asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people have given up their three-wheelers and have been with no means of transport whilst waiting for the Government to decide whether mobility allowance is payable to them; and why arrangements were not made for them to retain their three-wheelers until such time as the decision-making process can be speeded up.

Claims to mobility allowance from people with invalid tricycles are decided as quickly as possible. Moreover, there are standing arrangements to co-ordinate the withdrawal of the vehicle with the award of the allowance in order to mimimise any interruption of personal mobility. In a case about which the hon. Member has corresponded with me recently, however, there was some delay because the independent adjudicating authorities statutorily appointed to determine claims for the allowance required further medical evidence of inability or virtual inability to walk. This is not a matter in which Ministers have any power to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what circumstances a diabetic allowance may be paid to persons not in receipt of supplementary benefit; and if he will make a statement.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he intends to support the amendment to the proposed revision of the second multi-annual programme of research projects in medical and public health in the European Community.

No. The Government have consistently supported the Council of Ministers in the exercise of its right to define limits on expenditure for research programmes in chapter 33 of the Community budget. In this connection, I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the statement made during the debate on the EEC budget on 21 February by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Treasury, about similar amendments to Community proposals for research in applied metrology and in safety in thermal water reactors.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average length of time taken by Ministers in his Department over the last year to reply to letters from hon. Members.

Statistics of this kind are not readily available. I regret that the hon. Member has had to wait longer than usual for a reply to a recent letter, but I am taking steps to try to avoid a repetition of the delay. Every effort is made to reply to letters as quickly as possible and we are seeking at all times ways of improving performance. However, some delay is inevitable when reports have to be obtained, for instance from health authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultants are employed under contract to the National Health Service at Mansfield orthopaedic hospital, Northampton; and how much of their time is divided at the hospital between National Health Service patients and their own private patients.

I regret that this information is not available. Details of consultants at individual hospitals are not collected centrally, nor are consultants who are not contracted whole time to the NHS required to provide information about the work they do outside the hours for which they are contracted to the NHS.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many private operations are undertaken in Mansfield orthopaedic hospital, Northampton and then transferred to St. Andrew's private nursing home for after care; and if he will make a statement on the use of National Health Service facilities by consultants in this manner.

There were 118 private operations undertaken in 1978 at the Mansfield hospital, Northampton. There are no restrictions on the transfer of private patients from NHS hospitals to private nursing homes for after care and comprehensive information as to the immediate destination of private patients on discharge is not available to the area health authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how long the waiting list is for orthopaedic operations at Mansfield orthopaedic hospital, Northampton.

There were 1,905 patients awaiting orthopaedic surgery at the

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much it has cost to run Northamptonshire hostals in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978.

Expenditure on hospital services in the Northamptonshire area health authority has been as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much has been donated since 1964 to the National Health Service in Northampton and Northamptonshire by the Nene Foundation;

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the current waiting list for National Health Service operations in Northampton hospitals, itemising date of entry on list and average length of waiting time for each operation.

I regret that information on waiting lists and waiting times for operations in Northampton hospitals is not available in the form requested. However, at 31 December 1978, waiting times for operations in the Northampton health district were as follows:for what projects the money was used; and if he will make a statement.

I regret that the information requested is not immediately available, but I will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to ban all private operations by consultants using National Health Service facilites and in National Health Service hospitals.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will itemise National Health Service spending on Northampton hospitals (a) on building and (b) on specialist equipment since February 1974.

Information is not readily available in the form requested, but I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table updating to April 1979, using current predictions of changes in the retail price index, the table in the Official Report, 3 August 1978, c. 706–8.

I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the fact that records of births, marriages and deaths are the only nationally held records not available to public inspection and scrutiny without payment of a fee for each individual certificate, he will make provisions for all such records to be inspected free of charge at the conclusion of 100 years of the entry being made.

This would require legislation. A Private Member's Bill has recently been presented to Parliament which would permit the transfer of those records of births, marriages and deaths over 100 years old to the Public Records Office, where they would be available for inspection by the public. The Government will consider all the relevant financial implications.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is known about the typical financial circumstances of divorcees dependent on supplementary benefit.

