asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent requests he has received from the Governments of the Gulf States for either direct or indirect military assistance.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. and learned Member for Royal Tunbridge Wells (Mr. Mayhew) on 20 February.—[Vol. 963, c. 257.] We have a close relationship with the States of the area in defence matters. It is not our practice to make details of these matters public.

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

I have no plans to do so at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to him about the position of Mr. Anatoly Shcharansky.

My right hon. Friend has received letters from many different people. He has also received petitions and seen a number of individuals and organisations interested in Mr. Shcharansky's situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about progress towards the establishment of a world commodities centre in London.

As the hon. Member is aware, officials have been studying this question in consultation with representatives of the commodity organisations in London. These studies have been concluded and are now under consideration by the Government.

asked the Secretary of of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied with the quality of advice which he has received about the stability of the regimes in the Gulf.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements he has made to keep himself advised on the progress of the April election in Rhodesia.

We shall have the usual wide range of sources of information to enable us to keep in touch with developments in Rhodesia both before and during the elections.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will send parliamentary observers to the forthcoming Rhodesian elections.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Leominster (Mr. Temple-Morris) on 15 March.—[Vol. 964, c. 693.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs what further discussions he has had with the leaders of the Banaban people, since the Gilbert Islands constitutional conference, on the relation ship of Ocean Island to the new State of Kiribati.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Essex, South-East (Sir B. Braine) on 12 March. On 13 March my right hon. and noble Friend also reported in another place on my meeting with the Banabans on Rabi Island.—[Vol. 964, c. 40; Vol. 399, c. 496.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on current relations with the Government of Iran.

I have nothing to add to the statement I made on 20 February.—[Vol. 963, c. 257.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will allow the names of children of British mothers married to foreign nationals resident abroad to be included in their mothers passports.

United Kingdom passport facilities are normally available only to children who are United Kingdom nationals. Where the child concerned is not a United Kingdom national, our rules allow for the temporary inclusion of the child's name on the passport of its British mother to enable it to travel in urgent compassionate circumstances if it cannot obtain its own national passport in time and there is no objection from the local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made with the arrangements, including the use of United Nations forces, to terminate the illegal occupation of Namibia by South Africa.

Together with other Ministers of the Five I held talks in New York on 19 and 20 March with the Foreign Minister of South Africa and with representatives of the front-line States, Nigeria and SWAPO. The Five also met representatives of all the internal parties of Namibia. We had detailed discussions covering the arrangements necessary to ensure the effective observance of a cease-fire and the maintenance of peaceful conditions in which UN-supervised elections can take place.The principal outstanding issues remain that of monitoring the restriction to base of SWAPO forces in countries neighbouring Namibia, and how to deal with those SWAPO-armed personnel inside Namibia at the time of the ceasefire. In order to establish the confidence between the parties that will enable a cease-fire to come into force, detailed work on the exact procedures to be followed in implementing the Five's proposal is now being undertaken. The possible use of technical monitoring devices is one of the measures currently being examined in discussions with all concerned in New York in the hope that confidence can be built up and the Secretary-General can exchange cease-fire letters with the parties. It is too early to be confident of success but the future of Southern Africa could be greatly influenced by the outcome. I and other Ministers of the Five are ready to return to New York for further discussions should this be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the imprisonment of David Kitson in South Africa and the petition signed by the members of the Trades Union Congress general council which he gave to the South African Chargé d'Affaires on 18 January.

My right hon. Friend saw the South African Chargé d'Affaires on 18 January, drew his attention to the petition, and urged the early release of David Kitson. He also expressed concern about the changes in Mr. Kitson's conditions of imprisonment whereby we understand that he will not be allowed further study facilities. The initial South African response disclosed a misunderstanding as to what was being sought on Mr. Kitson's behalf. This has now been clarified and my right hon. Friend awaits a further reply. We shall continue to press for more humane treatment of political detainees in South Africa and, in particular, for those individuals who have close connections with this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will increase the strength and status of the residual British mission in Salisbury, Rhodesia.

British officials are sent to Salisbury and to the neighbouring countries whenever this can contribute to a negotiation between the parties. Such working visits are not normally announced.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs if, in view of the implications for the peace of Africa, he will seek to raise at the United Nations the situation in Uganda.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Whitehead).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to meet the Foreign Minister of South Yemen.

