asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will set up a public inquiry into the behaviour of the police during the reclaim the night demonstration in Soho on the evening of 31 October 1978.

No. I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the question by the hon. Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. Price) on 20 June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy for approving applications for refugees from Chile and for refugees from the rest of Latin America; and how many applications from political prisoners in Chile, Argentina and Uraguay are pending decision.

The Latin American refugee programme is under review. For the present, applications for resettlement in the United Kingdom are being considered on their individual merits. I regret that statistics are not available in the form requested by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the comments of the Court of Appeal, and approaches made to him by the Standing Committee of Asian Organisations, he will recommend the exercise of the Prerogative of Mercy in the case of the Virk brothers, details of which are in his possession.

Allegations about the events leading to the brothers' prosecution and conviction are being investigated. I shall consider, when I know the outcome, whether there are any grounds for action on my part.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the value of uncollected fines imposed by the courts for motoring offences for each of the past five years.

The information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the net cost of traffic cases in the courts.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will agree to instigate a new procedure for appeals for immigrants to Great Britain which allow them to remain here until the appeal is heard, as proposed by the EEC Commission in its working document on illegal immigration.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in the light of his reply to written question No. 9 of 27 June from the hon. Member for Dewsbury, when he expects to receive reports from the Local Government Boundary Commission in respect of those metropolitan districts that have not yet been reported; and whether he expects to be able to table orders in time for the 1980 elections.

I understand that the Local Government Boundary Commission for England hopes to submit reports proposing new electoral arrangements for the remaining metropolitan districts by the end of this year. I am not yet able to say whether orders implementing these arrangements will all be made in time for the 1980 elections.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will allow overstayers whose applications to remain have been refused a short period of grace in which to make arrangements for their departure; and if he will make a statement.

Where an application to remain received from a person who has overstayed his leave is refused, I am content, except where the overstaying has been serious, to refrain from taking action to deport for fourteen days from the date on which the refusal notice is received.The Association of Chief Police Officers for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) have agreed that the police should serve the notice of refusal in such cases and that the police should normally refrain from initiating a prosecution for the same period as I undertake to refrain from deportation. There may, however, be exceptional cases where the chief officer of police will feel it desirable to prosecute immediately.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will proscribe, in Great Britain, the Irish National Liberation Army; and if he will make a statement.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland indicated yesterday, I have decided that it would be right for the Irish National Liberation Army to be proscribed under section 1(3) of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976. The order was laid before the House yesterday and came into effect today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that there is sufficient exchange of information and co-ordinated research between the competent authorities of the member countries of the Council of Europe to ascertain the extent of the movement of illegal arms, some of which are subsequently found to have been used in any of these countries in the pursuit of crime or terrorist activities.

Information on this subject is necessarily limited, but I am not convinced that a co-ordinated programme of research would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for a study to be undertaken to investigate the number of cases, over the past five years, in member countries of the Council of Europe where it has been ascertained by the competent authorities that firearms, purchased legitimately, or stolen, in the United Kingdom have been subsequently identified as having been used in crime or for terrorist activties in any of these countries.

No. I do not think the expense would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistical evidence is offered in support of the measures proposed in the Council of Europe document addendum III of CDPC (78) 10 rev.—project de resolution sur l'har-monisation des legislations nationales concernant les armes a feu—to achieve the objectives stated in the convention of which this annexe is to be part.

This is a classified Council of Europe working paper on which I cannot comment. It is not intended to form part of the convention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what periods of time have elapsed, in respect of every general review of parliamentary constituency boundaries since 1910, between the making of Orders in Council defining new constituencies and the Royal Proclamations of the first general elections held on the basis of those constituencies.

From the information available to me it appears that since 1910 only two redistributions of seats following general reviews of constituencies have been effected by Orders in Council. In 1955, Orders in Council defining new constituencies were made on 5 January and 1 February and Parliament was dissolved on 6 May. Orders in Council were again made on 25 November 1970, but Parliament was not dissolved until 8 February 1974. Other redistributions were effected by legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he intends introducing to remove the existing procedure whereby merchant seamen have the suffix (M) alongside their names on electoral registers; and if he will make a statement.

I shall be considering this matter in the light of experience of the recent elections.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consider, in the light of widespread poor and inadequate toilet provision in many primary schools, and fully recognising that health factors in these schools be given their rightful importance, that the provision of indoor toilets should be classified as revenue and not capital expenditure.