No information is available about the financial circumstances of male divorcees on supplementary benefit. 61,000 female divorcees without children were receiving supplementary benefit averaging £13·66 a week. Of these, 12,000 had maintenance payments payable under court orders averaging £4·26 a week, and another 1,000 other maintenance payments averaging £5·70 a week. 103,000 female divorcees with children were receiving supplementary benefit averaging £30·15 a week and their average total weekly income was £36·95. Of these, 62,000 had maintenance payments payable under court orders averaging £8·39 a week and another 1,300 other maintenance payments averaging £8·43 a week. 21,000 of the female divorcees with children had part-time earnings averaging £8·10 a week.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many one-parent families are headed by divorcees; and what proportion they form of all one-parent families.

It is estimated that in 1976 there were 230,000 divorced lone mothers, equivalent to 35 per cent. of the total of 660,000 lone mothers with dependent children. No estimate is available of the number of divorced lone fathers, though the total number of lone fathers in 1976 is estimated to have been 90,000. A discussion of the difficulties of making regular and detailed estimates of the numbers and family characteristics of one-parent families in the years between censuses of the population, is contained in the September 1978 issue of"Population Trends."

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is known about the duration of the dependence on supplementary benefit of divorcees and their families.

No information is available about the financial circumstances of male divorcees on supplementary benefit. In November 1977, 103,000 women divorcees with children had been dependent on supplementary benefit for an average of 48 months. Of these 22,000 had so far been dependent for less than one year, 17,000 between one and two years, 33,000 between two and five years and 31,000 more than five years.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will estimate, for the latest available year and for 1970, 1974 and 1977 how many dependants of divorced claimants were covered by claims for supplementary benefit;(2) if he will estimate, for the latest available year and for 1970, 1974 and 1977, how much supplementary benefit was spent on divorced claimants and their dependants;(3) if he will estimate, for the latest available year and for 1970, 1974 and 1977, how many divorcees are in receipt of supplementary benefit; and whether it is known in how many cases such

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of men and women who have retired from work and qualified for retirement pension at the ages of 65 years and 60 years, respectively, in each of the last five years.

The estimated number of awards of retirement pension to men aged 65 and women aged 60 in each of the years from 1975 is shown in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary benefit recipients were covered by the direct deduction arrangements for (a) electricity and (b) gas charges at the latest available date; and what was the

No information is available on male divorcees including how many such claimants were paying maintenance to their former spouses. Following is the information requested on female divorcees.average weekly sum deducted from benefit payments for each fuel.

The latest available figures are given in table 10.1 of the Supplementary Benefits Commission annual report for 1977 (Cmnd. 7392).

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary benefit recipients were receiving extra needs payments in respect of heating charges at the latest available date; what was the total annual cost; and what was the average weekly sum paid.

In November 1977, the latest date for which figures are available, heating additions were included in the assessment of 1,456,000 supplementary beneficiaries at an average rate of £1·10 a week and an annual cost of £83 million. The rates of heating addition were increased in November 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount given to poorer families to help specifically with fuel costs through (a) lump sum additions to national assistance or supplementary benefit, (b) weekly additions to national assistance or supplementary benefit, (c) the electricity discount scheme and (d) any other means for each year since 1948 in money terms and at current prices.

The available information is as follows(

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he has taken on the proposal in the annual report of the Supplementary Benefits Commission for the introduction of a fuel rebate scheme.

Officials have been asked to study this and other possible schemes of support for fuel costs.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to inform retirement pensioners of the availability on request of a card confirming entitlement to a national insurance retirement pension which enables holders of such a card to take advantage of concessions which are granted to retired people.

The need for such a card does not normally arise when the pension is paid by order book and the leaflet issued to pensioners who wish to be paid by a payable order is being amended to indicate that a card confirming entitlement to pension is available on request. The revised version should be in use shortly. My Department is also considering whether any further action needs to be taken to make this facility more widely known. However, I understand that a birth certificate or the notice of entitlement to pension, which is issued to all pensioners, is often accepted for the purpose of entitlement to concessions.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will have talks with Avon county council with a view to getting the registration of deaths office at Frenchay hospital reopened.

No. Registration arrangements in the area are the responsibility of the Avon county council. My right hon. Friend has no power to direct them in these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in the light of the waiting list at Leighton hospital, he will allocate more middle grade staff in surgery and anaesthetics to the hospital.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 582] gave the following information:My Department does not allocate posts to individual hospitals. It is entirely a matter for the regional health authority to decide how it deploys existing posts within the region and what bids it makes for additional posts to meet its service needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest annual rate of inflation as measured by the retail price index; and how much of the increase he estimates can be attributed to wage settlements in the current pay round.

