asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what cuts he proposes to make in education programmes.

The reduced level of RSG in 1979-80, announced by the Chancellor in his Budget speech, will affect expenditure on education by local authorities. In addition, as part of the specific reductions announced by the Chancellor, the following savings are to be made on expenditure in 1979-80 controlled by my Department:

		£ million
1.	Not introducing the proposed pilot schemes for mandatory grants to 16-18 year olds who stay on at school or college full-time. 10
2.	Reduction in capital expenditure on education 14
3.	Increases in fees in further and higher education for overseas students 6
4.	Reduction in recurrent grant to universities, the Open University and other higher education colleges 9
5.	Miscellaneous savings on education. 11

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the capitation allowance of each local education authority for (a) primary and (b) secondary school children.

This information is not available to my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what expansion of provisions for handicapped young people over 16 years is contemplated in the light of the recommendations of the Warnock committee (a) in schools and sixth form colleges, (b) in further and higher education and (c) in adult training and day centres.

The Warnock committee's report is wide-ranging and is of concern to a number of Government Departments. My right hon. and learned Friend is studying the report and in the light of consultations will be considering with other interested Ministers what action is desirable and possible on the different recommendations, including those to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the amounts spent on adult literacy by each education authority in England and Wales for each year from 1974.

The information is not collected by the Department or other agencies concerned with adult literacy work and to obtain it directly from local education authorities would impose an unreasonable burden upon them.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in theOfficial Report in

Researcher	Establishment	Project	Duration	Average annual allocation £
science Research council
Professor J. F. Bates	Welsh National School of Medicine, Cardiff.	Study of methods of improving denture base materials.	2 years	10,050
Dr. B. E. Causton	London Hospital Medical College.	Study of synthesis and physical properties of polypyrophosphate co-polymers.	3 years	9,680
Drs. E. C. Combe and D. C. Watts.	Manchester University.	Development of adhesive dental cements.	3 years	11,420
Social Science Research Council
Dr. Aubrey Sheiham	London Hospital Medical College.	Development of sociodental indicators of treatment needs.	3 years	14,333
Mr. W. C. Shaw	Welsh National School of Medicine, Cardiff.	Preliminary studies on the perception of dento-facial traits.	3 years	3,333

The National Research Development Corporation is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry. I understand that it is not customary to give details of the Corporation's projects, since they are commercially confidential, but some information is contained in the Corporation's annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to increase the number of nursery places in primary schools.

Letters were sent to local education authorities on 14 June announcing reductions in the allocations they received under the 1979-80 nursery education building programme, these reductions having been made as part of

The information in respect of the Science and Social Science Research Councils is as follows:the Government's plans to reduce public expenditure. The letter expressed the hope that authorities would make the best possible use of surplus primary school classrooms, with a minimum of adaptation, for nursery education purposes. Decisions on building programmes for future years have not yet been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are his plans for the replacement of old and outdated primary schools.

Decisions affecting the replacement of old and outdated primary schools are taken by local education authorities according to the school building resources made available. Authorities' bids for resources for the three-year period beginning in 1980-81 are now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the sale of the Tornado multirole combat aircraft to Canada.

A bid on behalf of Tornado, supported by the partner Governments, was summitted by Panavia in the competition for the new fighter aircraft for Canada. Tornado was not included, however, in the final short list selected by the Canadian Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arms contracts to Iran have not been cancelled by the new regime; and whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government for these to be completed.

A number of contracts have been cancelled, and discussions are taking place between British officials and the Iranian authorities about the continuation of other contracts.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the net increase or decrease in the numbers serving in the Ulster Defence Regiment each year since 1974.

The information requested is as follows:

Year	…	Total UDR strength on 1 January	Increase/decrease from previous year
1974	…	7,927
1975	…	7,700	–227
1976	…	7,800	+ 100
1977	…	7,616	–184
1978	…	7,812	+196
1979	…	7,744	–68

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been killed in Northern Ireland by the Armed Forces, namely, the Army, since and including 1970; and of these, how many were adult male, adult female and children, respectively.

Since the beginning of 1970, a total of 186 people, of whom 150 were adult males, 6 adult females and 30 juveniles (under 18), have been killed in Northern Ireland during the course of anti-terrorist operations by the Army.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the loss of the Tornado prototype; and what measures he is taking to review the Tornado programme.