I have no present plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs whether he expects to hold discussions with the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany.

I had talks with the Federal German Foreign Minister in Bonn on 27 and 28 February. I have no plans at present to hold further bilateral discussions with Herr Genscher.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he proposes to meet the Irish Foreign Minister.

I have at present no plans for a bilateral meeting. I met Mr. O'Kennedy at the European Council meeting in Paris on 12 and 13 March and I hope to meet him in Luxembourg on 2 and 3 April at the joint Council meeting of Foreign and Finance Ministers and at the meeting of the Council of Ministers—Foreign Affairs.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a further statement on Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the latest position in Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to create a favourable opportunity for a new British initiative in Rhodesia prior to elections in that country.

I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North-West (Mr. Brocklebank-Fowler).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking in respect of the abduction by terrorist organisations of children and young people from their homes in Rhodesia.

We have been working with the Government of Botswana and the international humanitarian agencies to try to ensure that refugee children are registered and given an opportunity to return. The refugee problem, about which we are greatly concerned, can be finally solved only in the context of a negotiated settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs whether he remains of the opinion that the Harrier is defensive equipment, in the light of recent events in Indo-China.

The Government's view of the military function of Harrier aircraft remains as stated by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, in his statement in the House on 16 January.—[Vol. 960, c. 1497.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the Soviet proposals to limit nuclear stockpiles and end qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons.

We are committed to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective and verifiable measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms race. We are negotiating a comprehensive test ban treaty which will curb the qualitative improvement in nuclear weapons. We are prepared to look carefully at other positive ideas. We await clarification particularly on how the latest Soviet proposals would be verified.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a further statement on relations between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Iran, particularly in so far as British interests in that country are affected.

I look forward to the development of good relations with the Government of Iran. We have many close interests in common—in particular trade—which go back over many years. I hope that the new Government of Iran will be successful in restoring calm and reviving the economy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs when he intends next to meet the secretary general of NATO.

I expect to meet Dr. Luns at the next ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Council in The Hague on 30 and 31 May.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs if he will raise with the United Nations the denial of human rights in Ethiopia.

Our deep concern for the violation of human rights in Ethiopia has been expressed on many occasions. The question of human rights violations in Ethiopia is currently before the United Nations Human Rights Commission and has been considered under a confidential procedure during the present session of the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards orders from China for military equipment and supplies manufactured in the United Kingdom.

The Government want a balanced relationship with China, including political, commercial and cultural contacts. We are willing in principle to approve some sales of defensive military equipment, subject to our international obligations, as having a natural place in such a relationship.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs whether any progress has been made with the discussions between Her Majesty's Government and the Spanish Government towards an amicable settlement of the status of Gibraltar to satisfy both countries.

There has been less progress than I should have liked. But my meetings with the Spanish Foreign Minister, and the"working group"meetings, have taken place in a good atmosphere and there has been some minor lifting of the restrictions on Gibraltar. I look forward to further progress as soon as the new Spanish Government have taken office.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent talks in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.

As I told the House on 20 February, I had valuable discussions during the Royal tour of Eastern Arabia with the Governments of Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. My discussions covered the events in Iran, and their implications for the stability of the Gulf area, as well as other matters.—[Vol. 963, c. 257.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs if, in the event of Mr. Z. A. Bhutto's being executed, he will recall Her Majesty's Ambassador in Islamabad.

As my right hon. Friend said in the House on 6 February, it is the Ambassador's task to remain in his post at a crucial stage to represent (he views of Her Majesty's Government.—[Vol. 962, c. 206.]

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common wealth Affairs when he expects next to meet the President of the European Com mission.

At a meeting of the foreign affairs council on 2 and 3 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further progress has been made towards enlargement of the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.

It is hoped to complete the Greek negotiations in April and that a treaty of accession will be signed not long afterwards. In the Portuguese negotiations the second meeting at deputy level took place on 27 February when Portugal's integration into the customs union and the common commercial policy were discussed. In the Spanish negotiations work has started on the preparation of the Community's negotiating position in readiness for the beginning of substantive negotiations in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects next to meet other European Economic Community Foreign Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he is due to meet his European Economic Community counterparts.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends next to meet his colleagues in the Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community.