It is for the education authority to decide whether, in any particular case, expenditure on the provision of indoor toilets should be treated as revenue rather than capital expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many pay beds there are in National Health Service hospitals in Wales; and if he will list these for each area health authority.

The information is as follows:

Clwyd	14
Dyfed	9
Gwent	1
Gwynedd	9
Mid Glamorgan	3
South Glamorgan	1
West Glamorgan	2
Wales total	39

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the annual rate of growth of the working population in Wales until 1985.

I refer the hon. Member to the most recent civilian labour force projections which were published in the September 1978 issue of the Department of Employment Gazette.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will note her public engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 July 1979.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her engagements for Tuesday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her engagements for Tuesday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements on 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her public engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3rd July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 3 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her engagements for Tuesday 3 July.

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

asked the Prime Minister if she will state when she next intends to visit Gwynedd.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when she last met the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when she last met the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the leaders of the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the leaders of the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the Trades Unions Congress.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when last she met the TUC.

I met the Economic committee of the TUC on 25 June.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will visit Preston at an early date.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on her visit to Tokyo.

asked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on her talks with Heads of Governments in Tokyo.

I did so earlier today.

asked the Prime Minister when she intends to re-visit Southampton.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when she expects next to visit Catford.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister what discussions she has had with other parties on the setting up of the all-party talks on constitutional reform in Great Britain with particular reference to proposals for Scotland.

My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster have started discussions about setting up inter-party talks with reference to proposals for Scotland.

asked the Prime Minister what plans she has to visit the Northern region.

I hope to do so later this year.

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

No dates have yet been arranged.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans for transferring the cost of operating concessionary fare schemes from the Department of Transport to the Department of Health and Social Security.

Not at present.

asked the Prime Minister which Department has responsibility for the EEC budget.

Treasury Ministers are responsible for the Community budget generally, but other Ministers are concerned with the parts of the budget which concern their own departmental interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report the number of (a) men and (b) women who were discharged from each of the three Services on medical grounds within (i) one week and (ii) one month of attestation for each of the past four years; and if he will state the total number of days of terminal leave granted to these Service personnel in each of the years under review and the cost thereof.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many court orders were obtained by his Department in 1978 to evict tenants of married quarters who had completed their service in the Armed Forces; how many of these were in response to requests from local authorities to enable the ex-Service men to be re-housed; and what was the total cost involved.

A total of 774 orders and 101 warrants for possession were obtained in 1978. Eviction took place in only three cases. Information is not held centrally in MOD to identify how many court orders were obtained against personnel completing their service in the Armed Forces nor how many were in response to requests from local authorities. It is not possible to provide a figure for the total costs involved, which include legal fees, personnel, clerical and welfare costs. These vary widely from case to case and cannot all be readily identified.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service, in view of the recent discussions concerning hon. Members' pay, what are the average earnings of the workers who print the Official Report; and what would be the annual income payable if the current pay demand were to be met in full.

The average weekly earnings of workers at the St. Stephen's Parliamentary Press most directly concerned with the production of the Official Report when it is printed are about £160.The present claims by the three trade unions immediately involved differ as to content and are at present under negotiation with the management of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. It is not possible therefore at this stage to answer fully the second half of my hon. Friend's question.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the Government's policy with regard to denominational schools.

Denominational schools make a valuable contribution to our educational system and the Government intend to continue the dual system of county and voluntary schools which has enjoyed the support of successive Governments over a long period.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects next to meet the leader of Inner London education authority.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research work he is sponsoring into the earlier detection of autistic children and into improved methods of teaching them.

My Department is not itself currently sponsoring research in this field but is aware of relevant studies taking place in universities and other research centres, and has contact with the National Society for Autistic Children. Detection of autistic children is primarily a matter for the health authorities and the provision of educational facilities is the responsibility of the local education authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received further proposals for secondary school reorganisation in Kirklees from the local education authority.

No further proposals have been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he plans next to meet the Schools Council to discuss schools' curricula.

I have no immediate plans for such a meeting. I expect, however, to consult interested parties, including the Schools Council, in due course following publication of a summary of local education authorities' responses to my Department's circular 14/77 about arrangements for the school curriculum.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultations he has had about a common examining system at 16 years.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has for secondary school examinations at CSE level.

The Government are reviewing the present system of GCE 0-level and CSE examinations, and the previous Government's proposals for a single system to replace them.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the provisions of the Education Act 1944 with regard to transport of children to school.