The Tornado development aircraft concerned was declared missing during a test flight on 12 June from the British Aerospace airfield at Warton. The wreckage of the aircraft has been located some 30 miles off the Lancashire coast. Diving teams have been at work in preparation for salvage but were hampered by adverse weather conditions. A salvage vessel is on station and recovery of the wreckage is now in hand. A continuous Royal Navy presence is being maintained in the area. The two members of the crew have not yet been found, and I should like to express the Government's deepest sympathy to their wives and families.It is too early to comment on the possible cause of the crash. The board of inquiry consisting of official representatives of the three partner countries, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, is now investigating the accident. There is no evidence so far either from this accident or from 2,700 hours of Tornado test flying and very comprehensive ground testing which would justify grounding the aircraft. In these circumstances, the three partner countries have decided that development flying should continue. Tasks are being rearranged among the other 14 development aircraft to minimise any delays to the overall programme. Tornado is in full production, and there is every confidence that it will meet the requirements of the Royal Air Force.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) when he expects to be able to dispose of any of Her Majesty's Government's holdings in the Nuclear Power Corporation; and whether he intends to discuss his plans with the corporation's work force;

As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his Budget speech, we have embarked on our review of the scope for the sale of assets in the public sector. We shall be taking all relevant considerations into account including the views of those employed in the industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he can give an assurance that all buildings which fall within his ministerial control or responsibility are double glazed and roof insulated to conserve energy.

Responsibility for buildings occupied by Government Departments rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. Close attention is paid to energy conservation in the buildings under his control. Double glazing and additional insulation are installed wherever it is likely to be economic to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what route will be taken by ships carrying Japanese nuclear waste from Windscale back to Japan; what will be the ports of call; and whether they have been agreed with the countries concerned.

I am advised by BNFL that there is no likelihood of nuclear waste being returned to Japan from Windscale before the mid-1990s. The question of the ports to be used and of approaches to the authorities concerned will be considered at the appropriate time.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the principal issues discussed at the recent meeting of the International Energy Agency and the United Kingdom position thereon.

:Yes. The conclusion of the meeting is contained in a communiqu a copy of which I placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether the Harrisburg nuclear disaster was discussed at the recent meeting of the International Energy Agency; and, if so. what conclusions were reached.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Cannock (Mr. Roberts) of 24 May 1979.—[Vol. 967, c. 192.]

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, in the light of the worsening of international oil supplies, if he will take steps to expedite the special studies now in train of the Severn tidal barrage energy scheme.

The Severn Barrage Committee has advised that work is going ahead as fast as the complexity of the problems permits, and I see no reason at present to question that judgment.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what cuts in public expenditure on energy conservation he proposes to make in 1979-80, 1980-81, and 1981-82.

I do not propose to make any cuts in expenditure on energy conservation in 1979-80. Expenditure programmes for subsequent years are still under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what incentives he proposes to offer to private industry for the development of solar, wind and wave power.

Research and development is at present being conducted to assess the technical and economic feasibility of these alternative energy sources and, where appropriate, the work is being carried out through shared cost contracts with industry. One advantage of this approach is to encourage the early commercialisation of successful developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what information has been supplied to the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate arising from the Harrisburg nuclear disaster, in the light of its curent evaluation of a pressurized-water reactor system for the United Kingdom;(2) what reports he has received from the team of officials sent from the United Kingdom to obtain information about the Harrisburg nuclear disaster; and if these reports will be made public;(3) what information has been supplied to the National Radiological Protection Board arising from the Harrisburg nuclear disaster in the light of current evaluations of pressurized-water reactor systems for the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom agencies concerned with safety and the radiological consequences of release of radioactivity are in close touch with their United States counterparts, who have provided them freely with available information. The hon. Member will appreciate that the United States Government inquiry into this incident is still in progress. It would seem best to await the completion of this inquiry, and the fullest availability of facts, before considering the publication of reports here.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current involvement of Rolls-Royce in nuclear power systems; and what expenditure of public funds is involved.