I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he proposes to make an early visit to Turkey to discuss matters of common concern with the members of the Turkish Government, and with particular reference to the European Economic Community.

I have no plans to do so at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policy changes he expects in the Council of Ministers to arise in the changeover in the presidency from France to Ireland in due course.

None. Policy is determined by the Council of Ministers as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what differences exist between the Council of Ministers and the Council of European Economic Community Finance Ministers on the merits of United Kingdom participation in the European monetary system.

None. In legal terms, there is only one Council of Ministers at which member States are represented according to the subject to be discussed. The foreign affairs council in practice acts as general co-ordinator of Community business. But in all councils each Minister speaks and acts on the basis of the policies of the Government he represents.

asked the Attorney-General if he will estimate in the case of each quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation for which he is responsible (a) its total expenditure in the current year and (b) its total expenditure on administration, accommodation and general services, defined to include items such as salaries, telephones and postage, rent, rates, heating, travelling, transport, office equipment, & c.

There is no official definition of the term"quasi-autonomous, non-governmental organisation ". However, there are no quangos for which I am, or my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor is, responsible.

asked the Attorney-General if he will place in the Official Report a list of the Acts affected by the transfer from the law offices to the Director of Public Prosecutions of functions in relation to prosecutions and the consent to prosecutions and a list of those Acts in which similar functions have been retained for exercise directly by the Law Officers of the Crown.

The Acts in respect of which the Consent to Prosecutions Bill seeks to transfer the exercise of functions relating to prosecutions and consents to prosecutions from the Law Officers to the Director of Public Prosecutions are, as set out chronologically in the schedule to the Bill:

asked the Lord President of the Council what action is open to hon. Members, either individually or collectively, to refer their salary scales for consideration by the Commission on comparability of salaries.

The Members' salary is already under review by the independent Review Body on Top Salaries.It would not therefore be appropriate to speculate now about any form of alternative arrangements.

asked the President of the Council whether, in view of the Government's decision to recommend the Adjournment of the House to enable hon. Members to participate in the activities connected with the recent referendums on the Scottish and Welsh Assemblies, what similar action he proposes to take regarding the elections to the European Assembly.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) on Monday 4 December 1978.—[Vol. 959, c. 467.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report, a list of parliamentary constituencies with electorates, according to the 1979 register of electors, which are above or below the quota determined by the Boundary Commissions, ranked by the size of excess or deficiency.

Provisional figures for the 1979 electoral register, including numbers and percentages by which each constituency exceeds or falls short of the electoral quota, will be published in an OPCS monitor by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in the next few months. Such constituencies on the 1978 electoral register may be identified from the OPCS Monitor on Electoral Statistics, reference EL 78/2, copies of which are in the Library of the House. This monitor was expanded last year to include the numbers and percentages by which every constituency exceeds or falls short of the electoral quota, in recognition of the interest of Members in this information which will be included again this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prosecutions occurred during each of the last 10 years for sexual intercourse per anum conducted in private between consenting heterosexual partners of adult years; if he will review the social usefulness of this law; and if he will make a statement;(2) how many prosecutions have been instituted since private homosexual acts between two adults were made legal in England and Wales of adult male persons accused of committing such acts where more than two persons were present; and if he is satisfied with the present state of the law on this matter.

I regret that the statistical information requested is not available. As regards the last parts of these questions, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to his question on 16 March.—[Vol. 964, c. 342–3.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of the unclassified prisoners serving sentences in Lewes prison, Sussex on 31 January were in the prison hospital; and what was the nature of their illness;(2) how many prisoners serving sentences in Lewes prison, Sussex on 31st January were in the prison hospital suffering from mental illnesses; and what were their categories.

There were no prisoners in the prison hospital on 31 January.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many girls in borstal were pregnant at the latest available date; and how many had children with them.

On 12 March 1979, eight girls serving borstal sentences were known to be pregnant; and eight girls serving borstal sentences had children with them in custody.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women are in prison with their children; what are the offences of those women; and how many other children the prisoners have.