I am well aware that there is considerable dissatisfaction with this provision, but it has to be borne in mind that simply to extend entitlement to free school transport would add to public expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the effects of public expenditure cuts on the education service.

The main effects will fall on local authorities, which are responsible for more than four-fifths of total expenditure on education. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I, with other Ministers, issued a circular last week indicating that the Government expected local authorities to reduce their current expenditure this year by around 3 per cent. compared with the level envisaged in the rate support grant settlement last autumn. It is for each local authority to decide how to achieve these reductions. In addition, the reductions in expenditure controlled by my Department will mean less resources for the renovation and adaptation of educational buildings and economies for universities and other colleges.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the estimated effects on the number of teachers employed of the Budget and the Government's proposals to restrict the rate support grant.

As I explained today in reply to a question from the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Janner), the effects will depend mainly on decisions to be taken by individual local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on the subject of nursery education.

My noble Friend the Minister of State received a joint deputation this morning from the National Union of Teachers and the National Campaign for Nursery Education which are calling for the provision of nursery education to be made a statutory duty. Other representations have been received from various national organisations and members of the public. While the majority of correspondents have written in support of nursery education, others are opposed to its provision from public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any proposals to improve the availability of education for the under-fives.

Within the resources available, my right hon. and learned Friend would like to improve the availability of education for the under-fives, and he will particularly encourage the use of spare primary school classrooms as the numbers of school age children decline.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the rate of progress in providing nursery education; and if he will make a statement.

At present, about 17 per cent. of 3- and 4-year-olds are in nursery schools and classes. A further 18 per cent. are in the reception classes of primary schools. Future progress depends on the resources that can be made available by central and local government, and the priority that can be attached to nursery education when considering other demands on these resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the number of places provided in nursery education by each of the Greater Manchester local education authorities.

In January 1978, the latest date for which information is available, the numbers of pupils receiving full-time or part-time nursery education in maintained nursery schools or in nursery classes in maintained primary schools in each local education authority in Greater Manchester were as follows:

Bolton	1,954
Bury	429
Manchester	5,808
Oldham	1,034
Rochdale	1,413
Salford	1,793
Stockport	736
Tameside	1,228
Trafford	522
Wigan	1,371

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the total number of children aged under five who will not now benefit from nursery education following the cuts in capital spending on the under-fives announced in the Budget and who would have done so if the plans contained in the most recent public expenditure White Paper had been implemented.

Allocations to local education authorities under my Department's annual nursery education building programme take the form of a lump sum, which authorities are free to use as they think best. The number of new places that will be provided in any one year cannot therefore be predicted accurately. It is estimated, however, that something in the region of 2,000 fewer places could result from the reductions in the 1979–80 building programme allocations although the effects of the reductions could be reduced if authorities bear in mind our advice that they should wherever possible use surplus primary school classrooms with a minimum of adaptations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the taking of and sale of individual photographs by commercial interests in schools, particularly where such activities cause parents financial hardship.

The day-to-day running of a school is the responsibility of the head teacher in consultation with the managers or governors and the local education authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he proposes to take to improve the provision of careers advice at schools and colleges.

Careers education is one of the issues which I will consider in the light of the consultations to be held following the publication of my Department's report on the responses from local education authorities to circular 14/77 about their curricular arrangements and of the responses to my Department's recent consultative papers on 16–18 education.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to ensure that pupils leaving secondary schools are properly educated in new technology.

Responsibility for the education of pupils in secondary schools, in new technology as in other matters, rests primarily with the local education authorities and the schools themselves. The advice and assistance of the Schools Council and the Council for Educational Technology are available to the education service generally on matters relating to the curriculum and educational technology. My colleagues and I will be considering the scope for a programme to promote an awareness of microelectronics in schools and colleges in the light of public expenditure decisions and the part to be played by the education system as a whole in developing and applying this new technology.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether grants are available for the maintenance and fees of those seeking to obtain the necessary educational qualifications for training as ordinands.

Full-time courses for university first degrees in theology, which are normally accepted as entry qualifications to courses for ordination in the major Christian churches, attract mandatory awards from local education authorities. Authorities have discretion to make awards to those taking other courses, for example at independent theological colleges.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress is being made with the inquiry into mathematics set up by his predecessor following the recommendation of the Expenditure Committee.

The committee of inquiry into the teaching of mathematics in schools is at present actively collecting and examining evidence. I look forward to receiving its report as soon as it has reached its conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to introduce proposals to reduce the minimum distances between home and school which qualify pupils for payment of travelling costs; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to introduce such proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase educational provision for the 16 to 19 years age group in the early 1980s.