I understand that Rolls-Royce and Associates Ltd. is responsible for the design and production of pressurized-water reactors, as part of the propulsion system used in Royal Naval nuclear submarines; the value of this work for the calendar year 1978 was £30 million. Although supplying plant for auxiliary gas turbines at nuclear as well as conventional power stations, Rolls-Royce has not supplied substantial equipment for the civil nuclear power programme. Rolls-Royce has formed a joint venture with Northern Engineering Industries Ltd., and Combustion Engineering Inc. of the United States, to develop export and domestic markets for pressurized-water reactors.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what estimate he has made of the savings in £320 million of expenditure for the British National Oil Corporation, gas and electricity industries on employment in Wales; and how much money is to be saved in Wales.

The question of how the savings announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer are to be achieved, including the division of the savings between regions, is a matter for the industries themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the quality of both television and radio reception in many parts of Old Colwyn, Clwyd; and what steps he proposes to take to improve the situation.

The provision of their broadcasting services is primarily the responsibility of the respective broadcasting authorities. The BBC tells me that for a number of people in the Colwyn Bay area UHF television reception may be difficult and that improvement would be dependent on resolving the complex problem of identifying frequency channels which could be used in that area.With regard to radio the BBC tells me that reception of its network radio services including Radio Cymru on VHF, its Radio 4 (United Kingdom) service on the long wage and Radio Wales on the medium wave should all be satisfactory. The BBC is aware that the quality of reception of Radios 1, 2 and 3 on medium wave is unsatisfactory and is investigating the practicability of improving the medium wave coverage of those services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to extend the use and scope of community service orders.

The use of community service, which is now available throughout England and Wales, is a matter for the courts. We hope to see it increasingly used, in appropriate cases, instead of short custodial sentences.We have no plans at present to extend the scope of community service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the benefits which could be obtained by changing the radio wavelengths used by the police from VHF to UHF.

The police already make extensive use of UHF. Any changes can be considered only in the light of the results of the World Administrative Radio Conference which starts in September.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to grant the television franchise for the North-West to Granada Television or whether he is prepared to consider giving an additional franchise to Merseyside and North Wales for a separate television service for that region.

The determination of the independent television franchise areas and the allocation of franchises to programme contractors are, under section 2 of the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1973, the responsibility of the Independent Broadcasting Authority. The Government have no intention of interfering with this principle in their forthcoming broadcasting legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the light of the failures by the Post Office during the recent general and European elections to deliver the candidates' free postage and the returning officers' polling cards, whether he will cause an investigation to be made into these matters following the communication sent to him by the hon. Member for Newham, North-West on 8 June.

I shall write to the hon. Member about this matter when I have received and considered his letter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will specify the various categories into which citizens entitled to British citizenship but living outside the United Kingdom fall.

People living abroad may be citizens of the United Kingdom and colonies because of their birth, adoption, naturalisation or registration in the United Kingdom or islands; or because of their birth, naturalisation or registration in an existing colony or a former colony whose citizenship they did not acquire on independence; or because of their descent from a father in any of these categories. Others may be British subjects without citizenship under section 13 of the British Nationality Act 1948 or British protected persons as defined in section 32(1) of that Act. Citizens of Commonwealth countries may also be known as British subjects—section 1(2)—and certain citizens of the Republic of Ireland may also claim to remain British subjects under section 2. Persons in these categories do not necessarily have the right of abode in the United Kingdom. This is defined in section 2 of the Immigration Act 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the cost of becoming a naturalised British subject; and what conditions are laid down on applicants.

A successful applicant for naturalisation is required to pay a fee under the British Nationality (Amendment) Regulations. The fees are amended from time to time and under the current British Nationality (Amendment) Regulations 1979 an application made after 4 April 1979 attracts a fee of £90 when successful. In addition, a commissioner for oaths or other authorised person is entitled to charge a fee of £1 for witnessing the signing of the application and for administering the oath of allegiance to a successful applicant, although applicants are told that a justice of the peace makes no charge for either of these legal requirements. An applicant is also required to give notice that he is applying for naturalisation in two separate issues of a newspaper circulating in the district in which he resides.The residential and other qualifications for naturalisation are laid down in section 10 of the British Nationality Act 1948 and the related second schedule as amended. In general, they require an applicant to have completed five years' residence, to be of good character and have a sufficient knowledge of English, and to intend, if naturalised, to reside here.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he proposes to introduce changes in the immigration rules under the terms of section 3(2) of the Imigration Act 1971.