On 15 March 1979, 31 females were in custody with their children. The principal offences for which the mothers had been convicted were theft—14, illegal importation or unauthorised possesison of drugs—four, burglery—two, criminal or attempted deception—two, robbery—two, arson—one, assault—one, carrying firearms with intent—one, criminal damage—one, false imprisonment—one, possessing an offensive weapon—one, and taking and driving away—one. Information about the number of other children belonging to those inmates is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cars have been stolen on Merseyside in each of the past five years to the latest available date.

The information is available only from 1 April 1974, and is published annually in"Criminal Statistics, England and Wales "—table 28 of the volume for 1977 (Cmnd. 7289). The number of such offences recorded by the police in Merseyside in 1978 was 19,459.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many EEC nationals since 1973 have been refused entry or had their stay curtailed in Great Britain because they were likely to become a charge on public bodies; and if he will make a statement;(2) how many EEC nationals have been refused entry since 1973 to Great Britain because it was against public policy on health grounds; and if he will make a statement.

Between 1 January 1973 and 30 September 1978, a total of 3,222 nationals of EEC member States were refused leave to enter the United Kingdom. Of these, 219 were refused on medical grounds. It is not possible to give an exact figure for those refused on the grounds that they were likely to become a charge on public funds but it would have been of the order of 2,500. No figures are available of the numbers whose stay has been curtailed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of the families brought into Great Britain by EEC nationals in each of the past five years were not themselves EEC nationals; and if he will make a statement.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether in view of the Government's acceptance of the Bennett committee report that persons held under the Emergency Provisions Act should have access to solicitors within 48 hours of being held, he will now introduce the same procedures in the United Kingdom for prisoners held under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to his question yesterday.—[Vol. 964, c. 514.] The general question of access to solicitors in relation to procedure in England and Wales is among the matters which are being examined by the Royal Commission on criminal procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reform the Extradition Act 1870.

I recognise the desirability of reviewing this legislation in the light of the experience of more than a century. Such a review must take account of a number of factors, including the growth of international crime, the continuing importance of safeguards for the individual, and the development of multilateral extradition conventions.In the first instance I propose that an interdepartmental working party which made a study of our extradition law some time ago should be reconvened to take account of recent developments. I intend that a consultative document on reform of the Extradition Act should be published in the light of the working party's report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the evidence of unsatisfactory conditions in Birmingham Winson Green prison, he will take steps to secure an urgent improvement in the situation.

In common with other local prisons, Birmingham suffers from shortage of staff, overcrowding and antiquated buildings. There is no quick or easy solution to these problems, but efforts are being made to improve prison service recruitment and there is an approved programme of refurbishing and redevelopment at Birmingham. Major building works to improve facilities are currently under way; other major schemes in excess of £2 million are planned for future years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the industrial action by prison officers in Walton prison, Liverpool; and what steps are being taken to resolve the dispute.

In 1978 officers at a number of prisons, including Liverpool prison, received retrospective payments in respect of a claim for paid breakfast breaks. In July 1978 the Liverpool officers submitted a further claim for paid breakfast breaks, with retrospective effect, for certain officers. The Home Office was unable to accept that this claim was justified and earlier this year the officers took industrial action which resulted in the cancellation of prisoners' family visits, work, association and even exercise, and their confinement to their cells for virtually 24 hours a day.The terms of reference of the May committee of inquiry into the United Kingdom prison services cover the question of paid meal breaks, including outstanding retrospective claims. The committee is now considering a number of such claims submitted by the national executive committee of the Prison Officers' Association, including a claim for further paid breakfast breaks which embodies the principle underlying the Liverpool claim. The members of the committee of inquiry have visited Liverpool prison and heard the points which the staff there wished to make about the claim. The report of the committee is now expected in the summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list any examples in which local education authorities are known to have carried out experiments in the teaching of Esperanto in primary or secondary schools; and if she will make a statement.

It is for local authorities and the schools themselves to formulate their policies for the teaching of individual subjects; my Department does not collect systematic information about the number or location of schools providing instruction in Esperanto. However; returns from examining boards indicated that a total of 36 candidates in England and Wales attempted CSE examinations in Esperanto in 1977; and in reply to my Department's circular 14–77 about curricular arrangements, one authority specifically mentioned provision of Esperanto courses in one secondary school in its area.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish the results of her circular 14–77 relating to the contents of and access to school records; and what action she proposes to take thereon.