The level of resources needed for the education of this age group will be considered in the light of the review of the relationship between schools, further education and training which the Government are undertaking and against the Government's policies for public expenditure generally.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is yet in a position to make a statement regarding the future of the programme for schools on the impact of microprocessors.

I have nothing to add to the answer given by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member on 22 May.—[Vol. 967, c. 727.]

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has had any recent discussions with the Physical Education Association concerning the teaching of physical education in schools.

My right hon. and learned Friend has had no discussions on this subject with the Physical Education Association.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to encourage young people to remain at school after the statutory school leaving age.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 25 June to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Mr. Foster).

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he is giving to local education authorities about financial assistance to pupils who stay at school after the statutory school leaving age.

None. This is a matter for local discretion.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with the operation of the school meal service and that all concerned are getting value for money.

In general, the service works well and each day about 5 million pupils in schools in England take a school meal, representing nearly two-thirds of all the pupils in attendance. In such a large-scale enterprise there is bound to be room for improvement in some areas but it would appear that the majority of parents consider that their children are getting value for money.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on progress towards the establishment of a teachers' general council.

I am ready to discuss with the teachers' organisations, without commitment on either side, the possible establishment of a teachers' professional council, to explore whether a proposition might emerge which could be the subject of wider consultations.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what he expects will be the average class size in primary and secondary schools, respectively, in 1979 and 1980.

As the sizes of classes in primary and secondary schools are substantially matters of deployment of teachers within schools, my Department does not make estimates of future average class sizes. Information on class sizes in 1979 will be available in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will announce the membership and terms of reference of the committee of inquiry into multi-ethnic education announced by his predecessor.

I hope to announce the membership of the committee and its terms of reference in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends to commission a joint study with the science research council on research priorities in robotics.

The science research council, whose support for robotics research now amounts to about £750,000, has already made special arrangements to survey and co-ordinate existing work and to seek views on priorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will take steps to encourage a reevaluation of research work on artificial intelligence at British universities and other research institutions by the science research council.

The science research council regularly assesses its support for research on artificial intelligence and has recently put in hand a review of existing work in this field which is relevant to robotics.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science for what purposes his Department collects information about public schools; what is the extent of the information; and if he will make a statement.

In pursuance of the Independent Schools Registration Regulations 1957, independent schools are required to make an annual return of changes in the number of pupils, the number of boarders, if any, and the teaching staff. Along with maintained and grant-aided schools, they are also invited annually to provide information of a general nature on teacher qualifications, courses of study followed by pupils and, in sample form, on school leaver qualifications.Except for information which appears on the public register of independent schools kept in accordance with the provisions of section 70(1) of the Education Act 1944, these returns are regarded as having been provided in confidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultation he has had about a common examining system at 16 years; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave today to questions from the hon. Members for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) and Mid Sussex (Mr. Renton).

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider the introduction of an index of net real earnings—that is, an index of gross average earnings which is adjusted for both inflation and the tax benefits of the typical worker.

The Government recognise that the purchasing power of gross earnings is affected by the increase in prices and by direct taxation and are actively considering the most appropriate statistical presentation of these effects. The Government will set out their proposals in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the progress to date of the arrangements for the dispersal of the Manpower Services Commission to Sheffield, both as regards the movement of staff, purchase of buildings and residential accommodation, and the construction of the new office building.

The proposed move by the Manpower Services Commission to Sheffield is included in the Government reappraisal of dispersal announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Civil Service on 11 June [Vol. 968, c. 68]. Staff have been advised that a review is under way and that they should not enter into or finalise commitments until the outcome is known.The new office building, Moorfoot House, is about one third completed and should be ready for occupation in mid 1981. The MSC also plans to construct some residential accommodations at its staff training centre at Ranmoor Hall. No contract has yet been placed and the matter is in abeyance pending the outcome of the Government's review.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what would be the estimated loss of job opportunities in Sheffield if the plan to locate the headquarters of the Manpower Services Commission in the city is cancelled.

