the level of area boards. They normally include representatives of voluntary organisations, the education service and the youth service, and fulfil two important roles. First, they review the operation of the programme in a locality, bringing forward ideas for projects. Secondly, they provide a channel of communication with young people.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the figures of disabled unemployed at Feb ruary 1974 and at the latest date.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, in January 1979, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 65,702 people who were unemployed and registered as disabled, and 74,043 disabled people unemployed who were not registered. In February 1974 there were 65,469 registered disabled people unemployed. At that time statistics were not kept of unemployed unregistered disabled people.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the current provision of apprentice training in carpentry and joinery, engineering and electrical trades.

The Manpower Services Commission's programme of special training measures has substantially maintained the level of apprentice recruitment in engineering and construction trades over the last four years. These measures are being replaced during 1979 by the Manpower Services Commission's "Training for Skills" programme and discussions are currently taking place with industry training boards and other bodies with responsibility for training about the provision of apprenticeships in engineering and construction skills. I am satisfied that these discussions will help to secure adequate provision of apprentice training, not least in those trades mentioned by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the effect the road haul age dispute has had on employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how far employment has been affected by recent industrial disputes.

In addition to those directly involved in the disputes, the number of employees laid off temporarily was estimated to have reached 235,000 at the highest point, just before the end of January. While it is possible that some firms may have lost contracts, as a result of delays in exports, for example, it is doubtful whether any significant continuing or long-term effects on employment will follow directly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the current figure for young people who have never been employed.

On the assumption that the hon. Member has in mind unemployed young people who have not been in employment since terminating full-time education, the provisional number under 18 years of age in Great Britain at 8 February was 36,723.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he has taken or proposes to take to provide more employment for women in the constituency of Brigg and Scunthorpe

The Government's special employment measures apply equally to men and women, and have so far assisted nearly 2,200 people in the Scunthorpe area. In particular, 337 of the 522 young people helped to far in the area under the youth opportunities programme have been females, as have 13 of the 34 provided with jobs by the special temporary employment programme. In addition, women's employment will have been assisted by the 528 new jobs created in the area through the financial help given under Section 7 of the Industry Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what studies he has made of the areas in which employment prospects will be adversely affected as a consequence of the introduction of the silicon chip process.

My Department set up a study group on microelectronics in July last year. Work on this subject had, of course, been going on in the DE group before this. The study group is looking at the potential impact of microelectronic technology on employment over the next five to 10 years and will be studying all sectors of the economy likely to be affected by the technology. The study group contributed the results of some of its early studies to the CPRS report that was made available following the meeting of the NEDC on 6 December and hope to produce its own report in the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish a table showing the numbers of disabled people employed under the 3 per cent. rule by companies, nationalised industries, local authorities and the Civil Service during the last 10 years, nationally, in London and within the London borough of Harrow; and if he will state whether the 3 per cent. rule is generally being followed.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it is not possible to provide all the information requested. Such information as can be provided in relation to these particular groups of employers dates from 1976 only, and is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when an announcement will be made on the continuation after 31 March of the job release scheme.

The job release scheme is being reviewed along with other special employment measures and a decision on its future will be announced shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of unemployment in the Southampton travel-to-work area, including Eastleigh, at the latest convenient date; and how this compares with similar figures for 1977 and 1978, respectively.

At 8 February, there were provisionally 8,994 people registered as unemployed in the Southampton travel-to-work area compared with 9,709 in February 1977 and 10,621 in February 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions, reports and recommendations have been made by his Department regarding the problems of working women and women who would like to work relative to greater equal employment opportunities for these women.

The Department is firmly committed to a policy of equal opportunity for women in, or seeking, employment and training. This policy is an integral part of any recommendations, reports or discussions in which the Department is involved.Advice on the application of the policy is given by the Advisory Committee on Women's Employment which I chair and which includes people nominated by the main political parties, the CBI, the TUC and other interested bodies and the chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to publish the findings of the research which he has put in hand to assess the effect of the Employment Protection Act on employment by firms employing fewer than 50 people.

I hope to publish within the next few months a detailed assessment of the findings of the research undertaken last year by the Opinion Research Centre. A preliminary summary was published on 17 August 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the manning levels at the British Approval Service for Electrical Equipment in Flammable Atmosphere; and what is the length of time before approvals are given to British manufacturers.

I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the time taken by the British Approval Service for Electrical Equipment in Flammable Atmospheres (BASEEFA) to respond to applications varies considerably according to the nature of each application. I am aware, however, that some manufacturers have experienced lengthy delays. This is a serious matter. As I stated in reply to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) on 5 February, the whole position at BASEEFA, including the manning levels, is under thorough and urgent review by the Health and Safety Executive. The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission and the director of the Health and Safety Executive share my concern that this review be completed as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the employed labour force of the United Kingdom was employed by (a) central Government, excluding Her Majesty's Forces, (b) local authorities, including police and education services, and (c) public corporations and nationalised industries, at mid-year in 1963, 1968, 1973 and 1978, respectively.