The increase in the retail prices index in the year to February 1979 was 9·6 per cent. It is not possible to make a reliable estimate of the proportion of the increase attributable to wage settlements in the current pay round.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table updating his answer given in the Official Report, 31 January 1978, c. 96.

The previous answer gave figures for prices as percentages

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of women who have continued to work full-time or part-time after reaching the ages of 60 years and 65 years in each of the last three years.

It is estimated that in Great Britain in each of the years 1976 to 1978 there were approximately 600,000 women aged 60 and over in employment of whom about two-thirds were aged between 60 and 64. Because of the small size of the surveys on which the estimates are based, the figures should be regarded as giving broad orders of magnitude, and

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish figures showing the working population, including and excluding the registered unemployed, as a percentage of the total adult population in the United Kingdom and in each Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country where there is a national minimum wage.

Following is the available information for the United Kingdom and for those OECD countries which are known to have some form of national minimum wage. They are the latest estimates available from published sources. The statistics are not fully comparable owing to differences in national definitions and methods of compilation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that jobs created under the various schemes for creating employment, have provided permanent jobs.

Yes, in so far as any job can be described as"permanent ".

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of new jobs created by Government action in each of the last four years; if he will express these as a percentage of the unemployed as a whole in each of the last four years; what was the average cost per new job so created; and if he will express this as a percentage of the cost of unemployment benefit paid.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 310], gave the following information:The special employment measures for which I am responsible are not designed to create permanent jobs but to provide temporary employment or training opportunities for the unemployed. The information set out below relates to those temporary jobs or temporary support for the expansion of jobs in industry.Departments, which are designed to create permanent jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what the present salaries of hon. Members would be at the latest date if these had risen on an annual cumulative basis since 1974 on the national average salary and wage increases for the rest of the workers in trade and industry.

The basic salary for an hon. Member in 1974 was £4,500 per annum. The increase in the seasonally adjusted index of average earnings—older series—over the five years period from December 1973 to December 1978 was 118·2 per cent. If Members' salaries had increased by that amount, their salary would now be £9,820 per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give, for each of the calendar or financial years from 1974, the average earnings increases; and how these figures compare with the increases in hon. Members' salaries during the same periods.

From 1975, Members' salaries have been increased in June each year. There was no increase in 1974. In the table below, these increases are compared with the December to December increase in the seasonally adjusted index of average earnings—older series—for all employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of men who have continued to work full-time or part-time after reaching the ages of 65 years and 70 years in each of the last three years.

It is estimated that in Great Britain in each of the years 1976 to 1978 the number of men aged 65 and over in employment was approximately 350,000 of whom about two-thirds were aged between 65 and 69. Because of the small size of the surveys on which the estimates are based the figures should be regarded as giving broad orders of magnitude and it has not been possible to identify significant differences between the estimates for individual years.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the progress of decasualisation of the fishing industry.

, pursuant to the reply [Official Report, 22 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 741], gave the following information:The Government are anxious to see more stable conditions of employment for fishermen, and I have participated in discussions between representatives of owners and the union to this end. At a meeting on 19 February, owners and union were able to show me an outline decasualisation scheme to which they had agreed. The details are being filled in in continuing discussions. There are ways in which the Government can help with the implementation of such a scheme and on some points we have already undertaken to provide assistance. We are ready to consider any further requests the industry may decide to make.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, following the Secretary of State for Industry's answer to the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, South on 23 February, he will confirm that no assumptions were made in regard to employment in the public sector industries following publication of the recent public expenditure White Paper.

The figures in the public expenditure White Paper refer, of course, to the industries' external financing needs. There is an indirect connection between these figures and the assumptions about future employment levels made by the industries which, as I told the hon. Member on 23 February, are a matter for those industries themselves.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost to public funds expressed as a cost per head of the population of membership of the European Economic Community (a) for the years 1973–74 to date, (b) for the years 1973–74 to date at constant 1973–74 prices; and what were the comparable estimates at the time of the United Kingdom's original entry for the same years and the comparable estimates at the time of the referendum for the same years.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in industrial productivity in percentage terms, excluding North Sea oil, from the last quarter in 1973 to the last quarter in 1978 for the United Kingdom; and what were the comparable figures for the United States of America, Canada, Germany, France, and Japan.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take action to reduce the impact of investment income surcharge on retired persons.