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what steps have been taken to recruit staff locally for the new Manpower Services Commission headquarters in Sheffield.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many members of the staff of the Manpower Services Commission have been firmly advised that they will be located in Sheffield when the new headquaters of the Commission now under construction in Sheffield is completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when the new headquarters for the Manpower Services Commission at Sheffield will be operative; and if redundancies in the service are likely.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 2 July 1979, gave the following answer:The proposed move by the Manpower Services Commission to Sheffield is included in the Government reappraisal of dispersal announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Civil Service on 11 June—[Vol. 968, c.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what would be the estimated unrequited loss to public funds if the move of the Manpower Services Commission headquarters to Sheffield is not carried through.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 2 July 1979], gave the following answer:The balance between costs which have been already incurred and estimated savings from not continuing with the move is one of the issues being studied in the Government's review. It is not possible at this stage to give any firm figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what total number of staff the new Manpower Services Commission building in Sheffield is designed to accommodate;(2) what proportion of the new building for the Manpower Services Commission in Sheffield has been completed to date; and what expenditure has been irrevocably incurred;(3) what is the estimated completion date for the new Manpower Services Commission building in Sheffield;(4) what break clause or compensation clause is included in the contract for the new Manpower Services Commission building in Sheffield, in the event that the project is discontinued.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 2 July 1979], gave the following answer:The building being constructed on the Moorfoot site in Sheffield is intended to house some 1,800 staff. It is about one-third completed and should be ready for occupation in mid 1981. It is not possible at this stage to give a figure for the extent of expenditure irrevocably incurred. This is one of the matters being studied by the current review. Expenditure on construction to date has been about £4 million. The contract for the construction provides for compensation in the event of a break in work on the basis of an assessment of expenditure incurred or committed and hardship caused to the contractors.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will publish the number of long term unemployed categorised by age group and sex;(2) what is the current number of long term unemployed.

The following table gives for 5 April, the latest date for which the quarterly analysis is available, the number of people in Great Britain who had been registered as unemployed for more than 52 weeks, analysed by age group and sex.

Age groups	Males	Females
Under 18	1,871	2,111
18	2,552	2,493
19	5,145	4,134
20–24	24,994	13,603
25–29	25,381	7,536
30–34	24,721	5,007
35–44	43,179	8,467
45–49	23,667	6,134
50–54	27,725	8,467
55–59	34,521	11,425
60 and over	63,126	493
Total	276,882	69,913

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to seek to encourage people who so wish to continue in full or part-time employment after reaching normal pensionable age.

No. My right hon. Friend does not at the moment see the need for such legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider the introduction of an index similar to the Danish wage-regulating price index as a basis for calculating index-linked pensions and for other purposes.

I have no plans to introduce a supplementary retail prices index, which, as with the Danish wage regulating prices index, excludes effects of indirect taxes on prices.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he intends to remove the energy-related costs from the retail prices index or make any other variation in the factors used in its compilation.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has yet completed his inquiries into the activities of Bryden International, an employment business within the meaning of the Employment Agencies Act 1973; whether he is satisfied that it has complied with the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 1976 (SI 1976 No. 715), particularly in respect of work to be undertaken abroad; and if he will make a statement.

My inspectors appointed under the Act are still investigating and I shall inform the hon. Member when inquiries have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many complaints he has received in the past two months from workers obtaining employment in West Germany and other countries; what has been the nature of the complaints; and what action he has taken.

In the last two months, 35 complaints from workers relative to employment abroad have come to my Department's attention. 33 of these were complaints from building trade workers who had been to West Germany and concerned either their having been given no work or not having received moneys due to them or bad conditions. All are currently being investigated by inspectors authorised under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 in relation to possible breaches of the Act, and prosecution or warning action will be taken if appropriate. As necessary, my officers will collaborate with the West German authorities in regard to any suspected illegal activity on the part of operators in that country. The remaining two complaints were from dancers employed in Italy and investigations revealed no breach of the Act and that the matter was entirely a contractual one between employer and workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what guidance he intends to give to building trade and other workers seeking employment abroad, in view of recent complaints against the practices of certain British employment agencies active in recruiting such labour.

