asked the Prime Minister when she plans next to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when she plans next to meet the TUC.

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

asked the Prime Minister when she plans next to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when she plans next to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when she plans next to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when she plans next to meet the TUC.

asked the Prime Minister when next she expects to meet the general council of the TUC.

No dates have yet been arranged.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her public engagements for 17 July.

asked the Prime Ministher if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 July.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 July.

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

asked the Prime Minister whether she plans to visit Enfield.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if the Secretary of State for the Home Department's speech to the Guild of Jewish Journalists at the House of Commons represents the policy of the Government.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to visit Macclesfield.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Wolverhampton.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister why she will not move to appoint a Royal Commission to investigate all aspects of the present system of awarding public honours with a view to making the procedure more democratic and in tune with the practices of the twentieth century.

I see no need for such an investigation.

asked the Prime Minister whether she will initiate discussions with other parties concerning constitutional reform to improve the government of Wales.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to the county of Gwent.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister when she last met the Northern region Confederation of British Industry.

I met representatives of the whole of the CBI on 9 July.

asked the Prime Minister what plans she has to meet representatives of the Scottish CBI and the Scottish TUC.

I have at present no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Gosport.

I have no plans to do so.

asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the coordination between the Department of Employment and the Department of Social Services in respect of the control of abuses of social security and unemployment benefits.

Yes.

asked the Prime Minister what further consideration she has given to the advice which she proposes to tender to Her Majesty the Queen concerning Her Majesty's proposed visit to Zambia.

I have given deep and careful consideration to this question. I have received from the Government of the Republic of Zambia assurances that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the Queen and of those attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. In addition there has been and continues to be close consultation between the Zambian and British authorities on these arrangements. In the light of these assurances and of the arrangements that are being made, I have concluded that it is not necessary for me to advise the Queen against going to Zambia.

asked the Prime Minister whether future increases in child benefit form part of the Government policy to cut taxes in future.

We are committed to reducing the burden of personal taxation and last month's Budget made significant progress in this direction. The Secretary of State for Social Services is responsible for reviewing the rate of child benefit each year.

asked the Prime Minister if she will visit the East Midlands.

I shall be paying an official visit to Nottinghamshire on Friday, 20 July.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made by him and the Nature Conservancy Council in integrating the common interests in the agricultural and nature conservation of the Somerset wetlands.

Consultations between officials of my Department and the Nature Conservancy Council are continuing.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will conduct a thorough research into the causes and incidence of orf, a viral disease which affects both sheep and humans, beyond issuing an information leaflets on it.

The experience of the veterinary service throughout the country does not suggest that there has been any significant change in the incidence of the disease. Sufficient information is already available about orf to enable effective control measures to be applied.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in establishing a voluntary enzootic bovine leukosis-free herd scheme in the United Kingdom.

It was announced last March that a scheme for the voluntary establishment of enzootic bovine leukosis free herds would be put into effect in Great Britain on 1 August this year. Discussions in Brussels on EEC arrangements for dealing with EBL have not, however, made the progress which was anticipated. Since the operation of a Great Britain scheme would be affected by the terms of the Community arrangements, the Agriculture Ministers have decided to postpone its introduction until further progress has been made with a common EEC scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his latest estimate of the cost to public funds of paying immediately to former members of the police force increases in public service pensions which under the current arrangements are postponed until the age of 55 years or over.

It is estimated that the cost in 1979–80 would be of the order of £3 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he will introduce rules in accordance with United Kingdom customs whereby intended spouses cannot enter the United Kingdom for weddings with partners whom they have never met;(2) when the Government intend to change the law so as to allow immigrants right of entry for only one wife and her children instead of the existing situation where all the partners and offspring of polygamous unions can be brought in.

I shall consider my hon. Friend's suggestions in connection with possible changes in the immigration rules, but I am not yet ready to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he proposes to make any change in the rate of entry of United Kingdom passport holders who are subject to immigration control.