I have this matter under active consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will detail the numbers of Special Branch officers operating (a) in the Merseyside region and (b) in Birkenhead for each year since 1970.

This information is not recorded centrally. I would draw the hon. Member's attention to the 1978 annual report of the Chief Constable of Mersey-side

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received a new petition from the Reverend J. P. Haldane-Stevenson in respect of his claim to the peerage of Eure; and if he will make a statement.

In March this year Mr. Haldane-Stevenson submitted a further petition relating to his claim to the Barony of Eure. He was informed on 15 May that this petition had been carefully considered but did not make good the defects in his earlier petition to which his attention had been drawn in March 1978.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the Horserace Totalisator and Betting Levy Boards Act 1972 to prohibit members of the Horserace Totalisator Board from betting at the Tote.

No

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he anticipates that the Parliamentary Boundary Commission will publish its proposals for Staffordshire.

I understand that the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England is likely to publish its provisional recommendations for constituencies in Staffordshire later this year

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is contemplated to enable persons on holiday or working abroad to exercise their right to vote.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to a question by my hon. Friend, the Member for Rugby (Mr. Pawsey) on 11 June. [Vol. 968, c. 9.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to ensure that national minimum standards of fire regulations are applied consistently throughout the country by the fire services and local authorities.

In the case of premises liable to certification under the Fire Precautions Act 1971, guides specific to each class of occupancy concerned are published by the Government to help fire authorities achieve reasonably uniform standards of requirements, subject to the particular needs of individual premises. In the case of other premises to which regulations apply, guidance is also issued as necessary to bring about a common basis of interpretation and implementation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made with setting up a council for animal welfare.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 23 May to a question by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker). [Vol. 967, c. 174.]

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his intention to introduce legislation giving effect to the Boundary Commission's proposals for Greater London prior to April 1984.

As 1 have not yet received the report of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England on its current general review of all constituencies in England, including those in Greater London, it is not possible to say when I shall be laying the report before Parliament, together with a draft Order in Council, in compliance with the statutory provisions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the Royal Commission on legal services.

I understand that the Royal Commission has completed its work and that its report is expected to be presented in the early autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to refuse entry to the United Kingdom to Chilean refugees.

Applications for resettlement in the United Kingdom as refugees from Chile are considered individually on their merits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the Royal Commission on criminal procedure.

I understand that the Royal Commission is making good progress, but it is too early to say when it will report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce details of the scheme for reviewing exclusion orders made under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976.

My predecessor announced during the debate on the renewal of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976 on 21 March 1979 that he would institute a system for the review of exclusion orders three years after their making. He gave this undertaking in response to a recommendation made by the right hon. Lord Shackleton in his report on the operation of the prevention of terrorism legislation. I propose to honour this undertaking.Each person who has been made the subject of an exclusion order will be entitled to have his case reconsidered three years after the making of the order. Where his current address is known, a letter will be sent to him asking if he wishes to have his case reviewed and inviting him to provide certain basic information. Review will be dependent upon a response from the excluded person.Where the current address of the excluded person is not known, it will be for him to apply to the Home Office to have his case reviewed. Such applications should be addressed to:The Under-Secretary of StatePolice DepartmentHome OfficeQueen Anne's GateLondon, SW1H 9AT.I shall reconsider each case where the excluded person has requested review and will decide in the light of all the circumstances whether the order can with safety be revoked. Anyone excluded in the future will be informed at the time of exclusion of his right to have his case reviewed after three years.Exclusion orders made by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will be subject to corresponding arrangements for review made by my right hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is considering any amendment to existing legislation to regularise the present unsatisfactory situation which allows itinerant pirate trading to nourish, in order to back up the enforcement action which can already be taken by local authorities to curb abuses and violations of statutes such as the Shops Act 1950.

I have at present no proposals for amending the Shops Act 1950 or other relevant legislation within my sphere of responsibility.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will outline the effects of the £3?8 million reduction in the Manpower Services Commission's budget for Wales.

Much of the Manpower Services Commission's work is demand related and it is therefore not possible to state what the precise impact will be. I am informed by the commission that its expenditure will be concentrated on areas of greatest need in Wales. Even with the reduction, the commission's planned expenditure in Wales will still be substantially greater this year than last.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the current level of local authority housing lists in Wales.

Waiting list figures do not provide an accuate assessment of housing needs, and they are not collected by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he plans to meet the chairman of the National Enterprise Board.