I have noted the hon. Member's suggestion. He will not expect me to anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Her Majesty's Government propose to compensate parents, and especially single-parent families, for the loss of tax allowances to which they were previously entitled in respect of children over 18 years undergoing full-time further education, in view of the fact that child benefit ceases on the eighteenth birthday; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what extra interest payments he proposes to make to savers whose requests for withdrawal of national savings certificates have been delayed because of industrial action at the national savings computer;(2) whether he will be paying interest to premium bond prize winners whose prizes are being delayed because of industrial action at ERNIE.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I have today given to a question by the hon. Member for Horsham and Crawley (Mr. Hordern).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the light of the industrial dispute of the civil servants which is delaying the payment of Premium Bond winners, and the repayment of National Savings certificates, whether he will arrange for the recipients to receive cumulative interest on their moneys at the current bank rate for the time that the Government are withholding payment.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I have today given to a question by the hon. Member for Horsham and Crawley (Mr. Hordern).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what compensation he proposes to pay to holders of national savings certificates who have been unable to encash them on the due date because of industrial action; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether he will arrange to pay additional interest on interest due to holders of Government securities which has not been paid on the due date because of industrial action; and if he will make a statement.

The Government regret the hardship and inconvenience to savers resulting from delays in payments on national savings securities because of industrial action by a few civil servants. We accept that the Government's standing as a good borrower requires that some recompense should be paid for this delay, particularly in those cases where no further interest becomes payable under the prospectus because of the delayed payment. The exact terms and arrangements, including any de minimis provision, are being considered.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the national insurance fund of abolishing employees' contributions; and by how much the standard rates of income tax would have to be increased in order to raise an equivalent sum.

It is estimated that employees' national insurance contributions for the tax year 1978–79—including the portion attributable to the National Health Service—will amount to some £3,720 million. In addition, contributions from the self-employed are estimated to amount to some £220 million To raise these sums, the basic rate of income tax would have had to be raised by 9·3 and 0·5 percentage points respectively. These estimates take no account of the increased cost of benefits that would be payable if the contributory principle for entitlement to national insurance benefits were abandoned.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what action he proposes to take in connection with the Indication of Prices (Beds) Order 1978, in the light of the eleventh report from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments; and if he will make a statement.

I shall bear the Committee's report in mind when making orders under legislation for which I am responsible. I do not intend to revoke the Indication of Prices (Beds) Order 1978, but am currently reviewing it in the light of consultations on bargain offers in general.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what is the approximate annual cost of running the Welsh Consumer Council.

£57,000 this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will refer to the Director General of Fair Trading the 10 per cent buyers' premium charged by Messrs. Christie's and Sotheby's at their auction sales; and whether he will make a statement.

I understand that the Director General of Fair Trading is aware of the concern expressed on this matter and has exercised a statutory power available to him under section 36 of the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976, requiring Christie's and Sotheby's to inform him whether they are party to any agreement relating to the matter and, if so, to furnish to him particulars of the agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what rules govern the membership by serving and reserve members of the Forces of clubs and associations; and whether, since the Air Crew Association has invited Mr. Ian Smith to be a vice president of the association, he will seek to ensure that no serving or reserve member of the Royal Air Force is, or becomes, a member of that association.

Regular personnel may not take any active part in the affairs of any political organisation or party but, with that proviso, membership of an association or club is a matter for the organisation itself. The Air Crew Association is not an organisation that has been granted official recognition. Its membership is not officially regulated.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the 1979–80 defence budget expressed at 1974 survey prices.

£3,677 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the proposed research and development expenditure in the current defence budget expressed at 1974 survey prices.

Expressed at 1974 survey prices, the research and development provision in the 1979–80 defence budget amounts to £500 milion.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the proposed expenditure on equipment in the current defence budget expressed at 1974 survey prices.

£1,500 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to paragraph 138 of Command Paper No. 7474, what elements constitute the United Kingdom amphibious force.

The United Kingdom amphibious force consists of:

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what constitutes the air element of the United Kingdom mobile force.

The air element of the United Kingdom mobile force currently comprises two squadrons of Jaguar aircraft and 22 Puma helicopters.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what constitutes the United Kingdom contribution to the Allied Command Europe mobile force.