Not at present, but I shall keep the matter under review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has ascertained the views of the Association of Chief Constables as to the deterrent effect of the death penalty; and what views they expressed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has held consultations with the Association of Chief Constables to determine their views upon the restoration of capital punishment; and whether he will issue a statement.

I have taken no steps to ascertain formally the views on this subject of the Association of Chief Police Officers: but I understand that chief officers of police hold differing views on the question of the re-introduction of capital punishment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has ascertained the views of prison governors as to the deterrent effect of the death penalty; and what views they expressed.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many affiliation orders remain in effect having been granted (a) prior to 1968; (b) between 1 January 1968 and 31 December 1972; and (c) between 1 January 1973 and 31 December 1977.

Figures for orders made under the Affiliation Proceedings Act 1957 in each of the years 1964 to 1977 are contained in table G7(a) of the 1977 " Judicial Statistics ", Cmnd. 7254. Information for earlier years is contained in the volume for 1970, Cmnd. 4721. Figures are not available for the number of such orders which are still in effect, but under the provisions of the 1957 Act an affiliation order, unless discharged earlier for any reason, ceases to have effect on the date when the illegitimate child attains the age of sixteen years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out in the Official Report a table showing for each year since the establishment of the National Television Licence Records Office the total cost of the operation, the numbers employed, the number of successful prosecutions for failing to have a valid television licence, the sum of money recovered in fines for this offence and the total yearly revenue from television licences.

The National Television Licence Records Office, which is a part of the Post Office and which acts as our agent in the administration of the television licensing system, was set up in February 1972 at the start of conversion to computer working which was completed in April 1976.No records are kept of the money paid in fines from the conviction of persons for failing to have a valid television licence but a special survey concluded that the average fine during the first six months of this year amounted to £37 for an offence relating to a colour set and £21 for an offence relating to a monochrome set.The available information is as follows:

	1972–73	1973–74	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79
Television licence revenue (£ million)	137·6	149·0	162·9	233·7	248·0	287·3	337·4
Cost of administering the television licensing system, excluding interference investigation and the sale of television savings stamps (£ million)	9·2	11·0	14·1	17·9	18·6	19·7	22·8 (estimate)
Number of staff employed:
(a) National TV Licence Records Office	99	395	543	674	645	571	551
(b) Local TV Licence Enquiry Offices	2,183	1,508	1,242	1,137	998	948	901
Number of convictions secured for unlicensed use of a TV set	63,034	54,210	52,915	52,959	56,689	62,718	54,714

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Domestic and Magistrates Courts Act 1978 will come into effect.

Three commencement orders have been made, the latest of which will bring section 40 of the Act into force on 17 September and sections 16 to 18, part IV and related provisions into force on 1 November. It is hoped to bring the remainder of the Act into force early next year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will set up an inquiry into the methods of operation of the Horserace Totalisator Board and its subsidiary Tote Credit Limited, including its system of late betting;(2) if he will seek to amend the Horse-race Totalisator and Betting Levy Boards Act 1972 to prevent the system of late betting by the subsidiary of the Totalisator Board called Tote Credit Limited.

The activities of the Horserace Totalisator Board were exhaustively examined by the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries which reported in July 1977. On the information available to me I see no need for a further inquiry or for an amendment of the Act. I am informed that only bets received before the "off", from whatever source, can be included in the pools.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a study of the "fishbowl effect" a form of optical illusion which may endanger Tornados travelling at high speed.

The "fishbowl effect", which under certain weather conditions can cause pilots to lose their orientation, is a phenomenon well known to all pilots, and is not peculiar to Tornado aircraft. Both at pre-flight briefings and in Service magazines and publications, continual attention is paid to reminding pilots of the dangers of the effect and the importance of guarding against it by the use of instruments.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the results found on the island of Gruinard by the team led by Dr. John Bartlett of the chemical defence establishment at Porton; and what plans he has for the future for experiments into ways of eradicating anthrax spores.