Very soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry when he expects to receive the report of the National Enterprise Board on the siting of the Inmos production units.

This is a matter for the board and the company

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on regional development grants.

In the debate on the Gracious Speech on 21 May, my right hon. Friend informed the House that he was studying the whole context of regional policy and reviewing the assistance available to industry generally and in the regions. This includes assistance through regional development grants. Good progress is being made in this review, and he will make a statement when it is completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what estimate he has made of the effects on employment of delays of paying regional development grants in Wales in the current year; and how much is involved.

The four months' delay in the payment of regional development grant is estimated to result in a reduction of £25 million in payments of grant in Wales in 1979–80. It is not expected that this will have any effect on prospects for employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many applications for telephone installations are now outstanding in the Manchester North telephone area; and what steps he has taken with the Post Office to secure an early settlement of the present Civil and Public Servants Association (Postal Section) industrial dispute.

I understand that the installation of telephones in Manchester and some other areas is being affected by the industrial action being taken by some members of the CPSA, which I very much regret. The extent of the backlog is a matter for the Post Office. Settlement of the dispute is likewise a matter for the Post Office and the union concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list those firms in the South Shields constituency, including the Bede industrial estate, that have received assistance under sections 7 and 8 of the Industry Act 1972 since 1974, and indicate the amount received by each firm.

Lists of individual firms receiving selective assistance under sections 7 and 8 of the Industry Act 1972 are published quarterly in Trade and Industry in accordance with arrangements announced in the House on 31 July 1974. The lists exclude cases where assistance is below the prescribed minima, where no payment has so far been made or where the offer was made before 31 July 1974.Details of offers made up to 31 March 1979 published under these arrangements to firms in respect of projects in the South Shields constituency are as follows: —

SECTION 7
Name of Firm	Value of Offer £
F. C. Lowe & Son Ltd	125,985
Ford & Co. (South Shields) Ltd	12,000
Be Modern Ltd	5,070
Plessey Telecommunications Ltd	1,900,000
North-East Audio Ltd	139,740
Allied Suppliers Ltd	72,383
Caterae International Ltd	351,060

SECTION 8—Ferrous Foundry Scheme
	£
Name of Firm	Value of Offer
Charles W. Taylor & Sons Ltd.	68,175

I regret that separate information relating to projects on the Bede industrial estate is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make a statement on the announcement by British Leyland of the decision to close its subsidiary, Aveling Marshall of Gainsborough.

I understand that the board of BL has yet to consider a recommendation by the management of its Aveling Barford subsidiary that the Aveling Marshall factory at Gainsborough should be closed.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he intends to fund development of solar, wind and wave power through the National Enterprise Board.

No.

NEW ORDERS PLACED FOR UNITED KINGDOM REGISTRATION
(Merchant ships 100 gross tons and over)
			1978		First quarter 1979
			Gross tons	Compensated gross tons	Gross tons	Compensated gross tons
			'000	'000	'000	'000
In United Kingdom yards	…	…	100	128	58	93
In Overseas yards	…	…	125	179	34	49
Total	…	…	225	307	92	142

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what orders for ships have been given by nationalised industries to foreign shipyards since 1 January 1978.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether the Post Office is entitled to use official paid stationery.

Yes, but this entails no cost to Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list in the Official Report the following information in relation to the West Midlands region and Sandwell travel-to-work area, respectively, since 1975; the number of industrial development certificate applications refused; the number of industrial development certificates applications granted and the corresponding floor space and expected increase in jobs.

During the period from 1975 to the end of March 1979, 1,138 industrial development certificates were approved in the West Midlands region, of which 166 were granted in the Dudley and Sandwell travel-to-work area.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what was the total in gross tons of new orders by United Kingdom shipowners in 1978 and up to the latest date available in the current year, and the total new orders given by the United Kingdom shipowners to United Kingdom yards in those periods; and what were the amounts in compensated gross tons.

The information is as follows:The total floorspace corresponding to these approvals in the West Midlands was 36,001,000 sq. ft. and the estimated additional employment, based on applicants' estimates, was 32,990.No certificates were refused in the Dudley and Sandwell travel-to-work area. Six were refused in the West Midlands region.I shall write to the hon. Member to give an analysis of these figures by year.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many advance factories have been built in partnership areas with Government or local government financial help and at what cost; whether each such factory is now being fully utilised; what were the names of the companies concerned; and, in each case, whether the company was already operating in the partnership area prior to its move to the new advance factory.