The available information is shown in the following table. Comparisons will be affected by changes over time in the composition of the public sector and in the allocation of some of its components.

Percentage of United Kingdom employed labour force employed by:
		Central Government (excluding HM Forces)	Local authorities	Public corporations and nationalised industries
1963	…	5·4	8·1	8·7
1968	…	6·0	9·8	8·3
1973	…	6·6	11·6	7·6
1977*	…	8·0	12·1	8·4
* Figures for 1978 are not yet available. The 1977 figures are provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any plans to commission research externally into the effect of incomes policy on firms.

I have recently commissioned an independent research organisation, Industrial Facts and Forecasting (IFF) Limited, to carry out the pilot stage of a small scale survey into qualitative effects of pay policy at company and plant level. If the pilot stage is completed satisfactorily it is my intention to commission IFF to undertake a full survey which will consist of about 600 interviews with management and trade union representatives.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of skilled craftsmen in the construction industry registered as unemployed as compared with the number of semi-skilled and unskilled workers in that industry registered as unemployed.

At 9 November 1978, the latest date for which an industrial analysis of the unemployed is available, 166,079 people who last worked in the construction industry were registered as unemployed at employment offices and careers offices in Great Britain. There is no division of this number into skilled craftsmen, semi-skilled and unskilled workers. A limited occupational analysis of those registered at employment offices provides the following information for certain selected occupations generally regarded as skilled:

Carpenters and joiners	6,710
Electricians	2,346
Linesmen and cable jointers	95
Heating and ventilating engineering fitters	429
Plumbers and pipe fitters	3,362
Scaffolders (metal scaffolding)	1,440
Other steel erectors and riggers and cable splicers	3,733
Painters and decorators	8,105
Bricklayers and stone setters	4,868
Plasterers	2,399
Terrazzo workers and tile setters	337
Roofers	1,472
Glaziers	284
General builders	1,040
Pipe layers and jointers	572
Concreters	263
Earth movers and civil engineering equipment operators	1,883
Crane, hoist and other materials handling equipment operators	1,589
Total	40,927

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of people prevented from working, or put on short-time working, as a consequence of industrial disputes in which they themselves were not involved, in each of the weeks since 1 January.

Estimates of the number of people laid off as a result of the transport disputes are shown below. Figures before and after the dates shown are not available, but it is believed that virtually all of those who were so laid off will have been recalled by their employers by now. Figures for those who were not laid off but were on short-time working as a result of the disputes are not available.

Thursday 18 to Friday 19 January—	135,000 to 130,000
Monday 22 to Friday 26 January—	175,000 to 215,000
Monday 29 to Friday 2 February—	235,000 to 125,000
Monday 5 February—	85,000

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has yet made a decision regarding the future of the work research unit in his Department.

With the agreement of the TUC and CBI members of the tripartite steering group on job satisfaction, my right hon. Friend has decided to appoint a new director of the work research unit. The post has been advertised and a selection panel will be meeting shortly to consider applications.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment under what circumstances a worker who takes voluntary redundancy may be prevented from being re-employed when his former firm takes on extra workers, or be prevented from being employed by another firm.

I will reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will request the Health and Safety Executive to hold an immediate inquiry into the incident in which 4,000 gallons of petrol were introduced into the oil-fired central heating system of the Mendip Vale Estate, Coleford, Frome, on 5 February, putting at risk residents in 83 homes.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 16 February 1979; Vol. 962, c. 675], gave the following information:I understand from the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that investigations by the Health and Safety Executive into this incident at the Mendip Vale Estate have been started and are continuing. I have asked the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission to write to the hon. Member when the results of the investigation are known.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the public sector wage negotiations in the last six months in which a settlement following a strike has been at the same or at a lower level, than the maximum offer made before the strike and those in which the settlement reached was at higher level than that offered before a strike took place.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 16 February 1979; Vol. 962, c. 675] gave the following information:None of the major current round settlements in the public sector in the last six months has been immediately preceded by a strike. In a number of current public sector negotiations selective industrial action of varying kinds is being taken. As yet none of these negotiations has resulted in fully ratified settlements.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received regarding the serious unemployment in the building industry; and if he will make a statement.

Over the past year, my right hon. Friend has had a number of questions put to him in the House and has received representations from political and trade organisations, and from local authorities and trade unions about unemployment in the construction industry.Thanks to the £811 million extra funds allocated to public sector construction work up to 1980, the main departmental programmes now show a stable pattern of demand. This stability has helped improve confidence in the industry and during the last 12 months there has been a 7 per cent. increase in output. Although unemployment in the industry is still too high there has also been a welcome fall over the past year and the prospects for the industry now look much healthier.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will refer the prospective take-over of the Scottish company, Caledonian Holdings Limited, to the Monopolies Commission in order to maintain employment and industrial control in Scotland.