Samples were collected successfully from a large number of sites on the island and these are now being analysed. Future plans will depend on the results of this analysis, which will not be known for some months.

asked the Attorney-General if he will refer to the Director of Public Prosecution, with a view to prosecution of those responsible under race relations legislation, the contents of a letter, circulated under the city of Liverpool letterhead and in official envelopes, which purported to inform council tenants that they would be forced to accept Vietnamese refugees into their homes.

I have not seen the letter referred to, but if the hon. Member will let me have it and particulars of by whom it was received, I shall consider whether or not a police investigation into its source would serve a purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to encourage students to spend a year in industry and commerce after leaving school before they enter university.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no such plans at present. Many young people already take the opportunity to spend a year in employment before going to university.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the names of voluntary organisations to which grants or loans are made by his Department together with the amounts for the latest period if such information is available.

My Department provided grants in 1978–79 to the following 33 voluntary organisations:

	£
Adult Literacy Unit	330,000
Advisory Council on Adult and Continuing Education	75,000
Boarding Schools Association Clearing House	1,300
British Association for Early Childhood Education	500
British Theatre Association	7,950
Centre for Information and Advice on Educational Disadvantage	219,860
Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research	173,000
Council for Educational Technology for the United Kingdom	552,250

Council for Education in World Citizenship	22,340
Council for the Accreditation of Correspondence Colleges	5,000
Drama Board	12,000
Educational Centres Association	7,950
Educational Foundation for Visual Aids	7,150
Fund for International Student Cooperation	50,000
International Baccalaureate Office	5,000
Invalid Childrens Aid Association	2,550
National Association for Gifted Children	5,000
National Association for Multiracial Education	3,500
National Association of Womens Clubs	21,650
National Bureau for Handicapped Students	10,000
National Council of YMCAs	6,400
National Federation of Womens Institutes	9,600
National Foundation for Educational Research	10,000
National Institute of Adult Education	54,150
National School Sailing Association	4,500
National Union of Townswomens Guilds	10,380
One World Trust	7,750
Pre-School Playgroups Association	24,000
Redeployment Bureau for Teachers in Further Education	8,000
Social Morality Council	10,000
Teacher Induction Information Centre	7,020
Technician Education Council	554,000
Workers' Educational Association (Headquarters)	36,000

In addition, my Department makes grants and loans to a great number of other bodies which are commonly or specifically labelled " voluntary " and these are categorised below with the volume of grants/loans approved for each of these categories in my Department's Supply Estimates for 1978–79. If the hon. Member requires more detailed information on any of these categories I will be pleased to write to him.

	£ million
Capital grants and loans to voluntary aided and special agreement schools	29·724
Grants to adult education " responsible bodies "	4·112
Current and capital grants and loans to voluntary colleges of education	42·361
Current grants to national voluntary youth organisations	1·075
Capital grants to voluntary youth service, village hall and community centre projects	3·695

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the number of gipsy children, their age structure and the numbers attending full-time education.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the special schools for handicapped children that will be affected by the £1 million cut in the improvement of existing places.

The special education building programme is compiled progressively over the year as local education authorities submit their eligible projects for approval. It is not therefore possible to say in advance which particular improvement projects will be affected by the reduction of starts in 1979–80. As the year proceeds it will be necessary to regulate the flow of new approvals and to ensure that urgent work is not held back.

		1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80
Queens' Boys' School, Wisbech	…	18	21	18	17
Queens' Girls' School, Wisbech	…	12	12	12	12
Hereward County Secondary School, March (Mixed)	…	10	12	18	17
Cromwell Community College, Chatteris (Mixed)	…	8	8	10	11
Sir Harry Smith Community College, Whittlesey (Mixed)		19	19	19	19

Information for earlier years is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what has been the percentage age of pupils in each of the non-selective schools in March, Wisbech, Chatteris and Whittlesey who took one or more O-level subject in each of the last five years; and what was the average number of passes at A, B and C per pupil in each of these schools in each of these years;(2) what is the total number of O-level passes at A, B and C achieved in each of the last five years by pupils in nonselective secondary schools in March, Wisbech, Chatteris and Whittlesey; if he will express these numbers as a percentage of each schools total number; and how this compares with the national average;(3) what is the total number of O-level passes at A, B, and C in both selective and non-selective secondary schools in March, Wisbech, Chatteris and Whittle-

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the names of conurbations of over 20,000 in which there is no general provision for co-education in the secondary school sector.