The current United Kingdom contribution consists of one squadron of Harriers, four Puma helicopters, an infantry battalion group, a logistic support battalion and other support troops.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to paragraph 311d of Cmnd. 7099, why the fifth type 22 frigate, scheduled to be ordered, was not ordered; why no mention of this order is made in paragraph 306c of Cmnd. 7474; and when it is intended to place this order.

Consideration of modifications to the design of the ship has delayed this order, which I now hope to place fairly soon. In addition, we still intend to order the sixth Type 22 frigate during the coming year.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when the Royal Air Force stations at Chessington, Hullavington and West Raynham were vacated by the Royal Air Force; and to what use they are currently being put.

None of these stations has yet been vacated by the RAF. RAF Chessington will be offered for disposal when the joint services medical rehabilitation unit moves to RAF Headley Court on completion of works services there. RAF Hullavington is occupied by the Defence Codification Agency and the RAF parachute support unit. The work of the agency will move to Devizes in 1980. The possibility is being studied of transferring the station to Army use and of retaining the parachute support unit as a lodger unit. The airfield at West Raynham is closed, but the station continues to house an RAF bloodhound unit.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Government still intend to make the promised pay award to the Armed Forces on 1 April; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will give an undertaking that, if the Government do not give the Armed Forces the promised pay award on 1 April, the subsequent pay award will be backdated to 1 April.

The Armed Forces Pay Review Body is expected to present its report to the Prime Minister shortly. The Government will announce their decision on the pay award for the Armed Forces as quickly as possible thereafter. The award will reflect the commitment which the Prime Minister announced on 25 April 1978 to restore the full updated military salary in two approximately equal stages in 1979 and 1980. The new rates of pay will be effective from 1 April 1979, and will be put into payment as soon as practicable and with, if necessary, appropriate retrospection.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by rank the number of officers and men in both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force who have been made redundant since 1 April 1974.

This information is being collected, and I will publish it in the Official Report as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether, following his answer to the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, South on 23 February, there is consultation between public sector industries and his Department before any redundancies in those industries are announced.

My Department is normally informed before decisions involving major redundancies are announced by the public sector industries sponsored by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry to whom the ex gratia payments, as listed in HC 138, 1977–78, class IV, vote 8, totalling £7,453 were made.

To Metal Box Company Limited and the Ship Mortgage Finance Company Limited.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in respect of paragraph 10(i) of Council of Europe recommendation No. 855 on the statutory limitation of war crimes in which member Governments are invited to sign and ratify the European Convention on the non-applicability of statutory limitation to crimes against humanity and war crimes of 1974;(2) what is the policy of the Government in respect of the various proposals made in paragraphs 10(ii) and 10(iii) of Council of Europe recommendation No. 855 on the satutory limitation of war crimes which aims at preventing that those who have committed crimes against humanity and other very serious crimes escape punishment.

Assembly recommendation 855 has been referred by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to the European Committee on Crime Problems for consideration, and Her Majesty's Government will not adopt a final view until the Committee of Ministers has made recommendations to the Governments of member States.Her Majesty's Government have consistently supported the view that there should be no time limit on the initiation of legal proceedings or imposition of penalties with respect to war crimes and crimes against humanity. There is no such time limit in the United Kingdom. However, it is also the Government's view that the question of a statute of limitations or similar measures is an internal matter to be determined by individual Governments themselves, and in the last resort it is for individual Governments to decide whether to sign and ratify the European convention on the non-applicability of statutory limitation to crimes against humanity and war crimes. So far as the United Kingdom is concerned, Her Majesty's Government do not at present see any practical advantage in signing and ratifying the convention, though the matter will be kept under review.Her Majesty's Government have noted with interest the proposals made by the Assembly in recommendation 855 to improve co-operation in bringing war criminals and perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice. These will be studied further in the light of the opinion of the European Committee on Crime Problems and the recommendations made by the Committee of Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether instructions have been issued to immigration officials that they should exclude representatives of voluntary race relations organisations from interviews with immigrant couples concerning the validity of their marriage; why this has been done; whether he will now reconsider the request to publish instructions to the immigration service; and if he will make a statement.

As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State said in 1977, the normal practice when interviews are conducted in the exercise of the immigration control is that solicitors may be allowed to sit in with their clients but the presence of representatives other than solicitors is at the interviewing officers' discretion. Immigration officers were told that that is the normal practice, but that representatives of voluntary bodies should be excluded from interviews to establish the validity of a marriage, because it was felt that their presence might inhibit the immigration officer from pursuing his enquiries and defeat the object of the interview. I propose to review this policy and its practical application as quickly as possible. On the question of publishing instructions to the immigration service, I have nothing to add to what I said during the Adjournment debate on 19 February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many schoolgirls were in local prisons or remand centres at the latest available date.