The analysis of the replies to circular 14–77 is almost complete and I intend to publish a summary of them in about two or three months. This will form the basis for further consultations within and outside the education service.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list all the local authorities who were asked to make bids for inclution in the pilot programme of mandatory grants for students aged 16 to 18 years, those who made bids and those who did not, and the criteria to be used in deciding which authorities will be designated.

My Department wrote to all local education authorities in England on 22 December 1978 inviting them to say whether they wished to be considered for inclusion in the pilot programme 1 listed the authorities which have expressed a wish to be considered in my answer to my hon. Friend, the Member for Ormskirk (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) on 5 March—[Vol. 863, c. 411.] I indicated the criteria to be used in selecting authorities for the programme in my oral answer to my hon. Friends, the Members for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery) and The Wrekin (Mr. Fowler) on 6 February.—[Vol. 962, c. 186.] Selection within Wales is a matter for the Secretary of State for Wales.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many scientists took part in the senior professional administrative training scheme for the Civil Service in each of the past six years; if he is satisfied with the number of scientists being recruited into the Civil Service; and what action he is taking to overcome the shortage of scientists entering Government Departments.

The information is as follows:

1973	13
1974	16
1975	8
1976	5
1977	6
1978	4

I regard this steady reduction in interest as disappointing: the response from other specialist groups remains high. I am not entirely satisfied with the number of scientists being recruited. As announced in the White Paper"Review of the Framework for Government Research and Development"(Cmnd. 7499) published on 7 March, a review of the recruitment, structure and management of the scientific Civil Service has been set in hand. Invitations to the relevant interests, including unions and professional bodies, to give evidence will issue shortly.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will make a statement giving full details of the effects on Government services of the industrial action being taken by the Civil Service unions; and what action he has taken or intends taking to restore normality to these services.

The selective industrial action by two of the nine Civil Service unions is now in its fourth week, and inevitably this is affecting some Government services. The main effects have been delays in the payment of contractors' bills, grants and subsidies, suspension of VAT repayments and interference with services to commerce and industry. There has also been serious interference with the operation of the Scottish courts. For the time being the encashment of savings certificates and premium bonds has ceased. I much regret the delays being caused, but I can assure my hon. Friend that wherever possible arrangements have been introduced to reduce inconvenience and ensure that cases of hardship are dealt with.If my hon. Friend requires specific details of the effects, I suggest that he asks the Minister responsible for the services in question.Once the industrial action has ceased, every effort will be made to return to normal working as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of officers who had requested premature voluntary retirement in each of the three Services in the period January to June 1978 and July to December 1978.

The number of officers who applied for premature voluntary release during the periods stated were as follows:

	January-June 1978
RN/RM	201
ARMY	459
RAF	395
	July-December 1978
RN/RM	188
ARMY	441
RAF	296

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) further to the answer, Official Report, 5 March, columns 529–30, if he will list the flying accidents involving aircraft of each of the Armed Services which occurred in the periods 1 March 1973 to 28 February 1974, 1 March 1974 to 28 February 1975, 1 March 1975 to 28 February 1976 and 1 March 1976 to 28 February 1977, respectively, indicating the number of fatalities or serious injuries in each case;(2) if he will list the causes, where known, of the flying accidents involving aircraft of each of the Armed Services, in the periods 1 March 1977 to 28 February 1978 and 1 March 1978 to 28 February 1979, respectively.

The considerable quantity of information required by these questions will take a little longer to collate than time has allowed, and I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report the gross weekly rates of pay before tax currently applicable in the Armed Forces of each of the member States of the North Atlantic Alliance in respect of volunteer forces of the ranks (a) private, (b) staff sergeant and (c) lieutenant, indicating where appropriate the length of the standard working week and whether any overtime payments are made.

I regret that in the time available it has not been possible to provide the information requested. I shall publish a reply in the Official Report as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what account he took of the concern of lower-paid public servants about the level of their remuneration in fixing the remuneration of the chairman of the Standing Commission on pay comparability; and if he will now reduce that salary by 50 per cent.