My Department does not collate statistics below local education authority level. There are co-educational secondary schools in all local education authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the number of O-level subjects available in each of the non-selective secondary schools in Wisbech, March, Chatteris and Whittlesey in each of the past five years.

The information supplied by the Cambridgeshire education authority relates to the four academic years 1976–77 to 1979–80 and is a follows:sey in each of the past five years; if he will express this in percentage terms; and how these figures compare with O-level passes at A, B, and C in the remainder of Cambridgeshire.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, how many teachers there are in (a) primary (b) secondary and (c) higher education in the Wolverhampton area; and how many he expects there to be in each of these three sectors in 1983.

In January 1979 the Wolverhampton education authority employed 1,382 teachers in primary education—including nursery—and 1,561 in secondary education. In addition, 110 teachers were employed in both primary and secondary schools. Part-time teachers are included in these figures on the basis of their full-time equivalent service. Figures of teachers in public-sector higher education are not available separately from the rest of public-sector further education: 892 full-time further education teachers were employed by the Wolverhampton education authority in January 1979. My Department does not collect figures of part-time further education teachers. The number of teachers in each sector who will be employed in 1983 will depend on decisions still to be taken by the authority in the light of the resources available to it.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the names of those education authorities in which selection at the age of 13 years is practised either throughout or in parts thereof.

Selection at the age of 13 years was practised in September 1978 in some schools maintained by the following local education authorities:

• Humberside
• Cambridgeshire
• Cumbria
• Kent
• Lancashire

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many grants are likely to be affected by the reduction of the financial allocation to the Social Science Research Council; how many are grants for post-graduate research projects; and whether any current grant holders will be affected.

The council's decisions on reductions in research grants will be made known shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total annual cost of the emoluments and expenses of members of the Social Science Research Council.

In 1978–79 emoluments to the chairman and members of the Social Science Research Council amounted to £21,560 and expenses to £6,996.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied with the operation of the Social Science Research Council; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to his question on 9 July.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will initiate an immediate departmental inquiry into the manner in which prospective recipients of grants from the Social Science Research Council have been informed of changes in Social Science Research Council policies by the council; and whether he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing the gross income equivalents which will entitle families of different sizes to free school meals after next November, using the new scale shown in part III of Statutory Instrument 1979 No. 695, and assuming that the father can claim £10 a week in travel expenses, £4 a week life assurance, £3 a week trade union dues, £28 a week mortgage, and £5 a week in rates.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9 July 1979; Vol. 970, c. 43], gave the following answer:On the basis of the various allowances which my hon. Friend has assumed, the following are the levels of gross weekly income—including child benefit at the two-parent rate—and earnings below which parents will qualify for free school meals for all their children from 12 November next:

	Income £	Earnings £
One child family	118	114
Two child family	128	120
Three child family	138	126

These figures assume that life assurance and mortgage repayments are linked to form an endowment mortgage and that the full £28 per week is eligible for income tax relief. If none of the mortgage payment was allowed for tax purposes the gross earnings-income figures would be about £10 higher.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his present estimate of persons who will be unemployed in the United Kingdom in six, 12 and 18 months' time.

My right hon. Friend has not made any estimates of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will outline his policy for assisting the long-term unemployed.