The complaints received by my Department indicate that many of the difficulties experienced by British building trade workers abroad arise from their not having sought or been given sufficient information about the employer and the job abroad. Indeed many have gone abroad solely on the strength of a telephone call made in response to a press advertisement. We strongly advise any worker thinking of taking employment abroad to safeguard himself by obtaining and retaining full information about the employer and the employment in a written contract or written statement before he goes. He should ensure that this includes the name and address of the employer and the precise nature of the firm's business and of the employment as well as full and clear details about such matters as pay, hours of work, fares and accommodation.I understand from the Manpower Services Commission (MSC) that its employment services division is prepared, on behalf of workers thinking of replying to a press advertisement placed by or on behalf of an employer in another EEC country, to seek information from the employment service of that country about the employer. The extent to which such information can be provided depends upon the knowledge and practice of the employment service concerned. Such inquiries may be made at any MSC job centre or employment office which can also provide, free of charge, a leaflet "Working in Europe" produced by the Commission and general information about living and working conditions in other EEC member States.If a worker believes that the British recruiter is an employment agent or staff contractor, or that the employer concerned in West Germany or Holland is a staff contractor, he should check with the regional office of my Department to establish that it is properly licensed and therefore subject to regulation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of school leavers employed by the Manpower Services Commission schemes in the Penistone constituency for each year since its inception, giving for each year the cost of the scheme; and what cost would have been involved had the number involved registered for unemployed benefits.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 25 June 1979], gave the following answer:I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that before the start of the youth opportunities programme on 1 April 1978 opportunities for school leavers were provided under the job creation programme and the work experience programme and on certain courses run by the Training Services Agency. The information requested relating to these earlier programmes is not available at local level. Statistics relating to YOP are as follows for Barnsley and Sheffield local authority districts which take in the traditional places of employment for the constituency.

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF SCHOOL LEAVERS ENTERING YOP
	Barnsley	Sheffield
April 1978-March 1979	350	750
April 1979-May 1979 (provisional)	20	80

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, in each of the last 10 years, how many prosecutions have been undertaken for contraventions of the 3 per cent. disabled persons employment quota under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944; how many convictions were obtained; what average penalties were imposed; and what action he is now taking to secure a much higher degree of compliance with this requirement of the Act.

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 2 July 1979], gave the following answer:I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that in the last 10 years five employers have been prosecuted. The nature of each prosecution and the result were as follows:document was issued by it in May which explores all the options for the future and invites the comments of interested parties.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what was the total regional aid paid to the North-East as opposed to the North-West;(2) what was the total regional aid paid in 1978 to: Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, respectively.

I regret that the information is not readily available in the form requested. Total expenditure in 1977–78 on regional preferential assistance to industry in areas for which separate totals are available was as follows:

	£ million
Northern region (including the North-East special development area)	155·8
North-Western region	66·5
of which Merseyside special development area	44·2

NOTES: All figures are gross and include payments to nationalised industries. The major items of expenditure included are regional development grants, selective financial assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act and expenditure on land and factories. Apart from expenditure on land and factories there is no predetermined allocation of resources between separate areas or regions. Expenditure depends therefore on the level of applications from eligible firms within the areas or regions. The Northern region for this purpose comprises Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham, Cleveland and Cumbria (excluding Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands, Dalston-in-Furness and Barrow-in-Furness). The North-Western region comprises Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire the Peak District of North Derbyshire, Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands, Dalston-in-Furness and Barrow-in-Furness.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will list all the instances of the Post Office's being empowered under statutes currently in force to make regulations.

The Post Office can make regulations under section 79 of the Representation of the People Act 1949 and section 53 of the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962, including as applied by the European Assembly Elections Act 1978. In addition, section 28 of the Post Office Act 1969 empowers the Post Office to make schemes determining its charges and other terms and conditions applicable to its services.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has any plans to implement the recommendations of the report of the Carter committee on the Post Office.

My hon. Friend the Minister of State has begun consultations with those interests principally concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will direct the chairman of the Post Office to grant licences to private carriers during the current hold-up in the delivery of mail.

The statutory position is that the letter monopoly can be suspended by the Secretary of State only at the request of the Post Office. The granting of licences is a possibility. However, I understand from the Post Office that it has received no approaches.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry how many small firms in the Northern region have received assistance from the small firms counselling service.

The small firms service has dealt with 776 counselling cases in the Northern region since its commencement in November 1977 up to May 1979. Since March 1979 a technical counselling service has been available in the region and 14 small firms made use of this facility to May 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish in the Official Report, for each year since 1974, the amounts received by small firms in (a) regional development grants, (b) regional selective assistance, and (c) selective financial assistance in the Northern region; and if he will give for each year the number of firms receiving each category of grant.

In the period from 1 March 1974 to 30 April 1979, the following offers of regional selective assistance under section 7 of the Industry Act 1972 were made to firms in the Northern region employing 200 staff or less:

Year	Number of projects	Value of offer (£'000)
1974	52	1,066
1975	64	1,112
1976	68	1,004
1977	77	4,532
1978	61	3,399
1979	16	759
Total	338	11,872

I regret that similar information in respect of regional development grants and selective financial assistance is not readily available.