On 31 January 1979, there were nine girls aged 14 to 16 in local prisons and 16 in remand centres.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many girls were in borstal at the latest available date; and how many were mentally-ill under the terms of the Mental Health Act 1959.

On 31st December 1978, there were 159 females in borstal establishments, none of whom was considered to be suffering from mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will specify the categories and numbers in each category of prisoners serving sentences in Lewes prison, Sussex on 31 January 1978, 31 January 1977, 31 January 1976, 31 January 1975, 31 January 1970, 31 January 1960 and 31 January 1950.

Information for those dates could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will grant a temporary permit for one month to Mr. Mohammed Mesbah to enable him to undertake business in the United Kingdom as on previous occasions; and if he will make a statement.

No. Mr. Mesbah was refused leave to enter because the immigration officer was not satisfied that only a visit was intended, and I see no grounds for reversing the decision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in his forthcoming legislation for payment of United Kingdom representatives to the Assembly of the European Communities, he will propose to reduce such salaries by the amounts of tax-free expenses which these people receive in excess of that paid to British hon. Members.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state for the longest and most conveniently stated period of time the total number of Iranians admitted into Great Britain together with details as to the number according to sex and their jobs and similar details since January; how many have been prevented from entry; whether all were treated on the same basis as citizens from other countries and within the rules of the Immigration Acts; and whether he will make a statement.

Information about Iranians given leave to enter and refused leave to enter the United Kingdom has since 1973 been given in the annual command papers, the latest of which,"Control of Immigration: Statistics 1977 ", was published in April 1978. Before 1973, it was published in command papers entitled"Statistics of Foreigners Entering and Leaving the United Kingdom ". The figures for certain categories are subdivided into men, women and children, but no information is available about the jobs of those admitted. The 1978 statistics are expected to be published next month.Decisions on individual cases were taken in accordance with immigration rules for control on entry of EEC and other non-Commonwealth nationals, which make no distinction between Iranians and citizens of other non-EEC foreign countries, except in relation to entry visa requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to ensure that any person found guilty of any criminal or motoring offence found in possession of a sawn-off shotgun would be liable to a life sentence for this offence.

No. Shortening a shotgun and having unlawful possession of a sawn-off shotgun are offences under the Firearms Act 1968, which carry, on conviction on indictment, a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the manner in which the Bail Act has operated since it came into effect; whether he has received any representations from the police or any other statutory body complaining about anomalies arising out of it; and what action he proposes to take to review the operation of the Bail Act.

I have received no formal representations from police forces or any other statutory bodies about alleged anomalies in the Bail Act 1976, though some chief officers of police have expressed concern about the Act to me and my officials. I have also received correspondence from hon. Members about individual cases.The Bail Act came into force on 17 April 1978, and put beyond doubt that there is a presumption in favour of the grant of bail. But I am glad to take this opportunity to state once again that the Act also made ample provision for the refusal of bail in appropriate cases. The exceptions to the right of bail are contained in schedule 1 to the Act, and I draw particular attention to the fact that they enable a court to refuse bail to a defendant charged with an imprisonable offence if the court is satisfied that there are substantial grounds for believing that, if released on bail, he would fail to surrender to custody or would commit an offence while on bail. In making their bail decisions, courts inevitably rely very heavily on the police to inform them of all relevant considerations.I have no reason to believe that the provisions of the Act are inadequate, or that they have in any way impeded courts in refusing bail where it is proper to do so. However, an analysis will be made of the bail decisions made by courts in the Act's first year of operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the available advance factories in the area of (a) the Development Board for Rural Wales and (b) the remainder of Wales, has been allocated.