Ultimately, the interests of the long-term unemployed will best be served by the creation of genuine permanent jobs. Our policies of restoring incentives, encouraging efficiency and creating the conditions for faster economic growth are intended to help industry and commerce to provide more jobs. As far as shorter-term policies are concerned, the Manpower Services Commission's special temporary employment programme provides temporary jobs in the areas where unemployment is most serious—the special development, development and designated inner city areas.We have tightened the criteria for entry to schemes so that a higher proportion of entrants are drawn from the long-term unemployed. The MSC has undertaken to ensure that every unemployed young person who left school in the school year 1978–79 who remains unemployed at Easter 1980 will have been offered a suit- able opportunity in the programme and that by 31st March a suitable opportunity will have been offered to all young people who have been unemployed for 12 months or more. The long-term unemployed can, of course, also benefit from the full range of specialist advisory and placement services available through the public employment service and from a number of other special employment and training measures.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers are at present unemployed in the Greater London Council area.

At 14 June, the number of school leavers aged under 18 registered as unemployed in the Greater London area was 5,529.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will refer to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service the cases of the 28 members of the National Union of Journalists dismissed by the Nottingham Evening Post employers, in violation of the national employers' recommendation to reinstate all employees after the national dispute six months ago.

I understand that the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service has already been in touch with the parties in an attempt to help resolve this dispute and remains willing to provide any assistance they might request.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently unemployed in the Greater London area.

At 14 June 130,517 people were registered as unemployed in the Greater London area.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will define the criteria by which the Manpower Services Commission selects the location of its employment offices and jobcentres with reference to its statutory duty.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it seeks to provide a public employment service which is accessible to the majority of the population. Location of a jobcentre or an employment office in a particular community depends primarily on the need for such services and the cost of providing them.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the proposed location of the Manpower Services Commission offices in Sheffield.

Following the announcement of 11 June of a reappraisal of the dispersal programme, I have received representations from a number of persons and organisations including hon. Members, the city council of Sheffield and Civil Service unions concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will review the working of industrial tribunals to take steps to alleviate the burden they impose on business.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Devon North (Mr. Speller) on 12 June—[Vol. 968, c. 195-196]. The review of the provisions of the Employment Protection Act to which it referred includes a thorough consideration of industrial tribunal procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress he has made towards drawing up the press charter; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration he is giving to a press charter.

I am considering how best to proceed on the question of the press charter in the context of the Government's proposals on the closed shop.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement showing the extent of the increase or decline in the labour force employed in the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industries during the past 10 years for which figures are available.

The following table shows the numbers of people employed in employed in the shipbuilding and ship-repairing and marine engineering industries in the years 1970 to 1979 inclusive.

Year and Numbers Employed
June 1970	181,000
June 1971	183,000
June 1972	177,000
June 1973	177,000
June 1974	175,000
June 1975	174,000
June 1976	175,000
June 1977	175,000*
June 1978	175,000*
April 1979	168,000*
*Provisional

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends to meet the TUC.

My right hon. Friend has had a number of informal meetings with the TUC and hopes to meet it again shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the total number of unemployed in six months' time.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Rother Valley (Mr. Hardy).

asked the Secretary of State for employment when he expects to announce his policy on the regulations and practice relating to the employment of disabled people.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission, which has responsibility for the operation of the statutory quota scheme for the employment of disabled people, that it intends to review the scheme next year. The Commission issued a discussion document in May, which reviews the existing quota system and puts forward a number of future policy options. We shall wish to consider carefully any recommendations put forward by the Commission before reaching a decision on this important issue.As I announced on 4 July, MSC will also be mounting a major promotion campaign in the autumn with the slogan " Fit for Work ". The campaign, which will include a train exhibition and the launch of a scheme of annual awards to firms, will aim to promote a wider understanding of the employment needs of disabled workers and of their abilities, thus helping to create more and better job opportunities for them.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many claims of unfair dismissal were made by workers under 18 years of age in latest year for which figures are available; and what percentage of the total this figure was.

According to my Department's information, some 7 per cent. of unfair dismissal claims during 1977 and 1978 were brought by people under 20. Separate statistics for applicants under 18 are not available, but the percentage of the total is believed to be considerably less.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if it is his policy to use high levels of unemployment in the coming months as a way of endeavouring to hold down wage claims.

No. The Government expect those involved in pay bargaining to reach responsible settlements taking full account of the consequences of their actions on jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of jobs that will be lost by the restrictions of financial assistance to industry in the inner city areas.