The Department of Industry is responsible only for the provision of Government factories in the assisted areas of England. In the partnership areas of Liverpool and Newcastle-upon-Tyne/Gateshead, the English Industrial Estates Corporation has completed 22 factory units at an estimated construction cost of £1·3 million. None has yet been occupied.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement on regional assistance to industry.

A statement will be made following our review of regional industrial policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of those items, services, etc. which have increased in price since he accepted ministerial office.

CCT No	Type of paper	Current rate	Proposed rate
48.01 A	Newsprint	7	4·9
Ex 48.·01 C	Kraft paper and board (other than kraft used for large capacity sacks and paper yarn)	8	6
48.·01 F	Other paper and board in category 48.·01	12	9
48·03	Parchment and greaseproof paper and board	13	10
48.·05 B	Creped, crinkled, embossed or perforated paper and board	13	10
48.·07 C	Coated and such.like paper and board (other than papers which are coated with Mica powders and papers which areruled, lined or squared but not otherwise printed)	12	8 or 9
48·15 B	Miscellaneous paper and board, which has been cut to size	12	9
48·16 B	Box files, letter trays and the like	14	11
48·18	Stationery items	15	12
48.21 B	Paper napkins for babies, put up for retail sale	10	7
48.21 D	Various types of hygienic papers	14	10 or 11
Notes:
(a) The descriptions of product categories have been abbreviated.
(b) Newsprint mostly enters duty free under tariff quotas.
(c) The categories 48.07 and 48.21 are to be sub-divided with two different rates applying, as shown in the table.

The lists of proposed alterations in tariffs are still subject to technical checking and adjustments and the final details are not, therefore, yet available. The changes in paper tariffs are to be implemented in eight equal annual instalments over 1980-87 except for the cut from 8 per cent, to 6 per cent, on kraft paper and board which is to be implemented over the period 1983-87. The Community has reserved its right to stop its tariff reductions in 1984, without proceeding to the last three stages of the tariff-cutting process, if the circumstances of the time require this.With the agreement of the then Government, the EEC Council of Ministers reluctantly accepted the proposed paper tariff concessions on 3 April, as part of the total package of measures

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 14th June.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what changes in import duties on paper products have been finally agreed in the general agreement on tariffs and trade negotiations, whether such changes have the full approval of the Government; what process of ratification will be involved; and if he will make a statement.

The changes proposed in the Community's rates of duty for the categories of paper and board imported into the Community in substantial quantities are provisionally as follows:agreed in the GATT multilateral trade negotiations. A Council decision will be needed in due course to conclude the necessary trade agreement, in accordance, so far as paper tariffs are concerned, with the requirements of Article 114 of the EEC Treaty. When the Commission recommends the Council to take this decision, its recommendation will be deposited with Parliament for Parliament's consideration. The further steps in the international procedure, following the initialling of the agreements by the negotiators on 12 April, are not yet settled, but are expected to include the signing of a tariff protocol broadly along the lines of the tariff protocol adopted at the conclusion of the Kennedy round of trade negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what action the Government are taking to ensure that British manufacturers of leather shoes can have fair access to the Japanese market in line with the access to the British market enjoyed by Japanese manufactures in most product fields.

This is one of the principal product areas in which we are urging the Japanese Government, in the GATT, through the EEC and in bilateral discussions, to open up their market to our industry.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how much liquid milk was imported into the United Kingdom for each of the last three years.

United Kingdom imports of fresh milk, not concentrated or sweetened, of a fat content, by weight, not exceeding 4 per cent, were as follows:

	Tonnes
1976	9,560
1977	5,073
1978	6,416

virtuallyall these imports were consigned from the Irish Republic.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether, having regard to the statement by Sir Bernard Lovell that signals emanating from ovens are interfering with signals from space, he is satisfied that adequate standards are maintained over the design of microwave ovens and that there is no danger to health from such ovens.