The salary of the chairman of the Standing Commission on pay comparability is based on a rate equivalent to salaries paid for comparable public appointments. It is not intended that it should be reduced below that level.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many disabled people have been placed in work by the disablement resettlement service in each of the past three years.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, during the 12 months ending 2 February 1979, the latest date for which figures are available, 58,577 disabled people were placed in employment by the disablement resettlement service of the employment service division. In the 12 months ending February 1978, 52,299 disabled people were placed and in the 12 months ending February 1977, 49,869—estimated, because no figures were provided during November and December 1976 because of industrial action.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many disabled people are at the moment receiving financial assistance with the cost of fares to travel to work.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that there are 461 currently authorised cases for assistance under the Manpower Services Commission's fares to work scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of labour turnover in his Department's offices in the Birmingham area during the latest 12-month period for which this information is available; and what it was five years ago.

Staff turnover in the Department of Employment group in the Birmingham area during 1978 was 17·8 per cent. The earliest year for which information is available is 1975, when the level of turnover was 15·2 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment it he will set out the unemployment figures, in both numbers and as a percentage of the United kingdom's population, for each of the years 1972 to 1979 in the special development areas, the development areas, the intermediate areas and the non-assisted areas, respectively.

In the table below, the numbers of people registered as unemployed are given for the areas specified, as currently defined, at February each year. These numbers have been expressed as percentages of employees—employed and unemployed—in the whole of the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total monthly cost for each of the past six months for the advertisements on job centres placed by the Employment Services Agency.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the amount of money spent monthly on advertising job centres during the past six months is as follows:

	£
October	107,509
November	175,570
December	78,874
January	54,396
February	162,034
March	153,173

asked the Secretary of State for Trade in how many cases the penalties for offences relating to fishing vessels are to be increased under the Merchant Shipping Bill; with which bodies representing fishermen he has had consultations over the proposed increases; and whether the bodies concerned agreed to the proposals.

The penalties for 10 offences relating specifically to fishing vessels are to be increased. None of the increases exceeds the normal maximum fine of £1,000 on summary conviction. They conform with the general pattern adopted for merchant ships and I saw no need for separate consultation.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement about the chairmanship of the British Overseas Trade Board.

Lord Limerick has accepted my invitation to become chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board with effect from 7 May. He succeeds Sir Frederick Catherwood, on completion of his appointment as chairman of the board.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on the activities of the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation of which the United Kingdom is a member.

Copies of the fifteenth annual report of the Eurocontrol Organisation, summarising its activities during 1977, have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals British Railways have put to him for infrastructure improvements on the Southern region; and if he will make a statement.

The board has put to me proposals for the resignalling of the London to Brighton line and associated branch lines at a cost of £45 million. I have given it my approval today. The scheme, which includes improvements to the track layout, should start later this year and be fully completed by 1987. It will increase the safety, reliability and speed of services on these lines.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of driving licence holders in the United Kingdom in each of the past 10 years.

The number of driving licence holders in Great Britain was:

'000s
	Full	Provisional	All
1969	15,404	1,733	17,138
1970	15,860	1,760	17,620
1971	16,169	2,375	18,544
1972	16,735	2,327	19,062
1973	17,219	2,568	19,787
1974	17,612	2,642	20,254
1975	18,205	2,843	21,048
1976	18,710	3,060	21,770
1977	19,373	2,831	22,204

These figures, and commentary upon them, are in the Department's publication"Transport Statistics in Great Britain ".Figures for 1978 are: Full, 20,012,000; Provisional, 3,118,000; All, 23,130,000.Driving licences in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the chairman of British Railways about the possible closure of the rail link between Sheffield and Manchester via Woodhead, and the modernisation and possible electrification of the line via Chorley and Edale; and if he will make a statement about the possible alternatives, and any decisions he has reached.

I understand that the board has produced an internal report based on studies of the four main trans-Pennine routes and that the board and the rail unions are due to meet shortly to consider the options. The board says that it will make no decision on the future of the trans-Pennine routes until it has finished its consultations.My right hon. Friend intends to mention these routes to the chairman of the Railways Board when they next meet.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his most recent estimate of the number of lives that can be saved annually if 100 per cent. of all front seat passengers and drivers wore their seat belts and if 75 per cent., 50 per cent., and 25 per cent., respectively, did so.