In the area of the Development Board for Rural Wales, only one completed advance factory was not occupied as at 28 February 1979, and this unit has been provisionally allocated. In the remainder of Wales 77 per cent. of the Government-financed advance factories completed but not occupied as at 28 February 1979 have been formally or provisionally allocated.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, of the 100 advance factories which were allocated in Wales during 1978, how many are now in production; and how many persons they employ.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 571], gave the following information:Of the 100 Government advance factories formally allocated in Wales during 1978, 42 were occupied at 28 February 1979. Information on the numbers currently employed is not yet available. It is estimated that the 100 factories will provide about 5,300 new jobs when fully manned.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many advance factories have now been completed in Gwynedd; how many of these are currently in use; how many formally allocated; how many provisionally allocated; and how many factories announced have yet to be completed.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20 March 1979; Vol. 964, c. 571], gave the following information:Since 1 January 1976, 14 Government advance factories have been completed in Gwynedd; of these eight are currently occupied. 18 factories have been formally allocated (including the 8 currently occupied) and 11 provisionally allocated. Fifty-two units for which locations have been announced have yet to be completed; 14 of these are now under construction. In addition, 140,000 sq. ft. of factory space has been authorised, but the precise locations and the number and size of units have yet to be determined.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how long, in terms of months and years, current waiting lists are in the major medical and surgical specialties in the Gwent and Mid-Glamorgan area health authority districts.

The table below give the in-patient and out-patient waiting lists for each major specialty as at 31 December 1978, together with an indication of waiting times.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what proposals he has to enable local authorities in expanding towns to dispose of council house surpluses;(2) if he will encourage the speedy disposal of surplus council houses to private purchasers in expanding towns where the housing surplus has been created to accommodate an anticipated increase in population from London which has not and will not now materialise.

Where there is a true surplus of houses in an expanding town, following the cessation of a town development scheme, my right hon. Friend will consider, carefully and in the light of all the circumstances, requests for any necessary special consent for the disposal of empty houses erected in connection with that scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what reply he has given to the request of the West Sussex County council for a legal undertaking not to allow a second runway at Gatwick airport.

I have received no such request. However, as indicated in the White Paper on Airports Policy (Cmnd. 7084) the Government do not envisage the provision of a second runway at Gatwick.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that adequate statutory provisions exist for water authorities to be required to pay interest to a person whose land is acquired by compulsory purchase, for such period of time from when the land has been physically appropriated and when final settlement is made, and where a delay in settlement is not caused by the actions or inactions of the landowners.

Yes. The provisions of the Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) Act 1946, the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 and the Land Compensation Acts apply to water authorities when they acquire land compulsorily.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how soon he expects to make his decision on the Bengeworth compulsory purchase order public inquiry held earlier in the current year in Lambeth.

My right hon. Friend hopes to issue his decision by the end of April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be able to make a statement about the land use strategy which the Nature Conservancy Council has proposed for the Somerset wetlands.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to be able to make a statement about the land use strategy which the Nature Conservancy Council has proposed for the Somerset wetlands.

I have been asked to reply also to the second question.No land-use strategy has been proposed for the Somerset Wetlands by the Nature Conservancy Council, although the report"The Somerset Wetlands Project ", published in April 1977, proposed that such a strategy should be prepared.I can add little to the replies from my right hon. Friend the Minister of State and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 4 December. The issues are complex and will take time to resolve. They are being actively examined, and I intend to visit the areas soon to acquaint myself with the problems at first hand.—[Vol. 959, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to obtain support in the House for his Road Traffic (Seat Belts) Bill since 18 March; and what was the cost to public funds of these actions.

I have taken steps appropriate to a Government Bill on which there was a free vote in the House of Commons. Any cost was an integral part of the total work on the Bill, which involved no extra staff time.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of heavy goods vehicles of over 28 tons for which the vehicle and fuel duty paid did not meet road track costs during 1978–79; what is the estimated number for 1979–80; and what is the total estimated excess of their track costs over tax paid in each year.

About 82,000 goods vehicles over 28 tons will probably fail to meet their allocated public road costs in 1978–79. The total deficiency is expected to be about £30 million. We cannot yet give estimates for 1979–80.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, in respect of his Department's driving test examiners, what has been (a) the number of applications, (b) the number qualifying and (c) the number retiring in each of the past five years, taking 30th September as the relevant date.

Statistics on applications received have not been maintained until recently, and annual figures for recruitment and retirement are not readily available taking 30 September as the relevant date. The figures for recruitment and losses, including both retirement and other causes, for the preceding 5 calendar years are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many industrial undertakings which have refused to sign the fair employment declaration have, notwithstanding, received Government grants, subsidies, and other financial assistance.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will list the bakeries in Northern Ireland (a) which have signed the fair employment declaration, or (b) which have refused to sign the fair employment declaration.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many industrial firms have been refused Government financial assistance because of their refusal to sign the fair employment declaration.