Microwave ovens come within the scope of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1975, which, among other things, require electrical equipment for use in the home to be so designed and constructed that when in use it does not emit any kind of radiation so as to be dangerous. It is understood that all microwave ovens on sale in the United Kingdom comply with British Standard 517:1976 which requires microwave exposure to be within 5 milliwatts per sq. cm measured at 5 cm distance, and there is no reason to believe that radiation within this limit presents any danger to health.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish as a White Paper the principal conclusions of the UNCTAD V conference with a critique of the British attitude to these and of their consequences for United Kingdom trade and industry.

As I said on 11 June in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton), a White Paper giving an account of the conference will be published in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what proposals have been made in negotiations of Lomé II concerning rules of origin of manufactured products from the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to enable them to benefit from EEC tariff preferences.

The Community has reached a substantial measure of agreement with the ACP States on the rules of origin to be applied under the successor arrangements to the Lomé Convention. The changes envisaged include simplification and improvement of origin procedures, a relaxation of the rules in respect of nine products, and an improved, quicker and more flexible derogation procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how much coal was imported in the year ended 31 March, on a country of origin basis; and what was the average price per tonne of imported coal on the same basis.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he intends to restore export credit guarantees for trade with Chile.

In its commercial operations ECGD follows the advice of its advisory council. The council recently recommended that the improvement in the Chilean economy warranted a resumption of medium-term cover as a commercial risk. I accepted this advice and accordingly ECGD announced on 8 June that it was putting this recommendation into effect. Cover for short-term credit has always been available.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps he is taking to ensure adequate representation of industrial, as opposed to domestic, consumers on national consumer councils.

I shall bear in mind the need for representation of industrial consumers when considering appointments to national consumer bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he will make a statement about the effect that the accession of Portugal, Spain and Greece to the European Economic Community will have on the United Kingdom textile industry.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15 June 1979; Vol. 968, c. 363], gave the following information:The accession of Portugal, Spain and Greece to the EEC will ultimately mean that trade with these countries is conducted on the same basis as it is between the existing EEC member States. The effect on the United Kingdom textile industry will depend on the use it makes of the new export opportunities on the markets of the acceding countries, and on its ability to meet the competitive challenge of imports from them. It is intended that the accession treaties will include a reciprocal safeguard clause which would allow the Commission to authorise action against disruptive imports during the transitional periods.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average level of public expenditure per head at the latest available date in each of the following categories (a)social security, (b) health,(c) housing, (d)education,(e) personal social services,(f) science and arts and (g) law and order and protective services.

The figures for 1977-78, consistent with the outturns shown in table 5.3 in the public expenditure White Paper Cmnd. 7439, are as follows:

	£
(a) Social security.	244
(b) Health	123
(c) Housing	87
(d) Education.	150
(e) Personal social services	22
(f) Science and arts	7
(g) Law, order and protective services	38

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of public expenditure, as denned before Cmnd. 6721, as a percentage of gross domestic product at factor cost in the financial years 1957-58, 1970-71, 1973-74, 1976-77, 1977-78 and 1978-79; and what is his forecast of the corresponding percentage for the financial year 1979-80 following the Budget changes.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he proposes to take concerning provisions for the receipt of works of art and buildings in lieu of tax.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Warley, East (Mr. Faulds) on Friday 15 June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the National Land Fund.

We are considering the future of the National Land Fund in the light of the recommendations made in the third report from the Expenditure Committee—Environment Sub-Committee—of Session 1977-78.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the same information as is provided on page 20 of the 1977 report of the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies, part 3, for those concerns registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts using model rules approved by the Industrial Common Ownership Movement, for the years 1976, 1977 and 1978.

This question could be answered only at the cost of disproportionate time and effort.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the annual average increase in output per

ANNUAL AVERAGE PERCENTAGE GROWTH RATES OVER PERIOD SHOWN
Output per person employed at constant prices*
			Manufacturing industry	Whole economy		Gross domestic product
			1965–76	1965–76	1965–77	1965–76	1965–77
United Kingdom.	…	…	2·9	2·4	2·4	2·2	2·1
France	…	…	4·2†	4·1	4·0	4·7	4·5
West Germany.	…	…	5·0	4·1	4·0	3·4	3·4
Italy.	…	…	3·9	4·3	3·6	4·3	4·1
Japan.	…	…	7·2	7·3	7·0	8·4	8·1
United States of America‡		…	3·0	1·2	1·2	2·9	8·1
* At purchasers' prices.
†The definition of manufacturing output represents 77 per cent, of manufacturing industry and is therefore not consistent with the employment definition.
‡The definition of employment covers wage and salary earners only.
Source: OECD.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his forecast for the rate of inflation by 3 May 1980.