My right hon. Friend will announce his decision as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what action his Department has taken to deal with increase in rentals for televisions and other goods by Henry Wigfall and Son Ltd. when the imposition of these increases has overridden the hirers' contractual rights.

My Department has been in touch with the company which has agreed to make full restitution to these customers by cancelling the increases and crediting them with the amounts which they have overpaid.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has plans to make an official visit to Romford.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the heads of nationalised industries.

I do not see the heads of nationalised industries collectively, but I see them individually from time to time as necessary.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will list his official engagements for 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his public engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he will list his official appointments for Tuesday 20 February.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will state his official engagements for 20 February.

I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw (Mr. Ashton).

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Confederation of British Industry.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Confederation of British Industry.

asked the Prime Minister when he will meet the Confederation of British Industry.

I refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friends to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr. Atkinson) on 13 February.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Munster when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when he expects next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when he plans next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when he expects next to meet the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when he will meet next the Trades Union Congress.

I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Thornaby (Mr. Wrigglesworth) on 15 February.

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with the coordination between the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection and the Department of the Environment in their support for citizens' advice bureaux and, in particular, their future funding.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister how many letters he receives from the electorate, on average, each week; and how many he has received in the last seven days.

About 1,830; 2,100.

asked the Prime Minister if any public speeches concerning Government policy by Cabinet Ministers made since January have not represented Government policy.

If the hon. Member has any particular speech in mind, I will be ready to consider his question in relation to it.

asked the Prime Minister if he will divide the Department of Health and Social Security into separate departments of health and social security.

The hon. Member may assume that I do not intend to make any changes in departmental organisation or responsibilities unless and until I make a statement to the contrary.

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech he made in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 3 February concerning pay policy.

I did so on 13 February.

asked the Prime Minister what machinery he is proposing to implement the proposal on monitoring which he made at the United Nations Special Session on Disarmament.

The Government stand by their pledge to accept whatever future measures of verification are needed to underpin future arms control agreements. In particular, we are negotiating detailed arrangements for the proper verification of a comprehensive test ban treaty.

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Barnack.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to the Virgin Islands.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if he will indicate the differences between the concordat which he announced on Wednesday 14 February and the earlier social contract.

The joint statement between the TUC and the Government and the social contract relate to different periods and circumstances. No useful purpose would be served by making a comparison.

asked the Prime Minister when he next will visit the London borough of Camden.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether in his recent discussions with the trade unions on the initiative for a new concordat including a committee to establish correct differentials and the implementation of a non-striking rule for wage and salary payments on a comparability basis mention was made of the Government's action in these fields so far as the Civil Service and Boyle Committee on salaries of the higher paid were concerned; and whether such reports of these committees will be binding.

The Government's decisions on Civil Service pay and the recommendations of the existing review bodies were not discussed in detail during the recent discussions with the TUC. The nature of the continuing arrangements proposed in paragraph 35 of the joint statement by the TUC and the Government will be the subject of further consultations.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will reject any application for Industry Act assistance made by the Kirkby Co-operative based on collaboration with Mr. Robert Maxwell in the light of Mr. Maxwell's record of involvement with Pergamon Press and the Scottish Daily News.

My right hon. Friend never rejects any application before he has received it.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement about the Government's rejection of the Kirkby Co-operative's last application for Government assistance of £6 million.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Minister of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdare (Mr. Evans) on 19 February.—[Vol. 963; c. 11–14.]

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will organise a series of seminars to enlighten industry to the uses and potentialities of biotechnological processes similar to the action that he is taking in the field of microprocessors.

I do not consider that seminars of the kind mentioned by my hon. Friend would be appropriate for advancing biotechnological developments in industry. While biotechnology is a very wide subject, developments in it tend to be very specific and not applicable to industry as a whole. This is in marked contrast to the general impact which mircoprocessor developments are expected to have.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he estimates that British industry will be able to produce the essential equipment needed for the manufacture of biotechnological processes; and what steps he is taking to ensure this.

British industry is capable of making plant and control gear for most processes of a biotechnological nature. The sectors concerned are eligible for a wide range of Government support schemes which should adequately cover biotechnological process developments. Examples are the selective investment scheme, the product and process development scheme, the microprocessor application scheme and the support provided through the research and development requirements boards. My Department is anxious to give all possible assistance to the process plant and equipment industries, but in this context does not see need for additional action at present arising from biotechnological developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what support he is giving the British Co-ordinating Committee for Biotechnology.

The British Coordinating Committee for Biotechnology does not receive support from my Department, nor has my Department received any request for such support.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on future employment in British Shipbuilders in the light of their corporate plan.