As the current seat belt wearing rate for drivers and front seat passengers of cars and light vans is estimated to be around 25 per cent.—over an average 24 hour period, the rate during daylight hours being around 30 per cent.—no additional savings are given for the 25 per cent. rate. The other latest estimates are set out below:

All hours seat belt wearing rate	Potential savings
	Killed	Seriously injured
100 per cent	1,000	10,000
75 per cent	650	6,500
50 per cent	300	3,000

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the collapse of the Penmanshiel tunnel on 17 March; and if he will hold a public inquiry into this incident, in view of the fact that contractor's staff and main line trains were using the tunnel, and that this disaster could well have had even worse results.

At about 3.30 a.m. on 17 March a fall of rock occurred in the tunnel during engineering work to lower the track level. This work was being carried out to allow sufficient headroom for the larger size of freight containers to be carried over this route by Freightliner trains. About 25 yards of the tunnel collapsed and I very much regret that two contractor's employees were buried and must now be presumed killed.It is likely to be some time before the line can be returned to full use and in the meantime British Rail are advertising services that are running.I have ordered a full inquiry into the incident. This will be held in public as soon as possible by the chief inspecting officer of railways, and the report will be published.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many people have been slightly injured and seriously injured respectively, in (a) Liverpool and (b) Merseyside, as a result of accidents involving stolen cars in each of the past five years;(2) how many people have died in Liverpool and Merseyside, respectively, in accidents involving stolen cars in each of the past five years to the latest available date.

Statistics of road accidents in local areas are a matter for the local authorities concerned. I suggest that my hon. Friend gets in touch with Merseyside metropolitan county council.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will detail for each local authority in England the availability of concessionary fares, giving the categories of persons eligible, the kind and value of the concession, and any geographical and time restrictions on their use.

Information about the concessions available for elderly people was obtained in a survey of local authorities carried out last August and a report on this survey is now being prepared. As soon as it is available I shall send a copy to my hon. Friend.I am afraid the information available in the Department about schemes for blind and disabled people, and for children, is far less comprehensive. Such information as is available is summarised in section 3 of a report on a survey of concessionary bus fares for the elderly, blind and disabled in England and Wales carried out in 1976—local transport note 1/77—a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport why those sections of the Police Act 1976 which deal with appeals procedure do not apply to British Transport Police as do the other sections; and if he will introduce legislation to include such procedure.

These provisions of the 1976 Act were amendments to the Police Act 1964, and the British Transport Police is not a force covered by the 1964 Act. I have no plans to change this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each appropriate local area the number of listed buildings known to have been demolished in 1976, 1977 and 1978, respectively; and if he will indicate in each case the number destroyed without permission being obtained.

I regret the information is not available. Local planning authorities are obliged to refer applications for consent to demolish listed buildings which they wish to grant to me and to make their own applications for consent to demolish to me, but I am not told whether the consent is exercised. I have no figures of buildings demolished without consent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will facilitate the safe disposal of radioactive waste; and whether he will take additional steps to ensure that geological research will not be unduly frustrated by the operation of planning procedures in the United Kingdom.

I hope to make a comprehensive statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Domestic Coal Consumers' Council about the provision of chimneys in council houses; and what reply he has given.

The Domestic Coal Consumers' Council wrote to my right hon. Friend in May 1978 asking him to consider the results of a survey carried out by the council into the provision of flues in new houses and proposing that chimneys should be provided with all new houses.In my reply on behalf of my right hon. Friend, I indicated that the Department's view was that the provision of chimneys in public sector housing was a matter to be decided by an individual housing authority in the light of local circumstances and preferences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the operation of the 50 per cent. rebate scheme for voluntary sports clubs.

My hon. Friend will appreciate that there is no national rebate scheme as such. Individual local authorities have discretionary powers under section 40(5)(c) of the General Rates Act 1967 to reduce or to waive entirely the payment of rates on recreational premises occupied by voluntary clubs.This statutory discretion was reviewed by the Government some years ago, their conclusions being set out in paragraph 32 of the White Paper"Sport and Recreation "—Cmnd. 6200—published in August 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities use private contractors for refuse collection.

Thirty-eight out of the 366 English collection authorities—none in Wales or Scotland—used private contractors for some of their refuse collection during 1976–77.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what have been the average household rate increases in percentage terms, over each of the last five years.

The increases in average rate payments, net of rate rebates, for domestic hereditaments in England and Wales have been as follows:

Percentage charge on previous year
1974–75	+9(a)(b)
1975–76	+34(b)
1976–77	+9
1977–78	+15
1978–79	+10

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to pay the rate support grant on a percentage basis for each service with minimum levels of service to replace the existing block grants.

No. This would conflict with the main purpose of rate support grant which is to compensate for variations in authorities' overall expenditure needs and resources.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much public money has so far been spent or committed on industrial projects in each city under the inner city construction programme.

The amounts of Government grant aid for industrial projects so far spent in each city under the inner city construction package are listed below. This is less than half the total amount committed.

Amount of grant paid by end of December 1978
£000
Authority
Brent	0
Camden	135
Greenwich	435
Hackney	175
Haringey	26
Hammersmith	0
Islington	1,115
Kensington/Chelsea	5
Lambeth	101
Lewisham	404
Newham	270
Southwark	470
Tower Hamlets	Not available
Wandsworth	406
GLC	27
Birmingham	1,087
Bradford	140
Bristol	283
Coventry	13
Derby	17
Dudley	2
Gateshead	516
Greater Manchester CC	353
Hull	Not available
Kirklees	2
Leeds	513
Leicster	98
Liverpool	1,436
Manchester	738
Mersey CC	0
Middlesbrough	127
Newcastle	173
North Tyneside	0
Nottingham	342
Oldham	191
Portsmouth	0
Rochdale	1
Salford	882
Sandwell	116
St. Helens	0
Sefton	25
Sheffield	270
Southampton	111
South Tyneside	0
Sunderland	111
Tameside	93
Trafford	180
Tyne and Wear CC	93
Walsall	146
West Midlands CC	442
Wirral	Not available
Wolverhampton	328
	12,397

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have obtained statutory powers to make grants for industrial development and engage in advance factory building.

All local authorities have powers under the Local Authorities (Land) Act 1963 to develop land and to erect buildings. Some authorities have inherited additional powers under private legislation promoted by their predecessors, including the power to make grants for industrial development. Local legislation enacted before reorganisation ceases to have effect in 1979 in the metropolitan counties and in 1984 in the non-metropolitan counties. A number of authorities are promoting Bills to rationalise the powers acquired from their predecessor authorities and two such measures, the Tyne and Wear Act 1976 and the County of South Glamorgan Act 1976, include provision enabling the authorities concerned to make grants for industrial purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional expenditure and manpower he estimates are needed by local authorities in England to carry out the extra duties imposed on them by Government and Parliament since March 1974.

A reliable estimate could not be given except at disproportionate cost.

URBAN PROGRAMME
£million
			1978–79	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83
England	…	…	117	154	163	168	168
Wales	…	…	7	6	6	6	6
Scotland	…	…	15	15	22	22	24
Total*	…	…	139	175	191	196	198
* These figures include provision for roads and transport, housing, education and health and personal social services projects in England and Wales contained in the relevant functional programmes.
In addition, significant resources are available through main expenditure programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Ealing North (Mr. Molloy) about the London borough of Ealing, Official Report, 7 March, column 1241, if he will publish the result of the investigation which he announced.

No. I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current annual expenditure on the renewal

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those Acts of Parliament which have received the Royal Assent since March 1974 and those Government Bills currently before Parliament which increase or decrease the duties of local authorities in England, showing in each case the estimated addition to or saving of expenditure and manpower.

This information could not be obtained except at disproportionate expense.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish an estimate of funds which will be made available to inner cities under present Government proposals.

The public expenditure White Paper—Cmnd. 7439—published in January set out in the following table the resources, at November 1977 prices, to be made available under the urban programme for the period up to 1982–83, the greater part of it for partnership and programme authorities:and replacement of public sewers and water mains.

Figures published by the National Water Council in its 1978 water industry review show that capital investment on renewals is running at about £130 million per annum. In addition, the published accounts of the water authorities show a total of about £73 million spent in 1977–78 in their revenue budgets for repair and maintenance of sewers and water mains.