After reaching a peak of 17£ per cent, in November, the annual rate of inflation is forecast to decline to 13£ per cent, by the third quarter of 1980. I do not intend to publish a forecast path for inflation between those dates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will detail in the Official Report the actual or estimated costs, direct and indirect, to the national Exchequer of the recent elections to the European Assembly.

The estimated cost to the national Exchequer of the recent European Assembly elections is about £13 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons living in Carlisle will be taken out of the income tax bracket as a result of his Budget proposals. Worker(a) in manufacturing industry and (b) in the remainder of the economy and the annual growth rate in Great Britain, France, West Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States of America from 1965 to the latest available date.

Such information as is available on a comparable basis is provided by the OECD and covers the years 1965-1976 for manufacturing industry and 1965-1977 for the whole economy:

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the numbers who will benefit, the total cost and the average benefit per individual in each of the following tax changes he has made: (a) reducing the top rate of tax to 60 per cent, (b) raising the threshold for higher rates to £10,000, (c) altering the rate scales between £10,000 and £25,000, (d) raising each of the allowances he has raised, (e) reducing the standard rate to 30 per cent, and (f) raising the threshold for investment income surcharge.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total number of income tax payers; how many of these will benefit from the reduction in the top rate from 83 to 60 per cent, and the raising of the higher rate scale threshold from £8,000 to £10,000; and, out of the total cost of income tax reductions in a full year of £4,540 million, how much in total will accrue to those benefiting from the above concessions, taking into account not only those concessions but also the increase in personal allowances and reduction in the basic rate of income tax.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the additional cost to the Treasury of a reduction in income tax from 30 pence to (a) 28 pence, (b) 27 pence, (c) 26 pence, (d)25 pence and (e) 20 pence.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the total number of family income supplement recipients will be subject to income tax in 1979-80.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received, and from what sources, regarding the zero rating of value added tax on the repairs of historic churches and houses; and what replies he has sent.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of exempting from value added tax, or zero rating, the cost of repairs to churches and historic houses necessitated by condition or accidental damage.

I regret that the information is not available from which to make an estimate because there is no way of distinguishing the VAT received on the cost of repairs to such buildings from that of other building work.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report his estimate of the impact of his increase in value added tax and petrol duty on a married couple where the husband earns £2,000, £2,500, £3,000, £3,500, £4,000, £4,500, £5,000, £5,500, £6,000, £6,500, £7,000, £7,500, £8,000, £8,500, £9,000, £9,500 and £10,000 a year, respectively, on the same basis as his estimates, Official Report,12 June, column 261.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on the retail price index of the increase of the minimum lending rate to 14 per cent.

The increase in the minimum lending rate will have no direct effect on the retail price index.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the impact on the retail price index of an increase of 1 per cent, in mortgage interest rates.

An increase of 1 per cent, in mortgage interest rates would add about £ per cent, to the retail price index.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on the retail price index of increased council house rents resulting from his cuts in local authority spending.

The measures announced in the Budget are not expected to affect the level of council house rents.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is giving consideration to the introduction of a new cost of living index which is not distorted by changes in the methods by which tax is raised.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the changes he proposes to make in premium bond prizes are entirely consistent with the prospectus issued.

I shall let my right hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancel of the Exchequer if he will consider making all widows' pensions tax free; and if he will make a statement.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the increase in net weekly income for a married couple with two children not over 11 years of age, for 1979-80, following the tax changes contained in the April 1979 Finance Act and the April increase in child benefit, for weekly earnings of £35, £40, £50, £60, £90, £100, £150 and £200.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the increase in net weekly income in 1979–80 for a married couple with two children not over 11 years of age, consequent upon the proposed tax changes in his Budget, but excluding the April 1979 Finance Act and the April child benefit increase, for weekly earnings of £35, £40, £50, £60, £90, £100, £150 and £200.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in support of the Government's policy of reducing public expenditure, he will take whatever action may prove necessary to ensure that no civil servant or public employee receives in salary and expenses more than that paid to the Ministers in charge of the Department for which he works.