There may be some reduction in certain inner city areas, in particular because of the withdrawal of the small firms employment subsidy scheme, but I do not believe that this will result in a net loss of jobs, since the Government's policy of restoring incen- tives, encouraging efficiency and creating a climate in which industry and commerce can flourish will bring into existence more jobs in these areas.

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

There was a fall in the seasonally adjusted figures for June. The level, however, remains far too high.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what effect the Government's public expenditure cutbacks will have on projects already announced for the provision or extension of training and employment centres for handicapped persons supported by his Department.

The existing services to disabled people provided by the Manpower Services Commission will not be subject to expenditure cuts during 1979–80.The Manpower Services Commission, which has responsibility for training and employment services for disabled people, is currently reviewing the future staffing and expenditure levels as part of the Government's general reappraisal of public service expenditure and manpower.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to be able to announce his proposed amendments to the laws on picketing.

The Government's proposals for amending the law on picketing are set out in the working paper which was published on 9 July. Copies have been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, on the basis of the latest figures available, what are the current annual rates of increase in the average industrial wage, the retail price index and industrial output.

The latest annual rates of increase are 13·5 per cent. for average earnings, 10-3 per cent. for retail prices and 3·6 per cent. for industrial production. The earnings and production figures—which are provisional—relate to April and the prices figure to May.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from the CBI and the TUC about the future development of skillcentres; and if he will make a statement.

I have received no representations from the CBI or the TUC. The Manpower Services Commission is currently considering the future development of the skillcentre network and of other public training programmes in the light of the results achieved and the cost-effectiveness of their various programmes and our request to them to find savings in the public expenditure on their programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to increase employment in the Northern region.

The measures the Government have taken, including those in the Budget, have been designed to stimulate the growth of industry and create new worthwhile jobs both in the Northern region and in the country as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now announce details of his proposed legislation on industrial relations.

Our proposals for amending the law on picketing and the closed shop and to provide support from public funds for union ballots are set out in the working papers which were published on 9 July. Copies have been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment why the Manpower Services Commission has cut back its funding for training award places at the St. Helens college of technology; and how the cutback of funding is expected to affect the number of places for the year 1979–80 at the above college.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the majority of award scheme trainees at St. Helens College of Technology are sponsored by the Engineering Industry Training Board, which decides from year to year how many awards are necessary in the light of employers' recruitment decisions. The board is satisfied, in the light of the estimated future need for engineering craftsmen and technicians and the numbers of apprentices likely to be recruited by employers in the area, that it is unlikely to need any award scheme places at St. Helens College of Technology in 1979–80. The recent reduction in funds for 1979–80 made available by the MSC to the EITB has no bearing on the situation.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure the preservation of a separate district manpower committee for the Isle of Wight; and if he will make a statement on the future of these committees.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that although a firm decision has been made to reduce the number of district manpower committees—DMCs—the boundaries of the new DMCs will not be finalised until later this year. The MSC regional manpower services directorsRMSDs—are currently consulting relevant local organisations on the geographical scope of the future committees and will report their findings to the Commission in the autumn. In framing his recommendations on boundaries, the RMSD for the South-East will take into account the views of those formerly involved with the Isle of Wight DMC.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs have been created under his Department's job creation and job preservation schemes for 1977, 1978 and up to May 1979 in Walsall; if he will list the numbers for each scheme; and if he will make a statement on the amount of assistance Walsall can expect in the immediate future.

I regret that this information could be provided in the precise form requested only at disproportionate cost. Some 4,600 people in the Walsall area have been covered by the special employment measures since they began in 1975. The breakdown for the various schemes is as follows:

Temporary Employment Subsidy	2,015
Short Time Working Compensation Scheme	Nil
Temporary Short Time Working Compensation Scheme	Nil
Youth Opportunities Programme	1,658
Work Experience Programme	140
Youth Employment Subsidy	158
Recruitment Subsidy for School Leavers	81
Special Temporary Employment Programme	94
Job Creation Programme	136
Small Firms Employment Subsidy	228
Job Release Scheme	81
Job Introduction Scheme for Disabled People	27
Total	4,618

The youth opportunities programme, the temporary short time working compensation scheme, the job release scheme and the job introduction scheme for disabled people continue to be available in Walsall. The future level of support under these schemes will depend largely on the response from local individuals, employers and sponsoring bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he will consider introducing criteria in the public services to differentiate in favour of firms not employing union labour or not involved with closed shops.