A statement on the shipbuilding industry will be made after completion of the Government's review of British Shipbuilders' corporate plan.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the hourly rates of pay for workers in the school meals service; and what is the imputed value of the free meals to which they are entitled.

The hourly rates of pay effective from November 1977 are as follows:

	pence
Dining room assistant	106*
General kitchen assistant/school meals supervisory assistant	107*
Assistant cook	111·75*
Cook	117·50*

The hourly rate payable to cooks-in-charge and cook supervisors is 117·50^* pence, increased by between 2·90 pence and 9·45 pence depending on the daily output of meals of the school kitchen or canteen concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will seek a supplementary estimate to enable her to meet demands for greater financial aid for the provision of after school care and holiday care for the children of working mothers and mothers who wish to work.

My right hon. Friend has no powers to fund such provision. However, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Social Security, gives sympathetic consideration to schemes of this nature when advising the Department of the Environment about applications submitted by local authorities for support under the urban programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in the Official Report her Department's response to the Woman's Own Gallup opinion poll survey of women's problems associated with child care and work, a copy of which was formally presented to her Department on 19 December 1978.

Following is the full text of my letter to Woman's Own in response to its opinion poll survey:

• Deirdre Sanders
• Consumer Affairs Editor
• Womans Own
• Kings Reach Tower
• Stamford Street
• London
• SE1 9LS

8 January 1979Thank you for letting me see the results of this survey, carried out on behalf of Womans Own. I promised to write to you about my initial reaction to it and to outline what the Government is already doing in the field of nursery education.First, I thought your survey showed clearly how many women still need to work and how many others wish to do so. I was also fascinated and dismayed to see that so many fathers still have little to do with their children. Those who criticise working women spending less time with their children obviously should turn some of their attention to such men.The main point of your work though is that there is still a great unmet need for educational and other facilities for the children of working women. We are very conscious of this and we have tried to go some way to meeting this need, as I will explain in a moment. Nevertheless, at a time of economic difficulty I think we can claim credit for having made some progress, and although we realise how much there is still to do, one of the major obstacles (not the only one) is money. The finance to provide all the facilities needed does not grow on trees—it comes in rates and taxes from the pockets of Womens Own readers and others like them.About 17 per cent. of 3 and 4-year-olds are now in nursery schools and classes, and another 36 per cent of 4-year-olds are in primary schools early. Since 1974 more than £60 million has been made available by the Government through my Department in nursery education building programmes, and the number of children in nursery schools and classes has risen by two thirds to a little over 200,000. A further 213,000 4-year-olds were in reception classes in primary schools.Last November we announced a major increase in the nursery programme for 1979/80 to bring it up to £5·9 million and the total programme for between 1979 and 1982 is £14·3 million. In the Rate Support Grant settlement for the last couple of years we have advised the local Authorities that we expected them to afford to open and run this nursery accommodation. We have told Authorities in this years (1978/79) Rate Support Grant advice that we expect the numbers in nursery classes and infant classes to continue to rise.Money is also made available to Authorities for building and running nursery schools and classes in the Urban Aid Programme (Home Office) and in the special Partnership Programme for Inner Cities (DOE). But my second major point—apart from the fact that the money available in these ways is not as much as all of us would like—is that in all these cases all the Government can do is make money available. It is the Local Authorities

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the earth sciences division of the British Antarctic Survey has completed a geological survey of the Antarctic, the mineral ore bodies that have been discovered and the reserves involved.

I have been asked to reply.The results of a preliminary reconnaissance geological survey of the British Antarctic Territory (BAT) and Falkland Islands Dependencies (FID) were published in Antarctic Map Folio Series (American Geographical Society) Folio 12 (1970) Plates I & II. The results of subsequent more detailed surveys are at present being prepared for publication.No mineral ore bodies have yet been located in BAT or FID. Geophysical surveys including aeromagnetic and ground surveys are being directed towards the location of economically viable mineral ore bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the major projects undertaken by the British Antarctic Survey in the past year and a summary of the achievements made to date.

I have been asked to reply.During 1978 the British Antarctic Survey undertook the following major projects:

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a breakdown of the expenditure of the British Antarctic Survey as noted in Appendix IX of the 1977–78 Natural Environment Research Council report.

I have been asked to reply.The breakdown of this expenditure is as follows:

	£K
General expenses:
Salaries, wages etc.	1,413
Travel, subsistence, etc	149
Equipment, supplies, services	1,086
Rent, rates, maintenance, repairs	1,122
Capital expenditure:
Land, buildings and ships	150
Plant, machinery and permanent equipment	190

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to her reply to the hon. Member for Kingswood about nursery education allocations offered to Avon county council, if she will list in the Official Report the sums allocated but not taken up in the financial years 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77 and 1977–78.