The Government have no plans to introduce such criteria.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the work of the Health and Safety Executive in relation to combating microbiological hazards.

I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the Health and Safety Executive is active in the field of microbiological hazards, in collaboration with Government departments and bodies concerned, including the genetic manipula- tion advisory group and the dangerous pathogens advisory group.The Executive's inspectors have recently completed a programme of inspections of all laboratories handling category A dangerous pathogens. Regulations are being prepared which will strengthen the present arrangements for the control of dangerous pathogens by requiring laboratories working with, or intending to work with, such pathogens to notify the Executive.The Health and Safety (Genetic Manipulation) Regulations 1978, which require all those intending to carry out activities in genetic manipulation to notify the executive and the genetic manipulation advisory group, are now in force and the executive's inspectors are carrying out a programme of inspection of the relevant laboratories.The executive has recently strengthened its expertise in this area by the appointment of a senior consultant adviser on microbiology.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to prevent the reduction in the Manpower Services Commission budget from affecting essential OUTSET surveys of the disabled.

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

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, in view of his statement that the net cost of the special temporary employment programme is less than half the gross cost, if he will now use special temporary employment programme as the basis for a substantial education and training programme for the long-term unemployed in areas of high unemployment like the North-East and South-West Durham, in particular.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how he estimates employment in the United Kingdom is likely to be affected by recent current and forecast changes in international oil prices.

We are better placed to cope with increased oil prices than most other industrialised countries, but any slowdown in the world economy must affect the prospects for United Kingdom exports and, therefore, United Kingdom output and employment. It is not, however, practicable to quantify the effect on employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on employee participation.

The Government welcome close involvement by workers, whether or not they are trade union members, in decisions which affect them at their place of work. We believe that the best way to bring this about is by the voluntary development of participation by joint agreement between employers and their employees. It would be wrong, in our view, to impose by law a blanket system of participation on every company. We strongly favour genuine worker involvement in a way best suited to the circumstances of individual companies and their employees.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consult the Health and Safety Commission on the effects of the decision in R. W. McConnachie v Danckarts Woodworking Machinery Limited; and if he will make a statement.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12 July 1979; Vol. 970, c. 246], gave the following answer:The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission has advised me that the decision on this case has not affected the activities of the Health and Safety Executive in enforcing section 6 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. I am writing to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those industrial training boards whose grants from the Manpower Services Commission will be cut, together with the amounts of each individual cut.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13 July 1979; Vol. 970, c. 324], gave the following answer:I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that compared with the provisional offers of MSC funds which were made to the industrial training boards earlier this year, the cash limits which have now been imposed represent the following reductions:

	£m
Air Transport	0·022
Carpet	0·023
Ceramics	0·270
Chemicals	0·430
Clothing	0·163
Construction	1·721
Cotton	0·110
Distributive	0·240
Engineering (Main)	2·298
Engineering (MEECI)	0·084
Food, Drink	0·052
Footwear	0·066
Foundry	0·187
Furniture	0·326
Hotel and Catering	0·352
Iron and Steel	0·125
Knitting	0·101
Man-made Fibre	0·082
Paper	0·056
Petroleum	0·135
Printing	0·306
Road Transport	0·041
Rubber and Plastics	0·015
Shipbuilding	0·271
Wool, Jute and Flax	0·057

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report in tabular form the main causative cancer agents and parts of the body related to occupational cancers which are either (a) prescribed as industrial diseases, or (b) not so prescribed.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12 July 1979; Vol. 970, c. 243], gave the following answer: